Mythology

Kormos

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Tradition: Turkic Mythology, Russian Mythology
Alternative Names: Kormoz, Körmöz, Körmös, Alban, Chahik, Ozor
Category: Ghost

The Myth

Kormos are supernatural spirits associated with the dead and the underworld in Turkic mythology. They may appear in a humanlike form, but some have disturbing features, including extremely long hair, elongated claws, and inverted eyes and feet. The souls of people who committed suicide are known as Alban, while other Kormos are associated with those who died through accidents or with the spirits of ancestors. After death, a person’s soul may become a Kormos and continue to exist as a spirit.

Kormos are divided according to their nature and the realm in which they dwell. Some are benevolent spirits who help and protect humanity under the command of Ülgen, while others are demonic beings controlled by Erlik, the ruler associated with the underworld of Tamag. These hostile spirits may harm the living or attempt to capture their souls. Other Kormos are neither entirely good nor evil and wander the earth in a miserable, restless state. Their chief is known as Körmös Khan or Kürmez Han.

The spirits are associated with three realms: the earth, the underground world of Tamag, and the heavenly realm of Uçmag. Even a demonic Kormos may have the possibility of escaping its torment and ascending to Uçmag if the good within its soul outweighs its evil. Kormos are especially associated with sunrise and sunset, times believed to be dangerous because the spirits may capture human souls. People are therefore warned against remaining awake during these periods. Through their different forms and destinies, Kormos represent the uncertain fate of the dead, whose souls may become protectors, malevolent demons, or restless wanderers.

Sources

“Kormos.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 15, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kormos

Nang Ta-khian

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Tradition: Thai Mythology
Alternative Names: Lady of Ta-khian, Nang Mai
Category: Ghost

The Myth

Nang Ta-khian is a female spirit who inhabits the enormous Ta-khian trees of Thailand. She often manifests as a beautiful young woman wearing traditional Thai clothing in reddish or brownish colours. These ancient trees have massive trunks and wide-spreading roots, and the spirit dwells in their immediate surroundings, deep within forests and away from inhabited places. She may also haunt houses whose beams, stilts, or pillars have been made from Ta-khian wood, remaining attached to the timber taken from her tree.

Nang Ta-khian is a powerful guardian of her home and its surrounding forest. She may harm wicked or immoral people who approach her dwelling, while those who behave righteously have little to fear from her. Her presence makes the felling of a Ta-khian tree a dangerous undertaking, for she is believed to become furious if her tree is cut down and may follow the timber wherever it is taken. Traditionally, people avoid cutting down trees inhabited by the spirit, fearing her anger and supernatural vengeance.

Ta-khian trees are sometimes marked by lengths of colourful satin wrapped around their trunks. These offerings and coverings are associated with respect for the spirit and help protect ancient trees from being felled. If a tree must be cut down, a special ceremony is traditionally performed to ask the spirit’s permission. Ta-khian wood is considered suitable for use in Buddhist monasteries, where the spiritual merit of the monks is believed to be sufficient to render the spirit harmless. Nang Ta-khian thus embodies the sacred and dangerous power of ancient trees, protecting her woodland home and punishing those who disturb it without proper respect.

Sources

“Nang Ta-khian.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 15, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nang_Ta-khian

Red Ghosts

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Tradition: Liechtenstein Mythology
Alternative Names: The Two Redheads
Category: Ghost

The Myth

The Red Ghosts appear at night on Kulm Mountain near Steg. One is a red-haired man, accompanied by a fiery red billy goat. The man is condemned to travel almost around the world with the animal because he was once a swindler and must now atone for his wrongdoing. Burdened by this supernatural punishment, he asks a farmer who encounters him to kill the goat and free him from his fate.

The farmer takes out a knife and begins stabbing the billy goat, but he is unable to complete the task and eventually gives up. At first, the ghost is pleased by the farmer’s attempt, but when the effort fails, his expression becomes deeply sorrowful. His punishment remains unbroken, and he must continue his endless journey with the animal.

Suddenly, the two red-haired figures race down the mountain into the valley like devils, accompanied by thunderous sounds resembling a violent storm. Their terrifying departure leaves the impression of damned spirits rushing through the night, still bound to a punishment they cannot escape.

