The most terrible monsters of world religions. The creepiest lake monsters (11 photos)

Entities that terrify people probably exist in myths and legends different nations. Their appearance goes back to the origins of folklore. As a rule, a variety of terrible supernatural monsters brought evil, death, or were instruments of punishment higher powers. Our review contains the most terrible and terrible entities from different cultures.

1. Pishachi

Pishachas are one of the most feared carnivorous demons in Hindu myths. They were depicted with dark faces, bulging veins and bulging red eyes. Pishachas have always craved human flesh.

2. Vetals

Vetalas are ghostly creatures from Hindu mythology. They are spirits that inhabit corpses, after which they stop decomposing and gain the ability to move around, like zombies. However, vetalas can also leave a corpse of their own accord.

3. Ronov

In demonology, Ronov is considered a marquis and great count of hell, who commands twenty legions of demons. He is most often depicted as a kind of monster with vague outlines, who holds a staff in his hand. It is also believed that he collects the souls of people and animals that die.

4. Rakshasa

These demonic spirits come from Hindu myths, but can also be found in other religions such as Buddhism. They are known as cannibals, and devour their victims while they are still alive. According to Hindu traditions, they were so filled with bloodlust that when they were created they tried to devour their creator, the god Brahma.

5. Preta

Preta spirits, also known as "hungry ghosts", can be found in some Indian religions. They are doomed to wander and suffer from terrible hunger and thirst, which they cannot satisfy. According to these religions, people who were greedy, corrupt, jealous and greedy during their lifetime become preta in their afterlife.

6. Lemurs

In ancient Roman religion, lemurs were evil, restless spirits of the dead who were known for their terrifying appearance. They were also believed to be related to the Greek monster Lamia, after which they were named.

7. Yorogumo

According to ancient Japanese myths, the yorogumo is a bloodthirsty monster. In most tales it is described as a huge spider that takes the form of a very attractive woman who seduces men, lures them to its lair and devours them.

8. Hundun

Hundun is a faceless evil, which in Chinese mythology and cosmogony is considered the source of disasters and chaos. The strangest thing about this demon is how ancient it is. According to Chinese beliefs, it existed before heaven and earth were separated, that is, before the Big Bang.

9. Eligos

Edigos is the Great Duke of Hell who rules over sixty legions of demons. He discovers hidden things and knows the future of wars. Eligos is usually depicted as a pious knight carrying a spear, banner and serpent.

10. Genie

Jinns are supernatural beings in Arabic as well as later Islamic mythology and theology. The Qur'an states that the jinn are composed of smokeless and "scorching fire", but they are also physically capable of interacting with people and objects.

11. Barbatos

Barbatos in demonology is the Duke of Hell who rules over thirty legions of demons. He has four kings as his companions, who help him command his legions. It is believed that he can lead people to treasures that were hidden by the magic of wizards, but for this he asks a lot high price- souls.

12. Barakiel

Barakiel is the ninth overseer of the twenty leaders of the two hundred fallen angels who are mentioned in the book of Enoch. His name means "lightning of God", which is not surprising since Barakiel is believed to have taught people astrology before his fall.

13. Azi Dahaka

Azi Dahaka is a storm demon from Iranian mythology and religion. It was alleged that he steals livestock and attacks people. It is a snake-like monster with three heads and six eyes, which also represents the oppression of Iran during the time of Babylon.

14. Agares

Agares is the Duke of Hell who rules its eastern part and commands thirty-one legions of demons. He appears riding a crocodile and carrying a hawk on his arm. It was believed that Agares could bring back deserters and put enemies to flight. He can also exalt people, teach all languages ​​and cause an earthquake.

15. Abaddon

In the book of Revelation, an angel named Abaddon, who looks like Satan, is described as the king of an army of locusts. He holds a trident, has frightening wings, a snake tail and an evil face with cruel eyes. His name in ancient translation from Greek means “destroyer.”

16. Asag

In the ancient Sumerian religion, Asag was a grotesque demon who looked so scary that his presence killed fish in the rivers. His name translates as "causing disease."

17. Dibbuk

In Jewish mythology, a dybbuk is an evil spirit that inhabits a person and lives in him until his death. This harmful creature leaves the host's body only after it has fulfilled its vile purpose.

18. Abizu

In the myths of the Middle East and Europe, Abizu is a female demon. She is blamed for miscarriages and infant mortality because Abizu is allegedly jealous of people because she is infertile.

19. Ghoul (ghoul)

The ghoul is one of the most famous creatures in ancient Arabic religion and was first mentioned in the Arabian Nights. He is described as an undead creature that can also take the form of an immaterial spirit. As a rule, ghouls live in cemeteries and feed on carrion.

20. Succubus

Those who think that only men commit rape are sadly mistaken. A succubus is a demon who, in medieval legends, invaded the dreams of men and boys in the form of attractive women and then seduced or raped them.

21. Xin Tian

Xin Tian is an evil divine giant in Chinese mythology who fought the heavenly emperor Huang Di. Even after he was defeated and beheaded, Xin Tian continued to fight by creating a face on his torso: eyes from his nipples and a mouth from his navel. At the same time, he was armed with an ax in one hand and a shield in the other.

