
Creatures of the night. Bogeymen, werewolves
and sprites. Here lies their stories.
Banshides
- Ireland is the home of the banshide, a creature whose wails foretell
of death.
She may be a spirit ties to a family or house, or be free roaming. When
you
hear the shrill cry of the banshee, prepare for the worst.
Dopplegangers

The appearance of dopplegangers often foretell
of death. Elizabeth I saw herself lying on her
bed shriveled and shrieking. She died shortly
afterward.
Pope Alexander VI's double was seen
by several of his advisors on a bier in his room
shortly before his death in 1503. He was killed
while attempting to poison a rival. He imbibed
the potion accidentally.
Werewolves
- A person transformed into a wolf or capable
of assuming the form of a wolf at will;
lycanthrope.
Zombie
-
- A supernatural power or spell that according to
Voodoo belief can enter into and reanimate a
corpse. A corpse revived in this way.
Vampire
- A reanimated corpse that is believed to rise
from the grave at night to suck the blood
of sleeping persons.
Barghest
- A ghostly guardian dog in the British Isles that
is famous for its shrieks. It foretells of death
and is often seen as a wandering spirit.
Apparition
- The Supernatural appearance of invisible beings.
A manifestation or something invisible being
made visible to the human eye. Apparitions may
be able to walk through walls, but does cast a shadow.
Corpse Candles
- In Wales and most of the British Isles these
floating lights are death omens that fly along the
ground to the house of a dying person. They often
foretell the death of infants.
Cucubeth
This most evil being has the doubly unfortunate
fate of being both a werewolf and a vampire and
searches the night for blood to drink and flesh to eat.
Fetch
- Yet another term for one's doppleganger in Irish
lore. To see one is a bad sign, but is even worse at
night. In the wee hours they foretell of your death.
If you see one in the day, however, means long life.
Demon
- These beings are geniuses. They are inferior divinities
and attendant spirits. They rarely come to the earth,
but when they do, watch out. Thought to cause most
effects from possessions.
Ankou
- In Brittany, Celtic folk lore speaks of the King of
the Dead, or Ankou. The Ankou drives a ghostly cart
and is accompanied by spectres on foot. The Ankou
foretells of death by stopping at the house of the
dying person. The Ankou is often described as being
the last person to die in the district. It is depicted as a
corpse or skeleton with a spinning head.
Elves
These small beings often steal children and
put fake
ones back. They are generally more malicious than
a sprite of fairy. Often act as incubi or succubi.
Churel
- The evil ghost of a woman who dies in childbirth or
in ceremonial impurity. A lower caste person who was
buried face down to prevent escape. They have no mouths
and backwards feet and haunt slums. They also appear
as stunning women who capture men and hold them
till old age conquers. Mostly a far eastern occurrence.
Fairy
- Small beings that are thought to be souls of the pagan
dead, the guardians of the dead, ghosts of ancestors,
nature spirits or fallen angels. They often are strong in
magic but are part mortal and can intermarry. They steal
human women for wives. They steal babies and replace
them with changelings. To stay in their good graces,
you must leave food and drink out for them to feast upon.
These are cunning little Irish bogeys.
Familiar
- An animal used as an aid by a witch. The familiar is an extension of
the witches senses, ie. cat for night vision, dog for smell, bat for hearing.
Watch out for the black cat or the toad they might be watching!
Ghost
- A disembodied spirit. The soul or spirit as the principle
of life. The immaterial part of man associated with feeling,
thought and moral action. The soul of a deceased person
inhabiting the world. A good or evil being. The soul of
a person appearing in visible form or otherwise making
its presence known to humans.
Thanks to the Oooga Booga Page, the dictionary and a smattering of
paranormal books for these definitions.
DWWaldron@Aol.com
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