The Popobawa

Created in Bing Creator

The Popobawa (translates to bat-wing) is a legendary creature from the Tanzanian island of Pemba. It is known for its nocturnal assaults on people and is especially fierce towards those skeptical of its existence. The Popobawa is described as a shapeshifter with one of its forms being a bat-like figure. It has been the catalyst for mass hysteria several times in Tanzania. 1995 was particularly spread from Pemba to Unguja, Zanzibar Archipelago. Again there was brief hysteria in both 2000 and 2007. 

During the day Popobawa looks like an ordinary human, but when night falls he acquires a different form. He has a hunched human-like form with grey skin, long, pointed ears, a wide smile with fangs, a single eye in the middle of the forehead, and wings so big that they can wrap around him like a cape. It's described as being able to change form, sometimes being able to blend into darkness. It also emits a smell of sulfur. 

The Popobawa's single eye possesses a paralyzing effect on anyone who looks into it. It uses this ability to instill fear into the hearts of victims. The Popobawa then will gain access to the home instigating a lasting sense of dread. It would also attack anyone in the home including children. The attacks include physical and sexual assault or a poltergeist-like phenomenon. 

Because the Popobawa was known for repeat visits people could protect themselves from Popobawa by staying awake throughout the night outdoors, usually around fires with other people. 

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

Mythlok

Villians Wiki

Monsters: Tsurube Otoshi (Falling in Well Bucket)

"Nishioka no Tsurube-oroshi" (The Tsurube-Oroshi of Nishioka) from the Kokon Hyakumonogatari Hyōban written by Yamaoka Genrin, edited by Yamaoka Motoyoshi

Tsurube Otoshi (Falling in Well Bucket) is a yokai from Japan. It is a gigantic disembodied head of either a human, a tengu, or an oni and sometimes appears as fireball flames with facial features. Its size is the typical size of a human head to two meters in diameter. They live and spend most of their time in the tree tops preferring taller trees like pines, kayas, and other such conifers. The trees they live in are typically deep along paths in the forest and outside of towns where travelers are likely to be. The places they are known to be is the Wakayama Prefecture, the Kyoto Prefecture, the Shiga Prefecture, the Gifu Prefecture, and the Aichi Prefecture.

At night they wait in the treetops for unspecting creatures and travelers. When they need to eat they will quickly fall to the ground to trap their prey. This is how it got its name. They enjoy this kind of killing and let out a laugh as they hunt and eat their meal. Sometimes when they are not hungry they will come down and do the same crushing people to death for fun. Sometimes they don't use themselves, but large rocks or well buckets and enjoy the damage dealt. After they are done feeding and or having their fun they will slip back into the trees laughing and challenging others to pass underneath their tree.

Travelers are warned to not pass under the tall trees at night because the Tsurube Otoshi might get them. 

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

Yokai

Yokai Wiki

Monsters: Ta-Awi

Image created using Imagine Ai

Ta-Awi is an ogre-like creature in the Philippines. The creature has a body bigger than an ordinary man but despite the size, they are very agile. They are described as being very ugly and their voice is very thunderous. Their voice is so thunderous that it would terrify Maranao hunters. 

Ta-Awi is known to raid villages and devour people alive. They avoid eating the eyes as for some reason they cannot digest them.

SOURCES:

Art and Fiction + Philippine Folklore and Mythologies

Cryptid Wiki

Myth and Folklore Wiki

Myth Museum

Monsters: La Cegua

Photo by Anudariya Munkhbayar

La Cegua was a beautiful woman cursed to become a spectral monster in Costa Rica. It was said that she resided in Cartago. The story is said to have happened between 1563 when Cartago was established and 1823 when San Jose became the capital. She was half native and half Spaniard and was extremely beautiful. She would then fall in love with a Spanish soldier. They would have a sexual relationship and believed he loved her two. When the Spaniard left she had broken down and gone mad. A curse would befell her and she would use it against men she deemed unfaithful to their loved ones.

