Across cultures and continents, people have long imagined an afterlife. Spanning many languages and traditions, diverse beliefs tell of the dead not always staying gone.
JAPAN
Nurikabe: Nurikabe is a peculiar Japanese spirit. It appears on roads as a white wall with arms and legs, supposedly supporting travelers at night. Anyone attempting to bypass it discovers the wall seems endless, and turning back reveals a wall behind as well. Passage is possible only by knocking on the wall’s lower portion; striking higher up carries the risk of the wall toppling and crushing the unwary.
Buruburu: Buruburu haunts cemeteries, appearing as a one-eyed elder. At times it brings fatal fright; other times it latches onto a person’s spine, sending a creeping chill through the body.
Konaki-Jijii: Konaki-Jijii is the spirit of an infant abandoned in a forest. Its cries beckon passersby, and when someone lifts the baby, the burden grows unbearable; the infant’s face shifts to that of an old man, and its weight increases until the bearer is crushed.
Gashadokuro: Gashadokuro appears as a colossal skeleton, often fifteen times the height of an average human. Its bones are said to come from those who died of famine, and it preys on the living by devouring the head of any observer who fails to flee.
Kubikajiri: Kubikajiri is a headless specter that roams cemeteries in search of its missing head. If a head cannot be located, the creature steals and consumes it.
GREECE
Keres: Keres are bloodthirsty female spirits said to have escaped from mortal jars containing corpses in ancient Greece. They roamed battlefields, seeking the fallen and the dying to drink their blood.
AFRICA
Tokoloshe: Tokoloshe is a feared African spirit that can vanish from sight. It is believed to be so malevolent that many communities, particularly in the southern regions, raise beds on bricks to keep it from slipping underneath.
INDIA
Bhut: Bhut refers to the spirit of someone who died by suicide or a grim death. It bears no shadow and never touches the ground, signaling its approach. Observers should keep low and at a distance as it draws near.
Vetala: Vetala haunts graveyards to possess corpses, turning their feet and hands backward to terrorize a village. It is said to drive people to madness.
Churel: Churel is another backward-footed Indian spirit. Descriptions mention a long black tongue or an absent mouth. Churels abduct men and hold them captive until the men age.
THE MIDDLE EAST
Ifrit and Utukku: In Middle Eastern lore, the Ifrit is a demon said to spring from the blood of the murdered, crying out for justice and leaving havoc in its wake. A nail hammered into the blood is believed to prevent the Ifrit from materializing. The Utukku is a vengeful ghost that attacks travelers and can cause life-threatening illnesses.
THE AMERICAS
Native American Spirits: Native American spirits span a wide spectrum across cultures. Some tales describe beings traveling in whirlwinds that abduct children. Acheri is one example— a spirit of a girl who died of illness. By day, the Acheri may rest on mountaintops; at night, it slips into villages to spread disease. To ward off the Acheri, people wear red strings around the neck.
Spirits Everywhere!
This is only a sampling of spirits feared across the world. Tales of ghosts appear everywhere, from bustling cities to quiet villages. Perhaps such visitors roam in a town somewhere.