We all know about vampires and werewolves, or at least we think we do. The legends and myths that inspired these monsters are sometimes surprisingly different, but no less chilling. In this series of posts, Monster Monday, we’ll investigate the monsters that have informed our modern notions, as well as some lesser known monsters. Today, we talk about the Pricolici.

In Romanian folklore, a pricolici is a type of undead werewolf. Unlike a traditional vampire, a pricolici comes back in the form of a wolf or a giant dog. It is said that in life a pricolici was a violent or particularly evil man who comes back specifically to cause havoc. In some legends a pricolici was a werewolf in life.

A pricolici is larger and stronger than a normal wolf. It hunts alone at night. It attacks silently and usually targets solitary travelers.