Spirit

Klaas Vaak

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Tradition / Region: Dutch Mythology, German Mythology
Alternate Names: Zandmannetje
Category: Spirit

The Myth

Klaas Vaak, also known as the Zandmannetje, is a figure believed to bring sleep to children. He is already mentioned in a poem from 1651, where it is said that he gently strokes people’s eyelids to make them yawn and fall asleep. In this early form, his presence is soothing and quiet, associated with the natural onset of sleep.

By 1767, the name Zandmannetje appears for the first time in a lullaby. In this version of the belief, Klaas Vaak causes sleep by sprinkling sand into people’s eyes, making them rub their eyelids. In the morning, the grains of sand are said to remain in the corners of the eyes as proof of his visit.

In a darker German version recorded in 1816, the Sandman is described as a frightening figure. Children were told that if they refused to go to bed, he would throw so much sand into their eyes that they would bleed from their sockets. He would then collect their eyes in a sack, carry them to the moon, and feed them to his own children. In this tradition, he becomes associated with the Man in the Moon and functions as a figure used to frighten children into obedience.

Like Sinterklaas, Klaas Vaak is sometimes said to enter homes through the chimney. While it is not known for certain whether the terrifying version of the Sandman was used in the Netherlands, the belief that Klaas Vaak visits at night to bring sleep was widespread and enduring.

Nachtwerkertjes

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Tradition / Region: Dutch Mythology
Alternate Names: Werkgeesten (related)
Category: Spirit

The Myth

In Dutch folklore, Nachtwerkertjes are mysterious beings heard at night inside workshops and workspaces. When loud hammering, sawing, or other work noises are heard in the middle of the night—without any human present—it is said that the nachtwerkertjes are at work.

Their presence is believed to be a sign of what is to come. Hearing them foretells that there will soon be much work to be done, as if the spirits are preparing in advance. In the Zaan region, where windmills dominate the landscape, the sounds of nachtwerkertjes are specifically taken as a warning that a storm is approaching. Such storms often caused damage to mills, leading to extensive repair work afterward.

Thus, the nachtwerkertjes do not appear directly to people, but announce themselves through sound, acting as unseen workers whose nocturnal activity signals impending labor and disruption.

Baccoo

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Tradition / Region: Guyana Mythology and Suriname Mythology
Alternate Names: Bakru (Sranan Tongo), Bakulu, Bakuu (Saramaccan)
Category: Spirit

The Myth

A Baccoo is a supernatural being found in the folklore of Guyana and Suriname. Descriptions of the creature vary, but it is often said to have an oversized head and a small body, with one half made of wood and the other half of flesh. Some accounts note that it lacks kneecaps, giving it an unnatural way of moving.

Baccoo are believed to exist in two main forms. Some serve humans—usually merchants or individuals seeking success—after a contract is made with them. Others roam freely, haunting the areas where they dwell. Those who keep a baccoo must feed it regularly, most commonly with milk and bananas.

When bound to a person, a baccoo may be sent to perform tasks. It can act as an invisible messenger, carrying information from place to place, or it may be used to torment others by throwing stones, starting fires, or causing unexplained disturbances. These acts are often attributed to unseen forces, though people familiar with the lore recognize them as the work of a baccoo.

The origin of the baccoo is uncertain. Some traditions connect it to the Abiku of Yoruba belief, a spirit associated with children who die before being named, commemorated through small wooden figures. Others trace it to the mmoatia spirits of Akan folklore. Over time, these influences blended, and the baccoo became a shared figure across multiple cultural traditions in the region.

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Baccoo. In Wikipedia, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baccoo

Chairo-kaze

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Tradition / Region: Japan
Alternate Names: Brown Wind
Category: Spirit wind / atmospheric yōkai

The Myth

Chairo-kaze, or “Brown Wind,” is a mysterious spirit wind described by Shigeru Mizuki based on an experience from his childhood. He wrote about it in a school composition titled Brown Wind, later recalling it in his personal writings.

As a child, Mizuki would occasionally encounter a strange wind that made him feel uneasy and different from ordinary gusts of air. The experience always occurred at night, so he could never actually see the wind’s color. Despite this, he instinctively named it the “Brown Wind,” sensing that it carried an uncanny and mysterious presence.

This phenomenon is later mentioned in books about yōkai and supernatural phenomena, including sections devoted to so-called “spirit winds,” where Chairo-kaze is treated as an example of an unseen but perceptible supernatural force felt rather than seen.

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Kolodechnik

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Tradition / Region: Russian Mythology
Alternate Names: —
Category: Spirit

The Myth

A kolodechnik is a type of brownie spirit in Russian folklore and is regarded as the master and guardian of a well. Each kolodechnik is bound to a specific well, which it protects as its own domain.

