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The Bogeyman (; also spelled boogeyman, bogyman, bogieman, boogie monster, boogieman, or boogie woogie) is a type of mythic creature used by adults to frighten children into good behavior. Bogeymen have no specific appearance and conceptions vary drastically by household and culture, but they are most commonly depicted as
masculine Masculinity (also called manhood or manliness) is a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles associated with men and boys. Masculinity can be theoretically understood as socially constructed, and there is also evidence that some behaviors con ...
or
androgynous Androgyny is the possession of both masculine and feminine characteristics. Androgyny may be expressed with regard to biological sex, gender identity, or gender expression. When ''androgyny'' refers to mixed biological sex characteristics i ...
monsters that punish children for misbehavior. The Bogeyman or conceptually similar monsters can be found in many cultures around the world. Bogeymen may target a specific act or general misbehaviour, depending on what purpose needs serving, often based on a warning from the child's authority figure. The term is sometimes used as a non-specific
personification Personification occurs when a thing or abstraction is represented as a person, in literature or art, as a type of anthropomorphic metaphor. The type of personification discussed here excludes passing literary effects such as "Shadows hold their b ...
or
metonym Metonymy () is a figure of speech in which a concept is referred to by the name of something closely associated with that thing or concept. Etymology The words ''metonymy'' and ''metonym'' come from grc, μετωνυμία, 'a change of name' ...
for
terror Terror(s) or The Terror may refer to: Politics * Reign of Terror, commonly known as The Terror, a period of violence (1793–1794) after the onset of the French Revolution * Terror (politics), a policy of political repression and violence Emoti ...
, and in some cases, the Devil.


Etymology

The word ''bogey'' originated in the mid-19th century, originally as a quasi-proper name for the devil."bogy , bogey, n.1." OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2021. Web. 23 May 2021. It may derive from the Middle English ''bogge'' or ''bugge'', meaning a terror or scarecrow. It relates to '' bugbear'', from ''bug'', meaning goblin or scarecrow, and ''
bear Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family Ursidae. They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Nor ...
'', an imaginary demon in the form of a bear that ate small children. It was also used to mean a general object of dread. The word '' bugaboo'', with a similar pair of meanings, may have arisen as an alteration of ''bugbear''. The word is known in Indo-European languages as '' puck'' ( English), '' bogle'' (
Scots Scots usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: * Scots language, a language of the West Germanic language family native to Scotland * Scots people, a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland * Scoti, a Latin na ...
), '' púca,'' ''pooka'' or ''pookha'' ( Irish), ''pwca'', ''bwga'' or ''bwgan'' (
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...
), ''bucca'' ( Cornish), ''buse'' or ''busemann'' ( Norwegian), ''puki'' ( Old Norse), ''bøhmand'' or ''bussemand'' ( Danish), ''bûzeman'' ( Western Frisian), ''boeman'' ( Dutch), ''Butzemann'' ( German), ''bòcan'', ''bogu'' ( Slavonic), ''buka'' or '' Babay/Babayka'' ( Russian, бука), ''bauk'' (
Serbian Serbian may refer to: * someone or something related to Serbia, a country in Southeastern Europe * someone or something related to the Serbs, a South Slavic people * Serbian language * Serbian names See also

* * * Old Serbian (disambiguat ...
), ''bubulis'' ( Latvian), ''baubas'' (
Lithuanian Lithuanian may refer to: * Lithuanians * Lithuanian language * The country of Lithuania * Grand Duchy of Lithuania * Culture of Lithuania * Lithuanian cuisine * Lithuanian Jews as often called "Lithuanians" (''Lita'im'' or ''Litvaks'') by other Jew ...
), ''bobo'' ( Polish), bubák ( Czech), bubák ( Slovak), ''bebok'' (
Silesian Silesian as an adjective can mean anything from or related to Silesia. As a noun, it refers to an article, item, or person of or from Silesia. Silesian may also refer to: People and languages * Silesians, inhabitants of Silesia, either a West S ...
), ''papão'' ( Portuguese), ''babulas'' ( el, μπαμπούλας), ''bua'' ( Georgian, ბუა), ''babau'' ( Italian), Бабай ( Ukrainian), baubau ( Romanian), and ''papu'' ( Catalan).Cooper, Brian. "Lexical reflections inspired by Slavonic *bogǔ: English bogey from a Slavonic root?" '' Transactions of the Philological Society'', Volume 103, Number 1, April 2005, pp. 73–97(25) In Hungarian, a Uralic language, bogeyman is ''mumus''.