Sources

“Die Geister.” SAGEN.at – Liechtensteiner Sagen, collected by Otto Seger. Reproduced by SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/liechtenstein/seger/geister.html

Taraxippos

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Tradition: Greek Mythology
Alternative Names: Taraxippus, Taraxippoi (plural)
Category: Ghost

The Myth

Taraxippos is a terrifying supernatural presence blamed for frightening horses during chariot races throughout ancient Greece. The name means “horse disturber,” and Taraxippoi were associated with places where horses suddenly became uncontrollably afraid, often causing chariots to crash and injuring their drivers. The most notorious was Taraxippos Olympios at Olympia, where a round altar stood beside the racetrack. As chariots passed this spot, horses were seized by a powerful and inexplicable terror. Charioteers offered sacrifices and prayers to appease the spirit and ensure their horses would pass safely.

The identity of Taraxippos varied between traditions. At Olympia, some believed it was the ghost of King Oenomaus, who had once killed the suitors of his daughter Hippodamia in chariot races. Others identified the presence with the tomb of Myrtilus, whose death was connected to Oenomaus, or with the grave of Ischenus, a giant born from the earth. These accounts connected the terrifying presence to the restless dead and the dangers surrounding ancient racing grounds.

At the Isthmian Games, Taraxippos Isthmios was identified as the ghost of Glaucus of Pontiae, who had been torn apart by his own horses. At the Nemean Games, Taraxippos Nemeios was associated not with a ghostly figure but with a red rock above the turning point of the racetrack. A flash from the rock supposedly terrified horses as though they had seen fire. Thus, Taraxippos was not always imagined as a single spirit with a fixed appearance, but as a supernatural force that caused horses to panic at particular places.

Sources

“Shade (mythology).” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 15, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shade_%28mythology%29

Dalgyal Gwisin

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Tradition: Korean Mythology
Alternative Names: Egg Ghost
Category: Ghost

The Myth

The dalgyal gwisin, or Egg Ghost, is a terrifying Korean spirit named for its resemblance to an egg. It has a smooth, featureless body without arms, legs, or a distinct head. It possesses no eyes, nose, or mouth, appearing as a completely blank, egg-shaped figure. Its origin and personality are considered unimportant in the traditional descriptions, making its strange and empty appearance its defining characteristic.

Encountering an Egg Ghost is believed to be a fatal omen. According to legend, anyone who sees one will die. Some accounts suggest that these spirits may change their nature over time, with their personalities becoming less incorruptible. Other rumours claim that an Egg Ghost can transform into an ordinary egg, conceal itself, and emerge again whenever it wishes.

Some interpretations connect the Egg Ghost to the mujagui, or childless ghost, a spirit without descendants or relatives to perform ancestral memorial rites on its behalf. Without anyone to remember or honour it, such a ghost may remain among the living. The Egg Ghost’s featureless form and association with death make it one of the most unsettling figures in Korean ghost traditions.

Sources

“Egg ghost.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 15, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_ghost

Whirlwind Ghost

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Tradition: Pawnee Mythology, American Mythology
Alternative Names: Ghost-Man, Whirlwind Spirit
Category: Ghost

The Myth

Ghost-Man was a mysterious man who lived among graveyards and rarely stayed at home. Whenever he entered a village, whirlwinds appeared around him, rising beside him before suddenly disappearing. People suspected that he was a ghost because of his strange connection to these swirling winds. Despite his frightening nature, Ghost-Man possessed the power to heal those whose spirits were threatened by supernatural forces.

When a man became gravely ill because a ghost or whirlwind was trying to steal his spirit, Ghost-Man offered to help. Sitting beside the sick man, he gathered dust and threw it into the air, creating a whirlwind that enveloped the patient. The sick man recovered, and Ghost-Man returned home without demanding any payment. He continued healing others who suffered from the same mysterious illness. On another occasion, he was summoned to treat a man who had fallen ill after dreaming of the dead.

