Voracious, wild, evil, gigantic, terrible, grim, cruel, whimsical, antisocial, there are so many epithets that we tend to associate with monsters. Yet, despite their evilness quotient, they attract our interests and make us curious. Here’s a look at some of the most gruesome monsters that occur in world legends.
“What a chimera then is man! What a novelty! What a monster, what a chaos, what a contradiction, what a prodigy! Judge of all things, feeble earthworm, depository of truth, a sink of uncertainty and error, the glory and the shame of the universe.”
– Blaise Pascal
Monsters have always existed around us in myths and legends, if not always in reality. These creatures have elements of pleasure as well as horror, and that is why they always intrigue us. It is common human tendency to get attracted towards things which are unusual, or those which we haven’t seen before. This is precisely the reason for our curiosity about monsters and other legendary creatures.
A monster is a creature, appearing more often in fiction than reality, which is both huge and hideous. Its size is so enormous and its appearance so horrifying that people are terrified by its mere presence, and attempt to get away from it. In most instances these creatures are malevolent in nature; either their presence or their actions are almost always responsible for the death of those who confront them.
Monsters in World Myths and Legends
Our myths and legends bear several instances wherein gods and heroes have succeeded in slaughtering, or at least subduing, several dangerous and vicious monsters. There are numerous awe-inspiring tales of days-long combats with vicious monsters, and how good defeats evil in the end. Let us take a look at some of the legendary monsters, which appear in world myths.
Basilisk
✰ The Basilisk appears in Greek and other European myths and bestiaries, and is regarded as the ‘king of serpents’.
✰ It is said to have born from the egg of an old cockerel, laid on a full moon might, just before its death. When the egg hatches after a few days, a basilisk appears with fully adult features.
✰ According to ancient accounts, the creature is represented as a reptile having a long, scaly body, several pairs of short legs, a rooster’s head, and a serpent’s tail. However, by the Middle Ages, it took the form a two-legged, winged dragon with a rooster’s head and a serpent’s tail.
✰ Basilisk possess an extremely fatal venom, and is capable of killing a person merely by its gaze.
✰ According to Leonardo da Vinci’s Bestiary, the creature is so ruthless that if a human or animal does not die by its gaze, it targets the vegetation around, and completely destroys it.
✰ Cantabrian mythological accounts tell us that the creature has disappeared from the face of the earth, except from Cantabria, where its occurrence is extremely rare. Its only weakness lies in the odor of a weasel, which can kill it.
Cerberus
✰ Cerberus was the gigantic three-headed hellhound of the Greek and the Roman legends.
✰ It was born to Echidna (regarded as the ‘mother of all Greek and Roman monsters’) and Typhon (one of the most dangerous monsters of Greek and Roman myth).
✰ The creature had ferocious red eyes that shone in the dark.
✰ It fed only on fresh meat, and therefore, it killed everyone who attempted to enter the Underworld, the gates of which, this creature guarded. Its saliva was also extremely poisonous.
✰ The beast was virtually unbeatable, except for Heracles who overpowered it without any weapons, during his last labor.
Chimera
✰ Chimera was another monstrous creature of the Greek legend. It was also born to Echidna and Typhon, and was hence, the sibling of Cerberus.
✰ It was a composite beast, depicted as a lion with a goat’s head jutting out of its back, and a long tail terminating in the head of a snake.
✰ It could breathe fire from all the three heads, and its breath was so fiery that it could melt blocks of metal.
✰ The creature was very swift and strong. In the later period, though the classical Chimera was forgotten, all hybrid creatures (from all cultures) began to be referred to as the Chimera, and hence the term continued to live on.
Dragon
✰ Dragons are by far the most popular monsters that appear in several legends across the world. They are found in the legends of China, India, Indonesia, Persia, Malaysia, Japan, Cambodia, Korea, Philippines, Vietnam, Spain, France, Sardinia, Germany, Scandinavia, England, Wales, Siberia, Romania, Albania, Greece, Turkey, Lithuania, Russia, Bulgaria, Hungary, and numerous others.
✰ Dragon developed in mythologies of Europe and Asia, which evolved simultaneously; both myths may have separate origins, but, the exact roots are not known.
✰ It is an enormous reptilian creature with obvious serpentine traits, alongside others. In some instances, it is depicted as an enormous lizard-like creature with two pairs of legs (sometimes one), and a pair of horns.
✰ The Asian dragon generally doesn’t have wings, but the European version is usually portrayed with a pair of wings, resembling those of a bat.
