Goya'sQue viene el Coco (Here Comes the Boogeyman/The Boogeyman Is Coming), c. 1797
The bogeyman (/ˈboʊɡimæn/; also spelled bogyman, bogy, or bogey, and known as boogeyman in the United States and Canada) is a mythical creature typically used to frighten children into good behaviour.[1] Bogeymen take a variety of different forms both male and female, around the world, shaped by local customs and culture, but they are most commonly depicted as monsters who punish children for misbehaving.[2] Bogeymen are often invoked by authority figures for the purposes of discouraging a child from a specific act or general misbehaviour. The term is sometimes used as a non-specific personification of, or metonym for, terror – and sometimes the Devil.[3]
Etymology
The word bogeyman, used to describe a monster in English, may have derived from Middle Englishbugge or bogge, which means 'frightening specter', 'terror', or 'scarecrow'. It relates to boggart and bugbear, a bear-like demon (bug) who eats small children. It was also used to mean a general object of dread. The word bugaboo, with a similar pair of meanings, may have arisen as an alteration of bugbear.[4][5]Bogeyman itself is known from the 15th century, though bogeyman stories are likely to be much older.[6][5]
時には、el hombre del costal、el hombre de la bolsa、el hombre del saco、またはポルトガル語でo homem do sacoと呼ばれることもあり、これらの名前はすべて「袋を持った男」または「バッグを持った男」を意味します。スペイン語ではel viejo del saco 、ポルトガル語ではo velho do sacoとも呼ばれ、「袋を持った老人」という意味です。スペイン語の別のバリエーションとして、 el roba-chicosという「子供泥棒」もあります。
メキシコ系アメリカ人の間では、エル・ククイは、夜になると子供のベッドの下に隠れて、寝る時間になっても親の言うことを聞かない子供を誘拐したり食べたりする邪悪な怪物として描かれている。しかし、スペイン系アメリカ人のこのお化けは、スペインの形のない毛むくじゃらの怪物とは似ていない。社会科学教授のマヌエル・メドラノは、一般的な伝説では、エル・ククイはクローゼットやベッドの下に隠れる、赤く光る目をした小さな人型生物として描かれていると述べている。「ある伝承では、彼は暴力の犠牲になった子供で、今は生きているが、そうではない」とメドラノは述べ、ザビエル・ガルサの2004年の著書『Creepy Creatures and other Cucuys』を引用した。[ 12 ]
France – The French equivalent of the Bogeyman is le croque-mitaine ("the mitten-biter" or "the hand-cruncher").[43]
German game Der schwarze Mann, Philadelphia 1907.
Germany – The Bogeyman is known as Der schwarze Mann ("the Black Man"). The word black/schwarz does not refer to the colour of his skin, but rather to his preference for hiding in dark places, such as in the closets or under the beds of children.[24] There is also a folk game played by young children called "Wer hat Angst vorm schwarzen Mann?" (Who is afraid of the Black Man?), which is equivalent to the English game British Bulldog, and a folk song called "Es tanzt ein Bi-Ba-Butzemann in unserm Haus herum" (A Bi-Ba-Bogeyman Dances Around in Our House).[44]
Greece – In Greek culture, there exists a mythical creature called Baboulas (Greek: Μπαμπούλας). It is used by parents to scare children into behaving. It is said to be some kind of cannibal which eats children. A common phrase involving it is: "Greek: Ο Μπαμπούλας θα έρθει και θα σε φάει", meaning "The Bogeyman will come and eat you".
