Monsters and Creatures of Albanian Myth

Monsters and Creatures of Albanian Myth

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 unearth something that has a rich history surrounding it, but that is not considered modern. One of the countries that have some unique and old mythical creatures is Albania.
Bolla
Bolla is a type of dragon that was believed to have lived in Albania. Bolla is a snake-like dragon and is described as having the body of a giant snake, but the wings of a dragon. Bolla slumbers in Albania in a deep sleep on all days except Saint George’s Day. For on Saint George’s Day, Bolla opens its giant eyes and will devour the first human it sees. This cycle continues for twelve years until Bolla has devoured the bodies of twelve humans. In its thirteenth year, Bolla transforms into Kulshedra.
Kulshedra
Kulshedra is the evolved form of the monster known as Bolla. Kulshedra is three times the size of Bolla and has nine tongues and the ability to breath fire. Kulshedra can also assume the form of a female giant with hanging breasts and a hairy body. In this form, Kulshedra can communicate with humans and demands human sacrifices in exchange for ending water shortages. Those unlucky enough to be chosen as the sacrifices find themselves either burned alive from Kulshedra’s flames or swallowed whole and alive. If sacrifices are not provided when demanded, then the inhabitants of the villages surrounding Kulshedra’s home often find themselves dying from dehydration as Kulshedra’s rage at being denied often makes her cause droughts until her demands are met or all that defied her lie dead or dying from thirst.
Xindhi and Xindha
The Xindhi are male elves and the Xindha are female elves; both genders were believed to live in Albania and could be identified by the creaking of a door or a flickering flame that heralded their approach. These elves can be kind or cruel, depending on the individual elf’s personality and the human they encounter. Some have been known to offer a kindness to those they take a fancy to, while others have been known to cause cruel accidents that lead to massive amounts of pain and humiliation, if not death to those that they dislike.
Ora
The Ora is a race of protective spirits that choose a human child to protect at the time of the child’s birth. The Ora’s appearance depends on the personality of the human they choose to protect, as a lazy human will have an Ora with a black face while humans who are courageous and intelligent have an Ora with a white face.
Kukuth
Kukuth are ancient Albanian demons of the female gender who in life were considered to be a Scrooge or a miser. In death, these unhappy souls find themselves transformed into evil demons who can never find peace or rest. In their anger at being denied the peace that they believe they were owed, these demons spread sickness and plague everywhere they go.

Written by Readers’ Favorite Reviewer Sefina Hawke                   

Mythical Creatures in The People's Democratic Republic of Algeria

Mythical Creatures in The People's Democratic Republic of Algeria

In How to Write a Unique Spooky Story, I advised finding a monster by researching myths and legends in other cultures to find a creature or creatures with a rich history surrounding it, but that is not considered modern and that is certainly not well known. One of the countries that have some interesting, unique and old mythical creatures, that are often overlooked, is the country known as The People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, a sovereign state in North Africa that is located on the Mediterranean coast.
H’awouahoua
H’awouahoua is a monstrous creature that is known for eating children alive. The H’awouahoua has the tail of a scorpion, one leg from a donkey, one leg from a panther, the claw of a lobster as a right hand, the hand of a monkey for a left hand, the chest of a turtle, the horns of a mountain goat, the face of an ape, and eyes of flaming spit. Its long dangling hair is not in fact hair, but live poisonous snakes waiting to strike and poison anyone unwary enough to enter within striking range. Its long patched coat is made up of the clothing from the children that it has devoured. This creature might not be attractive enough to lure children to their unsuspecting demise, but it is more than fast enough to scoop up those children who travel lonely roads at night without caution.
Witches
Algeria has a number of deep and convoluted myths about magical practices and witches. While many of the tales do not share many common factors, the one factor they do seem to have in common is the moon. It was believed that witches often created potions under different moon phases, as different phases caused the potions to have different effects. It was believed that many of these potions and magical practices were erotic in nature. It was often believed that the witch would make a potion under a full moon by filling a vessel with water and, when the vessel that was filled with water boiled, the water could then be used as an ingredient in various procedures and practices.
Vampires
Algeria has many intriguing myths and legends that feature vampires as creatures of the night. Unlike most vampire legends, the vampires from Algeria were always female. The common myth of vampire creation in Algeria was that vampires were women who were turned into vampires by men, and that the transformation was caused by cruelty. This is an interesting and different perception from the stories of vampires from Europe. Some believed that the act of seeing a woman as an object dehumanized her, and humiliating her was what turned her into a cold, vampiric beast who could only survive by preying on the blood of others. In these tales, it was often the man that turned the woman into the vampire who was seen as the true monster, and the man was firmly denounced by those who knew of what he had done.

