Winter is a mostly magical time filled with whimsy, snow, and candy canes. Full of holidays and winter sports it is hard not to enjoy yourself spending time with your friends and family, but there is a darker side to all this winter. Winter was often scary, cold, and deadly for many people long ago, and, as people do, they made stories to explain why you disappear in a snowstorm. Even people today fall victim to this phenomenon with things such as knocking on wood or not walking under a ladder. There are many stories of monsters from Mexico to Japan, from the frosty wendigo to the lonesome yuki-onna.
The first stop on this list is Japan. The country of Japan is famous for its many mythical monsters or yokai. The land of the rising sun can be extremely cold in the winter and blows up snowstorms without much warning. There are bound to be yokai to explain why, as through history people make up monsters to explain all sorts of natural phenomenon. Although outside of Japan yokai are relatively unknown as evidenced by sophomore Finley Greene Leupold who says “No, I’ve never heard of a yuki-onna.” A 雪女, or yuki-onna is translated to snow woman. They are said to be pale woman wearing white kimonos who live in blizzards and eat men. It is said if you encounter them, they will eat you whole.
A similar myth is of the yuki-onba, a snowy mother that appears in snowstorms and gives travelers a baby to hold for a minute. Little do most of these unlucky souls realize that, as GajiinPot says, “you hold the child in your arms, you will get colder, as if life were draining out of you. Only when it is too late do you realize you have encountered the yuki-onba” Another story that warns people about strangers is that of an old woman who calls out for help in the dead of wintery night only to snatch those heroes who would help her and eat them. This one-legged monstrosity is named the yukinba, or snow hag. It sounds dangerous as senior Madeline Henigson explains, “I think I would get eaten by that.”
The next myth on our list takes us to Scandinavia, where a famously tricky and clever sprite resides. While best known in U.S.A. and the U.K., Jack Frost is a Scandinavian fairy who painted icy patterns on windows and ledges. He has been a star of many movies and shows including the 1934 cartoon “Jack Frost,” two horror films entitled “Jack Frost,” one horror film called “Jack Frost 2: Revenge of the Mutant Killer Snow Man,” the 1998 family movie “Jack Frost,” another cartoon, this one in 2004, called “The Tale of Jack Frost,” the 1964 movie “Jack Frost,” and finally, a winter classic, “Rise of the Guardians.” Some of these movies are fairly popular, which is illustrated when junior Grace Hallowell says, “I think I have watched a few movies with Jack Frost in them.” Senior Malak Hansan also says, “Isn’t there, like, a horror movie about him?” He was originally an “ancient Norse figure Jokul Frosti, a wicked frost giant who served as the personification of ice and snow.” according to the Farmer’s Almanac. He was created to explain the phenomena in which snow crystals freeze onto glass and such.
A famously cryptic monster is next on the list. The Yeti, or the Abominable Snowman, is a giant hairy brute who wanders mountain tops looking to tear his victims apart. Another popular monster as explained by Junior Shey Hanson when he says, “Doesn’t everyone know about the Yeti? It is pretty famous.” Originally the center of stories in the Himalayans as a warning for children not to wander out too far, it eventually made its way through Europe and into North America. According to Freshman Maceo Clark the Yeti is “about six to seven feet tall and covered in white fur.” Freshman Andrea Kassner Esquenazi, says “I saw a documentary or two about it.” The Yeti is famous for its supposed sightings and fake scandals that have come out over the years. Sophomore Gunnar Gaines says, “Wasn’t there a scandal involving fake Yeti body parts?” There have been many fake sightings, photos, and even body parts about the Yeti that have been debunked and forgotten.
There are many sorts of things that go bump and thump in the night. Remember to check the closet, under the bed, behind the door, and out the window because if people do not, then they might become the next scary story. Know that these are just stories and no strangers out in a storm of any kind are going to murder you. Okay, they might. These stories are here to remind people how to be safe and why they should listen to their parents.
