50 Crazy Mythical Creatures from around the world - The Mythology Guy

So here's the mythical creature who's got a lot to say. The Vatala from Hindu culture. The Vatala is said to be the Hindu version of the vampire. It's a malevolent entity that possesses and reanimates corpses and also apparently hangs upside down from trees. An evil Vatala is said to cause miscarriages, drive people insane, even kill children. Well, I guess you could say the miscarriage is already a form of- No, we're not having that debate. But there are some people who actually see Vatala as wise protectors, and even stories of people who try to capture them to make use of their wisdom. Like, there's one story where a sorcerer asks a king to hunt down a Vatala, but the Vatala manages to get away by telling the king a story each time to throw him off. And after this happens 24 times, the Vatala reveals to the king that the sorcerer was actually the bad guy. Not sure why he didn't just do that the first time. Maybe he wanted someone to talk to. So here's a mythical creature who got a little bit too cocky. The Niwatori-no-so from Japanese folklore. How do these things come about? Well, see, a lot of Asian monks are forbidden to eat meat, but they don't always follow that rule. Some of them break their vows by eating chickens, and when they do, the vengeful spirits of the chicken- I'm sorry. The vengeful spirits of the chickens curse them to become human-chicken hybrids. There's one story in particular where a monk stole and ate one of his neighbor's chickens. When confronted about it, he tried to lie, but a very foul noise came out of his throat, and then the chicken's head popped out of his mouth, along with a chicken tail protruding from his backside. Pretty sure no further investigation was needed. So, uh, maybe don't open a Chick-fil-A in Japan. It's gonna get real awkward. So here's a mythical creature who wants to make a name for himself, in a really messed up way, the Popobawa from Zanzibar folklore. It's often described as a one-eyed bat-like creature, especially since the name apparently means bat wing, but it's also said that it can change its form. And what does he do? Well, I'd say you don't want to know, but here we are. He often breaks into people's houses at night and viciously attacks all members of the household, men, women, and children. He is also known for forcing himself on people, be they male or female, he doesn't seem to mind. And after he's done having his way with you, he then tells you he's gonna come back and do it again, unless you go around telling people about what happened. Yeah, apparently it's really important to this guy that everyone knows what he's been doing. Not sure why that's the legacy you want to leave behind, but not sure I want to know either. There doesn't seem to be a known way to prevent this guy in the first place. Usually people just stay awake. Well, let's break out the G-fuel. So here's a mythical creature who gets their food in unorthodox ways. The Enko from Japanese folklore. These guys are similar to Kappas in that they're small, hang out in the water, and have bull-shaped impressions on their heads. But they're monkey-like instead of turtle-like, and have arms that can stretch out like Mr. Fantastic. Plus, they can shapeshift. They'll often turn themselves into dolls or human women or other stuff to mess with people. But they also attack, murder, and force themselves on people. They also hate cattle and attack any that come near their area. But they seem to have an aversion to metal for some reason, so you can chase them off with farm tools. But what they probably love more than anything is to eat the livers of still-living humans. And the way they get them is by reaching right up into your booty hole and tearing it out. What is with Japan and booty holes? Why are you so fascinated with that area? So here's the mythical creature who... you already know if you've read the Trials of Apollo series. The pandai! Or pandi. Or panoti. Or panotioid. Those are all different spellings. From Greek and Roman mythology! In case you somehow can't tell, these creatures had enormous ears. They also had eight fingers on each hand and eight toes on each foot. Their fur was white but turned black as they got older. The pandai were a warrior race, and one of the many tribes of monsters Greek explorers claimed were living in India. Not sure why they kept creating more of those. India has its own monsters. What's a little interesting is while we do have very old artwork depicting these creatures with clothes, the Roman encyclopedia actually states that these creatures never wore clothes. Instead, they would sometimes use their ears as clothing. They also used their ears as blankets. And some say they even used them to fly. They should sue Dumbo. So here's the mythical creature who apparently shows up in one piece. The Ushi Oni from Japanese myth. Also called Yuki. The name means ox demon, and the appearance varies. Sometimes it's a demon head on an ox body. Sometimes it's an ox head on a spider-like body, or a cat-like body, or even a human body like a minotaur. There aren't any benevolent versions of these creatures. They are all very deadly, carnivorous, and feast on human flesh. Some will only eat you if you go near their lair, but there are others that actively hunt for humans out in towns. And on top of that, they actively spit poison, spread diseases, and curses. Whole new type of pest. Sometimes they'll even join up with other yokai like the Nuorona, who lure men towards the water. Then when the men go to the water, both of these yokai eat them. What's gonna work? Teamwork. Japan is highly in need of some exterminators. Or ghostbusters. So here's a mythical creature who doesn't know that smokin's bad. The Capre from Filipino mythology. Capre are