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This is tangientially related to RP because some people RP twists on classical fairy tales and use elements of them in their setting.

Background


So...I was talking to my friend from the UK, and asked her if they have the story of "The Sandman" over there -- the guy who comes and puts sand in your eyes that makes you sleepy. And she said, "Oh, we have a Sandman, but ours is much darker. He steals the eyes of children who are up past their bedtime." :-o


I thought it would be interesting to see if some of the players from different countries want to give a short description of their country's main fairy tales to compare with all the others! It might catch on, it might not. Anyway, enjoy!

I'll start.

In the United States we have:

The Sandman - a man who comes into the bedroom unseen and puts sand in your eyes which makes you fall asleep. A tale probably made up to explain the sandy stuff in the corner in your eye when you wake up.

The Tooth Fairy - a fairy who comes into children's rooms at night if they've lost a tooth during the day. If you put the lost tooth under your pillow that night, the tooth fairy is supposed to come and exchange it with money (usually a coin or a dollar).

The Easter Bunny - a mythical bunny that comes around Eastertime or Spring and...lays eggs. Yeah. Lays eggs.

The Boogeyman - a shadowed figure who lurks in the woods at night, or just outside generally, who is supposed to "get" or attack kids who wander away from home at night when they should be asleep. Probably a story created to scare little kids out of sneaking out at night, or staying outside after sundown.

Santa Claus - a friendly guy who wears a red-and-white velvet suit and drives a sled carried by flying reindeer packed with Christmas presents for children and delivers them on Christmas Eve, usually by going down the chimney of the house. He lives at the North Pole and the toys used as presents are made in his workshop full of elves.

The Chupacabra - this myth started in Puerto Rico, according to Wikipedia, but it's known here in Texas a bit too. The Chupacabra is supposed to be a bear or dog-like creature who roams around in the wild and lives by sucking the blood of goats kept on outdoor ranches.


Does your country also have these fairy tales/myths? Are the stories very different? What are the main myths where you are?

Also, any local myths from other regions of the United States?


Have fun!
I live in the US's northwest, home of Bigfoot, a supposed "missing link" creature between humans and apes.

Among popular figures, you should probably mention Jack Frost too, who is supposed to responsible for frost in general, but especially the fancy patterns frost forms on smooth surfaces like windows.

Some old American tales also feature characters like Paul Bunyan (a giant lumberjack who really likes his pancakes/flapjacks), Johnny Appleseed (based on a real man, the character is supposed to have spread apple trees across the US while wearing a cooking pot on his head, and is often barefoot as well), and I can't think of the others offhand right now.

There's the jackalope, a rabbit with antlers. Common depictions of it are fabricated, but there actually is supposedly a disease or something that causes mounds (but not full antlers) to form on a rabbit's head.

There's also the numerous Native American stories from all the various tribes. Stuff is rich, sometimes has overlap, but highly varied.
Abigail_Austin Topic Starter

Novalyyn wrote:
...

Paul Bunyan and Johnny Appleseed...haha...yesss!

I knew I had heard the word flapjacks in one of those tall tale stories. And another thing I learned from my UK friend is that a flapjack is something else over there, which was amusing.

And I never knew what Jack Frost was all about until right now. Nor the jackelope.

And, oh yeah...Bigfoot. Forgot about him.
Abigail_Austin Topic Starter

I'm familiar with a few fairy tales/myths from other parts of the world, some dark some not.

Firstly, from Mexico I believe, is the story of La Llarone. So, a long time ago there was this couple. The husband cheated on his wife with another woman, so out of spite his wife drowned their children. Eventually the grief got to be too much and she killed herself. Her spirit, supposedly, now roams around looking for her dead kids, and she takes any children she comes across thinking they're her children.

There's also Kuchisake Onna. If I'm remembering the story right, it's kinda like La Llarone, but Japanese and without kids. So story goes that there was this beautiful young woman. I'm kinda spotty on the details for this specific part of the story, but for whatever reason her husband decided to kill her, I think he was cheating and wanted to be with whoever the affair was with. He killed his wife, and had slit her mouth from ear to ear. Her spirit now wanders Japan wearing a mask. If you run into her she'll ask if you think she's beautiful. If you say no, she stabs you to death with a pair of scissors, if you say yes she pulls her mask off and asks again. Again, if you say no she stabs you to death, if you say yes again she slits your mouth like hers with the scissors. Only way to really get away from her is to confuse her, and whilst she's confused you book it.