Haiti – In Haiti, a Bogeyman-like entity exists known as Mètminwi / The Master of Midnight. It is depicted as a skinny, extremely tall man who walks around late at night and eats those on the streets. The story is told to children to deter them from going out late.[45]
Hungary – The Hungarian equivalent of the Bogeyman is the Mumus, which is a monster-like creature, as well as the Zsákos Ember, literally meaning "a man with a sack". A third creature is the Rézfaszú bagoly ("Copperpenis Owl"), a giant owl with a copper penis.[46]
Iceland – The Icelandic equivalent of the Bogeyman is Grýla, a female troll who is said to take and eat misbehaving children on Christmas Eve, despite supposedly having been dead for some time. She is also the mother of the Yule Lads, an Icelandic equivalent of Santa Claus.[47]
India – In India, the entity is known by many names across the subcontinent's numerous cultures. Urdu speaking peoples refer to Bogeyman-like creatures by names including Shaitan, Bhoot and Jin Baba. Hindi speakers call them Baba and Bhoot. In Bihar, parents use a demon named Bhakolwa as a Bogeyman. The terms Petona and Kaatu are also used. In Rajasthan, parents use the name Haboo. In Karnataka, the demon Goggayya (roughly meaning "terrible man") is a Bogeyman counterpart. In the state of Tamil Nadu, Rettai Kannan (the two-eyed one) or Poochaandi (பூச்சாண்டி) are equivalents. In Andhra Pradesh, the equivalent of the bogeyman is Boochodu. In central Kerala, the bogeyman is referred to as "Kokkachi", who is said to take away disobedient children. In South Kerala, the bogeyman is called "Oochandi". Among Konkani speakers on India's western coast, "Gongo" is the Bogeyman equivalent. Among Marathi speaking people (predominantly in Maharashtra), parents threaten the misbehaving children with a male ghost called "Bāgul Buā" (बागुल बुवा). In general, the "Buā" is supposed to kidnap children when they misbehave or do not sleep. In the eastern state of Odisha, the Bogeyman is a ghost figure called "Baaya" (ବାୟା). In West Bengal among Bengali speaking people, the equivalent is Juju (জুজু).
Indonesia – In Indonesian mythology, particularly on Java, Wewe Gombel is a benevolent ghost which takes away children mistreated by their parents. She keeps the children in her nest atop a palm tree and takes care of the children until the parents decide to mend their ways. If they truly want their children back, Wewe Gombel will return them unharmed.
Iran – In Iran, a popular children's folklore creature known as "لولو خورخوره" (Lulu Khor-Khore). Perception of it varies widely, but it's commonly represented as coming out at night and eating misbehaving children.
ルクセンブルク– De béise Monni (邪悪な叔父)、De Kropemann (鉤男)、De Bö、そしてde schwaarze Mann (黒人男) は、ルクセンブルク版のブギーマンです。ルクセンブルクのブギーマンの多様なバリエーションは、近隣文化の強い影響の結果かもしれません。Kropemann は下水道に住んでいて、雨水排水溝に近づきすぎると鉤で子供の鼻をつかむと言われています。子供たちはまた、béise Monni / schwaarze Mannに気をつけないと連れ去られると警告されることもあります。
Malta – The Kaw Kaw / Gaw Gaw is said to be a grey slimy male humanoid creature who roams the streets at night. It smells guilt and enter the homes of guilty people, supposedly through cracks and fissures and by extending and contracting its snail-like body. Once inside, it is said to smile uncannily and terrify victims to death. There is also the Il-Belliegħa (the swallowing whirlpool), a female humanoid monster who can shapeshift into a giant serpentine eel-like monster with the face of a monstrous fish and a humanoid arm-like tail with seven fingers who she uses to pull down children who looks down on her wells, or sometimes her long frog-like tongue, but also subsists worms and eels if children are unavailable.
Nepal – In Nepali culture, a popular bogeyman-like figure is hau-guji. Among the Newar people, the "Gurumapa" is a mythical ape-like creature who is said to enjoy devouring children, but is easily reasoned with. In central Kathmandu, at Itum Bahal, in front of the Bhadrakali Temple, is a plaque associated with Gurumapa.[50]
Pakistan – The Mamma is a large apelike creature who lives in the mountains and ventures forth to kidnap young girls. He will carry them back to his cave where he licks their palms and the soles of their feet which makes them permanently unable to flee.[17]
Panama – In Panama, children are warned that if they are naughty, La Tulivieja will come to get them. She is said to be a spirit cursed by God for drowning her child, and transformed into a hideous monster with a pockmarked face, long and bristly hair, clawed hands, a cat's body, and hoofed feet. She was also cursed to forever look for her drowned child.
Poland – Baba Jaga is a mythological forest who is said to kidnap badly behaving children and eats them. In some regions (mainly in western Poland) a more common creature is Bebok/Bobo, which in Polish folk beliefs was a small, ugly, annoying and mischievous owl-like creature who was used to scare children in order to discipline them. He is imagined as a small shaggy man wielding a stick or cane with an unnaturally large head, horse hooves and a huge sack into which he throws naughty children.
Saudi Arabia – Abu Shalawlaw (أبو شلولو) is a Bogeyman-like creature said by parents to come to eat children who are disobedient, e.g., by not going to sleep on time or not completing their homework.
