13 evil creatures - science fiction, fantasy, and horror · 2019. 10. 31. · werejaguar in south...

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13 EVIL CREATURES Halloween is a night of fun. Its a night of dressing up in ghoulish costumes and telling scary ghost stories. But lurking beneath the surface are a host of evil creatures intent on causing mayhem and destruction. Who are these monsters and how can we avoid them? This slideshow features modern artistic interpretations of folkloric evil creatures.

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Page 1: 13 EVIL CREATURES - Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror · 2019. 10. 31. · werejaguar in South America and other creatures of this type. WITCH Another favorite of Halloween stories,

13 EVIL CREATURES Halloween is a night of fun. It’s a night of dressing up in ghoulish costumes and telling scary ghost stories. But lurking beneath the surface are a host of evil creatures intent on causing mayhem and destruction. Who are these monsters and how can we avoid them?

This slideshow features modern artistic interpretations of folkloric evil creatures.

Page 2: 13 EVIL CREATURES - Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror · 2019. 10. 31. · werejaguar in South America and other creatures of this type. WITCH Another favorite of Halloween stories,

BANSHEE To hear the wail of a banshee is a very bad omen. This fairy from Celtic folklore announces the death of a member of the family that hears her inhuman cry. You may close all your windows and doors, and wrap your head in the thickest of blankets, but nothing will muffle her scream. Don’t be fooled by her appearance. Sometimes she is old and haggard; sometimes she is young and beautiful. Some say she will foretell the deaths of a single household through the generations.

Copy and paste this address to observe this moody representation of the Irish Banshee. However, consider yourself pre-warned. http://vimeo.com/37934533

Page 3: 13 EVIL CREATURES - Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror · 2019. 10. 31. · werejaguar in South America and other creatures of this type. WITCH Another favorite of Halloween stories,

BOGEYMAN The bogeyman is a wicked, shadowy figure that lurks in the dark. He is powerless during the day but moves through the night, punishing naughty children and sometimes stealing their souls. As a shape-shifter, he is not easy to recognize and so serves as a warning to children to beware the unfamiliar. What can be done to avoid him? Just be good, or “the bogeyman will get you.”

Page 4: 13 EVIL CREATURES - Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror · 2019. 10. 31. · werejaguar in South America and other creatures of this type. WITCH Another favorite of Halloween stories,

ELF Sometimes known as the little people, elves can also appear human-sized. Do not confuse the kind elves of the seelie court with the evil elves of the unseelie court. They like to play tricks and will cause diseases in cattle and humans. They can also steal human children and replace them with changelings. Your nightmares may be caused by an elf sitting on your chest.

To recognize a human-sized elf you need to look behind them. They may have a long tail or they may appear hollow from the back. Copy and paste this address to watch a short and curious transformation. http://vimeo.com/12291479

Page 5: 13 EVIL CREATURES - Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror · 2019. 10. 31. · werejaguar in South America and other creatures of this type. WITCH Another favorite of Halloween stories,

FURY

Described variously as: •  personified curses, •  ghosts of murder victims or •  the three daughters of Gaea.

These furies are vengeful spirits. They ascend from the underworld to pursue and torment the guilty.

You have nothing to fear if you’re innocent. You are innocent, aren’t you?

Page 6: 13 EVIL CREATURES - Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror · 2019. 10. 31. · werejaguar in South America and other creatures of this type. WITCH Another favorite of Halloween stories,

GHOST Ghosts are a favorite topic for stories at Halloween and dark stormy nights. •  They are the spirits of the dead who have either been victims of a violent death or have unfinished business with the living.

•  You may see them as a solid being or a nebulous spirit. •  They may be invisible, manifesting themselves by eerie sounds, peculiar smells or, in the case of poltergeists, by moving objects. •  To reduce your chances of being bothered by ghosts, avoid graveyards or places of untimely death.

Page 7: 13 EVIL CREATURES - Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror · 2019. 10. 31. · werejaguar in South America and other creatures of this type. WITCH Another favorite of Halloween stories,

GHOUL Another evil creature found in graveyards is the demonic ghoul.

•  It feasts on corpses. •  When it tires of dead flesh it will lure travelers from the road and kill them.

Although it is another shape-shifter, it can be recognized because it will always have the hooves of an ass. Be sure to kill a ghoul with a single blow, as a second will make it stronger.

Page 8: 13 EVIL CREATURES - Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror · 2019. 10. 31. · werejaguar in South America and other creatures of this type. WITCH Another favorite of Halloween stories,

GOBLIN

A goblin is a small, grotesque spirit that lives in a grotto (natural or artificial cave dwellings near water). At night, the sounds of breaking crockery and banging are signs you are being visited by a goblin. Although they punish naughty children, goblins are also known to reward those that are good. Keep them friendly and happy by offering them food and milk.

Page 9: 13 EVIL CREATURES - Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror · 2019. 10. 31. · werejaguar in South America and other creatures of this type. WITCH Another favorite of Halloween stories,

OGRE Ogres are hideous giants, but can change to appear in human form. They like to feed on humans, especially children. Ogres are dangerous to tackle directly but, as they are also greedy and stupid, they can be easily tricked and killed. Copy this address to see what is believed to be the first ogres -- Nephilim. They were created when the fallen angels had union with human women. http://www.greatdreams.com/reptlan/nephilim.htm

Page 10: 13 EVIL CREATURES - Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror · 2019. 10. 31. · werejaguar in South America and other creatures of this type. WITCH Another favorite of Halloween stories,

PIXIE Pixies are mischievous fairies who usually dress in green and like to dance to the music of crickets and frogs in the moonlight. They also enjoy themselves by knocking on walls, blowing out candles, playing in water and frightening young women. Leading travelers astray by confusing them is a favorite pixie trick. If you become pixie-led while travelling, turn your coat back-to-front or inside-out. This will confuse the pixies and they will release you.