22. Buer

Buer is a demon who was first described in demonological literature of the sixteenth century, where he is described as the great president of hell, commanding fifty legions of demons. Buer was described as having the head of a lion and five goat legs surrounding his body so that Buer could move in any direction.

23. Azazel

According to the Book of Enoch (an apocryphal book in the Jewish religious tradition), Azazel was one of the leaders of a group of fallen angels who took human women as wives and taught people many things. After he was cast into hell and unable to kill him (the archangels were sent to “liquidate” the fallen angel), Azazel became the most mysterious supernatural being in sacred literature.

24. Belphegor

In Western demonology, Belphegor is a demon who was originally an ancient Semitic god and later became one of the seven princes of hell. The sixth of the ten archdemons offers people ingenious inventions that can make them rich in exchange for souls.

25. Nephilim

According to ancient biblical texts, the word Nephilim means "giants." They were known as great warriors, born from the "sons of God" who were divine beings and the "daughters of Adam" who were mortals. God condemned his sons for rebellion and association with humans, and this is why their offspring were called “nephilim” or fallen ones.

The human imagination, especially in nightmares, can generate images of terrible monsters. They come from the darkness and inspire inexplicable fear. Over the entire multi-thousand-year history of existence, humanity believed in a fairly large number of such monsters, whose names they tried not to even pronounce, since they personified universal evil.

Yowie is often compared to the more famous Bigfoot, but he is credited with Australian origin. According to legend, Yowie lived exclusively in Blue Mountain, a mountainous region located west of Sydney. The image of this monster appeared in Aboriginal folklore to scare away European immigrants and settlers, although there is evidence that the myth has a longer history. There have been people who have spoken of encountering this creature, which is considered an "evil spirit", although there is no official confirmation of Yowie attacking people. They say that when meeting a person, Yowie stops and stares, and then disappears into dense forest.

During the era of colonial wars, many myths appeared or gained new life V different corners peace. For example, in the regions South America began to talk about the existence giant anacondas. These snakes reach a length of up to 5 m, and their body, in comparison with ordinary anacondas, is much more massive. Fortunately, no one has ever encountered such a snake, either alive or dead.

If you delve into the mythology of the Slavs, you can believe in the existence of such a creature as a brownie. This is a small, bearded man who can live in a pet or even inhabit a person. They say that in every house there lives a brownie, who is responsible for the atmosphere in it: if there is order and harmony in the house, then the brownie is good, if there is often swearing in the house, then the brownie is evil. An evil brownie is capable of causing constant accidents that make life unbearable.

With the head of a crocodile and the face of a dog, with a ponytail and fins, and large fangs, the Bunyip is a fairly large monster that is said to live in the swamps and other parts of Australia. His name comes from the word "devil", but many other qualities are also attributed to him. This monster was most often talked about in the 19th century, and today it is believed that the creature still exists and lives on parity with the locals. The Aborigines believe this most of all.

Everyone knows the Bigfoot creature. This big creature who lives in different parts USA. He is very tall, his body is covered with black or Brown. They say that when meeting him, a person becomes numb in the literal sense of the word, being under the influence of hypnosis. There were people who testified about cases when Bigfoot took people with him into the forest and kept them in his den for a long time. Whether this is true or not, the image of Bigfoot inspires fear in many.

Jikininki is a special creature born from Japanese folklore. In the past, this was a man who, after death, transformed into a terrible monster. Many believe that this is a ghost that feeds on human flesh, so people who believe in this deliberately avoid visiting cemeteries. In Japan, they believe that if a person is very greedy during life, after death he turns into a jikininki as punishment and experiences an eternal hunger for carrion. Outwardly, the jikininki is similar to a person, but with a disproportionate body and large glowing eyes.

This creature has Tibetan roots. Researchers believe that the Yeti crossed into Nepal following the footsteps of the Sherpa migrants, emigrants from Tibet. They say that he wanders around the surrounding area, sometimes throwing huge stones and whistling terribly. The Yeti walks on two legs, its body is covered with light fur, and its mouth has dog fangs. AND simple people, and researchers claim to have encountered this creature in reality. They say that it penetrates into our world from the other world.

The Chupacabra is a fairly small creature, but capable of causing a lot of problems. This monster was first talked about in Puerto Rico, and later in other parts of South and North America. "Chupacabra" means "goat blood sucker." The creature received this name as a result of a large number of unexplained deaths of livestock of the local population. The animals died from blood loss through bites on the neck. The Chupacabra has also been spotted in Chile. Basically, all evidence of the existence of the monster is oral; there is no body or photograph of it. No one managed to catch the monster alive either, but it is very popular all over the world.

Between 1764 and 1767, France lived in great fear because of a werewolf, either a wolf or a dog. They say that during the period of its existence the monster made 210 attacks on people, of which it killed 113. No one wanted to meet him. The monster was even officially hunted by King Louis XV. Many professional hunters tracked the animal with the aim of killing it, but their attempts were in vain. As a result, a local hunter killed him with a charmed bullet. Human remains were found in the belly of the beast.

