Vampires
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Ovengua
The Ovengua are from Guinea. They are created when an evil sorcerer or a corrupt person dies. Their bones escape their grave one by one and gather back up in a secret location. They move through the forest and attack travelers at night. They catch and eat people and may drink blood. They live in caverns during the day. They can be attacked by a lot of spears and must be burned completely to ash or they will come back. They may take a ghostly or a physical form, which is for the sake of feeding. The creatures can be appeased by leaving out bowls of animal blood outside the…
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Nosferat/Nosferatu
The Nosferat is a form of vampire most commonly known from Bram Stokers’ Dracula, and may have originated there as well. The name supposedly comes from the Greek word “nosphoros” meaning “plague carrier,” but the term Nosferat has not been reliably found in any East European dictionaries. This could make it a form of old Fakelore which became so intertwined with actual myth that it became a part of accepted myth in the modern day. The Nosferat was sometimes seen as a form of living vampire, and has been thought to originate as the illegitimate child of two people who were also born as illegitimate children. Sometimes it is instead…
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Nora/Nore
The Nora are vampiric creatures from Hungarian myth. They often take the form of small, bald, and fragile children. They often run around on all fours in their human form. They may have initially been human. They can become invisible at will. They have a bite comparable to the sting of a wasp and are seen as annoying rather than lethal. They search out sleeping prostitutes and drain blood from their chests. It’s thought they feed on “tainted blood” from women they deem “unclean.” In some versions they also consume breast milk from victims. Crushed garlic can be applied to the injury to soothe it and prevent further attacks. Stories…
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Neuntöter/Neuntoter
The Neuntöter is an undead creature from Germany, usually Saxony. The name translates to “killer of nine” or “nine killer” and comes from the belief that these corpses take nine days to rise from the grave. They resemble corpses with rotting flesh and many open sores that smell like feces. They’re linked to the spreading of disease, which comes from their open sores. Because of this they’re typically seen during great epidemics. They are known to drink blood and may kill purely for its own enjoyment. A person will become a Neuntöter after death if they are born with teeth, born with a spoon in their mouth, or if they’re…
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Nachzehrer/Nachtzehrer
The Nachzehrer is from Germany. Born with cauls on their faces and cursed to rise from the dead, they eat their burial shrouds and their own flesh to give them the energy to break out of their graves. They get out of the grave at midnight, then hunt their family to feed on their blood. They are known to spread disease, cause famine, and destroy crops. They can be repelled by putting a pair of scissors open facing the head of the bed under the pillow. Garlic can be used to ward them off. They can be stopped through exorcism. Citations: Maberry, Jonathan. Vampire Universe: The Dark World of Supernatural…
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Mjertovjec
The Mjertovjec is an undead creature from the myths of Belarus. They have the features of vampires, werewolves, and witches, and are created when a werewolf or a witch dies. They may be the ghost of someone who cursed their father during church service. They are described as having purple faces. One could also become a Mjertovjec if they committed heresy, abandoned their faith, or committed crimes against God. They feed on human flesh and blood, hunting only at night. Mjertovjec can be destroyed by sprinkling poppy seeds on the road between their grave and their former house. They could also be killed by driving a nail into their coffin. Citations:…
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Mashan/Chudel
The Mashan is a demonic vampire from Nepal and India. Mashan are rare and have unnaturally long lives. They feed on blood and then flesh, cause madness, control the dead, and kill randomly. They live in an alternate dimension meant for demons, and they cross between worlds where the border is thinnest. Mashan rarely finds a weak point to use and cross over and often requires a magic user to pull them through in an attempt to control them. Magic users can hold Mashan, but lose control if they make even a small mistake. They can be stopped with prayers to the god Shiva, who tells them to return to…
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Maneden
The Maneden is a mythical creature from the Chewong people of Malaysia. They are arboreal and aren’t dangerous if left alone. They don’t attack if someone approaches but will attack if they try to settle in the area. They are seen as spirits that live in pandan trees and violently attack anyone who would hurt the tree they reside in. They’re small creatures that attach themselves to the victims and drain their blood. With men, they attach to the forehead or elbow, and with women, they may attach to the nipple. They can be appeased with offerings of tubers and nuts and they are known to attack proboscis monkeys. After…
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Mandurugo
The Mandurugo is a creature from the Capiz people of the Philippines. Its name means “bloodsucker.” It commonly takes the form of an attractive woman to lure people in, though their true form is a rotting corpse with sharp teeth. Sometimes they are thought to be a form of undead, but sometimes is thought to be a form of living vampire. This living form of Madurugo will lead a normal human life but will go to their window at night when others are asleep, transform into a flying monster, and hunt for blood. They can be hurt with weapons, but not killed. They are vulnerable to fire and little else.…
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Manananggal
The Manananggal come from the myths of the Bicol people of the Philippines. Their name is from the word “Tanggal” which means “to separate.” They look like women with bat wings who can split their bodies at the waist. Their intestines trail behind as they fly. They use their long thin tongues to drain the blood of pregnant women and also eat the hearts of their fetuses. Some stories claim they prey on men because they are ladies that were left at the altar. Sometimes the curse is from a black chick (a baby chicken, c’mon people) given to the future Manananggal which eats her internal organs but keeps her…
