Myth Monsters

Kuri

January 27, 2022 Season 2 Episode 4
Myth Monsters
Kuri
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Show Notes Transcript

In this week's episode, we're looking at the terrifying ghost of the Kuri from British folklore and mythology. How could you stop this ghost from dragging you to hell? How could you tell that you were going to meet one? Find out this week!

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INTRO:


Hello and welcome to Myth Monsters, my name is Erin and I’ll be your host for these little snack bite size podcasts on folklore and mythical monsters from around the world. 


These podcasts focus on the actual cryptids, folklore and mythic monsters from global mythology, rather than focusing on full stories of heroes and their big adventures.


I’ll also be dropping in some references that they have to recent culture and where you can see these represented in modern day content so you can learn more, and get as obsessed as I am about these absolute legends of the mythological world.


And it’s the last week of January, which came around very fast! Apologies for the radio silence this week too, I’ve managed to really injure both my legs and my hips this week and I’ve been almost bed-bound since the weekend - so I’m very late recording this as I’ve had to drag myself to my desk.


And in this last week, I’m going to convince you to never go into an English wood ever again and talk about a mythical ghost who will make sure you never run off the beaten path again.


DESCRIPTION:


You probably haven’t guessed it, but if you have - a real well done is deserved as this one isn’t as well known at all. It is called the Kuri from English, specifically more Southern English mythology. 


What is the Kuri I hear you ask? Well they’re generally described as a ghost-like entity, however, sometimes they’re referred to as goblin-like, but we know that they are incorporeal, so cannot be physically touched. They are considered parasitic monsters, and can only really thrive whilst inhabiting another's body in an almost possession type way. This is where this monster becomes, truly a monster.


They haunt shallow or makeshift graves in the country wilderness, usually in woods or forests - out where someone has unfortunately got lost or injured on a hike, then died. Kuri attach themselves to this grave and they wait. What are they waiting for? Well they’re waiting for anyone to do the same thing - to end up walking onto or nearby to this unfortunate gravesite. Once the victim has done this, they attach themselves to the living host and the terror truly begins. 


For a while, the person would be completely unaware that the Kuri has attached itself to them - they usually hide and wait for weeks and sometimes even months before they make themselves known to the victim. They do this by invading the person’s dreams, slowly turning them into horrific nightmares of the Kuri’s face. 


The Kuri does have a face, reportedly, it’s the stuff of absolute nightmares, and is so bad the person slowly starts to go insane. Overtime, the Kuri will start to impose itself into the person’s real life, by touching it with freezing cold, and seemingly invisible fingers. The Kuri feeds on the fear of the victim, so the scarier they get, the stronger they get too.


Eventually, the Kuri will start to impose it’s face onto the victim’s family and friends randomly during encounters, but the Kuri will only ever reveal itself to the victim, leaving them in a really tough spot trying to explain to grandma why they’re screaming in terror at them. It also completely isolates the person, not many people will believe that you’ve got some monster imposing itself on Nan’s face, so this just adds to the pure insanity the victim is starting to develop.


Unfortunately, this is not the end game for the Kuri - it has had it’s fun and it really wants to try out someone else for a change. And so they will promise the victim freedom by leading it back to its original gravesite. Problem there is that these are usually makeshift graves, and the person will probably not be able to find their way to it again. So Kuri leads the way, but it’s not quite done with our victim yet. 


Our victim is now truly on the brink of complete madness, they don’t trust their friends or family due to the face of the Kuri appearing - they’re desperate to get rid of this creature. The Kuri will take them back to the woodland and encourage the victim to look for the grave, however, it is just making them wander around aimlessly, slowly becoming dehydrated, hungry and absolutely exhausted from their journey. 


The victim eventually dies, by any of those means or just plain exposure. Whilst the victim breathes their last breaths, the Kuri whispers to them that they’re going to enjoy dragging their soul down to hell. Horrible right? 