In American Indian mythology, there was a bloodthirsty creature called the Wendigo, the product of curses. The fact is that in the myths of the Algonquian tribes it was stated that if during life a person was a cannibal and ate human flesh, then after death he turns into a Wendigo. They also said that he could inhabit any person, taking possession of his soul. The Wendigo is three times taller than a human, its skin is decaying and its bones are protruding. This creature is constantly hungry and craves human flesh.

The Sumerians, representatives of an ancient but quite developed civilization, created their own epic, in which they talked about gods, goddesses and their everyday life. One of the most popular epics was the Epic of Gilgamesh and the stories of the creature Gugalanna. This creature, in search of the king, killed a large number of people and destroyed cities. Gugalanna is a bull-shaped monster that the gods used as an instrument of revenge on people.

Like vampires, this creature has a constant thirst for blood. It also devours human hearts and has the ability to disconnect top part their body and enter people's houses, especially houses where pregnant women live, in order to drink their blood and steal the child with the help of their long tongue. But this creature is mortal and can be killed by sprinkling salt on it.

Black Annis, as the embodiment of evil, is known to everyone in Britain, especially in rural areas. She happens to be the main character local folklore of the 19th century. At Annis of blue color skin and a scary smile. Children had to avoid meeting her, as she fed on children and sheep, which she took from houses and yards by deception or force. Annis made belts from the skins of children and sheep, which she then wore on herself in dozens.

The most terrible of the worst, the Dybbuk, is the main character of Jewish mythology. This evil spirit is considered the most cruel. He is capable of destroying the life of anyone and destroying the soul, while the person will not be aware of what is happening to him and will gradually die.

“The Tale of Koshchei the Immortal” belongs to the mythology and folklore of the Slavs and tells about a creature that cannot be killed, but which ruins everyone’s life. But he has weakness- his soul, which is at the end of a needle, which is hidden in an egg, which is inside a duck, which sits inside a hare. The hare sits in a strong chest on the top of the tallest oak tree growing on a fabulous island. In a word, it’s difficult to call a trip to this island pleasant.

Horror films are primarily stories about monsters. Each generation creates its own monsters, and its fears say a lot about itself. Cinematic horror began with Dracula and Frankenstein's monster, and was replaced by Alien, Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees. How will our era remain in the history of horror? We offer you the ten most terrible and unusual monsters of the twenty-first century.

10. Trolls - “Trollhunters” (2010)

It would seem, who can be scared by trolls?

But in the film "Trollhunters" these creatures are shown to be eerily realistic. From it you can learn a lot of details about the habits of these creatures and their habitats. Usually the unknown is more frightening, but here it is the details that make the trolls convincing, and the pseudo-documentary style of filming and the words that the authorities are supposedly hiding the problem almost make you believe in the reality of these creatures.

And be horrified by them, because trolls are by no means cute little animals. They can easily tear a person apart, crush a car, and some of them are the size of an entire mountain.

9. The Host - "Invasion of the Dinosaur" (2006)

We bet that most of you haven't seen the Korean horror movie "Invasion of the Dinosaur" aka "The Host". But it is in it that one of the most unusual monsters of our century is shown. This very Master is a cross between an Alien and an underwater predator. Despite its size, it is very dexterous, swims quickly and easily hides in the sewers, where it stores captured people in reserve. Like Godzilla, the Host symbolizes nature's revenge on pollution. It was born due to toxic waste dumped into the river, and now people are paying for their carelessness.

8. Subterranean creatures - "Descent" (2005)

The creatures from The Descent are similar to Gollum from The Lord of the Rings, only he seems funny, and they are scary. Underground creatures are strong, fast and merciless. They are blind, but are guided by hearing no worse than bats. They eat human flesh, and they have a whole warehouse of bones in their dungeon.

A group of female speleologists who stumbled upon these creatures were doomed. We don't know much about these monsters. Perhaps this is a branch of humanity that has broken away from us. Or perhaps they are victims of some bad experiences. In any case, the caves are their home, and you are always welcome for lunch here.

As a main dish.

7. Weeping Angels - Doctor Who

The Weeping Angels from Doctor Who only come to life when no one is looking. When you look at them, they turn to stone and appear to be harmless statues. When the observer turns away, the monsters can do whatever they want to him. Angels can kill victims with a kiss, turn them into dust, or send them back to the past. This releases energy that these monsters feed on. Weeping angels are graceful and unusual killers. Perhaps too beautiful to rise higher in our top.

6. The Human Centipede - “The Human Centipede”

The human centipede is both monster and prey. It does not cause fear, but disgust. It was created by a mad doctor by sewing together the mouths and anuses of several people. This disgusting creature can make even the most diehard viewers vomit.

The centipede is frightening not because of its danger, but because of what it says about the audience and their craving for the shameful and disgusting. Everyone you ask criticizes the Centipede films and criticizes their creators. But somehow the series is collecting money at the box office and has already acquired a third part. The Human Centipede reveals the monster in its viewers themselves.

5. Clover - "Monstro"

The image of a giant monster destroying cities is not new. King Kong and Godzilla are unlikely to scare anyone today because they are predictable. We know everything about them.

