Demon

Mill Devil

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Tradition: Czech Mythology
Alternative names: Mill Devil
Category: Demon

The Myth

The Mill Devil is a group of hellish spirits summoned through a magical book and associated with an old mill near Langendorf. They appear as numerous devils with glowing eyes and licking tongues, capable of moving with great speed and performing impossible tasks.

The devils have a terrifying appearance, with glowing eyes and tongues that lick from their mouths. They appear in large numbers and are violent and threatening, seeking to strangle those who summon them.

Behind Langendorf stood an old mill whose miller possessed a grey book that allowed him to summon the forces of Hell. One Holy Day, the miller’s children were left alone at home. While rummaging through old things, they discovered the mysterious book. They opened it and began reading the words inside.

Suddenly, the entire mill filled with devils. They raged through the building with glowing eyes and licking tongues, threatening to strangle the children.

At that moment, the miller was sitting in church. During High Mass, he suddenly became restless and felt that something was wrong. He rose from his place and hurried home.

The devils were already waiting for him. They demanded that he quickly tell them what he wanted them to do. The miller tore the fur from his body and threw it before them, ordering them to count every hair in it.

The devils immediately fell upon the fur and began counting. While they were occupied, the miller ran into the mill and poured a sack of grain into the stream.

The devils soon finished counting and announced that the fur contained seven hairs. They demanded another task, threatening to tear the miller apart if he did not give them one quickly.

The miller ordered them to retrieve every grain he had thrown into the stream. The devils fished the grains from the water and returned, again demanding another task.

The miller then gave them an impossible command: they were to remove all the ice from the pond, carry it to the yeast stone, set it alight, and bring him the ashes.

Enraged by the miller’s mockery and impossible demands, the devils finally abandoned him and returned to Hell. Before leaving, however, they took the mill wheel with them as revenge.

Sources

Watzlik, Hans. “Schnelle Knechte.” In Böhmerwald-Sagen. Budweis: Böhmerwalder Dorfbücher, 1921, Heft 5. Reproduced by SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/tschechien/watzlik/schnelleknechte.html

Gesindel

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Tradition: Czech Mythology
Alternative names: Gesindel
Category: Demon

The Myth

The Gesindel is a hellish rabble of supernatural beings from the folklore of the Bohemian Forest. They appear as groups of devil-like figures associated with strange gatherings, card playing, and supernatural music.

The Gesindel has no single fixed appearance. They are described as groups of devils, sometimes appearing as several figures gathered together in isolated places.

Near Rederhof in Eisenstraß lies a wide, flat stone with hoof-shaped impressions in it. According to local tradition, Satan was said to dance upon this stone. Because of this, the farmers avoided the stone and would not rest upon it.

Once, Martin passed by the stone and saw four figures sitting upon it. They appeared to be nodding devils and were playing cards. Martin would have liked to know which card was the trump, but he did not dare ask.

The hellish rabble also haunted the Huisriegel. In broad daylight, they would drum upon the ground, blow their instruments like a whole band of musicians, and play so loudly that the cattle in the pasture became agitated. The shepherd himself was frightened so badly that he fled over all nine mountains.

Sources

Watzlik, Hans. “Gesindel.” In Böhmerwald-Sagen. Budweis: Böhmerwalder Dorfbücher, 1921, Heft 5. Reproduced by SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/tschechien/watzlik/gesindel.html

Trud

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Tradition: Czech Mythology
Alternative names: –
Category: Demon

The Myth

The Trud is a frightening supernatural being from the folklore of the Bohemian Forest. It is associated with nighttime attacks, borrowing objects, and a strange form of possession. The Trud can appear as a woman or an old, wrinkled female figure, and it is capable of becoming extremely heavy when it sits upon a sleeping person.