hairy, dark-skinned giants with terrible BO who hang out in trees and smoke cigars. For the most part, the Capre isn't dangerous. He's just kind of a dick. He likes to interfere with people's minds to get them lost in the woods. Kind of similar to the Tikbalong or the Encanto. A Capre will become very angry and dangerous if you chop down the tree it's living in, though, for obvious reasons. There are also some stories saying that the Capre holds onto a little rock or egg and if you manage to get it, it will grant wishes for you. Good luck with that. Capre are also known for catcalling. Yeah, they frequently hit on women who pass by their tree. And if they really like a woman, they'll follow her around and continue hitting on her. That's a whole new level of awkward. Large, hairy, stinky men with cigars who annoy people and catcall. No idea what could have inspired this. So here's a mythical creature who exists. The Makurageshi from Japanese mythology. Yep, Japan again. It's the country that keeps on giving. This creature resembles a sort of childlike demonic ghost who appears when you're asleep. Oh, and when I tell you what this creature does, oh my God, you are not ready for this. This is just a whole new brand of evil right here. This creature comes into your room while you are sleeping and defenseless and proceeds to turn your pillow over. No exaggeration. Thanks to this pure malevolence, some people wake up to find that their pillow placement has changed. Sometimes the pillows are even down by their feet. Monsters! But it gets worse. Sometimes these creatures will go so far as to turn the whole person over so they wake up in a different position than they slept in. Okay, Japan, what are you doing? Seriously, people shift in their sleep. Just leave it at that. Not every mundane thing needs a mythical explanation. So here's a mythical creature who's probably just a homeless guy, to be honest. The Belsnickel from German folklore. The Belsnickel is an equivalent of Santa Claus, only instead of a nice red suit, he wears tattered clothes, furs, and sometimes a mask. His pockets are filled with desserts and mixed nuts for the good children. The bad children, however, he beats with a stick, similar to Krampus. Surprising number of Christmas characters who beat children. He also sometimes has the good children And also, if the kids take the desserts too quickly, he'll sometimes beat them with a stick too. Dude's really just looking for any reason. You know, call me crazy, but if I were a kid and a stranger came up to me wearing tattered clothes and a mask and told me to start singing in exchange for treats, I'd probably GTFO. So here's a mythical creature who seems a bit fishy. The Iwanabozu from Japanese mythology. Oh weird, another creature from Japan. See, apparently the Japanese believe that if certain fish lived long enough, they would grow to human size, grow human limbs, start walking around on land, and start dressing up like monks. Sure. What do these creatures do, you ask? Well, they seek out greedy humans who are overfishing or using poisons in their fishing and proceed to lecture them. Yeah, basically these creatures just go around telling people, hey, hey, you don't need to fish that many and don't put poison in the water. Stop that, knock that off. Not very environmentally friendly. Kind of implies these creatures don't mind their own people getting mass slaughtered as long as it's regulated. How professional. Also, in the stories I've read about these things, the people they encounter usually don't notice that they're not human. Because I guess people are idiots. So here's a mythical creature who's got its head in the clouds. The Flying Head from Native American mythology. The Flying Head, also known as... That, is one of the oldest Native American mythical creatures we know of. The head is gigantic, with long, dark hair, terrifying eyes, and razor-sharp fangs. Though there are some legends where it also has wings and bird legs. The origins of these creatures vary depending on the source. Some say they're simply an ancient race of monsters hungry for human flesh, while others say they are the heads of people wrongfully murdered in life, who are now hungry for revenge. These heads are very difficult to kill, as no weapon can pierce them. However, they're not so tough on the inside. There actually is a story of a woman who killed one by feeding it hot coals. And I guess the creature didn't just spit the coals out as soon as it tasted them. Mythical creatures are dumb. So here's a whole bunch of mythical creatures who are having a hell of a time. The 200 million horsemen from Christianity. That's quite a number, huh? You see, the Christian Book of Revelation says that when the end of the world comes, first, the four horsemen of the apocalypse will show up, who you may have heard of. They're pretty popular. But it also says that after those four, an army of 200 million horsemen will emerge. These horsemen are inhuman beings who wear armor made of fire and brimstone, and they ride horses who have snakes for tails and the heads of lions that also breathe fire and brimstone. Yeah, a whole lot of fire and brimstone going on here. The purpose of this army is to show up and wipe out one third of humanity. Pretty specific. What do you think they do after they're done with it? You think they just look at each other and go, all right, boys, looks like we hit our quota. Let's clock out and go back to hell. Maybe watch some Netflix. Maybe some Hell's Kitchen. So here's a mythical creature who's just dropping on by. The drop bear from Australian folklore. Yeah, it's basically a giant evil predatory koala. Australia. This creature hangs out up in the trees until people or other prey walk underneath the tree. Then it does a cannonball out of the tree and lands ass