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Ancient myths from nearly every culture across the world feature stories of supernatural beings capable of changing their shape, often referred to as 'shapeshifters.' A prime example of this is the werewolf legend. This terrifying creature, known for shifting from human to wolf under the light of a full moon, is universally recognized.
Another notable shapeshifter myth is the Skinwalker, originating from the traditions of Native American tribes in the Southwest United States. The tale tells of a good medicine man who misused his magical powers for dark purposes, thus gaining the ability to transform into an animal.
While these two shapeshifter myths are the most famous, countless others exist, each as intriguing as the next. Keep reading to discover 10 fascinating shapeshifter legends from around the world that are less commonly known.
10. The Dark Sea Otters
The myth of the 'Kushtaka,' also known as 'Kooshdakhaa,' originates from the Indigenous Tlingit and Tsimshian tribes of northwestern Canada and southeastern Alaska. These seemingly playful cryptids appear as sea otters in the water but transform into human-like figures upon reaching land. They often take on the guise of 'relatives,' deceiving their prey until it’s too late to realize their true intentions.
In some versions of the tale, Kushtaka assume the form of a lost or injured friend or family member, leading their victims deeper into Alaska’s wilderness. Pretending to offer help, they ultimately tear their victims apart or, worse, transform them into another Kushtaka, trapping their souls and preventing reincarnation.
Kushtaka are especially dangerous when in groups. They lure travelers by mimicking the sounds of women or children in distress. Once a victim approaches, escape becomes impossible. One safeguard against them is dogs, as Kushtaka are terrified of canines. Many villages rely on sled dogs to protect them, and fire is said to keep these creatures away.
9. Otherworldly Wildlife
The 'Nagual,' or 'Nahual,' is a shapeshifter legend from the Indigenous cultures of Mesoamerica, including regions of Mexico and Central America. This term describes individuals capable of transforming into animals—typically a cougar, jaguar, or wolf. The specific nature and role of the Nagual varies by region. Some believe they are powerful sorcerers who shift forms for evil purposes, while others see them as protective guardian spirits, with the individual’s personality influencing the Nagual’s behavior.
In Mesoamerican culture, there has long been a belief that every individual has a spirit animal, a counterpart tied to their life force. This belief forms the basis of tonalism, the origin of the legend. The connection between people and their spirit animals varies, with some sharing traits or abilities with their animal, others able to control their animal’s powers at will, and some capable of fully transforming into their spirit animal. The latter are known as 'true Naguals.'
8. Malevolent Hyenas
The legend of the 'Werehyena' is widespread across folklore in the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, the Near East, and surrounding areas. These mythical creatures can shift between human and hyena forms, either as a hybrid of both or fully in one shape or the other. In addition to their shapeshifting abilities, Werehyenas can control other hyenas and even possess humans. They are typically linked with witchcraft, sorcery, and misfortune.
Each region offers its own unique twist to the Werehyena myth. For instance, in Somalia, the Werehyena must use a magical stick at sunset to trigger its transformation. In Sudan, the creature is notorious for attacking lovers at night, while in Morocco, the Werehyenas undergo their transformations every evening at sunset and return to human form at dawn.
Some theories suggest that the Werehyena legend arose from the long-standing hostile relationship between humans and hyenas in Africa. 'For millennia, the nocturnal creatures have been known to converge in cackles at night, breaking into village huts, killing children, and ravaging livestock.'
7. Mystical Seals
'Selkies' are mythical creatures from Irish, Scottish, Faroese, and Icelandic folklore. These playful, good-natured sea beings undergo a complete transformation when they come ashore, shedding their seal skins to take on human form for a short time. The legend states that they must remain away from land for at least seven years after they return to their seal skin.
Selkies are often depicted as attractive men or women, capable of being both predator and prey. While some stories feature Selkies who come ashore simply to experience humanity, many tales carry a tragic romantic theme. In these myths, the male Selkie is often portrayed as a predator seeking lonely fisherwomen, while the female Selkie typically has her seal skin stolen, forcing her into a human-controlled life, often leading to a forced marriage.
Scholars believe the origin of the Selkie legend may date back to a time when Scottish settlers and shipwrecked Spaniards intermarried with dark-haired, fur-clad Finnish and native Saami women.
6. Trickster Cats
The 'Bakeneko' is a mythical creature originating from Japanese folklore, with humble beginnings. These shapeshifting beings, also known as 'Changing Cats,' start their lives as ordinary house cats but undergo transformations as they age. They begin by walking on their hind legs, grow to human size, and acquire remarkable powers, including the ability to shift forms and speak human languages.
When in human form, Bakeneko are said to appear as stunning women with cat-like features. However, their favorite disguise is taking on the appearance of their owners or other familiar humans. Along with their shapeshifting abilities, Bakeneko can summon fireballs, use their tails as flaming torches, manipulate the dead, and even curse (or kill) their former owners.
Japanese legends also feature the 'Nekomata,' considered a more dangerous and powerful relative of the Bakeneko. Although they share similar origins, Nekomata are larger, older, and more formidable. Once transformed, Nekomata develop two identical tails, allowing them to cause even greater mischief. Scholars believe the myth likely emerged from witnessing cats standing on their hind legs, licking fish oil from lamps with glowing, expectant eyes.
