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

In Myanmar folklore, familiar ghosts are spirits summoned and bound to a practitioner through black magic rituals. These spirits are essentially slaves, forced to harm and harass the practitioner’s enemies. In exchange for their loyalty and servitude, the practitioner feeds them with raw meat and animal innards, much like tending to ferocious guard dogs. The power of the summoned ghosts depends on the practitioner’s skill, enabling them to call forth spirits of varying power

In Bengali folklore, Ekanore is a one-legged ghost that dwells among the palm trees. Often featured in children’s stories, this phantom is said to hunt down wicked adults and mischievous children. When Ekanore sees a misbehaving person, it descends from the palm tree at lightening speed, holding a knife in one hand and a pot of salt in the other. It then relentlessly pursues its target. Once it captures them, Ekanore slices off their ears and cruelly rubs salt into the wounds

E Gui are the tormented ghosts of people who were exceptionally greedy and miserly in life. Despite having the means to help others, they were resentful of charitable acts, sometimes withholding food even from their own family, and envious of others’ fortunes. They also secretly or openly condemn the generosity displayed by others. According to legend, such individuals are said to become e gui—spirits constantly tormented by insatiable hunger. E gui are depicted as emaciated

Dorotabo (Japan) Dorotabo are the ghosts of farmers attached to the lands they once owned. In life, they spent their days working tirelessly, saving money to purchase a plot of land. Once they achieved their dream, they toiled on their lands—tending their crops with great care. Following their death, if their lands are neglected by indifferent successors, the farmers return as dorotabo—restless spirits that manifest as grotesque, one-eyed, corpse-like apparitions coated in mu

Dokkaebi are impish nature spirits featured in several Korean folktales. They share some characteristics with yokai from Japan and fairies from the West. But they are distinct from gwishin (ghosts) because they do not originate from the souls of the dead. Instead, they come into existence when mundane tools and objects develop souls of their own. It is believed that items stained with human blood are especially prone to becoming dokkabei. Dokkaebi possess magical abilities an

Diao si gui, or hanged ghosts, are the spirits of individuals who died by hanging—whether through suicide, murder, or execution. The more anguish a person endured during the process of dying, the greater the likelihood of them becoming a diao si gui. Diao si gui appear as hanging corpses, with bulging eyes and protruding tongues. They are dangerous, as merely seeing one can be fatal. Upon encountering a diao si gui, it locks eyes with the target, who typically becomes frozen

Some ghosts from Myanmar folklore have bizarre and unsettling appearances, so much so that encountering one is said to cause raging fevers lasting for days. In Myanmar traditions, ghosts are generally expected to have unpleasant features, but deformed ghosts take this to an entirely new level. Examples include monstrous ghosts covered in bristles, spirits with eyes as large as dinner plates, and ghosts with tongues several feet long. Occasionally, a single ghost may possess a

According to an ancient legend of the Isneg people from the Philippines, danag were once celestial beings who lived in the sky and were highly revered as deities by the Isneg ancestors. Over time, they descended to Earth to share their wisdom with the Isneg, teaching them the art of farming, particularly the cultivation of taro. For many years, danag and humans lived in harmony, growing crops, and supporting one another in agriculture. On one fateful day, a young woman accide