Physical description and personality

While the description of the Bogeyman differs on a cultural level, there are often some shared similarities to the creatures. Many of the Bogeymen are depicted as having claws, talons, and sharp teeth. Along with that, the majority of Bogeymen are of the spirit variety, while the minority are
demon A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in religion, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology, and folklore; as well as in media such as comics, video games, movies, ani ...
s, witches, and other
legendary creature A legendary creature (also mythical or mythological creature) is a type of fictional entity, typically a hybrid, that has not been proven and that is described in folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses ...
s. Some are even described to have certain animal features such as horns, hooves, and bug like appearances. When looking at the personality traits of the Bogeymen, they are most easily divided into three categories; the kind that punishes misbehaved children, the kind that are more prone to violence, and the kind that protect the innocent. They all relate in the same way, being that they all exist to teach young children lessons. The large majority of Bogeymen are there to just frighten children with punishments, and not actually inflict much damage. The more vicious Bogeyman is said to steal the children at night, and even eat them. The last category is the Bogeyman who protects people and only punishes those guilty, regardless of age.


Other putative origins

Because of the myth’s worldwide prevalence, it is difficult to find the original source of the legends. The first reference to the Bogeyman would be considered the hobgoblins described in England, in the 16th century. Many believed that they were made to torment humans, and while some only played simple pranks, others were more foul in nature.


Analogues in other cultures

Bogeyman-like beings are almost universal, common to the folklore of many countries.


Sack Man

In many countries, a bogeyman variant is portrayed as a man with a sack on his back who carries naughty children away. This is true for many Latin countries, such as Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Paraguay, Brazil, Portugal, Spain, and the countries of Spanish America, where he is referred to as , , or in Portuguese, (all of which mean "the sack/bag man"), or , meaning ''child-stealer''. Similar legends are also very common in Eastern Europe (e.g. Bulgarian , "sack man"), as well as in Haiti and some countries in Asia.


El Coco

El Coco (also and , sometimes called ) is a monster common to many Spanish-speaking countries. The (or Cucafera) monster is the equivalent in certain parts of Catalonia. In Spain, parents will sing lullabies or tell rhymes to children, warning them that if they do not sleep, will come to get them. The rhyme originated in the 17th century and has evolved over the years, but still retains its original meaning.
Coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family ( Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the ...
s ( es, coco) received that name because the hairy, brown "face" created by the coconut shell's three indentations reminded the Portuguese sailers of "Coco". Latin America also has , although its folklore is usually quite different, commonly mixed with native beliefs, and, because of cultural contacts, sometimes more related to the boogeyman of the United States. However, the term is also used in Spanish-speaking Latin American countries, such as
Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...
,
Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
,
Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...
, Peru, Mexico,
El Salvador El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south b ...
,
Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. The republic of Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Oce ...
, and Venezuela, although there it is more usually called , as in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Chile, Uruguay, Panama and Argentina. Among Mexican-Americans, is portrayed as an evil monster that hides under children's beds at night and kidnaps or eats the child that does not obey his/her parents or go to sleep when it is time to do so. However, the Spanish American bogeyman does not resemble the shapeless or hairy monster of Spain: social sciences professor Manuel Medrano says popular legend describes as a small humanoid with glowing red eyes that hides in closets or under the bed. "Some lore has him as a kid who was the victim of violence... and now he's alive, but he's not," Medrano said, citing
Xavier Garza Xavier Garza (born 14 October 1968) is an author and illustrator of children's books and professor of art at Northwest Vista College in San Antonio. Life and career Xavier Garza was born in Rio Grande City in Texas's Lower Rio Grande Valley ...
's 2004 book ''Creepy Creatures and other Cucuys''."


A Cuca

In Brazilian folklore, a similar character called ''Cuca'' is depicted as a female humanoid alligator, or an old lady with a sack. There is a famous lullaby sung by many parents to their children that says that the ''Cuca'' will come to get them and make a soup or soap out of them if they do not sleep, just as in Spain. The ''Cuca'' is also a character of
Monteiro Lobato José Bento Renato Monteiro Lobato (18 April 1882 – 4 July 1948) was one of Brazil's most influential writers, mostly for his children's books set in the fictional Sítio do Picapau Amarelo (Yellow Woodpecker Farm) but he had been previously ...
's '' Sítio do Picapau Amarelo'' ("Yellow Woodpecker's Farm"), an acclaimed and creative series of short novels written for children which contain a large number of famous characters from Brazilian folklore.


Babau

In the countries of central and
Eastern Mediterranean Eastern Mediterranean is a loose definition of the eastern approximate half, or third, of the Mediterranean Sea, often defined as the countries around the Levantine Sea. It typically embraces all of that sea's coastal zones, referring to communi ...
, children who misbehave are threatened with a creature known as "babau" (or "baubau", "baobao", "bavbav", or "بعبع (Bu'Bu'" or similar). In Italy, the Babau is also called ''l'uomo nero'' or "black man". In Italy, he is portrayed as a tall man wearing a heavy black coat, with a black hood or hat which hides his face. Sometimes, parents will knock loudly under the table, pretending that someone is knocking at the door, and say something like: "Here comes ''l'uomo nero''! He must know that there's a child here who doesn't want to drink his soup!". It is also featured in a widespread nursery rhyme in Italy: a chi lo do? Lo darò all' uomo nero, che lo tiene un anno intero." (English: "Lullaby Lulla Oh, who do I give this child to? I will give him to the Boogeyman, who's going to keep him for a whole year") ''L'uomo nero'' is not supposed to eat or harm children, but instead takes them away to a mysterious and frightening place.