The spirit is believed to dwell within the depths of the well, watching over the water and ensuring its proper use. Every well has its own kolodechnik, and the spirit does not stray from the place it guards.

Kodama

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Tradition / Region: Japanese folklore (mountain regions, Honshu, Izu Islands, Okinawa)
Alternate Names: Kidama-sama, Kodama-sama, Kiinushii
Category: Tree spirit / forest guardian

The Myth

Deep in the mountainous forests of Japan, ancient trees are believed to be inhabited by spirits known as Kodama. These spirits dwell within very old trees, and their lives are inseparably bound to their host. If the tree dies, the kodama perishes with it; if the kodama is destroyed, the tree cannot survive.

Kodama are rarely seen, but their presence is often heard. In forests and mountain valleys, sounds sometimes echo longer than they should, returning with an unnatural delay. This phenomenon, known as yamabiko, is traditionally attributed to kodama responding to human voices. When they do appear visually, kodama may manifest as faint, distant orbs of light, or as small, oddly shaped, vaguely humanoid figures moving through the forest.

Although their bodies may leave the tree temporarily, kodama remain guardians of their groves, tending to the balance of nature. Trees inhabited by kodama are considered sacred. Villagers traditionally mark such trees with shimenawa, sacred ropes, to signal their divine status and warn against harm. Cutting down a tree that houses a kodama is believed to bring a powerful curse, capable of plunging an entire community into ruin. In some traditions, when an ancient tree is cut and blood appears to flow from the wood, it is taken as proof that a kodama lived within it.

The belief in tree spirits is ancient. In early Japanese texts, kodama are closely associated with gods and yōkai alike. The tree deity Kukunochi no Kami, recorded in the Kojiki (712 CE), is sometimes interpreted as a kodama. In the Heian-period dictionary Wamyō Ruijushō, tree gods are listed under the name “kodama.” Classical literature such as The Tale of Genji refers to kodama alongside oni, fox spirits, and gods, indicating their liminal nature between kami and yōkai.

Kodama are said to take many forms. Some appear as ghostly lights, others as animals or humans. One story tells of a kodama that fell in love with a human and left its tree, assuming human form in order to meet them. According to medieval Shinto texts such as the Reikiki, kodama may dwell in groups deep within the mountains and are sometimes heard speaking, particularly at moments of death.

Regional traditions preserve related beliefs. On Aogashima and Hachijō-jima in the Izu Islands, shrines are built at the base of great cryptomeria trees and worshipped under the names kidama-sama or kodama-sama, and festivals are held whenever such trees are cut. On Okinawa, tree spirits are called kiinushii, and prayers are made before felling any tree. Nighttime sounds resembling falling trees are believed to be the cries of kiinushii, followed by the tree withering days later. The Okinawan yōkai kijimuna is sometimes said to be a manifestation of these spirits.

In the Gazu Hyakki Yagyō by Toriyama Sekien, kodama are depicted as elderly men and women standing among trees, with the explanation that when a tree reaches a hundred years of age, a divine spirit comes to dwell within it. Through these traditions, kodama remain enduring symbols of the living soul of the forest and the sacred bond between trees and spirit.

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Ichchi

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Tradition / Region: Russian Mythology
Category: Spirit masters / animistic spirits

The Myth

In traditional Yakut belief, ichchi are spirit masters that inhabit objects, places, and natural phenomena. According to this worldview, nature is alive in all its parts, and every thing—large or small—possesses its own indwelling spirit. Mountains, trees, rivers, lakes, fire, tools, dwellings, and even the most ordinary household objects were believed to have an ichchi.

Ichchi could dwell in prominent features of the landscape, such as forests or bodies of water, acting as guardians or owners of those places. At the same time, they could also inhabit humble or easily overlooked things, such as the firebox used in the hearth or tools used in daily work. Because of this, people were expected to treat both nature and objects with care and respect.

When approached properly, an ichchi could become a patron spirit to a person or household, offering protection, good fortune, and harmony. Disrespect, neglect, or improper behavior toward the object or place inhabited by an ichchi could provoke misfortune, illness, or bad luck.

Communication with ichchi took the form of prayers called algys, which were spoken to honor or appease the spirits. Offerings were an essential part of this relationship. These could include horsehair ornaments, scraps of cloth known as salama, non-animal foods, kumiss (fermented mare’s milk), or money. The offerings acknowledged the spirit’s presence and authority.

Ichchi are distinct from other spiritual beings in Yakut cosmology. They are not the high benevolent deities known as Aiyy, nor are they the malevolent spirits such as Abaahy or Uor. Instead, ichchi occupy a middle position as ever-present spirit owners of the world itself.

Similar beliefs in spirit masters exist among neighboring peoples. Other Turkic-speaking groups refer to such spirits as eye or ezi, the Buryats call them ezhins, and the Mongols know them as edzens, reflecting a shared animistic understanding across Inner Asia.

