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Oni Hitokuchi

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Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: Oni Hitokuchi, Kamikakushi
Category: Demon

The Myth

Oni hitokuchi describes an oni that devours a person in a single bite, leaving no trace of the victim behind. When someone disappears suddenly without leaving any evidence, such a disappearance may be attributed to evil spirits. A person carried away by spirits into the other world is said to have experienced kamikakushi, or being spirited away. Some victims eventually return, sometimes many years later and profoundly changed, while others never return at all because they were believed to have been eaten by an oni.

A famous example appears in the Heian-period story collection Ise monogatari. The poet and playboy Ariwara no Narihira desired a beautiful and high-ranking noblewoman named Fujiwara no Takaiko. Because of her social position, the two could not have a legitimate relationship and were forced to conduct their affair secretly.

One night, unhappy with their situation, Narihira secretly entered Takaiko’s room and kidnapped her. He fled with her into the wilderness, but a terrible storm suddenly struck. They found a cave and took shelter inside it. Takaiko remained deep in the cave while Narihira stood guard at the entrance with his bow and arrows.

When morning came and the storm had passed, Narihira went into the cave to retrieve Takaiko. She was gone. An oni living inside the cave had eaten her in a single bite, leaving not even a piece of her behind. Her screams during the night had been completely drowned out by the sound of the storm.

Sources

“Onihitokuchi.” Yokai.com: The Japanese Yokai Encyclopedia. Accessed September 12, 2026. https://yokai.com/onihitokuchi/

Krampus

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Tradition: German Mythology
Alternative Names: Krampus, Krampusnacht Figure
Category: Demon

The Myth

Krampus is a hairy, horned creature with black or brown fur, fangs, and a long pointed tongue. He has goat-like cloven hooves, sometimes depicted with one human-like foot and one goat’s foot. He carries heavy chains, often with bells attached, and a bundle of birch branches used to beat misbehaving children. He may also carry a sack or basket on his back.

On the night of 5 December, Krampus travels with Saint Nicholas as they visit children. Saint Nicholas rewards children who have behaved well with small gifts, while Krampus punishes those who have behaved badly. He lashes them with his birch branches and frightens them.

Particularly wicked children may be seized by Krampus and placed into his sack. In some traditions, he carries them away to drown them, eat them, or take them to Hell.

Krampus is the frightening companion of Saint Nicholas, dealing with the children whom the saint himself does not punish. He appears during the winter celebrations surrounding Saint Nicholas and is especially associated with Krampusnacht and the frightening processions known as Krampuslauf.

Sources

“Krampus.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed September 12, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krampus

Amanojaku

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Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: Amanojaku, Amajaku, 天邪鬼
Category: Demon

The Myth

Amanojaku are wicked supernatural beings described as evil kami, minor oni, or yōkai. They are mischievous and malicious, particularly known for provoking people into acting upon the wicked and impious desires hidden within their hearts. Wherever they go, they spread spiritual pollution.

Amanojaku are also associated with ancient Japanese myths of wicked deities. Amanozako, Amenosagume, and Amenowakahiko all possess characteristics resembling the undermining nature of the Amanojaku, and they are commonly regarded as possible origins of the spirit.

Despite their ancient origins, Amanojaku became closely associated with Buddhist imagery. They are sometimes depicted as the demons being crushed beneath the feet of the Four Heavenly Kings, symbolizing wickedness being defeated by righteousness. Demonic faces decorating the armor of Bishamonten are likewise identified with Amanojaku.

The best-known legend involving an Amanojaku is the story of Uriko-hime. An elderly childless couple discovered a baby girl inside a melon and raised her as their daughter, naming her Uriko-hime. She grew into a beautiful young woman, and eventually a marriage proposal arrived for her. Her parents went into town to prepare her dowry and warned her not to open the door to anyone while they were away.

Soon after they left, someone knocked at the door and called for Uriko-hime to let them in. She refused. The voice then asked her to open the window just a little. Uriko-hime reluctantly opened it a crack, whereupon a long, clawed finger entered through the opening and smashed the window apart.

An Amanojaku leaped inside and attacked her. Uriko-hime fought desperately, biting and kicking the demon, but she was unable to overpower it. The Amanojaku eventually snapped her neck and killed her.

The demon then flayed Uriko-hime’s skin from her body and wore it like clothing. Hiding beneath her clothes and using her skin as a disguise, it impersonated the girl so convincingly that her parents were deceived when they returned home.

When the wedding day arrived, the elderly couple brought the disguised Amanojaku to her future husband. A crow sitting in a nearby tree suddenly warned them that the bride was not what she appeared to be. The couple seized the supposed Uriko-hime and held her down. They washed her body until the flayed skin came away, revealing the Amanojaku underneath.

The demon fled, but the elderly couple pursued it. Villagers joined the chase until a large crowd was pursuing the Amanojaku through the village. Eventually they caught it and attacked it with sticks, stones, and tools, beating the demon until it was covered in blood and died.