She will first appear to adulterers as a beautiful woman but then transform into a face of a rotting horse skull. In her womanly form, she has an oval face, large black eyes, long curly hair, red beautiful lips, a slender and tempting body, and a voice much like a siren. She is typically wearing full white or black, but there have been occasions where she wore a vapourous pink dress or a luxurious period dress. There are possibly more than one La Cegua and they may work together at times.

Travelers in Costa Rica are to be careful on their journeys. Especially on lonely roads at night. She typically appears in front of drunkards or womanizers. She will then ask the stranger if they could take her to her ride (in older tales it was a horse and more recently a modern vehicle). After she get's onto the man's horse or in his vehicle she rides with him for a while. She tempts him and tranformes into her monstrous version either killing or disabiling him and making him go mad.

She sometimes doesn't appear on the road and instead at dances and festivals in towns. She usually flirts wth every man who approaches her. The one who succeeds in having a hookup with her will accompany her to a clearing of the Guanacaste pampa under a leafy Guanacaste tree. They make love all night, but when he tries to kiss her that face appears.

There is another version in which it is a crying child instead. When the child is found on the side of the road the person will give them a ride. The child would then resort to turning into its horse face.

It's said in order to escape her wrath is to throw mustard seeds at her. She will take her time and pick them up. This gives enough time for the victim to run and flee the La Cegua.

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

Myths and Folklore Wiki

We Love Costa Rica

Villians Wiki

MONSTERS: Mbwiri

The Mbwiri is a Central African demon that possesses people. The person who is possessed is usually the only one who knows that they are possessed. It's said that they target those who aren't living well. People who are possessed by the Mbwiri are usually diagnosed with epilepsy by a doctor.

In order to get rid of the Mbwiri a shaman is called. A hut is built and the afflicted, the shaman, and their assistants will live here till they are cured. For ten days or a fortnight, these people will eat, drink, and dance to the music of flute and drum at the expense of the patient's family. The patient would then dance until the epileptic fits come on. It's said the Mbwiri would hate the good living their victim was having and flee the body. When cured they would then build a fetish house and then avoids certain foods and performs certain duties. Sometimes they don't get cured and are engulfed in madness or runs away to the bush.

SOURCES: 

Wikipedia

Monster Wiki

Monsters: Nasnas

This folio from Walters manuscript W.659 

In Arab folklore a Nasnas is a monstrous creature believed to have been born between a jinn called a Shiqq and a human. These creatures is basically and literally half a human being. They have half a head, half a body, one arm, and one leg. It hops with much agility. 

SOURCES:

Myths and Folklore

Wikipedia

Monsters: Bekatarō

The  Bekatarō is an ugly, malevolent, and cannibalistic Japanese Yokai. It's believed that it was a wicked child born with a supernatural and unquenchable hunger. They consume anything they can find including humans. It's said that he was so hungrey he started eating humans and thus became a yokai. Their hunger allows them to devour more than what 10 or 20 adults could and want more.  They have a humanoid form and are usually seen pulling their lower eyelids with its finger and sticking its tongues out in a mocking gesture. 

SOURCES:

Yokai

Yokai Wiki

Monsters Wiki

Monsters: A Camacrusa

A Camacrusa is a french bogey that habitats Aire-sur-L’Adour in the Landes. The creature is a disembodied leg and is a terrifying appearance as sometimes it's flayed. It is very rapid in movement and is capable of hiding behind haybales, jumping over ditches and hedges, and easily running after prey. It typically goes after children and eats them. It's unspecified how it eats the children.

SOURCES: 

Cryptid Wiki

Myths and Folklore

Monsters: Cheval Mallet

Photo by Janosch Diggelmann

A Cheval Mallet (meaning Mallet Horse) is evil but fabulous horse in French folklore. It's seen around Vendée, Poitou, and Pays de Retz, near Lac de Grand Lieu. It's described as a beautiful white or black horse saddled and bridled. It tempts exhausted travelers and the unwary who choose to ride the horse are said to never be seen again. The only thing to protect the traveler from the horse is a protection spell as a medal of St. Benedict or have them n the price of traveling.


