Tarasque

 

 

ORIGIN

Technically from Galatia, but associated with Provence, Southern France.

 

FIRST SIGHTED/RECORDED

I can't seem to find an actual date as to when the tale came around but if a saint is involved then the tale is likely to be about 600-700 years ago.

 

APPEARANCE

The beast is a sort of dragon with 6 short legs like a bears, an ox like body covered with a turtle shell, a scaly tail ending with a scorpion sting and the head of a lion.

 

GENDER

Appears to be genderless although, there is a possibility that it has been referred to as a male.

 

ALSO KNOWN AS

N/A

 

REPELLED BY

The creature seems to be affected more by charm, but not your average gentlemanly kind! It took the charm of a Saint to tame it.

 

MAGICAL POWERS/SKILLS

It doesn't necessarily have any powers but it is obviously quite destructive so superhuman strength may be one of its skills so to speak.

 

HISTORY/ABOUT

The beast was said to have come from Galatia (highlands in modern Turkey). It is the offspring of Onachus and Leviathan (or possibly another water monster). The beast was said to have inhabited the area of Nerluc, devastating the landscape far and wide. On the last Sunday of June, every year, a festival is held in honour of the beast.

 

CAN BE FOUND

The creature was found all over the region, it didn't seem to be attracted to one particular spot. Maybe places where the population was higher was a likely place to find it.

 

TALES

There is a tale that the King of Nerluc tried to attack the creature with all the knights and catapults that he could provide yet to no avail. Then Saint Martha found the creature and charmed it with hymns and prayers. She managed to tame the creature and led him back to the city. The people in the city however, were still petrified of the beast so attacked it. The beast did not resist and died on the spot. Saint Martha converted everyone to Christianity and when they realised what they had done, they renamed their town Tarascon. The creature even features on their coat of arms.

 

ANY SIGHTINGS?

It is said that in Halong Bay, Vietnam, a monster was spotted along the bay. The French who ruled at that time said that it was the Tarasque.

 

SIMILAR CREATURES

The beast from Beauty and the Beast, King Kong (the anti-hero in tales)

 

Langsuir

 

 

ORIGIN

She is from Malaysian folklore.

 

FIRST SIGHTED/RECORDED

N/A

 

APPEARANCE

She is typically perceived as being very hideous with red eyes and long sharp nails. Her face is also decayed and she has long, sharp fangs. Their clothing tends to be of either green or white. In some places however, she is regarded as beautiful. Her hair is black and so long that it reaches down to her ankles. Her hair is long so that it covers the hole on the back of her neck.

 

GENDER

Female

 

ALSO KNOWN AS

Langsuyar

 

REPELLED BY

After death, glass beads can be placed in their mouths to stop them coming back from the dead. If you put one of their hairs in their hole or cut their claws, then they will become human again. You can also prevent the transformation by placing needles in the palms of her hands and a hen’s egg under each arm pit. Only a particularly powerful magician could drive her away or tame her. This was usually done with specific incantations.

 

MAGICAL POWERS/SKILLS

They suck blood through a hole which is allocated behind her neck. They are also able to fly and can transform into an owl to do so. She also has the ability to possess her victim so that she can suck their blood. This causes a slow and painful death for the victim.

 

HISTORY/ABOUT

They are very closely related to the Pontianak, but considered to be more dangerous. They are sometimes confused but they are actually very different. They are the spirits of women who suffered from labouring sickness which resulted in both the death of them and their child. She could turn into a Langsuir up to 40 days after her death. In Chinese, her name means "bad luck people". Her victims tend to be pregnant women, who she will either kill or cause to have a miscarriage. She is also said to fly into trees and attack children at night. She lets out terrible screams (known as an ngilat). If they have been domesticated then they are able to marry and have children. If they dance at a village merry making however, they will be reverted back into their old ways.

 

CAN BE FOUND

You are said to be able to encounter them near the shore of a river or sea.

 

TALES

There is a popular tale in Malaysia about a woman of exquisite beauty who, upon hearing the news of her child’s stillbirth, died of shock and became a demon.

 

ANY SIGHTINGS?

There appear to be many pictures and video footage found on the internet (whether this is a hoax or not is debatable). There are also plenty of local tales from people who have either seen or been in contact with her in some way. A lot of people say that they have seen her face on that of a black crow.

 

SIMILAR CREATURES

Pontianak, Vampire, Manananggal, Lamia

 

Kuchisake Onna

 

 

ORIGIN

She can be found in Japanese culture.

 

FIRST SIGHTED/RECORDED

There have been rumours of sightings since 1979 around the Nagasaki Prefecture. Although this is probably when the Ghost became well known, the legend is said to have originated in the Heion period (794 - 1185)

 

APPEARANCE

Her main feature has to be her mouth that has been slit from ear to ear. Depending on the region where you hear the legend from, she can either be horribly disfigured or an extremely beautiful woman with a scar on her face. Either way, she is always seen to be wearing a surgical mask, concealing her mouth.

 

GENDER

Female

 

ALSO KNOWN AS

Slit Mouthed Woman

 

REPELLED BY

She isn't necessarily repelled by anything as such and there doesn't seem to be a way to kill her, but there are ways in which you can escape her. When she asks you her question, reply with "You are average". This will confuse her and cause her to be lost in though, giving you a chance to escape. You can also reply with "Is the child pretty?" which will again confuse her and cause her to leave. If you tell her that you have a previous engagement, she will pardon her manners and excuse herself. Throwing fruit or candies on the floor will distract her as she will pick them up.

 

MAGICAL POWERS/SKILLS

She has no magical powers but is filled with a rage that enables her to kill at will. She will kill her victims with a pair of scissors.

 

HISTORY/ABOUT

She is said to have been the wife of a Samurai who lived hundreds of years ago. She was said to have been extremely vain and her husband, who was a very jealous man, began to accuse her of cheating on him. He flew into a rage one day and slit her mouth from ear to ear then said to her "Who will think you're beautiful now?". She died not long after. This led her to become a Yokai (vengeful spirit).

 

CAN BE FOUND

In many regions within Japan. She can especially be found on a foggy night.

 

TALES

It is said that if a child is walking alone at night, they may encounter a woman in a surgical mask. If she says "Watashi kirei?" (Am I beautiful?), and the child answers NO, then she will kill them with a pair of scissors that she carries. If the child replies with YES, then she will reveal her face and ask "How about now?". If the child says NO, she will cut them in half. If they say YES, then she will cut their mouth in the same way as hers. Some believe this to be a tale that was told to children so that they wouldn't stay out late at night. When the tale became popular, there was so much panic that the police actually increased their patrols. Wearing surgical masks in Japan is not uncommon, when they have a cold or illness, they will cover their mouths out of respect for others.

 

ANY SIGHTINGS?

There have been numerous sightings of her since 1979. Some of these have been caught on both camera and video. Whether or not they are real is really up to you to decide.

 

SIMILAR CREATURES

Bloody Mary, La Llorona, Teke Teke, Onryo