LEGENDS of ghosts, demons and malevolent spirits are something shared by every culture on the planet.

Some are steeped in ancient legends, others are modern day creations of the internet, but regardless of their origin, there are many who believe in the supernatural terrors.

Whether guarding against them means planting a thorny hedge, hanging garlic, or raising your bed on bricks, there are still plenty who do this too.

Many of these legends have backstories even more frightening than the spectres themselves, while others are simply sad stories.

Here are the world's creepiest supernatural denizens, and how you can guard against them.

Kuchisake-onna - Japan

The “Lady of the cut mouth” is said to have once been a beautiful woman who pranced through the countryside and asked anyone she came across: "Am I pretty?"

The invariable answer of "yes" filled her with confidence, and she married a noble Samurai.

She is said to have been mutilated by her husband after cheating on him.

Other stories give her disfigurement different origins - some say she is an asylum escapee, another claims she was hit by a car, and her mouth ripped open by the accident.

Whatever the cause, she was left with an ear-to-ear cut, which she conceals below a medical mask, scarf, or piece of cloth.

She is said to approach children and ask the same old question: "Am I pretty?"

If the child answers yes, she removes the mask and asks again in an innocent, girly voice.

If the answer is a scream or another yes, she will slash the victim from ear to ear, to give them the same smile.

If it is a no, she is said to follow the child home and murder them at night, or cut them in half on the spot.

The way to get away is to give a non-committal answer, or offer the ghoul candy, giving you time to get away.

Krasue - Thailand

Said to have once been a beautiful woman who was burned to death, Krasue is cursed to be forever hungry.

The thing lives a normal life by day, usually as a beautiful but tired looking woman, who sets out each night in search of blood and flesh.

The head is said to detach from the body, leaving it in a safe and hidden place, and then float about, emanating a glowing light, dangling blood and viscera, and dines on pregnant women or newborns.

The demons are believed to prey on women just before or after childbirth, using an elongated tongue to reach the foetus while still in the womb.

If no babies are to be found, legend says the Krasue will devour animals and faeces, and wipe her bloody mouth on washing left outside overnight.

Relatives will often lay spiky branches around a pregnant woman's home to protect her. The Krasue fears sharp objects, because they can destroy the organs hanging from the neck.

Fearful villagers will often hunt for the body of the Krasue at night, hoping to destroy it, and therefore kill the demon.

Baubas - Lithuania

These black creatures lurk in the shadows of homes, under carpets or within wardrobes.

They have long, lean arms, wrinkly fingers and red eyes.

A misbehaving child may be warned: "The Baubas will come and get you."

The creature is thought to tear out victims' hair or suffocate them.

Some believe the demon resembles a man in a black coat who wears a heavy hood to obscure his face, and carries a large sack in which he carries naughty children away.

Some parents will even tap the underside of a table if the child refuses to eat, claiming the "sack man" is coming.

Slender Man - America

This lanky spectre is proof that folklore doesn't have to be ancient, and may be among the first pieces of 'digital folklore'.

The supernatural humanoid, with no discernible facial features, unnervingly long arms and always dressed in an impeccable suit, is a modern creation.

He first appeared in 2009 after a competition to create paranormal images, and from there the legend of this child-snatching spectre grew into many online stories, games, and even a recent film.

Slender Man's legend grew rapidly, in part due to the literature being linked to several violent crimes, including the near-fatal stabbing of a twelve-year-old girl in Wisconsin.

The two culprits - classmates of the victim - claimed they wanted to commit murder as the first step towards becoming proxies for Slender Man.

They said they feared the spectre would murder their families if they didn't kill.

Slender man was also implicated as a driving force for a spate of suicide attempted by young people in the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, in South Dakota.

Tikoloshe - South Africa

These dwarf-sized creatures are believed to be summoned by to terrorise others.

They are said to snare children, and murder their victims while they sleep.

Many in South Africa keep their beds raised on bricks for fear of the demons stealing their breath, or even their soul.

The legend apparently stems from the many deaths of healthy people at night, as they sheltered in primitive shelters.

Today, it is reasoned that fires used to keep warm at night actually depleted oxygen, and caused the deaths.

But in the early years, when it was noticed those who slept higher up survived, the deaths were blamed on the Tikoloshe.

Preta - Buddhism

This Buddhist legend is known as the hungry ghost.

The name translates as "the departed", and these cursed souls are believed to be invisible to the human eye. If we could see them, they would appear mummified, with narrow limbs and enormous distended bellies.

They are effectively the greatest victims of karma, and are believed to have been corrupt, deceitful and jealous people in previous lives, and reincarnated with insatiable hunger and thirst.

Often they are obsessed with possessing a certain substance or object.

They can be a simple nuisance, but can turn dangerous, if they turn their hunger to blood.

Many Buddhists pity the Preta however, and will even leave small offerings for them.

Phi Kee - Thailand

No one likes a ghost visiting when you're indisposed, but that's exactly where the Phi Kee haunts.

Far from being a vicious spectre however, the Phi Kee is a ghoul to consult with before you go to the bathroom.

Doing so, Thais believe, will see your bad luck removed along with your excrement.

This helpful ghoul can be handy in a country where food hygiene isn't quite up to western standards.

Banshee - Irish

These 'women of the fairy mound' are believed to herald the death of family members, usually with characteristic wailing and shrieking.

They can appear as beautiful virgins who died young and are now tasked with warning the family, or as withered old hangs dressed in grey cloaks, whose eyes are red from constant crying.

Not necessarily evil, these keeners are sometimes believed to be deceased people with close ties to a family or community, who still wish to look over their old friends.

Strigoi - Romania

These troubled spirits rise from the grave, and drain victims of blood.

The legend is thought to be the inspiration behind the vampire.

The living strigoi, which roughly translates to 'the scream', are sorcerers that plague the countryside with disease and death.

The dead strigoi are corpses that rise again from the grave in search of victims.