SOURCES:

Wikipedia

Monsters Wiki

Myths and Folklore Wiki

Monsters: Black Annis

In the countryside of Leicestershire, England there is a cannibalistic witch living in a dark cave in the Dane Hills. She's known as Black Annis' Bower by the locals. She is very tall and horrible, with blue skin, long sharp teeth, claw-like fingers, and glowing eyes. The entrance of the cave is an old oak tree which she often hides at night and waits for her next meal. 

She only leaves the cave to find tasty children with the tastiest being those who misbehave. If no children could be found then she would feed on livestock like sheep and lambs. It was most common to see her pull the children with her long arms through windows (no glass at the time). The children would be warned of her visit as her howl could be heard from miles away. Sometimes you can even hear her teeth grinding.

She would suck her preys dry of blood, and then the skins are hung on the oak tree to dry. 

Her cave was filled with dirt into the late 1800s, possibly burying Black Annis in her home. It's unknown as it's believed that she was an immortal being able to adapt to the modern world. It's said that she adopted the name Cat Anna at the end of the 1800s and was said to be living in cellars under Leicester Castle where a supposed subterranean passage connect to Dane Hills. 

It's unknown where Black Annis would reside now. Her territory is entirely lost now as the hillside is now a large housing estate. 

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

Monsters Wiki

Monsters: Tano Giant

In the Upper parts of the Boin Tano Forest in Ghana, Africa, a tale is told by the natives of the area of the Tano Giant. It seems to be a bigfoot-like creature described as a white ape of extraordinary structure and human instinct. They are described as larger than a man with arms as thick as a man's body. His skin is white, but black hair grows on it. They only have four fingers and no thumbs, the head is flat and small for its size, but the same size as a large monkey's head. His facial features are similar to monkeys, their mouth is the same, and has large teeth. It's said that they carry the skin of a bush cow and during the when cold. The creature is also dangerous.

A hunter once tried to shoot the Tano Giant, but the creature broke the gun and the hunter's arms. There are other similar stories. It attacked two women gathering plantains and kidnapped one and the other woman left screaming. This woman was never found again. It's said that several children were kidnapped by it and their bodies were later found mutilated with their bowels devoured. 

To help keep the Tano Giant away doors are barricaded at night and broiled plantains and cassava are left on the jungle paths to the village. This is to help appease his hunger and hope he does not find his next meal in the village. But if they do appear in the village he only runs away when a fire is thrown at them.

SOURCES:

Cryptid Wiki

Kook Science

Mysterious Creatures: A Guide to Cryptozoology Volume 2 page 535

Monsters: Hidebehind

The hidebehind as illustrated by Margaret Ramsay Tryon for "Fearsome Critters" by Henry Harrington Tryon

A Hidebehind is a nocturnal fearsome critter from American folklore. It is a large and powerful creature that preys on humans that wander the woods at night. The creature will follow the human and conceals itself behind an object or the observer if there is an attempt to look at it directly. The creature will eventually attack the human and drag them to its home where it would devour the human, especially their intestines. They hate alcohol and avoid those who smell/drank it. It was said that they were to blame for many disappearances of early loggers. 

Maybe the noises heard in the forest is not just forest noises, but the hidebehind hunting for dinner.

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

Cryptid Wiki

MONSTERS: The Blink Man

Photo by Stefano Pollio

There is an entity that goes by many names The Blink Man, Peeping Tom, the Flickergiest, or The Tunnel Man that haunts the Iichester Tunnel in Elliot City, Maryland. You can't simply catch a glimpse of this entity, but have to summon him in an hour-long process. It is only accomplished by staring down the tunnel for an entire hour between midnight and 1 a.m. without blinking. 

If accomplished the Blinking Man will constantly be in your vision and with every blink, he comes closer. It's said that he comes so close that you can feel his eyelashes touching you. He wants you to blink a final time. What comes is either madness or death.

