Rawhead/Tommy Rawhead/Bloody Bones

The Rawhead is a creature known from British and US folklore, commonly the American Midwest. Stories of this creature are thought to have originated in Britain or Celtic myth. It’s used as a bogeyman figure, and often seen as a companion to Bloody-Bones with them sometimes being seen as two parts of the same entity. One is a headless skeleton that dances, and the other is a skull that bites people. It’s described as very ugly with blood constantly pouring from the mouth. Sometimes it’s described as a tall figure in a black cloak. In the Pacific Northwest it sometimes appears as a cloud of green fog. It is thought to possibly be connected to Zombie legends from Voodoo myth and a figure named High Walker. It’s thought to live in bogs, ponds, cabinets, and under the stairs sitting on a pile of bones while waiting for prey. It hides under children’s beds and tickles them before they go to sleep or it puts children in a sack.

Citations:

A History of Mythical Beings. N.p., Frederick Holiday, 2021.

Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016.

Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Fairies in World Folklore and Mythology. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2013.

Lauro, Sarah J.. The Transatlantic Zombie: Slavery, Rebellion, and Living Death. United States, Rutgers University Press, 2015.