I'm not sure what the name of this story is, but story goes that in this japanese town called Mugenyama, some local priests wanted to make a new prayer bell. So they asked the women in the village to donate any bronze mirrors they had to be melted down to forge the bell. One lady handed in her mirror, though she really didn't want to, so the mirror couldn't be melted down. The woman ended up killing herself out of shame, and the mirror was finally able to be melted down. Before she died she said that anyone who was able to break the bell would recieve riches from her ghost. So a ton of people in the village were constantly trying to break the bell, no one actually had any luck, until the priests decided to get rid of the bell because it was constantly being rung.

Most of my knowledge of foreign mythology comes from pokemon and creepy videos I watch lol. Pretty sure I have a few more sitting in my head, but I need to remember them.
CherryWine

Oooooh now this seems like an interesting thread! Here in Scotland we have a whooole lot of different folk-tales and mythology so I could be going on forever with this. Our mythology here usually revolves around ghosts or death, but given our rather gory history that shouldn't be much of a surprise should it?

Loch Ness Monster- Also known as Nessie, this one is probably the most well known of our legends. A creature said to inhabit Loch-Ness up in the Highlands there have been a few early reports but the one of the most well-known ones was in 1933 when George Spicer and his wife claimed they saw the creature cross the road in front of their car. Whether I believe it or not, I've been visiting the loch since I was little as my grandparents stay near it, and I'll admit I have spotted the odd giant ripple in the water. Although it might not be the legendary monster, with the size of the loch I wouldn't be surprised if something is living down there.

Selkies- A shape-shifting seal creature that takes the form of a human by shedding their seal skin. Stories of selkies often involve romances with humans, which end in a broken heart when the selkie returns back to the sea. There are a few tales were a selkies human lover hide their seal skin to prevent them returning to the ocean.

Kelpies - Another water-based shape-shifter, Kelpies will come in the form of a horse but can also adopt the form of a human. It is said to lure it's prey into the water by emitting a cry resembling someone drowning, or appearing by the waters edge and urging victims to ride on it's back only to plunge them down in the waters below.

Banshee - Though originated in Irish mythology I couldn't leave this one out. A female spirit who heralds someones death with a wail or a shriek or by Keening, a traditional form vocal lament for the dead. Banshee's have many different forms depending on the stories you hear but the most common one seems to be an old woman.

Edinburgh Castle - One of the most haunted places in Scotland. there's has been numerous reports throughout the years of paranormal encounters. One of the most famous apparitions is The Headless Drummer. His origins remain a mystery but his first appearance was in 1650 before the invasion of Scotland by Oliver Cromwell, an English military leader. The drummer is seen as a bad omen that foretells imminent disaster for the castle. Other figures also include a phantom piper and a black hound, as well as the spirit of Janet Douglas who was accused of witchcraft and burnt at the stake in the 1500s. I've been through a tour of the place a few times and even my mother, the most sceptical person I know, says she feels uneasy while walking through the place.

Provenhall house - For me this place is within a short walking distance, I've been going here for Halloween ever since I could remember. The building was originally built in the 15th century and has hosted some famous guests including Mary Queen of Scots and her father King James V. Lots of apparitions have been spotted here with the most well-known one, for me at least, is the woman in the window. The upper floors are said to be haunted by the spirits of a woman and a young boy who may have been killed by her husband who is also said to appear in the master bedroom carrying a dagger.

Gorbals Vampire - Here's another myth that hits close to home for me, like a literal 15-minute drive kind of closeness. September 1954, a policeman in The Gorbals found hundreds of local children at the cemetery patrolling gravestones and Mausoleums armed with crudely fashioned stakes, knives and even dogs. They stated they were hunting down the 7 foot-high ‘Gorbals Vampire’ which they accused of devouring two little boys with its iron fangs. Though dismissed as over-active imaginations from American horror movies, the sharp-tooth hag known as Jenny was said to have roamed Glasgow Green since the 19th century, preying on unsuspecting children to eat.