✰ Dragons are ferocious creatures, that are usually able to breathe fire, and blood, which can kill. They are extremely poisonous.
✰ They are generally associated with Satan, but are also linked to wisdom and longevity in certain myths.
Echidna
✰ Echidna was the female monster of Greek mythology. She was born to Tartarus (the Underworld) and Gaia (mother Earth) or alternatively to Ceto (a sea monster) and Phorcys (personification of the hidden dangers of the sea), and was the ‘mother of all Greek monsters’.
✰ Her upper half was of a woman and the lower half, that of a snake. She bore a scaly body with speckles.
✰ Echidna was extremely ferocious and fed on raw flesh.
✰ According to Hesiod, she was virtually immortal and could never be defeated. She also never grew old.
✰ According to the ancient Greek historian Apollodorus, Echidna was killed by a giant called Argos as a punishment for abducting passers-by and feeding on their flesh.
Gargoyle
✰ Gargoyles are predominantly Biblical creatures.
✰ They are large humanoid monsters having bodies made of stone, wings of a bat, ferocious red eyes, horns, sharp claws, and ugly faces.
✰ They can remain still for a long time, so that they are thought to be statues. They are also capable of exhaling fire, and are treacherous and vengeful.
✰ These monsters hide amidst stone decorations and then, suddenly attack their victims to feed on them.
✰ Gargoyles are found as architectural elements in several Christian churches and cathedrals.
Gorgon
✰ Gorgons were Greek mythical monsters. Though the exact origin of the myth is unknown, there are evidences of ceramic masks of gorgon heads, dating back to 6000 B.C.
✰ They were horrifying female monsters with extremely venomous snakes forming their hair.
✰ They had an ability to turn an individual into stone by their gaze.
✰ They were also immortal (except Medusa, who was slain by Perseus, the Greek hero). Added to this, their blood could resurrect the dead.
✰ Medusa was the most popular gorgon, who appears in many Greek and Roman myths. Little is known about the other gorgons, though.
Harpy
✰ Harpies, usually three in number, are creatures from Greek mythology, who were born to Thaumas (god of marine wonders) and Electra (the princess of Argos).
✰ They are beautiful young women with wings and body of an eagle, and long hair. Later depictions, however, portray them as bird-women with ugly faces and short hair.
✰ According to the myth, they stole and snatched food, abducted people and tortured them until they died.
✰ They were very wicked, ruthless, fierce, and destructive.
✰ The Harpies ceased to exist as a part of mythology after the Middle Ages.
Humbaba
✰ Humbaba was a gigantic monster from the Akkadian mythology, who was raised by Utu, the Sun.
✰ The creature had a scaly body, lion’s paws with vulture’s claws, and its tail terminated in a serpent’s head.
✰ Humbaba could kill a person with a single gaze, could breathe fire, and could cause floods by its roar. It was killed by the Akkadian hero, Gilgamesh.
Kelpie
✰ Kelpie is a sea monster of the Celtic folklore. It is a strong and powerful equine with a black (sometimes, white) hide.
✰ It is always dripping wet, has a long fish-like tail, and its skin is smooth and cold like that of a seal.
✰ Kelpies can transform themselves into beautiful women and lure men to death. They can also create illusions.
✰ Sometimes, they also take forms of beautiful ponies to attract children and encourage them to ride on their backs. A kelpie then, drowns the child and eats him.
Kraken
✰ This monster appears in Greek and Norse myths. The origin of the myth might have been in the numerous sightings of the giant squid.
✰ It is huge in size, initially portrayed as an octopus-like creature, then as a crab-like creature, and finally as a giant squid that seemed to be the fiercest of all the creatures of the sea.
✰ It bears numerous long tentacles, large eyes, and a huge mouth. Its mere size is enough to scare sailors.
✰ It attacks the sailing vessels by wrapping its tentacles around them and pulling them under the water or capsizing them. The crew then, becomes the food of the monster.
Lernaean Hydra
✰ The lernean hydra was another sibling of Cerberus and Chimera, also born to Echidna and Typhon.
✰ It was a huge chthonic female monster that had reptilian features including a scaly body and serpent heads.
✰ It guarded one of the entrances to the Underworld.
✰ It had many heads, and for each head that was cut off, it could grow two more.
✰ It had a poisonous breath and blood that was toxic.
✰ The creature was killed by Heracles during his second labor.
Leviathan
✰ Leviathan is an immensely big sea monster of the Jewish folklore.