A musician from St. Catherine’s Church was once visited by a Trud during the night. After dealing with it, he apparently drove it away and warned it to return the following day for matches. Another story explains why people were afraid to lend household objects: a musician’s wife was about to borrow a hoe from a neighbor when her cousin warned her not to go. The neighbor had supposedly trapped the Trud the previous night and was waiting for someone to come to the house and borrow something. The woman immediately returned home.

The Trud could also attack sleeping people. A blacksmith’s apprentice once felt the Trud settle upon his chest while he slept. It was enormously heavy, making it difficult for him to breathe. He eventually grabbed a handful of threshed straw, and the weight immediately became lighter. He jumped from his bed and trapped the straw in a vise.

When morning came, the blacksmith discovered an old, wrinkled woman in his workshop, with her hair caught in the vise. She begged him to release her. He opened the gate and drove her away by beating her.

A miller from High Art described another encounter with the Trud. He heard it approaching while making a constant whirring sound and crying out. It then jumped onto him, sat on his chest, and seemed to draw something from his body. He described the creature as having a round, pig-like beak and claimed that the Trud consumed the vitality or substance of its victims.

Sources

Watzlik, Hans. “Die Trud.” In Böhmerwald-Sagen. Budweis: Böhmerwalder Dorfbücher, 1921, Heft 5. Reproduced by SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/tschechien/watzlik/dietrud.html

Bosch

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Tradition: Breton Mythology, French Mythology
Alternative names: —
Category: Demon

The Myth

The Bosch is a supernatural creature believed to arise from theft committed aboard a ship. It has no fixed appearance and may take different forms depending on the nature of the crime that created it. Once born, it hides in the bow of the vessel and brings persistent misfortune to the crew.

A Bosch may survive for several months or even several years before gradually weakening and disappearing. While it remains aboard, the ship’s nets stay empty, favorable winds fail to appear, and misfortune continually afflicts the sailors.

In the Audierne region, maritime theft was paradoxically regarded as a source of good luck for the thief, because the Bosch created by the theft would remain behind on the ship. Elsewhere in Finistère, however, such supernatural consequences were regarded as a serious danger. Evil spirits could arise from acts of greed and wrongdoing aboard ships, making it necessary to fumigate a vessel before putting out to sea. The spirits were believed capable of becoming small enough to hide inside a thimble, so smoke had to reach every part of the ship.

There were two known ways to rid a vessel of a Bosch.

The first was to transfer it to another ship. The captain would identify a fortunate vessel whose crew enjoyed plentiful catches and good fortune. During the night, he would secretly board it and steal a small object, usually a pair of oarlocks. The Bosch would then leave its original ship and attach itself to the newly afflicted vessel.

The second method was to drive the creature into the sea. The captain would secretly steal some hay and hide it aboard the ship. At night, the hay would be set on fire near the mizzenmast while the captain shouted that there was a devil aboard.

The sailors, startled by the alarm, would seize whatever they could find and begin striking wildly around the vessel, beating every corner in an attempt to drive the supposed demon out. Faced with the smoke, flames, and blows, the Bosch would eventually flee into the sea, freeing the ship from its curse.

Sources

Countess Sica. “Bosch.” A Book of Creatures. July 8, 2015. https://abookofcreatures.com/2015/07/08/bosch/

Gaibyō-ki

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Tradition: Japanese mythology
Alternative names: The Coughing Disease Oni
Category: Demon

The Myth

Gaibyō-ki are small oni associated with an outbreak of coughing sickness. They are depicted as three small demons riding on clouds and attempting to enter a household, where they spread the disease.

The story appears in Ehon Sayoshigure under the title Okina Ekijin o Fusegu.

Around the Eishō era (1504–1521), coughing sickness spread through four or five villages in Echizen Province. Many villagers became seriously ill and were confined to their beds.

A rōnin lived in one of the affected villages, but strangely, nobody in his household became sick.

One night, an old man appeared at the rōnin’s house and told him that he lived beneath the southeastern corner of the house. He explained that oni carrying the coughing disease had recently been entering people’s homes and causing them to suffer. Because he recognized the rōnin’s virtuous conduct, the old man had been standing guard outside the house each night to keep the oni away.

