Witches of Yule and Winter

Here are the witches, good and bad, who make a return during the season of Yule and winter, associated with the periods of Christmas and New Year. 

La Befana, from Italian folklore about a witch who delivers presents to children on the eve of the Feast of Epiphany. She goes to every child's home in Italy and fills socks with sweets, toys, gifts and other pleasant surprises only if they've been well behaved. If they've been bad, she'll live a lump of coal, a stick or rock candy instead. While there at the house, she may sweep the floor with her broomstick, which is itself magical and what she uses to travel around on. Some families leave out a glass of wine a plate of food for La Befana so that she'll be welcome to it when she arrives. Depicted as a smiling kind old woman covered in dark soot from the chimneys she uses to climb in and out, she also carries a large sack full of goodies. This pleasant Yule witch is featured in Winter Solstice Befana choirs during the Festival of Lights parade in Canada. In Russia there's a similar witch named Babushka. 

Frau Perchta is less friendly. She's a scary Christmas witch from the folklore beliefs in Alpine regions such as Switzerland, Germany and Austria. She's described as an old crone dressed in rags with a nose made of iron, but she's obsessed with cleanliness and spinning. Once the season of Christmas was over, women were expected to complete all of the spun flax, chores and prepared a bowl of porridge for her, by the twelfth night, or 6th January, otherwise she will become very cross. Everyone feared the anger of Frau Perchta as the punishment would be terrible. She would sneak into the house while they sleep, disembowel them and fill their empty guts with rubbish, stones and straw. She doesn't only check your house, but participates in a frightening Wild Hunt, accompanied by demons named Perchten, who are sinister and also nightmarish. She's not only considered a hideous evil witch but also a beautiful snow queen who shapeshifts into animals as there seems two different sides of her.  

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True Christmas time ghosts

There are legendary ghosts who haunt places around the festive season of Yule. Some of these have become well known Christmas spirits. Here are some of those spooks that manifest during the long winter nights of December.

A magazine named Country Life sent photographers to take pictures within a centuries old house. Raynham Hall was the site of interest because of its beauty and age located in Norfolk. It was in 1936 when the magazine's team of photographers took a picture showing an apparition on the staircase. It's believed that this is the resident ghost called The Brown Lady. She's been haunting the house every December, especially on Christmas Eve. Some say this is the ghost of Dorothy Walpole (1686-1726), the wife the former owner, Charles Townshend. She lived a sad oppressive life as her husband's prisoner until she died within the house. Her spirit still wanders the corridors frightening anyone who happens to see her. She's described as wearing a brown brocade dress, has glowing features and empty eye sockets. Wikipedia page of the Brown Lady of Raynham Hall. 

Roos Hall, or Rose Hall, in Suffolk on the outskirts of Beccles, is a centuries old house, and haunted by a headless horseman every Christmas Eve. At night on 24th December, the sounds of a spectral carriage at high speed then pulls into the driveway pulled by two headless horses, which some people have witnessed. It's possible some could mistake the noises for Santa's sleigh! This belongs to the headless horseman, who then appears and helps a ghostly woman step out of the carriage! Those who see her are driven to insanity. Also there is a white lady ghost wandering the grounds and drawn to an oak tree, a place where criminals were hung. Some claim she walks around this tree six times to summon demons. Another phantom of a misty girl looks out of a window of Roos Hall, and waves at passers by to scare them. This is one reason to avoid going to the house around Yule season. Spooky Isle page on Roos Hall.

Wawel Castle is haunted during Christmas Eve. Located in Poland, this castle was built during the Dark Ages, and was home to many kings. The site itself has often been associated with the paranormal. Nearby is Wawel Hill, full of secret caves and tunnels that were used as far back as prehistoric times. It's legend goes that there is a dragon statue inside, which was explored by a king when he was a child. He came across a glowing stone that gave off magical energy. It's believed that every Christmas Eve, the spirits of Polish kings gather together inside the caves. The hill itself is believed to have been the location of a real dragon, whose bones are now hung up in Wawel Cathedral, but when these bones fall to the ground, the world will end. The site itself is close to Krakow, said to be full of vampires and there was a vampire grave pit discovered. Ghostwatch.net page on Wawel Hill legends.

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Yuletide monsters

The season of Yule is filled with scary legendary creatures. I already mentioned Krampus, Belsnickel and Hans Trapp in the previous post "Three Scary Companions of Santa." Here are some more nightmares for the season of peace and joy. May all feel merry!

Mari Lwyd is a Christmas tradition in Wales that features a zombie horse. Full of greed, this entity wants to visit people's houses and eat everything. Some refuse to open the door, while others are tricked by the singing voice of Mari Lwyd who think it must be carol singers. The Mari Lwyd expects you to sing back to it, be let inside by the householder and given something to eat. However, if let inside, the Mari Lwyd can devour so much food that there won't be anything left.

Yule Cat is a giant black predatory feline of Icelandic folklore. It prowls the landscape on Christmas Eve, hunting for any person travelling in old clothes. This monster of a cat spares the lives of those who wear atleast one piece of new clothing that was given to them on Christmas. This Yule Cat is feared so much that people are desperate to get any new items of clothes including socks, gloves and scarves. Yule Cat is mainly believed to be the huge pet of a giantess named Grylla. By the way Grylla is also another Chrstmas monster. She lives in a cave inside a volcano, but leaves during Yuletide to seek out naughty kids. When she finds them, she pops them in a sack, takes them home and eats them. The story of this vile giantess traumatised children for so long. Grylla is the mother of thirteen mischievous sons named the Yule Lads, who steal things, spread germs and make loud noises during the night to wake everyone up. They visit the towns to create havoc throughout the entire season of Yule.

Frau Perchta is a strange one, from Bavarian and Austrian folklore. She either looks like an ancient hag or a snow queen. In some versions, she's a goddess, while in others, she's a terrible witch. Many people have been scared of her for generations. She expects homes to be completed of tasks especially done all its weaving and spinning by Christmas. She also wants you to eat fish and gruel on her feast day, otherwise she'll be angry. If people haven't done weaving by Christmas or eaten fish and gruel on her feast day, she'll be cross and punish those who failed her. This means she'll cut people open and stuff them with straw! Her bodyguards are known as the Straggele, who assist Frau Perchta. These are demons who go around during the twelve nights of Christmas, hoping to find left overs from dinner. If people don't leave them anything to eat, they turn violent and eat people, especially children. 

Enjoy the season!

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Three scary companions of Santa

 It seems that Halloween isn't the only spooky time of year. The season of Yule is upon us and always considered a merry time to spread love and happiness, joy and exchange gifts. There is an abundance of scary creatures associated with Christmas time. Here are three of the most awful Yule characters that have frightened children for generations because they accompany Santa Claus. 

