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

 

 

　

 

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

 

Banshee

 

 

ORIGIN

From Irish and Scottish Mythology (Celtic mythology). Also found in German, French, Welsh, American and Norse folklore.

 

FIRST SIGHTED/RECORDED

Accounts go as far back as 1380 in a publication by Seean mac Craith called "Cathreim Thoirdhealbhaigh (Triumphs of Torlough)". They can also be found in Norman literature at that time.

 

APPEARANCE

Wears white/grey clothing or loose robes, in the style of a dress. Long fair hair (generally white or grey). She can have a slight haggard appearance of an old woman or sometimes appears as a young girl. Her eyes are red from all of the crying that she does. Sometimes depicted as having long black teeth and long breasts. Sometimes she is depicted as an evil fairy with vampire like characteristics. Often seen dressed in green, red or black with a grey cloak.

 

GENDER

Female

 

ALSO KNOWN AS

Bean-sidhe (Gaelic), Bean Si (Irish for "Woman of the Sidhe" or "Woman of the Fairy mounds") Bean Shith (Scottish) Nean-shidh (Scottish) & Bean Nighe ("little washer by the ford"). Name can also vary depending on the region. "Washer woman" (German) & "Dames blanches" (France). Hag of the Mist (Welsh folklore).

 

REPELLED BY

Nothing can really repel it as they are omens rather than manifested spirits. There are tales however of people being able to capture them and control them as their own. This is hard to believe though.

 

SPECIAL POWERS/SKILLS

It is said that if you come between her and the water then she is required to grant you 3 wishes in the exchange of 3 questions answered truthfully. She has the ability to shape shift (usually into hares, stoats or hooded crows, animals that are associated with witchcraft in Ireland). In Wales and Cornwall, if a passer-by sees a washerwoman, they must avoid being seen by her. If she sees them, they must help her wring out the sheets. If they twist them the same way as her, their arm will be pulled out its socket, get pulled into the sheets and die instantly. If they twist in the opposite direction however, she is required to grant them 3 wishes.

 

HISTORY/ABOUT

She is typically perceived as an omen of death (or a messenger). She is attached to the noble families of Ireland, appearing when one of them are about to die, foretelling their death so to speak. She does this by either keening (a piercing, wailing cry) or by washing their blood stained clothes (this one occurs more in Scottish mythology). Even if you don’t see her, you will hear her. When several appear at once it is said that someone great or holy is about to die. She is thought to be the spirit of an undead woman who then attaches herself to a family. In some legends she is either the spirit of a murdered woman or a woman who has died of a broken heart. They are often seen brushing their hair with a silver comb; this has led to them being confused with Mermaids.

 

CAN BE FOUND

Usually near lonely spots such as pools and streams. Also in any other secluded spots. They also hang around natural forms such as trees, rivers and stones. In Waterford, Monaghan and Carlow, there are wedge shaped rocks known as "Banshee’s chairs".

 

TALES

In one centuries old Irish legend, it is said that if you find her comb on the floor, you must NEVER pick it up otherwise they will lure you away forever. In 1437, King James I of Scotland was approached by an Irish seer, who was later revealed as a banshee, who foretold his murder at the instigation of the Earl of Atholl. There are many other tales of banshees attending the great houses and courts of the Irish kings. There have been tales found in America from the late 18^{th century.}

 

ANY SIGHTINGS?

Apparently she has been haunting the Tar River in Edgecombe County, North Carolina (in this instance, she has been reported as more of a ghoul rather than a messenger). Some alleged sightings have been reported as recently as 1948. In Leinster, she is referred to as the bean chaointe (keening woman). Her wail is reported as being so piercing that it can shatter glass. In Kerry, they have reported hearing a low, pleasant singing at the time of someone’s death. Apparently, in the Badlands of South Dakota, a banshee is said to wail upon a hill near Watch Dog Butte. Traditionally, they only cried for 5 great Celtic families (O’Gradys, O’Neills, O’Briens, O’Connors and the Kavanaghs). In the middle of the 19th century, Reverend Charles Bunworth of County Cork became deathly ill. A servant knew he was going to die as he heard the wail a couple of days before he actually died.

 

SIMILAR CREATURES

Cailleach, La Llorona, Rusalka