Butzemann

Germanic folklore has dozens of different figures that correspond to the Bogeyman. These have various appearances (such as of a
gnome A gnome is a mythological creature and diminutive spirit in Renaissance magic and alchemy, first introduced by Paracelsus in the 16th century and later adopted by more recent authors including those of modern fantasy literature. Its characte ...
, man, animal,
monster A monster is a type of fictional creature found in horror, fantasy, science fiction, folklore, mythology and religion. Monsters are very often depicted as dangerous and aggressive with a strange, grotesque appearance that causes terror and fe ...
,
ghost A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to rea ...
or devil). They are sometimes said to appear at very specific places (such as in forests, at water bodies, cliffs, cornfields or vineyards). These figures are called by many different names which are often only regionally known. One of these, possibly etymologically related to the Bogeyman, is the ''
Butzemann The Bogeyman (; also spelled boogeyman, bogyman, bogieman, boogie monster, boogieman, or boogie woogie) is a type of mythic creature used by adults to frighten children into good behavior. Bogeymen have no specific appearance and conceptions var ...
'', which can be of gnome-like or other demonic or ghostly appearance. Other examples include the ''Buhmann'' (who is mostly proverbial) and ''der schwarze Mann'' ("The Black Man"), an inhuman creature which hides in the dark corners under the bed or in the closet and carries children away. The figure is part of the children's game Wer hat Angst vorm schwarzen Mann?" ("Who is afraid of the bogeyman?").