Here's just one of the few pieces of Mythology that exist here, and as you can see most of them are pretty dark. Makes for a good ghost story though.
Peaches wrote:
Edinburgh Castle - One of the most haunted places in Scotland. there's has been numerous reports throughout the years of paranormal encounters. One of the most famous apparitions is The Headless Drummer. His origins remain a mystery but his first appearance was in 1650 before the invasion of Scotland by Oliver Cromwell, an English military leader. The drummer is seen as a bad omen that foretells imminent disaster for the castle. Other figures also include a phantom piper and a black hound, as well as the spirit of Janet Douglas who was accused of witchcraft and burnt at the stake in the 1500s. I've been through a tour of the place a few times and even my mother, the most sceptical person I know, says she feels uneasy while walking through the place.

Provenhall house - For me this place is within a short walking distance, I've been going here for Halloween ever since I could remember. The building was originally built in the 15th century and has hosted some famous guests including Mary Queen of Scots and her father King James V. Lots of apparitions have been spotted here with the most well-known one, for me at least, is the woman in the window. The upper floors are said to be haunted by the spirits of a woman and a young boy who may have been killed by her husband who is also said to appear in the master bedroom carrying a dagger.


Those are interesting. Wish my town had some interesting paranormal sights like that. By chance you had any encounters yourself in either the castle or house?
Abigail_Austin Topic Starter

Peaches wrote:
Oooooh now this seems like an interesting thread! Here in Scotland we have a whooole lot of different folk-tales and mythology so I could be going on forever with this. Our mythology here usually revolves around ghosts or death, but given our rather gory history that shouldn't be much of a surprise should it?

Loch Ness Monster- Also known as Nessie, this one is probably the most well known of our legends. A creature said to inhabit Loch-Ness up in the Highlands there have been a few early reports but the one of the most well-known ones was in 1933 when George Spicer and his wife claimed they saw the creature cross the road in front of their car. Whether I believe it or not, I've been visiting the loch since I was little as my grandparents stay near it, and I'll admit I have spotted the odd giant ripple in the water. Although it might not be the legendary monster, with the size of the loch I wouldn't be surprised if something is living down there.

Selkies- A shape-shifting seal creature that takes the form of a human by shedding their seal skin. Stories of selkies often involve romances with humans, which end in a broken heart when the selkie returns back to the sea. There are a few tales were a selkies human lover hide their seal skin to prevent them returning to the ocean.

Kelpies - Another water-based shape-shifter, Kelpies will come in the form of a horse but can also adopt the form of a human. It is said to lure it's prey into the water by emitting a cry resembling someone drowning, or appearing by the waters edge and urging victims to ride on it's back only to plunge them down in the waters below.

Banshee - Though originated in Irish mythology I couldn't leave this one out. A female spirit who heralds someones death with a wail or a shriek or by Keening, a traditional form vocal lament for the dead. Banshee's have many different forms depending on the stories you hear but the most common one seems to be an old woman.

Edinburgh Castle - One of the most haunted places in Scotland. there's has been numerous reports throughout the years of paranormal encounters. One of the most famous apparitions is The Headless Drummer. His origins remain a mystery but his first appearance was in 1650 before the invasion of Scotland by Oliver Cromwell, an English military leader. The drummer is seen as a bad omen that foretells imminent disaster for the castle. Other figures also include a phantom piper and a black hound, as well as the spirit of Janet Douglas who was accused of witchcraft and burnt at the stake in the 1500s. I've been through a tour of the place a few times and even my mother, the most sceptical person I know, says she feels uneasy while walking through the place.

Provenhall house - For me this place is within a short walking distance, I've been going here for Halloween ever since I could remember. The building was originally built in the 15th century and has hosted some famous guests including Mary Queen of Scots and her father King James V. Lots of apparitions have been spotted here with the most well-known one, for me at least, is the woman in the window. The upper floors are said to be haunted by the spirits of a woman and a young boy who may have been killed by her husband who is also said to appear in the master bedroom carrying a dagger.

Gorbals Vampire - Here's another myth that hits close to home for me, like a literal 15-minute drive kind of closeness. September 1954, a policeman in The Gorbals found hundreds of local children at the cemetery patrolling gravestones and Mausoleums armed with crudely fashioned stakes, knives and even dogs. They stated they were hunted down the 7 foot-high ‘Gorbals Vampire’ which they accused of devouring two little boys with its iron fangs. Though dismissed as over-active imaginations from American horror movies, the sharp-tooth hag known as Jenny was said to have roamed Glasgow Green since the 19th century, preying on unsuspecting children to eat.

Here's just one of the few pieces of Mythology that exist here, and as you can see most of them are pretty dark. Makes for a good ghost story though.

