10 Bloodthirsty Creatures From Global Folklore

The folklore universe is chock full of bad omens. Many of these take on the form of animals such as bats, birds and other creatures. In Chile and Argentina, the Chonchón is a bird-like harbinger of death with sharp talons, a head resembling that of a human, and oversized ears where its wings should have been. It croaks in a tuneless ‘tue tue tue’ when it brings an announcement of evil or death befalling a family.

According to legend, these weird-looking creatures detach their heads at night and fly around looking for sleeping victims whose blood they can feast on. They also have the same magic powers as sorcerers but can be repelled by drawing a Solomon’s seal on the ground or chanting hymns such as “Saint Cyprian goes down.”