1. Belsnickel is a fearsome figure from Palatine folklore, also understood in Pennsylvania because of German immigrants. Believed to be a grudging servant of Santa Claus, he appears as scruffy, dressed in thick furs, and wears a hat with deer antlers. Sometimes the entity has been cross dressing and given other names like "Christmas woman", and Pelsnichol, Kriskinkle, Beltznickel. His name references the "bells" he wears and accompanies Saint Nicholas. This creature travels alone two weeks before Christmas, visiting houses and carrying a bundle of gifts for good children and a slap from a switch for the naughty kids. He would tell kids to sing for him, and if he liked it, he would throw nuts, cakes and sweets to the floor. If he thinks the kids are being greedy, he whacks them on the back of the hand. 

2. Krampus is a horned monster of Alpine folklore. He's a Christmas devil, with sharp teeth, a long tongue, horns and legs like an animal with cloven hooves. He frightens children and punishes naughty ones. When Santa visits children bringing gifts to children who've been well behaved, he's with Krampus who's there to punish naughty children. He beats kids with sticks and branches. Some horrific tales have him eating them and putting them in a sack to take them down to Hell. It's believed Krampus originates from early pre-Christian beliefs linked to the Winter solstice. Some believe that he's the son of Hel, the goddess of the Underworld.

3. Hans Trapp is a Christmas Scarecrow is another companion to Santa Claus. While Santa delivers presents to children who've been good, Hans Trapp will punish the badly behaved kids. Some say that he's worse than Krampus. From French folklore, the scarecrow had once been human! He was a man in the Medieval period, who was wealthy and evil, and lived in Alsace. People heard that he dabbled in the occult and made pacts with the Devil, resulting in him being exiled from his home. He escaped to Germany and made a hovel in the hills of Bavaria. On the verge of starvation, he was dressed in straw, disguised as a scarecrow and hunted people for food. Then a lightning bolt struck the cannibal down dead. Afterwards, his scary looking ghost is believed to go after naughty children, as this is what parents say.

More on Yuletide monsters coming soon...

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Wildlife picture of the month

Each month will be a post with a picture of a wild animal from the British Isles and Europe, doing something cute and seasonal. It's a light hearted topic that will ease from the spooky and weird subject matters I talk about here.

A robin is perched on a tiny branch amidst the fresh snow. It's red and cute, resting from flight as it appears during the winter. Here are some nice quotes and proverbs about robins.

"The robin flew from his swinging spray of ivy on to the top of the wall and he opened his beak and sang a loud, lovely trill, merely to show off. Nothing in the world is quite as adorably lovely as a robin when he shows off and they are nearly always doing it." Frances Hodgson Burnett.

"Young robin do not fall out of the nest. They fly up to it." Chinese proverb.

"If a robin built its nest in a barn, it would be safe there from weather and wind. But it would be almost as unsafe as if it built its nest in a tree, because it would be likely to become the slave of the farmer." Charlotte Bronte.

"I hardly think, sir, there will be much robin in winter." Charles Dickens.

"A quaint and curious bird if the robin red breast. He's neither fit for town nor yet for country. Yet uncombed he protests, ^I'm the monarch of all I survey^!" Robert Frost.

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Basilisk

The Basilisk is nicknamed the "king of snakes." Described as being similar to a snake but with the head features of a rooster, simply because of its colourful crown, that sometimes may appear like a comb or a white diadem. Anyone who looks at it, meaning, has direct eye contact with it, will die instantly. It was created from the blood of Medusa. Other sources say the basilisk was hatched from the egg of a cockatrice, a type of dragon. 

There's many different accounts of the basilisk, although the earliest mention was from 79 AD book Natural History by Pliny the Elder. There the basilisk was described as originating from Cyrene, being only twelve fingers long, whose own hiss frighten away other snakes. According to Pliny, the basilisk's is fire breathing, as it destroys shrubbery and burns grass that it breaths upon. Only the rue plant is immune to the basilisk. It's able to destroy stones by it's incredibly noxious touch. It's believed that if a man on horseback should try and slay it with a spear, the venom of the basilisk would crawl up the spear and infect both man and his mount.

However the basilisk isn't invincible. One of the biggest threats to a basilisk is a weasel. The very odour of a weasel can kill a basilisk. Unfortunately the weasel would also be killed by the poisonous basilisk. Another danger to the basilisk is water. It panics at the sight of water mainly because it's from the sands of a desert. The creature is also afraid of its own reflection! Another interesting thing that can kill a basilisk is the cawing of a rooster. 

More info here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilisk

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Little witch of Pilot Knob

There's an urban legend of a little witch girl from Pilot Knob Cemetery in Marion, Kentucky. It's been spread throughout the internet, and appears in a lot of paranormal websites. So here is the legend:

In 1916, a woman named Mary Louise Ford was accused of witchcraft. She and her five year old daughter, Mary Ellen Ford, were feared so much by the townspeople that they took it upon themselves to execute both. Mother and daughter were burned at the stake. There was never a trial. According to legend, the mother's body vanished! The body of her daughter was buried in a steel coffin at the Pilot Knob Cemetery because everyone was afraid that she would return from the dead. They filled her grave in with concrete and then put gravel on top. Afterwards, they surrounded her grave with an iron fence made up of gleaming white crosses. 

It's believed the ghost of the girl paces around inside her grave at night. A child's footprints have been found left over her grave. Local people today fear the site and don't like talking about it. Often it's believed that anyone going near the grave will be pulled inside by the witch girl and disappear. People who've seen the ghost of the witch girl described her as blonde and wearing a long white dress with scorch marks at the hem. She pulls faces at people and tries to lure someone close. Some say there is a darker entity in the cemetery called The Watcher who follows people and is around simply because of the witch girl's energy.   

While this awful legend frightens local people (and those online too), I shall uncover if it's really true or not. There really is such a grave in Pilot Knob Cemetery of the child. Mary Ellen was the youngest of six children of parents James Andy Ford and Mary Rebecca Davis Ford. Only six weeks after her fifth birthday, on 31st May 1915, Mary Ellen died of peritonitis, an inflammation of the stomach. The legend claims the mother's body is "missing" but she's really buried at the same cemetery! She passed away in 1955. Neither mother and daughter were witches and nor were they burned at the stake. The real background is very sad but the shocking nature of the legend is disturbing. While there might be paranormal goings on in the cemetery, the story of the "little witch girl" is untrue. 