Sooo cool! Thank you, Peaches, for sharing this!!
CherryWine

0V3RL0RD-P4RR0T wrote:
Those are interesting. Wish my town had some interesting paranormal sights like that. By chance you had any encounters yourself in either the castle or house?
Though I've never really seen anything or had any first-hand encounters, I did have a few odd experiences while visiting Provenhall house. I think I may have imagined this one since I was so young, maybe around four, but when I was visiting the house with my pre-school I swore I felt something grab the hood of my jacket and pull on it. At first I thought it was one of the actors they employ for Halloween but I was in an empty room with my back facing a wall and everyone who was there with me were in a circle holding hands. So that was a weird one.

There was another instance when I was around 15 and my high school was visiting for a haunted house experience. We were waiting in groups in the upper floor, of all places, for our turn when there was a sudden cold spot throughout the room. Now we're known for indecisive, cold weather especially in Autumn and we were already a little chilly since the old building doesn't have heating but the temperature dropped too suddenly and too drastically to the point where we could almost see our breathe. I think I've read somewhere that sudden drops of temperature can indicate the presence of a spirit?

My friend at the time also had a bit of difficulty breathing while we were sitting on the staircase outside, which has been the main sighting of the house's last private owner who died in 1934, suffering breathing difficulties. The same thing happened to a paranormal investigator back in 2005 when he had trouble breathing while standing on the same staircase.

Though I love researching it. I'm on the fence when it comes to the paranormal. I don't believe in it but at the same time I don't not believe it, y'know? I've mostly chalked these instances up to pure coincidence but I wouldn't be surprised if the place really is haunted cause that house is eerie beyond belief.
Peaches wrote:
Though I've never really seen anything or had any first-hand encounters, I did have a few odd experiences while visiting Provenhall house. I think I may have imagined this one since I was so young, maybe around four, but when I was visiting the house with my pre-school I swore I felt something grab the hood of my jacket and pull on it. At first I thought it was one of the actors they employ for Halloween but I was in an empty room with my back facing a wall and everyone who was there with me were in a circle holding hands. So that was a weird one.

There was another instance when I was around 15 and my high school was visiting for a haunted house experience. We were waiting in groups in the upper floor, of all places, for our turn when there was a sudden cold spot throughout the room. Now we're known for indecisive, cold weather especially in Autumn and we were already a little chilly since the old building doesn't have heating but the temperature dropped too suddenly and too drastically to the point where we could almost see our breathe. I think I've read somewhere that sudden drops of temperature can indicate the presence of a spirit?

My friend at the time also had a bit of difficulty breathing while we were sitting on the staircase outside, which has been the main sighting of the house's last private owner who died in 1934, suffering breathing difficulties. The same thing happened to a paranormal investigator back in 2005 when he had trouble breathing while standing on the same staircase.

Though I love researching it. I'm on the fence when it comes to the paranormal. I don't believe in it but at the same time I don't not believe it, y'know? I've mostly chalked these instances up to pure coincidence but I wouldn't be surprised if the place really is haunted cause that house is eerie beyond belief.

Oh my god I love the spooky things and those stories are amazing. I'd love to go to Scotland aaaaaah, you guys have such a tapestry of culture. Steal me away. All of your castles and ghosts, and banshees especially. (I know they originated in Ireland as well but they just seem to have become such a staple?) My mom is a little Filipino woman and she also wants to go to Scotland because of your enriched lore and picturesque hillsides and castles. (She's also superstitious and totally believes in banshees.)

So, as the American ones were already listed, I will defer to my Filipino heritage in following suit with Peaches.

ASWANG
Arguably our most popular supernatural creature, the Aswang is an easily recognized icon of Filipino pop culture and media. Depending on the region and who you ask, the Aswang is a member of a town or village by day and a blood-sucking, flesh-eating creature by night. They typically search for pregnant women or children, but any poor person wandering alone at night will do. Even today in certain Filipino villages, you might glimpse houses whose windows are strung about by wreaths of garlic to repel these nocturnal, fearsome creatures. When I went to the Philippines as a child, I visited the village where my mom grew up and saw these strings of garlic for myself. Their "lore" varies. Some people claim an Aswang will not hurt you at night if you're its friend during the day, other people will say they kill indiscriminately and so if an Aswang's daytime identity is discovered, they are "executed" immediately.

Aswang are tricksters. The farther they sound, the closer they are and vice-versa.

