monsters

In 1979, author Ian Woodward published claims suggesting rabies as a possible origin of the werewolf, stating the remarkable similarities between the symptoms of rabies as with traits of werewolves in legends. Woodward focused on the idea that being bitten by a werewolf could result in the victim turning into one himself, which pointed to a transmittable disease like rabies.



All cultures in which the Wendigo myth appeared shared the belief that human beings could turn into Wendigos if they ever resorted to cannibalism or, alternately, become possessed by the demonic spirit of a Wendigo, often in a dream. Once transformed, a person would become violent and obsessed with eating human flesh. The most frequent cause of transformation into a Wendigo was if a person had resorted to cannibalism, consuming the body of another human in order to keep from starving to death during a time of extreme hardship or famine.


In Greek mythology, Lamia was a beautiful queen of Libya. According to the legend, Zeus engaged in an affair with Lamia. Hera, furious that her husband had cheated on her yet again, killed Lamia’s children in a rage. Driven insane with grief, Lamia began devouring other children, sneaking to their beds at night to suck their blood.

And for her eyes: what could such eyes do there
But weep, and weep, that they were born so fair?
-John Keats, Lamia


Bloody-Bones is said to live near water (in older tellings) and under sink pipes (in newer tellings). Rawhead/Bloodybones rewards very good children, but will punish naughty children by dragging them down the drainpipes or into the water and drowning them.

Rawhead and Bloody Bones
Steals naughty children from their homes,
Takes them to his dirty den,
And they are never seen again.

-Yorkshire children’s rhyme