Sources

“Amanojaku.” Yokai.com: The Japanese Yokai Encyclopedia. Accessed September 12, 2026. https://yokai.com/amanojaku/

Ryūtōki

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Tradition: Japanese mythology
Alternative Names: Ryūtōki, Ryutoki, Dragon Lantern Demon
Category: Demon

The Myth

Ryūtōki is a muscular, verdigris-colored demon with a large lantern resting on its head. A dragon is wrapped around its upper body, and Ryūtōki grips the dragon by its tail. It is approximately 80 centimeters tall.

Ryūtōki was created to illuminate the area before the Buddha. Unlike the usual depiction of demons in Buddhist art as beings trampled beneath guardian deities such as the Nio and the Four Heavenly Kings, Ryūtōki is portrayed as an independent demon entrusted with carrying a lantern before the Buddha.

Ryūtōki was one of two demon figures associated with the West Golden Hall of Kōfuku-ji, together with Tentoki. The two demons form a deliberate contrast: Tentoki is red, has its mouth wide open, and is associated with the A-form, while Ryūtōki is blue, keeps its mouth tightly closed, and is associated with the Un-form. Their different postures are regarded as a contrast between movement and stillness.

Sources

Takahashi, Toshihiro. “龍燈鬼 [りゅうとうき] (Ryūtōki).” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). October 21, 2025. https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1085533967.html

Tentoki

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Tradition: Japanese mythology
Alternative Names: Tentoki, Tenki, Heavenly Lantern Demon
Category: Demon

The Myth

Tentoki is depicted as a red demon with two horns and three crystal eyes. It has a stern but humorous expression, with its mouth opened wide, and wears an animal hide around its waist. It carries a large lantern upon its left shoulder.

Tentoki was one of two demon figures associated with the West Golden Hall of Kōfuku-ji Temple in Nara. The demons were unusual in Buddhist art because, rather than being portrayed as beings trampled beneath the feet of guardian deities, they were depicted as independent figures entrusted with carrying lanterns that illuminate the space before the Buddha.

Tentoki was paired with Ryūtōki, another demon who carried a lantern. Together, the two served as lantern-bearing companions before the Buddha. The figures were believed to have been created as votive offerings to the principal deity of the hall.

Sources

Takahashi, Toshihiro. “天燈鬼 [てんとうき] (Tentōki).” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). October 21, 2025. https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1085533962.html

Pishacha

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Tradition: Indian Mythology
Alternative Names: Pishacha, Piśāca, Paiśāci
Category: Demon

The Myth

Pishachas are malevolent, flesh-eating demons or vampire-like beings. They are described as having bulging veins and protruding red eyes and are said to possess their own languages, known as Paiśāci. They favor darkness and are traditionally associated with cremation grounds, where they haunt the dead alongside bhūtas and vetālas.

According to the Mahabharata, the original Pishachas were creations of Brahma. The epic gives several accounts of their associations: they are said to reside in the courts of Kubera or Brahma and to worship Shiva and Parvati. They fought alongside Ghatotkacha against Karna, while another account describes them serving the Kauravas as the horses of Alambusha’s chariot.

Other traditions make the Pishachas descendants of Krodha, the personification of anger, or of Daksha’s daughter named Pishacha. Another account makes them the sons of Kashyapa and Krodhavasa, one of Daksha’s daughters. The Nilamata Purana also describes the Kashmir valley as having been inhabited by the Nagas and Pishachas.

Pishachas can shapeshift and assume any form, as well as become invisible. They feed upon human energy and can enter and possess human beings, altering their thoughts and causing insanity, illnesses, and other abnormalities. Mantras are traditionally used to drive a possessing Pishacha from its victim, while offerings made during religious ceremonies and festivals are intended to keep them away.

A person who is not properly buried may also become a Pishacha. In this form, the dead person remains trapped within the corpse for an indefinite period. The transformed spirit loses its ability to eat and drink, becomes blind, and suffers greatly, yet retains an instinctive craving for the living. It can sense their presence and smell and may attack them.

Sources

“Piśāca.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed September 12, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pishacha

Shakchunni

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Tradition: Bengali Mythology
Alternative Names: Shakchunni, Shankhachunni, Shankhachurni
Category: Demon

The Myth

A Shakchunni is the ghost of a married Hindu woman who died while her husband was still alive. She retains her attachment to marriage and domestic life after death, particularly when the desires and experiences associated with married life remained unfulfilled.

Shakchunnis are typically described as thin and emaciated, with greenish skin resembling leafy vegetables. They wear the red-and-white sari traditionally associated with married Bengali women, together with conch-shell bangles and vermilion on the forehead. Even as ghosts, they remain conscious of their appearance and adornment, retaining the symbols of their former married status.

