Bat

Camazotz

by

Tradition / Region: Maya Mythology, Guatemala Mythology
Alternative names: Cama-Zotz, Sotz, Zotz
Category: Bat

The Myth

Camazotz, whose name means “Death Bat,” is a bat spirit that serves the lords of Xibalba, the Maya underworld. It is closely associated with the night, death, and sacrifice.

According to the Popol Vuh, the Hero Twins Hunahpu and Xbalanque encountered Camazotz during their trials in the underworld. One of the ordeals required them to spend the night in the House of Bats, a chamber inhabited by deadly bat spirits. To protect themselves, the twins hid inside their hollow blowguns while the bats circled around them.

Before dawn, Hunahpu cautiously poked his head out to see whether the sun had risen. Camazotz immediately swooped down, severed his head, and carried it away. The bat spirit placed the head on the ballcourt, where it was used as the ball for the underworld gods’ sacred ballgame.

Camazotz is portrayed as a fearsome supernatural bat whose sudden attack became one of the greatest trials faced by the Hero Twins on their journey through Xibalba.

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Camazotz. In Wikipedia. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camazotz

Garkain

by

Tradition / Region: Australian Mythology
Alternative names: –
Category: Bat

The Myth

Garkain is a spirit-man from the Aboriginal mythology of Arnhem Land who is said to inhabit the dense jungle of Magurlipun near the mouth of the Liverpool River. About the size of an Aboriginal man, he is able to both walk and fly, but cannot speak and does not know how to make fire or tools.

Because he lacks weapons, Garkain hunts with his bare hands and eats his prey raw. He is a nocturnal creature that sleeps during the day beneath piles of leaves on the jungle floor before emerging after dark to search for victims.

Travellers who wander into his territory are said to be in great danger. Rather than using claws or teeth, Garkain kills by wrapping the loose folds of skin hanging from his arms and legs around his victims, smothering them to death.

Traditional depictions portray Garkain with broad flaps of skin extending from his limbs, enabling him to fly. Although he shares similarities with another spirit being known as Warraguk, Garkain was regarded as less fearsome than other supernatural beings of Arnhem Land, such as the Namarakain and the Nabudi.

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Garkain. In Wikipedia. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garkain

Ekek

by

Tradition / Region: Philippine Mythology
Alternative names: Ek Ek
Category: Bat

The Myth

The Ekek is a winged, human-like creature that hunts at night in Philippine folklore. It feeds on human flesh and blood and is often compared to the Manananggal because of its appearance. Unlike the Manananggal, however, the Ekek cannot split its body in two.

By night, the Ekek transforms into a gigantic bird or bat and prowls in search of victims. It is especially known for preying upon sleeping pregnant women. Using an unusually long proboscis, it reaches into the womb to drain the blood of the unborn child, killing the fetus.

The creature is closely associated with the Wak Wak, as the two share many characteristics. The principal difference is that the Ekek possesses a bird-like bill, while the Wak Wak does not.

Its name comes from the eerie “ek-ek-ek” sound it makes while hunting. According to tradition, the cry is deceptive: when the sound seems faint and distant, the creature is actually very close to its intended victim.

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Ekek. In Wikipedia. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekek

Lyadashtsik

by

Tradition / Region: Belarusian Mythology
Alternative names: Lyadashtsik, Lyadashchik, Shevredz, Pusten
Category: Bat

The Myth

Lyadashtsik is an evil spirit from Belarusian folklore that is said to corrupt people. It is regarded as one of the most hostile spirits toward humans and is especially feared by women, as many illnesses and seizures affecting women were traditionally attributed to it.

The spirit was believed to attack by making people sick, driving them into madness, or causing them to transform into various animals. Those believed to have been afflicted by Lyadashtsik were sometimes described as foolish or half-witted.

Lyadashtsik was imagined as a hideous monster covered in red hair. It possessed wings, a single eye in the middle of its forehead, and was said to resemble a monstrous bat. In some traditions it was also described with the body of a frog and hairy wings.

The creature was known under different names in various parts of Belarus. In some districts it was called Shevredz, while in others it was known as Pusten. Folk sayings warned that a person who had dealings with Lyadashtsik had “Lyadashtsik’s eye,” meaning they had become mad or half-witted.

