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Bogeyman origins -

The emergence of the hobgoblin legend in 16th-century England is generally regarded as the first reference to a bogeyman figure.

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Hobgoblin legend -

The hobgoblin took delight in tormenting humans, and while some played simple pranks on their hapless victims, others displayed a more malevolent nature.

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Bogge -

The most likely origin of the word bogeyman is from the Middle English term "bogge," a word for "ghost" and also used to describe something frightening, which in turn was associated with the word "hobgoblin."

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The devil's own -

From bogge the word "bogey" emerged in England in the 19th century as another description for the devil.

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Scarecrow -

Bogge could also refer to a scarecrow, or a "bogeyman." And from bogeyman came "bugbear" and other creatures of folklore that were historically used in some cultures to frighten disobedient children.

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Black Annis -

In 18th-century England, a bogeyman could manifest itself as a goblin, demon, hag, or a shapechanger, depending on what part of the country you were from. In Leicestershire, for example, Black Annis was an ink-faced hag with a taste for human flesh, especially children.

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Grindylow, Jenny Greenteeth, and Nelly Longarms -

The counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire were said to be frequented by three grotesque hags⁠—Grindylow, Jenny Greenteeth, and Nelly Longarms⁠—who preyed on youngsters near rivers and streams with the intent of drowning them.

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Spring-heeled Jack -

In Devon, meanwhile, spring-heeled Jack, a grotesque-looking bogeyman with clawed hands and the ability to perform incredible leaps, terrorized neighborhoods by snatching young people out of their beds in the dead of night. Later sightings were reported all over the United Kingdom, to turn the diabolical nimble-footed Jack into an urban legend.

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Jersey Devil -

Bogeyman legends prevail today, in all parts of the world. In the United States, a bogeyman can also be referred to as a "boogerman" or a "boogermonster." Many American states have their own versions of this mythical figure. In New Jersey, they know him as the Jersey Devil, an 18th-century creature described as having a horse's head, bat wings, cloven hooves, and a serpent's tail.

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Bloody Bones -

A bogeyman of the American South, Bloody Bones, also known as Rawhead or Tommy Rawhead, was someone no kid wants to meet. A dreadful crouching figure who keeps the bones of youngsters as souvenirs, Bloody Bones in fact originated out of English folklore in the mid 16th century.

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Nalusa Falaya -

In Choctaw Native American mythology, Nalusa Falaya is a tall shadowy being that parents warn about if their offspring plan to stay out late.

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Sack man -

Back across the Atlantic, the sack man is a similar figure to the bogeyman, portrayed as a well-dressed but mysterious man with a sack on his back who carries naughty children away. The legend of the sack man still carries weight in Spain, Portugal, and Italy, where he is variously known as el hombre del saco, o homem do saco, or vecchio col sacco.

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El Coco -

In many Spanish-speaking nations, El Coco is a sinister figure that hides under children's beds at night and kidnaps or eats those who don't obey their parents or don't go to sleep when it is time to do so.

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A Cuca -

In Brazil, children are warned that if they don't behave and go to sleep, Cuca, an old lady with a sack, will appear and carry them away as ingredients to make soup or soap.

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Babau -

Errant kids in Eastern Mediterranean countries are threatened with a creature called Babau, a tall man wearing a heavy black coat with a black hood that hides his face. Babau doesn't harm children though. Instead, he teaches them a lesson by taking them to dark and frightening places before returning them to their homes.

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Butzemann -

Mischievous youngsters in Germany are reminded about the Butzeman, an inhuman, bogeyman-type figure that hides in dark corners, under beds, or in the closet before carrying children away.

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Bicho Papão -

Naughty Brazilian and Portuguese kids are not immune to Bicho Papão, a bogeyman and a nighttime menace who also hides under beds, in cupboards in closets, or on roofs waiting to scare the living daylights out of them.

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Ijiraq -

The Inuit, an indigenous people from Alaska, Canada, and parts of Siberia and Greenland, have their own bogeyman—Ijiraq. This hideous creature kidnaps children, hides them, and then abandons them to make their own way home.

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Bonhomme Sept Heures -

Children in the Canadian province of Quebec are warned by their parents that if they are not in bed by 7 pm, the "Seven O'clock Man" will pay them a visit.

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Bodach -

Misbehaving children in Scotland run the risk of meeting bodach, a goblin or demon that sneaks down chimneys and snatches them as they sleep.

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Le croque-mitaine -

The French equivalent of the bogeyman is le croque-mitaine ("the mitten-biter" or rather "the hand-cruncher"), a term used to describe the way ill-behaved youngsters will be snatched if they don't listen to their parents.

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Der schwarze Mann -

With a similar intent shown by Butzemann, der schwarze Mann hides in dark places ready to pounce on unruly children. Translated from German as "the black man," the description does not refer to the color of his skin but rather the habit of lurking in shadows.

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Wewe Gombel -

Wewe Gombel is an exception to the bogeyman rule. This Indonesian ghost kidnaps children who have been mistreated by their parents. She looks after them as a grandmother would until mom and dad admit the errors of their ways. Only then will Wewe Gombel release the youngsters.

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L'uomo nero -

In Italy, l'uomo nero, a dark ghost without legs, is often 'summoned' by adults to scare their children when they don't want to go to bed.

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De Kropemann -

Folklore out of Luxembourg speaks of a very ominous bogeyman known as De Kropemann, or "the hookman," so called because of his habit of lying in wait in sewers and using his hook to catch naughty children by the nose if they stand too close to a storm drain, drawing them down to the dark, smelly depths.

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Baba Yaga -

Baba Yaga is a supernatural being who appears in Polish, Russian, and Ukrainian folklore as a deformed and ferocious old hag that kidnaps errant children and is sometimes known to gobble them up.

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Zwarte Piet -

Zwarte Piet ("Black Pete") is an assistant of Santa Claus who visits the Netherlands in December. Accompanying Santa on a flying horse, he hands out candy to good children, but has been known to carry off wayward youngsters in his sack.

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Yule cat -

Not so much a bogeyman figure than maleficent feline, the Yule cat is a huge and vicious cat who lurks about the snowy Icelandic countryside during Christmas time and harasses hapless festivalgoers. Its mistress is the wicked Grýla, a giantess with an appetite for the flesh of mischievous children, whom she cooks in a large pot.

Sources: (Bustle) (Historic UK) (Atlantic County)

See also: The magic and symbolism of animals

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