Although indigenous peoples occupy only a quarter of the Earth's area, they are responsible for preserving at least 80% of the world's remaining biodiversity: they control about 50% of the world's land mass (excluding Antarctica), keeping this environment clean. Indigenous culture is fascinating, from their traditions and rituals to their stories and legends. And often these stories are much creepier than anything that modern horror masters can come up with. 
1. Oniatë, "Withered Hand" 
According to Iroquois lore, a mummified ("withered") disembodied hand, nicknamed Onyate [which literally means "withered fingers" in the language of the Cayuga and Seneca peoples: onya means "fingers" and të means "withered"] crawls through abandoned places, waiting, when someone passes by. As soon as an unsuspecting victim appears on the horizon, Oniate attacks. In some versions of the legend, this terrible hand haunts only “evil” people, especially those who cause quarrels and discord in families. Oniate's dry, dirty, leprous fingers touch the victim's skin, causing a range of illnesses, including blindness. Sometimes one touch from Oniata is enough to kill. A similar legend exists in South American folklore in the form of La Mano Peluda, a hairy hand that flies out from under a child's bed at night to grab a child's ankle. Of course, the theme of the “evil hand” is well known to us thanks to pioneer horror stories about the red/black/green hand.
2. Mosquito Man 
Not to be confused with Ant-Man! This creepy legend originated in a part of North America now called the Pacific Northwest or simply Cascadia. According to ancient lore, the Mosquito Man looks like an ordinary person, but he has a very long proboscis, which he plunges into the skulls of his unfortunate victims, after which he begins to suck out their brains like a milkshake. The worst thing is that all this happens silently, and passers-by will not even notice that something is wrong until the victim falls dead.
The Haida Indian people have their own, even creepier version of Mosquito Man. According to legend, one day people gathered to admire a newborn child. They passed the baby around so that everyone could take a closer look at the baby. The people had no idea that among them was the Mosquito Man who sucked the life out of the child. They only realized this when the creature passed the child to the next person, who saw that he was dead.
3. “Woman of Stone” 
The ancient Mayans founded a civilization that occupied most of Central America. Today, dozens of Mayan ruins are popular tourist attractions. One of them, Xunantunich, is haunted by a ghost - and rumors about this have been circulating since 1893. A researcher participating in the excavation saw what he later described as a "Mayan maiden" sliding down the ruined pyramid stairs. The stunned man watched as the woman walked up the stairs in a white dress, the back of which was almost completely hidden by long dark hair. At some point, the woman turned around and looked at the scientist. He described her eyes as "piercing, glowing red." After that she turned away and disappeared. The “Woman of Stone” continues to appear to people to this day. It is believed that during her life she lived in the city, the ruins of which are now tied to, and that she may have been sacrificed at the top of the pyramid.
4. Menengai Crater 
The Menengai Crater is located in the Great Rift Valley of Kenya. The crater was formed as a result of a powerful volcanic eruption, which led to the collapse of its crater. The volcano was formed 200,000 years ago, and the crater is about 8,000 years old. Although it is believed to be dormant, hot spots occasionally cause steam to rise from the crater floor. Maasai legend has it that the crater, nicknamed Kirma Kia Ngoma, meaning "Place of Devils", was once at the center of a war between Maasai clans fighting over land where their animals could feed. The war ended with the Ilaikipiak Maasai warriors being thrown over the edge of the crater. Now locals fear the spirits of 60,000 of these warriors still roam the crater. It is also believed that the steam that periodically rises from the bottom of the crater is actually the souls of these warriors trying to find their way to heaven. In addition, it is reported that many tourists who visited the crater disappeared without a trace, and some were found a few days later wandering around the area in a trance-like state.
5. Mo'o 
Seeing mo'o, which often appears in the form of miniature geckos or dragon-like creatures, is considered good luck or a blessing. In ancient Hawaiian culture, these "protectors" are known as "aumakua" and they control the weather and water of the Hawaiian islands. However, as soon as someone angers the mo'o, they will raise monstrous waves, knocking enemies off steep slopes and cliffs. They also dry up the water in streams and rivers, which is an essential source of life. Many ponds and reservoirs in Hawaii have stone plaques that tell the story of these water guardians. Visitors can still ask for a mo'o blessing by throwing a flower into the water before entering it. If the flower floats away from the one who threw it, this means that the mo'o does not want to be disturbed, and it is better to refuse swimming.