SOURCES:

Chesapeake Horror 

The Patch November 23, 2016

Horror Society June 25, 2019

Monsters: Yama-Uba

Yama-Uba (Mountain Hag) is a female yokai who are considered old hags or witches in the Japanese Forests and Mountains. The Yama-Uba were born human but turn into monsters. They typically appear as kind old ladies, but sometimes they sport horn or fangs. They don't give sign to their evil nature.

Yama-Uba will live alone in huts by the road. They will offer shelter, food, and a place to sleep for travlers. Unbeknowist to the travlers she would wait for them to sleep before turning to their true form an old, ugly, demonic witch. She would then catch and feast on them using her magic. 

Stories of the Yama-Uba would spread and keep travlers to be safer. It's also told as bedisde stories to disobediant children. Sometimes these stories were told when young wome were accused of crimes or wicked deeds and they had to flee to the forest/mountain. They would live in exile becomeing an "old hag".

Sometimes during famines or economic hardship families would make hard choices to get rid a family member so the rest would survive. Often this was a newborn or an elderly family member would be removed. It's believed that some of the Yama-Uba may have been elderly senile women abandoned by family members in the forest or mountains. It's said that these women would either out of rage or desperation tranformaed into the Yama-Uba practicing black magic. 

SOURCES:

Yokai Wiki

Wikipedia

Yokai

MONSTERS: Pugot

The Pugot (decapitated one) is a headless fiend found in the Ilocos region in the Philipines. It comes in many headless figures such as hogs, dogs, and humans. It usually shows up as a black gigantic headless being residing in dark places like deserted houses, and especially loves living in trees like the duhat, santol, and tamarind. Its abilities include shapeshifting and moving at great speeds. It also eats bugs and snakes by thrusting them into its neck stump.

The creature is relatively harmless but is a bit of a creep. It's fond of stealing women's underwear that is drying on the clotheslines. 


SOURCES:

Wikipedia

Myths and Folklore Wiki

MONSTERS: Hone- Onna

From the Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki by Sekien Toriyama

Hone-onna (bone woman) is a yokai in Japanese lore and as the name implies she is in a form of bones. She's a woman who has died but has an undying love that brings her back to life. She is seen as beautiful as she was alive, but some will see her as a rotting corpse. Those people are either not blinded by love or strong religious faith.

This undying love allows her to be with whoever she was in love with alive. She seemingly seems normal to them and herself unknown to both that she's a rotting body. The man would more than likely know that she is in fact dead, but is blinded by love when seeing her. 

She would visit them at night and they would have a sexual relationship. This could last up to weeks and unbeknownst to their lover, she is sucking the life force from him. He will eventually die and the two will be together in death.

If she is seen in her rotting form the person and informs the man what was happening. Her lover may be thrown off though and use magic charms on the home to keep her away. This only works if he truly wants that though. She may continue to visit at night as she is still unknown to her own condition. 

Within the collection of writings called "Otogi Bōko" (1666) by Asai Ryōi (this collection is the moral-free version of "Jiandeng Xinhua" (1378) by Qu You) the story "Botan Dōrō" or the Peony Lantern is about a Hone-onna. A man named Ogiwara Shinnojo would meet Yako, a beautiful woman, and they would have a sexual relationship every night. An elderly neighbor would witness the two, but instead of seeing Yako, they would see Shinnojo embracing a skeleton.

One story of Hone-onna is explained in the text "Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki" by Toriyama Sekien (may be referenced to the previous story) in the story Otogi Bōko. Hone-onna is an aged female skeleton who would carry a chōchin lantern that was decorated with Botan flowers. She would then visit the home of a man she loved when alive and have a sexual relationship with him.

In "Tōhoku Kaidan no Tabi" by Norio Yamada there is an odd tale of Hone-onna in the Aomori Prefecture. It's said that an ugly woman in the Ansei period became a good-looking skeleton after death. She is said to walk around town as a skeleton to show off, likes fish bones, and would collapse upon encountering a high priest.