KAPRE
Kapre, as described my mother and "nanay" (grandmother in Filipino") are tall, hairy men who are recognized by the overwhelming, pungent odor of their cigars. They are "tree-giants" and hang around in forests and jungles who honestly aren't out to harm humans, but like to play pranks every now and then. My mom and my sisters like to say that they made friends with a kapre in their Filipino village because they had one of the most abundant mango trees. ♥ I guess they're the Filipino equivalent of the "jolly green giant?"

KAPEROSA
It seems nearly every Asian region has their variation of the "White Lady" and the Philippines is no exception. In our telling, the Kaperosa (or White Lady) is a ghostly apparation of a woman with long dark hair in a flowing white dress that appears in photographs and vision for the briefest of moments before fading away. The reasons for her being there tend to differ depending on who you ask. Some people say she will come as a warning, some say she's the soul of a betrayed woman lingering at the site of her death. In my family, she's a harmless visiting soul.

As far as ghost stories go, many buildings are reportedly haunted from atrocities committed against the Filipino people during WWII. In general, superstition resonates throughout the culture of the Philippines, as witnessed in many of our rituals. I do not speak of all of us, but largely, we are a spiritual people that believe there is more to life than meets the eye. My mom is a logical and venerated nurse, but even in the states, she adheres to our practices and American superstition.

(As an example, when we drive by cornfields at night, she doesn't look into them. She also covers up the seats when she drives so that nothing can be "invited" to ride with her.)
Peaches wrote:
0V3RL0RD-P4RR0T wrote:
Those are interesting. Wish my town had some interesting paranormal sights like that. By chance you had any encounters yourself in either the castle or house?
Though I've never really seen anything or had any first-hand encounters, I did have a few odd experiences while visiting Provenhall house. I think I may have imagined this one since I was so young, maybe around four, but when I was visiting the house with my pre-school I swore I felt something grab the hood of my jacket and pull on it. At first I thought it was one of the actors they employ for Halloween but I was in an empty room with my back facing a wall and everyone who was there with me were in a circle holding hands. So that was a weird one.

There was another instance when I was around 15 and my high school was visiting for a haunted house experience. We were waiting in groups in the upper floor, of all places, for our turn when there was a sudden cold spot throughout the room. Now we're known for indecisive, cold weather especially in Autumn and we were already a little chilly since the old building doesn't have heating but the temperature dropped too suddenly and too drastically to the point where we could almost see our breathe. I think I've read somewhere that sudden drops of temperature can indicate the presence of a spirit?

My friend at the time also had a bit of difficulty breathing while we were sitting on the staircase outside, which has been the main sighting of the house's last private owner who died in 1934, suffering breathing difficulties. The same thing happened to a paranormal investigator back in 2005 when he had trouble breathing while standing on the same staircase.

Though I love researching it. I'm on the fence when it comes to the paranormal. I don't believe in it but at the same time I don't not believe it, y'know? I've mostly chalked these instances up to pure coincidence but I wouldn't be surprised if the place really is haunted cause that house is eerie beyond belief.

The last ones pretty creepy honestly. Don't think I've ever experienced anything like that before. These aren't exactly in haunted houses, but I swear I've heard voices at my grandparents' house, heard a little kid laugh once while showering over there, and a few nights ago I heard banging in my house's living room and on our front door.

I'm on the fence too, about whether I believe in it ghosts or not. Regardless, def skeptical when people say they've seen ghosts, or gotten them on camera tho.
Dream wrote:
ASWANG
Arguably our most popular supernatural creature, the Aswang is an easily recognized icon of Filipino pop culture and media. Depending on the region and who you ask, the Aswang is a member of a town or village by day and a blood-sucking, flesh-eating creature by night. They typically search for pregnant women or children, but any poor person wandering alone at night will do. Even today in certain Filipino villages, you might glimpse houses whose windows are strung about by wreaths of garlic to repel these nocturnal, fearsome creatures. When I went to the Philippines as a child, I visited the village where my mom grew up and saw these strings of garlic for myself. Their "lore" varies. Some people claim an Aswang will not hurt you at night if you're its friend during the day, other people will say they kill indiscriminately and so if an Aswang's daytime identity is discovered, they are "executed" immediately.

Aswang are tricksters. The farther they sound, the closer they are and vice-versa.

