Have you ever heard of a Hidebehind? I hadn’t, but I have to tell you I love the name. There is no cryptic meaning or spooky innuendo here; instead, it’s just a simple name that explains exactly what it does. It hides behind things, mostly trees and bushes. And it excels at it. In fact, it has a remarkable gift for evading human sight, until it’s too late. The lore of the Hidebehind was born out of the landscapes of the American frontier and the booming lumbering regions of

I had a familiarity with the legend of the selkie—those alluring, coastal creatures of Scottish folklore—but soon discovered that the true lore of the selkie is far more intricate, tragic, and thought-provoking than I expected. Learning that selkies take the form of seals in the water was quite a revelation. I’ve always found seals to be quite adorable and never imagined them being associated with alluring, seductive beings in Scottish folklore. I was also struck by the stark

Today’s blog focuses on Druon Antigoon, a legendary and quite villainous giant from Flemish folklore. I was drawn to this gigantic being for a couple of reasons. First, throughout history, there are tons of references to giants, making their impact on the realm of creatures and monsters undeniable. Plus, having recently watched Attack on Titan, I was further inspired to learn more about their species. The first reference to Druon Antigoon appears in the 1320 work Genealogie

Welcome back to another installment of Things That Never Were, the series where we pull back the curtain on the world’s most fascinating myths, legends, and monsters. This blog’s focus is on the Adze, the blood-sucking vampires of the Ewe people of Ghana and Togo. Yes, I know, I keep coming back to vampires. But honestly, it is so crazy how many variations of this monster there are around the world. As we all know, most vampires in folklore are tall, brooding figures with pal

After learning more about the Amikuk of Yup’ik folklore from the Bering Strait region of Alaska, I’ve decided that these guys might be one of the most terrifying creatures I have ever read about. Beyond the creep factor of their physical forms, their supernatural abilities make it virtually impossible to escape them once you have been targeted as prey, no matter if you are on land or in the water. Personally, I like it better when the lore includes ways for victims to fight b

Have you ever heard of the enormous sea serpent called Bakunawa? I hadn’t, but once I read that it was so huge it could devour the moon, I had to know more. The Bakunawa, also known as the “moon-eating dragon,” is a water-dwelling entity in Philippine Mythology. You might be confused that I have referred to it as both a sea serpent and a dragon. The reason is that it has been described as both. Its physical description includes whiskers, gills, and two sets of wings, and it i

Duendes are small, mischievous tricksters that originate from the Iberian Peninsula and appear throughout Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin American folklore. What makes Duendes so intriguing? For one, they are tiny—only twelve to twenty-four inches tall—and are said to dwell within the walls of homes. The thought of little beings hiding under floorboards or behind walls is wild! Duendes are typically described as old men with green or dark skin, wearing coarse wool clothing and

When I began searching for a new creature to feature on my blog, I wasn’t planning to explore another type of vampire. In fact, I was hoping to find something more obscure. But as I delved into the Strzyga from Polish folklore, I couldn’t help but become fascinated. Unlike most vampires, who are "created" by a vampire’s bite, a Strzyga is born with a dormant vampire, waiting to emerge. How does this work? According to legend, a Strzyga is a person born with two hearts, two se

I’m always on the hunt for strange creatures, but when I stumbled upon La Ciguapa of the Dominican Republic, I knew I had to dig in deeper. Two features immediately got my attention: this creature is famously known to have dark blue skin, and, most bizarrely, her feet are backward! That detail was a complete first for me—I’m still having trouble visualizing it. So, why the backward-facing feet? It's a clever defense mechanism. The reversed feet confuse anyone who tries to tra

Alright, let's talk unicorns. As a self-proclaimed goth girl growing up in the '80s, I saw these glittery, rainbow-adorned creatures as the very opposite of cool. Yet, somehow, unicorns have evolved from ancient folklore right into our modern cultural imagination—outshining countless lesser-known mythical beasts still waiting for their big moment. What gives unicorns their staying power? Time and again, they've proved they're more than just a passing fad, constantly reinventi

So, with Halloween lurking around the corner, I stumbled upon something truly wild: hopping vampires. Yeah, you read that right – hopping. When I think of vampires, my brain usually goes to images of suave, sophisticated bloodsuckers (minus the creepy Nosferatu type). Turns out, the Jiangshi from China aren't anything like the Western version of vampires, and honestly, their version makes a lot more sense. The hopping is all thanks to rigor mortis because, well, they're dead!

