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

 

 

　

 

Black Shuck

 

 

ORIGIN

The countrysides of East Anglia.

 

FIRST SIGHTED/RECORDED

They were first recorded in England in 1577, this was also the first supposed sighting. Werewolf tales however, have been around much longer so it is possible that at some point, some of the tales may have clashed or had a wrong origin. It is also possible that the animal may have been around a lot longer than we are led to believe.

 

APPEARANCE

They are most commonly thought to have shaggy black fur, sharp teeth and bright red eyes (in some accounts, he has a single eye and in others, his eyes are green). His size may also vary depending on who you ask. He can be from the size of a large dog to the size of a horse. In 1877, Walter Rye wrote that the Shuck was "the most curious of our local apparitions, as they are no doubt varieties of the same animal". They are classified as Cryptid, which is an animal whose existence has been suggested but not recognised by a scientific consensus. In some rare accounts, he is either headless or seen floating on a carpet of mist.

 

GENDER

Generally referred to as either male or unknown.

 

ALSO KNOWN AS

Old Shuck, Old Shock or just Shuck. Other variations of the name include Yeth (Devon), Pooka (Ireland) and Barguest (Yorkshire).

 

REPELLED BY

There is not anything specific that he is recorded as being repelled by. There are however tales of him being linked to or being the Devil himself. If this is the case then holy artefacts could possibly work. If his is linked to a Werewolf then there could be a chance that he has a weakness to silver.

 

MAGICAL POWERS/SKILLS

No magical powers are recorded. If he is supernatural then there is a chance that he has a heightened strength to go with it.

 

HISTORY/ABOUT

It is a ghostly black dog that is said to roam wild on the coastlines and in the countryside's of East Anglia. All across the British Isles, there are many tales of black dogs, with him being possibly one of the most famous ones. His name is thought to have derived from scucca, an Old English word that means "demon". It is also possible that the name came the local dialect word for shucky which means either "shaggy" or "hairy". In 1577, there was an alleged sighting at Bungay and Blythburgh. It has become somewhat of a famous account as this is the point (or so believed) when the sinister dogs became apart of the iconography of that area. Dr Simon Sherwood believes that the earliest surviving description of the animal is in an account of an incident that happened in Peterborough Abbey, recorded in the Peterborough Chronicle around 1127. This is one of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles.

 

CAN BE FOUND

Although it is said to roam in the countryside's, it is possible that they may hide out in deep forests or woodlands in order to conceal themselves. Luckily for them, England is known for its woodlands so it has no shortage of hiding places. He is also said to haunt side roads, cross roads, graveyards and coastlines.

 

TALES

Most of the folklore originates around the areas of Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and the Cambridgeshire Fens. Although some are regarded as companions to men, most times they are held as an omen of death. It is said that his appearance bodes ill to the eyes of the beholder. An example of this came from the Malden and Dengue areas of Essex, where sightings of him meant almost immediate death. Some tales tell of him not physically harming his victims but terrifying them to the point of illness and even death. W.A. Dutt gives a description of him in his 1901 book "Highways & Byways in East Anglia". It is because of his description that he is commonly known as "Old Snarleyow", a description of a dog found in Fredrick Marryat's 1837 novel "Snarleyyow" or "The Dog Fiend". It is thought that Conan Doyle based "Hound Of The Baskervilles" after hearing one of the legends. In contrast to the previous tales, there are however benign ones which say that he accompanied women on the way home so as to protect them. They have even been known to help lost travellers find their way.

 

ANY SIGHTINGS?

Over the years there have been many "sightings" of the animal, to many to list here as they are all very similar. Most of them occur around people taking walks at night or walking through some of the local churches. Whether or not these are real is for you to decide. The pictures that circulate on the internet are primarily fakes or too hard to give a real answer too. In some cases, some peoples tales appear to be genuine so it is possible that someone may have seen something.

 

SIMILAR CREATURES

Werewolves

　

Minotaur

 

 

ORIGIN

He is from Greek mythology.

 

FIRST SIGHTED/RECORDED

The tales are very old, possibly around 65 BC. There is even evidence to suggest that it may have came from the 13th century BC. It is hard to pinpoint them exactly.

