Chimera

In ancient greek mythology, this creature is said to be a fire breathing beast from Lycia. It has a lions head and tail with a goats head sticking out of its back.

A differing version of this myth is that of this creature being a shape changer. This version of the myth is wider spread and occasionally worked into pop culture. In this version, a chimera is simply something made of several differing animal parts otr can change into a vast number of animals.

The Wild Hunt

Known by man names, this lore was once much feared. It revolved around the idea of huntsmen who would ride throughout an area and slay anyone who came in their path or even just lay eyes upon them. In some accounts, they were considered to be a sort of law enforcement, however these thoughts were few in number.
The wild hunt would instill fear within anyone who thought of it if they lived within the areas where the lore was prevalent. The lore originated in Europe during the end on the middle ages, possibly slightly later. 

Blue or Green Doorframes

So a door frame is not a creature or beast, but there is still folk lore that revolves are them. A Green or Blue door frame or window frame is thought to be a deterrent to witches. Within the old wives tale, it's said that a witch is unable to pass through a frame which is blue or green. For me this adds a new dimension to walking down the street. In most older neighbourhoods you can find a number of homes with this stylistic feature. Perhaps this shows just how seriously people used to take what we now refer to a myth.

Hell Hounds

The legend of the hell hound is wide spread and mostly the same in many cultures. It's said to be a large black dog and often has the qualities of super-strength and speed and often smells very unpleasant. It also commonly has glowing red eyes and can appear and disappear at will. The hell hound is tasked with taking souls into the afterlife once a person has died. In a small number of legends about these creatures, its thought that they can be controlled by demons or the devil and have to do their bidding. 

Although this legend is mostly easily followed through European history, dating back to the vikings, the lore is also found in the America's, it's just better documented in Europe. 

They have many different names and are referred to by many colloquial terms but they are always thought to have the ability to be very dangerous and affiliated with evil. 

Hell hounds are said to be repelled by a number of cleansing agents, including holy water, gofer dust and devils shoestring. 

Lamia

The Lamia is a creature from ancient Greek mythology. The story says that the Lamia was a beautiful Libyan Queen who the god, Zeus, fell in love with. Hera, Zeus' wife became jealous of the queen and cursed her to become a child-eating monster. Where some accounts say that her face became distorted and hideous because of the evil she committed, some say she is still the beautiful woman that seduced the great god and captured his heart.
The Lamia is said to be half human, half serpent. She has a serpents tail from the waist down and the upper half of her is the woman that Hera cursed from her rage.
Later interpretations of the myth describe a number of Lamia who act like Succubi, who seduce young men and feed on their blood like a sort of vampire. In this interpretation, their venom is thought to be highly poisonous. There are accounts of male Lamia and even hermaphrodites.
Part of the curse that Hera placed upon the Libyan queen was that of being unable to close her eyes. This meant that she could never rest or sleep. Zeus took pity on her and made her able to take out her eyes. This, at least, enabled her some rest. However she is unable to sleep. She's described as night-haunting, suggesting that she was sort of nocturnal. 

Shtriga

This creature is a type of Albanian vampiric witch. It can be both male or female. In this legend, it is said that a person is not born evil but is made evil, usually through a woman being infertile or her children being killed.
As legend says, a shtriga feeds on the life essence of a person and can feed on anyone, however they prefer the young. Only a shtriga can save a person that it has feed on, if they are not freed from the shtriga's grasp then they will inevitably waste away and die.
The only way to kill a shtriga is to trap it on Easter with a cross made of pigs bone placed in the threshold of a church. The shtriga will be trapped and can then be killed as it attempts to exit the church.

Wraiths

This creature is associated with beings such as the Grim Reaper, but there is a difference. Where this myth is not common, or easy to find reliable information about, it is said that they are some for of sorcerer of the undead type.
It's said that they feed from the brain of it's victims. This being is unholy, therefore, the presence of the holy will destroy it. Wooden stakes are also said to be it's weakness.
'Wraith' is actually a Scottish term for Ghost, showing its link to the undead and unnatural existence. Wraiths are considered to be formed by magic that has gone wrong at some stage. 

DiJinn/Jinn/Genie

This creature is originally of Arab folk law. There is mention of them in the Qur'an as being dwellers of another dimension. These creatures are said to be made up of fire which is smokeless. Unlike most creatures of Folk Law and Legend, the Jinn are not specifically evil. They can be good, evil or in between, much like people. Northwestern arabian inscription that have been found, suggest that the Jinn were worshiped by the people residing there. However, the Qur'an condemns the worship of the Jinn, saying that only God should be worshiped. This could be related to the Christian idea not to worship idols.

The Jinn has been adapted within western culture into the Genie. A wish granting creature that, according to Hollywood, resides in a genies lamp, which you rub to call the genie out.

Both sides of the legend have made it into pop culture as icons of both good and evil. They have come into movies, such as Louis Leterrier's 'Clash of the Titans' and television series, such as Eric Kripke's 'Supernatural'.