first on its victim, which incapacitates the victim because this thing is so big. Then it drags its victim back up into the tree and eats it. There are some ways to prevent this creature from attacking you. Apparently you can put a fork in your hair because I guess the creature can tell that's there and doesn't want to get pricked. Or you can rub toothpaste behind your ears or in your armpits. No idea how that one helps. Or you can urinate on yourself. Joy. Apparently Australians like to talk about this creature as a way to scare the tourists. Trust me, Australia, we're all already terrified of the real animals in your country. You don't need to make stuff up. So here's a mythical creature who's definitely got some abandonment issues. The Biwa Boku Boku from Japanese mythology. For those who don't know, Biwa is the name of this particular Asian instrument. And the way this creature happens is basically if you own a Biwa and you leave it unused and uncared for for too long, it will eventually become sentient and grow a human body. Science. After it comes to life, the Biwa Boku Boku will then start moping around your house, crying and playing sad music about how nobody wants it anymore. Or it'll start noisily dancing around your house and intentionally playing really annoying music as a way to get back at you. But if a Biwa Boku Boku comes to life out on the streets, then what it'll do is typically just go around playing nice music as a way to hopefully get money from people in order to live off of. Yeah, yokai hobos are a thing. So yeah, if you own a Biwa, please take care of it. The last thing Japan needs is more monsters. So here's a mythical creature who definitely has a leg up. The Skiapod from Greek mythology. Yeah, it's basically a guy with one really big foot. We sure this isn't Japanese? No? Okay. The name Skiapod translates to shadow foot. Now, the reason they're called this is because these creatures will use that gigantic foot of theirs to provide shade from the sun. I guess their foot isn't sensitive and doesn't burn or anything. Apparently, they're also able to jump very high. There are Greek stories of people encountering these creatures in either India or Ethiopia. You know, most mythical tales exist to tell some sort of lesson or just be really entertaining. And then there's stories like this, which just kind of exists because someone was in a really weird mood. Or on drugs. Probably drugs. So here's a mythical creature who may have inspired some hentai. The Tako Nyobo from Japanese folklore. These creatures are basically octopuses who disguise themselves as human women and then get married to unsuspecting men. And then once they've attained the position of wife, they proceed to be wives. They just, you know, cook, clean, take care of their husbands. They don't really do anything evil. They just seem to want to have husbands. But as you can probably guess, this is not an easy secret to keep. So they usually eventually screw up and get found out. You know, this may have been what inspired that game Octodad. One particular story was about a man whose wife always made him the most delicious broth and he really wanted to know how she did it. So he spied on her one day and saw her turn into an octopus and bathe in it. He of course got upset and confronted her, saying, you've been giving me your bath water? And she said, yes, I have. And I'm done. And then she just left. That was it. So here is a mythical creature who's definitely a chubby chaser. The pish taco from Peruvian folklore. No, not fish taco. Pish taco. The pish taco is a monster that typically looks like a white man. What they do is they target people who have a little extra meat on their bones and then they will capture them and remove and devour all of the fat from their bodies. Then they take the rest of the flesh and sell it as fried chicharrones. The origin of this myth seems to be the fact that the conquistadors would often use their enemy's corpse fats as a way to treat their wounds and even grease their weapons. Ew. Really, guys? Even to this day, there are South Americans who have refused aid from U.S. food services under the beliefs that these people are actually pish tacos trying to fatten up and eat South American children. I resent that, South America. The U.S. does not need to fatten up your people. We've got our own fat people! So here's a mythical creature who definitely ain't a vegan. The Nikusui from Japanese mythology. The name translates to meat sucker and we do mean that literally. These creatures appear as beautiful women and often approach men at night in a flirtatious way in order to try to ask if they can borrow the man's light source. As soon as they get close enough, they bite into the man and suck all the meat out of his body, leaving only a skin-covered skeleton behind. That's some Junji Ito stuff right there. They're not just limited to outdoors, though. Sometimes they will approach men seductively in their bedrooms in order to suck the meats out of their bodies. You know, I've read a lot of Japanese female yokai stories and I've noticed a recurring theme is you should never try to help or trust women in any way because they always want to take something from you. I think whoever's writing these had some issues. So here's a mythical creature who really loves the steam. The Bannock from Slavic folklore. Bannocks are freaky little creatures who always hang out in people's bathhouses. Bathhouses were important in Slavic culture. They were part of the preparation process for weddings and they were where women would go to give birth. So it was in the people's best interest to keep the Bannocks happy because if you went into a bathhouse with an angry Bannock, it would either strangle you To appease the Bannocks, people would always leave a bathhouse open that they