The main motive in mythology is the struggle between good and evil. Each side is supported by a host of creatures. Some of those who "play" for the evil side are capable of intimidating today.
Dybbuk
"Dibbuk" is translated from Hebrew as "stuck". It is an evil spirit in Ashkenazi Jewish folklore that is the soul of a deceased evil person. The dybbuk soul cannot part with earthly existence because of serious crimes and sins committed by a person, for example, if a person committed suicide.
Dibbuki have been mentioned in Kabbalistic literature since the 17th century. Dibbuk is expelled by the tzaddik (righteous man) and ten other members of the Jewish community, who are dressed in funeral shirts. During the exorcism of the dibbuk, aromatic substances are burned, prayers are read and the shofar is blown. Dibbukov can be related to demons and spirits, which in the Catholic Church are exorcised through the rite of exorcism.
Basilisk
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Basilisk is a zoomorphic creature. He was usually depicted as a monster with a rooster's head, toad eyes, bat wings, and the body of a dragon. From his gaze or breath, all living things turn to stone. Only your own reflection in the mirror can kill a basilisk, these creatures feed on stones.
In the Middle Ages, it was believed that a basilisk is born from an egg laid by a rooster and hatched by a toad on a bed of manure.
The basilisk also does not tolerate the crowing of a rooster (which is why it gets out of the caves only at night) and is afraid of unicorns, as this is too "clean" animal.
The basilisk got its name because of the crest or diadem on the head, which look like a crown.
Rakshasa
Rakshasas are extremely unpleasant creatures. They are mentioned in both Buddhism and Hinduism. There rakshasas are called man-eating demons and evil spirits. The female Rakshasas are called Rakshasis.
In Hinduism, Rakshasas are a collective image of the dark principle (tamas), that is, everything that brings suffering, injustice and evil to the existing world violates the dharmic order.
Rakshasas only do that they spoil everything: they interfere with the conduct of divine services, desecrate the graves, they can infiltrate a person when he eats or drinks, they begin to torment him and may even lead to suicide. Also, Rakshasas are able to turn into different animals and even take on a human form. Always - with malicious purposes - to spoil, to embroil, to lead a person to trouble …
Abaaasy
Abaasy is the general name for countless evil deities and spirits of the upper, middle and lower worlds in Yakut mythology. The word itself comes from the root "aba" - evil. In the Yakut epic "Olonkho", heavenly and underground abaasy are often also called "adyaray" (monster).
In one of the Yakut beliefs there is a legend that the abaasy is born from a black stone, similar to a child. At first, the abaasy is no different from people and eats the same thing, but when he grows up, he begins to eat the people themselves.
Abaases tempt people to do bad deeds, crimes, instill fear, send suffering and illness to them, and can lead to suicide. Often the relatives of a sick or deceased person sacrificed an abaasy animal, as if exchanging his soul for the soul of a person whom they threaten.
Abaasy are absolute evil. All harmful and dangerous things, animals and plants - abaasy are created.
Lernaean hydra
Lernaean hydra ("hydra" is translated from ancient Greek as "water") is familiar to us from childhood - she is one of those whom Hercules defeats. It is a snake-like monster with a poisonous breath that lived in underground waters. In ancient Greek mythology, Hydra was considered the daughter of Typhon and Echidna.
Descriptions of Hydra vary. Usually she has many heads and has a very important applied "skill" - in place of the severed head she grows several new ones. One Hydra's head is completely immortal.
Hercules lured Hydra out of the cave with burning arrows, and then with the help of Iolaus, who burned the places where the head was cut off, defeated the monster. Hercules buried the immortal head and filled it with a heavy stone. True, due to the fact that the hero coped with the monster not alone, Eurystheus did not count the feat for him.
Genies
Jinn - in Islam and in the pre-Islamic era, real perfume created from pure smokeless flame. Jinn live in parallel with humans, but are not perceived by any of the five senses.
According to Salafism, jinn are able to appear before a person in the guise of a person, animal or plant. They can take over the mind and body of living beings, sometimes they do it for the purpose of causing harm, or if they fall in love with a person.
To protect himself from unwanted contact with the genie, a Muslim should read the Quran more often at home. If the genie nevertheless possessed a person, he can only be expelled by the name of Allah. Evil genies or shaitans incline a person to vices and idolatry. To prevent the genie from entering the house, the Muslim says "bismillah" before entering.
Jinn serve Iblis, the Islamic counterpart of Satan. He, having fallen away from God himself, inclined the forefathers of the human race to the fall, rejected some other spirits from God; this is how jinn, devas and peri came about.
In Islamic mythology, jinn are the only creatures besides humans who have free will. Jinn, like humans, are born, marry, procreate and die. But the jinn are free to choose whether to believe in the existence of Allah or not to believe. Djinn are of different types, but the most malevolent of them are the efreet: huge, winged, evil and cunning fiends of hell living underground.
Gaki
One of the most prolific mythology on terrible creatures is Japanese. So, there are eternally hungry demons in it, called gaki. It is believed that after death those who indulge in gluttony or threw away edible food are reborn into gak.
Gaki are constantly hungry, but cannot die of hunger. They are able to eat everything, including their children, but they cannot get enough. When gaki enter the human world, they become cannibals.
Shikome
Other "bad guys" in Japanese mythology are shikome. They are usually depicted as bloodthirsty giants, somewhat similar to the goblins of the European mythological tradition. Shikome have sharp teeth and burning eyes, they do nothing except wars and strife, they often lie in wait for people in the mountains and caves.
Kumo
In human form, a kumo is a beautiful woman who lures a man into her trap, and then … in their usual guise, kumo are huge spiders, comparable in size to a person, they have poisonous claws on their paws and burning eyes, so what does a kumo do to a man, who "seduced" the beauty is understandable - eats it.
Hundong
In the image of the hundong, you will not see any eyes, or mouth, or ears, since the hundong is the personification of chaos, an absolutely faceless deity from Chinese folk beliefs. Hongdong is described as a humanoid creature that resembles a living, shapeless sack with no holes.
Hongdong was a malevolent creature and brought misfortune to life. Hongdong, meanwhile, has a rather tragic fate. The Chinese gods Shu and Hu, who considered him a freak, decided to perform plastic surgery on Hundong and drill his eyes, mouth and nose, but the patient did not endure the operation …