Romania: Strigoi
If vampire tales make your blood run cold, steer clear of the Romanian strigoi. It’s said that those that lead unhappy lives – the illegitimate, unbaptized and even the unmarried – will come back as strigoi: vampire-like creatures with red hair and purple eyes. And of course, they feast on human blood.
To stop your loved ones from returning as a strigoi, be sure to bury them with a full bottle of whiskey.
Mexico: La Llorona
Known as ‘the weeping woman’, it’s said that La Llorona was a villager who drowned her own children in a river to be with the man she loved. Not surprisingly, it didn’t work and she drowned herself once he rejected her. These days she haunts the riverbanks of Mexico, dressed all in white and weeping for her children.
Mexican children are warned not to go out by themselves at night time: La Llorona might try to kidnap them as living replacements for her own children.
Scandinavia: Gjenganger
If you find yourself in Scandinavia in the dead of night, beware of the
The
USA: The Deer Woman
Native American tribes boast many a fascinating folklore tale, but none quite as widespread as the Deer Woman. Said to be able to transform from woman to deer, the Deer Woman’s most favoured look is that of a young and beautiful maiden with the legs and feet of a deer. In this form, she lures young men out into the forests and then traps them with her magic.
According to the Chippewa tribe, she can be chased away with a chant, tobacco, or by simply noticing that her feet aren't human.
Madagascar: The man-eating tree
After hearing this African tale of the man-eating tree, you might think twice about venturing out into your garden. This hungry tree resides in the Madagascan desert, where members of the Mkodo tribe sacrifice themselves to the snake-like limbs of the tree mouth.
The tree is actually the fabrication of writer Edmund Spencer, but there are still those who will swear that it’s true.
