Abiku

The Abiku is a West African demon that tempts children away from home so that it may devour them.

The Abiku has no stomach and eats constantly, but it will never know true satisfaction. It is able to dissolve itself into a cloud of smoke, and the demon uses this ability to gain entry into houses in order to feed on newborns.

Some legends seem to indicate that the Abiku is a vampiric spirit that feeds on the lifeforce of living brings (whether that be humans or animals), which usually kills the victim. The Abiku may be banished or repelled by iron, salt, amulets (forged of iron, copper, or silver), or greater spirits.

Pisacha

The Pisacha (literally "eater of raw flesh") is a ghoulish demon from Hindu mythology. These spirits are known to haunt cremation grounds, and in addition to possessing the power of shapeshifting at will and the ability to become invisible, the Pisacha are able to possess humans and drive them into insanity.

These demons are voracious flesh-eating ghouls that are caught in a limbo between Heaven and Hell, unable to redeem themselves for the terrible sins that they committed during their life. The Pisacha can be killed with a blessed sword (by either decapitation or thrusting the sword through the ghoul's heart), but it is said that their spirits will haunt the area forever, unless their presence is dispelled by certain, unspecified means (possibly a complicated ritual).

Lilith - The Demon Queen

The Queen of Demons and Vampires, Lilith originated from the Hebrew Bible. However, the initial concept of such a demon goes much, much further back to an Assyrian demon known as Lilitu. This demoness is sexually insatiable, prowling the night in search of men to seduce and corrupt. According to the Hebrew creation story, Lilith was Adam's first wife, created from the same dust to be his equal. But they found that they soon had problems, to say the least. Lilith refused to submit to Adam, wanting to be in the dominant position (in other words, on top) while they made love. Adam refused to allow this, so Lilith fled and hid herself in a cave by the Red Sea. There, she engaged in intercourse with demons, giving birth to one hundred demons a day. These demons are known as the Lilin. At Adam's request, God sent three angels to bring her back, and not only did Lilith refuse, but she cursed at them. The angels warned her that they would slay one hundred of her unholy offspring each day if she didn't cooperate. In retaliation, Lilith vowed that not only would she never again resume a domestic lifestyle, but would henceforth drink the blood of newborn children and copulate with men whilst they slept. She did agree, however, that she would spare the life of any infant that had the names of the three angels (Sanvi, Sansanvi, and Semangelef) written where she could see them (this could be inscribed on a wall or engraved into an amulet).

It is said that parents may also protect their children by inscribing the words "Adam and Eve, barring Lilith" within a charcoal circle, drawn on a wall. There are two biblical verses that refer to Lilith. One may be found in the Book of Isaiah, who speaks of "the night hag," who dwells in the wild with the beasts. In Psalms 91:5, God promises to protect His children from "the terror by night."

It is believed that Lilith is almost as old as Satan himself, and that she cannot be slain by mere human hands alone. However, there are ways to ward off and banish the demoness. A circle of pure sea salt (or any salt that does not contain any impurities) will keep her at bay, as will pure iron that has been hammered cold, without the use of a forge or heat (such an object might inflict some degree of harm on Lilith).

According to an ancient Aramaic text (Aramaic being the language that was spoken by Jesus Christ), when a writ of divorce is served on her and she is commanded to go forth stripped, her power is taken from her. Forcing Lilith to stand in front of a mirror will deprive her of the illusion that disguises her. Her hideous true form will be revealed, and the demoness will be forced to flee. As mentioned in passing previously, an amulet that is inscribed with the names of the three angels (Sanvi, Sansanvi, and Semangelef) will protect an individual from her attentions. The names should be inscribed in Hebrew for maximum effectiveness. It is said that this method has yet to fail. Either way, beware of this whore of the night.

Sources

Illes, Judika. Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. Copyright ©2009 by Judika Illes.

The Revenant

The word revenant is a catch-all term for the Undead. However, it is a species of the Undead unto itself. These creatures are rotting and vengeful, craving their righteous vengeance against those who may have originally killed the creature while it still lived, or for wrongs committed against the creature during its life (whether those wrongs are real or perceived).

Other Names

There are numerous names for those creatures that return from the grave after having died. The Revenant is also known as the Returning Dead, Taxim (Eastern Europe), Krvoijac, Craquehhe.The term “revenant” can be used to refer to any form of the Undead, whether it is a vampire, a ghost, or a zombie. The word revenant comes from the French and Latin revenir, which means “to return.” Therefore, the Revenant is a once-living human that has returned from the dead.

