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15 Stories About Faeries That Prove They're More Creepy Than Cute

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When you think of fairies, you likely picture a creature like Disney's Tinker Bell - adorable, sparkly, and friendly. But this image is far from the truth. Faerie folklore reveals a darker side. In Wales, faeries steal babies and replace them with their own twisted offspring. Scottish Kelpies are known to crave human flesh. The Icelandic Huldufolk and Filipino Berberoka have their own chilling stories. These mythological creatures are just as frightening as they are fascinating. Here are a few of their darkest attributes - so be sure to shut your windows tight before bed.

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  • 1
    They Claw You To Pieces

    This story shows 'They Claw You To Pieces' in the list '15 Stories About Faeries That Prove They're More Creepy Than Cute'.Red Caps.Red Caps have razor-sharp teeth and claws. They use these weapons to eat humans and faeries alike.

    Red Caps' names suggest their vicious nature. Red Caps mop up the target's blood with their caps after they kill someone.

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  • 2
    Their Screams Mean Doom

    The story 'Their Screams Mean Doom' appears in the list '15 Stories About Faeries That Prove They're More Creepy Than Cute'.The Banshee, also called the "woman faery," came from Ireland. She is most active at night before a death. Some folklore says she visits the doors of those who are about to pass. She looks like a full-sized human female. Her hair is always stringy, and she always wears a white gown or shroud. She often appears covered in moss.The Banshee, also known as "woman faery," originated in Ireland. She is most active at night before a passing. In some folklore, she comes to the door of those who are expected to pass. She looks like a full-sized human female, and though her appearance varies by region, her hair is always stringy and she always wears a white gown or shroud. She frequently appears covered in moss as well.

    The Banshee makes loud, mourning wails. These wails signal someone's death.

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  • 3
    They're Babies Back From The Grave

    Utburds.Utburds are faeries believed to be the revived spirits of babies who died in harsh winters. They haunt anyone near their death sites. Misery is their goal.

    Utburds can turn into large, scary owls that hunt night travelers.

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  • 4
    They Slay Children

    Bean-Fionn faeries.Bean-Fionn faeries are also called "drowning faeries." They pull children to their underwater end. If you seek a Bean-Fionn fairy, look in dark waters where drownings happened.

    Parents likely created these creatures to stop their kids from playing in water. This does not make them less creepy.

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  • 5
    They Get Excited By Death

    Virikas.Virikas gather outside dying people's homes, chattering happily. These 18-inch-tallThe harbingers of doom appear in the list '15 Stories About Faeries That Prove They're More Creepy Than Cute'.These harbingers of doom are instantly recognizable. Their vivid red color and bloodstained teeth make them so.

    Folklore says people can calm the Virikas, but it is not simple. Virikas demand a shrine filled with daily burned offerings of flowers and spices to stay away.

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  • 6
    They Eat Humans

    Faeries are not just threats to humans; they can threaten their own kind. Look at Kelpies.Kelpies.Kelpies are a type of human-eating fay. Small, ugly, and bulbous, Kelpies have foul temperaments. They were once said to appear everywhere in Scottish lochs and the North Sea. Their appetite for other faeries caused them to decline.

    Kelpies do not discriminate when killing. They eat deer that wander near lochs. They can change shape to attract human prey. Folktales tell of Kelpies taking the shape of seahorses, luring young maidens who they then drown and devour.

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  • 7
    They Have Evil Souls

    Irish folklore says the Sluagh has evil souls.The Sluagh has evil souls.The Sluagh are faeries thought to be the souls of evil people. These faeries travel in a swarm at night, often looking like black birds. Their preferred prey are dying people who lack their last rites. Some stories say you can call them by feeling deep sadness, or just by saying their name.

    The Sluagh spot you. To get rid of them, offer another person in your spot. They look like malnourished people with leathery wings in their humanoid form.

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  • 8
    They Lure You In With Bait

    Filipino folklore says,Berberoka.These dangerous faeries live in rivers and swamps. Berberoka prey on fishermen by swallowing lots of water, bringing up fish. Once fishers reach that spot, the Berberoka spit the water out to capsize their boats.

    Finally, the helpless fishers get dragged under and eaten.

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  • 9
    They Take Babies

    Bendith.This Welsh faerie clan nabs human babies. They swap them for their own deformed babies called "crimbils." The Bendith sometimes return the baby after teaching it music, but often parents need a witch to get their child back.

    When they do not take children, the Bendith get excited riding horses and messing up their manes.

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  • 10
    Their Ugliness Can End You

    A threatening, lone creature, theFachan faery.The Fachan lives in the Highland mountains. Its gloomy nature comes from its look: it has only one ear, one arm, one leg, one toe, and one eye. These features sit down the middle of its hairy, feathery body. People say these creatures look so ugly they stop a person's heart.

    The Fachan fears lacking wings or flight, so it waves a spiked club at anything that crosses its path.

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  • 11
    They Get You Lost

    Mischievous.Will-o'-the-Wisps.These haunt marshy ground and like playing tricks. Their jokes lead travelers astray with flickering lights, sometimes sending people to their doom in the bogs.

    Avoid Will-o'-the-Wisp paths to stay away. However, they sometimes help kind people and offer them money.

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  • 12
    They Wreck Ships

    The.Blue Men of the Minch.Sea Kelpies, or "Sea Kelpies," prey on sailors. They sport green beards and hair and are pretty buff. Some say these creatures live in underwater caves and control the weather and seas.

    If you plan to sail the high seas, prepare to beat the Sea Kelpies. Folklore states captains escape disaster with sharp tongues, but the Blue Men of the Minch only lose to rhyming duels.

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  • 13
    They Seduce, Then Punish You

    Huldufólk.These are Icelandic faeries that are somewhat neutral. Some people think they help and build small wooden homes for the faeries.

    Huldufólk are not usually mean, but they follow a strict moral code. These human-like creatures try to seduce people. Those who fight back are rewarded; those who give in face punishment.

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  • 14
    They Run Around Without Clothes

    The.Callicantzaroi faeries.They always run around without clothes. Their feet bring the creep factor; they often look like different animals’ feet.

    Callicantzaroi fairies ride chickens and are blind. This makes them usually found in groups. They sometimes recruit outcast faeries as guides.

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  • 15
    They're Hideous

    Brownies.Guardian faeries typically do chores and help around the house. Folklore says they look hideous, even though they seem sweet.

    Some regions of Scotland show brownies lack separated toes or fingers. Other areas feature a hole in their face where the nose belongs.

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