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

Yokai 

Myths and Folklore Wiki

Yokai Wiki

amonsters: Samca

 A Samca is a creature in Romanian Legends as an ugly and terrible evil spirit. She can take many different forms like a large pig, a grinning dog with rotten teeth, a hairless cat with fiery bulging eyes, a crow with bloody eyes, and a large black spider. The most known version is of a naked woman with disheveled hair down to her feet, dried out breasts that touch the ground, small bright eyes, a tongue of fire, and iron hands with nails as sharp as knitting needles or hooked as sickles.

They show themselves at the end of the month usually around the full moon. With their large crooked mouth, they show in front of children under 4-years-old.  A disease that children get after the Samca appeared often called "the children's malice". This causes the child to be deathly ill. 

They also show themselves to women lying on their birth bed, and once the creatures are visible they touch the pregnant woman as if kneading them. This would either scare the women to death or cripple them for life. It's also said that the Samca would curse the newborns.

Samca goes by 19 names; Vestitia, Navadaria, Valnomia, Sina, Nicosda, Avezuha, Scorcoila, Tiha, Miha, Grompa, Slalo, Necauza, Hatavu, Hulila, Huva, Ghiana, Gluviana, Prava, and Samca. In order to avoid the Samca people would need to write all 19 names on the wall of the house or ask someone for a protective spell. If attacked the person who did the spell gets attacked, except if the person is of age the Samca cannot.

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

Monster Wiki

Right Words

Librum Prodigiosum (tumblr)

Monsters: Shirime

 

Shirime drawn by Yosa no Busa (1754)

The story goes in Japan a samurai was walking down the road to Kyōto. Another man would call out to him telling him to wait. The cautious samurai asked "Who's there?" nervously. When he turned around he would spot the owner of the voice. It was a man who was stripping off his clothing and pointing his butt at him. Where the anus should have been a huge glittering eyeball opened up.

It's believed that he is a faceless ghost pulling pranks on unsuspecting people.

Haiku PoetYosa Buson liked the monster so much he included it in many of his yōkai paintings.

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

Scary For Kids

Yōkai Wiki

Myths and Folklore Wiki

Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai

Monsters: Qallupilluit

The Qallupilluit is a Boogeyman figure in Inuit folklore. It's said that they kidnap misbehaving children. If a child is near the edge of ice or water the Qallupilluit will stuff them into its amautik (similar to a parka) and drown them in the water. 

There are conflicting reports as to the appearance and gender of the Qallupilluit. Though it is always in a humanoid form. They are said to have bumpy, or scaly or slimy skin and reek of sulfur. When the creature is feminine it's described as having long flowing hair, long nails, and green slimy skin. It's said that she uses the children to maintain her hair. 

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

Cryptid Wiki

Monsters: Raijū

Ban KōKē (伴蒿蹊, Japanese, *1733, †1806) - scanned from ISBN 978-4-7601-1299-9.

The Raijū (Thunder Beast) is a Japanese creature and the companion of Raijin, the Shinto god of lightning. It primarily lives in the sky. It's body is composed of lightning and with the form of a white and blue wolf or dog sometimes even wrapped in lightning. Sometimes the creature can be in different animals like for example tanuki, leopards, foxes, weasels, tigers, bears, dragon, sea creatures and ect. It can also fly in a ball of lightening and its cry sounds like thunder.

The beast is relatively harmless, but during thunderstorms it becomes agitated and leaps about trees, fields, and buildings. Things that have been struck by lightning are said to have been scratched by Raijū's claws.

 The Raijū will sometimes rest in human belly buttons and when the Raijū does this Raijin shoots arrows at it to wake it up. This will harm the person that the Raijū decided to sleep on. Superstitious people will sleep on their stomach during bad weather so that the Raijū wouldn't pick their naval for slumber. Other's believe that those who sleep outside are the only ones who the Raijū do this to. 

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

Yokai