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Monster Mythology

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Ipswich, England

The Ogre of Eagle Street

This monstrous face has watched over the passersby for centuries.
monsters

The Rougarou, Beast of the Louisiana Bayou, Gets a Makeover

One man hopes to turn the wolfish cryptid into a mascot for saving the state's imperiled wetlands.
Joel Balsam October 19, 2022
cryptozoology

Beware Montana’s Shunka Warak’in, the 'Rocky Mountain Hyena'

Is one of these crafty cryptids on display in a small museum?
J.W. Ocker October 19, 2022
cryptozoology

Beware the Wendigo, the Frostbitten Flesheater of North America’s Chilly Heartland

This terrifying creature has evolved over millennia—but never lost the need to feed.
J.W. Ocker October 12, 2022
mythology

Mapping the Many Monsters of Aboriginal Australian Lore

A "terrifying pantheon" of ogres, sorcerers, and malevolent mermaids reflects a diversity in geography and environment.
Christine Judith Nicholls October 10, 2022
vampires

Five Vampire Stories You Haven’t Heard Yet

From Dracula’s Indian inspiration to just how long it would take these mythical bloodsuckers to annihilate humanity.
April White October 5, 2022
mythology

Beware the Skinwalkers, Werewolf Witches of the American Southwest

These canine-humanoid shapeshifters travel between worlds using magical doors.
J.W. Ocker October 5, 2022
biblical

Monsters Are Everywhere in the Bible—And Some Are Even Human

Scholars are learning what bestial and depraved characters can reveal about ancient authors and cultural attitudes.
Madadh Richey October 3, 2022
monsters

Podcast: The Honey Island Swamp Monster

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
The Podcast Team August 18, 2022
witchcraft

6 Legends That Manifest Fears of Powerful Women

From German witches to vampiric Malaysian spirits to a real-life poisoner.
Sarah Durn March 22, 2022
cryptozoology

Could 'Monsters' Exist in the Modern World?

Cryptozoologist Richard Freeman on why we should still believe in unseen animals.
Sarah Durn February 28, 2022
vampires

One of Dracula's Often Overlooked Inspirations Is the Indian Vetala

It was an English "translation" that turned a wise, if mischievous, figure into a bloodsucker.
Emma Starer Gross October 30, 2020
murder

In the Andes, the Fear of Oppressors Manifests as the Gruesome Pishtaco

They seem to be a monster that made the leap from legend to the real world.
Athena Frost October 30, 2020
mythology

Across the Islamic World, the Ifrit Brings Miseries Both Large and Small

To believe in them and other djinns is to acknowledge there is a world beyond our own.
Harry Spitzer October 29, 2020
mythology

The Malaysian Penanggalan Haunts Pregnant Women and Newborns

These provincial specters are as gruesome as they are hungry.
Josh Levine October 29, 2020
forests

Sasabonsam Enforced the Rules of Renewal in West African Forests

At least until Christian missionaries made them more purely devilish figures.
Nicole Zakheim October 28, 2020
mythology

The Proud, Demanding Vodyanoy Rules Russia's Rivers and Lakes

The legend has endured political disruption, revolution, and generational shifts.
Kaleb Horton October 28, 2020
mythology

The Body Snatchers of Aboriginal Australia's Legends

The fearsome, fanged Ngayurnangalku haunt a dry lake bed in the outback.
Dan O'Sullivan October 28, 2020