Demon

Bietebauw

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Tradition: Belgian Mythology
Alternative names: Bitebau, Budde
Category: Demon

The Myth

The Bietebauw is a frightening supernatural being from Flemish folklore, appearing as a boogeyman, devil-like creature, or ghost. In one recorded account from a 1595 witchcraft trial in Den Bosch, it is described as a black, crawling animal with no head and no tail.

In other traditions, the Bietebauw appears as a ghost in human form. People who were born with the caul were believed to be able to see it, while others could not. When it appeared to them, it could reveal a supernatural warning or prediction of something that was about to happen.

The Bietebauw was also used as a child-frightening figure, with Flemish traditions invoking it as a creature that would come from the black mountains and seize naughty children. In some older contexts it was associated with a devil or malevolent supernatural being.

Sources

“Van aardmannetje tot zwarte juffer: Een lijst van Nederlandse en Vlaamse elfen en geesten.” Abe de Verteller. Accessed August 29, 2026. https://abedeverteller.nl/van-aardmannetje-tot-zwarte-juffer-een-lijst-van-nederlandse-en-vlaamse-elfen-en-geesten/

Gagoze

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Tradition: Japanese mythology
Alternative names: Gagojin, Gagoji, Gangoji, Gangōji, Gagoze
Category: Demon

The Myth

Gagoze is a Japanese yokai associated with the ancient Gangōji temple in Nara. In later yokai picture scrolls, it is depicted as an ogre-like figure with a cloth covering its head. These depictions are thought to have been inspired by the vengeful spirit said to have appeared in the temple’s bell tower.

During the reign of Emperor Bidatsu, a farmer from Katawa in Aichi District, Owari Province, encountered a small thunder deity that had fallen from the sky. After helping the deity return to heaven, the farmer was rewarded with a child.

The child was born with a snake wrapped around his head and grew into a person of extraordinary strength. He eventually became a temple servant at Gangōji.

At that time, a demon appeared every night in the temple’s bell tower and killed people. The exceptionally strong youth volunteered to defeat it. At midnight, he confronted the demon and fought with it. The demon eventually escaped, but the youth succeeded in tearing out some of its hair.

The following day, the monks followed the trail of blood left by the fleeing demon. It led them to a place where people who had committed evil deeds at the temple had been buried. The demon was therefore revealed to be the vengeful spirit of a wicked person who had died.

The demon’s hair was preserved at Gangōji as a temple treasure. The youth later became known as Dōjō Hōshi and became a Buddhist monk.

The names Gagoze, Gagoji, Gagojin, and Gangoji later became associated with words for monsters or bogeymen in children’s speech. During the Edo period, these names were understood as corruptions of Gangōji and were connected with the legend of the temple’s demon.

Sources

Takahashi, Toshihiro. “元興寺 [がごぜ] (Gagoze).” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). December 6, 2010. https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1010653554.html

Abak

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Tradition: Mandaya Mythology, Philippine Mythology
Alternative names: Abak, Abaka
Category: Demon

The Myth

Abacus is an evil demonic spirit in the folklore of the Mandaya people of Mindanao in the Philippines. The name Abak is given as a Latin spelling of Abaka, the name of the evil spirit in Mandaya folklore.

The figure is also recorded as the proper name of one of the deities of the Bagobo people. The surviving description identifies Abacus primarily as a malevolent supernatural spirit, but provides no further details about its appearance, behavior, or associated legends.

Sources

“Abak.” New Bestiary (Bestiary.us). Accessed August 29, 2026. https://www.bestiary.us/abak

La Diablesse

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Tradition: Saint Lucia Mythology
Alternative names: Ladjablès
Category: Demon, Cow

The Myth

La Diablesse is a beautiful but deadly supernatural woman said to be the spirit of an enslaved African woman who made a pact with the Devil, surrendering her soul in exchange for eternal beauty.

She appears elegant and alluring, dressed in a long gown with a broad-brimmed hat that conceals her hideous face. Her greatest secret, however, is beneath her dress: one of her legs ends in a cow’s hoof. She walks with her human foot on the road while keeping the hoof hidden in the grass.

La Diablesse uses her beauty and supernatural powers to lure unsuspecting men away from the road and into the forest. Once deep among the trees, she suddenly disappears, leaving her victim confused and lost. He may eventually fall into a ravine or river, or become prey to wild animals.

Her cow hoof marks her as unmistakably demonic: beneath an attractive human appearance lies something inhuman and dangerous.

