Leviathan

 

 

ORIGIN

 

He is believed to have originated within the legends of the Ancient peoples that the Jews came into contact with, possibly either Babylonian or Canaanite (both who have their own versions of the monster).

 

FIRST SIGHTED/RECORDED

They have been apart of sea lore for hundreds, possibly thousands of years. They may even be older than the bible itself. Like most sea lore, it is hard to pick out a starting point as a lot of it is either not recorded or passed down, almost like an urban legend.

 

APPEARANCE

They are of immense size. In some cases he has the head similar to a dragon with razor sharp teeth that hold deadly venom. He has the body of a very large snake/serpent and sometimes has either legs or wings. In some depictions he has 7 heads.

 

GENDER

The monster is thought to be male.

 

ALSO KNOWN AS

In modern Hebrew, the name simply means "whale".

 

REPELLED BY

As he is described as unstoppable, there does not seem to be anything that can kill him as such. In some cases, there may be a way in which he can be controlled and this can only be achieved by or through a higher power.

 

MAGICAL POWERS/SKILLS

Because he is an ancient creature, he is known for his super human strength, his powerful jaws filled with razor sharp teeth (in which hold his deathly venom) in particular being the most fearsome thing about him. He is also said, in some cases, to be able to fly (or to jump to great heights). Some may also be able to shape shift and have the power of clairvoyance, although, this is not really associated with him too much. Too some people who believe him to be good, he has the power to heal.

 

HISTORY/ABOUT

He is a large sea monster that is also referenced in the Tanakh (The Old Testament). They are also very popular within the mythology of the Ancient Near East. In Sumeria, he is depicted as being overcome by the God Ninurta. Sometimes the creature is identified as a Dragon possibly because of the way it looks. God has apparently created him and a mate called Taninim. God then destroyed her saying that if they were to procreate, the world would not be able to stand against them. It is said that one day he will be slain and his flesh will be served in a feast to the righteous and, in time, his skin will be used to cover the tent where the banquet will take place. He angrily churns the oceans, waiting for judgement day to devour the souls of the damned. Gabriel will fight and overcome him at the time of resurrection.

 

CAN BE FOUND

He can be found in the deepest of seas with no preference to whether it is cold or hot.

 

TALES

In the Old Testament, he is mentioned 6 times, going into detail about how he looks in particular (Job 41:1 - 34). In Psalm 74, God is said to break his heads into pieces and in Isaiah 27:1 he is called the "wriggling serpent" who will be killed at the end of time. In other Jewish tales, he is thought to be unstoppable, with no sword taking effect on him.

 

ANY SIGHTINGS?

In June 1983. a man called Owen Burham discovered a carcass on Bungalow Beach in Gambia. He had no camera however so had to bring back a description and some measurements. They found that it was unavailable for analysis by those who tried to identify it. It was thought to be some prehistoric marine animal that was still living in the waters. There was also a sighting on May 1st 1983 by an African biologist called Marcellin Agnagna. He spotted a Mokele-mbembe (a name for a legendary water dwelling creature of the Congo River folklore).

 

SIMILAR CREATURES

Tiamat, Behemoth, Hydra

Baba Yaga

 

 

ORIGIN

She comes from Slavic folklore.

 

FIRST SIGHTED/RECORDED

The first recorded folktale concerning her was in Mikhail V. Lomonosov's Rossijskaya grammatika (Russian grammar) in 1755, where she is mentioned as a figure of largely Slavic tradition.

 

APPEARANCE

In most pictures, she is shown as an elderly looking woman who is deformed in some way and, at times, very ferocious looking. She is often seen flying around in a large mortar whilst holding a pestle (in some cases this can either be a mop or a broom). In some tales, her nose is depicted as sticking to the ceiling (maybe assuming that it was either very long or very large). Other parts of her body such as her breasts, buttocks and her genitalia have also been described as repulsive. She also has extremely long teeth.

 

GENDER

Female

 

ALSO KNOWN AS

She is sometimes referred to as Baba Yaga Bony Legs (Baba Yaga Kostianaya Noga). The word baba in Old Russian may refer to either "midwife", "sorceress" or "fortune teller". In modern Russia, the word babushka means "grandmother" as does the Polish word babcia. This can also be used in a detrimental way. There is no clear term for the word yaga, it is thought to maybe represent a "snake" or "serpent".

 

REPELLED BY

There doesn't seem to be anything specific that she is repelled by. As she cannot affect those who have a pure heart, it is quite possible that a show of love or a pure act can distract her or possibly kill her.

 

MAGICAL POWERS/SKILLS

As she is closely associated with a hag it is quite possible that she can both cast spells and make powerful potions. It appears that she has no power over those who are of a pure heart. She also seems to be able to rule over the elements, with the red, white and black horseman as her servants, whom she refers to as her red sun, bright dawn and dark midnight. In her more benevolent aspect, she also gives advice.

