Stories From The End Of Humanity

god: 

30: Piasa “Bird”

A much more creative draconian take then Europe’s reptiles. Neat!

Spider Grandmother is a Native American mythological woman who features in the tales of South-Western Native American tribes. She is also known as ‘Spider Woman’, ‘Great Teacher’ and ‘Creator of Life’. Spider Grandmother is thought of as the creator of the world who uses her magic to weave the fabric of time. Her web is believed to represent the matrix of societies, as each living being remains attached to her.

The legends of Spider Grandmother feature as the creation mythology for several tribes, including Pueblo and Navajo Native Americans. She features as one of two original beings, with the other named Tawa who was a solar deity. Tawa is said to have imagined creation and Spider Grandmother took those dreams and made them a reality. For every person she created, Spider Grandmother spun a line of fine spider silk and attached it to their heads to ensure that they were each connected to her and to each other.

Sadly, I don’t have pictures for these ones. I’m going to focus on indigenous peoples for most of these posts; unfortunately, there wasn’t much information on Inuit creatures that I could find, and most of what I did find for Inuits came from Greenland (which for the sake of argument, I’m not counting as ‘North America’.) So these are all from non-Inuit natives.

Horned Serpent Generally associated with rain, storms and water, descriptions of this creature vary, though it is a common theme within several Native American cultures including Cree, Shawnee and Choctaw. Some tribes assume the serpents were destroyed. Some say they are ambivalent creatures, while others feel they are malevolent.

Pukwudgie Resembling gray humans with more prominent features, pukwudgies are troublesome little creatures, known to kidnap people or kill them. Related heavily to a creation myth in Wampanoag stories, they are devilish creatures who became jealous of the affection the natives gave the creator and tried to have him killed.

Thunderbird Well-known to nearly all native cultures, thunderbirds are said to reside on the tops of mountains and control rainfall. Some legends indicate the ability to become human and have been assumed to have married into families. Other stories tell of the thunderbirds destroying the populations of horned serpents.

Mishipeshu Also known as an ‘underwater panther,’ this creature is a large feline covered in scales, and directly related to the underworld. They are frequently called the masters of all water creatures and guardian of precious metals, opposite thunderbirds. Most traditions describe them as malevolent, able to cause storms and bring death and misfortune.

Let’s say you’re being chased by a demon. Your first instinct is to run to a church because evil beings can’t step foot on holy ground, right? Well, that rule doesn’t apply to hellhounds. These black canines have been spotted across the world, and while some think they’re Satan’s attack dogs, others say they’re the devil incarnate. And despite their hellish nature, churches offer no sanctuary.

The most infamous hellhound attack took place on Sunday, August 4, 1577 in Suffolk, England. As the citizens of Bungay prayed inside St. Mary’s Church, a thunderstorm rocked the countryside. Hail pelted the church, and lightning flashed outside its walls, when suddenly a giant dog appeared. The canine leaped into the congregation and began ripping out throats. Just the heat emanating from the beast vaporized anyone who got too close. Some even say it used its front paws to strangle worshipers. By the time it was done, the hellhound had killed three churchgoers, but the night was still young! The black dog ran towards Blythburgh Church where it continued its carnage, claiming more souls before disappearing into the night.

                        Skinwalkers are in Native American legends, particularly Navajo (they are called yee naaldlooshii directly translating to “with it, he goes on all fours”). They are believed to be a person with supernatural abilities to turn into any animal they desire. In some cases, skinwalkers wear the pelt of the animal. The Yee Naaldlooshii  They are one of the several varieties of the Navajo witch (specifically the ’ánt’įįhni) . In some versions, men or women who have attainted the highest level of priest hood are called clizyati, translating to “pure evil”, when they commit the act of killing a close blood relative (sister, brother, mother, father), incest, or necrophilia. This act is said to destroy their humanity and allow them to fully immerse themselves in the teachings of the Witchery Way.

The ’ánt’įįhnii are human beings who have gained supernatural power by breaking a cultural taboo.

Specifically, a person is said to gain the power to become a yee naaldlooshii upon initiation into the Witchery Way (witchcraft).

 This is done especially via the Navajo equivalent of the “Black Mass”, a depraved “sing" (Navajo ceremonial) used to curse instead of to heal.

Both men and women can become ’ánt’įįhnii and therefore possibly skinwalkers, but men are far more numerous.

It is generally thought that only childless women can become witches. 

Not every witch is a skinwalker, but every skinwalker is a witch.

Animal Forms

The most common forms are:

Coyote

Fox

Wolf

Eagle

Owl

Crow

The yee naaldlooshii is said to have the power to assume the form of any animal they choose, a decision based on what specific abilities are needed. For example, Witches may use a bird form for expedient travel in pursuit, escape, or otherwise. Some Navajo also believe that skinwalkers have the ability to steal the face of a person. The Navajo believe that if you ever lock eyes with a skinwalker, they can absorb themselves into your body. Alternately, some Navajos believe that if you make eye contact with a skinwalker, your body will freeze up due to the fear of them and the skinwalker will use that fear to gain power and energy.

Appearance 

A skinwalker is usually described as hairy, except for an animal skin.

Some Navajos describe them as a perfect version of the animal in question. 

The skin may just be a mask, like those which are the only garment worn in the witches’ sing, which is the opposite of the good sing.

Because animal skins are used primarily by skinwalkers, the pelt of animals such as bears, coyotes, wolves, and cougars are considered taboo. Sheepskin and buckskin are probably two of the few hides used by Navajos; the others are not used for ceremonial purposes.

Danger

Many Navajo people will tell of their encounter with a skinwalker, but will hesitate and often not reveal the story to non-Navajos, or to talk of such things at night because it is believed that talking of skinwalkers will draw them near you.

Skinwalker may stalk people, knock on the windows, and climb onto the roofs. Sometimes, a strange, animal-like figure is seen standing outside the window, peering in. Other times, a skinwalker may attack a vehicle and cause a car accident.

Protection

The skinwalkers are described as being fast, agile, and impossible to catch. Though some attempts have been made to shoot or kill one, they are not usually successful. Sometimes a wounded skinwalker will escape, only to have someone turn up later with a similar wound which reveals them to be the witch.

Varieties:

If you get the skinwalker to talk while in animal form, they will never be able to shapeshift again, and will revert back to human form.

White ash rubbed on bullets.

Saying their full name (and about three days later that person would either get sick or die for the wrong that they have committed).

One of the most horrible deities of the underworld comes from the violent and frightening cosmology of the Maya civilization of Central America. The Mayan god of darkness, violence and sacrifice was Camazotz a flying bat god who inhabited Xibalba, the Mayan hell. Originally an anthropomorphic bat monster worshipped by the Zapotec Indians of Oaxaca, Camazotz was adopted into the Mayan pantheon as a vampire killer who reveled in slaughter. The deity appears throughout classical Mayan art and sculpture. Camazotz also features in the post-classical compendium of Mayan myths, the Popul Vuh, where he is master of a house of were-bats like himself.  There he (or one of his minions) claws off the heads of one of the story’s twin heroes during their attempt to defeat the lords of Xibalba in a marathon ball tournament.