But Clover from the movie “Monstro” is an element that defies comprehension. We know nothing about the creature: neither its origin, nor its structure, nor why it caused an apocalypse on the streets of New York. The monster is invulnerable, bullets for Clover are dust, explosions of rockets and bombs are light slaps in the face. People hide in the subway, but they find no protection there either. Small creatures that are capable of reaching the most hidden places drop out of the monster’s body. Clover is a horror that is beyond human strength.

4. Jeepers Creepers - “Jeepers Creepers”

The mythology of the Jeepers Creepers series stems from the cannibal belief that whoever eats a person's flesh gains their strength. So the demon from this series of films goes on the hunt to profit from human flesh. The body parts of the victims he devoured replace his own.

It is almost impossible to destroy. He can cure any injury by eating the desired organ. And his superhuman strength, sharp teeth and excellent sense of smell make any meeting with him fatal. However, there is a chance. The appearance of Creepers is preceded by a song. If you hear her, run immediately.

3. Creatures from the Mist - “Mist”

Everything in this Stephen King adaptation is shrouded in fog. Monsters are hard to see. Most of them appear in the frame for a few seconds or partially, showing a tentacle or claw. It's a shame, because they look impressive, and many of them deserve a place on this list. That's why we include them en masse. And creepy insects, and spiders, and a four-winged pterodactyl, and gigantic mantises, and others.

But the most terrible thing in this film is the darkness itself, which seems to have enveloped the entire Earth - habitat habitats of creatures that force our world to live by their own rules and drive people into shelters. It is impossible to fight the darkness, and it drives you crazy.

2. The Pale Man - Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

Guillermo del Toro is a master at inventing movie monsters, and his best creation is a monster with eyes on the palms of his hands. On the Internet, many people call him “Hand-Eye,” but in the script he is called the Pale Man.

The image of this monster is inspired by mythology. Del Toro was influenced by Goya's painting Saturn Devouring His Son, thanks to which the monster acquired the habit of eating fairies alive. Another source is the Japanese myth of Tenome, a vengeful spirit with eyes in the palms of his hands. Likewise, the Pale Man personifies punishment for disobedience and weakness of will. As soon as the girl Ophelia steals a grape, the monster comes to life and gives chase.

Pan's Labyrinth has many interpretations. According to one, the Pale is a disguised Faun who frightens the heroine for fun, so the fairies eaten in the finale are alive. According to another version, all events take place in Ophelia’s imagination.

But this doesn’t make the monster any less scary. If you die in the Matrix, you die in reality.

Worth mentioning

Necromorphs. Creatures from the Dead Space game series are worthy successors to Alien. Unfortunately, they have so far appeared in cinema only in one little-known cartoon.

Thin Man, aka Slenderman. This online folklore character is truly creepy and has appeared on screen before. But the film “Slender” does not reveal the topic at all. Let's wait for the new film adaptation.

Monsters from Pacific Rim,"Hellboy" and other films by Guillermo del Toro. They are all bright and original, but you can’t call them scary.

1. Pyramid Head - Silent Hill (2006)

The Silent Hill series of games has become a cult series largely thanks to this monster, which personifies the conflict in the hero’s soul. He understands that he deserves punishment, and his conscience is embodied in the form of a formidable executioner. Pyramid Head, like the Pale Man, is a revived sense of guilt, only even stronger and even more terrible.

The monster turned out to be so bright that it moved into other parts of the series and into the film adaptation. In the film Silent Hill, he punishes sect members who tried to kill the girl Alessa.

But it doesn’t spare the heroes either. He walks around in a butcher's apron and with a huge cleaver, which he drags with a terrible grinding sound. And his iron pyramid without slits for the eyes looks like an executioner's cap. Unfortunately, in the movies, Pyramid Head ceased to be a symbol and simply turned into a mysterious monster.

Nevertheless, he remains the most terrible monster of the 21st century.

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Every monster we fear says something about ourselves. After all, people invent monsters, but how can a creator put into a creation something that is not in himself? The 21st century has only recently begun and will certainly give us many more terrible creatures; New similar tops will appear...

But the most terrible of monsters will always remain man himself.

Sometimes it seems that nothing can scare a modern person anymore. We almost calmly watch even the most bloodthirsty horror films, read mystical novels, and computer games sometimes a variety of monsters of the world are involved, both real earthly and fictional. All this no longer surprises anyone. Even teenagers and small children treat all these creatures with slight irony and skepticism.

What will you answer to someone who claims that monsters and monstrosities are also found in our world today? Will you smile? Twist your finger at your temple? Will you start proving the opposite? Do not hurry. Why? The thing is that from time to time, unprecedented creatures still appear to people even now.

For example, after delving into your memory, you will probably remember that one of your loved ones, friends or just acquaintances once, under various circumstances, encountered a terrible monster or some kind of inexplicable creature. Is it true?

What if this is not just a figment of an unhealthy imagination or the consequence of a sleepless night? What if mythological ancient Greek monsters actually existed and continue to live somewhere in our world? To tell the truth, such thoughts give even the bravest of us goosebumps and begin to listen to the surrounding rustles and sounds.

All this will be discussed in this article. However, in addition to the story about where monsters live, we will also touch on other, no less interesting, topics. For example, we will dwell in more detail on epics and beliefs, and also introduce readers to modern beliefs and hypotheses.