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The Questing Beast

The Questing Beast is a monster that appears in Arthurian legend. It's not a very well known creature that was slain by Sir Palomides even though it's mentioned a lot in literature, film and artwork. What is this beast? It has a hybrid appearance, being described as having the body of a leopard, hooves of a deer, and the head of a snake. The sounds it made has been mentioned as being similar to barking dogs or foxes. In another version, it was described as small, white, beautiful and sounded like a baby. 

One of the adventures and missions of the knights of the Round Table is to find the Questing Beast and kill it. King Pellinore from Listenoise was hunting it. Other sources say he's from "the Isles" which may be misted islets of the Lake District or from stormy and green Anglesey. He was the father of some of the knights of the Round Table, and his sons include Percifal, Tor, Lamorak, Dornar and Anglovale. For many years the king was forever hunting the Questing Beast. While on the search for the monster, one of his daughters Elaine tragically committed suicide and was eaten by lions. The other daughter of the king, Dindrane, became a maiden of the Holy Grail and spent her life in the Grail Castle as a heroine. Much of this background is needed to learn how important it was to find the Questing Beast.

King Arthur first encountered the Questing Beast while out in the woods, after waking up from a nightmare. He dreamt that Mordred had completely destroyed the realm. Then Arthur saw the Questing Beast drinking water from a nearby pool. Later on he met with King Pellinore who told of the family quest to destroy the monster. Merlin told Arthur that the monster came from a human mother, who was a princess who slept with a demon so she could learn dark magic. Whatever she wanted to do didn't work. Her own brother was butchered to death afterwards, and cursed the princess into baring a child that would be a monster. 

Later the knights Sirs Galahad, Percifal and Palamedes were on a quest for the Grail when they met the Questing Beast. It was rounded up and forced into the lake, and eventually killed by sir Palamedes. The Questing Beast is also called Beast Glatisant. You can find it mentioned in 15th century works Le Morte d'Arthur later on translated and retold by Sir Thomas Malory. You can also find mention of the Questing Beast in Perlesvaus, a romance of the 13th Century.  

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Burrunjor

One of the most scariest cryptids of Australia is the Burrunjor. Its appearance is uncanny and frightening, described as looking like a Tyrannosaurus Rex. It appears in Aboriginal myths and legends as a monster active at night, the Burrunjor or "Old Three Toes", a bipedal giant reptile that ate kangaroos. They also said it might've had feathers, and small arms but huge muscular legs. Besides Australian folklore, there's been run-ins with a beast like that as recent as the 20th century! 

During the 1950's farmers in Australia found great reptilian shaped footprints left in the soil, at the time that their cattle was being killed by a mysterious predator at night. Some have made a connection with the Aboriginal legends of Burrunjor with the attacks on livestock. Some say that the culprit could've been a Megalania, a large monitor lizard of Australia and relative of the Komodo Dragon, but this species was believed to have disappeared thousands of years ago. During the 1970's calls were made from worried people that encountered such an animal near their farm. Whatever the creature actually is, it's very clear that something fitting that description existed. Australian Aboriginal cave paintings show huge reptiles bigger than humans. 

Today the official big monitor lizard of Australia is the Perentie. It's a top predator and has venom, they eat small animals, birds, lizards and snakes. They're also scavengers too. The Perentie doesn't sound as big as the Burrunjor, and they don't eat anything larger than a young kangaroo. Besides the eating habits being different, the Perentie are not bipedal. Those who witnessed the Burrunjor would know if it was a regular monitor lizard or something far more prehistoric that shouldn't be here. 

In 1978, a man named Bryan Clark found himself lost in the Australian outback. A search was being held, and it was noted that there were violent heavy footsteps crashing through the woods, as if made by something of enormous size. The man was found alive and well, but he was warned never to wander off into those woods again. Among the searchers were two Aboriginals who experienced the shaking crashing footsteps of the Burrunjor. Then in 1985, s family went on an outing by the Roper River when they encountered a Burrunjor "monster" that had feathers. This is probably the last known sighting of the Burrunjor.

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Wildlife picture of the month

 

Every month will be a post like this showing amazing and awesome animals in the British and European countryside. 

This pine marten is ready to enter the tree where it lives. "I'm going home to watch television!" said the fluffy pine marten. "Bonfire night always has people leaving nice snacks everywhere!"

Pine martens have neat homes including perfectly rounded windows! They're little predators and they eat a variety of foods. Their diet could be anything from fruit (they love berries), bugs, eggs and small animals. At times they can control the invasive grey squirrels. Pine martens belong to the mustelid family, that also includes weasels, minks, badgers, otters, wolverines and polecats. Pine martens are nocturnal, so they come out mostly at night but in summer they may venture outside during the day. Later in the year during cold months, they prefer to stay inside to keep warm and dry. 

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Amarok

One of the most beautiful legendary creatures is the Amarok, a huge wolf from Inuit myths and legends. It's unlike regular wolves in many ways, and mostly because it's far bigger than other wolves. Wolves hunt in packs while the Amarok hunts alone. Ordinary wolves hunt in packs for food, but it seems frightening that the Amarok hunts humans for other reasons and not just for food. The size of the wolf indicates it's a type of monster, and it has powerful teeth and claws. In the book Tales and Traditions of the Eskimo by Hinrich Johannes Rink, who was an explorer and geologist, the legendry creature Amarok is featured there. 

One particular dark story is about a man grieving a deceased family member, who set out to kill the Amarok. When he found the creature's den, the Amarok wasn't inside but only the pups, which he slaughtered. Then he waited close by to wait for the Amarok to return. When the Amarok did return to the den, bringing a dead reindeer for her young, she discovered that her pups were dead. The Amarok rushed over to a nearby lake and pulled out a ghost from the water, which was the soul of the man who killed her pups. Once she did this, the man fell down and died. This was a story about a grieving mother Amarok who took the soul of the man who killed her offspring. 

The Amarok is not supposed to be an evil beast at all. Another story concerns a disabled boy who was treated badly by people in the village. So he went to visit the Amarok, who he hoped would make him stronger. Amarok wrestled with him until the boy's bones fell from his body and the Amarok told him that the bones had caused him to be weak. The boy was then advised by the Amarok to return each day to build up his strength. After several days of wrestling with the Amarok, the boy became so strong that he could fight against three bears and win. This made him popular and accepted by people.

This amazing wolf creature has both qualities of positive and negative. It's powerful senses can locate humans who dare go out hunting at night. The Amarok is respected and considered wise, and also found to be a healer and a killer. It's possible that the Amarok could actually be based on  far more ancient stories about the direwolf that existed millions of years ago.

