gdfalksen: From fuckyeahstrangemythology Alp AKA: trud, mar,...

gdfalksen:

From fuckyeahstrangemythology

Alp

AKA: trud, mar, mart, mahr, schrat, and walrider

Origin: Germany

History:

An Alp is a demonic shape-shifting creature that comes in the night and causes nightmares by sitting on their victim. The attacks are called Alpdrücke, "elf pressure". An Alp is usually male while their female counterpart is called a Mara. In Teutonic folklore, Alps were thought of as friendly elf creatures that lived in the woods but their image soon turned into the creatures they are known as today. They sit on a sleeping person, Alps tend to prefer females, and causes vivid horrible dreams. Alps apply pressure to the victim as they lay sleeping, gradually becoming heavier and heavier until the person wakes up and is unable to move. Many believe that this was an early explanation of sleep paralysis.

Alps are very mischievous and always have a hat on them, called a Tamkappe. And no matter what form they are in, the hat is always on top of their head. They loved to pull pranks such as putting a soiled diaper back on an infant and crushing small farm animals to death.

What’s so weird about it?

Other than giving people nightmares and squishing them, they enjoyed drinking breast milk from their female victims. And if they would get a male or young child as their victim, they also liked to suck blood from their nipples. And, while very rare, they were known for raping some of the victims in their sleep.

What if I see one?

Lucky for you the Germanic people have thought of ways to ward off Alps. Stuff your keyhole with tissues or some sort of rags to prevent the Alp from getting in. Place a broomstick under your pillow or putting a mirror on top of a chest, and keeping a light on helps ward away an Alp.

My personal favorite is that if you happen to wake up while he’s laying on you, tell him to come back tomorrow morning for some coffee and he’ll leave you alone that night. That’s seriously it, just invite him over for some coffee.

Poor demonic creature only wants coffee and to suck blood and/or breast milk from nipples, that isn’t too much to ask for.

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