Section 1. Mythical monsters from fairy tales and legends

Every spiritual culture and religion has its own myths and parables, and, as a rule, they are composed not only about goodness and love, but also about terrible and disgusting creatures. Let's not be unfounded and give some of the most typical examples.

So in Jewish folklore there lives a certain dybbuk, the spirit of a dead sinful person, who can inhabit living people who have committed a serious offense and torment them. Only a very qualified rabbi can remove dybbuks from the body.

Islamic culture, in turn, offers jinn as a mythical evil creature - an evil winged people created from smoke and fire, living in a parallel reality and serving the devil. By the way, according to local religion, the devil was also once a genie under the name Iblis.

In the religion of Western countries, there are rakshasas, that is, terrible demons that inhabit the bodies of living people and manipulate them, thereby forcing the victim to do all sorts of abominations.

Agree, such mythical monsters inspire fear even if you just read their description, and you definitely wouldn’t want to meet them.

Section 2. What are people afraid of today?

Nowadays, people also believe in various otherworldly creatures. For example, in Malay (Indonesian) folklore there is a certain pontianak, a female vampire with long hair. What is this terrible creature doing? Attacks pregnant women and eats all their insides.

Russian monsters are also not far behind in their bloodthirstiness and unpredictability. Thus, among the Slavs, the evil spirit is represented in the form of a water spirit, the embodiment of the dangerous and negative principle of the element of water. Creeping up unnoticed, he drags his victim to the bottom, and then preserves the souls of people in special vessels.

Let's try to imagine some kind of monster of the seas. In this case, it is impossible not to mention one of the countries in South America. Probably, many have already heard that in Brazilian folklore there is an encantado, a snake or river dolphin, who turns into a human, loves sex and has an ear for music. He steals people's thoughts and desires, after which the person loses his mind and eventually dies.

Another one that belongs to the “Monsters of the World” category is the goblin. He has a human appearance - very tall, shaggy with strong arms and glowing eyes. Lives in the forest, usually dense and inaccessible. Goblin ride on trees, constantly fool around, and when they see a person they clap their hands and laugh. By the way, they attract women to them.

Section 3. Loch Ness Monster. Scotland

The lake of the same name, with a depth of 230 m, is the largest reservoir of water in the UK. It is believed that this reservoir, which, by the way, is the second largest in Scotland, was formed quite a long time ago, even in the last glacial period in Europe.

There are rumors that there lives in the lake mysterious beast, first mentioned in writing back in 565. However, since ancient times the Scots have mentioned water monsters in their folklore, calling them by the collective name “kelpies”.

Modern Loch Ness monster called Nessie, and its history began almost 100 years ago. In 1933, one married couple, while vacationing nearby, saw something unusual with their own eyes, which they reported in special service. However, despite the testimony of 3,000 witnesses who claim to have seen the monster, scientists are still unraveling the mystery.

Today, many local residents agree that the lake is home to a creature two meters wide and moving at a speed of 10 miles per hour. Modern eyewitnesses claim that Nessie looks like a giant snail with a very long neck.

Section 4. Monsters from the Valley of the Headless

The secret of the so-called one is that whoever goes to this area and no matter how armed he is, it is still worth saying goodbye to him in advance. Why? The thing is that no one has ever returned from there.

The phenomenon of people disappearing has still not been solved. Whether all the monsters of the world gather there or whether people disappear due to some other circumstances is not known for certain.

Sometimes only human heads were found at the scene of the incident, and the Indians living in that area claim that this is all done by big Foot living in the valley. Eyewitnesses of the events claim that they saw a creature in the valley that looked like a giant shaggy man.

Perhaps the most fantastic version of the secret of the Valley of the Headless is that in this place there is an entrance to a certain parallel world.

Section 5. Who is Yeti and why is he dangerous?

In 1921, on Mount Everest, whose height is more than 6 km, a footprint left by a bare foot of enormous size was discovered in the snow. It was discovered by an expedition under the command of Colonel Howard-Bury, a very famous and respected mountaineer. The team then reported that the print belonged to Bigfoot.

Previously, the mountains of Tibet and the Himalayas were considered the habitats of the Yeti. Now scientists believe that snow people can live in the Pamirs, Central Africa, in the lower reaches of the Ob, in some areas of Chukotka and Yakutia, and in the 70s of the twentieth century, Yeti were also encountered in America, as evidenced by numerous documentary evidence.

How they can be dangerous for modern people remains a mystery to this day. There have been known cases of the theft of food and sports equipment, but the people themselves seem to be of little interest to these creatures, so there is no need to be afraid of them, let alone panicked.

Section 6. Monster of the seas. Sea serpent: myth or reality?

Many ancient myths and legends tell about the great sea serpent. At one time, both sailors and scientists believed in the existence of such a monster.

All opinions agreed on one thing: after all, there are at least two large species unknown to science. Scientists suggest that the role is played by a giant eel or an unknown species of cryptozoology.

In 1964, sea travelers crossing the Australian Stonehaven Bay on a yacht saw a huge black tadpole, about 25 m long, at a depth of two meters.

The monster had a huge snake head about 1.2 m wide and high, a thin flexible body with a diameter of approximately 60 cm and a length of 20 m, and a whip-like tail.