could use freely. They would also leave out soap and water for the Bannock. It was also believed that the Bannock would often invite other mythical creatures to hang out with it in the bathhouse. You could also go in and ask a Bannock what your future holds and it would tell you by caressing your back. A warm hand meant a good future and a cold hand meant a bad future. Or sometimes it would just pinch you. Really starting to sound like dude bros here. So here's a mythical creature who is neither holly nor jolly, Grilla from Icelandic folklore. Grilla is one of the monsters of Christmas. She is an evil elderly woman who also happens to be either a giant or an ogre. She spends the holiday season going around asking parents to give her their naughty children, which she then sticks in a bag, takes home, cooks up in a cauldron and eats. Parents can stop Grilla from taking their kids though, by giving her some other kind of food or just chasing her away. Are there any parents who wouldn't try to do that? Grilla is not the only monster in her family. Her kids are the 13 mischievous creatures known as the Yule Lads and her pet is the Yule Cat, which I made a video on before. Some stories say she and her kids used to be human until one year when they all got so hungry, they cooked up and ate her husband, an act so evil it turned them into monsters. Grilla is yet another example of a story where parents try to get their kids to behave by scaring the living hell out of them. So here's a mythical creature who's a bit on the heavy side, the new Pepo from Japanese mythology. This creature is basically a walking mound of grotesque fat flabs with barely discernible facial features in there somewhere. Relatable. But it's not just the appearance that puts people off. This thing is also constantly emitting a disgusting odor, like the smell of rotting meat. What's weird about this guy though is he doesn't really do anything. He just kind of hangs out and is gross, but that's enough for people to try to kill him. However, he can actually outrun just about anyone. But if you do manage to catch it and eat a piece of its smelly, disgusting flesh, it will grant you eternal youth and power. Yeah, no, I'm not doing it. Apparently this creature's name is also a slang term for women who wear way too much makeup. Not sure what you're trying to say there, Japan. So here's a mythical creature who definitely looks better from the front. The Mavka from Slavic mythology. Mavka are the restless spirits of people who died prematurely, typically young women or unbaptized babies. Man, that really seems to be a common theme in myths. What's particularly creepy about Mavka is they don't have skin on their backside. So if they turn around, you can see their insides. Because of this, Mavka will grow their hair very long in order to cover their backsides. And if you encounter one, they'll usually ask for a comb or hairbrush. If you don't have it, they'll kill you. If you do have it though, they'll comb their hair and leave you alone. So keep combs on you in Slavic territories. Not all Mavka are that nice though. Some of them will go out of their way to lure men to their lair with their beauty and then proceed to tickle the men to death. You know, in my personal girlfriend experience, women are a lot easier to tickle than guys. So I wonder what would happen if you tickled this thing back. So here's a mythical creature who's definitely a shower. The Tambaloslos from Filipino folklore. Yeah, let's just cut to the chase. The defining characteristic of this thing is the insanely large dingle dongle. How did he get it? Well, this guy is a very mischievous and maniacal character. So at one point, one of the gods decided to punish him by growing his scrotum to a very inconvenient size. There's a punishment. The creature has many similarities to the Tikbalong, like kidnapping women, getting people lost in the woods, mischievousness, sometimes being depicted with long limbs, a mane and hoods. Plus he can be defeated by wearing your clothes inside out because apparently that'll make him laugh so hard that his upper lip will cover up his eyes. Bro, who laughs like that? But they also have unique characteristics. They are often depicted with very black skin and large protruding lips. Hold up. So here's a mythical creature with a pretty crappy way of defending itself. The Bonicon from Galatia. This is a bison-like creature with a horse's mane and backwards-facing horns. Though I'm not sure why it even has those horns since the legend specifically says they are useless in a fight. And because of this, when the creature is under attack, it will spray its attacker with fiery, acidic diarrhea. Then the creature runs away, leaving behind a trail of this deadly duty, which sometimes goes on for as long as 660 feet. That's a whole lot of fiery feces. Apparently anyone who tries to touch this poop can get severely burned or even killed. Though I'm not sure why anybody wants to touch it, to be honest. In medieval times, depictions of this creature were used for comedic effect. So apparently people always liked poop jokes. They were just a lot more hardcore back then. So here's a mythical creature who's just kind of a dick. The Saucy, from Brazilian folklore. He's a magical, dark-skinned creature with one leg, a pipe, and an enchanted red cap, which allows him to teleport. Now, the Saucy is a trickster, but he never causes any major problems. Instead, he prefers to cause every kind of minor inconvenience he can think of. This dude will hide your stuff, set your animals loose, tease your pets, spill your salt, spoil your food, burn your food, drop flies into your food. If you have a chicken egg that isn't hatching or a popcorn kernel that isn't popping, it's because of this asshole. There are ways to counter him, though. If