From ghostly Hawaiian warriors to shape-shifting witches, these tales will send shivers down your spine! Join us as we explore terrifying urban legends from across the globe. Our countdown includes the vengeful Corpo-Seco, the horrifying Kuchisake-onna, organ-harvesting Black Ambulances, and more frightful myths that have haunted local communities for generations.
00:03But in the case of Kuchisake Onna, it should be.
00:08Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most interesting and compelling folk tales from around the world.
00:14And we have eyewitnesses and interviews lined up with people who are going to openly share their skinwalker stories.
00:22Number 10. Night Marchers, Hawaii, USA.
00:25These fearsome warriors are said to rise from their graves in homage to the ancient gods of Hawaiian culture.
00:32In the world there is life, in the world there is death, and in some families, even to speak it, they are afraid that they perhaps might invoke that entity to appear.
00:41Night Marchers supposedly float across the landscape, often clad in full armor and weaponry, with their gaze, meaning death to any mortal foolish enough to glance in their direction.
00:51The best thing to do is get the hell out of there and run.
00:54Thankfully, however, the Night Marchers seem to be sticklers for ceremony and pageantry.
00:58This reverence can be used to potentially spare a human being from their demise.
01:03Respect towards tribal customs, bowing or lying flat at the feet of a Night Marcher horde, these are all potential escape routes, should anyone encounter these ghostly apparitions.
01:13I want to talk about it because I want to dispel any misconceptions or urban legends or myths about the Night Marchers, but I also want to impart respect.
01:229.
01:23Kongamoto, Central Africa
01:25The word cryptid is a sort of catch-all term that used to describe legendary or mythological creatures whose existence in the real world has been disputed by science.
01:34The Kongamoto is an example of these bestial urban legends, a creature from Central African folklore that's been said to resemble a real-life pterosaur, a flying lizard monster that can attack sailors without warning, overturning boats, and generally causing sea travel to be even more treacherous than normal.
01:52There's literary evidence of certain Kongamoto sightings, although the origins of these accounts have often been singled out as folkloric fantasy or some other form of fiction.
02:028. Flathead Lake Monster, Montana, USA
02:06It's really interesting to see how many local variations on cryptids, such as the Loch Ness Monster, can be found all over the world.
02:14We heard the splashing, and it was really loud. And then as we watched it, the splashing kind of died down, and whatever it was started moving.
02:25We could see these humps, and there were two or three or four humps showing at one time.
02:30The U.S. state of Montana has retained its own similar legend, that of the Flathead Lake Monster.
02:35It's an indigenous legend from the Kootenay peoples that settled in parts of North America, one that describes a huge antlered beast that dwells at the bottom of a lake.
02:45Sightings of a large water creature date as far back as 1889.
02:49Locals have come to know the stories well of a monster prowling the deep waters of Flathead Lake.
02:54The Flathead Lake Monster has been embraced today by Montana locals, a fearsome legend of an aquatic nightmare that represents just how much we, as people, love to be scared by our deepest and most imaginative nightmares.
03:07With over 100 recorded sightings since 1889, we'll let you decide, is the Flathead Lake Monster myth or marvel?
03:157. Pinky Pinky Tokoloshi, South Africa
03:18It's never been uncommon for parents to utilize the existence of monsters as some sort of warning sign, spinning tails to ward off children from certain dangerous behaviors, like deep, dark water.
03:30It comes in the night, causing mischief and preying on unsuspecting sleepers in their beds. It may even drink your blood.
03:37The Tokoloshi is an evil spirit from South African folklore with a history of predation, such as that of Pinky Pinky.
03:44This creepy dwarven creature is said to inhabit toilet systems, reaching out and grabbing young girls while lurking within school restrooms.
03:52The intent here seems to be clear.
03:54That of urban legends existing to ward off women from early sexual experimentation during puberty.
04:00How a fictional creature can be more than just a scary story. When problems arise and crimes occur, unfortunately, it can sometimes be easier and even safer to point the finger at a fictional being.
04:136. The Red Car, Mexico
04:16The urban legend of a beautifully haunting woman who lures men to their deaths is one that shows up in multiple countries and cultures.
04:23Boy, if they kiss as good as they lure, wow!