Written by Readers’ Favorite Reviewer Sefina Hawke                   

Argentinian Myth Monsters

Argentinian Myth Monsters

Want to write your own spooky story? In How to Write a Unique Spooky Story, I advised 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 and old mythical creatures is Argentina.
Pombéro/Karai Pyhare/Señor de la noche
The Pombéro has many names that all translate to “The Man of the Night”. The Pombéro is a small, ugly, humanoid-like figure with hairy feet and hands. The Pombéro is generally seen as a mischievous forest dweller that is known for protecting birds. The Pombéro will often commit small acts of mischief upon farmers that live near its home; these acts generally include things like setting cattle loose, stealing small items like eggs or honey, causing horses to throw off riders, and tricking single ungrateful women into having sex with them through minor illusions. The Pombéro can be befriended with gifts of honey, cigars, and rum left out near its territory at night.
El Familiar
El Familiar is a demonic creature that appears as an enormous decapitated black dog dragging a heavy collar and chain upon its back, with no head in sight. This creature wanders the lands of former sugar plantation owners that made a deal with the devil to be protected from financial woes in exchange for a yearly human sacrifice. It is said that El Familiar was the one that came to collect the sacrifice and he still travels the lands where such bargains were made, searching for the next victim for the sacrifice. The only protection from El Familiar is a rosary and a blessed crucifix.
Tuyango
The Tuyango was believed to be a carnivorous swamp bird that had two long legs for running, short wings for short flights, and a long hooked beak for hunting. The Tuyango were believed to hunt humans exclusively, with a preference for children. It was believed that a single Hawk that had a vendetta against the species hunted the Tuyango to extinction.
Okpe
The Okpe was believed to be an enormous, quadrupedal ogre that had the appearance of a pig with stone skin. The Okpe was a carnivorous creature whose meat of choice was human children. The Okpe would kill adult humans that were cooking or eating braised meat, and then steal the meat to use as a lure for children. As soon as an unwary child came to investigate the enticing smell, the Okpe would scoop the child up and carry the child off on its back to be devoured. The only way for a child to escape an Okpe was to be lucky enough to grasp a tree branch as the Okpe journeyed back to its lair. Any attacks upon an Okpe always ended in failure, as its skin was too thick for any weapon to penetrate.

Written by Readers’ Favorite Reviewer Sefina Hawke                   

Zimbabwean Legends

Zimbabwean Legends

You can write your unique spooky story by either creating your own monster, creature, or horror yourself or by finding a monster that is not well known. Researching myths and legends in other cultures will help you to find something that has a rich history surrounding it, but that is not considered modern. One of the countries that have some unique and old mythical creatures is Zimbabwe. This is a landlocked country located in southern Africa and is well known for its diverse wildlife and its dramatic landscapes.
Nyaminyami the River God
Nyaminyami the River God is believed to live in Lake Kariba. It is thought that Nyaminyami has the body of a giant snake and the head of a fish. Most believe that Nyaminyami is more than three meters wide and there is no current guess on the length of his massive body as it is too massive for anyone to see all of it at once. Legend states that Nyaminyami the River God leaves a trail of red stained water in his wake when he swims. Nyaminyami used to be seen more often, but according to Chief Sampakaruma, the River God has been in hiding since white men entered the country. During Nyaminyami's more active period, the creature was known for sucking unwary people in canoes down into deep whirlpools. These victims were never seen again and some theorize that they were either sustenance for the River God or that they had angered the creature in some manner.
Ambuya Nehanda
Ambuya Nehanda is believed to be a spirit of freedom, due to the fact that she had escaped death numerous times. It was believed that she had a small packet that allowed her to escape from death as long as it remained clutched tight in her hands. When trickery stole the packet away from her, she was hanged and died. There are others, however, that believe that Ambuya Nehanda was not in fact killed, but instead that the woman that Ambuya Nehanda was possessing was killed and that the spirit of freedom still lives on.
The Master of Deception
The Master of Deception is a figure in myth believed to be the spirit of Gwasela, who was known for never accepting the election that gave Zanu PF the leadership of the country. In life, Gwasela was seen as something of a Rambo with how he would terrorize those he opposed while still being able to blend seamlessly with crowds in order to never miss a soccer match. In death, Gwasela was said to become The Master of Deception and that he could aid those with a righteous aim in being able to escape the notice of those hunting them.
Mysterious Mount Nyanga
Mysterious Mount Nyanga is, in fact, the highest known mountain in Zimbabwe. However, the myth surrounding Mount Nyanga is that it is alive or possessed by a spirit that can cause people who walk on it to vanish without a single trace. Some believe that Mount Nyanga kills those who speak against it or its people. Others believe that Mount Nyanga devours the life force of those who speak ill of it in order to sustain the spirit of Mount Nyanga. Many believe that Mount Nyanga has a particular taste for children as many have vanished on Mount Nyanga.