Other examples

* Afghanistan – The Madar-i-Al is a nocturnal hag that slaughters infants in their cribs and is invoked to frighten children into obedience. Burning
wild rue ''Peganum harmala'', commonly called wild rue, Syrian rue, African rue, esfand or espand,Mahmoud OmidsalaEsfand: a common weed found in Persia, Central Asia, and the adjacent areasEncyclopedia Iranica Vol. VIII, Fasc. 6, pp. 583–584. Originall ...
seeds and fumigating the area around the baby will offer protection against her. * Albania: ** The Buba is a serpentine monster. Mothers would tell their children to be quiet or the Buba would get them. ** The Gogol is a terrible giant that frightens children into being good. ** The Lubia is a female
demon A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in religion, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology, and folklore; as well as in media such as comics, video games, movies, ani ...
with an insatiable appetite for the flesh of children, especially girls. She has many heads, from seven to a hundred, and like the Greek
hydra Hydra generally refers to: * Lernaean Hydra, a many-headed serpent in Greek mythology * ''Hydra'' (genus), a genus of simple freshwater animals belonging to the phylum Cnidaria Hydra or The Hydra may also refer to: Astronomy * Hydra (constel ...
if one head is severed then others will grow in its place. * Azerbaijan – The Div is a hairy giant that eats children. It was outsmarted and defeated by a clever young boy named Jirtdan, a popular hero in
Azerbaijani fairy tales Azerbaijani fairy tales are works of folklore by the Azerbaijani people. They vary in context and subject and include tales from the heroic past of the Azerbaijani people and struggles with local and foreign oppressors. Spiritual, moral, social ...
. * Belize – '' Tata Duende'' is a mythical goblin described as being of small stature, with a beard, wrinkles, backwards feet, a large brimmed hat, and lacking thumbs. It is a protector of the forests and animals and was used to scare children from going out to play at night or going into the jungle. * Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia and North Macedonia – ''Babaroga'' (a South Slavic variant of Baba Yaga; ''baba'' meaning ''hag'' and ''rog'' meaning ''horn'', thus literally meaning ''horned hag'') is commonly attributed the characteristics of the bogeyman. The details vary regionally and by household due to oral tradition, but it always manifests as a menacing hag who hunts irreverent children. It is described as fond of trapping and eating caught children. * Brazil and Portugal – A monster more akin to the Bogeyman is called ''Bicho Papão'' ("Eating Beast") or ''Sarronco'' ("Deep-Voiced Man"). A notable difference between it and the ''homem do saco'' is that the latter is a daytime menace and "Bicho Papão" is a nighttime menace. Another important difference is that "Homem do Saco" ("Sack Man") usually kidnaps children who go to places without parents authorization, while "Bicho Papão" scares naughty children and hides under their beds, closets or roofs. * In Inuit mythology, there is a
shapeshifting In mythology, folklore and speculative fiction, shape-shifting is the ability to physically transform oneself through an inherently superhuman ability, divine intervention, demonic manipulation, Magic (paranormal), sorcery, Incantation, ...
creature called the Ijiraq, that kidnaps children, to hide them away and abandon them. If the children can convince the Ijiraq to let them go, they can use inukshuk of stone to find their way home. Also from Inuit Mythology there is the Qalupalik, which are human-like creatures with long fingernails, green skin, and long hair that live in the sea. They carry babies and children away in their Amauti, if they disobey their parents and wander off alone. The Qalupalik adopt the children and bring them to live with them underwater. * Canada – In Quebec and French Canada the Bogeyman is called 'The Seven o'Clock Man'. Children are warned to go to bed by 7 o'clock (7 heure), lest Mister Seven O'Clock will come to catch them. * Cyprus – In the Cypriot dialect, the Bogeyman is called Kkullas (Κκουλλάς); a man (vaguely described as hooded and/or deformed) who will put misbehaving children in a bag and take them away from their homes. * Czech Republic – The equivalent of the Bogeyman in the Czech Republic is ''bubák'' (≈ imp) or '' strašidlo'' (≈
ghost A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to rea ...
), but these are not typically connected with abducting children nor with discriminating between well and bad behaved ones. This is more often attributed to ''polednice'' and ''klekánice'' (
Lady midday Poludnitsa (from: ''Polden'' or ''Poluden'', 'half-day' or 'midday') is a mythical character common to the various Slavic countries of Eastern Europe. She is referred to as Południca in Polish, Полудниця in Ukrainian, Полудница ( ...
, or Lady evening), or to the ''čert'' ( Krampus, or lit. devil) who, along with st. Nicholas and angel, traditionally visits families on December 5. * Egypt – The "Abu Rigl Maslukha" (ابو رجل مسلوخة), which translates to the "Man With Burnt/Skinned Leg". It is a very scary story that parents tell their children when they misbehave. The "Abu Rigl Maslukha" is a monster that got burnt when he was a child because he did not listen to his parents. He grabs naughty children to cook and eat them. * England: ** In East Yorkshire, children were warned that if they stole from orchards they might be eaten by a goblin or demon called Awd Goggie. ** Yorkshire children were also warned that if they were naughty the Great Black Bird would come and carry them away. ** In Devon, local variations of Spring-Heeled Jack included a "bogeyman" that "danced in the road and leapt over hedges with the greatest of ease", with reported sightings in
North Devon North Devon is a local government district in Devon, England. North Devon Council is based in Barnstaple. Other towns and villages in the North Devon District include Braunton, Fremington, Ilfracombe, Instow, South Molton, Lynton and Lynmouth ...
and locals describing "haunted" stretches of road in the South Devon towns of
St Marychurch St Marychurch in Torquay, Devon, England, is one of the oldest settlements in South Devon. Its name derives from the church of St Mary, which was founded in Anglo-Saxon times. The ward population taken at the 2011 census was 11,262. History and ...
and Torquay, beginning in the 1840s. ** The Gooseberry Wife was said to guard gooseberry bushes on the Isle of Wight and took the form of a large hairy caterpillar.Wright, Elizabeth Mary (1913). ''Rustic Speech and Folk-Lore''. Humphrey Milford, Oxford University Press. p. 198. ** Churnmilk Peg in West Yorkshire was a female goblin who guarded nut thickets until they could be harvested and would always be seen smoking a pipe. Melsh Dick was her male counterpart and performed the same function. ** Tom Dockin had iron teeth that he used to devour bad children. **
Black Annis Black Annis (also known as Black Agnes or Black Anna) is a bogeyman figure in English folklore. She is imagined as a blue-faced hag or witch with iron claws and a taste for human flesh (especially children).Briggs, Katharine (1976). ''Encyclopedia o ...