✰ There were initially two leviathans, but the Old Testament tells us that God killed one of them.
✰ Over the ages, this monster has been perceived either as a huge whale or a massive sea serpent. But the more common depictions of this creature are in the form of a sea monster bearing a scaly and a thorny body, a huge dragon-like mouth, razor-sharp fangs, and sometimes a pair of wings.
✰ Leviathan is a shape-shifter; it can assume a human form. It is so strong that it can easily overpower human armies.
✰ It feeds on humans and other animals, and when it does so, it also takes in the strengths, weaknesses, and complexities of its prey. Added to this, it is extremely venomous.
✰ Leviathan is virtually immortal because it is immune to disease and can instantly heal its own wounds. In the middle ages, this monster came to be associated with Satan.
Manticore
✰ Manticore is a legendary monster from Persian mythology.
✰ The creature has a lion’s body with a human head and shark’s teeth. In common depictions, it has a tail of a scorpion.
✰ Manticore releases poisonous spines towards its victim, which have a lethal impact on him. If the victim does not die, he is at least paralyzed by the poison.
✰ The monster then attacks the victim and eats him entirely, along with his bones and all his possessions.
✰ The myth traveled from ancient Persia to Greece, and in the Middle Ages, the Manticore came to be included in prominent bestiaries of Europe.
Midgard Serpent
✰ This monster appears in the Norse mythology and is also known as Jörmungandr.
✰ It is the offspring of the Asgardian prince Loki and the sorceress Angrboða.
✰ Midgard Serpent is essentially a sea dragon with a pair of wings, a scaly body, and clawed forearms.
✰ It is so huge that it can encircle the entire world and hold its own tail in its mouth. Legend says that the moment it lets go off the tail from its mouth, the world will come to an end.
✰ The creature has a very lethal venom that can kill not only humans, but also gods. It is feared, especially, because it possesses a capacity to end the world.
✰ Added to this, it is almost impossible to injure the beast, and thus to kill it, except only under extraordinary circumstances.
✰ Midgard serpent can take any form, cast illusions, and make time freeze. It can also communicate in human speech. Plus, it bears immense superhuman strength.
✰ Though virtually unbeatable and indestructible, the Norse myths speak volumes about the final battle between the monster and its staunch adversary Thor, the Norse deity of thunder and lightning. This battle will take place in Ragnarök (future), and though Thor will eventually succeed in killing the Midgard serpent, the god will also die of its fatal venom.
Minotaur
✰ Minotaur was one of the famous monsters of Greek mythology. It was born to Pasiphaë, the Cretan Queen, when she mated with a Cretan bull.
✰ Minotaur was a fearsome monster with a human body and a bull’s head.
✰ The creature had to be fed with fresh meat of young men and women each day.
✰ It lived at the center of the Cretan labyrinth, where it was trapped, owing to its cannibalistic habits. Eventually, the monster was killed by the Greek hero, Theseus.
Nemean Lion
✰ The Nemean lion appears in Greek mythology. Generally believed to have been the offspring of Typhon and Echidna, some sources also relate the beast to Zeus (king of the Greek Gods) and Selene (the titaness of moon).
✰ It was a very large lion with golden fur and a golden mane and extremely sharp claws.
✰ Its fur was virtually impenetrable, it claws could tear off any kind of armor, and it possessed an ability to change forms.
✰ Nemean lion kidnapped young maidens, so that warriors of the town came to its cave to save them. He ate the maidens and assumed their form, and when the warrior went near, he was brutally killed.
✰ The monster was slain by Heracles during his first labor, among twelve, given to him by his cousin, king Eurystheus of Tiryns.
Scylla
✰ Scylla was the female monster of the Greek legends. She was born to Phorcys and Ceto, as a beautiful maiden.
✰ She was turned into a terrible monster by the Greek goddess of magic, Circe, who was jealous of her. Circe added a magical potion in Scylla’s bathing water, who then, instantly turned into a monster.
✰ According to the Homeric description, Scylla had six long necks, twelve feet, and her waist was surrounded by canine heads having three rows each of sharp teeth. Her voice resembled the barking of the dogs.
✰ She hid herself at the bottom of a cliff, from where she attacked her unaware target.
✰ She would eat any living creature – fish, humans, birds, animals – that went near her hiding place. She also destroyed ships and killed their crew.
✰ Heracles, the Greek mortal hero had an encounter with Scylla when he sailed to Sicily. Scylla attacked him as usual, but was killed in the ensuing combat. However, her father Phorcys brought her back to life later.