04:27La Ciguapa is an example of this trope from the Dominican Republic, while Mexico has its own variation on the legend, El Carro de las Brujas, otherwise known as the Red Car.
04:38This vehicle doesn't only house one gorgeous and dangerous woman, however, but multiple evil witches that seek out lonely men on dark, shadowy streets.
04:47Those who deign to get inside of the Red Car are often said to be found by authorities, lifeless, and covered in occult scarring.
04:55Their souls are said to be sacrificed to Satan, as Las Brujas seek out another hopeless victim.
05:065. The Black Ambulance, Czech Republic
05:10Witches may inhabit red cars in Mexico, but the Czech Republic possesses its own urban legend, albeit one that's centered with a more realistic world of horrors.
05:19The Black Ambulance is said to specifically focus its malevolent sights on victims with one evil focus, to harvest organs for the black market.
05:28Victims are abducted by the Black Ambulance's sinister operators and rarely seen again, utilized by shadowy backers for purposes unknown to the authorities.
05:37This more grounded aspect of human trafficking proves that stories such as the Black Ambulance don't need to be fantastical to be scary.
05:444. Water Babies, Great Basin, USA
05:49The origin stories of these creatures differ depending upon the culture, with some tales of water babies existing as more sinister than others.
05:57I am the spirit of dark and lonely water, ready to trap the unwary.
06:02They're almost universally depicted as water spirits that lure visitors to their deaths, although their existence as ghostly apparitions of discarded infants remains disputed.
06:12Other versions of water babies are said to actually mimic the crying sounds of babies to acquire more victims.
06:18Only a fool would ignore this, but there's one born every minute.
06:24Some cultures offer tributes to water babies to defer their wrath, although their intentions seem to be rooted more in keeping young people away from large bodies of water, rather than resembling mythological danger.
06:35It's the perfect place for an accident.
06:38Number 3. Corpo Seco, Latin America
06:42The trope of some sort of ghost or spirit that's out for revenge is another one that can be found within the mythologies of many countries, each with unique variations upon the source material.
06:52The Corpo Seco is Portuguese for dried corpse, a rotting shell that holds the soul of a man who was too evil for both heaven as well as hell.
07:01This story of a creature torn between both realms can also be seen within the Jiangxi-hopping vampires of feudal China, that of a creature without a home that haunts the living.
07:11The Corpo Seco preys upon humanity in a fashion similar to other vengeful ghosts, from Mexico's La Llorona to Dama Branca, another Brazilian urban legend from that country's rich cultural history.
07:24Number 2. Cuchisakiona, Japan
07:26The Cuchisakiona is one example of yokai or anryo, an evil spirit known as the Slit-Mouthed Woman.
07:33Cuchisakiona is a vengeful ghost that haunts Japan.
07:39They're certainly creepy-looking under any moniker, a pale and long-haired woman with a horrifying scar where her mouth should be.
07:46The Cuchisakiona is often seen brandishing some sort of sharp weapon, such as scissors, which are utilized as she asks a deadly question.
07:54If you get the answer right, then you're safe. The trouble is, there is no right answer.
07:59Should a victim respond negatively when the Cuchisakiona asks whether or not she's beautiful, they will die.
08:06If they reply in the affirmative, the Cuchisakiona will reveal her scar and ask again, and potentially give their victim the same scar.
08:14The only way for potential escape is not to commit either way to calling the Cuchisakiona beautiful or ugly.
08:20If you try to escape, you're still out of luck, because no matter which way you turn, she will appear in front of you again.
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08:40Number 1. Skinwalkers
08:44There have been movies of varying quality detailing some of the famous Native American monster legends,
08:51from the voraciously hungry Wendigo to the Navajo legend of the Skinwalkers.
08:56These are witches who possess an important deviation from the healers or shamans who were celebrated.
09:01This is not something that the Navajo take lightly at all.
09:05Instead, Skinwalkers were feared sorceresses that could take the form of an animal while participating in unholy ceremonial rituals.
09:13This simple yet effective origin story has made it possible for Skinwalkers to serve as central elements for Navajo folktales involving life-or-death struggles of good versus evil.
09:24I'm telling you guys, it's here.
09:26Do you have any local legends from your hometown?
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