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Showing posts with the label poland

Horned Dogmen

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This entry is going to indulge in some original research. Something I’ve noticed among dogman encounters is the occasional mention of horned dogmen. The cryptid community is usually pretty thorough in classifying subtypes of cryptids. For instance there’s standard, hyena and rottweiler types of dogmen, based on their head and muzzle shape. Yet I haven’t seen anyone else in the cryptid community discuss horned dogmen as a category, just scattered unrelated stories. It’s possible that’s because these creatures aren’t always considered dogmen, but demons, or goatment who happen to have a canine head, although I would think that quality is important enough to change what sort of cryptid they’re classified as. So I’ve gathered here all the horned dogmen stories I could find.  Caldwell’s beasts This first encounter happened to Roger Caldwell in October of 2005. He was on a hiking trip along the Appalachian Trail through North Carolina at the time. Mr Caldwell was an experienced hiker who...

Striga

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  A striga is a vampire like demon from Slavic and Polish folklore. It has owl like features, such as feathers, golden eyes and bird like talons. It can also shape shift into an owl at will. Strigas are strictly nocturnal, coming out at night to feast on the blood and flesh of the living. A striga comes from a person, usually female, that was born with two souls. This person will have various signs that they have two souls, usually having duplicated body parts, such as having two rows of teeth or two heartbeats. If this person is found out in life, they will be cast out of society to go die in the wilderness. If they're not found out they will continue to live like a normal person while they're still alive. On death one of the souls moves onto the afterlife while the other stays trapped in the body. When this happens the stiga begins to transform. They'll start out looking like they did in life, just with pale grey skin. Over time they will transform, gaining long need...

Wawel Dragon

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  The Wawel dragon, also known as Smok Wawelski and the dragon of Krak ó w. It's legend is tied with the founding of Krak ó w and the life of its earliest ruler, King Krakus. The earliest account of the dragon comes from the 13 th century. No description of the dragon's appearance is given in the legend. However there's a statue of the dragon at the foot of Wawel hill in Krak ó w, near the entrance of a cave known as the dragon's den. This statue depicts a strange and spiky looking dragon with eight legs and fin like wings. The legend goes that in the time of King Krakus, the legendary founder of Krak ó w, a dragon lived in a cave under Wawel Castle. The dragon would ravage the countryside, devouring people and livestock. To avoid the dragon's wrath people would satiate it's hunger with three cows and three rams a day, a hefty toll in livestock. Many knights tried to slay the dragon but none succeeded. Then a cobbler named Scuba came up with a plan. He fille...