Hejaz, Saudi Arabia – أمنا الغولة والدوجيرة or "Dojairah and Umna al Ghola", which means "Our mother the Monster", is used to scare children when they misbehave or walk alone outside.
Scotland - Misbehaving children were warned of a goblin or demon known as the bodach who would come down the chimney and take them.[33][39]
The each-uisge is the Scottish version of the water horse, a monster who lives in seas and lochs and usually takes the form of a horse. A cautionary tale tells how the each-uisge persuaded seven little girls to get on its back before carrying them into the water to be devoured.[53]
Serbia – The Bauk is a bear-like mythic creature in Serbian folklore. Bauk is described as hiding in dark places, holes or abandoned houses, waiting to grab, carry away, and devour its victim; it has a clumsy gait and can be scared away by light and noise.
South Africa – The Tokoloshe or Tikoloshe is a dwarfish creature of Xhosa and Zulu mythology said to be summoned by sangomas, a traditional healer of the region. It wanders around causing mischief and frightening children.[54] It is also described as a small, muscular, hairy witch-familiar with an unusually large penis which visits women in their dreams and sexually assaults them.[55]
South Korea – The "Net Bag Grandfather" (Mangtae Hal-abeoji, 망태 할아버지) is an imaginary old man employed by adults to frighten children into obedience. It is said to kidnap spoiled, misbehaving children and take them away to the mountains, where they are never seen again.
Sri Lanka - In Sri Lanka, the creature is called the Goni Billa, which originated from when India was kidnapping Sinhalese people for slavery in about 130–150 AD. They would put sacks on their heads (Goni in Sinhalese) and kidnap the Sri Lankans at night.
Switzerland – In Switzerland, the Bogeyman is called Böllima or Böögg and has an important role in springtime traditions. The figure is a symbol of winter and death, and in the annual Sechseläuten ceremony of Zürich, a figure of the Böögg is burnt. In Southern Switzerland, people have the same traditions as in Italy.[24]
Syria – Principally in Syria, but also in bordering countries such as Lebanon and Turkey, parents warn at bedtime to go to sleep or King Richard the Lionheart will get them. The image of the English King Richard the First as a bogeyman in the Middle East has existed since the Third Crusade.
Tanzania – Zimwi is a figure of Swahili folklore used to scare disobedient children.[58]
Trinidad and Tobago – Most Trinbagonians (mostly rural peoples) use folklore to scare disobedient children. The most common beings invoked are the Jumbee. Some "jumbies" are the Soucouyant, Lagahoo, La Diablesse, Papa Bois, etc. Bogeyman is also used in the same way, but it is more common in the cities. It is also called "The Babooman".
The Jersey Devil, which originated in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey in the early 18th century, was originally described as having a horse's head, bat wings, cloven hooves, and a serpent's tail. Regarding the famous Jersey Devil sightings of 1909, Loren Coleman and Ivan T. Sanderson offered the explanation that they were part of an elaborate real estate hoax, used by developers as a boogeyman figure to frighten residents into selling their property at lower prices.[61]
Bloody Bones, also known as Rawhead or Tommy Rawhead, is a boogeyman of the American South.[62] Rawhead and Bloody Bones are sometimes regarded as two individual creatures or two separate parts of the same monster. One is a bare skull that bites its victims and its companion is a dancing headless skeleton.[63] Bloody Bones tales originated in Britain.[33]
The Nalusa Falaya ("Long Black Being") is a ghost being of Choctaw mythology described as a tall spindly humanoid that can slither like a snake or become a shadow. It may frighten children from staying out too late and can bewitch hunters.[64]
Cipelahq (or Chebelakw) is a dangerous bird spirit of Wabanaki folklore, used in stories to scare children into obeying their parents. Chebelakw has an unearthly cry and resembles a large diving owl, with only its head and talons visible. Similar monsters called Stinkini and Big Owl were found in Seminole and Apache mythologies, respectively.[65]
Vietnam – In Vietnam, the Ông Ba bị, Ông kẹ or Ngáo ộp is a creature often used by adults to scare children if they disobey. The Ông Ba bị is described as having nine jaws and twelve eyes ("Ba bị chín quai mười hai con mắt").[66]
In popular culture
In the 1973 short story "The Boogeyman" by Stephen King, a titular monster kills the children of the protagonist, Lester Billings, driving him into a mental breakdown.[67]
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↑Poole, Scott (17 October 2014). "Bloody Bones: A History of Southern Scares". Deep South Magazine. Deep South Media. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
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