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Yule Lads
The Yule Lads are ogre-like creatures from Icelandic myth. The stories of these figures first appeared around the year 1600. Over time, they became viewed as the children of the figures Grýla and Leppalúði, who raised them to spread their evil. The number of lads and their order used to vary from place to place, sometimes numbering in the hundreds. Sometimes they are harmless pranksters, but many early accounts describe them as brutal monsters. They killed, tortured, and carried off bad children to kill and eat in bloody ways. It’s thought that it may have been a tradition to tell stories, with everyone one-upping the previous one in cruelty. Eventually,…
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Liqimsa
The Liqimsa were two man-eating monsters from the Borana Oromo people of Ethiopia. These creatures would consume anything and were believed to be brothers. They are monsters that fit into the category of African mythical creatures known as “Swallowers.” This refers to their voracious appetites. It’s believed this story represents the Borana Oromo being smart enough to beat other tribes. The Borana people lived North of a region called Liibaan, described as being between the Dawa Parma and Gannaale Doria rivers, from Kibre Mengist to Filtu. One day, they were attacked by monsters known as the Liqimsa. They were described as resembling elephants, and being taller than mountains with club-like…
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Zburator
The Zburator is a vampiric creature from Romanian folklore similar to an incubus. Its name means “flying thing,” and they are described as resembling handsome young men with black eyes and hair, and wings. When flying across the night sky, they’re said to resemble shooting stars. They visit girls and women at night to have sex. Doing this drains the victim of their life essence, and repeated visits slowly cause the victim to become ill and waste away. They can be repelled by leaving garlic on the windowsill. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016. Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia…
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Yuki-Onna/Yuki-Ona/Yuki-Joro/Yuk-Musume/Yuki-Onba/Yukionna/Yuki-Onne/Yukinko
The Yuki-Onna is a ghostly Yokai from Japanese myth. Its name translates to “snow woman.” They are typically described as beautiful and tall women with long hair and unnaturally pale skin. They hover above the ground, wearing a pure white kimono or appearing totally naked. Sometimes they may be seen cradling a child. They aggressively hunt human victims, but are only active in the winter months. They are perfectly camouflaged in the snow, especially with their ability to shapeshift into a cloud of mist or falling snow. They lead travelers astray, either leaving them to die of hypothermia or speeding up the process with their icy breath. They are known…
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Xolotl
Xolotl is a deity from Aztec mythology. He was viewed as a disguise of, and twin to, Quetzalcoatl. Typically, he was depicted with deformities such as backwards feet and hands, and ears pointing in different directions. Because of these features, he was associated with dwarves and hunchbacks. He was thought to have given humans fire, but is still described as monstrous in nature. It was believed he would accompany Quetzalcoatl into the underworld to collect bones. He was known to chase the sun through the day and catch it every night. He would then drag it into the underworld until the morning. When the gods sacrificed themselves to create mankind,…
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Wyrm/Ormr/Verm/Worm
The Wyrm is a form of dragon originating in Norse myth. They’re described as serpentine creatures and deemed dragons when large enough. The earliest known depiction of this creature is a wood panel from the year 1100. This image shows a Wyrm with an open mouth filled with teeth, eating a person. It had almond-shaped eyes, a curved nose on a long snout, a recurved horn, and ears that were laid back. Its long neck was in two coils, and it appeared it may have had a rider on its back at some point. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland,…
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Shade/Shadow/Umbra
The Shade are a form of ghost from theosophical beliefs. It was believed to be the spirit that remains after the body dies and hovers near where it was buried. After death, the Romans believed the spirit was separated into the Anima, which ascended to heaven, the Mane, which descended to the underworld, and the Shade that remained on earth. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Spirits and Ghosts in World Mythology. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016.
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Shachihoko
The Shachihoko is a mythical creature from Japanese and Chinese myth. They’re known to have a striped tiger head or the head of a dragon. The body is described as resembling a carp covered in poisonous spikes or scales. It’s believed they can crawl onto land to transform fully into a tiger. Carvings of Shachihoko are used similar to Gargoyles in Japan. Duer to their ability to make rain, it was thought their statues deterred fire. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016. Maberry, Jonathan. Vampire Universe: The Dark World of Supernatural Beings That Haunt Us, Hunt Us,…
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Red-Legged Scissor-Man/Great Long-Legged Scissor-Man/The Great Tall Tailor
The Red-Legged Scissor-Man was a bogeyman figure from children’s stories in England and Germany. He was used by Victorian parents to scare their children into behaving, and originated in a book called Struwwelpeter by Heinrich Hoffmann in 1847. The story follows a boy named Conrad who had a habit of sucking his thumbs. His mother warned him that the Red-Legged Scissor-Man would come for him if he continued. He didn’t believe her and continued sucking his thumb as soon as she left. The Red-Legged Scissor-Man burst in with a giant pair of scissors and cut off both of his thumbs. Citations: Rose, Carol. Giants Monsters and Dragons: An Encyclopedia Of…
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Quickfoot/Ghost Ape of Marwood/Martyn’s Ape
Quickfoot is a hairy hominid cryptid sighted in Great Britain. It’s described as being covered in hair with a large muzzle, green eyes, and a human-like face. It stands six feet tall and is known to run quickly. In 1978, three boys in the woods near Kings Nympton, Devon, England, sighted a strange hairy humanoid similar to an ape or a bear. In another incident, a man driving in Bathgate Hills, West Lothian, Scotland, saw a humanoid figure running down a path at high speeds. Citations: Eberhart, George M.. Mysterious Creatures: A Guide to Cryptozoology. United Kingdom, ABC-CLIO, 2002.
