10 Terrifying Versions of The Bogeyman Around The World

Popularly known as the Bogeyman around the world, the Bogeyman is a mythical creature generally used by adults to frighten children into good behavior.

He lurks in the shadows, stalking you at your weakest. He watches from the darkest corners of your comfortable abode, waiting for you to slip into dreamland.

No matter what part of the world you’re from, there’s a version of the traditional Bogeyman lingering and waiting to strike. Here are 10 different versions of bogeyman around the world.

10. Boggart

In English folklore, you’ll find two different versions of this mischievous spirit. One, which resides in dwellings, is a trickster who was known for making items disappear and turning milk sour.

It was a manageable pest, but not dangerous. Another version, however, lived within the marshes and fields of England and was known for abducting children and being far more malevolent in nature.

The Boggart has been depicted as short and hairy or appearing more beast-like as a large horse. One of the most popular forms of Bogeyman around the world.

9. Namahage

It’s not every day that you can go to a festival dedicated to a demon-faced ghoul, but the Japanese do know how to have fun.

During the Namahage Festival, a New Year’s ritual, men dress in straw capes and fiendish masks and wield fake carving knives.

In this horrific attire, they go door-to-door, hollering out to children and seeking “naughty” and “lazy” ones. Early legends passed down from the Akita stated that the Namahage was believed to be a demonic ogre that stole crops and young women.

It later morphed into a creature intended to frighten children into behaving well.

8. Bubak

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Traveling through the Czech Republic, you may hear whispers of the Bubak, a local monstrosity that isn’t too picky about who he abducts.

Appearing as a man, the Bubak carries a sack that is used to capture both children and adults. In the dead of night near the riverbanks, Bubak uses the cry of a baby to lure people to him.

His appearance is jarring and resembles that of a common scarecrow. From the victims of his dubious nature, Bubak makes clothing out of their souls.

7. Bonhomme Sept-Heures (The Seven O’Clock Man)

What’s the best way to get your children home and to bed on time? Tell them there’s a spectral man that will snatch them up if they aren’t asleep when they should be.

The Seven O’Clock Man, or Bonhomme Sept-Heure, appears as an old man with a big hat and coat while carrying a sack in which he stuffs children to be eaten for later.

Bonhommes translates into “Good Man,” though the legend of the Seven O’Clock Man, which is French-Canadian in origin, has always been one of a benevolent force.

Some versions are less terrifying, like a more recent one where he blows sand into the eyes of children to help them sleep.

6. Bolman

Have a child that refuses to sleep, no matter what you do or offer them? In the Netherlands, you may resort to some clever storytelling like the tale of the Bolman.

Nothing puts a child to bed faster than telling them that they have a monster living under their bed, one with claws and teeth that could tear them to pieces.

The Bolman only attacked children who left their beds at night, grabbing their ankles and dragging them under the bed to be eaten.

5. Small Man

Children of the Bahamas were raised to fear the Small Man who, much like Bonhomme Sept-Heures, had an affinity for children who were awake when they shouldn’t be.

The Small Man was known for riding a cart in search of children who were out after sundown. Those he caught would be turned into a small person and would have to ride in his cart for eternity.

He wasn’t known for a distinct look, save that he was humanoid and was enough to scare children into behaving.

4. Oude Rode Ogen

To the Dutch, Oude Rode Ogen, or Old Red Eyes, is a ghoul that originated in the Belgium region of Flanders during the late 17th century.

Also known as the Beast of Flanders, Oude Rode Ogen is a red-eyed monstrosity that resembles a large black dog. Some lore claims it to be a cannibalistic shapeshifter, a terrifying man once spotted stealing a young girl from her bed.

The presence of the dog-like beast was spotted in Mechelen in the 18th century, stalking and growling in the night in search of skin to become a full demonic figure.

3. Pugot Mamu

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From the Pampanga region of the Philippines comes a strange creature thought to be the spirit of a beheaded priest.

Sporting no head of its own, the Pugot Mamu is a far more terrifying version of the Pugotand is known for having an insatiable appetite for human flesh and bone, specifically that of children.

The Pugot Mamu has a poem inspired by it, and the poem is no less terrifying than the thought of a headless monster tearing you limb from limb.

2. El Coco

Portuguese legend tells of El Coco, a shapeless figure that, in Italy, is known as the Black Man. El Coco is also seen with a pumpkin head, torturing and kidnapping disobedient children.

This shadowy demon has been depicted as a legless being that fades away below the waist but has been known to manifest into other forms to lure in victims.

Like many iterations of the Bogeyman, El Coco was used as a means to get children to go to bed, with parents threatening to call the villainous fiend when wee little ones refuse to sleep.

1. Torbalan

Terrorizing the children of Bulgaria is Torbalan, often referred to as the Man with a Sack. Unlike Santa Claus, who brings joy and happiness in his satchel of fun, Torbalan uses his to kidnap children who misbehave.

He’s seen as the opposite of Dyado Koleda, the Bulgarian version of Father Christmas. Some say there is a connection between Torbalan and the Germanic Krampus, the demonic figure of Christmas.

What’s your favorite version of the Bogeyman around the world? Let us know in the comments below.