Monsters From Around the World – Part 1

You might be surprised to hear that vampires, werewolves, ghosts and zombies are not the only kind of monsters out there (?). Every culture and country around the world has its own legends and folklore full of unique monsters that are just waiting for you to acknowledge them to scare the wits out of you. Beyond the many different versions of vampires and ghosts and evil spirits, here are some of the most frightening form the seven continents.

North America

  • Wendigo: Sometimes an evil spirit, sometimes a beast of putrid physical form, the Wendigo is an Algonquian entity which can possess humans, driving them to madness and to insatiable cannibalism. In the stories, anyone displaying greed or jealousy or succumbing to the temptation of human flesh during harsh winters were subject to being prey to the demonic entity and being driven to savage madness. The beast’s hunger for sin can never be sated, and it can be considered as the first zombie-like creature. 
  • Jersey Devil: The story goes that, in 1735, a woman named Jane Leeds was pregnant with her 13th child and, in frustration, cursed it to be the devil. She gave birth to a seemingly normal child during a storm, but it soon turned into a beast with a head and legs of a goat (or horse, or dog), bat wings and a forked tail. It also has a general kangaroo-like appearance and short arms. The creature, to be named the Jersey Devil, killed the midwife and flew away to the Pine Barrens of Southern New Jersey, where it still lives today. Many “reliable” sightings have been reported through the years and the demonic monster is believed to be able to move very quickly and to have a “blood-curdling scream”. It is said it sometimes it comes out to terrorize people and to create havoc.
  • An interpretation of the Wendigo (1)
  • An interpretation of the Wendigo (2)
  • The Jersey Devil (3)

South America

  • Yacumama: The Yacumama is a 60 meters (argued) anaconda snake believed to live in the mouth of the Amazon River and to be the ancestor of all marine life. The legend, going as far back as the Aztecs, goes that the monster can slurp any living organism in a 75-meters radius, and, to protect themselves, the locals would blow into a horn to force it to reveal its presence.  It is also believed to be able to cause mudslides. Sightings are not so rare, and many theories surround the explanation behind the legend.
  • Chupacabra: First sighted in Puerto Rico in the late 1990s, the Chupacabra is described as a beast with large eyes and spikes, as well as long claws. It is thought to be around five feet tall and to stand on two legs. It earned its name, meaning “goat-sucker”, from its habit to kill and drain farm animals from their blood. The legend is widespread and people have reported seeing the creature and having livestock drained of blood up to the US. Over time, its description transitioned to something more like a mange-infested canid, which has become the most popular explanation, as well the theory of these attacks being from regular coyotes, wolves and dogs, efficiently disproving its existence. Or so they say…
  • Encantado: Translating from Portuguese as “enchanted one”, the Encantado is a water creature that can shape shift from humanoid to dolphin. As humans, they have a pale skin and are the incarnation of grace and prefer to dress in bright colours. They always have a hat, usually a straw one, because their transformation is never fully complete: they have a bald patch on the top of their heads where their blowhole remains. Their dolphin form is more natural to them but some legends say that their flippers end with human hands. Encantados love music, seduction, sex and parties, which often means they could be found in festivals and other celebrations. In the folklore, these creatures are also known to kidnap mortals they fall in love with, their illegitimate children, or simply people passing near rivers, so they have company back in their water kingdom, Encante.
  • The Yucamama (4)
  • A Chupacabra (5)
  • An Encantado (6)

Europe

  • Surale: From the mythology of post-Soviet countries, the Surale is a male forest spirit that can change form to trick lost people, or teach them magic if they are courageous enough to befriend it. It is, however, generally not the case, as people are scared of it, and should wear their clothes inside out and their shoes on opposite feet to protect themselves. In human form, the Surale looks like a peasant with glowing eyes and usually has shoes on backwards. It has a habit of leading people astray and to make them sick, or simply to tickle them to death after following them and hiding in the trees. It is also known to hide the axes of woodcutters.
  • Tatzelwurm: This five to seven feet long creature, also known as Alps Dragon, has the rear body and scales of a snake and the face of a cat. It dwells in the Alps and has been reported in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy and any other country close the Alps for centuries, the first sighting being in 1779. Supposedly venomous, it has a mortal bite, breathes poisonous fumes and has acidic blood. Many tales are associated to the monster and several pictures and a skeleton have been submitted as proofs, which are considered as hoaxes by most of the scientific community. An explanation has yet to be found.
  • A Surale (7)
  • The Tatzelwurm (8)

References:

Sources for pictures:

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