Category: Creatures

Article by Rebecca
Image by Will Hobbs (www.sirwilliamwesley.com)

Sarah: Ow! It bit me!
Hoggle: What’d you expect fairies to do?
Sarah: I thought they did nice things, like… like granting wishes.
Hoggle: Shows what *you* know, don’t it?

From the wonderful movie “Labyrinth”. If you read The Magical Buffet and have not ever seen this film, rent it, right now…after reading this article.



It’s true. Fairies are traditionally considered beautiful, playful, little friends, but as most folklore shows, fairies have a habit of being beautiful, spiteful, malevolent creatures. The tales of the Fair Lady embody this tradition quite nicely.

The Fair Lady, also called Szepasszony, is a creature prevalent in Hungarian folklore. She generally takes the form of an attractive woman, sometimes nude, often with long hair and a white dress. In the tradition of Sirens, Fair Ladies lure victims with their song. If a mortal man hears these songs, he may undertake dangerous actions that he would not have done otherwise. It is said that Fair Ladies dance in storms, kidnap children, and have been known to dance men to their deaths.

The Fair Lady is often spotted under the eaves of a house. This is a dangerous location of the home in many myths. She generally has a common household object enchanted. The phrase “step into the platter of the Fair Lady” is used to describe the phenomenon of having the Fair Lady’s spell fall onto you from this item. Beware; sometimes water dripping from the eaves of a home can create a puddle that is considered a platter for the Fair Lady. Stepping into the puddle will put you under her spell. Some people take this a step further and take care to avoid circles in the grass where the grass is shorter within the circle than the surrounding area. They believe the Fair Lady dancing causes the circle. In addition, unlike a demon, which is generally most potent at night, the Fair Lady is at her most powerful peak at noontime. People are warned to avoid sitting beneath eaves at noon.

Tradition indicates that wearing mistletoe around your neck can act as a repellent to the Fair Lady. It’s also said that prayer, crossing oneself, the sound of church bells, and carrying the Bible do the trick. This feels like the invention of conversion to Christianity to me, but hey, faith can’t hurt!

Article by Rebecca
Image by Will Hobbs (www.sirwilliamwesley.com)

Last month we discussed the symbolism of the snake, this month we will be talking about a very scary water snake known as the ilomba. Some sources say it’s an actual snake, others imply that it is a spirit that takes the form of a snake. Either way, in my opinion, just say no to the ilomba.


Since forever, in fantasy novels you’ll hear about sorcerers, wizards, or witches with their familiars. I even have met some Wiccans and Pagans that have pets that they have developed a special spiritual bond with, but I have never heard of anything like the ilomba before now.

It is most notably present in the folklore of the Lozi of Zambia, but certain texts discuss similar creatures in other parts of Africa. A witchdoctor will create or summon the ilomba. As time progresses it begins to appear as more than a normal snake as it takes on the features of its creator/owner. It’s mentioned that sometimes it appears to be a normal snake to people, but to its victim it looks like the magic user that controls it. Of course what the victim never suspects is that in truth, the ilomba controls its creator.

Once summoned or created, the ilomba begins to grow. Soon, it begins to crave blood and if you do not supply it with victims, it will get its fix from the one who summoned it. At first, it may be satisfied with babies, but eventually it craves more blood and only a full grown adult will do. Many say that at its full potency the ilomba doesn’t just feed on blood, but on the very soul of its victim.

Sounds like the perfect fix for noisy neighbors or annoying classmates, right? Well, don’t go getting an ilomba just yet. Not only will the ilomba turn on you if denied blood from other sources, but also the creator is so connected with it that if the ilomba is killed, its master will die soon after. In my personal risk verse reward scenario, the ilomba, although being wickedly cool, is just not worth the risk.

Article by Rebecca
Image by Will Hobbs (www.sirwilliamwesley.com)

What’s fun about cryptozoology are the lists of “What is the creature, really?” This month it has: is it a lizard? Is it a crocodile? Is it a lungfish?! For me, and cryptozoology fans, it’s a buru.


