Encyclopedia of Vietnamese Monsters

In Vietnamese folk legends, a blood moon eclipse occurs when a demon devours the moon, biting away the light of the living world so that yin spirits return, causing souls to panic. The ancients used noise to drive away evil, considering it an omen of drought, disease, or great war.

In the northern sea region of Vietnam, Fish Demons lurk beneath rolling waves, born from ancient resentment of the open sea, luring boats with fake storms before swallowing souls, pulling victims into the dark depths of water demons.

In Vietnamese legend, the Wood Spirit Bone Fury is an ancient monster born from the giant Agarwood tree, transforming into a handsome man who seduces the populace and then slaughters and devours them, only destroyed after three battles with the founding kings.

In Vietnamese legends, Nine Tailed Fox or Hồ Tinh are fox demons who have cultivated for a thousand years, shapeshifting into seductive beauties who drain victims' life essence, causing calamities but sometimes transforming into protectors for heroes.

In Vietnamese legends, Jiao Long or Thuồng Luồng are dragon hybrid water monsters, ferocious rulers of rivers and waters, with serpent bodies of iron scales and the power to summon floods that sweep away everything. They evolve from venomous snakes into giant monsters, terrifying fishermen for centuries, yet still tremble before pure dragons.

In folk legends of the Tày Nùng people of northern Vietnam, Chicken Ghost is an invisible spirit raised in an earthen jar, demanding chicken blood monthly to protect wealth but can turn malevolent if abandoned. It guards homes, harms thieves, but the generational curse forces families to make offerings forever.

In Vietnamese folk legends, the Five Legged Crocodile is a five legged crocodile monster from Thất Sơn An Giang, born from karmic retribution, causing terror on rivers before being subdued by Master Đình Tây using five treasures. It capsized boats, devoured people, its nose blazing red like hellfire, but finally hid itself to practice cultivation under the Vàm Nao river.

In Vietnamese folk legends, the One Legged Ghost is a vengeful spirit with one leg hopping from those who died crippled, howling resentment on moonlit nights, making the living disabled to satisfy its obsession. They appear in deep forests and empty rivers, moving fast as wind, with dark forms and cries that scatter souls.

The Death God, or Red Beak Claw God, is a fierce demon from Vietnamese folk legends, originating from twelve northern demons locked in a wooden chest drifting to Giao Châu. They take the form of large birds with red beaks and claws, lurking for souls of the newly dead at cemeteries during the third watch, torturing them to drag along living relatives, causing the phenomenon of "Trùng Tang liên táng" - consecutive deaths in the family.

In the deep forests of Núi Cấm An Giang, Xa Nieng lurks with a twisted smile, born from the resentment of those lost while chewing agarwood seeking aloeswood, luring travelers with fake howls before biting and tearing souls, dragging victims into the spiral of madness of wild men.

In the cold misty nights of central Vietnam, Long Tongue Ghosts wander with tongues so long they touch the ground, born from the resentment of those who died choking, luring travelers with human forms before revealing dark nature, extracting souls and paralyzing victims with that wet tongue full of resentment.

In Vietnamese folk legends, Hungry Ghosts or Ngạ Quỷ are souls who died in hunger and thirst, cursed with bloated bellies and narrow throats, wandering during the seventh lunar month seeking food they cannot swallow. They were once greedy individuals, now suffering eternal punishment, capable of haunting the living if not properly appeased.

In Vietnamese folk legends, Demon Banyan Trees are ancient banyan trunks where divine spirits and wronged souls who died unjustly dwell together. By day they provide shade for villagers, by night they become gates connecting to the underworld, with aerial roots like hands pulling the disrespectful into the abyss. They absorb spiritual energy from heaven and earth, capable of bestowing blessings or curses, often associated with hanged souls or those who died young wandering on high branches.

In the deep forests of Thanh Hóa during the Hồ dynasty, the Black Crane Spirit appeared as a withered old woodcutter in black, with deep eyes seeing through human fate. It knew of disasters beforehand but only silently observed, neither saving nor harming, then transformed into a giant black crane flying away amid a sea of fire, leaving behind an obsession with impermanence and the coldness of destiny.

In Vietnamese folk legends, the Ancient Worm is a monster born from greed and resentment, cultivated by placing a hundred poisonous species into a bronze cauldron to kill each other. It brings fortune but demands blood from its master, its venom causes blood to flow backward, and it can devour flesh from within.

In the winding rivers of Vietnam's western region, Water Ghosts lurk beneath murky water layers, born from the resentment of drowned souls unable to transcend, luring victims with slimy foul forms before wrapping around limbs, pulling souls into the cold depths of water demons.

In the desolate fields and ancient cemeteries of northern Vietnam, Will o' the Wisps flicker like cursed blue flames, born from the resentment of ownerless bones, luring the lost with fake light before stealing the warmth of souls, pulling victims into the cold whirlpool of the netherworld.