Siren
✰ Sirens appear in Greek and the Roman myths.
✰ The birth of sirens is attributed to the Greek river deity Achelous and Terpsichore, one of the nine muses. Alternatively, the sirens are also said to have been born from the blood of Achelous, that was shed after Heracles cut off one of his horns.
✰ Sirens were essentially a combination of birds and women. They were either represented as huge birds with the heads of women or vice versa.
✰ They had scaly and feathery bodies, a pair of wings, clawed limbs, and a bird’s tail.
✰ These enchanting as well as dangerous creatures lived on a rocky island, from where, with their sweet and melodious voices, they lured sailors and caused shipwrecks.
✰ With the advent of Christianity, the belief in sirens as individual creatures was discouraged, but the term was still used to symbolize fatal temptations.
Sphinx
✰ Sphinx is a mythical monster that appears in Greek as well as Egyptian legends. It is a creature with a lion’s body and a human head.
✰ Egyptian sphinxes are masculine monsters, often benevolent in character. On the contrary, Greek sphinxes are feminine monsters, characterized by mercilessness and treachery.
✰ In addition to the lioness’ body and a woman’s face, Greek sphinxes also bear eagle’s wings and a tail that terminates in a serpent’s head.
✰ Sphinxes asked riddles to passers-by and if they did not answer them correctly, the creature ruthlessly killed them, and ate them up.
Tengu
✰ This creature appears in Japanese folk religion.
✰ First reference to Tengu appears in the ancient treatise on classical Japanese history, the Nihon Shoki, where it is described as a ‘heavenly dog spirit’ that is only seen before wars and uprisings.
✰ With the passage of time, Tengu transformed from a dog to a kite-like monster to a bird-man.
✰ It has both, human as well as avian features. It possesses a long beak or an unnaturally long nose.
✰ Tengu is regarded as the bringer of chaos and anarchy, killer of Buddhist monks, and abductor of priests and young boys. All victims of the Tengu either go mad or die.
Tikbalang
✰ Tikbalang is a humanoid monster from the Philippine folklore, bearing a human torso and the head and feet of a horse.
✰ Its limbs are disproportionately long.
✰ The creature dwells generally in the woods or in the mountainous regions.
✰ Tikbalang is a notorious monster that plays dangerous tricks with travelers, scares them off, and leads them astray.
✰ These creatures can shape-shift to human form and can also make themselves invisible to humans. Legend says that they are very fierce warriors and are unbeatable.
Troll
✰ Trolls form part of Norse and Scandinavian legends.
✰ They are huge, very strong, but extremely ugly and dim-witted.
✰ They are essentially cannibals, meaning that they feed on human flesh, and are therefore almost always hostile towards human beings.
✰ These monsters live together in small units in isolated places such as caves and mountains, and far from human habitation.
Typhon
✰ Typhon was Echidna’s husband and the ‘father of all monsters’ in Greek mythology, who was also born to Tartarus and Gaia.
✰ He was largest and the most ferocious creature in the universe, with a human upper half and a serpentine lower half.
✰ His hands spanned the east and west directions and his head could reach as high as the sky. His fingers were depicted as small dragon heads. He had fiery eyes and huge wings.
✰ Typhon’s mere size made him win half the battle. He was immortal, and as the name suggests, he could cause disastrous storms.
✰ He had defeated Zeus in the first of two battles that they fought. Though he could never be killed, Zeus did manage to defeat him in the second battle and trap him in the dark pit of the Tartarus, underneath the earth.
Vampire
✰ Vampires gained ground from 18th century myths of Eastern and Western Europe, though vampire-like creatures appeared in some other earlier cultures as well. The myth seems to date back to the prehistoric era.
✰ Vampires have a pale, white skin color due to the absence of blood in their bodies, long white fangs, bloody eyes, and bright red lips.
✰ They survive by sucking human and animal blood, which is their only food.
✰ They are the undead creatures, and hence cannot be killed. They possess an ability to convert humans into vampires.
✰ The myth of the vampire is extremely famous even today, and is a favorite subject of fiction writers and filmmakers all across the world.
Werewolf
✰ Werewolves form part of European folklore. The myth seems to have taken root in 15th century Europe and then spread throughout the continent by the 16th century.
✰ A werewolf is a human being, who can completely transform into a wolf, many times due to some kind of curse.
✰ They are shape-shifters and very dangerous to humans.
✰ Though the myth seemed to subside in Europe by the 18th century, werewolf, as a monster, became extremely popular all over the world, just like the vampire.