This time, Ghost-Man did not throw dust into the air. Instead, he spun around and transformed his own body into a whirlwind that surrounded the sick man and restored his health. However, Ghost-Man made a terrible mistake: he failed to transform himself back into human form. When the whirlwind subsided, only a skeleton remained on the ground. Terrified, the people fled from the lodge, but the recovered man stayed behind, gathered the bones, and buried them. From this strange event came the belief that whirlwinds are ghosts or spirits, and the story serves as a warning about the mysterious and dangerous powers of those who practise spiritual healing.

Sources

Dorsey, George A. The Pawnee: Mythology (Part I). Collected under the auspices of the Carnegie Institution of Washington. Washington, D.C.: Carnegie Institution of Washington, 1906.

Santa Compaña

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Tradition: Spanish Mythology
Alternative Names: Güestia, Estadea, Estantiga, Estantigua, Rolda, As da Noite, Pantalla, Avisóns, Pantaruxada
Category: Ghost

The Myth

The Santa Compaña is a terrifying procession of the dead that wanders along lonely village paths, through forests, and around parishes in northwestern Iberia. Its members are the souls of the deceased, sometimes described as spirits suffering in torment, who appear at midnight wearing white, hooded cloaks. They carry lit candles as they move silently through the darkness. Even when the spirits themselves remain invisible, their presence may be sensed through a sudden shiver, an overwhelming feeling of danger, or the faint smell of melted candle wax drifting through the air. Some people see only the floating lights of their candles, which resemble will-o’-the-wisps moving along deserted paths.

At the head of the procession walks a living person, carrying a cross, a vessel of holy water, or both. This unfortunate individual has been placed under a supernatural curse that forces them to lead the dead through the night. At midnight, the cursed person falls into a trance and leaves their bed without conscious awareness of what they are doing. They lead the procession through villages and forests until it ends before daybreak, then return home with no memory of the night’s events. Despite having slept, they awaken exhausted and increasingly weakened. If the curse remains unbroken for weeks, the leader may become pale, thin, and sickly, eventually dying and unknowingly passing the burden to another parishioner.

The only way for the living leader to escape this fate is to find another person during the procession and transfer the cross or vessel of holy water to them, passing the curse along. The Santa Compaña’s principal purpose is to announce an approaching death, and the procession is believed to visit the homes of those whose deaths are near. A person who encounters it must take care not to become its next leader. One traditional method of protection is to draw Solomon’s Circle on the ground, placing a six-pointed star and its protective symbol inside, and remain within it until the procession passes. Other methods include lying face-down or making protective gestures with the hands. Those capable of seeing the procession are sometimes believed to have been mistakenly anointed with the holy oil used for the sick during baptism, while others are thought to possess a special sensitivity that allows them to perceive the hidden world of the dead.

The person leading the procession may be either a man or a woman, depending on whether the parish’s patron saint is male or female. Although the dead follow the living leader, the procession itself is an ominous presence that moves through the night, bringing fear and forewarning tragedy. In Galician tradition it is known as the Santa Compaña, while in Asturias it is especially associated with the name Güestia. Under these names, the procession embodies the dreadful belief that the boundary between the living and the dead can open in the darkness, allowing restless souls to pass through the world of the living and announce that someone’s final hour is approaching.

Sources

“Santa Compaña.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 15, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Compa%C3%B1a

O-Chiyobon’s Ghost

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Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: O-Chiyobon’s Ghost
Category: Ghost

The Myth

O-Chiyobon’s ghost is a female spirit who appears in the supernatural world of Kegawa Daiko-den, a tale by Jippensha Ikku. After leaving Hell and returning to the world of the living, the ghost becomes lost on a mountain path. She discovers the illuminated home of Momonjii, a kindly monster who rents out underground holes to other supernatural creatures, and asks him for shelter and a cup of tea. Momonjii welcomes her inside and learns that she has returned to the living world to haunt a man against whom she holds a grudge. However, the man has moved to the foot of the mountain, and while searching for him, she lost her way. Momonjii offers to let her stay at his home and use it as a base for her nightly visits. The ghost happily accepts, asking him to find a strong companion who can help frighten her enemy, since she is too weak and timid to terrify him alone.