Sources

Bestiary.us. (n.d.). Lyadashtsik. In New Bestiary: Encyclopedia of Imaginary Beings. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://www.bestiary.us/Lyadashtsik

Kōmori-ba

by

Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternative names: –
Category: Bat

The Myth

The Kōmori-ba is a bat-like yōkai that appears in the eighteenth-century illustrated collection Yōkai Chakutōchō. It is depicted among a gathering of supernatural creatures alongside a red oni and a skeleton monster.

Unlike an ordinary bat, the Kōmori-ba does not have wings formed by membranes stretching between its limbs. Instead, it possesses a pair of large wings that grow directly from its back, giving it a more monstrous appearance.

According to the illustration’s description, the Kōmori-ba attacks by targeting the eyes of its victims. Although little else is recorded about the creature, it is presented as one of the many strange yōkai that inhabit the supernatural world of Japanese folklore.

Sources

TYZ. (n.d.). 蝙蝠場 (Kōmori-ba). In 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1065732607.html

Minyades

by

Tradition / Region: Greek Mythology
Alternative names: Alcathoe, Leucippe (Leuconoe), Arsippe (Arsinoë, Aristippe)
Category: Bat

The Myth

The Minyades were the three daughters of King Minyas of Orchomenus. While the other women of Boeotia celebrated the rites of Dionysus, the sisters refused to honor the god. Instead, they remained at home, weaving and tending to their daily tasks, believing their work to be more important than the sacred festival.

Offended by their refusal, Dionysus appeared before them disguised as a young maiden and invited them to join his mysteries. When they ignored him, he revealed his divine power, transforming first into a bull, then a lion, and finally a leopard. At the same time, miraculous signs filled their home as milk and nectar flowed from their looms.

Driven mad by the god’s punishment, the sisters cast lots to determine who should make a sacrifice. The lot fell upon Leucippe, whose son Hippasus was torn to pieces by the three women as an offering to Dionysus. Consumed by divine frenzy, they abandoned their home and wandered through the mountains like Bacchantes.

At last, Hermes took pity on them and transformed the sisters into flying creatures. In the most common version of the myth, all three became bats, forever avoiding the light of the sun. Other traditions say that one became a bat, another an owl, and the third an eagle owl, but all remained creatures of the night as a lasting reminder of the punishment for rejecting Dionysus.

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Minyades. In Wikipedia. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minyades.

Aleleb the Bat

by

Tradition / Region: Cameroon Mythology
Alternative names: Aleleb
Category: Bat

The Myth

Aleleb the Bat is portrayed in Cameroonian folklore as a sorrowful, intelligent creature tied to grief, loyalty, and the origin of nocturnal life. Unlike many trickster bats found in folklore, Aleleb is deeply emotional and devoted to family, especially to his aging mother. He is described as a close companion of Neneb the Sun, and the two share an unusually powerful friendship, constantly visiting one another and living almost like brothers.

Bat’s mother eventually becomes gravely ill. Aleleb desperately searches for healers, carrying herbs and prayers from compound to compound while traditional healers call upon the ancestors to save her. Despite every effort, she continues to weaken until she finally dies after giving her son final words of wisdom and endurance.

Overwhelmed by grief, Aleleb decides he must bury his mother before nightfall. Because sunset is approaching, he flies to his friend Neneb the Sun and begs him to delay darkness just a little longer so the burial can be completed properly.

But Sun refuses.

Neneb tells Bat he cannot hold back the coming night and suggests waiting until morning instead. To Aleleb, this response feels cold, dishonorable, and cruel. In his deepest moment of suffering, the friend he trusted most chooses not to help him.

Bat returns home devastated and buries his mother in darkness.

After the burial, Aleleb lies beside her grave and swears never again to look upon the face of the Sun. From that day onward, according to the myth, bats abandoned the daylight forever and became creatures of the night.

In this story, Aleleb symbolizes mourning, wounded friendship, filial devotion, and exile from the world of light. The myth explains the nocturnal behavior of bats while also functioning as a moral tale about loyalty and the consequences of refusing compassion to those in grief.

Sources

Makuchi. (2008). The sacred door and other stories: Cameroon folktales of the Beba. Athens, OH: Ohio University Press.

