All cultures have them – and by “them”, I mean those scary, supernatural stories which parents tell to their children in a desperate attempt to make the little ones behave. A common one would be: “If you wander too far into the woods, Baba Yaga will get you” or “if you don’t go to sleep Cuco will come and eat you”.

Slightly horrifying, yes, but these various tales tend to impart some kind of moral to the listener when told in full, and have worked for centuries at getting children to stop their dangerous or annoying behaviours. Here are some of the scariest monsters from all four corners of the globe.

1. Baba Yaga, the witch of the East – Eastern Europe

The very name Baba Yaga means ‘grandmother who finds fault’ or alternatively ‘grandmother of snakelike evil anger’ … this should clue you in that she’s a rather complex character, and not only because she lives in a house that has chicken feet to move it around. Baba Yaga is paradoxical in the sense that she is viewed as both a scary warning (since she is rumoured to eat children and cut off the heads of annoying adults who wander her woods) and also because she is viewed as a wise councilor – though this second side of her is much rarer than the first.

It is said that a question asked by those who seek her wisdom ages her by a year – however if she brews a magical drink out of blue roses and other ingredients, it reverses the aging process and makes her young again. This aging and youth reversal is useful to her when luring victims in, or tricking strangers. Anyone who asks about her invisible servants will likely meet an unhappy fate. She is generally only helpful to mythological heroes who approach her with pure spirits and are polite in their interactions with her. Otherwise, she’ll take to her mortar and pestle, and her silver birch broom, and hunt you down.

2. Tokoloshe, imp of the South – South Africa

The Tokoloshe (also spelled Tokolosh or Tikaloshe) is a small, brown, hairy water demon or dwarf who likes to naturally cause mischief and is generally fine with children, though it can influence them to cause mischief of their own. The Tokoloshe can vary its appearance, from being a small gremlin with gouged-out eyes, to a small brown hairy dwarf – and it can turn invisible by swallowing a pebble. Parents often tell their children to behave or the Tokoloshe will come for them. Naturally occurring Tokoloshes like to steal milk from cows, and they have been frequent features in many newspapers across the country for harassing families and children with poltergeist-like activities.

The little ankle-high imps are said to be very well endowed and often seduce female victims in their sleep much like an incubus. Putting beds on bricks to prevent this is common practice by those who reside in South Africa. It is said that only witch doctors can exorcise Tokoloshes. In present times it bears more similarities to the European brownie or “House-elf” than a water-dwelling sprite. When a Tokoloshe is controlled by a witch or shaman, it will act out and cause mayhem and even death to those it is sent after. This kind of Tokoloshe is a shaman-created one, but making it comes with a heavy price – as it is said that a relative of the Tokoloshe creator will die within the year.

3. El Cuco, bogeyman of the West – South America, Spain

I’m sure we can all agree that bogeymen are quite terrifying when you’re little. It’s the monster who hides under your bed and tries to grab your ankles if you climb out to go to the bathroom. Well in South America and Spain, you can rest assured this monster will take care of your child if they don’t go to sleep after you’ve sung them a lullaby. Yup, no more late night shenanigans for the little ones or El Cuco (also spelled El Coco) will come and kidnap them, to eat them later.

It is said El Cuco is shapeless, but other accounts say it looks like a ghost with a pumpkin head; a child-shaped red-eyed demon, and is believed to have a feminine counterpart in Brazil simply called Cuco. The lullaby most parents sing to their child about this kidnapping flesh-eating monster is Duermete niño, duermete ya…que viene el cuco y te comerá which translated to ‘sleep child, sleep now…or else comes the cuco monster will come and eat you’.

4. Loup Garou, Werewolf of the North – Canada

Though the Loup Garou bears similarities to the Hatian, Grenada and West Indie Loogaroo, this upright walking French werewolf haunts the Canadian plains and is said to be able to take human form like a shape-shifter. It also has similarities to the Native American Wendigo, as a bite from it can cause the unlucky victim to get cannibalistic cravings. It is predominantly used by parents to frighten children into eating vegetables, making their bed, or helping around the house – because as you rightly guessed: if they don’t, Loup Garou will come for them.

Stories say that this creature will hunt down and eat Catholics who break Lent for seven years in a row. Heaven forbid you sight one or get bitten by one as you’re then cursed to become a Loup Garou yourself – if you don’t talk about your ‘condition’ it lasts only 101 days – but if you do talk about your curse, you become a Loup Garou for life. One way noted to cure someone cursed with this is to get a priest to prick them with a knife.

What are your favourite monsters or myths?