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Baobhan sith

The legend of Baobhan sith is a vampire of the British Isles. It's considered to be a type of succubus and a fairy with magical powers, but these are bloodthirsty female creatures. They appear as beautiful women that can transform into ravens. They wear long green dresses to hide their feet, which look like cloven hooves. These are chilling entities with plenty of stories about them in the Scottish Highlands. 

One of these tales include three Baobhan sith who visit a group of men that stay at a small hut while travelling. All seemed happy when they danced as music was played, until the Baobhan sith became hungry and wanting blood. Most of the men died after the Baobhan sith attacked them but only one man escaped as he was holding an iron coal scuttle. 

In a different story, there was a group of hunters staying in a bothy when they were visited by Baobhan sith. One of the men noticed that the women had hooves instead of feet, so he left the bothy in panic. Later the following day, he returned only to find to his horror that all his friends were dead. Their bodies were mutilated, with wounds at the neck.

On another story, men found a cave to stay in while they were out hunting, and it got dark and the weather turned bad. With them was a young man who brought along his dog. Each man talked about his home, as they were missing their loved ones. A group of Baobhan sith were close by, listening and they were jealous that the men had wives and girlfriends. So as the men slept, the Baobhan sith entered the cave and slaughtered most of the hunters, but they were unable to kill the man who was protected by his dog. Other things can protect against them such as iron and garlic.

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Pendle Witches

In Lancashire, England, is a grim landscape with looming Pendle Hill, full of dark history and hauntings. While today there are ghost walks in the misty gloomy woods on the hill, in the castles, graveyards and churches, it's most famous for it's witches. This is the infamous Pendle Witches and the witch trails that happened in the early 17th century. Besides ghosts, the hill has been a place of strange eerie lights, UFO's and unknown voices. Many believe that they've encountered the ghosts of the Pendle Witches who were executed in one of the most brutal witch trials in English history.

In 1612 many as 12 people were accused of witchcraft in that area, and they all came from different families. The accused were Elizabeth Southerns or alias Demdike, her daughter Elizabeth Device and grandchildren Alison and James Device; then Anne Whittle or alias Chattox and her daughter Anne Redferne; Alice Nutter; Jane Bulcock and her son John Bulcock; Katherine Hewitt (nicknamed "Mould Heels"); Isabel Robey, and Margaret Pearson. These are called the Witches of Pendle Forest. They were also accused of murder, theft and killing animals using witchcraft. People made accusations against them while some of the accused became convinced they were guilty. They were terrified.

What's also very curious is that a young girl named Jennet Device was their biggest accuser. She was the granddaughter of matriarch Elizabeth Southerns. Jennet claimed that her own grandmother had a familiar (a spirit in the shape of an animal) and it looked like a large dog with red shining eyes named Ball. She said this creature talked with her grandmother in English! She also made more accusations towards others, including Alice Nutter, a daughter of a wealthy landowner who was also among the group executed for witchcraft. There's a statue of Alice today in the Pendle village of Roughlee. The girl Jennet Device was feared and infamous as the one who testified against many people including members of her family. She became known as the Pendle Witch Child.   

Ten of those twelve who stood trial were executed at Lancaster Castle. Today the area of Pendle is a magnet for tourists who are eager to experience the spooky atmosphere and Halloween celebrations with witch themes. To this day, the Pendle Witches have not been pardoned. 

For a lot more info on this visit Pendle Witches page Wikipedia   

Info on the documentary The Pendle Witch Child at IMDB. 

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Beware of Trick or Treat

This time of year expect costumes and sweets as the season of Trick or Treat is approaching. But it can be dangerous for both parties, the trick-or-treaters and the householders. And this post explains why.

There are many strange stories about trick or treating when kids have dressed as ghosts, witches, vampires, werewolves and other monsters. Police have warned parents to always check their kids' Trick or Treat bags because children were given nasty things. There were chocolates full of razor blades passed to kids who went out trick or treating over Halloween in the village of Finstock, England. In 1964, a woman in New York handed out sweets to kids who were trick or treating but the goodies really contained steel wool and ant poison. Some of the stories about poisoned candy is scary enough to put you off trick or treating. 

However, it's creepy on the other side too when scary trick-or-treaters come to your house. Except, sometimes they're not always as they seem. Gangs of teenagers have used the Halloween custom of trick or treat to terrorise neighbourhoods. Some residents including the most vulnerable are frightened of Halloween because of criminals knocking on their door at night. 

Then there are actual ghosts who stop by. There are many accounts posted by people who found strange looking children knocking on their door well past midnight. They've noticed that the children have hollow looking black eyes, and insist on entering the house. This is part of the Black Eyed Children mystery. Often people are overcome by a feeling of dread and they refuse to answer their door to these mysterious kids. No one knows who or what the Black Eyed Kids really are or where they come from but its believed there's something paranormal about them.  

Read 16 terrifying encounters with the "Black Eyed Kids" at Thought Catalogue. 

Poisoned candy myths on Wikipedia.  

Just be vigilant.

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Feldgeister: field spirits and corn demons

There are many sinister paranormal creatures in Germany called Feldgeister, which means "field spirits" or demons. They're part of folklore and it was believed that these field entities are connected to the land through agriculture. People leave some of the grains and fruits as offerings to them. It's viewed that the spirits live in the stalks of farm fields and they could be killed when the crops are cut so plenty of them escape from harvesters. Coming from this belief is the making of corn dolls to bring the spirits back to villages as this craft is also a staple part of Autumn customs. 

While there are so many Feldgeister spirits, it's a creepy subject for the season. The Kornkind are small children that are actually spirits of grain. There's royalty among these spirits such as the king and queen of oats, who dominate the field. There are many animal spirits of the field in the shape of birds, rabbits, deer, mice, foxes, horses and frogs. Most well known is a Weizenvogel that means wheat bird. A much darker bird spirit of the field is a "grain rooster" who lurks in the field and to peck out the eyes of children. Other nasty Feldgesiter animals includes the Roggenwolf (rye wolves), Kornhund (corn dog), Kornkater (corn cat), Roggensau (rye pig) and Pea Bear.  

Creepier still are the animal-human hybrid spirits such as "cat man" and evil "goat man". Most deadliest of the Feldgeister are the Roggenmuhme and Hafermann. The Roggenmuhme ("rye aunt") is a hag entity made of fire and tar, who carries a wooden stick weapon that causes lightning and she shapeshifts into animals. Known to kidnap children who pick cornflowers, and she is said to have demon dogs with her. She eats humans, and punishes farmers for a bad harvest since she lives on the grain. The Hafermann is scary "oat man" who wears black clothes and a hat. He carries a large stick and steals children in the field. 

