Vampires
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Brukulaco/Bruculaco/Burculacas
The Brukulaco are undead creatures from Greek myth. They are thought to be the corpses of excommunicated people returning from the dead due to being locked out of heaven. They resemble hunched men with sharp teeth, harsh eyes, and sharp claws. They have bodies constructed of mud, slime, and feces found in the ground as they rise, and large chests that sound like drums when hit. They are known to have strong muscular arms and legs. To lure in prey, the Brukulaco make sounds like the crying of a lost child, an injured woman, or a whimpering dog. They lure human victims to isolated locations and consume any who get…
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Bouda
The Bouda is a creature from the folklore of Morocco, Tanzania, and Ethiopia. It is a creature classified as a living vampire that can also return as an undead vampire. They are often thought to be blacksmiths who forge metal amulets to control their ability to shapeshift. With this magic they take the physical form of a hyena but maintain their human intelligence. Without the amulet, they can’t transform back into a human and their minds become that of a hyena as well. In hyena form they consume flesh and blood, but they have no supernatural strength and can be killed with normal weapons. Citations: Vampire Universe: The Dark World…
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Banshee/Bean Sídhe
The Banshee is a creature from Irish mythology. Once a singular ancestral spirit. Her wail announced the coming death among one of the five main families these being the O’Briens, the O’Connors, the O’Gradys, the O’Niells, and the Kavanaghs. Newer interpretations of the Banshee see them as Psychopomps that foretell death with their calls. Hearing the cry of the Banshee means that someone you know will die the following night. Some believe that groups of Banshee gather together and cry out together at the death of a great or holy person. They are rarely seen but often resemble naked women with long hanging boobs washing shrouds by the river. When…
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Bampu/Kykketsuki/Kyuketsuki
The Bampu is a Japanese mythical creature whose name means “bloodsucker.” Typically, this term is simply used when the European vampire has been absorbed into Japanese culture, most often in filmography. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Vampire Mythology. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2017. Bush, Laurence C.. Asian Horror Encyclopedia: Asian Horror Culture in Literature, Manga, and Folklore. United States, iUniverse, 2001. Melton, J Gordon. The Vampire Book: The Encyclopedia of the Undead. United Kingdom, Visible Ink Press, 2010.
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Balbal
The Balbal is from the Tagbanua people of the Philippines. This creature is a form of Aswang known to eat corpses. They glide from rooftop to rooftop with membranous wings that stretch from their wrists to their ankles, similar to those of flying squirrels. They are human shaped with long hooked nails that they use to tear open thatched roofs. They snatch up corpses or sleeping people with a long powerful tongue. They often replace the corpses they take with banana stalk doubles. They can be frightened away by placing oil on a doorway. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland,…
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Bajang
The Bajang is a vampiric creature from Malaysia. It can be summoned by a sorcerer using the body of a stillborn baby taken from their family. Some claim it to be the male counterpart to a creature called the Langsuir. They can sometimes be bound as a Familiar and contained in a container known as a Tabong, sealed with leaves and a magical charm. If not fed milk and eggs by its owner, it will seek children to consume. It can take the shape of a cat, polecat, or large lizard. If it takes the form of a cat and meows like a baby then that baby is destined to…
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Baital
Baitals are creatures from Tibetan myth that resemble human bat hybrids, stand four to seven feet tall, have short stubby tails, and are often depicted drinking blood from human skulls used as cups. These creatures are so horrific to look at that seeing them makes people dizzy, sick, or even render them unconscious. They can be found hanging from trees in the jungle near graveyards. They have a taste for human flesh but are intelligent enough to possess human corpses and use them to interact with humans. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016.
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Asrapa
Asrapa is a vampiric witch from India. Her name translates to “blood drinker.” Some believe she’s the child of the Sage Daksha and his wife Muni. Others believe she simply came into being when the deity Brahma became angry. She is a shapeshifter typically depicted as a naked woman, that can raise the dead. She can be found wandering in cemeteries, and she eats human flesh from both the dead and the living. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Vampire Mythology. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2017.
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Asiman
The Asiman is from the Dahomey people. They are creatures who are shapeshifting witches created by someone casting some specific spell and losing their humanity. They can remove their skin and turn into a glowing light. They fly through the air to find prey and after feeding, they turn into an animal to leave. They can only be killed when in animal form. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Vampire Mythology. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2017. 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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Asemann
The Asemann is from Suriname. They can shapeshift into animals at night. They hunts for humans in animal form and drains them of their blood. Their name is based on the word “azen” meaning “carrion” or “cadaver.” Placing a broom across a door prevents an Asemann from entering a house uninvited. Throwing a quantity of small objects like seeds or pebbles can stop an Asemann until they count them all. They return to human form at sunrise and can be killed by anything that would kill the average human. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Vampire Mythology. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2017.