you cross a river, he won't follow. If you give him some tobacco, he'll leave you alone. And if you steal that red cap of his, he'll grant you a wish in exchange for it back. But apparently that red cap is so smelly, it'll leave you with an odor you can never wash out. So, is it worth it? So here's a mythical creature who's a bit childish. The Chanak, from Filipino mythology. See, what this creature likes to do is take the form of an innocent baby and cry out for help in the woods or something. And when people show up to try to help it, it takes its actual vampiric monster form and attacks them. Because no good deed goes unpunished. There are various stories as to where these creatures come from. Some say they're the souls of stillborn babies. Some say they're the souls of unbaptized babies. Some say they're the souls of aborted babies who want revenge on the people who aborted them. And some say they were never actually human, and they're simply malevolent demons. Like most vampires, you can repel these things with garlic. But it is also said that the reason these creatures can't move on is because they were never given names. So if you give them a name, they can pass on. So I guess if you encounter a lone baby in the woods, try throwing garlic and random names at it and see what happens. So here's a mythical creature who looms over her enemies. The Takaona, from Japanese mythology. The name directly translates to tall woman. These creatures are created when a woman is too unattractive for any man to want to marry or sleep with. Their jealousy becomes so toxic, it twists them into these creatures. Once they've taken this new monstrous form, they then go around harassing people and peeping through their windows. See, they do this because they're still bitter about the fact that they never got laid. So they want to go around ruining everyone else's chances at getting laid as well. Okay, incel. So yeah, guys, be careful which women you refuse to date because then those women might become tall and irritating. Japan, what are we doing? So here's a mythical creature whose stomach literally growls. The Mapinguari, from Brazilian folklore. It's a very large Amazonian creature with a single eye, a fanged mouth on its abdomen, and hooked claws. This creature is an omnivore, but one thing it always makes sure to eat is any people who defile its territory or any sacred parts of the Amazon. And I wouldn't recommend trying to fight this thing because its body cannot be penetrated by any weapon. It does, however, have one weakness, its little belly button. But even if you try to hit it there, you'll likely miss because you'll be disoriented by the horrifically disgusting odor this creature gives off. So yeah, it's probably best to avoid defiling sacred Amazon sites unless you're willing to literally face the belly of the beast. So here's a mythical creature who's probably hopping mad. The Hooroo, from Australian folklore. Yeah, that's a monstrous kangaroo, and its name literally translates to goodbye because that's what people say when one of these things shows up. Definitely don't want to stick around, especially when you consider the fact that these things are 40 to 50 feet tall, have incredible strength and hopping speed, and enjoy eating people, animals, and even other mythical creatures. They can even track their prey by sniffing sweat from far away. You know, the funny thing is, after seeing so many of the same animals be used as monsters in different cultures like lions and horses and boars, it's actually kind of refreshing to see a big kaiju kangaroo. Thanks, Australia. So here's a mythical creature who's a bit of a night owl. The Tatakala from Native American mythology. It's a giant evil owl witch. Well, that's new. And it enjoys eating just about anything people won't eat. Frogs, lizards, snakes, people. Its favorite food is little kids. Yeah, that's not new. These creatures often mimic human voices in order to lure children to their dwelling, and only one child is known to have escaped from them. And shortly after that kid escaped, these creatures were wiped out because their cave simply exploded. And no one is quite sure why. I guess God just got tired of their ----. However, there is also a legend that one of these creatures died by drowning, and from her eye sprang forth all of the owls of the world. So here's a mythical creature who's got a really bad touch. The Yaramiyahu from Australian mythology. It's a child-sized creature, yay! With red skin, no hair, and little suction cups on its fingers and toes, kind of like a starfish. And what are those suction cups for? Well, in Australia, if a person ever decides to take a little break underneath a tree, there's a chance this creature may jump down out of the tree and stick its fingers and toes onto the person, which then suck their blood out of their body, but only enough to incapacitate them instead of killing them so the Yaramiyahu can then open its mouth like a snake and swallow the person while they're still alive. Because of this, Australians typically try to avoid taking breaks under trees. Yeah, good call. However, there is a way to escape. Sometimes this creature pukes people up in order to take a nap, and you have an opportunity to get away. But if this happens to you multiple times, you'll start turning into a Yaramiyahu. Personally, I think I'd move out of town after the first time. I mean, how cheap is the rent that you'd still stick around after an experience like that? So here's a mythical creature who always likes to leave them laughing. The Mahaha from Inuit folklore. Kind of like the Wendigo, this creature is very thin yet very strong, with long stringy hair, long sharp fingernails, and is practically naked. You know, a little something for the ladies. This creature is smiling and giggling at