After the old man departed, the rōnin dug beneath the southeastern corner of the house. There he discovered a box buried in the ground.

Believing that the box represented the old man who had protected his household, the rōnin built a shrine and worshipped him.

The accompanying illustration shows three small oni riding through the clouds as they attempt to enter the rōnin’s home, while the old man stands before the gate and glares at them, preventing their entry.

Sources

Takahashi, Toshihiro. “咳病の鬼 [がいびょう‐き] (Gaibyō-ki).” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). July 19, 2020. https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1077741576.html

Kigyō-yubi

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Tradition: Japanese mythology
Alternative names: Oni-shaped Finger
Category: Demon

The Myth

Kigyō-yubi is a severed human finger that appears to transform into the head of a small oni. The transformed finger is described as having a red complexion, two curled horns, and bright, star-like eyes, resembling the traditional Japanese depiction of an oni.

The story appears in the second volume of Kaishū Yakōkon, in a tale concerning a courtesan named Tatsuta.

Tatsuta was born in Kyoto and became a shirabyōshi, a female entertainer who performed songs and dances. After moving to Naniwa, she became highly sought after because of her beauty and skill at singing. She eventually fell deeply in love with a young merchant named Yamamoto Matashuke, and remained devoted to him even while continuing her work as a courtesan.

Matashuke, however, eventually abandoned her and married another woman. Tatsuta was devastated by his change of heart. She repeatedly sent him letters and, as proof of her devotion, even cut off her hair and one of her fingers and sent them to him. Matashuke regarded these gifts as troublesome and returned them.

Consumed by grief, jealousy, and resentment, Tatsuta became increasingly distraught. The severed finger remained in a container in her possession.

One day, when Tatsuta looked at the finger, she saw that it had transformed into the head of a tiny oni. It was red, had two curled horns, and possessed eyes that shone like stars. Terrified, Tatsuta covered the container and believed that her intense jealousy had caused her severed finger to become an oni.

She went to a reclusive monk named Ryōfū and confessed what had happened. When Ryōfū opened the container, however, he saw nothing unusual. The object was simply a human finger.

When he asked Tatsuta whether she still saw an oni, she insisted that she did. Ryōfū concluded that the oni was a manifestation of the demon within her own jealous mind, projected onto the severed finger.

Ryōfū taught her Buddhist teachings and gave her the ten recitations of the Buddha’s name. Three days later, Tatsuta returned and happily explained that she could no longer see the finger as an oni. She wished to shave her head and become Ryōfū’s disciple.

Ryōfū initially refused, explaining that she could not simply abandon her life as a courtesan. Instead, he taught her that she could turn her heart toward Buddhism even while remaining outwardly in her existing circumstances.

Tatsuta continued as a courtesan for some time, but eventually fulfilled her wish and became Ryōfū’s disciple. She shaved her head, took the name Eirin Bikuni, and established a hermitage at Sonezaki.

Sources

Takahashi, Toshihiro. “鬼形の指 [きぎょう‐ゆび] (Kigyo-yubi).” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). September 22, 2018. https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1072385607.html

Lantukhi

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Tradition: Belarusian Mythology
Alternative names: Lantuch, Lantukh, Lantuchakh
Category: Demon

The Myth

Lantukhi are small, mischievous spirits in the folklore of Eastern European Jews. They are generally harmless but enjoy causing disorder and playing tricks on people. They are sometimes described as brownie-like beings and may leave footprints resembling those of a huge bird.

Lantukhi can also interfere with travelers, taking on the role of a troublesome goblin or water spirit. They may try to push travelers from bridges or confuse them in forests, laughing loudly when their tricks succeed.

In Jewish folklore from Belarus, the Lantukhi are associated with petty mischief and hooliganism rather than serious evil. Stories about them were especially popular among the Jews of Belarus.

