A phantom hitchhiker is a well-known urban legend across various cultures. Myanmar also has its own version of this ghostly traveler. Read about eerie Myanmar's phantom hitchhikers and other Asian ghost stories at SNLINN.COM.

Hinoenma are vampiric yokai from Japanese folklore. Read about them and other Asian supernatural folklore at SNLINN.COM.

Hinnagami are wish-granting dolls created through black magic rituals. They are said to fulfill any desire their owner has on a single condition: the owner must never stop making wishes. Since hinnagami are the manifestation of human greed, they relentlessly hound their owner, constantly demanding to know what their next wish is. Once a hinnagami grants a wish, it immediately asks, “What’s next?” The moment the owner makes another wish, the hinnagami grants it instantly and r

Hihi are large, ape-like yokai with lips so massive that they can completely cover their eyes when they laugh. Their name, hihi, comes from the sound they make while laughing. For reasons unknown, hihi find humans amusing and burst into laughter—“hihihi”—whenever they encounter one. These yokai dwell in forests and mountains, preying primarily on large forest animals. However, if given the opportunity, they will not hesitate to hunt and devour humans.

In Myanmar folklore, stories of helpful spirits are not uncommon. However, there is no distinct classification of spirits that are exclusively friendly. Much like humans, some entities have kind dispositions, while others can be malicious. Certain beings, because of their inherently menacing nature, are expected to be hostile to humans. For instance, man-eating belu fall into this category, but as described in Chapter 31 of Ghosts, Spirits and Paranormal Entities from Asian F

A height-changing ghost can grow its height by feeding on people’s fear. Upon encountering its victim, it typically appears as a tall, shadowy figure. As the victim becomes more frightened, the ghost increases in height, towering higher and higher. This effect is further amplified if the victim continues looking up at it, creating a vicious cycle where the ghost reaches the size of a mountain or until the victim flees in terror or faints. According to the folklore, one way t

Hantu Raya are familiar ghosts bound to black magic practitioners. Since the term “hantu raya” translates to great ghost, this has led to the common misconception that they are the rulers of all ghosts. But the term is used for spirit servants that work for necromancers and black magic practitioners. Some sources also claim that hantu raya are the Malay counterparts of genderuwo from Indonesian folklore (described in Chapter 75 of Ghosts, Spirits and Paranormal Entities from

In Malay folklore, hantu air are spirits that inhabit bodies of water, ranging from small puddles to vast seas. They are also said to dwell in man-made drains and ditches. As shapeshifters, hantu air can take on various forms, such as drifting logs, alluring women bathing in the streams, or even water-dwelling creatures like fish and frogs. Some accounts also describe them as bloated men covered in fish scales.

Hanako-san is a Japanese urban legend about the ghost of a young elementary school girl who died in a school toilet and now haunts the place as a vengeful spirit. There are different versions of how Hanako-san died. In one, she was a young girl from the World War II era who was playing hide-and-seek in a school toilet when an air raid struck. In another version, she was murdered by her own parents or a stranger in the toilet. Yet another story suggests she took her own life a

Hairy ghosts, as their name suggests, are entirely covered in coarse black bristles. These massive spirits, classified as deformed ghosts in Myanmar folklore, have two large, shiny eyes—sometimes as big as a frying pan. Their presence is said to be accompanied by a pungent, rotten smell. While one might assume that hairy ghosts are simply misidentified apes in the forests, their sightings are not limited to the wilderness. Anecdotes about encounters with hairy ghosts are also

Gurumapa is a mythical child-eating ogre from a popular folktale of the Newar people. To this day, Newars are said to prepare an annual feast of rice and buffalo meat for this fabled ogre. The folktale begins with a man named Kesh Chandra, an idler who gambled away all his assets. With no money left, he went to live with his sister, who kindly provided him with food and shelter. However, being a gambling addict, he stole a precious metal dish from his sister, the very one sh

Gui da qiang is a supernatural phenomenon in which people are trapped in a place by a malicious entity. Victims often find themselves walking in circles in a familiar location, making it unlikely for them to get lost under ordinary circumstances. Those affected frequently report losing a significant amount of time while trying to escape; what feels like only a few minutes to them turns out to be several hours in reality. While the behavior of walking in circles resembles how

Ghosts with attachment encompass most spirits from Myanmar folklore. These spirits are tormented by their strong attachment to something significant to them. They linger near their object of fixation, unable to move on because of their deep emotional ties. The nature of their attachment can vary widely. It might involve an item of great sentimental value to the deceased, such as a cherished home, or something as seemingly trivial as an old blanket or a childhood doll. Unsurp

Genderuwo are muscular, ape-like spirits from Javanese mythology. Allegedly spotted in the forests and mountains of Java Island, their presence is typically indicated by their overpowering stench, described as the smell of blood or rotting flesh. Genderuwo are said to have magical abilities, including the power to change their size—transforming from a dwarf-like humanoid into a towering giant. They are also shape-shifters, capable of impersonating people. According to folklor

Gayal are vampiric creatures that crave human flesh and blood. Like their Western counterparts, they sleep in their graves during the day and emerge only at night to hunt. Gayal are believed to rise under two conditions. First, when an individual dies without an heir but longs for a successor, their resentment is said to transform them into a gayal. Another circumstance is when the deceased is not given a proper burial. A gayal that rises from this situation is said to hunt d

Gaung pyat tha yae are headless ghosts, depicted as either floating heads or headless bodies. Their sightings are common in areas associated with frequent accidents, such as railway tracks and roads, as well as places tainted with histories of bloodshed. Although they rarely do anything except frighten people with their appearance, they can sometimes be dangerous. One such tale involves Thamein Bayan, also known as Smin Bayan, a renowned warrior from the 15th century. Bayan a

Gashadokuro are giant skeletal yokai towering at a height of about 90 feet tall. They are made of the collected bones of people who died during famine or wars. As such, they are commonly found on battlegrounds, in cemeteries and mass graves. In ancient Japan, events such as drought, pest infestations and plant diseases could all have caused the crops to perish. Similarly, the destruction of the food supply could also result from wars waged by clashing nobles and royalty. Ordi

Galone trace their origins to garuda in Indian mythology—divine sun birds that serve as the mounts of the Hindu god Vishnu. They also appear in the mythologies of several Southeast Asian cultures. In Myanmar, they are known as galone, large mythical birds prominently featured in Buddhist stories and local lore. Galone are said to live in a structured society with a distinct hierarchy, led by their king at the top. They can fly at lightning speed with their powerful wings an

Gaki are the Japanese counterpart of e gui. They are ghosts of individuals who committed grave sins linked to greed and extreme parsimony. They were once humans who refused to share anything they owned, even with those in dire need, despite having the means to help. These individuals were critical of any acts of charity and benevolence. Following death, they are reincarnated as gaki—eternally tormented ghosts, cursed with insatiable hunger and thirst. Gaki are depicted as ugl

Futakuchi Onna, or two-mouthed woman, appears to be an ordinary woman except that she has a second mouth hidden beneath her hair at the back of her head. Her long black hair moved like tentacles, shoveling food into her second mouth. The origins of this yokai serve as cautionary tales against greed and cruelty. In some stories, she was a victim who was denied food, and secretly eating through her second mouth was the only way she could get nourishment. In others, she was the