Those are just some of the Feldgeister terrors. To learn more about these spirits and demons, visit the Feldgeister info Wikipedia page here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feldgeister  

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Wildlife picture of the month

Each month I shall post pictures of wild animals doing funny and cute things. It would be themed to each month. For a year I posted a similar subject about wolves and now its time for any wildlife creature. 

Here is an autumn image of a little hedgehog playing in the autumn leaves. It's made for itself quite a pretty outfit! I'm so sure that its mother would be so proud.

"It's my Halloween costume," said the small hedgehog gleefully. Just beware of trick or treating at night though, little one. You don't want to get yourself in trouble making a mess.

The photo is from Pinterest. 

Cornflower Wraith

This is a monster in Slavic folklore. There are many varieties of this female spirit found who appears in the field. There is a similar entity called Lady Midday who appears during the day when the weather is fine. Sometimes from a small whirling wind she manifests in a field of ripe crops for harvest. Her appearance varies, as she can look like a beautiful woman, an old crone or a small girl child. Travelling via a dust devil, Lady Midday carries a sharp weapon, usually holding a scythe or sickle but sometimes shears. She's associated with heat strokes, the midday star, illness and ruining crops. She uses a frying pan to damage growing rye. She's believed to attack people whoever crosses her path. 

Then the Cornflower Wraith is probably related to Lady Midday or even the same spirit? Often the Cornflower Wraith looks like a beautiful woman wearing an azure dress and a crown of cornflowers in her hair. Her other name is Chaburnica, which is a Polish name and also Habernitsa, a Russian name for her. Nicknames in English is Cornflower Wraith mostly, and also Cornflower Witch and Lady Cornflower. She could punish people by inflicting headaches, back pains and broken bones even. Workers in the field suffered by the Cornflower Wraith so to avoid her, they would take a midday rest.   

It's believed that she's Lady Midday, the sister of Zorya, a Slavic dawn goddess. In many Slavic legends, she's a figure of corn, plants and rye. The Lady Midday is found in the folklore of some parts of Germany, as a female field demon like Roggenmuhme or "rye aunt", a hideous looking entity that takes children who visit a field to pick flowers and replaces them with changelings. Sometimes she's in the form of a wolf, and the mother of the rye wolves. She devours the grain, and believed to be blamed for failed harvests.  

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Beast of Brass-knocker Hill

Originally witnessed in the late 1970's, there was a mysterious creature responsible for stripping trees of their barks, frightening away wildlife and scaring residents. No one ever caught it. What was more interesting is the description, as it varies from person to person. 

Jim Mead was driving to work along a road near Brass-knocker Hill when he saw a weird looking creature. He described it as two feet long, similar to a polecat but with a straight tail, crossing the middle of the road, stopped and continued ahead. He was certain it was a large feline. The Mysterious Big Cat is a frequent visitor across the British Isles, but this particular beast has the ability to shapeshift or is so unrecognisable to people that their views conflict on what is is.

In July 1979, Jon and Betty Harper were worried about the damaged trees caused by an animal with teeth 20 times larger than a squirrel. Another witness was driving along a quiet road of Monkton Combe at night when he spotted an animal looking like a bear, with white rings around its eyes. Reports of a local paper mentioned that an animal damaging woodlands has big vampire-like teeth. Many more people came forward to describe the beast as looking like a baboon and chimpanzee.

There hasn't been anymore reports but its been assumed that whatever it was has gone away. It's never been certain what the beast actually looked like! I wonder if there was more than one unknown creature? Perhaps some exotic animals escaped there but it remains a mystery to this day.  

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(The picture above is not a photo of the Beast of Brass-knocker Hill).

Marjorie McCall

A strange tale of a zombie woman in Lurgan, Ireland, is the subject that many still wonder about today. In the early 1700's, a young woman named Marjorie McCall died of a fever and was buried in the Shankill Church of Ireland Cemetery. Her funeral was swift and it was agreed that she should be quickly buried so that the fever doesn't spread. Marjorie's grieving widower, Doctor John McCall, felt concerned that grave robbers would steal his deceased wife's expensive gold wedding ring. He tried to pull it off her cold dead finger but it just wouldn't budge. So she was buried anyway still wearing a valuable ring, and people talked about it.

Eventually the news of a corpse wearing a gold ring reached the wrong ears. One night the cemetery was visited by grave robbers who heard about dead Marjorie's expensive ring. They were quick to dig into her grave and thought about the riches they would get from the ring itself. Once they opened the coffin, they failed to pull off the expensive wedding ring from her corpse so they all agreed to cut off her finger instead. Once they began to cut her finger and draw blood, the deceased woman sat up and screamed. The terrified robbers ran away and we know nothing else about them! It's understood they were too scared to go back. Marjorie crawled from the dirt and staggered through the cemetery while bleeding.

She wandered back home and knocked on the front door. When her husband answered it, he saw his wife standing there, who was back from the dead. The doctor instantly died of shock. Soon he had a funeral and was buried in the same plot where Marjorie had been buried in before! She then moved on with her life, eventually remarried and had children. Many years passed when she died the second time and she was buried at the same cemetery as she was buried in previously. Her gravestone is still there to this day and it reads: "Lived Once, Buried Twice." People living in Lurgan have claimed to have witnessed seeing Marjorie's ghost wandering around in the cemetery as if she was risen from the dead a second time.  

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Wildlife picture of the month

Each month for a year I shall post interesting pictures of animals. For a year I posted amusing photos of wolves and this time it's any animal picture that looks amazing, adorable and funny. 

Here is a picture of a two baby rabbits sitting inside a huge cabbage in a garden. It looks so fairy tale and cute like something out of a Disney animation. Those rabbits look very cosy inside there, probably doing their school homework or just chilling. 

"No, we're just staying close to our meal!" the rabbits said.

Imagine being the photographer when finding this. That would've been awesome.

The photo comes from Pinterest.  

Spring-Heeled Jack

Out of Victorian London is a strange legend of Spring-Heeled Jack. Long before evil Jack the Ripper murders, was Spring-Heeled Jack, who was described as a tall fire-breathing man who could jump extremely high. He mainly attacked women but it's not certain if he killed anyone. The public were frightened of this bogeyman appearing and then disappearing without warning. He leapt so high and breathed flames that many thought he was a demon. 

First appearing in 1837, a neighbourhood in London were getting scary visits from a demon shaped like a large white bull. An historian Mike Dash uncovered this around the time of Spring-Heeled Jack, that looked like a monster to the residents who called it "ghost" and "imp". Others  described him as wearing a suit of armour, red shoes, metal claws and helmet, while some said he looked like a bear. 

