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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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Bakhtak
The Bakhtak is a creature from Iranian myth. It resembles a humanoid bear and its name translates to “nightmare.” It sneaks into houses and sits on sleeping people’s chests causing them to have horrible nightmares. It may sometimes go as far as killing its victims and eating their bodies. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016.
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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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Bait Robbers
Bait Robbers are from Lumberjack Folklore. They have the “scientific” name is Vermisvulpes vancerandolphi. They are round, light, and airy creatures which resemble a large bubble with arms, eyes, a nose, a mouth, and horns. They have no legs, as they don’t need them since they live solely underwater. They grab worms from fishhooks without being detected, and then feed the worms to small fish that can’t get it from the hook. They then jerk the hook to trick the fisherman into rebaiting the hook and trying again. Citations: Yarns of the Big Woods, Written and Illustrated by Art Childs
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Bai Ze
Bai Ze is from Chinese mythology. This creature’s name translates to “white marsh,” and it resembles a large white lion with one or two horns and sometimes an extra set of eyes either on its face or its back. It is believed to have appeared to the Yellow Emperor and told him that it appeared only to auspicious emperors. The emperor discovered that this creature knew about many supernatural creatures and had knowledge of how to destroy them. With this information a book known as the Bai Ze Tu was created. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016.…
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Bahia Blanca Alien
The Bahia Blanca Alien was sighted in Arroyo Pareja, Bahia Blanca, Argentina. The encounter occurred on July 31, 2002 at 6:45 p.m. The 23 year old witness named Julian Pereyra was in his vehicle when he saw red spheres flying low over the nearby woods. The spheres descended into the trees and he approached 15 minutes later with others. The group saw a tall figure floating above the ground wearing a white cape-like garment that glowed. It had a visor on its face with two red beams emerging where the eyes would be. It glided silently over a field and the witnesses watched the figure for thirty minutes along with…
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Babi Ngepet
The Babi Ngepet is a creature from Indonesian myth. It was not seen as a ghost but rather the result of dark magic where people sacrifice their humanity and become a pig in exchange for great wealth. They can steal money as a Babi Ngepet and can take this pig form at any time, but this most commonly occurs on Thursday nights or at the full moon. They light a candle and return to human form when the candle goes out, often getting another person to guard the candle.Spraying water after using it to wash rice can fend off the Babi Ngepet, as can putting onion or garlic strands in…
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Babe The Blue Ox
Babe the Blue Ox is a well known figure from Lumberjack folklore. He was found as a calf by Paul Bunyan after it fell in Lake Michigan during the Winter Of The Blue Snow. He’s thought to be large enough to break through several feet of ice. He has an incredible appetite and could even eat a metal pot. He has bright blue hair, a black nose, and horns that were white except for the tip where they became brown, and he quickly grew to massive sizes. Citations: Rees, Ennis, and Robert Osborn. The Song of Paul Bunyan & Tony Beaver. Pantheon Books, 1964.
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Baba Roga/Babaroga
Baba Roga is a Slavic creature from Serbia. She resembles a hunched, ugly, toothless, old woman with a horn in the middle of her head. She hides in dark places and only comes out at night. She scares bad children and takes them back to her lair. She functions as a bogeyman figure. Her name roughly translates to “horned grandma.” Citations: Zlatic, Vladimir. Slavic Mythology: Demons in Serbian Folklore. N.P., Amazon Digital Services LLC – KDP Print US, 2021.