Section 7. Megalodon shark. Does it exist now?

In principle, according to several documents that have survived to this day, such a fish, which could easily be classified as a “Monster of the World,” existed in ancient times and resembled a great white shark.

Megalodon was supposedly about 25 meters long, and it is this size that makes it the most large predator ever existed on the planet.

There are many facts that prove the existence of megalodon in our time. For example, in 1918, when crayfish fishermen worked for great depths, they saw giant shark 92 m long. Most likely, it was this particular fish.

Modern scientists are also in no hurry to deny this assumption. They argue that such animals could easily survive in the unexplored ocean depths to this day.

Section 8. Do you believe in ghosts?

Myths about spirits have existed since pagan times. Christian faith also prevails with spirits, talking about the existence of special creatures, for example, angels who control the elements, and the so-called “unclean” ones, which include the goblin, the brownie, the merman, etc.

It just so happens that kind and evil spirits constantly interact with people. Christianity even distinguishes certain human companions: a good guardian angel and an evil tempter demon.

A ghost, in turn, is considered a vision, ghost, spirit, something invisible and intangible. These substances appear, as a rule, at night in sparsely populated places. There is no consensus on the nature of the appearance of ghosts, and the ghosts themselves are often radically different from each other.

Section 9. Giant cephalopods

From a scientific point of view, cephalopods are creatures without a backbone whose body is formed like a bag. They have a small head with a clearly defined physiognomy and one leg, which is a tentacle with suction cups. Impressive appearance, right? By the way, not everyone knows that these creatures have a fairly developed and highly organized brain and live at sea depths from 300 to 3000 m.

Very often, all over the world, it washes up on the shores of the oceans. bodies of the dead cephalopods. The longest discarded cephalopod was more than 18 m long and weighed 1 ton.

Scientists who explored the depths saw these animals more than 30 m long. But in general it is believed that such monsters of the world can be more than 50 m long.

Section 10. Mysteries of bottomless lakes

In the Solnechnogorsk district of the Moscow region there is a lake called Bezdonnoye. Local residents constantly tell legends about the connection of the lake with the ocean and about the wreckage of sunken ships washed up on its sandy shores.

This reservoir is considered a real natural phenomenon; despite its small size, only 30 m in diameter, it has immeasurable depth.

In the same area there is another strange object - which was formed more than half a million years ago at the site of the fall of a large meteorite. The pond has a diameter of about 100 m, but no one knows the size of its depth. There are almost no fish in it, and no living creatures live on the banks. In summer, in the middle of the lake there is a large whirlpool, reminiscent of a large whirlpool on a river, and in winter, when it freezes, the whirlpool forms a bizarre pattern on the ice. Not long ago, local residents began to observe the following picture: on fine days, certain creatures began to crawl ashore to bask in the sun, according to the description, resembling either a huge snail or a lizard.

Section 11. Beliefs of Buryatia

Another lake of unknown depth is Sobolkho, in Buryatia. Both people and animals are constantly disappearing in the lake area. It is very interesting that the missing animals were later found in completely different lakes. Scientists suggest that the reservoir is connected to other underground channels; amateur divers in 1995 confirmed the existence of karst caves and tunnels in the lake, but local residents believe that it is unlikely to survive here without terrible monsters.

Horror films are inextricably linked with monsters. The horror genre in cinema began with Dracula, Frankenstein's monster, the mummy and the werewolf. Over time, they were replaced by Freddy Krueger, Alien and Jason. But the world does not stand still. Humanity is changing, and with it, its fears are changing. Now it’s the 21st century - so what is the modern public afraid of? We bring to your attention the ten most terrible monsters of our days.

Human fear has evolutionary origins. He helped our ancestors survive in prehistoric times. Unexpected meeting with a fanged tiger in the forest is a sufficient reason for a kilometer-long sprint, and a crocodile swimming in a pond is the perfect hint that you need to find another place for swimming.

At first glance, the images of fictional monsters are composed of the same signals warning of danger: big sizes, unnatural behavior, strength and aggressiveness. But meeting a predator in the forest and in a zoo are completely different things. The monster on the screen always appears at a safe distance. The distance between him and the viewer is paradoxical: what in its pure form embodies our fear and should instinctively put us to flight turns out to be helpless, unable to escape from the screen.

Our fear is aestheticized; monsters not only do not frighten us - they attract us, we admire them. They stand at the junction of two worlds: ours, sorted into shelves, lived-in and understandable, and another, which we only vaguely guess about, not having the strength to look into it.

Clickers
The Last of Us game (2013)

Creators games The The Last of Us provided its zombie apocalypse with a scientific foundation, albeit not a very solid one. Cordyceps unilateral fungus, which causes all the horrors in the game, really exists. True, in nature it only infects small insects like ants, after which they begin to follow the orders of the fungus, spreading spores.

According to the plot, a mutated cordyceps is capable of turning a person into a puppet. Clickers are people in the third stage of infection with the fungus. Although it is already difficult to call these creatures people. The fungus infects the victim's brain and takes control of it. The skin of the infected is completely disfigured, and there is no hint of humanity left in their aggressive behavior. Now they are soulless monsters, capable only of killing.