The buru is a large lizard that allegedly terrorized or annoyed, depending on whom you talk to, the people of northeast India. They are described as looking like a monitor lizard. Essentially a twenty-four foot aquatic version of a Komodo dragon. This described appearance is why many believe it to be something from the crocodile family.

It is said that those who lived in the area of the burus drained all the marshes in an attempt to make the land inhospitable to them. Apparently, it worked well, because no one has been able to provide physical evidence of the creature, although there are some fossils that have been found that could potentially belong to the creature. Despite the marshes being drained, occasionally a sighting will occur. This is why some relate the buru with the lungfish, a creature known for its ability to survive at the bottom of lakes during the dry seasons.

Of course, none of the known creatures that people have tried to link the buru to can explain reports of the buru’s cries, which sound like a hoarse bellow.

Article by Rebecca
Image by Will Hobbs (www.sirwilliamwesley.com)

Ah, the confusion. For some reason there are always creatures of myth that appear to be impossible to pin down. Just when I think I know what it’s all about, I turn the page and realize that no one knows. Case in point, this month’s creature imdugud.

The first difficulty I encountered was is imdugud actually called imdugud? Sometimes it’s referred to as Imdugud, like it’s an individual’s name. Other times it’s imdugud, like it’s just a species name, like how you would call a dog a dog. But wait! Occasionally it is referred to by the name Anzu, but other times it’s anzu, like that’s its race. After all I’ve read, I’m taking this stance. There are anzu. Then there is Imdugud, who is an anzu. It’s like how Lassie is called Lassie, but Lassie is a dog. Got it? Good.

Next issue is its appearance. At first I was certain that Imdugud is a winged lion with the head of an eagle. Then I started finding sources describing Imdugud as an eagle with a lion’s head. When Imdugud has an eagle’s head, the beak is said to able to cut through anything. Its feathers form an impenetrable armor.

Everyone seems to agree that Imdugud brought rain and storms. When it would flap its wings, violent windstorms would occur. Thunder was its roar.

One of the most common tales of Imdugud involve it being tasked with guarding the bathroom of a god. Sometimes Imdugud was tasked to be the door keeper to Enki’s (a Sumerian deity) bath. Of course, you guessed it, other times Imdugud guarded Ellil’s (a different Sumerian deity) bath chamber. No matter who was in the tub, that deity was the possessor of the Tablets of Destiny. A powerful artifact that allows anything spoken to become manifest in reality. Well, while the deity in question was soaking, Imdugud stole the Tablets. Don’t worry kids, our world isn’t designed by Imdugud talking. Imdugud got his feathered (or furred) butt kicked and the Tablets were restored.

Article by Rebecca
Image by Will Hobbs (www.sirwilliamwesley.com)

Congolese Pygmies tell travelers about some creature that appears to be a cross between a zebra and a giraffe. Ridiculous, they say. Do we have another kongamato on our hands? Well fortunately for us, Sir Harry Johnston took them seriously. That’s why today most every zoo around the world has an okapi. That’s right, this month I am writing about a creature that definitively exists!

For years, the natives of what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo told travelers about an animal that frequented their lands that appeared to be some kind of blending of the giraffe and the zebra. Of course, no one believed the primitive people of the land. When Sir Harry Johnston rescued a group of Congolese Pygmies, they rewarded Johnston with tales of the okapi, and eventually showed him tracks from the creature. Johnston did not manage to see the okapi himself, but he was able to obtain pieces of skin and a skull. In 1901, the scientific community was introduced to the okapi.

These days okapi are common in zoos, but people believed they were going extinct in their native environment. Since 1959, the okapi had not been seen in the wild, but again the okapi kept scientists on their toes by showing up again in the wild in 2006.

The significance of the okapi is not lost on those that run cryptozoological circles. Until 1901, despite frequent instances of natives talking about the okapi, it didn’t exist. Then, one day it just did. In fact, the International Society of Cryptozoology, which I regrettably believe is now defunct, adopted it as their emblem. I cannot help but wonder what else is out there.