was a hag with a blue face and iron claws who lived in a cave in the
Dane Hills Dane Hills is a large area on the western side of the English city of Leicester, consisting of the smaller areas of Newfoundpool, Western Park, and New Parks New Parks is residential suburb of the city of Leicester, in the Leicester dis ...
of
Leicestershire Leicestershire ( ; postal abbreviation Leics.) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East Midlands, England. The county borders Nottinghamshire to the north, Lincolnshire to the north-east, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire t ...
. She ventured forth at night in search of children to devour. Briggs, Katharine (1976). ''An Encyclopedia of Fairies''. Pantheon Books. pp. 24–25. . ** Grindylow, Jenny Greenteeth and Nelly Longarms were grotesque hags who lived in ponds and rivers and dragged children beneath the water if they got too close. ** Peg Powler is a hag who inhabits the
River Tees The River Tees (), in Northern England, rises on the eastern slope of Cross Fell in the North Pennines and flows eastwards for to reach the North Sea between Hartlepool and Redcar near Middlesbrough. The modern day history of the river has be ...
. ** Other nursery bogies include Mumpoker, Tankerabogus who drags children into his deep, dark pit and Tom-Poker who lives in dark closets and holes under stairs. * Finland – The equivalent of the Bogeyman in Finland is ''mörkö''. The most famous usage of the word these days takes place in Moomin-stories (originally written in Swedish) in which ''mörkö'' ( the Groke) is a large, frightening, dark blue, ghost-like creature. The children's game "Kuka pelkää Mustaa Pekkaa?" ("Who's Afraid of Black Peter?") was also commonly played among children through to the 1960s and '70s, especially in urban settings, as a backyard game (see Germany's "Wer hat Angst vorm schwarzen Mann?"). * France – The French equivalent of the Bogeyman is ''le croque-mitaine'' ("the mitten-biter" or rather "the hand-cruncher"—''mitaine'' means mitt in an informal way). * Germany – The Bogeyman is known as ''Der schwarze Mann'' ("the Black Man"). "Schwarz" does not refer to the color of his skin, but to his preference for hiding in dark places, like the closet, under the beds of children, or in forests at night. There is also an active game for little children which is called ''Wer hat Angst vorm schwarzen Mann?'' ("Who is afraid of the Black Man?"), and an old traditional folk song ''Es tanzt ein Bi-Ba-Butzemann in unserm Haus herum'' ("A Bi-Ba-Bogeyman Dances Around in Our House"). * Greece – In Greek, the common translation of "Bogeyman" is "Baboulas" ( el, Μπαμπούλας)), which is pronounced babʊlas. It is used by the parents to scare their children so they will not misbehave. This creature is supposed to be some kind of cannibal that eats the children. The most used phrase about the creature is " el, Ο Μπαμπούλας θα έρθει και θα σε φάει", which means "The Bogeyman will come and eat you". *
Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...
– In Haiti the Boogeyman is known as Mètminwi (The Master of Midnight) it is depicted as a very skinny two story tall man who walks around late at night and eats anyone left on the streets. This story is told to the Haitian children to deter them from going out late at night. * Hungary – The Hungarian equivalent of the Bogeyman is the ''Mumus'', which is a monster-like creature, and the ''Zsákos Ember'', a man with a sack, which is the literal meaning of his name. A third creature is the ''Rézfaszú bagoly'' ("Copperpenis Owl"), a giant owl with a copper penis. * Iceland – The Icelandic equivalent of the Bogeyman is
Grýla Icelandic Christmas folklore depicts mountain-dwelling characters and monsters who come to town during Christmas. The stories are directed at children and are used to scare them into good behavior. The folklore includes both mischievous prankste ...
, a female troll who would take misbehaving children and eat them during
Christmas Eve Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas Day, the festival commemorating the birth of Jesus. Christmas Day is observed around the world, and Christmas Eve is widely observed as a full or partial holiday in anticipation ...
. However, as the story goes, she has been dead for some time. She is also the mother of the Yule Lads, the Icelandic equivalent of
Santa Claus Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a Legend, legendary figure originating in Western Christianity, Western Christian culture who is said to Christmas gift-bringer, bring ...
. * India – In India, the entity is known by different names. Urdu speaking population refer to the bogeyman-like creature by names such as ''
Shaitan ' (; ''devils'' or ''demons''), singular: (شَيْطَان) are evil spirits in Islam, inciting humans (and jinn) to sin by "whispering" (وَسْوَسَة, “waswasah”) to their qalb, hearts (قَلْب ''qalb''). Folklore suggests that t ...
/
Shaytaan ' (; ''devils'' or ''demons''), singular: (شَيْطَان) are evil spirits in Islam, inciting humans (and jinn) to sin by "whispering" (وَسْوَسَة, “waswasah”) to their qalb, hearts (قَلْب ''qalb''). Folklore suggests that t ...
'', ''Bhoot'', ''Jin Baba'', which mean satan, ghost, Djinn respectively. Hindi speaking population refer to the bogeyman-like creature as ''Baba'' and ''Bhoot''. Bihar – Parents use the demon name ''Bhakolwa'' for this purpose. The terms ''Petona'' and ''Kaatu'' are also used. In Rajasthan, parents use the demon name ''Haboo'' to terrify their children. South India – In Karnataka, the demon "Goggayya" (roughly meaning 'terrible man') can be treated as counterpart of the bogeyman. In the state of Tamil Nadu, children are often mock-threatened with the ''Rettai Kannan'' (the two-eyed one) or ''Poochaandi'' (பூச்சாண்டி), a monster or fearsome man with whom children are sometimes threatened if they are not obedient or refuse to eat. In the state of Andhra Pradesh, the equivalent of the bogeyman is ''Boochodu''. In central Kerala, the bogeyman is referred to as "Kokkachi", who will "take away" children for disobeying their parents or misbehaving in any manner; and in South Kerala, the bogeyman is called "Oochandi". Among Konkani-speaking people of the Western Coast of India, "Gongo" is the Bogeyman equivalent. Among Marathi language speaking people (predominantly of
Maharashtra Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...
), parents threaten the misbehaving children with a male ghost called "Bāgul Buā" (बागुल बुवा). In general, the "Buā" is supposed to kidnap children when they misbehave or do not sleep. In the eastern state of Odisha the bogeyman is referred to as "Baaya"(ବାୟା). Its usage is usually done to scare kids into following instructions of the elders. The term "Baaya" also designates a ghost. * Indonesia – In Indonesia,
Wewe Gombel Wewe Gombel is a female supernatural being or vengeful ghost in Javanese mythology. It is said that she kidnaps children. This myth is taught to encourage children to be cautious and to stay at home at night. Traditionally, the Wewe Gombel is re ...
is a
ghost A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to rea ...
