Batibat are obese female spirits that suffocate those who sleep beneath their trees. Deeply attached to the trees they inhabit, these spirits attack anyone who sleeps nearby by sitting on their chest and crushing them with their immense weight. Even if their trees are cut down and repurposed as pillars, these spirits latch onto these structures, continuing their aggressive and territorial attacks on people who sleep near these structures.

Banaspati are dangerous ghosts, summoned through black magic and used as a murderous tool by practitioners. These ghosts are of the fire element and thus, their method of inflicting harm is burning their victims to a crisp. Once marked by a banaspati, escaping unscathed is difficult. Saying prayers and running to the nearest religious building would thwart a banaspati temporarily, but once the marked individual ventures out of these sacred places, the fiery ghost resumes its

Balbal are ghoul type aswang that eat human corpses. In modern depiction, a balbal appears as a typical human under ordinary circumstances, yet when exposed to moonlight, it transforms into a ghoul with pointed teeth and sharp claws. Another balbal variant can glide through the air like a flying humanoid squirrel, and effortlessly cling to the roof of the house where a funeral is being held. It then lets its long tongue down through the hole in the roof to slurp the fluids fr

Bagowa bhoot are the vengeful spirits of individuals who were mauled to death by tigers. In their ghostly form, bagowa bhoot look identical to the very tigers that claimed their lives. Angry about the way they died, these spirits exist only to inflict the same tragic fate on others. They prey on unsuspecting people, mauling them to death.

In Indonesian folklore, there exists an interesting tale of black magic practitioners who can shape-shift into a boar. The practitioner needs only to wear a magical robe to turn into a large boar known as babi ngepet. The goal of such transformation is often theft. In this animal guise, he enters the targeted house in stealth and rubs his porcine body against every nook and cranny of the dwelling, and quickly retreats. Once within the confines of his own place, he reverts to

Ba jiao gui are known as banana ghosts as they live in banana trees. They are typically depicted as women dressed in a white or a red gown, often seen cradling a small infant in their arms. According to superstition, there is a ritual to exploit these spirits to win a lottery. The ritual involves tying a red string around a banana tree trunk and securing it with a nail driven into the tree. The other end of the string is then attached to one’s own bed. This act is said to to

Athurakal are supernatural beings who live half of their day in complete bliss and the other half in torment. They were once humans who carried out extreme deeds of good and evil karma, and as a result, they are reborn as entities who can’t move on to either heaven or hell but linger in this world, experiencing alternating periods of blessing and torment. During the day, athurakal appear as beautiful, eternally young beings, living a life of luxury. But come night, they endur

Aswang is a generic term used to describe shape-shifting evil entities in Filipino folklores. There are five main types of aswang: vampire aswang, visceral-sucking aswang, werebeasts, witches and ghoul aswang. Out of the five, only the ghoul aswang prefers eating corpses, while the other four eat flesh, blood, and organs from the living. Yet, they will also eat the dead if their preferred food source is not available. During the daytime, aswang typically appear as ordinary hu

Asount are ghosts forced to act as guards to protect something of great value. The term “asount” in Myanmar language literally translates to “guard”. These spirits are closely linked to the ancient practice of human sacrifices, based on the belief that the spirit of the sacrificed individual would be bound to the place as a guardian and ensure its longevity and durability over several decades. Sometimes an asount isn’t created but it is invited. One can hire black magic pract

Asein thay tha yae are the ghosts of people who met their demise through unnatural and often violent deaths. The word “asein” means green in the local language, a term which is also used to describe the unripe state of fruits, while the word “thay” translates to death, and “tha yae” means ghost. Hence, asein thay tha yae signifies the ghost of a person who had an abrupt and untimely passing, typically resulting from accidents or acts of violence. Those who met their ends unde

Ao Ando is a yokai associated with a ghost-story telling ritual called Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai . To start the ritual, one hundred candles are lit inside blue paper lanterns known as andon. Once the preparations are set, the participants would take turns to tell ghost stories throughout the night. At the end of each tale, a candle is extinguished, gradually enveloping the room in darkness. Eventually, there’s only one candle left. When this last candle is doused, and the roo

Antu banyu are malevolent water ghosts that drown swimmers. When an unsuspecting swimmer gets close to the lurking antu banyu, it swiftly seizes them, dragging them down the water’s depths. On occasions, it is said to tear out the victim’s spinal cord to devour. Those who believe in the existence of antu banyu are wary of these ghosts even if they are not actively swimming because antu banyu also prey on individuals living in traditional wooden pile houses built in the rivers

Anak Sima has a tragic origin story. Originally an innocent newborn, he was abandoned in the forest by his mother and left to die. As fate would have it, a powerful ghost took pity on the helpless infant and adopted him, eventually transforming him into a flesh-eating monster. Anak Sima’s favorite prey are women, likely due to his deep-seated resentment towards his mother. To lure his victims, Anak Sima cries incessantly. Once he manages to charm a woman into carrying him on

Amalanhig are the vampires of Philippine mythology. They live in the depths of forests and prey upon the blood of unsuspecting individuals who venture into their habitats. They keep their former human appearance, albeit with decaying flesh. Amalanhig are said to originate from aswang (a generic term used for evil creatures and witches). When an aswang died without being able to relinquish their aswang powers to the next suitable successor, the deceased corpse of the aswang re

Ame Onna, or Rain Woman, is a yokai who brings rain wherever she goes. In villages plagued by drought, her presence is often welcome. However, there is a menacing side to this yokai: she steals infant girls during her rainy visits. Bereaved mothers, whose infants were taken by an Ame Onna, are said to undergo a tragic transformation and become Ame Onna themselves. Driven to madness by their grief, these tormented women roam the rain-soaked nights, desperately searching for th

Aleya, also known as Atoshi, are phantom lights commonly seen in swamps, marshes, and bodies of water in Bangladesh and the West Bengal region of India, especially in the Sundarbans area. These eerie lights are often linked to instances of drowning or the mysterious disappearances of fishers. They are believed to be the spirits of drowned fishers, whose lost souls remain trapped in the waters, cursing others to suffer a fate similar to their own tragic end.

Akop is a demon that sneaks into funerals and hides up in the rafters of the roof. There, it patiently waits for a chance to eat the corpse. The demon is known to team up with another demon called Ibawa. While Ibawa enjoys feasting on the flesh of the corpse, Akop has a special craving for the fat that seeps out from it.

Aka Manto is an urban legend about a masked ghost that haunts school bathrooms. Dressed in a red cloak, it approaches students looking for toilet paper in the stalls. The ghost asks them, “Do you want red paper or blue paper?” If the student responds with “red paper,” Aka Manto stabs them violently, making the blood-soaked student appear as though they are wearing a red school uniform. If the student answers “blue paper,” the ghost strangles them until their face turns blue.

Agta, also known as "Kapre," are pitch-black, muscular, nude beings with imposing statures, typically portrayed as male. They are often sighted at night, standing on the branches of large trees while smoking spectral cigars. Passersby usually first notice the luminous glow of these cigars. Those curious enough to investigate the light eventually see the tall, dark creature and flee in terror. Despite their supernatural nature, Agta can sometimes be drawn to women. When infatu

Aghoy are small, elf-like creatures from Philippine mythology. They live in forests, farms, and remote areas. While they are mostly harmless, they can sometimes be mischievous. If an aghoy takes a liking to a human, they can be quite helpful such as finding lost items for their human friend or gifting them with herbs and roots from the forest. Aghoy are said to be especially active in dark hours, such as early in the morning or in the late evenings. Humans who wander about at