5. Bloodthirsty Infants
In Philippine folklore, the 'Tiyanak' is a vampiric shapeshifter that assumes the guise of a helpless baby or toddler. With its innocent appearance, the Tiyanak lures unsuspecting victims into the jungle, only revealing its monstrous true form once someone picks it up. Tiyanaks are typically described with sharp claws, fangs, wrinkled skin, large noses, wide mouths, and bulging, glowing red eyes.
Tiyanaks are known for their piercing, sharp voices and a chilling 'soul-crushing cry,' but their most notorious trait is their deceptive nature. According to the tale, the demon child is closer if their cry sounds faint, but if the cry is loud, the creature is farther away. The name 'Tiyanak' comes from the words 'mati' and 'anak,' which means 'dead child.'
A legend from Mindanao suggests that Tiyanaks are the souls of children whose mothers died during childbirth, leaving them to become frightening, demonic entities. Other versions say they are the spirits of babies who passed away before being baptized. There are two traditional ways to ward them off: turning your clothes inside out or scaring them with loud noises.
4. Protecting Sharks
Sharks hold a special place of reverence in Hawaiian culture, with their role in mythology tracing back to the first human on Earth, believed to be the offspring of a human woman and a shark God. The legend of the 'Aumakua' tells of shark shapeshifters who are considered ancestors reincarnated as animals, sent to protect their families. Only one species is deemed worthy of this title: the tiger shark.
One of the most famous tales features Ka’ahupahau, a shark queen and guardian responsible for safeguarding anyone who entered the waters of Pu’uloa. When a group of man-eating sharks invaded the lochs of Pu’uloa, Ka’ahupahau transformed into a powerful net to block the harbor's entrance, preventing the evil sharks from escaping. Her older brother, Kahi’uka, struck them with his tail, causing the sharks to land onshore and die.
Another tale speaks of Kanekua’ana, a shark guardian who provided the people of ‘Ewa with food during times of scarcity. The descendants of Kanekua’ana built temples and made offerings to receive her blessings, which often came in the form of oysters, shrimp, and anchovies.
3. Repulsive Insects
The 'Adze' is a shapeshifter that has haunted the Ewe people of West Africa for centuries. Taking the form of insects such as flies, beetles, fireflies, mosquitos, and even balls of light, the Adze sneaks through keyholes, windows, and doors to prey on sleeping individuals. It can also shift into a semi-human form, appearing as a hunchbacked creature with talons and jet-black skin.
Often referred to as the 'Firefly Vampire of Africa,' the Adze originated from a witch who gained dark powers through rituals and pacts with evil forces. This transformation granted her immortality, but it came with the curse of an unending thirst for blood. Adzes are capable of draining their victims' life force, possessing them, or plunging them into madness and despair.
There is no known potion, spell, or weapon that can fend off an Adze, and once a person is bitten, there is no cure. However, it is possible to expel the Adze from its host by confronting it in its quasi-human form and killing it. Another method of exorcism involves holding 'deliverance sessions,' which include fervent prayers and exorcisms. The origins of the legend likely arose as a way to explain and warn against the malaria and other insect-borne diseases that the Ewe people encountered around the 13th century.
2. Alluring Dolphins
The South American version of the shapeshifter is called the 'Encantado.' Rooted in the ancient beliefs of the Amazon rainforest's inhabitants, the Encantado, which translates to 'enchanted one' in Brazilian Portuguese, can shift from a pink river dolphin into a human form. One tale recounts that the Encantado transforms into a 'tall, handsome, and elegantly dressed man,' who visits the shores at night to seduce the wives and daughters of Amazonian villages. After impregnating the woman, he vanishes back into the river by dawn.
Another version of the legend suggests that the Encantado 'takes lone swimmers... to the mystical underwater realm of Encante, from which they can never return.' This underwater world is portrayed as a paradise, akin to Atlantis, offering a life far superior to the natural one. Some even regard the Encantado as a protector of the vulnerable Amazonian manatees.
The pink river dolphin is believed to play a central role in the legend due to its sacred status in local culture. Killing one is thought to bring misfortune. Fishermen in the region hold the belief that even making direct eye contact with a river dolphin will unleash lifelong nightmares, 'forever condemning you to terrible dreams and nights filled with disturbing dolphin-induced visions.'
1. The Undead Owls
In Seminole folklore, there exists a horrifying creature known as the 'Stikini,' a human-owl hybrid that haunts the forests of Oklahoma and the swamps of New Jersey and Michigan. By day, the Stikini appears to be an ordinary human, but by night, it transforms into a monstrous owl-like being, preying on the most vulnerable—sleeping humans and children. Originally believed to be evil witches, the Stikini were said to possess the ability to transform into giant, terrifying owl-like creatures. Their cries are considered harbingers of death.
Some versions of the legend state that Stikini are technically dead and must reanimate themselves every night by consuming human hearts. To do so, they need one heart each night to stay alive. The transformation begins when the Stikini regurgitates its internal organs and hides them in a tree or somewhere else to protect them. It then turns into a great horned owl and flies off in search of its next victim.
Once the Stikini finds a victim, it removes the still-beating heart from their mouth, taking it back to its lair. There, it cooks the heart in an enchanted pot and secretly devours it. Before the break of dawn, the Stikini returns to its organs, consumes them, and turns back into a human. If its organs are discovered and taken, or if the Stikini is shot with a specially prepared arrow before it consumes the heart, the creature will perish at sunrise.
