Rokurokubi are born as ordinary female humans, but are cursed and transformed by the bad karma of evil deeds done by themselves or by male relatives. One type can lengthen its neck up to insane heights, some sources say 20 feet, while the other type is capable of detaching its head and flying around with it. There are two variants of the rokurokubi, a monster that is practically indistinguishable from a human woman with the exception of what it can do with its head.

Rokurokubi 10 Interesting Creatures from Japanese Folklore Umibozu literally means “sea monk”, and they are thought to be the vengeful spirits of drowned priests. That way, the umibozu will keep attempting to fill it, and the ship can escape. The only way to stop it is to give it a barrel that doesn’t have a bottom. If the crew can comply, the umibozu fills the barrel up with an insane amount of water, then dumps it out onto the boat until the crew drowns. From time to time, an umibozu will ask a ship’s crew for a barrel. They appear abruptly on calm nights, attacking ships by pushing waves or outright smashing them. They are a human-like sea creature with dark skin, but they are so large that nobody has ever seen one from above its shoulders. It can only be seen at night in large cities, hopping like a rabbit and searching for human souls to steal.Īn encounter with an umibozu rarely leaves any survivors. While it doesn’t look that different from a normal pig, it ‘s unable to cast a shadow, and has glowing red eyes and only one ear. The katakirauwa is the ghost of a baby piglet. Katakirauwa 10 Interesting Creatures from Japanese Folklore This demon might seem helpful, but it really isn’t, as it spreads disease wherever it goes. Its absolute favorite places are dirty bathrooms. It has slimy hair, greasy skin, and walks on all fours. The akaname is a red-colored, child-sized demon that licks up filth and waste with its unusually long, sticky tongue. Top 0 Hybridized Humanoids Types in Mythology.ġ0 Legendary Greek Mythological Creatures. They like to trick and prank people, but some are resentful and attack their old owners.ġ0 Lesser-Known Folklore Creatures of the World. They usually have one wooden leg, an eye or two, and a long tongue. The kasaobake is an umbrella that’s become a ghost after its 100th birthday. While it doesn’t try to attack humans, people who see it become cursed with bad luck. Whatever it is, it comes out on foggy nights, bringing along unknown fish and birds with it. Some say it’s the spirit of a disgruntled whale that was killed by fishermen, others insist that it’s a sea god. The bakekujira is the ghostly skeleton of a whale that haunts the Japanese coastline. Bakekujira Interesting Creatures from Japanese Folklore ( Courtesy) It sometimes appears carrying a “baby” made out of thousands of spider eggs, which it gives to its victim to stun him so it can wrap him into a web and devour him. (Others say that it is just a magical spider that can transform itself into a beautiful woman.) While looking for men to eat, it keeps its lower-half hidden. The jorogumo is a monster that has the upper body of a woman, but the lower body of a spider. The baby then starts getting very heavy, until it becomes a boulder and crushes whoever is holding it. If a stranger offers to help her and her child, the ubume will suddenly vanish after handing the Good Samaritan her baby. They can be seen on dark, stormy nights, crying and holding what seems to be a baby in their arms. Sometimes they take on the form of beautiful young girls, other times they are ugly old women. The ubume is the ghost of a pregnant woman who died before or during childbirth. Then it drinks all of the victim’s blood until the body is entirely emptied out. Once a victim is found, the gashadokuro grabs the unfortunate man and bites his head off. While their bones usually make a rattling sound while they walk, they become completely quiet when looking for their next meal.

Because of their hunger, they wander the countryside late at night, searching for travelers to eat. Their bodies are formed by the angry spirits of people who have died from starvation. The gashadokuro is a gigantic skeleton said to be fifteen times taller than the average person.

Flying paper monsters mythology