This entity used to ring doorbells and then attack those who answered, such as the case of a young woman named Jane Alsop, who opened the door to Spring-Heeled Jack. He spewed flames then tore at her clothes and body, then fled when her family came to her rescue. He liked to give surprise attacks to people out walking in the streets. Two teenaged sisters were walking outside when a shadowy figure jumped in front of them. He blew blue flames at one of the sisters and blinded her.

Many more violent incidents of Spring-Heeled Jack happened across London. This made headlines in the national newspapers, and the stories of Spring-Heeled Jack spread across the country. Many anticipated Spring-heeled Jack turning up anywhere. Soon this unknown fire-breathing assailant didn't show anymore and eventually he became the stuff of legends.  

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Dark things of the moon

Of all the stories about the moon, the less known tend to be the scariest. Besides werewolves shape shifting at the full moon, there are many more dark superstitions about this phase. In Ireland, it was considered very unlucky to have the full moon shining on your face as you're sleeping. Among other moon omens from Ireland, includes one about seeing the full moon reflected into a mirror that will reveal a frightening vision. There's a horror story set in Ireland, about a sleeping girl who died as the moonlight was reflecting in the mirror and shining upon her face.   

Some traditions believe that there is a face on the moon that once belonged to a man who was exiled there. The Romans believed that this man was banished to the moon for stealing sheep. Christians believe that he's probably Cain. The Chinese believe that he's a man named Wu Gang who keeps chopping down a magical tree on the moon but it always grows back. 

The ancients regarded the moon as a powerful deity. According to Siberian myth, the reason that the moon is pockmarked is because of a huge dragon named Alklha, who's constantly feeding upon the moon. In Chinese myth, a giant dog in the sky will eat the moon one day. In Norse mythology the moon god Mani is forever hunted across the sky by a monstrous wolf that wants to eat him.  

There are dark truths behind the legends too. The full moon has a negative effect on people, and crimes go up during a full moon. One of the creepiest facts of all is that the moon is disappearing! It slowly moves away from the earth about 3.78 centimetres each year. So in the future, the earth itself would be plunged into very dark moonless nights! The moon has very severe temperatures and moonquakes that last longer than earthquakes. Astronauts have noticed their shadows on the surface of the moon looks much darker than back home on earth. One of the most biggest creepy facts about the moon is that it has a graveyard up there! 

Sources:

"Moon Face" story on Scary For Kids 

Man in the Moon Wikipedia

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Quinotaur

 

The Quinotaur is a strange mythical beast of the sea, which is described as a hybrid half bull and half fish. Its bull half has two front legs with hooves and the head of a bull with five horns. Three of the horns on its head forms a large trident shape. These horns could impale their enemies with such ferocity. It's lower body is strong and fishlike with scales and fins. Able to survive underwater for long periods, it can swam at great speed.

Believed to belong to the sea god Neptune, the Quinotaur is mentioned as the monstrous ancestor of the Merovingian kings. This happened when the Quinotaur raped a woman while she was swimming in the sea. She got pregnant and then had a son named Meroveus who became a Frankish chieftain. This is mentioned in the 7th century Chronicle of Fredegar.  

Link:

Chronicle of Fredegar Wikipedia page HERE.

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Loveland Frogman

In Clermont County, Ohio, there is a legendary creature living there called the Loveland Frogman. This is a strange cryptid, as it's been described as a bipedal frog standing about 1.2 metres tall, with webbed hands and feet. It's got leathery skin and a head that is froglike. Some believe that it's capable of thriving in the forests even during winter months. Witnessed by many people and seen throughout the region for several decades. 

In 1955 a businessman saw three such creatures who frightened him. Then in 1972, a police officer had to stop his car when a similar creature jumped out into the road and glared at him, then scurried off over a fence. Another police officer saw a froglike creature matching the description of what the first policeman saw. Many years later the officer was retired and explained what he saw again, rationalising that it might've been just an ordinary "lizard". Years later in 2016 two teenagers claimed they witnessed a Frogman walking on its two legs. Whatever it is, the Loveland Frogman is a mystery.  

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Galley-Trot

Similar to the phantom black dogs, are the phantom white dogs. These are also considered omens of death. When they appear, they seem terrifying and unnatural. One of the legendary white dogs is called Galley Trot. These are creatures associated with fairy mounds and they live underground. They've been reported lurking in cemeteries, ruins, abandoned buildings, burials and woodlands. Galley Trots are known to be beautiful and shining white, but as large as a bullock. Some have mentioned that its got red ears and red eyes. These galley trots guard treasure, which is how they got the name. They can make an appearance when someone is about to die. When people have witnessed galley-trots, the phantom white dogs have vanished into thin air. Since the galley-trots are known as fairy hounds, protection can be used against them, such as iron and salt.       

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Picture of the month

 

This must be the most puppy dog expression I've ever seen a wolf do! Look at those big eyes. 

"I'm sorry," said Wolf.  "I didn't mean it!" 

Well what did you do Wolf? 

"Nothing."

Then why are you looking guilty?

"There was a dish of steaks on your picnic table but now it's gone."

WHAT? Lmao. Such a cute looking picture deserves a mention.

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Evil little girls

 The most famous evil girl is the ghoul Samara Morgan. She wears a long white dress and her long dark hair covers over her face. Associated with a sinister cursed video tape, she's responsible for multiple and strange deaths among those who watched the tape. From "The Ring" films, her Japanese counterpart is Sadako Yamamura. Both versions feature her looking the same, as she's the same character, emerging from a well and then materialising through the screen. She's considered one of the most scariest characters in horror.

There is Rhoda Penmark, a blonde haired girl with a cruel urge to kill people. She's from "The Bad Seed"  film, which is based on the horror novel "Bad Seed" by William March. Rhoda simply enjoys being a monster, and this is probably because of poison in the blood, and her grandmother was a serial killer.

The most frightening girl is Regan MacNeil of "The Exorcist." This particular girl is ordinary at first until she becomes possessed by an evil entity. Then she displays a list of horrible demonic traits, including spewing a fountain of vomit,  making otherworldly voices and having superhuman strength with much violence. None of these would be done by a regular child alone (or even by an adult tbh). 

Carrie White is famous villain girl in "Carrie" movie based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King. While tormented, bullied and abused both at home and at school, Carrie has strange powers that she can cause fire. She gets her revenge on everybody on prom night at school when she kills everyone in a large fire that she magically summoned.

Kohina Hiruko is an evil little girl from "Black Bullet" anime series and novel of the same name by Shiden Kanzaki. She's only 10 years old, with creepy red glowing eyes, she's an initiator and skilled in sword fighting, but has an uncanny desire to kill people, and lacks empathy and doesn't have any remorse. It's known that she has genes of a praying mantis, giving her traits of that creature. She's got incredible superhuman abilities, which makes her highly dangerous.

