For your Halloween week pleasure, I have scoured the internet for some WTF Monsters. People in the days of old came up with some pretty interesting things and definitely had some pretty active imaginations. Some of the creatures on this list are still a part of modern culture in some areas.
Wendigo
From Algonquin tradition, the Wendigo is constantly starving and is only satisfied by human flesh. It is described as emaciated, intensely strong and insatiable since it grows with the consumption of each victim and is therefore never able to be satisfied. There is also the condition of Wendigo Psychosis in which the sufferer craves human flesh.
Jorogumo
A spider demon from Japanese culture that takes the initial form of a beautiful woman to lure its victims. Much like traditional spiders the victim would be bound in silk and devoured. As if you needed another reason to dislike spiders, right?
Dullahan
If you ever wondered what was chasing Ichabod Crane, it was this thing. The Dullahan is an Irish legend of the headless horseman who heralds death. Supposedly if the Dullahan says your name you instantly die.They also carry a whip made of a human spine…charming.
Kuchisake-onna
I think this one freaks me out the most. This is the “slit-faced woman” legend from Japan and Korea. Stories of this one happened as recently as 2007. The legend basically goes that she covers her face with a mask or scarf and asks people if they think she’s pretty. If they say yes she removes the scarf to reveal the disfigured mouth and asks the question again. If they say no or scream she slashes their face. If they say yes she follows them home to murder them. There was reportedly an increase of police patrols and people traveling in groups to avoid this particular creature. Not going to lie, I’d definitely travel in a group too if there were sightings of this where I lived.
Chupacabra
Ah, the chupa. The Latin American goat-sucker. It’s basically a strange, spined creature that drinks the blood of livestock. People have claimed to see it all over the world, but sightings are most prevalent in Central America. This is another recent creature, with reports of it showing up in the mid 90’s. Most cases of chupa sightings are thought to be coyotes with mange, but not all, so who knows what’s out there?
Hungry Ghosts
A tradition in some Asian cultures, the hungry ghosts are able to feed on the life of people and must be appeased with food offerings. I’m not quite clear how they differ from ordinary ghosts, only that the hungry ones are people who’ve done bad things in their lives. An interesting book if you’re interested in this topic is Ghost Bride (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16248223-the-ghost-bride)
Thanks for stopping by!
-Erin