 

APPEARANCE

He is most popularly depicted as having the head of a bull and the body of a man.

 

GENDER

Male.

 

ALSO KNOWN AS

In Crete, he is also known by his proper name, Asterion.

 

REPELLED BY

N/A

 

MAGICAL POWERS/SKILLS

He doesn't have any magical powers apart from superhuman strength.

 

HISTORY/ABOUT

His Father was a Cretan bull and his Mother was Pasiphae. King Minos prayed to Poseidon to send him a snow white bull as a sign of support, a bull that he was to also sacrifice in honour of the God. He received the bull, but was so overwhelmed by its beauty, he kept it and sacrificed one of his own bulls. Aphrodite punished him by making his wife, Pasiphae, fall deeply in love with the white bull. His mother had the craftsman, Daedalus, make her a hollow wooden cow so that she could mate with the bull. This is how he was conceived. His mother nursed him through his infancy but as he grew older, he became more ferocious. As he was an unnatural offspring, he did not have any natural source of nourishment so he could only eat man as this sustained him. Due to this, Minos had Daedalus build a gigantic labyrinth to contain him.

 

CAN BE FOUND

He is said to have lived in the center of the Cretan Labyrinth in Crete, Greece. His hideout was designed by the architect Daedalus and his son Icarus.

 

TALES

There is a tale that says that Athens was compelled by the cruel plague to pay penalties for the killing of Androgeos, son of King Minos. Aegeus, King of Athens, averted the plague by sending 7 youths and 7 maidens, drawn by lots, every 7 or 9 years to be devoured by the Minotaur. Aegeus's son, Theseus, volunteered to slay the monster, promising his father that, if he was successful, he would put up white sails and if he wasn't, he would make his crew put up black sails. Both Mino's daughters, Ariadne and Phaedra, fell in love with Theseus. Ariadne helped him find his way through the labyrinth by giving him a ball of thread. He killed the Minotaur and rescued the remaining Athenians. He abandoned Ariadne on the island of Naxos and continued home with Phaedra, his future wife. He forgot to change his sails however and when his father saw the black sails, he presumed his son was dead and threw himself into the sea. Theseus then became king.

 

ANY SIGHTINGS?

There isn't any evidence of him so to speak but that doesn't stop rumours of sightings or encounters with him. Everything that I have seen on the internet so far is not to be trusted but I am sure something will come along one day that will prove me wrong,

 

SIMILAR CREATURES

Apis, Shedu, Sarangay

　

Kelpie

 

 

ORIGIN

They are of Celtic mythology.

 

FIRST SIGHTED/RECORDED

It is impossible to pinpoint the exact time that the legend had come about, It is quite possible that it was a story fabricated by the Celts and it eventually passed down through word off mouth or in writings and stories. As it is of Celtic origin, it would make the story at least 2800 years old.

 

APPEARANCE

In most stories their hide is black, although, in some, it is white. Their mane is always dripping wet also. Their skin is said to be smooth but deathly cold to the touch, almost like a seals. Some also say that they are as green as glass with a black mane. The tail also curves over its back like a wheel. Their eyes are also bright red and in some descriptions, they have backward hooves. They can also transform themselves into a beautiful young woman, this however, is so that they can lure men into their traps. In their human form, they may also have water weeds in their hair (this is one way of identifying them as a Kelpie), They are also known to take human lovers.

 

GENDER

They are both male and female, but more commonly male. In their human form, they are always a female.

 

ALSO KNOWN AS

Their name may derive from the Scottish Gaelic for Cailpeach or Colpach, meaning "heifer, colt".

 

REPELLED BY

There is a way of taming them, all you need to do is possess their bridle. Although this is highly dangerous, it is also very useful. There is also another tale that states that if you end up stuck on their back, mutter the name of Christ and the horse will throw you off.

 

MAGICAL POWERS/SKILLS

They have the power to shape shift. It is said that the power for them to do this is contained in their bridle.