all times because that's not creepy at all. However, the thing it's most famous for is the fact that it enjoys tickling its victims to death. Legends say you can identify victims of a Mahaha by finding corpses with twisted smiles on their faces. Okay, that's some Joker-level stuff right there. The best way to escape these creatures is to try to outsmart them. They're kind of infamous for also being stupid. You know, I'm only just now realizing this creature tickles people to death and it literally has Ha-Ha in its name. No way that's a coincidence. So here's a mythical creature who's definitely unique. The Urchitu from Sardinian folklore. You know werewolves? Yeah, this is basically a werecow with candles on his horns and two little devils who hang out with him and poke him with hot skewers. What, your friends don't do that? The legend says that when a man has done something truly terrible, he is cursed to become this creature every time a full moon rises. Not sure where the devils come from though. Also, do they just meet up with him at night and go somewhere else during the day? After taking this form, the creature wanders around until it finds a house. Then it stops and roars three times so loudly the entire country can hear it. Calm down, bro. And after this creature roars at the house, the owner of that house will die within the year. Yeah, that's what you get for owning a house. I don't get it. There are only two known ways to end this creature's curse. One is to chop both its horns off in a single strike and another is to blow out both candles in a single blow. You know, seeing as this creature walks around at night, I'm kind of surprised the wind doesn't just knock out both candles. Now that would be funny. So here's a mythical creature who brings about the Yuletide fear, the Yule Cat from Icelandic folklore. This cat is the size of a house and it spends the Christmas season hunting and eating children who have not received new clothes for Christmas. You see, it was a tradition that when good children finished all their chores in time for Christmas, they were rewarded with new warm clothes for the season as a gift. But if a child was lazy and did not finish all their chores, they were not given any warm clothes for the season and therefore also had to deal with this guy. Wow, that's some solid parenting right there. The Yule Cat would prowl around towns on Christmas Day peeking in through people's windows to see if the kids had new clothes for Christmas. If they did, he would move on. But if they didn't, first he would burst in and eat the child's dinner, rude, and then he would eat the child itself. So you should appreciate those socks you got for Christmas. They are literally keeping you alive. So here's a mythical creature who really needs to get ahead. The Headless Mule from Brazilian folklore. Yeah, what you see is what you get. It's a headless mule with fire shooting out of its neck for some reason. If you want to avoid this creature, which you probably should, you just lay face down and conceal any shiny objects you may have. The creature won't be able to see you then because it has very poor eyesight. Gee, I wonder why. Despite having no head, this thing neighs very loudly and moans in the voice of a crying woman. The reason for this being, this creature actually used to be a woman, but she was cursed to roam the earth in this form as a punishment for her sins. Boy, what a creative way to punish someone. However, there is a way to undo this curse. If you can get close enough to this creature and remove its bridle, it will turn back into a woman and then marry you. Really. So guys, if you're having bad luck with women, just go to Brazil and seek out a headless mule. So here's a mythical creature who utterly disturbs me. The Sigbin from Filipino mythology. This creature represents a kind of cross between a hornless goat and a kangaroo. Huh. It has a tail that it can use as a whip. Cool. And it has two big ears that it can clap together like hands. Though the reason as to why it would is completely lost on me. These creatures come out at night in order to find victims that they can suck the blood out of for sustenance. Or in order to seek out children to rip their hearts out, which they then fashion into amulets. You know, arts and crafts. It's a hobby. When they prowl around, they prefer to walk backwards with their head tucked between their legs. Hey, I don't judge. Apparently, legends also say there are some families who own these things and store them in jars in their houses. Uh, what for? Do they have some kind of activity in mind? Oh, and they also smell really bad. You know, because this story wasn't weird enough without that fact. So here's a mythical creature who's really got the whole package. The Tanuki from Japanese mythology. The Tanuki, or raccoon dog, is actually a real kind of animal in Japan who has inspired some pretty wild mythical tales. These creatures are known for their magic, their trickery, their shape-shifting, and their love of sake. But probably the thing they're most known for is their gigantic magical testicles. Yeah. Seriously, anytime these creatures need to get something done, they just whip out their enchanted cojones. These creatures can weaponize their testicles, play music with their testicles, take shelter under their testicles, use their testicles as a cushion, even use their testicles to aid in their trickery and shape-shifting. Like, for example, the Tanuki may shape-shift himself into a shopkeeper and then transform his testicles into the shop surrounding him. Literal balls to the wall. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say their groins probably aren't as sensitive as people's usually are. So the next time some arrogant jerk you know claims to be the ballsiest of guys, tell them the tale of the balls on the Tanuki. So here's a mythical creature who's always trying to get it in. The Boto Encantado from Brazilian folklore. Its natural form is a pinkish dolphin, but it has the ability to shape-shift. Often during a full moon, this creature will turn itself into a very handsome man in a suit, but he has to wear a hat because he still has his blowhole on his head. Guess that's the one thing he can't change. I question how he's still able to breathe while his blowhole is completely covered, but let's move on. Once Pinky the dolphin here has shape-shifted, his first and only goal is to seduce women. Okay, Zeus. These creatures are very charming though and can very easily get women to fall for them, which results in these women getting impregnated. And right after the woman gets pregnant, the dolphin just goes, okay, peace out. Then he takes his true form and ditches her. Okay, Zeus. So yeah, ladies, beware handsome men with hats. They may be horny dolphins. So here's a mythical creature who is in desperate need of therapy. The Squonk, a Pennsylvania urban legend. This poor guy has misfitting skin and a body covered entirely in warts and moles. Because of this, it absolutely hates the way it looks and will constantly avoid pools and puddles because it doesn't want to see its own reflection. Relatable. The creature is so filled with self-deprecation that it is consistently crying. Hunters can even track it by following the literal trails of tears it leaves behind. And sometimes when it gets cornered, it can even dissolve itself with its own tears. Well, that's depressing. I cannot properly put into words just how badly this thing needs a hug. So here's a mythical creature that you really have to see to believe, even if you don't want to. The Shirime from Japanese mythology. Yes, this is a thing. It's a pale dude with no face and an eyeball where his booty hole should be. Thanks for that, Japan. This was very needed. Funny thing is this guy actually does wear clothes, but when he encounters someone on the road, he immediately strips down in front of them, bends over and shows them his butthole eye purely for the fun of it. The original flasher, I guess. These guys should go to New York. And apparently an ancient Japanese poet named Yosa Busan was such a big fan of this creature that he included it in several of his art pieces. Busan, is there something you want to talk about? Amazingly, this creature never actually seems to attack or hurt anyone. He just flashes them his butt eye. Japan, did we really need a whole monster just for that? What's next? A Japanese monster who just goes around poking holes in all the condoms at a convenience store? Hey, don't write that down, Japan. So here's a mythical creature who's quite the environmentalist. The Kurupira from Brazilian mythology. These creatures look kind of like small humans with red hair and backwards feet. Bet that's inconvenient. The Kurupira's name translates to covered in blisters. Great. But don't be too quick to judge because these creatures are actually honorable guardians of nature. If the Kurupira sees any hunters who are killing more animals than they need to or destroying too much plant life, they will interfere. They use their backwards feet to leave misleading footprints that throw the hunters off their trail. They can also create illusions and mimic the sounds of people and animals to really confuse the hunters. And they can make an incredibly loud high-pitched scream which makes the hunters go insane. Who needs PETA when you got guys like this? So here's a mythical creature who kind of reminds me of Bojack Horseman. The Tikbalang from the Philippines. This creature has the head of a horse and the body of a human. So basically like a centaur, only the exact opposite. Filipinos like to shake things up. You need to watch out for these creatures because they are horny. And when they're horny, they don't open Pornhub. Oh, no. They go around snatching whichever women they want. Not cool, bro. That is not very gentlemanly. But there's another sinister thing these creatures do. They use their special powers to cause people to get lost. Well, that's irritating. Yeah, they apparently have the power to constantly misdirect you and set you on the wrong path because they're jerks. But fortunately, there is a way to counteract this. To counter this creature's powers, you must take your shirt and turn it inside out. That's a new one. Like I said, Filipinos like to shake things up. So here's a mythical creature with a very unorthodox diet. The Manananggal from the Philippines. The Manananggal is one of the Aswang, a term which refers to the evil, shapeshifting mythical creatures in Filipino culture. You know, it's great to know the number of those is high enough to warrant a name for the category. Its name translates to remover because during the day, it actually appears as a beautiful woman, but then at night, it removes its upper half from its lower half, sprouts wings, and flies off in search of prey. Really can't trust anyone these days. And what is its prey, you ask? Oh, you shouldn't have asked because it seeks out pregnant, sleeping women, then sticks its incredibly long tongue into their belly buttons and slurps up their unborn children. Isn't that lovely? The only known way to kill this thing is to find its vacant lower half and sprinkle either salt or garlic into it. Yeah, you know it's a vampire when you can kill it with seasoning. So here's a mythical creature who sickens me to my very core. The Akaname from Japanese myth. Why did you guys ask me to cover this one? The Akaname is a small, naked, goblin-like creature with greasy skin and hair and a very long, sticky tongue. They also come in multiple colors, meant to represent either mold or bedsores. Because of course they do. Their