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Bauk

 

A Bauk is the name of a dangerous nocturnal creature from Serbian legend. It's a man-eater and tends to hide among bushes and gives people surprise attacks. Described as large with black fur, often bipedal and with very sharp teeth. It's got a very clumsy gait while walking on hind legs.

Many claim the Bauk is probably just a regular bear. While that might be the case, the Bauk has a number of differences from bears. It makes eerie noises that doesn't sound at all like a bear. Another strange feature is its tendency to scrape its claws along wood. It also behaves like a vampire. The Bauk hates any form of light, while sunlight would destroy the creature. 

The Bauk hides specifically in shadows and darkness, as it prefers woods, graves and even ruined buildings. It waits for people and then makes a sudden grab for them but if they shone a light at it, they could make their escape. Whatever this thing is, whether a night dwelling monster or a bear, it's certainly scary and would put anyone off travelling through the country after dark. 

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Ahuitzotl

There is a creature named Ahuitzotl ("water dog") of Aztec and Mayan myths. A similar creature is also mentioned in stories among the Hopi and Shasta tribes of North America. It might even be the same entity.

Described as aquatic, looking like a dog with marbled fur, small ears and with a hand on the end of its tail. It appears in shallow waters and gives the impression of being like a child at first when it appears. Then it makes a noise that sounds like a woman screaming or a child yelling. This would make people go looking for it without knowing they were being tricked. The gruesome Ahuitzotl liked to strangle its victims then eat them. Despite the dangerous nature of the Ahuitzotl, it was always considered guardian of lakes and friend of the rain gods.  

This suggests that the creature is possibly a cryptid and not just a mythical creature of legends. A conquistador named Hernán Cortés informed the king of Castile that a soldier was killed by the Ahuitzotl creature. It's believed that only priests should touch victims of a Ahuitzotl and bury them near water. If anyone else were to touch the dead, they would either become the next victim of the Ahuitzotl or end up being inflicted with gout. The spirits of those killed by Ahuitzotl would go to the afterlife realms of the rain god Tlaloc and goddess Chalchiuhtlicue.

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Melusine

Of European folklore, the Melusine is a legendary creature that looks like a woman with the lower body of a serpent or fish. She's also considered a type of mermaid with double tails. Some regard her as a form of water dragon. She's often associated with death and omens, and many noble houses such as Anjou, Lusignan and even the Plantagenet believe that when a Melusine figure appears, its an omen of death. The Melusine is also considered a water fairy, and has links with the fairy tale characters in stories "The Little Mermaid" and "The Swan Maiden". 

It's early origin appears in a 14th century fantasy story "Roman de Melusine" by Jean d'Arras (1393). It concerns a girl named Melusine with a human father and a fairy mother. She was cursed by her mother Prisine into turning into half a reptile on every Saturday. Her only way to break this curse was for a man to love her and accept who she was during Saturdays. Count Raymondin fell in love with her but she couldn't reveal her secret to him. They both got married and had children. The problem is that Raymondin was becoming more suspicious of his wife because he never knew what she did on Saturdays. He spied on her and saw that her lower body was reptile, and he couldn't love her anymore. The bitter husband went further and became malicious to humilate his wife in public by calling her a monster. Now because of this, Melusine was doomed to become a whole reptile for the rest of her life. She became a dragon. 

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Picture of the month

 

It's a very hot day and this wolf has decided to go for a swim in the cool water. Looking right at the camera as it walks over the rocks underwater, not quite pretending to be a champ in doggy paddle. Or maybe there's more going on. Perhaps the wolf is just stalking the camera! It seems that way.

"You think you can get away from me?" Wolf says. "Nothing to be afraid of so get right here now!"

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Harikikigaki

 The "Harikikigaki" (the Book of Needles) is a strange medical book from 16th century Japan. The author is unknown, and it lists a variety of conditions and diseases, as well as a number of tiny spirits! It was believed that each of these entities were like parasites that needed treating. In other words, the small beings were actual germs called belly bugs or hara no mushi. Some of the best ways to treat the "belly bugs" was by giving someone herbal medicines and acupuncture. The book is complete with illustrations and it was quite popular in its day, considered a good source of information but now it's considered a piece of history and is homed in Kyushu's museum.  

The disease critters are now a part of myths and legend. Some of the most weirdest of them includes the Akachu that resembles a tiny lobster, Chisaku looks like a fish, the Heimushi looks like a butterfly, Amabie looks like a tiny bird with long hair, Kakuran no Mushi looks like a mini serpent with a penguin like face, Kanmushi looks like a microscopic white ghost, Kanshaku looks like a beetle, Kagemushi looks like a small snake, Umakan looks like a dragon, Haishaku looks like a cloud with a face, Koseu resembles a wormlike mushroom, Kameshaku looks like a turtle, Koshi no Moshi is like a dragonfly, Kiukan is like a tiny goat, Kishaku is like a dog with a squid's face, Jinshaku looks like a polar bear, Hishaku looks like a cloud with a dog's face and Hinosha is like a smiling flower. 

Read about this on Uncanny Japan here.

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The portraits

 

First of all this post will be about a chilling urban legend called "The Portraits". You decide if this could be based on a true story or not. 

A hunter was lost in the middle of a dense forest, and he spent hours looking for a way out. It was almost dark when he came across a cabin, and he hoped that the owners would let him stay for the night. He knocked on the door and there wasn't an answer. He discovered the door was unlocked, and he went inside, hoping to apologise to the owner when they return. Inside the cabin was barely much except a little furniture including a bed. He noticed small flames in the fireplace that was giving light and warmth. Exhausted he immediately went over to the bed.

He was looking around the room and noticed a lot of framed portrait paintings on the wall. They were extremely well detailed. The tired hunter felt uncomfortable as these portraits were frightening. Their faces looked horrible and it appeared as if they were staring at him with malice. Trying to forget about it, he turned over to avoid seeing them. He fell asleep but he was restless. By morning the hunter woke up, and he looked around. He was shocked to find out that there were no portraits on the wall in the cabin. Instead there were just windows! 

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Strange disappearance of Robert Kirk

 A man named Robert Kirk vanished mysteriously. It was widely believed that he was kidnapped by fairies and he disappeared on Fairy Hill in Aberfoyle, Scotland. Let us find out more about him. He was born on 9th December 1644, the seventh son of minister James Kirk. Growing up in Aberfoyle, he studied for a master's degree at Edinburgh University. He became a minister and a scholar, author and folklorist. He was married with two children. 

