I'm reading this book, on Scribd (linked at the end), about supernatural abductions in Japan -- aka, being "spirited away". I would venture to say that every continent had at one point a belief that people (mainly children) could be led astray by supernatural beings. Some more indigenous cultures still hold this belief. I personally believe in it, but as I said in the chatter the other night: I think the development of society and cities in particular, have pushed these abducting creatures farther away from people and inhibit their influences today. Part of me thinks that it was naivete, misunderstanding of kidnappers and such. But the other part of me keeps that wonder and "you never know" mentality. I think if it does actually happen, it happens to people that most of the world doesn't pay attention to in places that aren't paid much attention. Like, a child in Sri Lanka goes missing and no one outside of the particular village may ever hear about it, whereas here in the US we have "Amber Alerts" and such.
What do you guys think? I know we have a lot of members from all over the world... do you have any local or country-specific legends?
I'm from the USA, and all I can really think about are "will o' the whisp", AKA "swamp lights" or "swamp fire", which some legends say are related to fairies or they are their own sort of mysterious being that will lead people away into the swamps where they get lost, drown, or 'gators get them.
I think sirens would, though they didn't abduct so much as just lead sailors to their deaths XD. I don't know much about them... I wonder if they ate them? There seems to be no creature that prays upon Man, so I wouldn't be surprised if being eaten was a deep vein in these mythologies.
According to the book on Japanese abductions, people were taken to either mess with, turn into servants/slaves, or make into wives. The difference between men being abducted and women is a bit odd, but only expected in a male-dominated society. I'm not trying to go all girl-power on you guys XD I just think it is a bit scary to see such double standards even in being abducted by monsters, lol.
Supposedly, when a Japanese monster (tengu, mountain man, whoever) take a boy he is usually taken on this great journey over mountains and the ocean, flying and stuff. Women were taken solely for the purpose of being wives to the creatures. It's details like this that make me wonder how supernatural it really was, as opposed to dirty old mountain men :/ I haven't finished it yet, but it hasn't spoken of female creatures abducting anyone.
But I do know there is the Yuki-Onna who supposedly steals children, out of sorrow of having her child die (in one variation; other stories she is terribly sad... some she is just nasty and evil, some she is both... usually for overlapping reasons).
I can only imagine what an episode of pre-1900 "Unsolved Mysteries" would be like XD
Faery abductions are actually what really got me interested in the topic, as a child. I used to be afraid to go outside because I thought someone/thing might just whisk me away XD
I don't know if other people believe in them, but I believe that changelings are one of the main culprits of abductions or dissapearences. They are said to have the ability to change their appearence, voice, and the like to mimic anything they choose. The would also explain why most legends state that children were the ones most liekly to dissapear.
Think about it. If you were 5, and something that looked exactly like your mom and talked exactly like your mom said "come with me", you would probably follow.
*screeches for help from inside the pocket!* XD lol
o0o Creepy wolftrest, that didn't even cross my mind. I don't know how prevalent changling-type beings are in mythologies around the world, but it sounds very convincing to me XD And, it probably causes less of a scene to outsiders who may be viewing the incident. You know, watching a boy walk with his mom versus a boy seemingly dragged, or walking in an enchanted stupor.
Here in norway we got loads of supernatural abduction creatures i'll mention some of them Black elves,Nix,Waterfall Nix, Moor dweller, Huldra, and something people in my country used to
call "Åsgards Reia"
which in fact is a gathering of trolls that haunted the country on the 13th day after christmas, children were told to keep themselves inndoors unless they'd become the trolls slaves, you can try and search on the other names above and see what you find