Let’s dive into some American Folklore, shall we! I can’t think of a more worthy candidate than the legendary Mothman of West Virginia. The initial sighting occurred on November 15, 1966, when a young couple was driving through an abandoned World War II munitions plant known as the TNT Area. They described a creature unlike anything they had ever seen: a massive, human-like figure, standing between 6 and 8 feet tall. Its most striking features were its huge, bat-like wings an

As a superfan of the TV series Supernatural, I loved the episodes that featured the hellhounds—some of the best-crafted tales in the series, if you ask me. This fascination has led me to ponder the ultimate hellhound: Cerberus. A legendary figure in Greek mythology, Cerberus stands as the formidable guardian of the underworld, ensuring that the dead remain in their realm and the living stay out, devouring anyone who dares to cross that threshold. Cerebus guarding the gates

I have recently become fascinated by the Taniwha, water spirits deeply rooted in Polynesian mythology, particularly within Māori tradition in Aotearoa (New Zealand). Not only do they possess immense supernatural powers, but they are also known as shapeshifters, which happens to be my favorite type of creature (hello, Loki!). The Taniwha are often depicted as massive serpentine or dragon-like beings, but they can also appear as giant sharks, sea monsters, or even forms made of

When it comes to the mysteries surrounding time and premonitions, things can get quite mind-bending. Are there genuine ways to predict the future? Is the course of premonition set in stone, or can we change the future? Are we in control of our own destinies, or is there a greater power at work? Is time linear, or can it be manipulated? Many mythologies have attempted to answer these existential questions, and one such explanation comes from Norse mythology: the Norns. Simila

I’ve always been intrigued with Redcaps but I had no idea that they are vicious creatures who are full of bloodlust. I thought they were just crabby goblins, similar to Kreacher, the house-elf who served the Black family in Harry Potter. But man, was I wrong. These guys are far more evil and murderous than any miserable house-elf in the wizarding world. Redcaps are malevolent beings that thrive on anguish and terror. Their character stems from the historical conflict between

I have always been intrigued by the concept of a banshee, likely due to my teenage admiration for the punk rock goddess Siouxsie, the lead singer of Siouxsie and the Banshees. The name evokes nostalgia for me while also igniting my imagination with its supernatural and mystical allure. Rooted in Irish and Celtic folklore, a banshee is believed to predict death by wailing or screaming. The banshee's cries serve as a warning to a family that death may be imminent; simply put, i

I am completely fascinated by the supernatural Inuit creature known as a Tariaksuq. So much so, that I included a character inspired by it in my middle-grade series. I made some alterations, but the folklore truly influenced the character Pana, a boy who can walk between worlds. Much like Pana, Tariaksuqs are known to have the ability to travel to different worlds, realities, or dimensions. The nature of the various locations is up for debate. Some say these realities mirror

I had heard of the Flying Dutchman, but truth be told, I didn’t know what it was exactly. I had a lingering impression that it had something to do with pirates due to various representations in pop culture, but never dived into the lore. Now that I have, I don’t think the image of a floating ship with black masts and blood-red sails will ever leave me. Sightings of the phantom ship date back to the 17th century and have been recorded all over the world. So, I couldn’t help bu

Mimi spirits can be found in the folklore of indigenous Australians of the Northern region. These tall, wispy spirits are so thin that the wind is a very real threat to their well-being. If it becomes too fierce, the spirits can be injured, break in two, or even be blown away. Due to their fragile state, they spend much of their time tucked away in the crevices and ridges of rock formations and usually only venture out on calm nights. Given the shy and reclusive nature of th