User:Atraya925/Aufhocker

Characteristics: [all] Shapeshifter, [4] goblin, [3] dead man, [4] beautiful woman, [3] animals

Legend: German folklore- [2] The name aufhocker means "leap upon". This is because according to legend, the aufhocker would leap upon the back of the victim before biting their throats. [all] Pressure spirit/perching spirit that jumps on the backs of travelers weighing them down. [4] Victim dies of exhaustion. [all] Cannot be shaken off or killed. [3] Traveler cannot free himself until he arrives home. [4] Some say it shows up to target thieves and criminals in order to teach them a lesson. Some say it attacks elderly women and gets heavier with every step. [3] Mostly attacks people traveling alone at night. [1] Vampirism: The aufhocker is considered to be a very dangerous theriomorph that can tear the throats out of humans. The act of attacking victims in the throat links the aufhocker to vampirism. In vampire mythology, sunlight and church bells are often used to frighten vampires. These defenses are also linked to the aufhocker.

[3] Similar myths can be found in most of Europe. In the Cheraent Maritime region of France, the Ganipote is depicted as having similar traits (link wiki).

[3] Occurs in specific locations such as bridges, crossroads, springs, woods, on a path through a hollow, and cemeteries

[4] It can be seen as a metaphor for emotional burden weighing on one’s shoulders no matter how hard you try to shake off past/memories. The old woman represents time itself. The old woman is scared of getting older and has more memories to haunt her. [4]Some say it is instead a materialization of night terrors (link wiki).

[3] Monuments: Hildesheim Germany statue is of a goblin-like aufocker/huckup on the back of an apple thief.