Article by Rebecca
Image by Will Hobbs (www.sirwilliamwesley.com)

You know how little kids play the opposite game? It’s when they say one thing, but mean the exact opposite of it. Therefore, “I want to play”, means “I want to sleep”. I want to eat, means I’m not hungry. It’s only slightly less annoying than when they realize that you can ask why to anything! Well imagine a powerful evil spirit that thought exactly the same way! Ack!

We’re talking about Akvan. Akvan is a div, which is an evil spirit in Persian mythology whose modus operandi is to do harm to humans. Whether it’s through spreading lies or destruction, it is all done for nothing more than the pleasure of it. Of great power and strength, Akvan has the stereotypical wide mouth, fangs, and horns of a demon. He has claw-like toenails on his wide flat feet and a tail that is not quite hidden by his short skirt. Akvan is a very large and powerful example of a div, but fortunately, he is lacking in intelligence and is entirely predictable. He will always do the opposite of whatever is asked of him.

Akvan is featured in the Persian epic poem Shah-Nameh. In it, Rustem, the hero, is sleeping when Akvan disrupts him with a surprise attack. Certain of his victory, Akvan asks Rustem if he would rather be thrown from the mountaintop and be devoured by the beasts on the rocks below or thrown into the sea and be devoured by whales. Well, Rustem knew Akvan’s weakness, so he said that he wished to be thrown from the mountaintop. Akvan tossed Rustem into the ocean. Since Rustem was a strong swimmer, he was easily able to navigate his way to shore.

The moral of the story is most demons and evil spirits have some kind of weakness or fatal flaw. You will do well to learn as many of these as you can…by reading many more columns in The Magical Buffet.

Article by Rebecca
Image by Will Hobbs (www.sirwilliamwesley.com)

Occasionally I stumble across a creature that I want to discuss that but find very little information about it. Case in point, this month’s creature the guirivulu.

The guirivulu is a creature of folklore from South America, particularly Chile. It is generally described as having the body of a puma with the head of a fox. At the end of its tail is a large claw. The guirivulu lives in the deepest pools and rivers it can find. From there it is known to attack animals and humans alike. When it attacks, its giant mouth swallows the victim whole. As it goes down, the guirivulu’s body expands like a snake’s to accommodate its meal. For this reason it is sometimes known as the fox-snake, not to be confused with the two species of non-venomous rat snake, the eastern fox snake and the western fox snake.

That’s really about it. So why even mention it? Why not write about something that I could fill pages up with, like the Loch Ness Monster? (Or Champy for my Upstate New York peeps!) Why the guirivulu and its little blurb?

It is a matter of introduction. Sure, we all believe in fantastical creatures of our persuasion, for most of us that translates to dragons, unicorns, griffons, and the sort. For most of us, the idea of our personal mythologies including creatures that have a body like a puma, a head like a fox, and a tail with a giant claw that devours its victims like a snake would seems out of the question. Ridiculous. Now you know it’s out there. Some culture already went there and now thanks to reading that little blurb it’s yours now too.

Perhaps one of you will write the continuing story of the guirivulu for me to enjoy.

Article by Rebecca
Image by Will Hobbs (www.sirwilliamwesley.com)

Bad dreams, everybody has them. Sometimes they stick with you throughout the day, making it hard to concentrate. Like the first slumber party I went to and some genius suggested that we watch “Poltergeist”. Nightmares are a common occurrence and their effects are universal. It is no wonder that in Japan and China bad dream equals bad luck for the dreamer. Fortunately, they know what to do to prevent this. Call on the baku.

