The New England vampire panic was the reaction to an outbreak of tuberculosis in the 19th century throughout Rhode Island, eastern Connecticut, Vermont, and other parts of New England. Consumption (tuberculosis) was thought to be…
Read More New England vampire panicTag: Folklore
Jersey Devil
In New Jersey folklore, the Jersey Devil (a.k.a. the Leeds Devil) is a legendary creature said to inhabit the Pine Barrens of Southern New Jersey. The creature is often described as a flying biped with…
Read More Jersey DevilApache tears
“Apache tears” is the popular term for rounded pebbles of obsidian or “obsidianites” composed of black or dark-colored natural volcanic glass, usually of rhyolite composition and bearing conchoidal fracture. Also known by the lithologic term…
Read More Apache tearsKitsune
Kitsune (狐, キツネ, IPA: [kitsɯne] (listen)) is the Japanese word for the fox. Foxes are a common subject of Japanese folklore; in English, kitsune refers to them in this context. Stories depict them as intelligent…
Read More KitsuneAltamaha-ha
In Georgia folklore, the Altamaha-ha (or Altie) is a legendary creature, alleged to inhabit the myriad small streams and abandoned rice fields near the mouth of the Altamaha River (after which it is named) in…
Read More Altamaha-haSpriggan
A spriggan /sprɪdʒən/ is a legendary creature from Cornish faery lore. Spriggans are particularly associated with West Penwith in Cornwall. “Spriggan” is a dialect word, pronounced with the grapheme as /ʤ/, sprid-jan, and not sprigg-an,…
Read More SprigganAgropelter
The Agropelter (Anthrocephalus craniofractens) is a mythical fearsome critter said to inhabit hollow trees of the conifer woods from Maine to Oregon. From this vantage point, the creature would await an unwary person and hurl…
Read More AgropelterKorrigan
In Breton folklore, a Korrigan ([kɔˈriːɡɑ̃n] is a fairy or dwarf-like spirit. The word korrigan means “small-dwarf” (korr means dwarf, ig is a diminutive and the suffix an is a hypocoristic). It is closely related…
Read More KorriganImbunche
In the Chilote folklore and Chilote mythology of the Chiloé Island in southern Chile, the imbunche or invunche (Mapudungun ifünche: “deformed person”, also “short person”) is a legendary monster that protects the entrance to a…
Read More ImbuncheChangeling
A changeling is a creature found in folklore and folk religion throughout Europe. A changeling was believed to be a fairy child that had been left in place of a human child stolen by the…
Read More Changeling