6. Mannegishi 
The Cree, the indigenous people of North America, mainly inhabiting Canada, believe that there are two humanoid races - the one we are accustomed to, and another: the Mannegish. These creatures are also called "little people" and are said to live in river rapids between rocks. They have twelve fingers, large hairless heads and huge eyes with no nose at all, and they often leave drawings on the rocks. They are tricksters of sorts who love to jump out from their hiding places and overturn or turn around the canoes of those trying to cross the rapids. They then watch with glee as the victims run into the rocks and drown. Some believe that the Demon of Dover is a modern version of the mannegishi. The Dover Demon is also a small humanoid creature with gray skin and a large head on a small body.
7. Yurei 
The Japanese strong belief in the existence of spirits dates back to the indigenous Ainu, who considered ghosts to be a manifestation of the evil side of man. This Japanese ghost, yurei, is stuck between the world of the living and the realm of the dead and appears in the form of a man without legs. There are different types of yurei depending on how the person died. For example, kosodate yurei is the ghost of a mother who died during childbirth and returned to make sure her child was well taken care of. Onryo is a ghost filled with rage and revenge, who died holding a grudge against others. There is also funa yurei - the spirits of those who died at sea. A jibakurei is a ghost that cannot leave the place it is attached to. Any living person who comes into contact with this spirit risks being trapped, as this is precisely the curse of this ghost. Tales of the Yurei continue in our time. After the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, many survivors reported seeing their deceased spouses. Some fire departments even reported receiving distress calls from houses that were swept away by the tsunami.
8. Diving ghosts 
Polynesians also believe in the existence of spirits. They tell stories about human spirits who go to the heavenly or underworld after death, but some of them remain on Earth and become ghosts. They say that these ghosts are still material, but much lighter than living people. The Polynesians who inhabit the Society Islands have different names for different ghosts. For example, hae is the ghost of a drowned man, and riorio is the ghost of a child. In Maori culture, it is believed that the spirits of the dead travel to Cape Reinga, from where they dive into the ocean, thereby leaving the world of the living behind. In Hawaii, the dead jump from the breadfruit tree to reach the afterlife. In Samoa, there is still a belief that if a person speaks ill of a dead person, the spirit of that deceased will return and “possess” the offender, entering him through the armpit and settling in the stomach or back of the head.
9. Salt Witch 
Native American tribes have long inhabited the Great Plains, and their folklore is still of interest today. When the Otoe people settled in Nebraska, they were ruled by a chief known for his temper. The only person who could calm the ruler was his wife, and after her death he left the village to wander the world alone. After some time he returned and brought with him a terrible story. He told his fellow tribesmen that in his wanderings he came across an old woman who was brutally beating a young woman. As he stepped in to break up the fight, he saw that the young woman looked exactly like his late wife. He struck the old woman with an axe, killing her instantly, and then extended his arms towards the young woman. But before he could grab her, a crater appeared in the ground, swallowing both women. A lone pillar of salt remained in their place. For a long time, the Otoe visited the place where this pillar stood and beat the ground with clubs so that the “crazy hag” would not return.
10. Pavla Blanca 
Native Americans of New Mexico have been retelling the tragic story of Pavla Blanca for generations. The story goes that Spanish conquistador Hernando de Luna left his fiancée in Mexico City in 1540 to join explorer Francisco Coronado. He went in search of the seven cities of Cibola and Gran Quivira, where, as legends said, the streets and houses were decorated with jewels and gold. However, the adventurers were forced to stop after an attack by Apache warriors. They retreated back to Mexico City, but De Luna soon died from wounds received in the white sand dunes. De Luna's fiancee, Manuela, learned about the attack and went in search of her loved one. She reached the white sands of the dunes and disappeared. Now she wanders the dunes in her wedding dress, still searching for her lost lover. She is known as Pavla Blanca and is said to appear like a clock at sunset.
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