Arguably the most globally recognized mythicalcreature from Australia is the bunyip, an important staple in Aboriginal folklore. This amphibious being poses a threat to allwho travel near the inland waters. Lurking in lagoons, deep water-holes, swamps,and rivers, this predatory creature presents a clear danger to humans and animals alike,threatening to drown or eat them at a moment’s notice. Originating in the stories and beliefs ofthe southeastern indigenous peoples of Australia, accounts of the bunyip are widely varied,but a few things are for certain: it’s big, scary, and won’t hesitate to kill you. [Monstrum intro.] The word bunyip most likely came from an Aboriginalword for an amphibious spirit-being. Australian indigenous peoples believe thebeings are separate from the ancestors and the Aboriginal people themselves, and werebelieved to exist alongside humans. The bunyip goes by several other names depending on who is telling the story. The tricky thing about bunyips is that ...
She’s known for her dramatic screaming andcrying, and her seemingly dark power to predict death, the Banshee is seen as a terrifyingfemale spirit in Irish mythology. But is she really all that terrifying? Although some of today’s pop culture hasweaponized the Banshee’s screams and made them an object of fear, the first banshees weren’t evil or even dangerous. She not only predicts your death, but helpsyou prepare for it. This is one monster you might actually wanton your side. Going back to at least the 8thcentury, Irishfolk tradition depicts the Banshee as the spirit or ghost of a once living woman. Banshees appear in two different forms: asa withered, tiny crone with white hair; or as a tall, thin, beautiful woman. The typical banshee has long, flowing hairand appears dressed in white. Many times the woman’s spirit becomes abanshee because of some injustice in her life, because of bad or “improper” things shedid as a living woman, or was a victim of violence. Banshees only appear a...