that kidnaps children mistreated by their parents. She keeps the children in her nest atop an '' Arenga pinnata'' palm tree and does not harm them. She takes care of the children as a grandmother until the parents become aware of what they have done. If the parents decide to mend their ways and truly want their children back, Wewe Gombel will return them unharmed. This ghost is named Wewe Gombel because it originated in an event that took place in Bukit Gombel,
Semarang Semarang ( jv, ꦏꦸꦛꦯꦼꦩꦫꦁ , Pegon: سماراڠ) is the capital and largest city of Central Java province in Indonesia. It was a major port during the Dutch colonial era, and is still an important regional center and port today. ...
. * Iran - In Iran, a popular children's folklore creature known as "لولو خور خوره", Romanised "Lulu Khor Khoreh" is a creature of mysterious origin. Perception of it varies widely but its commonly known to come out at night and eat children who misbehave ( which is generally the refusal to eat food ) . * Iraq's ancient folklore has the ''saalua'', a half-witch half-demon ghoul that "is used by parents to scare naughty children". She is briefly mentioned in a tale of the
1001 Nights ''One Thousand and One Nights'' ( ar, أَلْفُ لَيْلَةٍ وَلَيْلَةٌ, italic=yes, ) is a collection of Middle Eastern folk tales compiled in Arabic during the Islamic Golden Age. It is often known in English as the ''Arabian ...
, and is known in some other Persian Gulf countries as well. * Ireland - In Ireland, “An fear dubh” similar to Italian folklore. * Italy – In Italy, "L'uomo nero" (meaning "the black man") is a demon that can appear as a black man or black ghost without legs, often used by adults for scaring their children when they do not want to sleep. In some parts of the country, it is known also as "
babau The Bogeyman (; also spelled boogeyman, bogyman, bogieman, boogie monster, boogieman, or boogie woogie) is a type of mythic creature used by adults to frighten children into good behavior. Bogeymen have no specific appearance and conceptions var ...
". **
Marabbecca The marabbecca is a legendary creature that originates from Sicily. The creature, likely of Arab origin lives in wells and reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either art ...
is a malevolent water monster from the mythology of Sicily that lived in wells and reservoirs and was said to come up and drag children that played too close down into the water to drown. *
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
– In Japan, a popular culture is the " Kami-kakushi". This is a phenomenon, not a character. Author Yanagida Kunio created "Kotorizo", "Kakushi-baba", etc. as boogeyman-like characters. *
Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...
– referred to as the
Baubas The list of Lithuanian gods is reconstructed based on scarce written sources and late folklore. Lithuania converted to Christianity in 1387, but elements of Lithuanian mythology survived into the 19th century. The earliest written sources, author ...
, an evil spirit with long lean arms, wrinkly fingers, and red eyes. He harasses people by pulling their hair or stifling them. * Luxembourg – ''De béise Monni'' (the evil uncle), ''De Kropemann'' (the hookman), ''De Bö'', and ''de schwaarze Mann'' (the black man) are Luxembourg's equivalents of the Bogeyman. Luxembourg's many variations of the bogeyman may be the result of its strong cultural attachment to its neighbour countries due to the country's small size. The Kropemann lives in the sewer and uses his hook to catch children by the nose if they stand too close to a storm drain, drawing them down to him. Parents warn their naughty children that the ''béise Monni'' alias ''Bö'' alias ''schwaarze Mann'', will come to take them away if they don't behave. * Malta – Kaw Kaw or Gaw Gaw, was a grey, slimy creature that roamed the streets at night. It could smell a person's guilt and enter their homes, through cracks and fissures, by extending and contracting its snail-like body. Once it was inside their rooms, it would flash them a ghastly grin, with its huge, toothless mouth, scaring them witless. * Nepal – In Nepali, a popular bogeyman character is the 'hau-guji'. Among the
Newar Newar (; new, नेवार, endonym: Newa; new, नेवा, Pracalit script:) or Nepami, are the historical inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley and its surrounding areas in Nepal and the creators of its historic heritage and civilisatio ...
s, the " Gurumapa" is a mythic ape-like creature who was supposed to enjoy devouring children. Itum Bahal of inner Kathmandu and the Tinkhya open space in front of the Bhadrakali temple in the centre of Kathmandu are associated with the fable of Gurumapa. * Netherlands - **The Bokkenrijders or “buck riders” are ghost thieves who ride flying goats. * Pakistan – The Mamma is a large apelike creature that lives in the mountains and ventures forth to kidnap young girls. He will carry them back to his cave where he licks their palms and the soles of their feet which makes them permanently unable to flee. * Panama – In Panama, children are warned that if they are naughty, La Tulivieja will come to get them. She was a spirit who was cursed by God for drowning her child, and transformed into a hideous monster with a pockmarked face, long and bristly hair, clawed hands, a cat's body, and hooved feet. She was also cursed to forever look for her drowned child. * Poland – ''"
Baba Jaga In Slavic folklore, Baba Yaga, also spelled Baba Jaga (from Polish), is a supernatural being (or one of a trio of sisters of the same name) who appears as a deformed and/or ferocious-looking woman. In fairy tales Baba Yaga flies around in a ...
"'' is a witch living in the forest that kidnaps badly behaving children and presumably eats them. It is referred to in a children's game of the same name, which involves one child being blindfolded, and other children trying to avoid being caught.. In some regions(mainly in western Poland) a more common creature is Bebok/Bobok which is a small, annoying demon. * Russia and Ukraine – Children are warned that Babay/Babayka, buka or Baba Yaga will come for them at night if they behave badly. * Saudi Arabia – ''Abu Shalawlaw'' (أبو شلولو) is a Bogeyman-like creature said by parents to come to eat children who are disobedient, e.g., by not going to sleep on time or not completing their homework. **
Hejaz The Hejaz (, also ; ar, ٱلْحِجَاز, al-Ḥijāz, lit=the Barrier, ) is a region in the west of Saudi Arabia. It includes the cities of Mecca, Medina, Jeddah, Tabuk, Yanbu, Taif, and Baljurashi. It is also known as the "Western Provin ...
, Saudi Arabia – ''أمنا الغولة والدوجيرة'' or "Dojairah and Umna al Ghola", which means "Our mother the Monster", is used to scare children when they misbehave or walk alone outside. * Scotland: ** Misbehaving children were warned that a goblin or demon known as the
bodach A (; plural "old man; rustic, churl, lout"; Old Irish ) is a trickster or bogeyman figure in Gaelic folklore and mythology. The "old man" is paired with the "hag, old woman" in Irish legend. Name (Old Irish also ) is the Irish word for a ...