Meanwhile, Momonjii has been sheltering O-Chiyobon, a strange-looking woman whom he rescued from the drunken and violent monster Shiradawashi. After Momonjii and O-Chiyobon become lovers, Shiradawashi storms into the house carrying a huge log, furious that his woman has been taken from him. Momonjii retaliates with an axe, and the other monsters living in his rented holes intervene to settle the fight. After Shiradawashi is thoroughly beaten, Momonjii decides that he must compensate for his mistreatment of O-Chiyobon. He therefore gives the visiting ghost to Shiradawashi as his wife, forgiving his overdue rent and promising that he will never have to pay rent again. Although Shiradawashi complains that his new wife is too beautiful for a monster, he accepts the arrangement because of the financial benefits. He soon becomes unable to resist her charms and spends every night with her.

The ghost, however, finds life with Shiradawashi unbearable. Although she dislikes having a monster for a husband, she endures his advances because she still hopes to use his strength to take revenge on the man she hates. Eventually, her suffering becomes so great that she wishes she could return to Hell, but she no longer knows the way. Unable to escape, she abandons her desire for revenge and begins devoutly chanting the name of Amida Buddha, hoping to reach the Pure Land and find peace. In Hell, Enma, the King of the Underworld, grows furious that the ghost has failed to return and sends a troop of demons to bring her back. When they arrive to seize her, Shiradawashi fiercely fights the demons, throwing and striking the powerful beings in an attempt to keep his wife.

During the fierce battle, a purple cloud suddenly descends from the sky, and Amida Buddha appears within it. Addressing the ghost with a playful pun involving kinako mochi, he invites her to leave Hell behind and enter the Pure Land. Through the power of her sincere devotion, the ghost achieves salvation and escapes her suffering forever. Shiradawashi is left without a wife, and his story continues until he eventually becomes involved in a conflict between a tanuki and a fox, where he meets his end at the hands of O-Chiyobon.

Sources

“居候幽霊 (Isōrō Yūrei).” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1072132463.html

Zwaardman

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Tradition: Dutch Mythology, Belgian Mythology
Alternative Names: Zwaardman
Category: Ghost

The Myth

The Zwaardman is the ghost of a knight who wanders the earth carrying a flaming sword. In life, he was a proud and wrathful man whose arrogance led him to commit a terrible crime: he murdered a priest inside a church while the priest was celebrating Mass. For this sacrilege, he received a dreadful punishment that continued beyond death.

As divine punishment for his crime, the knight’s castle sank into the ground, and his spirit was condemned to wander forever. Unable to find rest, the Zwaardman haunts the places associated with his legend, appearing as a ghostly knight wielding a sword engulfed in flames.

Stories of the Zwaardman are told in several places, including Uithuizermeeden, Maaseik, Bergeijk, and Sint-Pieters-Rode near Brussels. His legend warns of the terrible consequences of pride, violence, and the murder of a holy man.

Sources

Van der Veen, Abe. “Van aardmannetje tot zwarte juffer: Een lijst van Nederlandse en Vlaamse elfen en geesten.” Abe de Verteller. https://abedeverteller.nl/van-aardmannetje-tot-zwarte-juffer-een-lijst-van-nederlandse-en-vlaamse-elfen-en-geesten/

Ghost Town Ghost

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Tradition: Tlingit Mythology, American Mythology
Alternative Names: Ghost House
Category: Ghost

The Myth

Ghost Town is a deserted settlement inhabited by invisible spirits. When Raven arrives, he finds a large town where everyone appears to have died. He enters the largest house, but an unseen presence continually pushes him away, even though he cannot see anyone inside. Realizing that the house is haunted, Raven discovers that the apparently empty town is not as deserted as it seems.

Raven decides to take provisions from the empty houses, loading them into his canoe before paddling away. However, he does not notice that a long rope connects the stern of his canoe to a tree on the shore. Once he reaches the end of the rope, the canoe is abruptly pulled back to the beach, and all the provisions are returned to the houses. Despite these mysterious actions, Raven cannot see anyone responsible.

The invisible inhabitants then retaliate by dropping a large stone onto Raven’s foot, leaving him badly lame. Although the town appears empty, its ghostly residents can move objects, prevent outsiders from taking their possessions, and inflict physical harm on those who disturb their settlement.

Sources

Judson, Katharine Berry, ed. Myths and Legends of Alaska. Illustrated. Chicago: A. C. McClurg & Co., 1911.