One tale tells of a learned Talmudist who remained alone in a synagogue at night, reading the Gemara. Since he was forbidden to sleep, he relied on tobacco to stay awake, but he had none. Suddenly, a huge red tongue emerged from the women’s gallery and began moving about, as if offering him something to smell. The man took the tobacco, and the strange apparition immediately disappeared. The spirit was identified as a Lantuch, who had appeared to help the scholar with his work.

Another tradition describes a Lantuch as a playful demon possessing a very long tongue. It could frighten or tease people by pushing its tongue through a window. This form is closely related to the Belarusian character Lick, another frightening being whose unusually long tongue was said to lick disobedient children until they bled.

Sources

“Lantukhi.” New Bestiary (Bestiary.us). Accessed August 30, 2026. https://www.bestiary.us/Lantukhi

Kutsodaimon

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Tradition: Greek Mythology
Alternative names: Kutsodaimon
Category: Demon

The Myth

Kutsodaimon is a grotesque demon associated with the Kallikantsars, appearing in the human world during the Christmas season. He is lame and often blind, with a huge head, a long tongue hanging from his mouth, and a large hump on his chest. He usually accompanies a group of Kallikantsars and hobbles along at the end of their procession, constantly cursing and insulting his companions.

Kutsodaimon remains after the other Kallikantsars disappear with the first crowing of the rooster, waiting until the third crow in order to carry out one final malicious trick.

The humpbacked Kutsodaimon is described as the most dangerous of the Kallikantsars. He attacks pregnant women and girls, making him particularly feared during the Christmas period. Various measures were used to prevent him from entering houses, including placing a sieve with a pomel at the threshold, hanging pork bones in the chimney, burning incense at night, and burning old shoes in the fireplace because of their smell.

One story tells of Kutsodaimon blinding a king’s daughter by stabbing her in both eyes just before disappearing. He later boasted to the other Kallikantsars that the princess would never see again unless she rubbed soot and cobwebs from their chimney into her eyes.

However, a young traveler who had unknowingly spent the night in a cave inhabited by the Kallikantsars overheard him. After the demons departed, the traveler collected soot and cobwebs from the cave and brought them to the capital. The remedy restored the princess’s sight, and the grateful king rewarded him with a cart full of gold.

Sources

“Kutsodaimon.” New Bestiary (Bestiary.us). Accessed August 30, 2026. https://www.bestiary.us/Kutsodaimon

Iratshoak

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Tradition: Basque mythology, Spanish Mythology
Alternative names: Iratxo, Iratxoak, Iratshoa
Category: Demon

The Myth

Iratshoak are small supernatural demons in Basque mythology that are generally friendly toward humans. They are helpful spirits that assist people with their work and business in exchange for a small symbolic reward.

They are especially associated with working during the night. Food left for them in a visible place can encourage them to work throughout the night, making them similar to the brownies of British folklore.

Despite being classified as demons, Iratshoak are not primarily hostile beings. Their relationship with humans is instead based on mutual benefit: they perform useful tasks while humans provide them with food or another small reward.

Sources

“Zlydnya.” New Bestiary (Bestiary.us). Accessed August 30, 2026. https://www.bestiary.us/Zlydnya

Zlydnya

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Tradition: Belarusian Mythology
Alternative names: Zlydnya
Category: Demon

The Myth

Zlydnya is a malevolent supernatural being appearing as an invisible woman without a tongue, eyes, or ears. She was once a snake, which was transformed into Zlydnya after a violent encounter with Lucifer.

The snake wrapped itself around its neck in a swamp and began to bite. During the struggle, Lucifer pulled the snake out and struck it with a saber. The snake then became Zlydnya.

Zlydnya has a particular love of soul-damning substances and keeps various abominations in a pot. She distributes these abominations among people, bringing them harm.

Sources

“Zlydnya.” New Bestiary (Bestiary.us). Accessed August 30, 2026. https://www.bestiary.us/Zlydnya