Skin Walkers

There are many cultures around the world that have a myth about skin walkers. They are also often referred to as shape shifters, although I personally think of them as two separate things. One of the best documented legends revolving around skin walkers is that of the Navajo people. 


According to this legend it is said that, the ability to skin walk is associated with evil. It is rare that this ability is an attribute of a woman, in most cases it is a man who is the skin walker. Skin walking is also connected to witchery. 


In other legends a skin walker has to have the skin of a shape shifter to be able to change form. This is also linked with witchery as an enchantment/spell has to be preformed for this type of skin walking to be possible. 


Skin walking is generally associated with evil in most legends. This is where I've found the difference between shape shifting. Although shape shifters are seen as dangerous, they are not always evil, and in some cases they are seen as protectors. I personally have not been able to find a legend that does not place skin walkers and evil hand in hand. 

Wendigo

There are a couple of legends around this topic. The first which I found says that this monster is one from the coldest places. It's made of mud and ice and feeds off flesh. It will attack just about anything for food, even other Wendigo's. It's also said that he can shape change into anything it wishes at any time it pleases.

Every legend about this monster agrees upon a few things. First, this beast is highly dangerous and should not be underestimated. Second, that it feeds upon flesh, preferably fresh. Lastly, that it learns extremely fast from any situation it's placed in.

The second legend I found says that the Wendigo was originally human. It's said that a wendigo is made from a person who has been forced into cannibalism to survive. Because the person ate human flesh it was the cursed and began to transform into the beast. It was often thought that people who have gone missing in the forests of northern america have fallen victim to the creature.

One last thing that the legends about this creature have in common is that the only way to kill a Wendigo is with fire.

There is a psychological condition that is unique to the Algonquin people labeled 'Wendigo Psychosis'. This is where the victom develops a craving for human flesh. 

Chupacabra

I first heard about the Chupacabra when surfing YouTube with my mum. Somehow we stumbled across a video of something that resembled a domestic dog, but there were some defining differences. It's hind legs  were more like that of a hyenas, taller than it's front legs. It also looked as if it was furless. We had no idea what this was, and even thought it could be some clever camera trickery. We did some more research and came across the idea of the Chupacabra. 

The legend originated from the America's. The translation of the name is 'goat sucker'. The name comes from reports that the creature feeds off the blood of stock animals, especially that of goats. Whether this creature is only that of an urban legend or is truly something that science is yet to recognize is hard to say. Everyone's heard the saying that seeing is believing but I don't particularly trust video from the Internet. It can be warped to look like and sound like something it's not. 

It has been speculated that parasite ridden coyotes could be the basis of this legend. With certain parasites causing hear loss on animals, others causing that animal to become anemic, I find that plausible. I am not however, ruling out the existence of this creature. It may be far fetched but I'm not one to be a skeptic without really knowing. 

There have been many reported sightings of this animal, and it's been given many different names. It's up to you what you think about his legend. But even if there's a tiny amount of a possibility that science had missed this creature, it would have to make you wonder what else we don't know or understand. 

As one of my favorite quotes says, 'The more I know, the more I know I don't know'. 

Vampire

My first topic is one which may be slightly overdone but there is a lot of lore surrounding it.
Most cultures have legend about vampires, but they do vary a bit.

Where there is the glorified Hollywood version with it's sexy allure, the legend of the vampire has been commercialized to appeal to a broad viewing market. In other words, it's been warped from something that used to be genuinely feared into something of curiosity.

It's well known that there are several movies and novels revolving around this legend, and most of them contort the legends too.

One of the few things that relates all the legends to do with vampires is their need to feed on blood. Even sunlight isn't a sole problem in all the lore. Speed, strength and an amazing ability to heal are common attributes given to such a creature, but again, it's not the same in all legends.

Within Romanian mythology vampires are known as Strigoi. These are considered as troubled spirits that are rising from their graves, but they can also be living people. With this lore they are seen as immortal.

Whether you prefer the Hollywood version or the more traditional thoughts, the legend of the vampire is wide spread and well known. Many think they know exactly what a vampire is but never spare a thought for the origin of the idea.

Intorduction

Hello everyone.

About this Blog

Aim:
To supply information on folk lore, mythology and legend to anyone who wishes to know more. Also to assist with research of said topics or even point people into the right direction.

Reasons:
As an avid writer I often try research lore on things I'm writing about. I've come across web pages that are very useful and others that are only marginally so. I would like to consillidate all the information I find into one easy to use place that supplies the ability to access further information if desired. I'd also like to supply the ability to place feedback or request subjects to be written about as well.

About the Author:
I'm a dedicated fiction writer whose works centre around the subjects of this blog. I am forever developing my research and writing skills and hope that I can use these skills to help others. I come from a large family who is very close knit and works together well 98% of the time.
My interests include music (mostly Rock) and pretty well anything that revolves around the supernatural genre.
I have another blog at: http://alyssa-hill.blogspot.com/
(please check it out to see what else I write about and to view extracts of my writing, both original works and fan-fictions)

Last Words:
Thank you to everyone who takes the time to look at any of my stuff and I hope you enjoy it or find it useful.