Tag: Monstrum
Why Has the Majestic Griffin Been Forgotten?
The Griffin is a mythical creature known as a half-eagle, half-lion in various cultures. In legends and folklore, the beast guards the gold of the kings, as well as other priceless possessions. Moved into the far north, this ancient creature watches over...
El Silbón: The Deadly Whistler of the South American Grasslands
The “Terror of the Plain,” this emaciated, whistling devil is cursed to wander the South American countryside carrying the bones of his victims. Intimately tied to the cattle ranching history of Latin America, the myth of El Silbón remains an active albei...
Windigo: The Flesh-Eating Monster of Native American Legend
This cannibal monster hunts during the coldest time of the year, traveling with the snow to terrorize humans with its insatiable hunger. Armed with sharp claws and teeth, and capable of running with incredible speed, the windigo, or wendigo, is a lesson...
How Bloody Mary Turns Fear Into Fun
If you are unlucky enough to summon Bloody Mary, there’s no real standard of what you’ll see. By some accounts, she’s hideously mutilated but in others she is beautiful but bloody—more commonly though—every aspect of her appearance is vague. There’s even...
The Original Headless Horseman
These headless monsters of Celtic lore are connected to horses, carriages, and graveyards—and they cannot be defeated. Oscar Wilde even called them “the most terrible thing in the world.”
Banshee: Ireland's Screaming Harbinger of Death
You might not think a crying, screaming ghost is a good thing, but you’d be wrong. The Irish banshee does predict death, but she also serves as a cathartic symbol and has a long history going all the way back to the 8th century.
Legend of Krampus
Krampus is a horned, anthropomorphic figure in Central and Eastern Alpine folklore who, during the Christmas season, scares children who have misbehaved.
Egyptian Mummies: From Sacred Vessels to Scary Undead
Mummification was a sacred, transformative practice in Ancient Egypt - a ritual process that made one’s body and soul fit for existence in the afterlife. It begs the question: when and why did the Mummy become the popular movie monster that we are so fami...
Baba Yaga: The Ancient Origins of the Famous ‘Witch’
One of the most beloved (and feared) figures in Russian and East Slavic folklore, Baba Yaga is more than just a witch. She’s a rumored cannibal who lives in a strange rotating house and flies around in a magical mortar and pestle--but she’s also a helpful...