would come down the chimney and take them. ** The each-uisge is the Scottish version of the water horse, a monster that lives in seas and
lochs ''Loch'' () is the Scottish Gaelic, Scots and Irish word for a lake or sea inlet. It is cognate with the Manx lough, Cornish logh, and one of the Welsh words for lake, llwch. In English English and Hiberno-English, the anglicised spelling ...
and usually takes the form of a horse. A cautionary tale tells how the each-uisge persuaded seven little girls to get on its back before carrying them into the water to be devoured. * Serbia – ''Bauk'' is an animal-like mythic creature in Serbian folklore. Bauk is described as hiding in dark places, holes or abandoned houses, waiting to grab, carry away, and devour its victim; it can be scared away by light and noise. * South Africa – The Tokoloshe or Tikoloshe is a dwarfish creature of Xhosa and Zulu mythology conjured up by sangomas (traditional healers). It wanders around causing mischief and frightening children. It is also described as a small, muscular, hairy witch-familiar with an unusually large penis. It may visit women in their dreams and sexually assault them. * South Korea - The "Net Bag Grandfather" (Mangtae Hal-abeoji, 망태 할아버지) is an imaginary old man employed by adults to frighten children into obedience. It is said that he kidnaps spoiled, misbehaving children and takes them away to the mountains, where they are never seen again. See Sack Man. * Spain ** Catalonia - (lit. 'scare children' in Catalan/ Valencian) is the general term for imaginary beings employed by adults to frighten children into obedience. ::Some examples are: el , el , la , ''l'
Home del sac A home, or domicile, is a space used as a permanent or semi-permanent residence for one or many humans, and sometimes various companion animals. It is a fully or semi sheltered space and can have both interior and exterior aspects to it. H ...
'' ( Sack Man), les 'the enchanted (women)', la Cuca Fera (cf. El Coco above), el (or "Mussa the Moor"), la , els , and l'
Home dels nassos A home, or domicile, is a space used as a permanent or semi-permanent residence for one or many humans, and sometimes various companion animals. It is a fully or semi sheltered space and can have both interior and exterior aspects to it. ...
. *
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
– In Switzerland, the Bogeyman is called ''Böllima'' or '' Böögg'' (''pron.'') and has an important role in the springtime ceremonies. The figure is the symbol of winter and death, so in the Sechseläuten ceremony in the City of Zürich, a figure of the Böögg is burnt. In Southern Switzerland, people have the same traditions as in Italy. * Taiwan – Among Minnan Taiwanese, ''Grandmother Tiger'' (虎姑婆 / Hóo-koo-pô) is a figure used to scare disobedient children. * Trinidad and Tobago – Most Trinbagonians (mostly in the rural demograph) use folklore to scare disobedient children. The most common word that is used is
Jumbie A jumbee, jumbie, mendo or chongo in Colombia and Venezuela is a type of mythological spirit or demon in the folklore of some Caribbean countries. Jumbee is the generic name given to all malevolent entities. There are numerous kinds of jumbees, r ...
. Some "jumbies" are the Soucouyant, Lagahoo,
La Diabless LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on Figure 8 ( ...
,
Papa Bois Papa Bois (otherwise known as "Maître Bois", meaning master of the woods or "Daddy Bouchon" meaning hairy man), a French patois word for "father wood" or "father of the forest" is a popular fictional folklore character of St. Lucia and Trinidad and ...
, etc. "Bogeyman" is also used in the same context as its origin but by mostly urbanised citizens, and it can also can be called "The Babooman". * Turkey – The ''Öcü'' () is an equivalent monster in Turkish culture. Much like its English language counterpart, the form, powers, or even general temperament of the creature is undefined to the degree that it is unclear whether the word refers to a single being or a category or species of mythic creatures. * United States – The Bogeyman may be called "Boogerman" or "Boogermonster" in rural areas of the
American South The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...
(" booger" being an American English equivalent of the British English "bogey"), and was most often used to keep young children from playing outside past dark, or wandering off in the forest. During the Corn Festival, young Cherokee males wearing caricature masks would make fun of politicians, frighten children into being good, and shake their masks at young women and chase them around. Male participants in this " Booger Dance" were referred to as the "Booger Men". In some Midwestern states, the boogeyman scratches at the window. In Eastern Iowa, they have the Korn Stalker. In the Pacific Northwest, he may manifest in "green fog". In other places he hides or appears from under the bed or in the closet and tickles children when they go to sleep at night, while in others he is a tall figure in a black hooded cloak who puts children in a sack. It is said that a wart can be transmitted to someone by the boogeyman.McNab, Chris(Chris McNab). ''Ancient Legends/Folklore''. New York: Scholastic, Inc., 2007. () ** The Jersey Devil, which originated in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey in the early 18th century, was originally described as having a horse's head, bat wings, cloven hooves, and a serpent's tail. Regarding the famous Jersey Devil sightings of 1909, Loren Coleman and Ivan T. Sanderson offered the explanation that they were part of an elaborate real estate hoax, used by developers as a boogeyman figure to frighten residents into selling their property at lower prices. **
Bloody Bones Bloody Bones is a bogeyman figure in English and North American folklore whose first written appearance is approximately 1548. As with all bogeymen the figure has been used to frighten children into good behaviour. The character is sometimes call ...
, also known as Rawhead or Tommy Rawhead, is a boogeyman of the American South. Rawhead and Bloody Bones are sometimes regarded as two individual creatures or two separate parts of the same monster. One is a bare skull that bites its victims and its companion is a dancing headless skeleton. Bloody Bones tales originated in Britain. ** The Nalusa Falaya ("Long Black Being") is a ghost being of Choctaw mythology described as a tall spindly humanoid that can slither like a snake or become a shadow. It may frighten children from staying out too late and can bewitch hunters. ** Cipelahq (or Chebelakw) is a dangerous bird spirit of Wabanaki folklore, used in stories to scare children into obeying their parents. Chebelakw has an unearthly cry and resembles a large diving owl, with only its head and talons visible. Similar monsters called Stinkini and Big Owl were found in Seminole and
Apache The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño an ...
mythologies, respectively. * Vietnam - In Vietnam ''Ông Ba bị'', ''Ông kẹ'' or ''Ngáo ộp'' is a scary creature that is often used by adults to scare children if they disobey. The Ông Ba bị is described as having nine straps and twelve eyes (Ba bị chín quai mười hai con mắt).
Trace the origin of Ông Ba bị