Written by Readers’ Favorite Reviewer Sefina Hawke                   

The Republic of Yemen Myth Monsters

The Republic of Yemen Myth Monsters

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 the Republic of Yemen, an Arab country in Western Asia located on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula; Yemen is the second largest country in the peninsula.
Nesnas
The Nesnas is a monster that roamed the Hadramaut region of Yemen. The Nesnas takes the form of a half-dead male human that is divided down the middle with the tail of a lamb. Only one half of the Nesnas is visible to the human eye at the time. It is unknown if the Nesnas chooses which half to show, but it is believed the one half of the Nesnas is skeletal while the other half still has flesh. The Nesnas knows no peace as it is only half-dead, yet it is also half-alive. This lack of peace often drives the Nesnas to act against those it believes are not grateful for the full life that they possess. The Nesnas often makes these poor people its victims and once the Nesnas has chosen them, they are never seen again. Some believe that the Nesnas hope they will return to full life by taking the lives of others.
Falak
Falak is a massive snake that is believed to be so massive that no human eyes can see all of Falak at once. Falak is a creature of the underworld that bides its time until the world ends and it can emerge to punish and torture all the sinners that inhabit Earth.
Al Anqa’a
Al Anqa’a translates to “the one with the long neck” in English. The Al Anqa’a is a massive bird that is so big it can carry any living creature on its back while maintaining flight and it is believed to be fire proof. Its wings and head crown are fire red, its body is the color of sand, and its feet are black. The creature is believed to be neutral in nature, being neither good nor evil, but rather interested mainly in itself. However, Al Anqa’a is believed to have occasionally rescued children and animals from fire.
Al Ghol
The Al Ghol, also known as ghouls, are zombie-like djinns who are known for haunting graveyards and feasting upon human flesh. They feast upon the flesh of the dead to sustain themselves until they have the opportunity to eat human flesh. These creatures are simply incapable of being good and will do anything to taste fresh human flesh taken from a still living human. These creatures do not care about age, beliefs, or gender, merely the flesh that they can strip from the bone to satiate their huge appetites.