Clickers have no vision at all. IN environment They navigate through echolocation. The use of this ability can be recognized by the characteristic sounds that give the monsters their name. In battle, clickers are much stronger than ordinary opponents, so it is recommended to avoid them and kill them on the sly. Their unique ability It also turns out to be a weakness - clickers can be easily deceived by creating artificial noise. The echolocation of creatures works within a radius of three meters, so it’s not difficult to get around them unnoticed.

Clickers, like Alien (partly inspired by wasp wasps), are monsters based on real natural phenomena, as terrible as they are natural. But still, basically they are all the same zombies, so they only deserved tenth place.

Nemesis
Resident Evil (1999–2004)

IN Greek mythology Nemesis (Nemesis) was the goddess of retribution and justice. But don't look for any semantic analogy between it and the most famous monster from the Resident Evil series of games. Just corporations like Umbrella creating bacteriological weapon, love to call their offspring beautiful names.

Nemesis is portrayed as a large, somewhat clumsy, tightly built monster, who always has in his arsenal big gun- minigun or grenade launcher. However, this is not the creature’s only weapon. Before each new battle with the player, the monster acquires a fresh set of “organic” weapons such as claws and tentacles. It has the ability to regenerate and can mutate very quickly, taking on new forms. Because of this, it is extremely difficult to destroy the monster.

However, in the film “Resident Evil 2: Apocalypse” the image of a soulless, inexorably cruel creature was spoiled. At the end of the picture, human traits awaken in Nemesis, and pity and mercy peek through the rage and cruelty.

Film series of the same name (2009–2015)

The human centipede stands out among the rest of our top. It evokes not so much fear as a feeling of disgust. The centipede was created by a mad doctor by sewing together the mouths and anuses of several people, and this disgusting creature is capable of awakening the gag reflex of even the most resistant viewers. As well as a feeling of pity - one can only sympathize with the victims of a sadistic experiment. The centipede is a monster and a victim in one, and there is no contradiction in this.

The centipede causes real horror, but not because of its danger, like other monsters. Fear appears when the viewer tries to comprehend the phenomenon of the centipede, to understand what its elusive attractiveness is. It’s embarrassing to admit this even to yourself, but there is something about the monster that attracts and holds your gaze. It’s not he himself that frightens, but our indecent curiosity and desire to look at such disgusting things. Everyone you ask criticizes the film and scolds its creators, but somehow the film series continues to bring in the box office and has already acquired a third part.

Psychoanalysis often tells us what we least want to hear. The Human Centipede is a monster that brings out the monster in all of us.

Doctor Who series

What have you done, Schrödinger's cat! The assertion of physicists that the presence of an observer influences quantum processes could not fail to find a response in popular culture. And even more so in such an intelligent series as Doctor Who.

Weeping angels are monsters that are dangerous when you can't see them. If anyone looks at them, they turn to stone. But that is precisely why no one can figure out their true essence - in appearance they seem to be just stone statues. When there is no observer nearby, the monsters come to life. However, if several angels look at each other or one of them sees his reflection in the mirror, the stone “shield” will turn into an eternal trap for them.

In addition to quantum tricks, angels have many mysterious abilities. They can kill a victim with one kiss, turn a person into dust or send him into the past. The last option is of “gastronomic” interest for the angels - when the victim jumps in time, a special energy is released, which they feed on.

Doctor Who's angels are graceful, unusual and beautiful killers. Perhaps even too beautiful to climb more high place in our top.

Movie "Monstro" (2008)

The image of a giant monster rampaging through a metropolis is not new and even textbook. King Kong and Godzilla are unlikely to scare anyone today. Yes, they are infinitely strong and unstoppable in their rage. They can crush people like ants and sweep away skyscrapers with an accidental wave of their paws. But they have a significant drawback: we know everything about them. They have been studied, tamed, and can even be classified biologically. They are not mysterious, and therefore predictable and not frightening.

As Antoine de Saint-Exupéry said, “only the unknown scares.” Its embodiment is Clover - a chthonic beast, an irrational element, a force that cannot be comprehended, marching under the banner of blind rage. We know nothing about the creature: neither its origin, nor internal structure, or why the monster came up with the idea of ​​causing an apocalypse on the streets of New York. Bullets for Clover are dust, explosions of rockets and bombs are light concussions. The monster is completely invulnerable, and the only salvation for city residents is the subway tunnels. But even there there is no complete safety: small creatures drop out of the monster’s body, capable of reaching the most protected places.

Clover is a horror that is beyond human strength. The authorities' decision to raze the entire city to the ground in order to get rid of the monster is akin to a hysterical scream, indicating a complete inability to cope with the situation.

Films in the Jeepers Creepers series (2001–2016)

The mythology of the Jeepers Creepers series is quite naive and goes back to the ideas of primitive cannibals, according to which whoever eats a person’s flesh gains his energy. Every twenty-third spring, the demon goes hunting to profit from human flesh and gain strength. And the limbs of the victims he absorbs replace his own. It sounds far-fetched and fabulous, but when you come across the monster’s regenerative abilities in practice, it becomes creepy.