See also

*
Albert Fish Hamilton Howard "Albert" Fish (May 19, 1870 – January 16, 1936) was an American serial killer, Rape, rapist, child molestation, child molester, and cannibalism, cannibal who committed at least three child murders from July 1924 to June 1 ...
* Baba Yaga * Bhoot (ghost) * Boggart * Coco * Companions of Saint Nicholas *
Erlkönig "Erlkönig" is a poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. It depicts the death of a child assailed by a supernatural being, the Erlking, a king of the fairies. It was originally written by Goethe as part of a 1782 Singspiel, . "Erlkönig" has been ...
* Ghoul * Jack the Ripper * Kappa (folklore) * Krampus *
La Llorona ''La Llorona'' (; "The Weeping Woman" or "The Wailer") is a Hispanic-American mythical vengeful ghost who is said to roam near bodies of water mourning her children whom she drowned. Origins Early colonial times provided evidence that the lore ...
* Madam Koi Koi *
Nian A ''nian'' () is a beast in Chinese mythology. Nian live under the sea or in the mountains. The Chinese character ''nian'' more usually means "year" or "new year". The earliest written sources that refer to the ''nian'' as a creature date to the e ...
*
Oogie Boogie This article lists characters seen in the film ''The Nightmare Before Christmas'' and two video games: '' The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Pumpkin King'' and '' The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie's Revenge''. Design The filmmakers constr ...
* Sack Man * Shellycoat * Spring-heeled Jack * Slender Man * Struwwelpeter * Yama (Buddhism) * Yara-ma-yha-who


References

{{Fairies American legendary creatures English legendary creatures European folklore characters Legendary creatures in popular culture Supernatural legends Mythological monsters Devils