There are numerous other monsters in the legends and folklore of the world. All of them hold an important place in respective myths, and teach significant lessons of life to us humans.
Popular New-Age Monsters
Monsters are such awe-inspiring creatures that our fascination for them never ceases to exist. This is probably the very reason why they tend to step out of the myths and take control of our minds, such that some of us seem to visualize them in reality. Many monster sightings have been reported till date, but unfortunately most of them haven’t been officially confirmed as yet. Given below are some of the most interesting ones.
Bigfoot
How It Began – In 1967, Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin were traveling through the mountains of California, when they spotted a large, hairy, bipedal, humanoid creature that stood more than six feet tall. Patterson managed to film the creature, but only for a short span of time, before it disappeared into the woods. It was the first film ever made on the Bigfoot, after which more and more people became interested in the creature.
Sightings – According to reports, the American Indians may have been the first people to have actually seen a Bigfoot. There have been thousands of reports of Bigfoot sightings in North America, northwestern United States, and Canada, apart from many other countries. According to the International Bigfoot Society, the states of Oregon, Washington, and California claim to have the highest number of Bigfoot sightings in the United States.
The Reality – There have been repeated attempts to find the creature till date, all of which seem to have failed. Cryptozoologists and scientists are also not certain about the existence of this creature.
Loveland Frog
How It Began – In the May of 1955, a businessman saw about three to four weird creatures near Loveland, Ohio. They stood about three feet tall and had wrinkles on their heads, instead of hair. Their mouths resembled those of frogs or lizards. Commonly known as the Loveland Frog, this seemingly unnatural creature is described as a humanoid with a frog’s face. It is green in color, and its skin has a leather-like texture and is possibly always wet. It can stand upright like a man, but bears padded limbs.
Sightings – After about two decades of the creature’s first sighting in 1955, it was again spotted in Loveland by two police officers in 1972. This time, it was only one of these ‘frog-men’ and it leaped into the Little Miami River and disappeared suddenly. Till date, there have been a large number of sightings of the creature in Loveland and nearby areas.
The Reality – Despite the fact that numerous people have been spotting such creatures, there are still no confirmed reports about their existence or what they actually may be.
Mongolian Death Worm
How It Began – A number of Mongolian residents claim to have actually seen this creature. According to descriptions given by them, a Mongolian death worm is a huge, bright red-colored worm that can spew an acid-like substance. Whoever and whatever comes in contact with this substance, dies. Some people also say that the creature generates electric current, by which it can kill its prey from a distance.
Sightings – There have been claims of numerous sightings of this creature till date, and it is supposed to exist in the Gobi desert. According to people residing in the Gobi desert, the worm, which otherwise lives under the ground, appears on the surface when the ground becomes wet due to rains.
The Reality – In spite of numerous claims that point towards the existence of the worm, and the danger that it poses to the other beings in its vicinity, there is no solid ground yet to support them. Moreover, all the depictions of this creature that have been made till now, are based on hearsay descriptions. Hence, whether or not it really exists remains unconfirmed.
Mothman
How It Began – On 15th November 1966, Roger and Linda Scarberry spotted a large, flying creature with glowing red eyes following their car rather closely. It was about seven feet tall and had a wingspan of about ten feet. It seemed to be a combination of a man and a bird. The Mothman was spotted in the Point Pleasant region of West Virginia. Several people linked the creature with certain ‘supernatural’ events that took place in the region around the same time, and so the creature came to be related with prophecies.
Sightings – Many more people saw the mysterious creature in West Virginia after the 1966 incident, and gave more or less similar descriptions of the Mothman. But interestingly, the creature was sighted only in West Virginia, and nowhere else.
The Reality – Like the other monsters, whether or not the Mothman really exists is still obscure.
Nessie
How It Began – More formally known as the ‘Loch Ness Monster’, Nessie is a large beast that supposedly inhabits the waters of Lake Ness in the Scottish Highlands. In 1933, George Spicer and his wife encountered a bizarre and extraordinarily large animal crossing the road, while they were in their car. It had a huge, bulky body, and a long, narrow neck with a small face. It was as tall as 12 feet and it disappeared into the lake. Though this was not the first ever report on the monster, the incidence certainly caught popular attention.
Sightings – Till today, there have been more than 3,000 sightings of the monster, which makes it one of the most sighted monsters in the world. However, in spite of so many sightings, it is indeed very strange that different people have given different descriptions of the creature and therefore, there is no consensus as to how the creature really looks.