Because of their longing for domestic and marital life, Shakchunnis are said to possess or influence married women, particularly women from wealthy households, in order to experience married life again through them. Stories of Shakchunni possession appear in Bengali folktales, including tales collected in Thakurmar Jhuli, where an ojha or exorcist eventually defeats or drives away the spirit.

The Shakchunni is particularly fond of fish. Her craving for fish reflects the traditional association of fish with married women’s domestic life and with the well-being and longevity of their husbands. Folklore differs over whether she prefers fish that is raw, fried, burnt, or even rotten.

Shakchunnis are also associated with certain trees, particularly sheora (Streblus asper) and mango trees. They are said to sprinkle water mixed with cow dung around the places where they dwell.

Sources

“Shakchunni.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed September 12, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakchunni

Samca

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Tradition: Romanian mythology
Alternative Names: Miha, Grompa, Slalo, Necauza, Hatavu, Hulila, Huva, Ghiana, Gluviana, Prava
Category: Demon

The Myth

Samca most commonly appeared as a naked woman with disheveled hair reaching down to her heels. She had small eyes that shone brightly like stars, iron hands, long nails sharp like knitting needles or hooked like sickles, and a tongue of fire. In her female form, she had a very large, ugly, crooked mouth that constantly spat fire.

Samca could also take the form of a very large and fierce pig, a grinning dog with terrible teeth, a hairless cat with fiery bulging eyes, a crow with bloody eyes, or a large black spider.

She could emerge at the end of each month, around the full moon, and usually appeared to children under four years old. Children who saw her became so frightened that they immediately became ill. The illness they developed after encountering Samca was known as “the children’s malice.”

Samca could also appear to women who were about to give birth. She would touch and knead the pregnant woman, terrifying her so severely that the woman either died immediately or remained crippled for the rest of her life.

Samca was said to have nineteen names: Vestitia, Navadaraia, Valnomia, Sina, Nicosda, Avezuha, Scorcoila, Tiha, Miha, Grompa, Slalo, Necauza, Hatavu, Hulila, Huva, Ghiana, Gluviana, Prava, and Samca.

Protection against Samca required writing all nineteen of her names on the wall of a house, or having another person write a protective spell that could then be carried on the body. If Samca attacked someone protected by such a spell, the demon would instead harm the person who had written it. However, if the writer was an old person, Samca would not harm them, causing them only to grit their teeth in their sleep.

In a Romanian folk incantation recorded by Moses Gaster, Samca was identified as Avezuha, described as the “wing of Satan.”

Sources

“Samca.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed September 12, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samca

Amai-te-rangi

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Tradition: Cook Islands mythology, New Zealand Mythology
Alternative Names: Amai-te-rangi
Category: Demon

The Myth

Amai-te-rangi was a cannibalistic demon who attempted to entrap Ngaru.

Ngaru managed to escape and ascend, and with the assistance of his grandfather, Mokoroa, he defeated Amai-te-rangi.

Sources

“Amai-te-rangi.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed September 12, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amai-te-rangi

Drude

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Tradition: Germanic mythology
Alternative Names: Drude, Trude, Druden
Category: Demon

The Myth

The Drude is a malevolent female nocturnal spirit, particularly associated with southern Germany. She is a kind of Alp or witch-hag who torments people in their sleep and causes nightmares known as Alpdruck, the sensation of being pressed down by a supernatural being.

The Drude is capable of changing her size. She may become small enough to enter a house as a tiny creature, or even appear in the form of a butterfly. At other times she can grow into a giantess, leaving enormous footprints impressed upon stone. In some traditions, it is not the physical body of the witch that attacks people, but her spirit, which leaves her body during the night and travels to torment sleeping victims.

A person oppressed by a Drude could attempt to drive her away in several ways. Grabbing an object could force the Drude to beg for its return. Throwing a pillow at her was believed to repel her, while pronouncing a holy name could frighten her away. In Tyrolean folklore, placing a flax-threshing comb on the chest with its spikes pointing upward was believed to deter the Drude and prevent her from returning.

The Drude was also associated with protective charms. The Drudenfuß, or “Drude’s foot,” was a magical symbol identified with either a pentagram or hexagram. It was placed on houses, stables, gates, cradles, and beds to protect people and animals from the Drude and other supernatural beings. In some regions, a fir-wood Drudenfuß was placed inside a baby’s cradle because the Trude was believed to press down upon infants and prevent them from crying.

Another protective object was the Drudenstein, or “Drude stone.” These were often naturally perforated stones, especially smooth stones shaped by rivers. A ribbon could be threaded through the hole and the stone hung inside a house, beside a cradle, or on the bars of a stable window. Such stones were believed to protect against the Drude, witches, nightmares, Alps, and other harmful spirits.

In southern German folklore, certain stones or landmarks were also known as Trudenstein. One tradition held that these were places where female spirits gathered to decide which humans they would torment. A Bavarian legend tells that the Druden once attempted to place a particular stone at a farmstead, but abandoned it when a rooster crowed.

Sources

“Drude.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed September 10, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drude