Outwardly, he somewhat resembles Freddy Krueger: a disfigured face, an insidious smile, rags and a stylish hat create the image of a kind of demon in a cowboy outfit. The creeper cannot be destroyed: it easily replaces any damaged part of the body with a new one, devouring the necessary organ of the victim. Superhuman strength, razor-sharp teeth and an absolute sense of smell make the fatal outcome of any encounter with a monster almost inevitable. However, there is a small chance of salvation. The appearance of Creepers is preceded by the song Jeepers Creepers. If you ever hear it, you better just run.

Creepers is a little old-fashioned monster, but not outdated at all. It proves that some tried-and-true horror movie tricks still work today.

Dead Space games (2008-2013)

It's hard to exaggerate the importance of Alien for space horror films. What was remarkable about this film was not only the image of the monster itself, but also its well-thought-out biology. Ridley Scott uses xenomorphs human bodies to breed their offspring in them.

There are quite a few types of necromorphs, but they all have something in common: uncontrollable aggression towards all living things. And this is understandable, because they can only exist thanks to dead organic matter. Before us is a rare case: “living carrion”, completely different from zombies. Dead Space destroys our associations, and therefore the necromorphs reek of something illogical, unnatural and unbearably terrible.

Film "Pan's Labyrinth" (2006)

Guillermo Del Toro is one of the best monster creators in cinema. Even the occasional monsters from his paintings are unforgettable. And his best creation is a monster with eyes on his palms. On the Internet, many people call him “Rukoglaz”, but in the script he is called the Pale Man.

The image of the Pale is inspired by two mythical creatures. Firstly, Del Toro was impressed by Goya’s painting “Saturn Devouring His Son” - from it the monster got the habit of eating little fairies alive. Secondly, the director was influenced by the Japanese myth about Tenoma, a blind man killed by robbers. After death, the spirit of the unfortunate man acquired two eyes on his palms and boundless hatred for his killer. However, he did not know what the criminal looked like, and therefore punished everyone.

So in “Pan’s Labyrinth” the Pale Man personifies punishment for disobedience and weakness of will. While the girl Ophelia does not touch the delicious dishes, the Pale One sits motionless. But as soon as the girl gives up and tries a juicy grape, the monster comes to life, puts its eyes into its palms and begins to pursue Ophelia.

The film has many interpretations. According to one of them, the Pale is just one of the images of the Faun, who frightens the heroine for fun, which is why the eaten fairies are alive in the finale. According to another version, in general, all “magical” events take place in Ophelia’s imagination. However, this does not make the monster any less scary. Just because something happens only in your head doesn't make it any less meaningful. If you die in the Matrix, you die in the real world.

Thin Man
Internet folklore, films based on

The Thin Man, coined on the Something Awful forum, is the unknown personified. However, unlike the same Clover, the human “framework” is clearly expressed in him. The most scary monsters always resemble people. The absence of humanity in a person causes misunderstanding, a feeling of unnaturalness - and fear.

A monster doesn't necessarily need big fangs, claws, and tentacles to be awe-inspiring. He can be dressed in an elegant suit and still inspire genuine terror. All that Slenderman is notable for in appearance is his elongated limbs and lack of face. Nobody knows how he kills his victims. None of the surviving eyewitnesses saw the monster move or attack. He simply silently looks towards the victim, standing at some distance from her. And then the unfortunate people disappear without a trace.

Slenderman's traits vary from story to story. This is not surprising, because it is inaccessible to the human eye. As follows from the game Slender: The Eight Pages, an attempt to examine the creature in detail ends in death for the curious. You must always have your back to the monster - and this is the worst thing. Wandering around in the dark, knowing that a mysterious something is “breathing” at your back, is still fun.

Silent Hill games and movies

Silent Hill 2 is a cult horror game, not least thanks to its original story concept. Everything that happens is a symbolic expression of the psychological conflict in the soul of the main character James, who killed his wife. Unconsciously, James understands that he has committed a crime and deserves punishment, and this feeling finds expression in the figure of Pyramid Head. That is why the monster has the formidable appearance of an infernal executioner: a giant pyramid without slits for eyes instead of a head and a huge blade.

Pyramid Head is a sense of guilt come to life. Hence the sexual aspect of his image. James had to suppress his sexuality for a long time because of serious illness wives. Therefore, the hero several times catches Pyramid Head at the moments when he copulates with someone. So the monster wants to remind James that it was his hidden craving for pleasure that caused Mary’s death.

The monster turned out to be so bright that the creators used it in other parts of the series and in film adaptations. Unfortunately, at the same time, Pyramid Head ceased to be a symbol and turned into simply a mysterious monster - without history or origin. The motive for punishment gave way to mad, blind rage. But the monster did not become any less terrible. There is something inexpressibly terrible in this cast pyramid, something that lies beyond all psychological interpretations.

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Thinkers of all times have argued that the most terrible monster is man. We ourselves invent monsters, but how can a creator put into a creation something that is not in it itself? Each monster is a mystery, and by solving it, we learn something new about ourselves. And often this knowledge is not as pleasant as we would like.

The 21st century has just begun and will probably give us dozens more charismatic, deceptively beautiful and insanely terrible creatures. The tops will change, and it is not so important who takes what place. The person himself will always be in the top position.