The baku is a creature of spirit, a chimera that eats bad dreams. Talk about a specialized skill set! Oddly, it’s ugly enough to cause me nightmares. Many tales say the baku resembles a tapir. A what? I know, I had to look it up. I’ll save you the hassle. Tapirs are a roughly pig-like mammal found in Central America, South America, and Southeast Asia. Others describe it as having a large body like an ox, a long snout like an elephant, with tiger’s limbs, an ox tail, and small rodent-like eyes. There’s a variant where the body is more like a bear, with all the same features as before. Still other tales describe the baku as having spines on its back, sharp pointy teeth, an elephant’s trunk and tusks, and a lion’s mane. Are you confused yet? Don’t worry, more important than what a baku looks like is what it does.

You wake up from a bad dream. Immediately you call upon the baku to come and eat your bad dream. This spares you from the bad luck associated with having a nightmare. I don’t think it matters how you ask, just that you do. Some stories instruct you to say “I give my bad dream to the baku to eat”, others tell you to say, “Devour them, O Baku.”

If you want to try to prevent bad dreams, keep an image of a baku in your bedroom. Some people write the baku’s name on a piece of paper and put it under their pillows before bedtime. Others take no chances and write the baku’s name on the pillow itself! Of course, if you are concerned, you can set up an altar to the baku in your bedroom. There you can leave small gifts and offerings to him to insure pleasant dreams.

How wonderful is it that such an odd, and perhaps scary looking creature can in fact help humans with their nightmares? Perhaps the baku is so frightening looking that nightmares dare not show up. No matter why it happens, the baku is a benevolent creature, if unusual looking being. Pleasant dreams.

Article by Rebecca
Image by Will Hobbs (www.sirwilliamwesley.com)

My whole problem can be blamed on two things. One, “The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures” by John and Caitlin Matthews, and two, those aardvarks are cute little devils. Care for me to expand on this? Here we go.




Each month I try to write about a creature of legend, religion, or myth. I have talked about demons aplenty, spirits to spare, and a few cryptozoology favorites too. When trying to decide what to do for this month my husband said, “The aardvark.” “Huh?” was my reply. At which point he told me to look up the aardvark in the before mentioned encyclopedia. Well, I was happy as a schoolgirl. John and Caitlin explained to me that the aardvark, in African folklore, is admired because of it’s diligent quest for food and it’s fearless response to soldier ants. More importantly, at least to me, they told me that Hausa magicians make a charm using assorted aardvark bits pounded together with the root of some tree. This aardvark charm gives the owner the power to pass through walls or roofs at night. The Matthews’ go on to tell me that this charm is frequently worn by burglars and spunkily enough those seeking to visit young women without their parent’s permission.

Hot damn, this sounded fun! I looked through a few other books I own that I thought might reference the aardvark but found nothing. Undaunted I turned to the World Wide Web. Obviously, Wikipedia’s entry for the aardvark popped up first thing. I doubted I would find any mention of the magical side of the aardvark, but I figured I should check out the mundane mammal. There he was, the cutest little guy you could ever hope to see. The adorable aardvark. Oh, he is so cute! Now I was good and truly pumped, I had my mental checklist, aardvarks: cute, use their bits to make sneaky charms. How cool!

I began searching. I tried dozens of different keyword searches. I check out African folklore, Hausa, magic, magic with a k, all with aardvark. I get nothing of note. Sure, I find a couple of websites. One site actually had the scanned page from the book I had! At least they were more honest than another site, where a woman posted almost the exact words from the encyclopedia’s entry but passed them off as hers. Since her name wasn’t Caitlin Matthews, I don’t feel she was entitled to do that.

This was a problem. Um, where was the article I was intending to write going to come from? Sadly, I realized there wasn’t really going to be one.

So what am I saying? I am saying there is a reason that there are John and Caitlin Matthews’ out there in the world. They put in the time and effort and they come up with aardvark bits being used to make magical charms. (By the way, aardvarks are nocturnal, so that’s probably why the charms only work at night.) I am a generalist, and perhaps a lazy one at that. I put in my time and come up with aardvarks are pretty darn cute. Not much of a column is it? Here it is nonetheless because I think aardvarks are cute, and the Matthews’ told me Hausa magician’s use aardvark bits to make magic charms.