No one talks about how frightening some Irish folk legends are, or about the fact that they once had devastating consequences for children.

Long before Dracula, Ireland already had its own bloodthirsty tyrant. His name was Abhartach, a malevolent chieftain from the 5th century. According to legend, he was killed by a rival king, but he returned from the dead. He had to be reburied upside down, and a large stone was placed on his grave to prevent him from rising again.

The Dullahan is one of Ireland’s most terrifying supernatural creatures. He rides all night on a black horse, carrying his own head. Worse still, he uses a human spine as a whip and calls out the name of anyone about to die, who then falls immediately.

The Sluagh, which roughly means “the army,” are a group of tormented souls who were so wicked during their lifetimes that neither heaven nor hell would accept them. Their goal is to carry souls away with them, and, as you can imagine, there was a very real fear that you wouldn’t be able to rest in peace if the Sluagh were circling overhead.

Dearg Due was a beautiful woman who, according to legend, was forced into an unhappy marriage and eventually died of a broken heart. She then rose from her grave to seek revenge, starting with her father and her husband. To keep her underground, the locals are said to still pile heavy stones on her grave every year.

No one wants to be visited by their own ghost, but the “Fetch” dispels those fears. It is a supernatural phenomenon in which a person encounters their exact double—or that of someone they know. It is considered one of the most reliable omens of imminent death.

The Alp-luachra, sometimes called the “joint-eater,” is not like other mythical creatures. No, this one slips down your throat if you fall asleep near a stream. It then takes up residence in your body and eats everything you eat, leaving you to starve to death. The supposed remedy was probably even worse: eating lots of salted meat, then lying down with your mouth open near a stream to force the thirsty Alp-luachra out.

The Cóiste Bodhar is a spectral black carriage drawn by headless horses—which isn’t exactly a cheerful sight to begin with. It appears only to signal that someone nearby is about to die. It is driven by the Dullahan in complete silence, and it is said that looking directly at it causes blindness.

If you’ve ever thought fairies were cute, Irish folklore quickly put an end to that notion. The Leannán Sídhe was believed to be a beautiful fairy who took a liking to artistic souls, offering her talent in exchange for their devotion. The catch? Her chosen lovers all died young, leaving them to wonder if it was really worth it.

The Stray Sod may seem harmless, but it is actually a bewitched patch of land that causes anyone who steps on it to completely lose their bearings. No matter how well you know the area, you may find yourself going in circles or no longer recognizing anything until the spell is broken.

The belief in changelings was so deeply rooted and widespread that it led to real tragedies. At the time, families were convinced that a sick child had been replaced by fairies with one of their own, which led them to withhold care, affection, and even food from the child, as the parents did not want to care for a malevolent being.

Don’t be fooled by its seemingly simple name: the Pooka is a shape-shifting creature that takes the form of a common animal, such as a goat or a horse. Once it has taken the form of an animal you trust, it drags you into a terrifying chase through the region’s dangerous areas. Then it throws you into a ditch (or whispers a sinister warning).

The Fear Gorta means “the hungry man,” which is generally not a good sign. It is an emaciated specter that roams Ireland during times of famine, begging for food or money. This legend is believed to be linked to the Great Famine, when skeletal figures were a horribly real sight.

Irish merrows have nothing to do with today’s romantic mermaids, and you wouldn’t want to encounter one. Although beautiful, their sole purpose is to lure fishermen to their certain death. Male merrows are even worse, often described as having green hair, green teeth, and a red nose.

Artist: Joseph Christian Leyendecker (1874–1951). Cropped and color-adjusted by CorbieVreccan, July 2, 2016. Original available at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cuinbattle.jpg Date: 1911 Inscriptions: Signature in the lower left corner: JCLeyendecker. Source/Photographer 1. T. W. Rolleston, Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race 2. Unknown 3. conceptart.org on Wikimedia

One of the most powerful figures in Irish mythological tradition, the Morrigan is a triple goddess of war, fate, and death. She often appeared in the form of a raven or a crow, and if a soldier saw her, it was a sign that he would not emerge alive from battle.

You’ve probably heard of Old Man Winter, but have you heard of the Cailleach? She’s known as an old witch who controls winter and its storms, and is widely considered one of the oldest supernatural figures in Irish folklore. She looks exactly as you’d imagine: a giantess with a blue face and a single eye who doesn’t want winter to end.

It’s not uncommon to find legends about black dogs in other cultures, but the Irish version is particularly sinister. An encounter with Fido was widely regarded as an omen or as a demonic entity that could lead you to your doom. The fact that he appears at crossroads—which are also considered dangerous places in Irish tradition—doesn’t help matters either.

Irish folklore has its own tradition of “undead” creatures that rise from their graves, mainly if they were not buried properly or if they have unfinished business. In any case, communities took preventive measures very seriously, including burying the dead face-down, placing heavy stones on the grave, or driving iron stakes into the body. Anything went to ward off zombies, which is entirely understandable.

These supernatural beings of the enchanted mounds are not delicate creatures, but powerful entities said to dwell in a parallel world. They were not inherently evil, but they were opportunistic and did not hesitate to cause illness, madness, or death if we, poor humans, offended them. It was wiser not to upset them, and people often left offerings for them to appease them.

The last thing you want is to be captured by the Sluagh, especially before Halloween. Led by a terrifying procession of supernatural creatures, legend has it that if they catch you, they’ll drag you into the Otherworld, where you’ll vanish forever.

Tonn Toime is just one of Ireland’s three legendary waves, but it carries a message. Just like Tonn Tuile and Tonn Rudraidhe, each of them was considered a supernatural entity in its own right, believed to herald the imminent death of members of the royal family. Even though it isn’t the scariest on this list, you still wouldn’t want to hear those deafening waves crashing.