Monsters of Poland
In How to Write a Unique Spooky Story, I
wrote about how to write a unique spooky story by either creating your
own monster, creature, or horror yourself or by finding a monster that
is not well known. I advised finding a monster by researching myths and
legends in other cultures to find something that has a rich history
surrounding it, but that is not considered modern. One of the countries
that have some unique myths is Poland.
Baba Yaga
Baba Yaga is an old witch that lives in Poland. She has gone by many different names over the centuries such as Jedza, Wiedzma, and Czarownica. It is believed that Baba Yaga lives in a hut that is held up by dead birds' feet, with a fence made of human skulls and bones, and the very walls of the hut are made out of human organs and skin. Baba Yaga is a witch that is both destructive and nurturing in that she is a cannibal that feasts upon the flesh of children, yet she is also known for reuniting lovers. She can take the form of a bird, fish, or reptile at will, yet in those forms she is known for nurturing life and not taking it. She can also alter her human form from that of a young maiden princess to that of an old crone.
Topielec
Topielec, also known as Vodník and Utopiec, are spirits of the water that were once humans who died violent deaths caused by drowning. After losing their human life due to a watery death, the spirit rises as a Topielec. Once risen, a Topielec immediately begins to hunt for humans who wander into the water that once stole the spirit’s human life away. Those humans that wander into the domain of a Topielec find themselves dragged and held underwater until they breathe their last breath. Topielecs are believed to feed off the misery and fear of the humans they drown; if there are not enough humans close to the Topielecs’ domain, they have been known to drown animals.
Leśny Dziadek
Leśny Dziadek loosely translates to forest gramps; these creatures appear like harmless, elderly human males. Yet, they have a sinister appetite for human flesh and organs. The Leśny Dziadek uses its harmless appearance to lure its victims with pleas for assistance. When its victim comes to help, the Leśny Dziadek strikes. Leśny Dziadek drags its victims back to its cave where it strips the victim of as much meat, skin, and organs as possible before the victim dies. The Leśny Dziadek has a particular taste for flesh and meat that is harvested while its victim still breathes.
Cmentar
Cmentar is a somewhat harmless monster known for living in cemeteries and feeding off the corpses of the dead. The Cmentar waits until midnight and then digs up the bodies of the freshly dead, which it then harvests for meat, flesh, and organs before putting the skeleton back into the grave and restoring the grave to its original appearance. The meat, flesh, and organs are then either eaten or preserved so that the Cmentar has a food supply, even if a new body does not come into the cemetery for a while. The Cmentar does not hunt humans for food nor does it wish them any harm unless it is attacked by them.
Written by Readers’ Favorite Reviewer Sefina Hawke Baba Yaga
Baba Yaga is an old witch that lives in Poland. She has gone by many different names over the centuries such as Jedza, Wiedzma, and Czarownica. It is believed that Baba Yaga lives in a hut that is held up by dead birds' feet, with a fence made of human skulls and bones, and the very walls of the hut are made out of human organs and skin. Baba Yaga is a witch that is both destructive and nurturing in that she is a cannibal that feasts upon the flesh of children, yet she is also known for reuniting lovers. She can take the form of a bird, fish, or reptile at will, yet in those forms she is known for nurturing life and not taking it. She can also alter her human form from that of a young maiden princess to that of an old crone.
Topielec
Topielec, also known as Vodník and Utopiec, are spirits of the water that were once humans who died violent deaths caused by drowning. After losing their human life due to a watery death, the spirit rises as a Topielec. Once risen, a Topielec immediately begins to hunt for humans who wander into the water that once stole the spirit’s human life away. Those humans that wander into the domain of a Topielec find themselves dragged and held underwater until they breathe their last breath. Topielecs are believed to feed off the misery and fear of the humans they drown; if there are not enough humans close to the Topielecs’ domain, they have been known to drown animals.
Leśny Dziadek
Leśny Dziadek loosely translates to forest gramps; these creatures appear like harmless, elderly human males. Yet, they have a sinister appetite for human flesh and organs. The Leśny Dziadek uses its harmless appearance to lure its victims with pleas for assistance. When its victim comes to help, the Leśny Dziadek strikes. Leśny Dziadek drags its victims back to its cave where it strips the victim of as much meat, skin, and organs as possible before the victim dies. The Leśny Dziadek has a particular taste for flesh and meat that is harvested while its victim still breathes.
Cmentar
Cmentar is a somewhat harmless monster known for living in cemeteries and feeding off the corpses of the dead. The Cmentar waits until midnight and then digs up the bodies of the freshly dead, which it then harvests for meat, flesh, and organs before putting the skeleton back into the grave and restoring the grave to its original appearance. The meat, flesh, and organs are then either eaten or preserved so that the Cmentar has a food supply, even if a new body does not come into the cemetery for a while. The Cmentar does not hunt humans for food nor does it wish them any harm unless it is attacked by them.
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