Tradition / Region: Karen folklore (Burma / Myanmar)
Alternate Names: Kephn
Category: Dog / vampire
The Myth
Among the Karen people of Burma, there is fear of a demonic vampire known as the Kepn. It is said to be created through the use of black or evil magic, and once formed, it can no longer live as an ordinary being. The Kepn exists only to hunt human souls and drink human blood.
The Kepn is described in two main forms. In one, it appears as a floating sorcerer’s head with its internal organs trailing beneath it, much like a male version of the Penangglan. This form drifts through the night air, seeking out victims while separated from the rest of its body.
In another form, the Kepn appears as a water-dwelling demon with the head of a dog. In this shape, it lurks near rivers, ponds, and wetlands, waiting for humans who come too close to the water. Whether flying through the air or hiding in water, the Kepn is always driven by hunger for blood and souls.
Both forms are regarded as equally dangerous, and both are understood to originate from sorcery rather than natural death. Because of this, the Kepn is feared not only as a monster, but as the result of forbidden practices that twist a human into something inhuman.
To the Karen people, the Kepn remains a hidden predator of the night and water, born of dark magic and sustained by human life.