Residents of Argentina's swampy regions tell of foreboding flashes of light that lead the living to danger. Sometimes it's better to stay in the dark. In Sweden, the tangled, undersized pine trees that grow among coastal rocks are called martallar, or "mare-pines." In Germany, these twisted trees are called Alptraum-Kiefer, or "nightmare pines." When a horse is unavailable, mares apparently hop onto trees for a ride. She's also said to borrow kept horses for wild midnight rides, leaving owners to find their animals exhausted and covered in sweat the following morning. She sometimes leaves the victim with tangled hair. The evil spirit is said to ride a person's chest while they sleep, conjuring nightmares. The next time you wake up in a cold sweat, a Nordic she-goblin known as a mare may be to blame.
The Chinese Lunar New Year celebration-replete with revelry, cheering, fireworks, and the color red-originated as a way for the townsfolk to frighten away the Nian Shou. They come out once a year (from high up in the mountains or deep underwater) to devour entire populations, including little children. With Chinese New Year just around the corner, you may be seeing a lot more of these lion-headed beasts. According to feng shui, a six-inch high piece of wood should be placed at the bottom of the door to prevent the undead from entering one's home. Similar to vampires, Jiang Shi often hide in coffins or dark areas void of sunlight. Their faces are pale and lifeless if they have recently died, or can look like rotting, decomposing flesh if it has been decades since their death. One touch from the dreaded Jiang Shi can kill the living, the undead creatures are said to suck out a person's qi. The Smithsonian Institution once offered a reward for the Snallygaster and President Roosevelt is rumored to have delayed an African safari to hunt the beast on American soil.Īt night, Chinese fear a form of dead that comes back to life as a reanimated corpse, hopping with outstretched arms. Seven-pointed stars were painted on barns to ward off the creature, though sightings continued into the 1900s. When it did utter a noise, the snallygaster let out a blood-curdling screech. German settlers in the 1730s first described the Schneller Geist ("quick spirit") as a metal-beaked, half-bird, half-reptile that soared through the air and swooped down without a sound to capture its prey. Sometimes these mysterious beasts merely haunt your dreams other times they drain your body of its soul.įrom bouncing zombies in China to winged monsters soaring over colonial America, here are seven folklore creatures sure to leave you sleeping with one eye open.ĭating back before the Declaration of Independence, snallygasters were rumored to have terrorized the surrounding hills of Washington, D.C. Travel the globe, and you're bound to encounter tales of creepy folklore creatures that go bump in the night.
0 kommentar(er)
