154 Items Tagged

Folklore

The ifrit is the most meddlesome and sinister of the djinn.

Across the Islamic World, the Ifrit Brings Miseries Both Large and Small

To believe in them and other djinns is to acknowledge there is a world beyond our own.

Harry Spitzer October 29, 2020

The penanggalan detaches from her body to approach mothers, pregnant women, and infants.

The Malaysian Penanggalan Haunts Pregnant Women and Newborns

These provincial specters are as gruesome as they are hungry.

Josh Levine October 29, 2020

The legend of the sasabonsam became a way for Christian missionaries to exert control.

Sasabonsam Enforced the Rules of Renewal in West African Forests

At least until Christian missionaries made them more purely devilish figures.

Nicole Zakheim October 28, 2020

The vodyanoy was the traditional explanation for watery misfortune.

The Proud, Demanding Vodyanoy Rules Russia's Rivers and Lakes

The legend has endured political disruption, revolution, and generational shifts.

Kaleb Horton October 28, 2020

According to legend, something worse than sorrow dwells in Lake Disappointment.

The Body Snatchers of Aboriginal Australia's Legends

The fearsome, fanged Ngayurnangalku haunt a dry lake bed in the outback.

Dan O'Sullivan October 28, 2020

Werehyenas could be proxies for all sorts of dangers—real and imagined.

The Myth of the Werehyena and the Fear of the Other in the Horn of Africa

Also known as "bouda," their scary stories could also be used to marginalize and dehumanize.

Harry Spitzer October 27, 2020

La Patasola often targets lone men in the wilderness.

La Patasola Is the Vengeful Protector of the Andes

And a scary lesson on humility and respect for the natural world.

Dan O'Sullivan October 26, 2020

The púca is a shapeshifter that may take the form of a domestic animal.

The Púca Is Ireland's Supernatural Pastoral Trickster

They can turn a drunken walk home into a wild ride.

Kaleb Horton October 26, 2020

The adze has become a scapegoat for a wide range of misfortunes.

In West Africa, the Adze Is an Insectoid Source of Misfortune

Historians believe it originated with the fear of mosquito-borne illness.

Emma Starer Gross October 26, 2020

The 1975 Hollerin' Contest in Spivey's Corner, North Carolina.

The Rise and Fall of North Carolina's National Hollerin' Contest

Hollers are sort of like the yodels of the American South.

Emily Cataneo September 25, 2020

The birth of the Peach Boy.

Momotaro Shrine

A kitsch shrine dedicated to the ogre-slaying folktale hero born from a peach.

Entrance to the yokai tunnel.

Yokai Yashiki (Monster and Stone Museum)

Hidden by the roadside in the Iya Valley, this gem brings together folk monsters and the region's unique geography.

The 15th C. north door with scorch marks, some say left by the Devil's hand, Holy Trinity Church, Blythburgh.

Blythburgh, England

The Devil's Fingerprints

A legendary ghostly hound supposedly left dark marks on a place of worship.

Reconstruction of a Matyó peasant house.

Mezőkövesd, Hungary

Matyó Museum

An exploration of a small ethnic group’s heritage through their exquisite folk art.

Sesshōseki, also known as the Killing Stone.

Sesshōseki (Killing Stone)

Believed to hold the remains of Japan's most infamous fox spirit, this stone is said to kill those who dare approach.

Heart Shaped Rih Dil Lake

Myanmar (Burma)

Rih Dil

This heart-shaped lake near the border of India and Myanmar is deeply rooted in Mizo folklore.

Be careful out there, in the imaginary lands around Oz.

Escape Into These Fantastical, Imaginary Maps

When the real world feels unbearable, why not chart a course through lands that are literally unreal?

Jessica Leigh Hester April 9, 2020

While Kaori Hamura Long was homebound with flu-like symptoms, she drew Amabie wearing a mask.

A Healing Spirit From 19th-Century Japan Is Back to Face COVID-19

Artists are bringing back Amabie, a 'yōkai' associated with protection from disease.

Claire Voon March 25, 2020