Zombie Zombies have a complex literary heritage, with antecedents ranging from Richard Matheson and H. P. Lovecraft to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein drawing on European folklore of the undead. George A. Romero's reinvention of the monster for his 1968 film Night of the Living Dead led to several zombie films in the 1980s and a resurgence of popularity in the 2000s. The "zombie apocalypse" concept, in which the civilized world is brought low by a global zombie infestation, became a staple of modern popular art. The English word "zombie" is first recorded in 1819, in a history of Brazil by the poet Robert Southey, in the form of "zombi".[3] The Oxford English Dictionary gives the origin of the word as West African, and compares it to the Kongo words nzambi (god) and zumbi (fetish). Folk beliefs[edit] Haitian tradition[edit] It has been suggested that the two types of zombie reflect soul dualism, a belief of Haitian Vodou. African and related legends[edit] Evolution of the zombie archetype[edit]
Church Grim The Swedish Kyrkogrim are said to be the spirits of animals sacrificed by early Christians at the building of a new church.[2] In parts of Europe, including Britain and Scandinavia, it was believed that the first man buried in a new churchyard had to guard it against the Devil. To save a human soul from the duty, a completely black dog would be buried alive on the north side of the churchyard, creating a guardian spirit, the church grim, in order to protect the church.[3] The Scandinavian and Nordic Kyrkogrim or Kirkonväki can also occasionally appear as pale-skinned 'ghosts', said to be the spirits of the folk who lived in the proximity of the church that they now 'guard'. William Henderson in his Folk-Lore of the Northern Counties (p.274) attributes it to a foundation sacrifice and points out that the Kirkogrim of Sweden appears in the form of a lamb which, in the early days in Christianity in Sweden, was buried under the altar. Fiction[edit] See also[edit] References[edit]
www.britannica Characteristics Because there is a long history of walking corpses and bloodsucking ghouls in folklore, it is difficult to pin down a distinct set of characteristics consistently attributed only to vampires. Central to vampire myth, however, is the consumption of human blood or other essence (such as bodily fluids or psychic energy), followed closely by the possession of sharp teeth or fangs with which to facilitate this task. Britannica Quiz Famous Vampires Quiz A person may become a vampire in a variety of ways, the most common of which is to be bitten by a vampire. History Creatures with vampiric characteristics have appeared at least as far back as ancient Greece, where stories were told of creatures that attacked people in their sleep and drained their bodily fluids. Vampire myths were especially popular in eastern Europe, and the word vampire most likely originates from that region. Dracula is arguably the most important work of vampire fiction. Alison Eldridge
Draugr "Sea-troll" of modern Scandinavian folklore as depicted by the Norwegian painter Theodor Kittelsen The draugr or draug (Old Norse: draugr, plural draugar; modern Icelandic: draugur, Faroese: dreygur and Norwegian, Swedish and Danish draugen), also called aptrganga, literally "again-walker" (Icelandic: afturganga) is an undead creature from Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology. The Old Norse meaning of the word is a revenant. "The will appears to be strong, strong enough to draw the hugr [animate will] back to one's body. Draugar live in their graves, often guarding treasure buried with them in their burial mound. A cognate is Old English: dréag "apparition, ghost".[2] Irish: dréag or driug, meaning "portent, meteor", is borrowed from either Old English or the Old Norse.[3] Traits[edit] Draugar possess superhuman strength, can increase their size at will, and carry the unmistakable stench of decay. The draugr's victims were not limited to trespassers in its howe. Folklore[edit]
Black dog (ghost) The origins of the black dog are difficult to discern. It is impossible to ascertain whether the creature originated in the Celtic or Germanic elements in British culture. Throughout European mythology, dogs have been associated with death. Black Dogs have been reported from almost all the counties of England, the exceptions being Middlesex and Rutland.[11] On Dartmoor, the notorious squire Cabell was said to have been a huntsman who sold his soul to the Devil. The yeth hound, also called the yell hound, is a black dog found in Devon folklore. The Cù Sìth (Scottish Gaelic pronunciation: kuː ʃiː) is an enormous, otherworldly hound, said to haunt the Scottish Highlands. In the Isle of Man is the legend of the Moddey Dhoo, 'black dog' in Manx, also styled phonetically Mauthe Doog or Mawtha Doo. "For he was speechless, ghastly, wan Like him of whom the Story ran Who spoke the spectre hound in Man." The monstrous black dog reputed to haunt Bouley Bay in Jersey is depicted on this pub sign.
werewolf translated and edited by D. L. Ashliman University of Pittsburgh © 1997-2010. Contents Return to D. The Morbach Monster Anonymous Have you ever heard of the Morbach Monster? I first learned of the legend while I was stationed at Hahn Airforce Base, Germany. Supposedly Wittlich is the last town where a werewolf was killed. One night a group of security policemen were on the way to their post at Morbach, when they noticed that the candle was out at the shrine, and all joked about the monster. Later that night alarms were received from a fence-line sensor. This occured around 1988. There have always been "ghost" stories dreamed up by bored security policemen, but this is one I have heard over and over again. Source: E-mail, dated October 6, 1997, to D. The Werewolf F. By using a so-called wolf strap, any person could transform himself into a werewolf. In earlier times there were a great many such straps, but today, along with the wolves, they seem to have been banned to Russia. Source: F. A.
