TOP 7 HISTORICAL MONSTERS
1. ONI
JAPANESE
The oni is a monster from Japanese tradition. It is normally depicted as a giant creature with sharp claws and horns, much like the Judeo Christian devil. Onis are generally colored red or blue and often have extra fingers, toes, and eyes. They almost always appear carrying an iron club.
2. OGRE
FRENCH
The ogre is a gigantic manlike monster, often portrayed as a man-eater. Ogres have a long history in literature in which they are usually described as bearded men with fat bellies and superhuman strength.
3. VAMPIRE
SLAVIC
Vampires have been known to the Western world since the eighteenth century when they were derived from folk tales from Eastern Europe. In the early tales of vampires, they were depicted as bloated, dark-skinned beings without fangs, a stark contrast to the modern idea of pale, blood-starved, fanged creatures.
4. MUMMY
EGYPTIAN
The idea of a mummy being a monster most likely comes from curses associated with the ancient Egyptian dead. Furthermore, the Egyptians believed that the dead continued to live after burial, which may also be a contributing factor. Mummies are popular monsters in modern days and they appear frequently in films, both horror, and comedy.
5. WEREWOLF
GERMANIC
Werewolves are either depicted as human-turned-wolf or humans with wolf-like qualities. The concept of a werewolf dates back as far as the ancient Greeks (appearing in the writing of Petronius, for example). There is speculation that the werewolf mythology may have come from a case of mistaken identity where people suffering from the disease porphyria may have been confused for monsters due to their shunning of light and living away from other humans.
6. GHOUL
MIDDLE EASTERN
Ghouls are from ancient Arabian folklore. They are usually found in graveyards and other places devoid of living humans. They belong to the family of Jinn evil spirits believed to be the offspring of Satan. They can change form and this ability is often used to lure humans into their lairs where they eat them. They are also depicted as robbing graves to eat the dead.
7. ZOMBIE
LATIN AMERICAN
Zombies in modern folklore are humans who have been restored to life after death. In entertainment they are a supernatural “undead,” but they are also sometimes depicted in literature as having been brought back to life through scientific means. Zombies have become extremely popular characters in modern horror movies.