habitat is bathrooms. Yeah, great choice. However, they detest clean bathrooms and only go for especially dirty ones. So similar to a kind of pest. They then use that fabulous tongue of theirs to lap up and devour any filth, grease, hair, or waste that they come across, which kind of makes me want to puke. So yeah, guys, please make sure you keep your bathrooms clean so that we don't have to stomach this kind of thing. Please? So here's a mythical creature who's a special kind of weird. The Bakezori from Japan. It's an evil, sentient sandal. What more do you really need? You see, the ancient Japanese believed that if you left your sandals lying around too long or if you mistreated your sandals too much, they would become sentient and turn into little monsters. Naturally. These creatures spend their time running around the house, causing mischief, making loud noises, and mocking people. So basically, they're just really annoying. And it's not just sandals in Japan. There's a whole race called Tsukumogami of inanimate objects that come to life. There's dishrags, lanterns, and umbrellas. All kinds of crazy crap. People who say your clothes aren't gonna pick up themselves have clearly never been to Japan. So here's a mythical creature who really seems to like drama. Ratatoskr from Norse mythology. Ratatoskr is a squirrel. And physically, there's nothing all that weird about him. It's what he spends his time doing that I find interesting. You see, in Norse mythology, there's a great world tree called Yggdrasil. At the top is a great eagle, and at the bottom is a dragon named Nidhogg. And these two hate each other. But how can they hate each other when they never ever see each other? Well, the answer is Ratatoskr. This little cretin constantly runs from end to end of the tree, carrying insults between these two, basically enabling and provoking their rivalry. Basically, he runs to the top and says, hey, Nidhogg says you suck, then runs to the bottom. The eagle says, no, you suck, runs to the top. Nidhogg says you're a punk, runs to the bottom. The eagle says a punk who slept with your mom last night. You've heard of Gossip Girl, but are you ready for Gossip Squirrel? So here's a mythical creature that's just plain gross. The Ashirayashiki from Japanese mythology. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it is a gigantic, dirty, hairy, smelly, disgusting foot. Because Japan. The story of this lovely creature basically goes that one day a man and his servants were just chilling in their house when suddenly a loud booming voice from outside screamed, wash my foot! And then a gigantic, disgusting foot burst through the ceiling. You know, typical household problems. It was all kinds of gross, so they quickly just washed it in order to get rid of it, but it didn't stop there. The thing kept coming back every single day, demanding to be cleaned. And if they ever refused to clean it, it started thrashing about and breaking stuff, which is very immature in my book. Finally, the owner had enough and switched houses with his neighbor. Guess he didn't tell him about this. But then the foot never showed up again. Huh. So here's a mythical creature that's really messed up. The Aoi Zot from Aztec mythology. It resembles a small black dog with pointed ears, spiky fur, and human-shaped hands at the ends of its limbs and its tail. Yeah, nothing creepy about that. Yeah, this is one doggo you should not try to play with because he's not friendly. This creature is very tricky and maniacal. He'll sometimes intentionally get caught by fisher's nets so that he can grab the fishermen afterwards. He'll also sometimes lure people to him by mimicking the cry of a child. Dude. Once you're within his reach, he'll grab you and yank you under the water, at which point he proceeds to eat your eyes, your teeth, your fingernails, and your toenails. What an interesting palate. And then he uses your dead body as bait to try to catch anyone who tries to come collect it. Jeez, why was this on My Little Pony? So here's a mythical creature that you might want to watch out for. The Kelpie from Celtic folklore. Kelpies are also referred to as water horses, and some of you might be thinking, oh, a water horse. That sounds lovely. I wish I could ride one of those. Well, here's the thing. You try to ride one of these, you gonna die. See though, these things actually want you to try to ride them. They come up to you all inviting like, but once you touch them, your flesh is bonded to theirs and you can't let go, at which point they immediately run into the ocean and drown you. Always pleasant. They then proceed to eat your flesh and then spit your remains back onto the shore. How considerate. There is one story though of a young boy who managed to escape the Kelpie by chopping off his own fingers before the Kelpie reached the ocean. Respect. So yeah, kids, don't try to ride wild demon horses. It does not end well. So here's a mythical creature that's absolutely disturbing. The knuckle of E from Scottish folklore. This creature is basically like if someone said, hey, what if a centaur had both a human head and a horse head? Oh, and also no skin. Oh, plus the human head is usually oversized and wobbly. The horse head only has one eye and his arms are obscenely long. And his appearance isn't the only rough thing about him. This guy's goal is literally to spread disease and death wherever he goes. He slaughters any people or livestock he comes across and even messes up people's crops. Jerk. Fortunately though, there is a way to combat this guy. He does have one weakness. Are you ready for this? You're not gonna believe how complicated this is. He does not like fresh water. Fresh water will get rid of him. So yeah, next time you go to Scotland, just try to make sure you keep your super soakers fully loaded.