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Kalku
The Kalku are evil magic users from Mapuche myth. They’re often compared to witches and sorcerers and send out spirits called Wekufe to do evil. Kalku and Machi are sometimes considered the same thing, with the Machi simply being good rather than evil. They are believe to dwell in a Reñu, meaning a Witch’s Cave. They may gather young girls in the cave and teach them magic, called Kalkutun, and swear them to secrecy. They may draw power from their ancestors or any others that they gather into their circle. They can cause illness or take over the will and actions of their victims. They can attack people by linking something…
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Kakli Besar
The Kakli Besar is a monstrous creature from Johor, Malaysia. They are described as evil hairy hominids standing nine feet tall. They have eighteen inch long feet with four toes, and large claws that can slice through bone like they are flesh. Many believe they were created by evil forces specifically to attack humans. They often attack humans and have also been known to kill livestock. They can be repelled by smoke, fire, and the sound of metal hitting together. There was a large hunt for these creatures in 1995. Citations: Maberry, Jonathan. Vampire Universe: The Dark World of Supernatural Beings That Haunt Us, Hunt Us, and Hunger for Us.…
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Jokao/Stonecoats
The Jokao are creatures from the myths of the Iroquois and Seneca people. They are a form of cannibal giant, whose bodies are covered in stone plates. They are often created in a very harsh winter, most often during famine when people were forced to eat their neighbors to survive. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Giants and Humanoids in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016.
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Joint Snake/Glass Snake
The Joint Snake is a strange creature from Lumberjack Folklore. It’s a small snake most notable for its ability to reassemble its body if it is dismembered. If cut into pieces, all the pieces of this creature would wiggle until they reconnected. It quickly darts away after it reassembles itself. If a piece from the middle is removed before it heals however, the Joint Snake can’t recover and dies. Some accounts also say it had a horn at the end of its tail as long as a needle and incredibly sharp. Citation: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016.
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Jinshin-Mushi/Earthquake Beetle
The Jinshin-Mushi is a Yokai from Japanese myth. It’s thought to be a giant dragon-headed beetle that causes earthquakes as it moves around underground. It’s thought to be covered in scales and have ten hairy legs ending in spider claws. It’s thought to be the counterpart to the Jinshin-Uwo. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016. Rose, Carol. Giants Monsters and Dragons: An Encyclopedia Of Folklore Legend And Myth. United Kingdom, WW Norton, 2001. Rosen, Brenda. Mythical Creatures Bible: The Definitive Guide to Legendary Beings. Taiwan, Sterling, 2009.
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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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Mokele-Mbembe
The Mokele-Mbembe is a cryptid fromthe Republic of the Congo. It can supposedly be found in the Likouala Swamp and Lake Tele. Its name translates to “one who stops the flow of rivers” referring to its massive size. It’s believed to be an herbivore that attacks anything that enters its territory. It’s thought to especially dislike hippos and kills them on sight. Its diet is thought to largely be the Malombo plant which refers to Landolphila mannii or Landolphia owariensis. It’s thought to be between a hippo and an elephant in size with a thick rounded body, four thick legs, a long tail like a crocodile, a long tapering neck,…
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Jersey Devil
The Jersey Devil is a cryptid from New Jersey with folkloric origins. The story of the Jersey Devil’s origin begins with a woman named Mrs. Shrouds, Mother Leeds, or Abigail Leeds. She had twelve children and cursed her hypothetical thirteenth child to the devil. She got pregnant not long after and gave birth to an inhuman creature. Another story said a woman got pregnant by a British soldier, and her child was cursed by her neighbors. This child had goat legs, a human torso, bat wings, and a long snout similar to a horse. It’s sometimes thought to be nine feet from head to tail. It’s thought to live in…
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Jerangkong
The Jerangkong are from Indonesian myth. They are ghosts in the form of human skeletons and are sometimes covered in blood or dirt. They make a chattering sound like hard wood hitting together. They create a gap in their graves and emerge in the form of smoke. They mean no harm. They burn on contact. They have various origins but are said to have been egg thieves in life. They will continue to steal eggs when in the form of the Jerangkong. They will not break the egg but will suck the egg out through the shells pores. Citations: A Book of Indonesian Ghosts. N.p., StoryTale Studios
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Jarjacha
The Jarjacha is a monstrous creature from Peruvian myth. It’s believed that everyone has a Jarjacha within them, and it can emerge when one is overcome by anger, jealousy, or any other negative emotions. When this happens, the Jarjacha takes over the mind, body, and soul. If released from a soul, then it can take everything from a person in life and after death. Once they are satisfied with the fear and suffering they have caused, they may return to rest in the soul. Jarjachas can turn others into Jarjachas and some become Jarjachas after breaking taboos or because of incest. They take the form of llamas with human faces,…
