Who frightens children around the world? (2023)

Milhaud 2024-07-21
Who frightens children around the world? (2023)

This map, published by The Toy Zone in 2023, shows the creatures used in different parts of the world to scare children.

The figure known as bogeyman In the English-speaking world, it describes a creature with no specific appearance that has been used throughout history to frighten children and force them to behave well.

The map shows equivalent creatures in folklore from around the world, some without a specific appearance, such as the bogeyman, and many others with specific figures and stories behind them. Some of the examples that appear:

  • The bogeyman, in Spain.
  • The coconut, in Colombia.
  • Pishtaco, in Bolivia and Peru.
  • Baba Yaga, in Russia, Poland, Belarus and Ukraine.
  • Cuca, in Brazil.
  • Jumbee, in Venezuela, Guyana, Jamaica, and other Caribbean countries.

The detailed creatures are not exhaustive and focus only on the most popular ones in each country, but it is striking how this mythical figure exists consistently in virtually all cultures.

Sources

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