Habitat
The Revenant can be found all over the world in one form or another. The Revenant tends to haunt sites that were important or held some significance to it in life, but the creature has been known to haunt people that betrayed, wronged, or even caused the Revenant’s death. In other words, this creature is not strictly limited to graveyards, mausoleums, tombs, crypts, or other places of death where the Undead usually dwell. However, the Revenant primarily inhabits the British Isles.

Diet

Usually, the Revenant requires neither food nor drink of any sort, since the creature is technically dead in the first place. However, there have been exceptions when the Revenant has been known to prey on human flesh or blood (causing people to identify the Revenant with the Vampire), or even eating and drinking normally. However, the Revenant only craves one thing: vengeance. It will not stop until its prey is dead or the wrongs (real or perceived) have been righted.

Features

Having recently arisen from the grave, the Revenant is usually a corpse in an advanced state of decay, but still somewhat recognizable to those it knew in life. The creature has sunken eyes, which glow a fiery red in the darkness. It has rotten teeth and jagged fingernails. Large portions of flesh may be missing, exposing the creature’s bones and innards. The skin tends to hang from the flesh in ragged strips, while maggots and worms infest the exposed flesh, as well as the eye sockets and other bodily orifices. The Revenant reeks of corruption and rotting flesh, and the creature can be detected from several yards away just by its smell alone. The Revenant is usually wearing its burial shroud or whatever clothes it was wearing when the individual was interred, now it tatters from clawing its way out of the grave.Behavior

The Revenant is dangerously obsessed with gaining its vengeance on those who wronged it while it was still living or caused the creature’s death. Although there have been some accounts of this creature being benevolent and protective of its loved ones, seeking only to prove its innocence of the crime of which it was wrongfully accused, or to complete some pressingly important task. However, this is extremely rare in lore and legend.The Revenant is single-minded and relentless in its pursuit of the one that wronged, betrayed, or even murdered the Revenant while it was alive. Rest assured, this creature will hunt down and dispense the justice that it feels the wrongdoer deserves, which usually means killing the unfortunate (but well-deserving) individual. Once in a great while, the Revenant will take up its own case, investigating the circumstances surrounding its death, and instigating a retrial until it is proven innocent or the killer is given justice. Again, this is extremely rare. Usually, the Revenant doesn’t interact with the living. If cornered, it will fight to the death. It knows that, wherever the traitor hides, it will find them eventually and take the revenge that it craves. At this point, the Revenant will return to its grave, never to rise again.

Abilities

While not as powerful as some other forms of the Undead, the Revenant is still a deadly adversary. The Revenant is a vicious monster, possessing supernatural strength, speed, and endurance. It will fight to the death, or at least until the creature is destroyed. In addition, some legends say that the Revenant is a shapeshifter, taking the form of a great hound (although this is a rarity). The creature’s rotting visage inspires mortal terror in the living, causing lasting psychological damage and horrifying nightmares, which continue for years to come (if not for the rest of the unfortunate individual’s life). The Revenant’s decaying flesh and fetid breath are capable of inflicting a terrible disease, causing those infected to waste away and die within a few days’ time.Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the Revenant is that the creature has the ability to withstand enormous amounts of damage to its body, often without so much as flinching. It takes on an incredible amount of damage, beyond what could kill a mortal. Even dealing grievous wounds to the creature won’t keep it down for long.Weaknesses

Although physically powerful and utterly relentless, the Revenant does have several weaknesses. Unlike most of the Undead, conventional weapons are capable of harming the Revenant. However, as mentioned earlier, the creature is unable to feel pain and can withstand injuries that would permanently incapacitate or even kill a human. Only a white-hot blaze can put the creature to rest forever (and save its chosen victim).For the most part, the Revenant cannot be repelled or “turned” by holding a holy icon in its path, the only exception being if the creature was a deeply religious individual in life. It is unknown if the Revenant is adversely affected by silver or holy water, although it certainly seems possible.

Slaying the Revenant

Luckily, there are numerous methods of destroying the Revenant. Many of these methods target the heart, but more than a few involve decapitation or dismemberment as well. It is most common to exhume the corpse, drive a stake through the body, decapitate it, and then either rebury or burn the creature.

