Trigger Warning: This article contains stories of violence and sexual assault.
Legends have been around for years, told in Nordic culture, Greek culture, and so on. Most of these legends were made up to scare children and keep them safe. These urban legends are passed down generation by generation. Here are five of them, all from different places in the world and different cultures.
1. Night marchers of hawaii
Hawaii, known for its beautiful landscapes has a dark and ugly past. Under a ruler, there were soldiers who caused so much fear in civilians that if a citizen looked up at them instead of looking down or getting on the ground, they would be slaughtered right then and there. These night marchers, also known as Huaka’i Po, are death ghosts, still reining terror in the Hawaiian Islands. The legend is that these ghosts will announce their presence by conch shell, rhythmic drumming, or oli (chants), if you are so unlucky to find yourself in their presence, you should immediately lay flat on the ground you are on to show them respect. If you don’t do so, you will be murdered. These Night Marchers are most active during a new moon and near sacred sights like temples and caves reserved for the chief. Be careful traveling at night, for you can be murdered with merely no trace left behind of your killer.
2. Pinky PinkY from africa
Most of us know who Bloody Mary is, but have you ever heard of Pinky Pinky? This woman-esque figure has bright red hair and pink skin. She is known to pray on little girls who go into the school bathrooms alone, raping them, murdering them, or attacking them. In some versions Pinky Pinky asks for all the pink clothing on a child and if they refuse to give the things to Pinky Pinky they are slaughtered. There’s also a version of this urban legend for boys called “Tokoloshe.” In other cultures a character named ‘Madame Koi Koi’ would roam the halls when she was a school teacher, yelling and abusing every single student. This teacher would always be wearing red heels and haunts the schools day and night.
3. kuchisake-onna from japan
Kuchisake-Onna is a name to fear, she is also known as the “slit mouthed woman.” The tale is that this woman has been unloyal to her safari husband, so out of rage he slits her mouth from ear to ear, telling her that no one will ever think she is pretty again. Another version is that Kuchisake-Onna was undergoing a surgery and the doctor was jealous of her looks, so they slit her mouth ear to ear. If you ever encounter this spirit, simply distract her and run away. She will come up to you with a surgical mask around her mouth and will ask you if you think she’s pretty. If you say no, you will be killed, but if you say yes she will get closer and take off her masks and ask once again if you think she’s pretty. Again, if you say no, she will kill you, if you say yes, she will haunt you will still die. The way she marks that she killed her victims is by giving her the same smile that was carved on her face. What is terrifying about this legend was in the 1970’s a woman had a slitted mouth from ear to ear who was chasing children trying to kill them and then was hit by a car and died. Apparently every so often, a version of Kuchisake-Onna will arise, to carve a terror-filled smile in civilians faces.
4. La Lorona from mexico
A beautiful woman with long flowing black hair in a nightgown is said to roam the river banks, crying for her children. Legend has it this woman was left by her husband and in all of her grief, she kills her children, by drowning them. In different areas, La Lorona can kidnap children, kill cheating husbands, or kill young children by drowning them. Just like with Kuchisake-Onna, La Lorona’s legend came back in 1986 when a woman named Juana Jeija declared herself as La Lorona when she killed all of her children by throwing them in the Buffalo Bayou in Texas. Stay away from river banks at night in Mexico, or maybe you will encounter La Lorona’s cries for her children.
5. Black Annis From England
The Black Annis is a witch that lives near Leicestershire, England, deep in a cave in the country. It is claimed that she dug out this cave with her claws, and that she chose an area with an oak tree in front of it, to hide her home. The Black Annis is pictured as a blue-skinned woman with huge claws, sharp teeth, and is very tall. Her tale goes like this: little kids will wander in the country side, coming across the cave that is blocked by the tree, Black Annis will snatch them up and kill them. After she kills them, she skins them and hangs their flesh to dry on the tree outside, once the skin is dry, she sews a skirt out of it. According to Black Annis, “the tastiest children are the ones who misbehave.” So beware, if you’re misbehaving, Black Annis may pick you up and drag you into her cave.