I is for...Invunche

The Invunche are legendary creatures from the folklore of Chile in South America, and they guard the entrances to witches caves.

Legend says that an Invunche is a child who was kidnapped by a witch and hideously transformed into a deformed hairy monster. To make an Invunche the witch would brake one of the child's legs and twist it over his back, apply a cream all over his body which would cause a thick hair to grow and split his tongue to give it a snake-like appearance. They would first feed their Invunche on milk from a cat and eventually on flesh from an adult human.

The Invunche can only communicate by howling and grunting, and walks awkwardly on its hands and one good leg. To gain access to the witches cave the best must either be killed or kissed on its ass.

H is for...Hodag

The strange looking Hodag is a creature from North American folklore. It has "the head of a frog, the grinning face of a giant elephant, thick short legs set off by huge claws, the back of a dinosaur, and a long tail with spears at the end". Due to the spines along its back, the Hodag cannot sleep on its side and leans against trees instead. To kill the creature lumberjacks would saw through part of a tree and wait for the Hodag to lean against it, when it fell over its spines would get stuck in the ground leaving it helpless and open to attack.

A Hodag was discovered in 1893 by Eugene Shepard in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. Shepard wanted to capture the creature alive and gathered a hunting gang to help him. After they found that their guns had no effect on the beast they decided to use dynamite, but the resulting fire killed their prey leaving nothing but charred remains. Shepard claimed that he had caught another Hodag in 1896 and he put the creature on display at the first Oneida County Fair. Hundreds of people paid money and went to see the beast which Shepard could move with a series of wires in order to make the hoax seem more real.

G is for...Gwyllion

art by Larry MacDougall

The Gwyllion are female creatures who live in the treacherous mountain areas of Wales. Their name comes from the Welsh word gwyll which means gloom and darkness. This creature appears as hag dressed in grey clothes and wearing a four-pointed hat - they can sometime even disguise themselves as goats.

Gwyllion are often mistaken for kind old women by unfortunate travellers who have lost their way. These creatures will offer to guide them back on the right path, but once they have realised their mistake in following her (usually by hearing her very distinctive laugh) it would be too late and she will drown them in mountain lakes.

During bad weather a Gwyllion may visit a humans home in order to get warm and escape the rain. If this happens then great care must be taken to not offend her - she must be offered clean water and all metal knives must be hidden from view.

F is for...Fachan

The Fachan (also known as Peg-Leg-Jack) is a creature from Scottish and Irish Folklore who only has half a body. It has one leg, one eye, one hand coming out of its chest, a huge mouth and a tuft of black feathers on the top of its head. Legend says that its appearance is so horrifying that it can actually cause heart attacks.

The Fachan is very dangerous and is sometimes known to wield a chain in its strong, singular arm. It can swing this chain so hard that it is able to destroy an entire orchard in a night. It is a solitary creature and will kill anyone who is foolish enough to wander into its territory.

Flash Fiction Friday #5

Coconut Freeze

They make a man of white, so life-like that they swear he's alive, and angel silhouettes on the ground which get smudged by clumsy feet when they try to stand.

They burry each other under brilliantly white piles, their noses blushing red.

They slip and slide and giggle when one of them falls over completely, landing with a thump which is followed by a series of foul words.

They stop laughing when the white turns to red under his head and his eyes can no longer stay open. 

They sob silently as they run back home, but the coconut continues to fall from the sky.