 

HISTORY/ABOUT

They are a supernatural water horse, who is both strong and powerful, even having the strength of 10 normal horses. From the distance, they may appear as a lost and lonely pony, their motives however, are malicious. They love to lure humans, especially children, do their death by taking them to the water, drowning them then eating them. They would do this by encouraging them to ride on their backs. Once the victim has mounted them, the Kelpies skin turns into something like glue, keeping their victim stuck to them so that they can drag them to the water. They will eat everything except from the heart and the liver. It is also said that they can transform their surroundings into impressive illusions so that they can keep themselves hidden. If they are under water then hey will keep their eyes above only so as to scout the surface. It is also said that they warn people against impending storms by wailing and howling.

 

CAN BE FOUND

You are more likely to find them near the rivers, streams and lochs of mainly Scotland and sometimes Ireland.

 

TALES

There is a common Scottish tale about 9 children who were lured onto a Kelpies back whilst a 10th child kept their distance. The Kelpie gave chase but the child escaped. There is another version of the tale that states that the 10th child stroked the Kelpies nose and became stuck to it. He took a knife from his pocket and cut off his own hand, cauterizing the wound with wood from a nearby fire. He managed to escape but could not save his friends who were pulled under water. There is another tale that states that the MacGregor clan were in possession of a Kelpie bridle. They got it after one of them saved himself from one near Loch Slochd. This was passed down throughout the generations.

 

ANY SIGHTINGS?

There have been no recent sightings of the creature for a while, not any believable ones anyhow. There are untold fake images on the net and, giving some of them their due, they look pretty good. There have been accounts from people, however, they make the creature sound more like a reptile type monster. It is possible that they may have evolved into this and this is what people are now seeing.

 

SIMILAR CREATURES

Each Uisge, Nix, Cabbyl-Ushtey, Glashtin.

 

Angel Lailah

 

 

ORIGIN

She is found in Talmund/Jewish mythology.

 

FIRST SIGHTED/RECORDED

Although she is not mentioned in the Hebrew bible, there were tales about her around the same time, so it is possible that she is older than the bible itself.

 

APPEARANCE

There do not seem to be any clear depictions of her, but from the few that are available, she is seen with long, dark flowing hair and adorned in gold (or heavy jewellery). She is also sometimes depicted as having wings.

 

GENDER

Female

 

ALSO KNOWN AS

Laylah (Hebrew for "night") Angel Of The Night (In some Talmund interpretations and in later Jewish mythology)

 

REPELLED BY

N/A

 

MAGICAL POWERS/SKILLS

N/A

 

HISTORY/ABOUT

Although she is popular in myth, she is actually not mentioned in the Hebrew bible. She is said to be in charge of conception and pregnancy, serving as a guardian angel throughout their life and leading them to the afterlife in their death. Apparently, she is the only Angel that has a feminine name and feminine characteristics. Her name is shared with the Hebrew noun Liliyt, which means "night creature". Because of this, she is often compared to Lilith, although the 2 are in actual fact, polar opposites. She is also ranked as a Dominion

 

CAN BE FOUND

She is said to be found in the presence of mothers who are about to give birth.

 

TALES

In the tale of her role as a guardian, she takes a drop of semen, places it before God and says "Sovereign of the universe, what shall be the fate of this drop? Shall it produce a strong man or a weak man, a wise man or a fool, a rich man or a poor man?". She then chooses a soul from the garden of Eden and commands it to enter the embryo. She then watches over the womb, showing its future rewards and punishments available to them. Right before the baby is born, she strikes them above their lip, creating the philtrum, making them forget what they have learned. In another tale, it is said that she fought for Abraham when he battled kings.

 

ANY SIGHTINGS?

She is known for watching over her children until the day they die. When their time comes, she askes them "Do you recognise me? The time of your departure has come, I have come to take you from this world". There has been reports for many of years about people on their death bed, looking to someone as though looking for salvation. This could be interpreted as many things. This is not to say that this is her in particular, it could be another angel or a long deceased loved one. No one knows but the person dying, and that usually goes to their grave with them.

 

SIMILAR CREATURES

Other angels and some fertility Goddesses.

 

Imp

 

 

ORIGIN

They are found in Germanic folklore.

 

FIRST SIGHTED/RECORDED

There have been tales about them as long as time has been recorded. This could be argued, but as most people believe them to be connected to either gods or demons, then evidence of them is undisputed as that of Gods or Demons would be.