And the cycle does not stop there I’m afraid, a new grave is then made for our victim and the Kuri then starts over, waiting for someone to stumble upon this haunted spot.


ORIGIN:


For etymology, there isn’t a specific definition of what a Kuri is, or why it’s called that - however, the word Kuri means an unpleasant or unpopular person in old English, which does make sense with its power to push the family and friends away. 


There’s also no defined history for this one, however, we do know the area in which they haunt, Dartmoor, specifically near Devon in the South of England - is home to many spooky creatures from the same kind of time. 


The most famous of these monsters is called the Hairy Hands - which are literally a pair of Hairy Hands. But it’s an entity that has been haunting a specific road, the B3212 since the early 1900’s. Apparently, drivers have reported that a pair of hands, sometimes invisible, sometimes super hairy and gross - take the steering wheel or handlebars of their vehicles and drive them off the road into the bleak, almost marsh like countryside of the Moors. People have reported hauntings in Dartmoor around this patch for the last 100 years or so, the legend of the Hairy Hands being the most popular.


Obviously, this is another ghost story from the area - but there are so so many from this particular place in England, I really recommend looking up Dartmoor monsters - they are very cool. Dartmoor and the Devon area is known for its countryside, which I imagine is why this has been linked to this area. Especially in times of hunting and gathering, going into the woods and getting lost was a very real risk that people had to take to survive, and makeshift graves were not uncommon.


The only real life comparison I can link this to is the all round rule of respecting graves and the dead - which is in almost every culture around the world, and certainly is something here in the UK, considering we literally created Protestant Christianity for one of our kings to be able to divorce one of his six wives - I’m looking at you Henry. But this is prevalent in so many cultures and religions worldwide, that it’s almost a written rule that you do not disrespect graves. 


In the UK, there’s also a thing that crossroads are haunted because in the 17 and 1800’s - people who committed suicide or were criminals were thrown to the elements in unmarked graves at crossroads, so they’re linked to unsettled spirits.


We do see this in other cultures more intensely, like Native American gravesites and the mythos that they will haunt you is featured in so many books and modern media bits, that it’s apparently checked in the US to see if your house is built on one, so that you can tell if you’ll be haunted. However, it’s a gravesite, so no houses should be built on it - simple as, it’s a complete disrespect to the people buried beneath - especially if they’re close enough to the surface to be found. Inherently, it’s a racist, ignorant and really harmful trope - but it’s still in so many movies and TV shows to this day. https://filmschoolrejects.com/indian-burial-ground-trope/


But the difference with this monster is that this is a wilderness grave, and with that comes firstly, completely not knowing it’s there - also, it could be there by malicious means, which generally invites evil to it. And lastly, adds to the dangers and warnings of travelling alone and off the beaten path. They do say that shortcuts make for the longest delays, and have you EVER seen a movie where they take a shortcut off the path and all of them live? NOPE - another little trope of modern media right there, but it’s true!


If Little Red Riding Hood taught us anything people, it’s stick to the beaten path - no matter where you’re going. So it’s kind of a cautionary tale to stick to what’s safe and what you know, by those who have been there before you. Although, you could use this same idea for climbing Mount Everest, where we know bodies are used to mark significant parts in the climb - so maybe that theory doesn’t get us too far either.


I wonder if there’s a Mount Everest version of the Kuri attached to all those unfortunate explorers somewhere? Who knows? 


CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE: 


Onto cultural significance, we’ve got nothing for art today - it’s just not known what this monster looks like, so it’s not covered at all. However, I did find some really cool independent art linked with these - be careful though, as I stumbled onto Yu-Gi-Oh cards from this search and I ended up then getting invested in them again after seeing the monster Kuribo from the series - dang it childhood brain.


For modern media this week, I’m going to be mostly talking about things that feature disturbing graves and hauntings following this, as there’s nothing on the Kuri specifically I’m afraid! I will say some of these mentions are set within those ‘Indian Burial Ground’ tropes - so maybe worth a skip if you don’t want to entertain that, these are not suggestions - just where they are mentioned. I’ll always say if I recommend something during this segment.


