During last weeks group tutorial, I was advised to try out scary character designs in moving images. I was really stuck on how to go about this, so I decided to look into imagery based on folklore from around the world.
Bakhtak (Persia)
Bakhtak (which means small fortune) is a creature which sits on a persons chest while they’re sleeping; this makes it hard for them to breathe. It is believed that if you reach out and hold its nose, he will tell you where his treasure is.
Karabasan (Turkey)
Karabasan (also known as ‘the dark presser’) is a creature which presses on the chest of the sleeper and halts their breathing. There isn’t a reason known as to why it does this.
The Haint (South Carolina)
The Haint (also known as ‘The Hag’) is known as a woman who leaves her body at night and sits on the chest of a sleeper. This person will wake feeling a great amount of terror whilst being unable to move or breathe.
Dab Tsog (Hmong)
Dab Tsog is a nocturnal pressing spirit that attacks the sleepers by sitting on their chest and trying to strangle them. Many believe that this spirit is the cause of sudden unexpected nocturnal death syndrome.
Pasikdhar (Kashmir)
Pasikdhar is said to be a spirit that lives in every house. It attacks the sleeping if the house isn’t clean or if the person has not worshipped God. A person can also be attacked if they have done evil things or if they derive pleasure from the misfortune of others.
After looking into the imagery, I realised that it wasn’t what I wanted to do and I struggled to come up with ideas in which these drawings would be the inspiration. Following the email I got from my tutor, I decided to put this on hold and look into other things that were advised. That being said, I will most likely revisit these pictures to gain ideas when I have fully understood my direction and where I am going.
Ayanfe III 