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

Daki are female yokai with insatiable thirst for human blood. The word "daki" translates to “cliff” in Japanese, and as the name suggests, they lurk along the rocky ridges by the sea in Saga Prefecture. In appearance, daki are unassuming—hideous women dressed in plain clothes, but they are always on the hunt for fishermen. When a daki sees fishermen cooking lunch on the seaside rocks, she approaches them and asks for fish. It doesn’t matter how they respond. She will use any

Crocotta are mythical wolf-dog hybrid beasts said to roam the forests of India and Ethiopia, preying on both men and dogs. These chimerical creatures have the body of a dog, the tail of a lion, the mane of a horse and cloven hooves. They have large, grinning mouths filled with sharp teeth, and their bodies are as large as mules, covered in yellow or brownish fur with black spots and stripes. Overall, the description of crocotta bears a striking resemblance to hyenas. Crocotta

Churel are vengeful ghosts of women who died sudden and unnatural deaths. In their true form, churel are hideous hags with long disheveled hair and saggy breasts. Their tongues are said to be unnaturally long and pitch-black. However, they can appear as attractive women to lure unsuspecting men. One consistent physical trait they have, regardless of their appearance, is their backward-facing feet, a feature that they cannot change with their power. Find out more about Churel

Chordewa are shapeshifting witches capable of switching their form between a woman and a cat. According to the folklore, chordewa can be distinguished from ordinary cats by their peculiar way of mewing. In another version, they are not witches, but spirits that possess cats. They can also appear as hybrid creatures, with both feline and human features. It is in this werecat form that chordewa are said to be at their strongest.

Chochin Kozo looks like a young teenage boy with unkempt hair and is seen carrying a red paper lantern that illuminates his equally red face. He is said to appear on rainy evenings and follow lone travelers from behind before overtaking them. He then spins around and locks eyes on the person, staring at them with an eerie expression. When the unnerved traveler hurries past him, Chochin Kozo chases them and repeats the same act. He continues this eerie behavior until dawn, at

Chir batti are mysterious lights seen in the Banni grasslands and the adjacent salt flats of the Rann of Kutch in India. They are described as relatively bright lights that change colors, typically blue, red or yellow, and are often seen two to ten feet above the ground. While most accounts describe chir batti as spherical, there have also been reports of pear-shaped lights. Chir batti are described as intelligent and playful, with many anecdotes detailing their interactions

Cheuksin is the dangerous goddess of the outhouse. She appears as a young girl with long black hair wearing a white gown. She does not tolerate sudden intrusions into her territory. If a person enters the outhouse abruptly without the courtesy of knocking first, she flies into rage and strangles them by wrapping her long black hair around their neck, hanging them from the rafter. Even if the person can escape, they will still contract an incurable disease and die shortly afte