Tradition / Region: Lithuanian Mythology
Alternative names: None commonly recorded
Category: Demon
The Myth
The Baubas is a sinister spirit feared throughout Lithuanian folklore. It is said to lurk in dark corners of houses, beneath carpets, under beds, or anywhere shadows gather. Children were taught to fear it, and parents often warned that the Baubas would come for those who misbehaved.
The creature is described as dark or black in color, with glowing red eyes, long thin arms, and wrinkled fingers. It hides silently and waits for an opportunity to trouble humans.
The Baubas is particularly dangerous at night. It harasses sleeping people, pulls their hair, and is sometimes said to sit upon their chests and suffocate them. Its touch brings terror, and few who encounter it ever clearly see its full form.
For children, the Baubas serves much the same role as the bogeyman in English-speaking traditions. Threats such as “Behave, or the Baubas will come and get you” were commonly used to frighten unruly youngsters into obedience.
Thus, the Baubas remains one of Lithuania’s most feared household spirits—a shadowy being with red eyes and grasping fingers that waits in the darkness for the careless and the disobedient.
Sources
Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). List of Lithuanian gods and mythological figures. In Wikipedia. Retrieved June 16, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Lithuanian_gods_and_mythological_figures