History

Every culture has its legends of creatures that rise from the dead to prey upon the living. These creatures are known as revenants, the returning dead. Although any type of the undead may be referred to as a revenant, the creature discussed here is said to dwell on the British Isles, where it is known as the Revenant.How does one become a Revenant? According to folklore, there are many different ways to become one of the Undead. Some of the more common reasons for rising from the grave include: improper burial, no burial at all, improper handling of the deceased’s body, jealously of the living, a curse, unrest due to sin or unfinished business, or suicide. Some of the lesser-known reasons are more sinister in nature. More often, the Revenant is created when an individual is greatly wronged before death and rises from the grave to seek vengeance. For instance, a man is murdered on the street for no apparent reason. After burial, he rises again from the grave as one of the living dead to avenge himself on his murderer. However, how one is “wronged” depends on an individual’s point of view. A criminal who is fairly tried by a jury and is legally executed may still rise from the dead. In this case, revenge is the trigger of undeath.The Revenant may arise when an individual who has led a sinful or wicked life dies. Such a person may be described vain, wicked, or having no faith in God. Cursed by the Almighty, this individual is doomed to rise from the grave as one of the undead to feed upon the living. When this happens, an evil spirit takes possession of the body, forcing out any of the original person’s remaining personality. The Revenant may retain its memories from life, but there is no emotional attachment to these memories whatsoever. The evil spirit inhabiting the corpse is able to gain access to these memories and force the corpse to speak and act like the individual did during his lifetime, deceiving both friends and loved ones. The Revenant uses the memories for hunting, utilizing the knowledge of former friends, family, and locations as part of its strategies in obtaining prey. It then proceeds to slake its thirst for blood on the unfortunate, draining them of every last drop.Fortunately, the Revenant doesn’t last forever. At most, the creature may endure for a few decades. The people that the creature seeks vengeance on may die of natural causes, while the ones who knew and loved the individual in life may stop thinking about them. This causes the animating force to wane and eventually dissipate altogether. When the Revenant’s revenge is complete, or the rest of the creature’s natural lifespan is exceeded, the Revenant either seeks out its grave and collapses, or it may just simply collapse on the spot.

While not as powerful as some other forms of the undead, the Revenant is a force to be reckoned with and feared nonetheless.

Sources

Maberry, Jonathan. Vampire Universe. New York: Kensington Publishing Corp. Copyright (c)2006 by Jonathan Maberry.

Maberry, Jonathan. The Vampire Slayer's Field Guide to the Undead. Canada: Strider Nolan Publishing, Inc. Copyright (c)2003 by Jonathan Maberry.

Lecouteaux, Claude. The Return of the Dead: Ghosts, Ancestors, and the Transparent Veil of the Pagan Mind. Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions International. Copyright (c)2009 by Inner Traditions International.

Punch, Sean M. GURPS Undead. Steve Jackson Games. Copyright (c)2002 by Steve Jackson Games.

Djinn (Genies)

The Djinn is a powerful demon from Arabic legend, created by God from smokeless fire. This is the same being from whence the Western wish-granting Genie is derived. These spirits were created before humans, so it is really no surprise that the Djinn feel extremely resentful of the earth's usurpation by mankind. Usually invisible, the Djinn are powerful shapeshifters that are able to change into and manifest themselves multitude of forms. Each individual Djinn is different, and they vary greatly in terms of both power and temperament.

The Djinn are spirits of darkness, and are primarily nocturnal (sleeping during the day and venturing forth by night), haunting cemeteries, ancient ruins, and crossroads. However, some may be found in the vicinity of slaughterhouses, as the Djinn find fresh blood to be very appealing.

The Djinn is known to inhabit the thresholds of houses, and may strike out at those who disturb their rest. The attack causes disease, stroke, or paralysis. These ailments resist medical treatment, and usually only magic or shamanic healing is used. They desire and love heat, preferring to live in arid deserts for that very same reason. Not surprisingly, the Djinn despise the cold.

The Djinn, like most spirits, hate salt, but the spirit also fears iron and steel. The Djinn dislikes noisy and crowded places (although, on the contradictory other hand, the Djinn is a curious sort of spirit and will often take part in fairs, festivals, and other social events). Lastly, the Djinn enjoy telling stories, and can be lured out of hiding or pacified by exciting tales of suspense. However, despite their reputations, the Djinn have a code of honor, and even the most temperamental of these spirits will honor a promise or a vow. These spirits appreciate respectful behavior and will return any favors done for them.

Sources

Illes, Judika. Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. Copyright ©2009 by Judika Illes.