In How to Write a Unique Spooky Story, I wrote about how to write a unique spooky story by either creating your own monster, creature, or horror yourself or by finding a monster that is not well known. I advised finding a monster by researching myths and legends in other cultures to find something that has a rich history surrounding it, but that is not considered modern. One of the countries that have some unique myths is New Zealand.

Nuku-mai-tore

The Nuku-mai-tore are creatures that appear as humans with short limbs, and sit on the branches of the tallest trees, just like a bird. These Nuku-mai-tore will only eat raw food and have a terrible fear of fire. The Nuku-mai-tore only give birth through Caesarean section performed by other Nuku-mai-tore, and the birth always kills the mother as the newborn Nuku-mai-tore takes the life energy of its birth mother. The Nuku-mai-tore generally ignore humans unless they attempt to chop down the tree that the Nuku-mai-tore call home; those that attempt this have been known to go missing.

Kahui-Tipua

The Kahui-Tipua are ogres that are believed to have been the very first inhabitants of New Zealand’s South Island. The Kahui-Tipua could shape shift into any form they desired at will and were best known for hunting with giant two headed dogs. The Kahui-Tipua had to move often as their hunger and thirst would cause them to leave their environment quickly barren of both prey and water. The Kahui-Tipua were believed to have been hunted to extinction after one of them took a human woman as a captive pet. When the woman managed to escape, she rallied her people to trap the Kahui-Tipua inside the cave that was their home and set it on fire.

Porotai

The Porotai are creatures that are made up of an equal measure of both flesh and stone and are invisible to humans. It is often believed that people who trip over “nothing” are in fact tripping over a Porotai. The Porotai are believed to be mostly reclusive creatures who occasionally come out of their seclusion to cause a bit of mischief to humans they dislike.

Maero

Maero are creatures that appear mostly human with knife like fingernails, long thin fingers, and with long, messy black hair. These Maero live in the forests of New Zealand and are known for their extreme strength and for being cannibals. Maero lie in wait in the forests they call home for unwary humans to wander into the forests, where the Maero hunt, and kill them using only stone clubs and their sharp fingernails.  

Manaia

Manaia are believed to be creatures with the body of a human male and the head of a bird. The Manaia are messengers that can carry messages between living humans and the spirits of their friends, family, and ancestors. The Manaia have also become known as a protective spirit as they have the ability to fight off nefarious spirits who try to stop them from delivering their messages.