Top 10 Creepiest Monsters Based On Legend

#10: Chupacabra

Also in:

The Mystery of the Chupacabra Explained

Puerto Rico & Latin America “Chupacabra” literally translates to “goat-sucker.” Belief in the creature basically originated during a series of livestock killings in 1970s Puerto Rico. The animals were said to have been exsanguinated, or bled dry, through a number of small incisions to their skin. Though there are a variety of descriptions attributed to the Chupacabra, the main traits are often reptilian: scaled, grayish-green, spikes running up the back and three to four feet in height. It has also been described as a more canine-like creature with exaggerated teeth and features. In every interpretation, however, the Chupacabra is vampiristic with a penchant for livestock.

Inuit Many Inuit legends feature this creature, often in cautionary tales. Amarok is a wolf, but not an ordinary, run-of-the-mill lupine. It hunts alone rather than in packs, and stalks any solo hunter who dares go out at night. It’s a gigantic, sharp-toothed animal reminiscent of a direwolf. Some of the legends see the Amarok in a positive light, helping the weak grow stronger. The Amarok has great strength and is an expertly skilled hunter, making it a terrifying presence, especially in the dead of night. There are a lot of wolves in various folklore, but this one is especially intimidating. Just imagine it stalking you in the cold, silent winter night.

Romania A likely source for vampire lore, the Strigoi is a restless spirit that rises from the grave, can shapeshift into animal form, be invisible and gain sustenance from the blood of its victims. The earliest mention of Strigoi appears to have been during the 17th century, when a man by the name of Jure Grando Alilović supposedly rose and attacked his village sixteen years posthumously. He was disinterred and decapitated by local clergymen. Since then, there have been a number of reported Strigoi, up until recently in 2004, when a man by the name of Petre Toma was said to have risen two months after his death. Family members dug him up and removed his heart, then set the corpse on fire. They were arrested.

Korea The Pulgasari has a bear’s body, elephant’s trunk, skin of a snake, rhino’s eyes, bull’s tail and tiger’s paws. Its name either means “impossible to kill” or “killed by fire.” In one version, a wanted monk is hidden in his sister’s closet. When she turns him in for financial reward, she’s killed by her husband for her treachery. The concealed monk makes a creature and feeds it needles. The creature keeps growing, devouring all the metal scraps it can find. In this case, the Pulgasari is a cautionary tale of greed and materialism. In another version, the monster is created by the monk in protest of the government imprisoning his innocent brothers, and it can be killed with fire.

Norse, Germanic, & Slavic Mythologies The mare can be found in a number of mythologies, with its earliest recorded mention being in 13th century Norse literature. It’s a goblin-like creature or spirit that rides the chests of those sleeping, bringing nightmares (hence “night-mare.”) It’s theorized that the creature was also likely related to sleep paralysis, in which the sufferer is awake and alert in bed but cannot move as a result of muscle atonia (neurological signals that relax limbs). Sleep paralysis is often accompanied by hallucinations, sometimes of demons or otherworldly creatures, among other things. The mare would sit on the chest of the sleeper, making movement impossible or difficult, and provide cognitive horrors like a little goblin sadist.

China Reanimated corpses are aplenty in folklore. The jiangshi appears in Chinese legends as a “hopping vampire.” Once again, this character makes its presence known in a number of folk tales, in Chinese and other Asian cultures. It’s essentially a zombie-vampire. The jiangshi range in appearance from a totally normal-looking human to a decomposing sentient corpse with pale green skin. They feed off the life force of their victims, and sleep in coffins or caves. The hopping, which is perhaps the most terrifying part, is a result of rigor mortis: the jiangshi’s limbs are so stiff that they cannot bend their knees and must hop around with their arms outstretched for balance.

Ireland You’ve no doubt seen this character before, but perhaps didn’t know where he originally came from. The Dullahan, otherwise known as Gan Ceann, or the Headless Horseman, is a creature in Irish folklore. He rides a black horse or carriage and carries his own head held up high for all to see. The carriage, should it be his chosen mode of transportation, is said to be adorned with funeral apparel, have thigh bones for wheel spokes, skull lanterns and a dried human skin covering. The Dullahan also carries a whip made from a human spine. Where the Dullahan stops, someone dies, as he calls the person’s name and lures the soul from the body.

Japan Japanese folklore is really quite good at being creepy. The Jorōgumo, or Spider Woman, is a shapeshifting, murderous creature initially found in Japanese literature during the Edo period (early-17th to mid-19th centuries). The Jorōgumo is a woman who attempts to lure unsuspecting men to harm or death. In one story, she appeared in a dream, but the dreamer was wise to her ploy and rejected her lure, only to awaken and find a Jorō spider weaving a web near him. More than one legend has the Jorōgumo as the mistress of waterfalls, once again attempting to lure men into the waters where she drowns them.

#2: Skin-walker

Also in:

Skin Deeper: Bath Bombs - Episode 3

Navajo There isn’t too much solid information about these creatures available to non-Navajo people, but what we do know sounds terrifying. The Navajo are generally reluctant to speak about them, and will refuse to answer any questions pertaining to skin-walker lore. Essentially, skin-walkers are witches with the ability to shapeshift or possess animals. They are said to begin as humans with evil intentions, for example, a medicine man who chooses to do evil rather than good. After a ritual that involves sacrificing a family member, supernatural powers are granted and the skin-walker is born. They can transform into any animal, but are commonly wolves, cougars, bears, foxes, and coyotes. They then wear the skin of the animal when in human form, hence the name.

Philippines The manananggal is a creature in Philippines mythology that has one distinct feature that merits the top prize in our list: it can sever its body at the waist, leaving its legs on the ground as its upper half flies off into the night. It is said to be a hideous creature, either male or female but most often the latter. It preys on pregnant women, using its long, heinous tongue to suck at the hearts of unborn children. It also preys on newlywed couples, particularly the grooms, and will suck the blood from them. If ever you come across one of these things, flying overhead with its entrails flapping in the wind, find its vulnerable legs and sprinkle garlic, salt or ash on them.