Vampires
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Kigatilik
The Kigatilik is a monster from Inuit mythology. They rise from the water to consume the blood and flesh of priests and shamans. They’re thought to consume the heart and other organs. They like to corrupt people from their beliefs. and can shapeshift into attractive women to seduce married men. They may also use these human forms to speak against religious beliefs. Their true form however has thick white fur like a polar bear, large fangs, and massive claws. Citations: Maberry, Jonathan. Vampire Universe: The Dark World of Supernatural Beings That Haunt Us, Hunt Us, and Hunger for Us. United States, Kensington Publishing Corporation, 2006.
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Kharisiri
The Kharisiri is from the Kallawaya people of the Andes Mountains in Bolivia. They attack people who are drunk. They cut a hole in the body near the liver, then enter the body through this opening and eat their fat tissue. They sell the remaining body fat to hospitals and bishops. People with a Kharisiri inside them will act strangely and have a high fever. The hole near the liver can leave a scar. Chewing a cocoa leaf is a decent protective measure. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Vampire Mythology. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2017.
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Kathakano/Catacano
The Kathakano is an undead monster from remote areas of the islands of Crete and Rhodes. They are sometimes called “the happy vampire” and are related to, or a variation of, the Vrykolakas. They’re a form of undead vampire with a wide grin, known to randomly start laughing. They trick people into trusting them by posing as happy strangers or drunk people. When someone approaches them, the smile grows larger and larger and reveals massive, sharp, white teeth. They’re known to be incredibly strong and fast, and arrogant by nature. They spit acidic blood at victims like a snake, which causes immediate pain, blindness, burns, and temporary paralysis. They use…
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Jiangshi/Chiang-Shih/Kiang-Shi/Kuang-Shi
The Jiangshi are a form of undead creature from Chinese myth. They’re most often formed when someone dies from murder, hanging, drowning, suicide, or dying during the committing of a crime. It is believed they are the lesser of the two souls, called the p’o, that remains in the body after death. They have incredibly stiff bodies due to rigor mortis and have to hop around because of this. They’re believed to become stronger the longer they exist, with rigor mortis wearing off, and they would become smarter and more malicious. They can leap from massive distances and even learn how to fly. They have been known to appear as…
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Isholugo
The Isholugo are dangerous creatures of South African myth. They are thought to be Impundulu who have escaped magical binding and are no longer forced to serve any magic user. They have a wild bloodlust and are incredibly difficult to track. They can only be killed if they are contained and burned to remove their supernatural strength. Citations: Maberry, Jonathan. Vampire Universe: The Dark World of Supernatural Beings That Haunt Us, Hunt Us, and Hunger for Us. United States, Kensington Publishing Corporation, 2006.
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Intaka Yezulu
The Intaka Yezulu is a creature from South Africa, and a variation of the Impundulu. It’s name translates to “bird of the sky”, and it appears as a big white bird with a red beak and red legs. It may sometimes take the form of a handsome man to seduce women, and then drain them of their blood. The flapping of their wings makes thunder, and their droppings become lightning. Their very presence can cause miscarriages and hemorrhages. They possess the ability to control eagles, owls, and hammerhead sharks and use them to find prey. Sometimes people bitten by the Intaka Yezulu turn into witches. They can be destroyed by…
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Impundulu
The Impundulu is a strange creature from the myths of South Africa. There are known to be several different variations of the Impundulu. They are often thought to be familiars belonging to witches that are then passed down through the generations. However while they commonly serve witches, it is unclear if they do so willingly, or are forced to do so with magic binding. They most commonly target the enemies of those in charge of them. They survive by draining the blood from livestock. If the Imundulus boss is angry enough at someone then the Impundulu may kill them and their entire families and their livestock completely unprompted. Sometimes they…
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Gjakpirë
The Gjakpirë are undead creatures from Albania. Though they can take many different forms, their true form is that of a rotting corpse. They travel at night, and often turn into nocturnal predatory birds. They are known to use trickery to lure in their prey, often lying by the side of the road pretending to be an injured traveler in need of help. When victims approach, the Gjakpirë stabs them in the groin or throat with a sharp stick. After the victim is sufficiently weakened, the Gjakpirë drains them of blood before returning to their grave to rest. Citations: Maberry, Jonathan. Vampire Universe: The Dark World of Supernatural Beings That…
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Ghaddar
The Ghaddar are mythical creatures from the deserts of Yemen, Tihamah, and Egypt. They’re described as female demons appearing as women so attractive almost none can resist her seduction. They lure men away, beat them half to death, torture them for hours or days, and then eat their genitals. The victim is often alive when she feeds but is certainly not afterward. Only those who are devoutly Muslim are thought to be able to resist their seduction. Citations: Maberry, Jonathan. Vampire Universe: The Dark World of Supernatural Beings That Haunt Us, Hunt Us, and Hunger for Us. United States, Kensington Publishing Corporation, 2006.
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Gashadokuro
Gashadokuro are Japanese Yōkai. They are giant skeletons that walk around at night. After hundreds of people die and rot without funeral rites, the many bones gathered in their restless anger to turn into this. They are recognizable by the sound of chattering teeth, but don’t always make noise. They sneak up on people traveling alone at night, catch their victims, crush them in their hands and bite off their heads. They cannot be killed but eventually wear out over time. Citations: Meyer, Matthew. The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons: A Field Guide to Japanese Yōkai. United States, Matthew Meyer, 2015.