The Reality – The Loch Ness monster, though one of the most hyped monsters ever, is rather sketchy. Because there is no exact description of the monster yet, its existence is often doubted by scientists and cryptozoologists.
These and many other creatures manage to draw our attention, owing to all the suspense that they create. Though their existence is highly doubted, we still tend to give a thought to the degree of their evilness and most of us can even feel chills running down our spines by the sheer mention of them.
Popular Fictional Monsters
Books and films have been the most effective media that have been influencing and inspiring us through the ages. Most of the monsters that we know of today, are through some novel or some film that centers around them. Here’s our pick of some of the most popular fictional monsters.
Frankenstein’s Monster
When Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein in 1818, little had she gauged the extent to which her ‘monster’ would become popular. This eight feet tall, greenish yellow skinned, black-lipped, and glowy-eyed monster looked so hideously ugly that it was shunned by people, even in the story, owing to which, he seeks revenge from his creator, Victor Frankenstein. However, the monster ultimately jumps off a boat and vanishes forever. The creature has become so famous that these days, the word ‘Frankenstein’ is used to imply the monster rather than its creator, whose name it actually was.
Godzilla
Godzilla first appeared in a 1954 Japanese movie of the same name. Owing to the popularity of this creature, 28 more movies of Godzilla were produced in Japan. Plus, it also appeared in comics, video games, and other television series. In 1998, an American film of the same name was released worldwide, thus exhibiting the monster on the world platform, making it all the more popular. As more and more movies were made on Godzilla, its character went on progressing from a villainous monster to a more positive creature, out on a mission to save the world.
Hulk
Hulk is another fictional monster that holds our breaths. This monstrous, humanoid superhero is green in color, absolutely colossal in size, impulsive, and possesses unparalleled strength. Often portrayed as an antihero, Hulk has gained a lot of popularity. The monster was introduced to the public as a comic character in The Incredible Hulk series from 1962. In 2003, a movie named The Hulk based on the same character was released worldwide, and had a grand opening at the box office, it also won numerous accolades.
King Kong
This fictional movie monster that looks like a giant gorilla, first made its appearance in the movie King Kong that was released in 1933. The creature became so popular that not only sequels to the movie were made, but there were also remakes of the 1933 movie in 1976 and 2005 respectively. The monster’s behavior in the movie ranges from a notorious, destructive beast that goes on to become a tragic antihero. King Kong is so popular, even now, especially with kids that there are a series of cartoons, comics, and merchandise based on the theme.
Yeti
Yeti, the abominable Snowman is one of the most famous cryptozoological creatures, and because of its popularity, it has been a favorite of fiction writers and filmmakers. Yeti, the white humanoid creature, resembling the Bigfoot, dwells in snowy regions. It has made appearances in numerous movies starting with the 1954 flick, The Snow Creature to the latest 2013 flick, Monsters University. Some television shows have also included Yeti as one of their characters. Added to this, Yeti also appears in literature in works such as Tintin in Tibet by Hergé and The Abominable Snowman of Pasadena by R. L. Stine.
The world of fiction is infinitely huge where people can bring to life whatever they imagine. Monster stories are very popular with the audiences, and therefore, more and more new monsters continue to be created by writers, filmmakers, etc., so that they can delight and frighten us at the same time.
A Special Mention
While speaking of monsters, our very own Boogieman deserves a special mention. He is the creature that we all grew up believing, was real. Parents and the other adults of the house used this monster to frighten us in order to make us listen to them. And this, in case of most of us, was how we got introduced to the world of monsters.
The Boogieman does not have any specific description. In fact, its appearance goes on changing depending on how an individual perceives him to be. So, he can be anything from a devil to a ghost to a cloaked figure to a vicious and weird animal. He is generally believed to hide in the closet or under the bed, and comes out at in the dark of the night to scare children and in most versions, to eat them up.
We have entities similar to the Boogieman all across the world, and even today, most children grow up believing that there is such a monster, hiding somewhere in their room. They grow up, and the monster and the children’s fear for it ceases to exist, but it still goes on living in their imaginations, and this is how the myth of the Boogieman has been carried down from one generation to the other, throughout the world, mainly by means of oral tradition.
Monsters are there everywhere; in myths, legends, folklore, and one, somewhere deep within our own selves. These hideously inhuman creatures, more often than not, are symbolic in nature. They stand for something solid that we may otherwise may tend to overlook or ignore completely. And, it is probably this very characteristic of legendary monsters, due to which we continue to be enthralled and inspired by them even today.