For movies, this is quite a common trope, with films such as; Coco, The Book of Life, The Gravedancers, Pet Sematary, Ghost House, The Amityville Horror, The Shining, The Frighteners, Crimson Peak, The Innocents and The Haunting. Personally I adore Coco, Book of Life and the Frighteners, they are all amazing films - and the latter is definitely a seriously underrated movie. 


For TV, you’ve got the Simpsons, Family Guy, Scariest Places on Earth, Most Terrifying Places in America, Portals to Hell, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Supernatural and Ghost Adventures. 


For video games, you’ve got Mortal Combat, Five Nights at Freddies, Batman: Arkham City and Asylum, Fatal Frame, P.T, Resident Evil, Phasmophobia and my favourite here is Murdered: Soul Suspect - again another underrated bit of media here.


For books, my recommendations this week are on British ghost stories because we have so many! I recommend Ghost Tales of the United Kingdom by Charles River Editors for all those lovely ghostly stories and to get into our haunted places have a look at Britain's Haunted Heritage by John West for all those people who want to freak themselves out. I actually live very close to a haunted Nuclear Bunker - so that’s freaky.


DO I THINK THEY EXISTED? 


Now it’s time for, do I think they existed? Oof, this one is so interesting, I think because I grew up right next to the woods and was generally creeped out by the wilderness feeling of it, even though it was literally in the tiniest village in the world. I am going to say maybe to this one. 


Only because I don’t think something as intense as the Kuri exists - but I do definitely believe in a weird superstitious thing of sticking to what you know and making sure you’re staying on the path of those before you - although I am highly risk averse, so that does make sense. 


But before you come to me and go, Erin it sounds like you’re a giant wimp and you’ve never lived - oh I did, I did it anyway - I rode a rope swing over a very steep hill with a busy road at the bottom, which was completely unknown to anyone outside of my friend group. I’ve been the wilderness kid, I’m just…not anymore. I mean I grew up in the same village as Bernard Cornwell and right next to one of the biggest Viking settlements, so my childhood was all about exploring old stuff, and it’s why I’m into all of this as an adult, and just do not partake.


But anyway, I’m very superstitious about respecting graves and the dead too, I think it’s so so bad to talk ill of the dead and bodies should 100% be left to rest in peace, in an undisturbed and organised grave until they’ve rotted away and joined the earth again. I’m very for that, and realistically, so is the Kuri, I just don’t think this kind of spirit would exist purely for malice, but potentially you’re opening yourself up to some serious karma and bad luck.


OUTRO: 


It’s actually our first time looking at a specific English monster, which is wild considering I’m born and bred here - but it’s one that was actually originally in my first month of podcasts last year, but I was too inexperienced to cover it I think. I think now I’ve got into my rhythm I’ve been able to fill this out a bit more, so I’m very thankful for my experience and all of you helping me with that!


Next week, we’re looking at the fabulous Phoenix from Greek mythology, because it’s been a while and I love the Greeks! Get reborn from the ashes next Thursday!


For now, thank you so much for listening, it’s been an absolute pleasure. If you enjoyed this podcast, please give it a rating on the service you’re listening on - I’ve got the twitter for any questions, or suggestions on what monsters to cover next and I’d love to hear from you. The social media handles for Tiktok and Instagram are mythmonsterspodcast, and twitter is mythmonsterspod. But all of our content can be found at mythmonsters.co.uk - you can also find us on Goodpods and Patreon if you want to help me fund the podcast, ya know if you feel like it.


Also I’ve created a Youtube channel with all of the episodes so far - I’m uploading them 15 at a time as that’s the daily limit, but go check it out! Our handle there is Myth Monsters Podcast because of course it is.


Come join the fun and share this with your pals, they might love me as much as you do.


But for now, stay spooky and I’ll see you later babes.





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