 

APPEARANCE

They are very small and not very attractive. They have a similar appearance to a Goblin, almost scaly skin, with possible scars, a slight hunch back and large eyes, either red or black in colour. The colour of their skin and eyes can vary however. They may also have little horns.

 

GENDER

They are genderless but are usually portrayed as male.

 

ALSO KNOWN AS

N/A

 

REPELLED BY

It is said that, although they are believed to be immortal, they can be damaged or even harmed by certain weapons or enchantments. They can also be kept out of peoples homes by using wards. If they can't be killed then they can be captured as servants. This can be done by containing or binding them to a specific object such as a crystal ball or a sword.

 

MAGICAL POWERS/SKILLS

When you have captured one (or in some tales, come across one), they will grant you a wish. However, if the owner does not sell the bottle before they die then their soul will be sent straight to hell.

 

HISTORY/ABOUT

They are a mythical being that is quite similar to a Fairy or a Demon, a small lesser Demon to be precise. Although they are well known as being a Demon that does not make them necessarily evil. They are in fact, quite mischievous. They can however be quite wild and uncontrollable, with their jokes sometimes getting out of hand or even backfiring. In some extreme cases, they can be upsetting and harmful, such as swapping babies or leading travellers astray. In their defence, they are lonely little creatures who long for human attention. In some regions, they actually believe that they are attendants of the Gods, although, in most cases, they were more than likely familiar spirit servants of Witches and Warlocks. In this role they served as spies or informants.

 

CAN BE FOUND

They can usually be found in homes, in either those of their victims or those of their masters. They can also be found around cross roads or near places of religious origin.

 

TALES

They appear in a tale called "Silvia". This is a tale about a girl who is followed by a black Imp.

 

ANY SIGHTINGS?

If you go online there is always going to be someone who has captured footage of the creature. Some of this evidence goes as far to say that an Imp is currently living with them (with footage to "back" it up). It is also a common occurrence to hear about Imps being seen in religious places, mainly shrines. There is evidence of this online but to be honest, most of it is fake.

 

SIMILAR CREATURES

Goblin, Gremlin, Brownie, Boggart

 

Busaw

 

 

ORIGIN

They are found in Philippine folklore.

 

FIRST SIGHTED/RECORDED

The tales of this creature have been around in this region for a few hundred years. The Philippines is quite a superstitious place, so their belief systems where sure to carry on throughout time.

 

APPEARANCE

They can appear as human as anyone of us. A few things that may give them away however are their pointed teeth, long tongues and hooked nails. In their nightly form, they are a cross between a Ghoul and an Ogre. A grotesque looking creature with a slight hump back.

 

GENDER

They can appear as both male and female.

 

ALSO KNOWN AS

N/A

 

REPELLED BY

To stop them from stealing corpses, the bodies are to be washed completely with vinegar and some very strong smelling herbs. They can also be repelled by salt.

 

MAGICAL POWERS/SKILLS

N/A

 

HISTORY/ABOUT

They are corpse eaters and thieves, often regarded as Ghouls but with some attributes of an Ogre. They are considered legendary creatures who resemble both the appearance and behaviours of a human, although, they are more popularised as evil spirits. Their favourite food is human. This usually results in scattered bones around their dwellings. They find their food by listening out for the sounds of death in the evening. They will also steal corpses from their coffins, replacing the bodies with banana tree trunks. Once they have the corpse, they will turn it into a pig so as to spirit it away.

 

CAN BE FOUND

In their human form, they will live in a house like normal humans do. In their more ghoulish form however, they will dwell in large trees found near cemeteries.

 

TALES

It is said that they will go around neighbours or their village and offer them some cooked meat (which happens to be that of another human), so as to turn them into one of them.

 

ANY SIGHTINGS?

There have been a few photos and some video footage, whether or not this is real is wholly dependant on the person watching it. As they appear as practically human, it is quite possible that they could in fact be real unbeknown to those in their community. Again, this depends on the opinion of others.

 

SIMILAR CREATURES

Aswang, Amalanhig, Bal-Bal