 

HISTORY/ABOUT

She is mainly depicted as a single Witch but at times she can be one of a trio of sisters of the same name. Her personality is not strictly the same. In some cases she may either help or hinder you, maybe even take on a maternal role as such. She also has strong associations with wildlife. She has often been identified as one of the most memorable figures in Eastern Europe. It is also said that inside her hut, she can be found stretched over her stove. You may also find that she mentions the "Russian scent" (russkiy dukh) which is basically a human scent.

 

CAN BE FOUND

It is said that she can be found deep within the forest, living in her hut that stands on chicken legs. Around the house is a fence that is decorated with human skulls.

 

TALES

There have been tales that she likes to frighten the hero of the story, usually by telling him that she is going to eat him. However, she will help him if he shows her that he is brave. In Vladimir Propp's Morphology Of The Folktale, she often appears as the villain of the story. In various other tales, she kidnaps children, roasts them in her oven and eats them. In a version of "The Maiden Tsar" by Alexander Afanasyev, released in the 19th century, she is depicted as a trio. In the story, a merchants son makes his way to the home of one of them.

 

ANY SIGHTINGS?

In most of the tales that have been told about her, the one that stands out most with people is the one were people search for her in hope that they may receive help from her. It is safe to say that people still try and do this to this day, walking through a deep forest in search for the strange little hut, to no avail obviously. Some claim however, that they have met her and she has helped change their lives, almost like finding a Genies lamp. The best one however is a "sighting" in 2007 in Ohio where someone spotted what they thought was a Baba Yaga's hut.

 

SIMILAR CREATURES

Jezibaba, Hag, Baba Roga

　

Bhoot

 

 

ORIGIN

They are of Indian origin.

 

FIRST SIGHTED/RECORDED

For thousands of years, possibly longer. People have been spiritual for as long as they have been on this Earth so there is a possibility that the legends could have been around then.

 

APPEARANCE

Most commonly, they are said to appear in only white clothing. In most cases they appear to look the exact same as before they died, with more of a translucency. They cast no shadows. When they speak, they do it with a nasal twang.

 

GENDER

They can be young or old of both gender.

 

ALSO KNOWN AS

The name can also be spelled as bhut. The name is a Sanskrit term that basically translates as "past" and "being". It has Indo-European roots, hence similar words such as bha (Irish), be (English), but (Latvian) and budan (Persian). The name is also somewhat of an Idiom in the languages of the Northern subcontinent such as Hindu, Punjabi and Sindhi.

 

REPELLED BY

They are supposed to be afraid of water, steel and iron objects. Keeping these nearby you is enough to scare them off. Burnt turmeric is also said to ward them off. The holy figures and deities have also been invoked to ward them off. Sprinkling Earth on yourself can also prevent you from harm seeing as the can not be in contact with it. In Hindu mythology, a soul cannot be destroyed, and seeing that the Bhoot is still a soul, albeit an evil and angry one, it can never be destroyed. Instead, they perform a ritual called the Atma-shanti, according to the Atharva Veda, which is basically like a promise by the person that they will do everything in their power to help them with their unfinished business. The Bhoot will stop troubling them as it is getting what it wants.

 

MAGICAL POWERS/SKILLS

They can both alter and assume the form of many animals at their own will. The only thing that gives them away however is the fact that there feet face the opposite way.

 

HISTORY/ABOUT

They are a supernatural creature. They tend to be the ghost of a deceased person. There are many tales about how they came to be this way but the most popular definition is that they became this way through a violent and sudden death which has caused them to not move on and become restless. In some other cases, they have either got unfinished business or they were not given the proper burial rights when they passed on. In India, the Earth is regarded as sacred and this is why they will go to almost any lengths to avoid any contact with it. This is why they are said to float. There is a kind of Bhoot called a Churail, who is a woman that has died either during pregnancy or childbirth. There is also a select few called Bhutas who are the defiled spirits of heroes, evil beings and Hindu deities. They are often wrongly thought of as being "ghosts" or "demons" and are actually protective, despite being extremely violent and powerful.

 

CAN BE FOUND

It is said that they like to lurk about in the trees. They may also haunt specific houses (also known as "bhoot banglas" or "bhoot bungalows"). These houses usually tend to be ones that they were either killed/died in or one that they have a significant attachment to.

 

TALES

Many tales in the region take on the house that they are usually attached to. One of the most popular ones is someone fails to flee a house when approached by a Bhoot. They then unwillingly accept their companionship (In some tales, they have met them in the forest or they have picked them up in their car after seeing them by the road at night). Through time they become very aware that the person is not alive (the backwards feet being the big giveaway). Another tale is that they love to immerse themselves in milk. They like to contaminate it which then gives them possession over humans.

 

ANY SIGHTINGS?

As they are in a similar category to the Western Ghost, there are plenty of pictures and video footage of them all over the internet. As to whether these are real or not is another matter for you to decide. Some are very convincing I have to say but it is hard to trust anything over the internet. The most interesting ones are the "real life" recounts. Some are very deep and dare I say, quite frightening (even if they do turn out to be fake).

 

SIMILAR CREATURES

Ghosts, Churail