KAPRE
Kapre, as described my mother and "nanay" (grandmother in Filipino") are tall, hairy men who are recognized by the overwhelming, pungent odor of their cigars. They are "tree-giants" and hang around in forests and jungles who honestly aren't out to harm humans, but like to play pranks every now and then. My mom and my sisters like to say that they made friends with a kapre in their Filipino village because they had one of the most abundant mango trees. ♥ I guess they're the Filipino equivalent of the "joly green giant?"

KAPEROSA
It seems nearly every Asian region has their variation of the "White Lady" and the Philippines is no exception. In our telling, the Kaperosa (or White Lady) is a ghostly apparation of a woman with long dark hair in a flowing white dress that appears in photographs and vision for the briefest of moments before fading away. The reasons for her being there tend to differ depending on who you ask. Some people say she will come as a warning, some say she's the soul of a betrayed woman lingering at the site of her death. In my family, she's a harmless visiting soul.

I love hearing about Asian Folklore like this. Some things are familiar, like the Aswang feeding off people's blood at night, or mischievous beings living in the woods like the Kapre, but are also entirely different at the same time in a lot of ways. It's so interesting.
RimCaster

Well Poland has fair share of fairy tales/myths. most of which they share with other Slavs. Slavic paganism is rich in content and underrated unless you're local or interested in legends/myths overall, I suppose the reason why it isn't that popular any more , is because Christianization of Slavic countries which at that time were pagan(around 7th to 12th century) in effect destroying some parts of Slav folklore which is centred on worship of nature.

Yeah that's all regarding that topic, I would mention few character appearing in Slavic folklore, as they often overlap in our cultures.

So let's go!

Ded Moroz or Grandpa Frost is counterpart of Santa Claus. He existed long before Christianity, at that time he was regarded as a wizard of winter or as a snow demon(word demon hadn't negative connotation back then.) He was accompanied bySnegurochka(Snow Maiden) his granddaughter and helper(She's unique to Ded Moroz since in other culture there aren't female companion for 'Santas') He's predominantly known in Russia, playing important role in their culture.

Baba Yaga is a wicked ugly looking witch. which can help or interfere with those who meet or ask for it. Sometimes it plays roles and also has associations with wildlife. According to morphology, Baba Roga usually appears as a donor or a villain or can be completely ambiguous. Baba Roga is also known as Baba I(Y)aga, although it is not known where it comes from.

The first mention of the Baba Roga occurs in 1755, in the Russian grammar of Mihailo Lomonosov. In Lomonos grammar, Baba Roga is mentioned twice among other creatures from the Slavic tradition. The other of the two references comes in the list of gods and beings from Slavic mythology, compared to their equality in Roman mythology. Baba Roga, however, appears in the third section without equality, which confirms her uniqueness.

Narratives in which Baba Roga appears, she shows a series of typical attributes: chicken leg, with avan and beard, and with broom. Baba Roga often carries the epithet "bone foot", and when in her place of residence, she can be found extruded over the stove, and arrives from one corner of the cottage to another. Baba Roga can feel the mentioned "Russian spirit" of those who visited her.

Rusalka is beautiful and young girl which lives in rivers or lakes where she traps and drowns people. It is believed that Rusalkas are like Vodenjaks(souls of drowned people, in Rusałka's case women/girls.) They are servants of Water Spirit, who serve in his crystal palace or this is indicated by the fact that Rusalkas differ greatly from male Vodenjaks by one important feature: they are able to leave water. Although they come out of water only once a year, this indicates that they have a much greater "autonomy" than male Vodenjaks.

Rusalka is a watery fairy of folk beliefs. Her name comes from the word "ruslo" which means a "stream" by the 19th century, the Rusalkas were considered as peaceful beings that represent fertility. However, after that, beliefs are completely changed, and they became negative beings more like vampires.
Oh, Krampus has also been picking up popularity in the US. He's a demon-like creature who rides around with Santa and whips naughty children.