Written by Readers’ Favorite Reviewer Sefina Hawke                   

Spooky Monsters, Creatures, and Horrors from German Myth and Legend

Spooky Monsters, Creatures, and Horrors from German Myth and Legend

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 has some unique and old monsters is Germany. According to Honor the Roots, “Germanic creatures are some of the oldest and monstrous figures that humans encountered in the past.” Here are six such creatures, monsters, and horrors found in German legend.
Weisse Frauen
 Weisse Frauen translated loosely means white woman. A Weisse Frauen is a white creature that takes the form that is a cross between a ghostly woman and an elf. These creatures were believed to be creatures of enchanting light that would guard castles or treasures from humans.
Drude
A Drude was believed to be a malevolent nocturnal spirit that would haunt humans while asleep, turning their peaceful dreams into horrifying nightmares. A Drude was thought to be a type of demon that often participated in the Wild Hunt.
Knecht Ruprecht
Knecht Ruprecht is an old German word that translates to Servant Rupert or Farmhand Rupert, depending on the use of the word. The Knecht Ruprecht was the companion of Santa Claus and was known for abducting and punishing disobedient children for their lack of obedience. Knecht Ruprecht had the body of an ox with long devil horns, sharp claws, a horse's tail, and a huge tongue.
Alps
Alps are creatures that induce nightmares in adults during the night. These horrifying creatures were in fact demons that would cause night terrors, sleep apnea and sleep paralysis in their chosen victims by remaining either on or above the victim as he or she slept. They could conceal themselves in shadows and transform into butterflies, pigs, cats, snakes, and dogs at will to hide themselves from discovery.
Erdhenne
The Erdhenne is a spirit that inhabited the houses of those who lived in the Alpine regions and would only appear when someone was going to die within a year or less. The Erdhenne could choose to remain invisible or take physical form to communicate with those that will soon die. Its physical appearance when it chooses to manifest itself is that of a hen-like figure that has a short neck and shaggy features. Some might have thought these creatures benevolent, but those that they warned about coming death would also die and some wondered if they were merely warning or were they also killing?
Nachzehrer
The Nachzehrer is a vampire-like creature that returns to life after having committed suicide. A Nachzehrer returns from their self-inflicted deaths in order to haunt those among the living. Yet, unlike most vampires, the Nachzehrer does not feast upon blood, but on the flesh of the dead. The only way to truly kill a Nachzehrer is to put a coin in its mouth and then cut off its head; any other killing method will result in the Nachzehrer coming back to life with a vengeance for the one that attempted to kill it.

Written by Readers’ Favorite Reviewer Sefina Hawke                   

French Horrors of Myth, Legend, and History

French Horrors of Myth, Legend, and History

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 discover something that has a rich history surrounding it, but that is not considered modern. One of the countries that have some unique and old monsters is France.
Tarasque
The Tarasque was believed to have originated in Nerluc in Provence, France; this creature has the head of a lion, the back of a turtle, the legs of a bear, the chest of an ox, and a scorpion’s tail. The Tarasque was a killing machine that not only killed all that came across it in battle, but also destroyed the very land it walked on. According to legend, Saint Martha managed to tame the beast, only for the people of Nerluc to kill it in fear when it was brought to their town. In remorse, they named their town Tarasque.
Nain Rouge
The Nain Rouge is literally a red dwarf, the size of a child, has red skin, blood red eyes, rotting teeth, and wears fur boots that are either black or red. This creature might not be large, but it is a nasty harbinger of doom and a trickster. The Nain Rouge is believed to be seen prior to some of the most horrid tragedies that have ever occurred. Did the Nain Rouge cause these events or was its presence merely a warning of the horror to come?
Lou Carcolh
Lou Carcolh is a massive monster with long slimy tentacles that are miles long, the body of a serpent, and the shell of a snail. The Lou Carcolh lives underground until it is ready to snap up and paralyze its human prey before eating it whole, alive and conscious. The last thing its human victims see is its gaping mouth before they are swallowed up.
Loup-Garou
The Loup-Garou is a sub type of werewolf that can transform at will, no matter if there is a full moon in the sky or not. Once these Loups-Garous have assumed the form of a wolf, they achieve superhuman strength and speed while also retaining their human intellect. The monsters are much harder to kill than the traditional werewolf as they can become a wolf in the blink of an eye and, with their human intellect, they are able to both hunt and evade with startling accuracy.
Cheval Mallet
Cheval Mallet translates to mallet horse or evil horse and this creatures looks like a beautiful horse with an elegant set of tack. The Cheval Mallet appears on lonely roads and lures weary travelers onto its back only to ride away with them. Such travelers are never seen again. What does the Cheval Mallet do with its victims; are they eaten, absorbed, killed, or sent to a different dimension?
Beast of Gévaudan
The Beast of Gévaudan is one of the scariest monsters from French legend, not only because of its ferocious appearance, but because of the fact that it was documented in history as a man-eating wolf dog. It lived from1764 to 1767 and was described as having massive teeth and multiple huge tails. Hundreds of people were left with their throats ripped out and organs missing because of this beast. Its reign of terror across the country was only halted when King Louis XV sent professional hunters after it.

Written by Readers’ Favorite Reviewer Sefina Hawke