10 Historical Monsters

A zombie is a reanimated human body devoid of consciousness. In contemporary versions these are generally undead corpses. Stories of zombies originated in the Afro-Caribbean spiritual belief system of Voodoo. Other more macabre versions of the zombies have become a staple of modern horror fiction, where they are brought back from the dead by supernatural or scientific means, and eat the flesh or brains of the living. They have very limited intelligence, and may not be under anyone’s direct control.

n Greek mythology, the Gorgon was a vicious female monster with sharp fangs and hair of living, venomous snakes. Gorgons are sometimes depicted as having wings of gold, brazen claws, and the tusks of boars. According to the myths, seeing the face of a Gorgon turned the viewer to stone. Homer speaks of only one Gorgon, whose head is represented in the Iliad as fixed in the center of the aegis of Zeus. Hesiod increases the number of Gorgons to three: Stheno (the mighty), Euryale (the far-springer), and Medusa (the queen), and makes them the daughters of the sea-god Phorcys and of Keto. Their home is on the farthest side of the western ocean; according to later authorities, in Libya. Of the three Gorgons, only Medusa is mortal.

According to legend, a banshee wails around a house if someone in the house is about to die. When several banshees appeared at once, it indicated the death of someone great or holy. The tales sometimes recount that the woman, though called a fairy, was a ghost, often of a specific murdered woman, or woman who died in childbirth. Banshees are frequently described as dressed in white or grey, and often having long, fair hair which they brush with a silver comb. Other stories portray banshees as dressed in green, red or black with a grey cloak.

A ghoul is a monster from ancient Arabian folklore that dwells in the burial grounds and other uninhabited places. In ancient Arabic folklore, ghouls belonged to a diabolic class of jinn (spirits – from whence the genie comes) and were said to be the offspring of Iblis, the Muslim prince of darkness (Satan). They were capable of constantly changing form, but their presence was always recognizable by their unalterable sign: ass’s hooves. It would lure unwary travelers into the desert wastes to slay and devour them. The creature also preyed on young children, robbed graves and ate the dead. Yum yum!

A goblin is an evil, crabby, or mischievous creature of folklore, often described as a grotesquely disfigured or gnome-like phantom. Goblins may range in height from that of a dwarf to that of a human. They are attributed with various (sometimes conflicting) abilities, temperaments and appearances depending on the story and country of origin. In some cases, goblins have been classified as a constant annoying little creature somewhat related to the celtic brownie.