Sources

“La Diablesse.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed August 21, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Diablesse

King Jinjiao and King Yinjiao

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Tradition / Region: Chinese Mythology
Alternative names: Golden-Horned King, Silver-Horned King
Category: Cave dweller, Demon

The Myth

King Jinjiao and King Yinjiao are two powerful demon brothers who rule the Lotus Cave on Pingdingshan. They appear as formidable demon kings and possess a collection of magical weapons and treasures, including the Seven Star Sword, a gourd capable of absorbing and dissolving people, a jade bottle, a golden rope, and a banana-leaf fan that can produce the Samadhi Fire.

The two brothers were originally servants of Laozi and were responsible for guarding his alchemy furnace. They eventually stole several of his magical treasures and fled to the mortal world, where they established themselves as demon kings in the Lotus Cave.

When Tang Sanzang and his companions passed through the region, the two demon kings attacked them. They first defeated Sun Wukong and trapped him beneath three mountains before capturing Tang Sanzang.

The brothers later attempted to destroy Sun Wukong by using their magical gourd. They managed to suck him inside, intending for its supernatural power to dissolve him. Sun Wukong, however, escaped from the gourd before it could destroy him.

After escaping, Sun Wukong turned the magical weapon against its owners. He used the gourd to absorb both King Jinjiao and King Yinjiao, defeating the two demon kings with the very treasure they had used against him.

Sources

“金角大王和银角大王 (King Golden Horn and King Silver Horn).” Chinese Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed August 15, 2026. https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/金角大王和银角大王

Murioshe

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Tradition / Region: Breton Mythology, French Mythology
Alternative names: Mourioche
Category: Horse, Demon

The Myth

The Murioshe is a harmful demon of Breton folklore that can apparently transform into almost any animal. It has long been feared along the coast of the Côtes-d’Armor and around Jugon-le-Lac. Although it can assume many forms, it most commonly appears as a water horse or as a werewolf. It may also take the shape of a donkey, bull, pig, ox, sheep, or even a pair of human arms.

The Murioshe hunts at night, stalking lonely travelers. It sometimes appears as a horse standing quietly beside the road, waiting for someone to ride it. Once mounted, the victim finds the creature’s spine stretching beneath the saddle while it gallops into a lake, laughing as it drowns its rider. At other times it seizes travelers with its muscular arms and throws them into muddy ditches, or leaps onto a person’s back and forces them to carry it until they collapse from exhaustion.

One tale tells of a farmer from Saint-Cast who repeatedly found livestock missing from his barn. Each morning he discovered that a different animal had vanished, only to find another species in its place. After realizing all of his animals had been slaughtered, he armed himself with a shotgun, but the Murioshe destroyed his barn and kidnapped his three children, who were never seen again. Despite its cruelty, the creature left behind a gold necklace.

People believed the Murioshe could sometimes be driven away through cleverness rather than force. One story tells of a rider who escaped after threatening to cut off the ears of the werewolf-like horse with scissors.

The Murioshe was also used to frighten misbehaving children. Parents warned them, “If you don’t listen, a Murioshe will come for you!”

The creature’s true origin is uncertain. Some traditions claim it was once a Breton man or woman who practiced dark arts and sold their soul to the Devil. Others identify it as the Devil himself, while some describe it simply as a werewolf unable to control its transformations. Another tradition recorded by Pierre Dubois says that the Murioshe was once the court jester of the underwater king before being exiled for bad behavior.

Sources

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

Mezu

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Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternative names: Mezuki, Horse Head Demon
Category: Horse, Demon

The Myth

Mezu is one of the demon generals who guard the gates of hell in Japanese Buddhism. He appears as a powerful oni with the head of a horse and serves Great King Enma, the ruler of the underworld.

Together with his counterpart Gozu, who has the head of an ox, Mezu is among the first beings encountered by souls entering Jigoku. The two demons are immensely strong, possessing the power to move mountains, and rank among Enma’s chief servants. They oversee the punishment and torture of the wicked within hell.

If a soul attempts to escape from the underworld, Mezu and Gozu are dispatched to pursue and capture the fugitive, returning it to its rightful punishment.

Although Mezu and Gozu are the best-known of Enma’s servants, they are not the only animal-headed demons in hell. Other guardians with the heads of deer, tigers, lions, and boars also serve among the higher ranks, operating the torture chambers of Jigoku and supervising the torment of countless souls.