Igrets

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Tradition / Region: Russian Mythology
Alternative Name: –
Category: Spirit

The Myth

Igrets is a figure from Russian folk belief understood as a malicious type of domovoi, the household spirit. Unlike the more ambivalent or protective domovoi, the igrets is known specifically for cruel and troublesome behavior. It hides objects, causes disorder in the house, torments livestock, and interferes with daily life through spiteful tricks rather than playful mischief.

In popular belief, the igrets is sometimes identified directly with the house spirit itself, and in other cases confused with the devil or a demonic presence dwelling within the household. Its actions are described as aggressive and harmful: breaking things, frightening people, and provoking physical or emotional distress. Because of this, its “jokes” were considered dangerous rather than humorous.

Belief in the igrets was widespread in central and southern regions of Russia, including the Ryazan, Tambov, Kursk, Tula, Voronezh, Penza, and Oryol provinces, as well as the Don region. From at least the 19th century, everyday speech in these areas included expressions such as “Igrets take you,” “Igrets knows him,” or “Igrets is with you,” used to explain misfortune, sudden anger, or destructive behavior.

In some regions, the word igrets was also used to describe physical or psychological disturbances. In Kursk province, it could refer to a violent fit or hysterical episode accompanied by screaming. In Tambov and the Don region, it could mean paralysis or sudden loss of control over one’s limbs. These meanings suggest that the igrets was associated not only with household disorder, but also with unexplained illness or loss of bodily control.

Overall, the igrets represents the darker side of domestic spirits in Russian folklore: a presence within the home that causes chaos, suffering, and fear, and serves as an explanation for sudden misfortune, destructive impulses, or frightening physical episodes.

Angako-di-Ngato

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Tradition / Region: Philippines Mythology
Alternate Names: Angako-De-Ngato
Category: Spirit

The Myth

Angako-di-Ngato are spirits feared in the folklore of the Kalinga people of northern Luzon. They are believed to be the cause of illness, afflicting humans with sickness when they draw near or are offended.

When disease strikes without an obvious cause, it is said that Angako-di-Ngato are responsible. These spirits act invisibly, entering the human body or lingering around people, weakening them and bringing suffering.

In Kalinga belief, illness is not merely physical but the result of contact with these malevolent spirits, whose presence disrupts the balance between humans and the unseen world.

Source

Bestiary.us contributors. (n.d.). Angako di Ngato. In Bestiary.us — Mythical Creatures of the World, from https://www.bestiary.us/angako-di-ngato/en

Vette

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Tradition / Region: Icelandic Mythology, Norwegian Mythology
Alternate Names: Vaett, Land-vætt, Wight, Vaette-houer
Category: Nature spirit / house spirit

The Myth

In Scandinavian folklore, a vette (or vætt) is a supernatural being associated with nature, land, and human dwellings. Vættir are understood as spirits bound to specific places, such as farms, burial mounds, waterfalls, fields, or outbuildings. When connected to the land itself, they are known as Land-vættir, guardian spirits of a particular locality.

Early Scandinavian law codes reflect belief in these beings. According to Ulfliot’s law, sailors approaching land were required to remove carved figureheads from their ships so as not to frighten the Land-vættir with their gaping mouths or beaks. The Gulathing law states that Land-vættir were believed to dwell in burial mounds and waterfalls. Spirits associated specifically with burial mounds were known as Vaette-houer.

Over time, the image of the vette expanded beyond guardians of land to include spirits tied to farms and household buildings. These beings were believed to live close to humans, inhabiting barns, stables, storehouses, and homes. They were capable of working tirelessly, completing chores such as feeding livestock, tending children, sweeping floors, and carrying water. When well-disposed, they ensured the prosperity and order of the household.

However, vettir were also known for mischief. If offended or simply inclined to play tricks, they might pull blankets off sleeping people, tickle their heels with cold fingers, mix pepper or mustard into sugar bowls, paint faces, or let animals loose from their pens. Such acts could drive the victims to anger and confusion.

Vettir were typically described as small, stout beings with long gray beards, deep-set eyes, round bellies, thin legs, and rough, low voices. They wore old-fashioned peasant clothing, sometimes red jackets and red stockings, and were often said to walk with birch sticks. Like similar household spirits elsewhere in Europe, they disliked being given clothing openly, though some traditions say they would accept garments if left quietly in a hidden place.

In a broader sense, the word vættir could refer to supernatural beings in general. It was sometimes used as a collective term encompassing elves, dwarves, trolls, giants, and even the gods themselves.

Through these traditions, vettir are remembered as ever-present spirits of place—guardians, workers, tricksters, and unseen neighbors who shared the landscape and daily life of the Scandinavian world.