Glámr Glámr The following story is found in the Gretla, an Icelandic Saga, composed in the thirteenth century, or that comes to us in the form then given to it; but it is a redaction of a Saga of much earlier date. Most of it is thoroughly historical, and its statements are corroborated by other Sagas. The following incident was introduced to account for the fact that the outlaw Gretter would run any risk rather than spend the long winter nights alone in the dark. At the beginning of the eleventh century there stood, a little way up the Valley of Shadows in the north of Iceland, a small farm, occupied by a worthy bonder, named Thorhall, and his wife. The farmer was not exactly a chieftain, but he was well enough connected to be considered respectable; to back up his gentility he possessed numerous flocks of sheep and a goodly drove of oxen. “I do not care about his wits so long as he can look after sheep,” answered Thorhall. “You may rely on his being able to do that,” said Skapti. “Pshaw!
Black Shuck Artist's impression of the Black Shuck. Commonly described features include large red eyes, bared teeth and shaggy black fur.[1] The name Shuck may derive from the Old English word scucca meaning "demon", or possibly from the local dialect word shucky meaning "shaggy" or "hairy".[4] Black Shuck is one of many ghostly black dogs recorded across the British Isles.[5] Sometimes recorded as an omen of death, sometimes a more companionable animal, it is classified as a cryptid, and there are varying accounts of the animal's appearance.[4][6] Writing in 1877, Walter Rye stated that Shuck was "the most curious of our local apparitions, as they are no doubt varieties of the same animal.[7] Its alleged appearance in 1577 at Bungay and Blythburgh is a particularly famous account of the beast, and images of black sinister dogs have become part of the iconography of the area.[1] Folklore[edit] Appearance in Bungay and Blythburgh[edit] Title page of Rev. See also[edit] References[edit]
en.m.wikipedia Undead creature from folklore A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mischief or deaths in the neighbourhoods which they inhabited while they were alive. They wore shrouds and were often described as bloated and of ruddy or dark countenance, markedly different from today's gaunt, pale vampire which dates from the early 19th century. Vampiric entities have been recorded in cultures around the world; the term vampire was popularized in Western Europe after reports of an 18th-century mass hysteria of a pre-existing folk belief in Southeastern and Eastern Europe that in some cases resulted in corpses being staked and people being accused of vampirism. Etymology and word distribution Folk beliefs The notion of vampirism has existed for millennia. Description and common attributes Creating vampires Prevention Protection
Almas (cryptozoology) The Almas (Mongolian: Алмас/Almas, Bulgarian: Алмас, Chechen: Алмазы, Turkish: Albıs), Mongolian for "wild man", is a purported hominid cryptozoological species reputed to inhabit the Caucasus and Pamir Mountains of central Asia, and the Altai Mountains of southern Mongolia.[1] The creature is not currently recognized or cataloged by science. Furthermore, scientists generally reject the possibility that such mega-fauna cryptids exist, because of the improbably large numbers necessary to maintain a breeding population,[2] and because climate and food supply issues make their survival in reported habitats unlikely.[3] Almas is a singular word in Mongolian; the properly formed Turkic plural would be 'almaslar'.[4] As is typical of similar legendary creatures throughout Central Asia, Russia, Pakistan and the Caucasus, the Almas is generally considered to be more akin to "wild people" in appearance and habits than to apes (in contrast to the Yeti of the Himalayas). Tjutjuna Notes
Fenris magical legendary creatures ... Fenris Pheeds Home | More Fenris articles & pheeds In Norse mythology , Fenris was a wolf who was the son of Loki and the giantess Angerboda . The Aesir learned that Fenris was prophesied to be responsible (along with his family, the rest of Loki and Angerboda's spawn) for the destruction of the world. Fenris will remain bound until Ragnarok when he will join forces with those opposing Odin and will devour him. Alternative: Fenrir, Fenrisulfr, Fenrisúlfr Also called Fenris Wolf, Fenrir. Fenris Ulf is one of the White Witch's servants, an enormous wolf, in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. This article is from Wikipedia . .history.com/ What Is a Vampire? There are almost as many different characteristics of vampires as there are vampire legends. But the main characteristic of vampires (or vampyres) is they drink human blood. They typically drain their victim’s blood using their sharp fangs, killing them and turning them into vampires. In general, vampires hunt at night since sunlight weakens their powers. Some may have the ability to morph into a bat or a wolf. Vlad the Impaler It’s thought Bram Stoker named Count Dracula after Vlad Dracul, also known as Vlad the Impaler. Some historians describe him as a just—yet brutally cruel—ruler who valiantly fought off the Ottoman Empire. According to legend, Vlad Dracul enjoyed dining amidst his dying victims and dipping his bread in their blood. But, according to Dracula expert Elizabeth Miller, Stoker didn’t base Count Dracula’s life on Vlad Dracul. Are Vampires Real? Vampire superstition thrived in the Middle Ages, especially as the plague decimated entire towns. Mercy Brown
List of legendary creatures This is a list of legendary creatures from various historical mythologies. Entries include species of legendary creature and unique creatures, but not individuals of a particular species. A[edit] B[edit] C[edit] D[edit] E[edit] F[edit] G[edit] H[edit] I[edit] J[edit] K[edit] L[edit] M[edit] N[edit] O[edit] P[edit] Q[edit] R[edit] S[edit] T[edit] U[edit] V[edit] W[edit] X[edit] Y[edit] Z[edit] See also[edit]