According to Buddhist tradition, Mezu and the other animal-headed demons ultimately trace their origins to Indian mythology, from which they spread to Japan through China along with Buddhism.

Sources

Foster, M. D. (n.d.). Mezu. In Yokai.com: The Illustrated Database of Japanese Folklore. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://yokai.com/mezu/

Kolju-taat

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Tradition / Region: Estonian Mythology
Alternative names: Skull Grandfather
Category: Cow, Demon

The Myth

Kolju-taat is a guardian spirit of the sea from the coast of northern Estonia. He is especially associated with the waters near Keila-Joa and appears either as a huge bull rising from the sea or as a tall old man with a strangely shaped skull, traveling in a silver-white boat.

Although generally feared, Kolju-taat was not always hostile. He could both harm and help fishermen. It was believed that anyone who failed to offer him a sacrifice would be punished. Fish, alcohol, salt, and bread were commonly offered, often by throwing them directly into the sea. After returning home, fishermen also shared part of their catch with the poor, believing this would ensure a rich catch in the future.

Sources

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

Hännamees

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Tradition / Region: Estonian Mythology
Alternative names: —
Category: Demon

The Myth

The Hännamees is a supernatural demon that steals food, money, and other valuables for its master. It secretly enters other people’s homes, takes whatever it has been ordered to steal, and delivers the stolen goods back to its owner.

The creature serves whoever controls it, tirelessly carrying out commands to enrich its master through theft. Its purpose is not to gather wealth for itself, but to bring prosperity to the person who commands it.

Sources

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

Gul-yabani

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Tradition / Region: Turkish, Azerbaijani, Kyrgyz and Tajik folklore
Alternative names: Gul, Ghul, Desert Demon
Category: Demon, Zombie

The Myth

The Gul-yabani is a fearsome spirit of the wild places, known throughout parts of Central Asia and the Turkic world. Its name means “Desert Demon,” and it is regarded as a dangerous being that inhabits lonely steppes, cemeteries, deserts, forests, and remote mountains. Travelers who encounter it after sunset are said to face terror or death.

The creature is usually described as gigantic, standing three to four meters tall and covered in gray or black fur. It possesses an overpowering animal-like stench, backward-facing feet or clawed limbs, and often appears in the form of an enormous shepherd or hairy man. Its arrival is accompanied by shrill whistling in the darkness.

Among Turks and Azerbaijanis, Gul-yabani wanders cemeteries and desolate places at night. It frightens travelers and is especially known for riding horses, tangling their manes before vanishing into the darkness. In some parts of western Azerbaijan it was even identified with harmful water spirits. It was believed that if a Gul-yabani could be captured and pierced with a needle, it would become bound to its captor and perform work for them, although often doing the opposite of what was intended.

The Kyrgyz of the Eastern Pamirs and the Tajiks believed the creature lived in deserts and mountain forests. Although monstrous in appearance, it speaks with a human voice and often challenges strong men to wrestling matches. Only exceptionally powerful individuals are capable of fighting it as an equal.

Stories tell of a man near Tajikabad who encountered a giant shepherd after sunset. The two wrestled throughout the night, neither able to defeat the other. When dawn arrived, the stranger was revealed to be covered in wool. The creature gifted the man a piece of its fur and promised friendship, telling him that burning the hair would summon it. A mullah later explained that the mysterious shepherd had been a Gul-yabani and warned that revealing the encounter could bring death.

The Gul-yabani is said to understand every language, though it communicates through thoughts rather than spoken words. Those who establish contact with it may gain unusual powers, and only extremely pious mullahs are believed capable of seeing the creature clearly.

Hunters seldom encounter Gul-yabani because the monster greatly fears gunfire and can smell gunpowder from many kilometers away. One story tells of a police chief resting beside his car in the mountains when a tremendous force began shaking the vehicle. Looking outside, he saw an enormous hairy being devouring meat from a basin. The creature pressed its giant hands against the rear window of the car before fleeing when the officer fired his pistol. Two massive handprints were said to remain on the glass.

Mysterious, foul-smelling, and immensely powerful, the Gul-yabani is remembered as one of the great monsters of Turkic folklore—a giant hairy demon that roams the lonely wilderness and appears only when night falls.

Sources

Bestiary.us. (n.d.). Gjul-Jabani. In New Bestiary: Encyclopedia of Imaginary Beings. Retrieved June 16, 2026, from https://www.bestiary.us/gjul-jabani