Giant Bat

by

Tradition / Region: Latvian Mythology
Alternate Names: —
Category: Bat

The Myth

The Giant Bat appears in the underworld setting of the Devil’s Pit, where unnatural creatures inhabit a dark subterranean space entered by Lāčplēsis while following witches.

As Lāčplēsis descends into the pit, deep darkness surrounds him and large bats fly around his head. They move through the air within the underground space together with other creatures such as snakes, owls, and toads. The bats remain present in the smoky, dimly lit environment as he continues deeper into the place where the witches gather.

Sources

AILAB contributors. (n.d.). Pumpurs – Lāčplēsis (2. daļa). In AILAB, from https://web.archive.org/web/20060131100630/http://www.ailab.lv/Teksti/Senie/Pumpurs/2.dala.html

Pumpurs, A. (1888). Lāčplēsis (Bearslayer), II Song: The Bear-World’s First Heroic Deed. In Latvian national epic poetry.

Trud

by

Tradition / Region: Austrian Mythology
Alternate Names: —
Category: Bat

The Myth

The Trud is a malevolent spirit or witch-like being that can enter homes through the smallest openings, even slipping through a keyhole, which is why people traditionally block keyholes during births or illness. It is believed that protective measures such as blessed objects, crosses marked on the floor, or sacred items placed near the bed can keep it away.

In southern Burgenland, the Trud is said to appear during moonlit nights at the ghostly hour, taking the form of a large, bat-like creature with wide wings and clawed limbs. It is described as extremely ugly and unnatural in appearance. The Trud flies through the night and enters stables, where it sits on animals and “bewitches” them, causing cows to stop giving milk or preventing them from calving.

It is also feared as a danger to mothers and newborn children. During the days following childbirth, both are carefully protected because the Trud is believed to strangle infants or harm them through supernatural means. Various rituals and religious protections are used to guard against it, including holy water, prayer books, and symbolic objects.

The Trud can also change form. In one account, it transformed into a straw that was about to be burned, but when the fire was lit, it turned back into a woman who begged for mercy and claimed to be released from its condition.

The Trud represents a nocturnal, intrusive force associated with vulnerability, especially in moments of weakness such as illness or childbirth, and is repelled by strong symbolic and religious protections.

Sources

sagen.at contributors. (n.d.). Von der Trud. In sagen.at, from https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/oesterreich/burgenland/petzoldt/von_der_trud.html

Taoulupo’os Bat

by

Tradition / Region: Tongan Mythology and Samoan mythology
Alternate Names: —
Category: Bat

The Myth

In the lands of Tonga and Samoa, there is a tale told of Leutogi, whose life was once placed in grave danger through jealousy and human judgment. When she was condemned to die by fire, her brother Taoulupo’o called upon the spirits of the dead for aid. Hearing his plea, they sent forth a white bat, a creature unlike any other.

As the flames rose around Leutogi, the white bat descended and extinguished the fire, saving her from death. Through this act, the spirits made clear that her fate was not to end there. Leutogi was then cast away to a barren island, alone and cut off from human aid. Yet she was not abandoned. Each day, white bats came to her, bringing her food and watching over her, ensuring her survival.

In time, Leutogi gave birth to a son. He was named Fa’asega, and he was given the title Tonumaipe‘a, meaning “the decision from the bat,” for it was the bat’s intervention that had preserved his mother’s life and made his birth possible.

Thus the white bat became known as a sign of ancestral protection and spiritual authority, acting when human judgment failed. Through Taoulupo’o’s invocation and the bat’s actions, the spirits showed that the unseen world watches closely, and that life and death are not governed by humans alone, but by forces older and wiser than any living voice.

Gallery

Sources

A Book of Creatures contributors. (2015). Alicanto. In ABookOfCreatures.com, from https://abookofcreatures.com/2015/06/24/alicanto/

Interpretive Lenses

Religious Readings
  • Christian Ascetic Deep Dive
Philosophical Readings
  • Nietzschean Deep Dive
Psychological Readings
  • Jungian Deep Dive
Esoteric Deep Dive
  • Hermetic Deep Dive
Political / Social Readings
  • Marxist Deep Dive
Other
  • How to Invite The Taoulupo’os Bat