An aside: American Santa Claus comes from an old ad campaign. I think it was Coca-Cola, but I could be wrong.
solike
I was raised by my mother mostly, so I learned a lot about her culture
she used to tell me stories about all sorts of things like the tsukuyomi
stuff about how not to say the number 4 in a certain way because it was unlucky
she also taught me to recite the kuji-in if I ever felt anxious or nervous
But my favourite story of all time from my mother is Nurihyon
My mother told me that Nurihyon was a funny old man with an oddly shaped head that walked around with one sword
She said he was a retired samurai that visited people's houses while they were away
He would go into their fridges and eat their food and drink all their tea
My brother used to eat a lot of the sweets from our fridge while my sister and I were at school and blame it on Nurihyon
I always believed him and I used to refuse to go to school because I did not want Nurihyon to eat the Daifuku my mother would make and I would save in the fridge for myself to eat when I got home.
we have the Sedlec Ossuary (bone church), the black Volga, white lady of krakow, rokita and boruta, and various other horrific tales
From the southern US here and I failed to see anyone mention

Hitchhiking ghosts

The Mothman

Uncle Nancy (More of a folk hero)

Swamp Ape (really stinky bigfoot)

The Minie lights (Very horrifying once you know the origins of them and specific to the city I live in.)

The Wendigo

Skin walkers (but honestly you;re not supposed to talk about them)

Loup Garou (southern werewolf)

and don't forget that Hawaii is a US state too so over there you got

Night Marchers (ancestors that died in battle that march at night. The only way to be safe from them is to strip naked and lay face down on the ground and hope one of the dead in the troop is an ancestor and speaks on your behalf. I have met people that have legit feared them and heard them.)

Menehune (small hairy dwarves that are experts in building palaces and structures that live in mounds but can also be invisible.)

Shark people (sharks that can turn into people and walk the land with the help of a shark tooth necklace)

Pele is also said to be wondering around usually as a hitchhiking beautiful woman or as an old woman.

Do Legendary people count? Because I feel like someone like Marie LaVou should count. She was a real person and there's lots of legends surrounding her.
I spent a good amount of time reading everybody's replies and it's so fascinating how different countries have different fairy tales and myths! I thought I would contribute with some danish ones and I admit that I have only heard about the ones I'm about to list, while doing some research to contribute to this topic. I found an article and as I haven't heard of any of these before, I will translate some of it (this is me not taking credit for others hard work heheh)!

Helhesten a horse without a head and three legs. It is a sign of danger - if you see it, it's a sign about serious illness or a death. If you hear the sound of a threelegged horse, you must look away.

De underjordiske small creatures that seem like small humans. They're good, evil, they help and they tease. It's important to treat them with respect so they don't turn against you.
They can exchange their own children with newborn humanchildren. The exchanged children will at first look like the humanchildren but they will quickly develop big and soft heads, they're weak and will never learn how to speak. They will need a lot of care while they eat their new parents out of their house.

Åmanden or nøkken supernatural, male creature that lives in seas. He takes care of the stream but for his work, he requires a victim each year. "Time has come" is what he will say before pulling his victim down under the stream.
If he doesn't get his required victim, he will take two the year after. Other times he will seduce a human towards him by playing the violin.

Elverfolket are elves that lives in the nature. The elver girls are indrecibly beautiful and very talented at dancing and playing music. When they dance, they dance in a ring with their backs towards eachother. This way, they show their attractive front.
If you see them from the back, you will notice that they are hollow in their back, almost like a rotten tree. The elves can be helpful but also dangerous.

Lygtemanden a small creature, living in swamps. At all times, he carries a lantern with a small blue gas-like flame. This is used to seduce humans to the deep of the swamp where he lets them drown. He will let you go if your clothes are turned inside-out. If you are lost and need help finding way, his services can be bought.

The two most popular ones and which I can remember off of the top of my head are the white lady and nisser.

Den hvide dame I've seen a lot of countries has a 'white lady', who seems to be a young woman, in a white dress. In Denmark, I think it is mostly believed that she died after childbirth and is now searching for her newborn - I could very well be wrong though but I'm too much of a wimp to look it up, hahah!

At last, we have nisser. They are believed to look like small, old men and can be anywhere from a few inches tall to about 3 feet tall. In modern culture, it's believed that they help santa claus with the christmas presents and that they live on the attic in old buildings. It is important to put up a bowl of porridge with some butter to keep them happy! Or else, they might be naughty
Canada's not terribly exciting in regards to folklore, but I find the variety interesting. There's a lot of different Indigenous myths that I don't really have the knowledge to speak to, the loup-garou (ie; werewolves) in French-Canadian legends, Eastern European folklore on the prairies, and the east coast has a lot of ghost stories stemming from the Irish/Scottish people that settled there. A lot of folk heroes or urban legends who were lumberjacks, river drivers, miners, that kind of thing.

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