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 back or evade a...

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 is famously linked...

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 oversized hats....