Pixies also respond to bribery. Offer them new clothes and they will disappear.

Page 11: 13 EVIL CREATURES - Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror · 2019. 10. 31. · werejaguar in South America and other creatures of this type. WITCH Another favorite of Halloween stories,

VAMPIRE These undead creatures feed on the blood of their victims by night. By day, vampires must either return to their grave or to a coffin filled with earth from their native land. A vampire has a pallid appearance and long incisors used for biting the necks of its prey. They can also be recognized by having neither a shadow nor a reflection. Ward off a vampire by use of a crucifix or by wearing garlic around your neck. If you are unlucky enough to be bitten you must kill your attacker or turn into a vampire yourself. A vampire can only be

killed by burning, driving a stake through its heart or destroying its daytime resting place.

Page 12: 13 EVIL CREATURES - Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror · 2019. 10. 31. · werejaguar in South America and other creatures of this type. WITCH Another favorite of Halloween stories,

WEREWOLF A diet of sheep or goats may sustain a werewolf but it prefers the taste of humans. This shape-shifting creature transforms from a human to a wolf by night, sometimes at will and sometimes involuntarily at a full moon.

Any wounds inflicted on the wolf will be visible after its change back to a human. These wounds make the werewolf identifiable during the day. Also beware the weretiger in West Africa, the werefox in Japan and China, the werejaguar in South America and other creatures of this type.

Page 13: 13 EVIL CREATURES - Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror · 2019. 10. 31. · werejaguar in South America and other creatures of this type. WITCH Another favorite of Halloween stories,

WITCH Another favorite of Halloween stories, witches generally gather in groups and gain their power from associations with demons. These demons may accompany them in the form of animals, often black cats. The ability to fly, usually with the aid of a broomstick, allows them to travel quickly.

Although old and haggard in appearance, witches are able to transform themselves into other guises. This transformation can also be performed on others. In order to defeat a witch you either have to possess stronger magic or be a cunning and virtuous hero. Does science attribute witchery and werewolfism to the same disease? Copy this address to check out the informative video. http://www.history.com/videos/salem-witch-trials#salem-witch-trials

Page 14: 13 EVIL CREATURES - Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror · 2019. 10. 31. · werejaguar in South America and other creatures of this type. WITCH Another favorite of Halloween stories,

WRAITH

As the sound of a banshee is a portent of death, so is the sight of a wraith. Also known as a fetch or a doppelgänger, the wraith is an exact double of the person whose death it foretells. It is usually an apparition, but can sometimes appear real.

Occasionally, the sight of a wraith does not mean death. Sometimes its appearance is an appeal for help and, if seen in the morning, a wraith can herald a long life.

Page 15: 13 EVIL CREATURES - Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror · 2019. 10. 31. · werejaguar in South America and other creatures of this type. WITCH Another favorite of Halloween stories,

TRISKAIDEKAPHOBIA 10 REASONS PEOPLE FEAR THE #13

1. Some speculate that a fear of the number 13 is the reason we recognize only 12 constellations in the Zodiac, omitting a thirteenth Ophiuchus, the Serpent Holder. 2. The ancient Hebrews thought 13 was unlucky because the thirteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet is the letter M, which is the first letter in the word "mavet," meaning death. 3. Belief that 13 is unlucky because it follows 12, which in ancient Babylonia, China, and Rome was considered to be a lucky number associated with completion and perfection 4. Bakers Dozen, some believed that the baker's would add a half loaf as a token to Satan to assure that the other twelve would turn out good. London bakers were subject to harsh penalties if they were caught selling bread in what was called short weight that the bakers would add the extra loaf to avoid the punishment. 5. A perfect coven consists of 13 witches

Page 16: 13 EVIL CREATURES - Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror · 2019. 10. 31. · werejaguar in South America and other creatures of this type. WITCH Another favorite of Halloween stories,

6. A dinner party should not have 13 guests, the old belief that the first to rise would be the first to die, this belief goes back to the Last Supper where Judas was the first to rise and the first to die. A hostess who has only 13 guests will request that they all rise together so that none of her friends will die during the following year. 7. The Last Supper had 13 in attendance, Judas was the first to rise and the first to die 8. The Norse God Odin had a party for 11 demigods, including himself, Loki arrived uninvited and when Baldr, Odin's second son, tried to remove Loki, Baldr was murdered. Therefore 13 was unlucky 9. The arrest and murders of the Knights Templar was planned and executed on October 13, 1307 10. In a male dominate society 13 is considered a feminine number therefore it is unlucky.

TRISKAIDEKAPHOBIA 10 REASONS PEOPLE FEAR THE #13

Page 17: 13 EVIL CREATURES - Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror · 2019. 10. 31. · werejaguar in South America and other creatures of this type. WITCH Another favorite of Halloween stories,

With this information at your disposal you should be able to recognize some of the evil creatures that roam the night.

But remember, Halloween isn’t the only night these spirits and demons appear. With virtue and cunning you can stay safe all year round.