Then on 14th May in 1692, Robert Kirk "died" or just simply disappeared. He was 47 years old. It was believed that he was kidnapped by the fairies because he offended them and revealed too many secrets of the fairy realm. His body was discovered on Fairy Hill, a place where he often visited but some say there might not have been a body there in the first place. Although he has a marked grave in Aberfoyle churchyard, no one knows if there's a body inside the coffin at all. Some people have seen the ghost of Robert Kirk pleading for help as though he was trapped in another realm. He's shown up during a Christening and also strangely left. There are some weird folklore beliefs about him. He's knowned as the "Fairy Minster" and his mysterious life and death is puzzling to this day.

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The Hull werewolf

The Old Stinker is a name for a certain legendary werewolf in Yorkshire. It's also called The Hull Werewolf. First encountered in the 18th century, this creature has been seen frequently up until modern times. It was called Old Stinker because of it's terrible nasty smell. Its breath was especially rotten. It was described as a bipedal canine and it stood 8 feet tall. It's got red eyes, vicious claws and razor sharp teeth. It's been able to run on all fours, giving the appearance of a huge dog with mange until it gets up on hind legs and scares anyone nearby. 

There are many reports of Old Stinker the werewolf being witnessed but no one knows what it is. The last wild wolves of the British countryside went extinct in the 1500's although there have been countless sightings of wolves many times since then. While not seen in "packs" these individual creatures tend to appear alone and often in places that natural wolves shy away from, such as towns and cities, as true wolves keep away from humans. 

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Picture of the month

Flowers are everywhere and it's one of the best things about the season. Even the wolf can't resist sniffing flowers. I wanted to share this flower appreciation wolf enjoying nature. It looks like the wolf has found some nice perfume. 

"It isn't just humans that can find their inner hippie!" said Wolf. 

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Werewolves of Cannock Chase

 

One of the most creepiest places in England is Cannock Chase. This beautiful location is found in Staffordshire, although it's got a reputation as being haunted, as well as filled with werewolves. The first reported sighting was in 1975, a paranormal group came upon an aggressive snarling beast that stood on its hind legs then bounded away, followed by many other sightings since then. 

Many saw a wolf looking creature walking on its hind legs around the German War Cemetery. The beast was described as being 7 foot tall. A number of people have seen it more than once. Among the witnesses was a scout master and a postman. A number of dogs have disappeared in the area, once going for a run through the cemetery after their owners removed their leads.

It isn't only werewolves in Cannock Chase but many ghosts, Black Eyed Kids and other weird creatures that haunt the place. There are even UFO sightings reported there, making Cannock Chase a crazy hotspot of the paranormal.

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The Flatwoods Monster

 

Flatwoods was a sleepy rural town in West Virginia until 12th September 1952, when legends of a strange entity began. Three teenaged boys were out one autumn evening, when they saw an unusual light above a farm. They all ran home and told people. Many others including children and a dog, went out to look for the mysterious light above the farm. They soon got a better look at it! 

The light appeared to look like a monstrous figure that was 10ft tall with glowing eyes. It had claws at the end of its arms, and seemed to be wearing armour and a skirt. It wore a hood "shaped like the ace of spades". The creature made a hissing sound and then charged towards them. People ran in terror, and even the dog was so scared. 

The newspapers quickly picked up on the story. The town became centre of attention and UFO enthusiasts have been visiting Flatwoods ever since. Sceptics have theorised that the local people of Flatwoods only panicked when they saw a meteor and an owl. In fact there really was a meteorite observed across the skies in West Virginia on that same night. Whatever really happened it made Flatwoods famous. 

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Carmen Winstead

This is a creepy pasta about a 17 year old girl named Carmen Winstead. She moved to Indiana when her father changed jobs. It wasn't easy for Carmen to make friends at the new school but soon she was targeted by a group of five other girls who enjoyed bullying her. One fateful day during a fire drill, all the students went outside, and the bullies saw Carmen by an open manhole. They thought it would be funny to push her into the filthy sewer but she died. 

Police later questioned the five girls who all denied having anything to do with Carmen's tragic fall so her death was considered an accident. Mysterious messages appeared on the internet, accusing the five girls of murdering Carmen. Later each of them died in the same sewer. It's now believed Carmen's ghost will go after anyone who doesn't repost her story on social media!

This is loosely based on fiction although there is a book "A Girl Named Carmen Winstead" by Trace Murillo. 

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Picture of the month

A winged wolf standing high on a tree top, observing what's far below. 

"I see a quick moving rabbit, but I shall save it for later. For now I will just go and chase birds, bees and butterflies!" says the flying wolf. 

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The Isle of Sheppey undead

 

The Isle of Sheppey is in Kent, England. There is a flourishing port town called Queensborough there and nearby is a wild nature reserve. Although picturesque, it's got an eerie reputation for being haunted. Every building has resident spirits and poltergeists but that isn't all there is! 

Nearby there is Deadman's Island, an exposed graveyard with human corpses littered everywhere. The place was damaged by erosion and water, so the dead have not been reburied. The place smells rotten. The creepy island is off limits but who would dare go there anyway? There are tales of hellhounds with glowing red eyes lurking amongst the dead and gnawing on bones!

Links: A list of Sheppey Island's haunted places at Kent Live News.

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Snakelike canine creatures

In some parts of the world there are very curious snakelike canine creatures of legend. These cryptids are less well known but after doing some research I came across more than one very interesting mythical animal that seem part of the demonic kind.

Out of the snakelike canines there is the most famous one called Nguruvilu, which means "fox snake". It's other names are Guirivila, Nuruvilu, Nirivilu and Nirivilo. This creature is from the Mapuche region of Chile. It's got a fox head and a snake body with limbs and claws. It's aquatic and responsible for destructive water currents, whirlpools and floods. It's so dangerous that people have used boats to cross rivers and streams, because they wouldn't attempt walking over a ford in case the Nguruvilu tries to pull them into the water and drown them. Shamans have been able to send the Nguruvilu away. 

Another snakelike canine is the Snake Dog cryptid that was witnessed by a motorist named Sheila Charles on May 24th 1996. She was driving her car doing the school run in Magalia, California, when something ran across the road. It was a strange animal up to 5ft long, with dark shaggy fur, a long serpentine neck, red eyes similar to a reptile's eyes, no tail, but long front limbs and short back limbs. The animal startled the driver. Another driver who was there at the time admitted they had also seen the same creature. 

Links: 

http://karlshuker.blogspot.com/2013/03/only-in-california-snake-headed-dog.html     

https://cryptidz.fandom.com/wiki/Nguruvilu  

Posted by She Wolf Night team