The frontier of the far north is typically regarded with mystery and a sense of trepidation. Even if you have lived through it all, there is always something about the place that can feel rather unsettling. The standardized phobia of the dark is exacerbated by the long, cold winters of Alaska—a place where nearly half the year is shrouded in the dark bitter cold. Those of us who live in a place that is constantly trying to kill us can attest to the harshness of the environment, at least during the winter, where temperatures often plummet to thirty degrees below freezing. To say that the cold and dark are our sole worries would be a farce, but that’s only because we have all heard the stories about what lurks in the darkness of the Last Frontier.
Don’t be mistaken—you don’t have to be a Sourdough to be wary of the beasts abound in the frozen tundra. Stay for a couple of days in a rural cabin during the darkest part of the year and you’ll soon be wondering if those are really are the eyes of the Adlet glimmering at you from the shadows, or if it’s just light shining off of the crystalized snow. Was that shadow under the the water the Tizheruk or something else? Turn your back and you’ll likely feel as if you’re being watched by a deadly monster waiting to attack.
The Monsters of Alaska Native Culture
Every culture has its own unique beasts that torment the locals—the farther you get out of the urban atmosphere, the closer you get to what keeps people from roaming unnecessarily into the shadows.
1. The Adlet: The Werewolf of the Far North
The murderous Adlet is considered the arctic counterpart to the well-known werewolf. Believed to be the unholy descendants of an Inuit woman and a dog, they have an upper body of their human brethren, but their lower half is fully canine. They are considered to be a full-fledged race of humanoids, who after their initial creation were sent to a remote island away from humans, so as not to satiate themselves on local tribes—except that didn’t last.
2. The Keelut: The Evil Earth Spirit
A mixture between a cryptid and the paranormal spirit—the Keelut (key-loot) is considered an earth spirit who primarily takes the shape of an immense black, hairless dog. It’s often compared to the Church Grim of Great Britain and stalks travelers at night, often attacking and killing them.
3. The Qalupalik: The Inuit Siren
If you live by the arctic ocean you will have undoubtedly heard about the Qalupalik (kah-loo-pah-lick), a creature that stems from Inuit culture and haunts the nights of children as they’re sleeping. She’s described as being humanoid, with green skin, long hair, and even longer fingernails. Like a siren, her home is the sea and she hums to lure children to come closer to the water, but what does she do with them?
4. The Thunderbird: An Avian Nightmare
From Southern Alaska all the way to the Pacific Northwest, there are legends that speak of the mythical Thunderbird. As large as a small plane, stories have been told by Natives as well as bush pilots who can confirm the existence of such a monster. Considering the reputation that even the bald eagle has for snatching up small dogs, it’s not too much of a stretch to fear for your children with such a gigantic vicious bird of prey in the skies above.
5. The Tizheruk: The Sea-Monster of the Arctic
Not unlike the lore that brings us Loch Ness, the Tizheruk (te-zer-ook) is described as being a sea serpent that is approximately fifteen feet long. Where Loch Ness is considered to be less of a threat and more of a mystery, the Tizheruk is known to snatch their unwitting victims from docks and piers.
6. The Tornit: The Alaskan Bushman
Even Alaska has its own legends about Bigfoot—we reference it as the Tornit (tore-nit), or the Alaskan Bushman. Another monster from Inuit folklore, the Tornit is nearly indistinguishable from a bear except for the ghastly skunk-like smell they exude. They mostly keep to themselves out in the bush, after their troubled history dealing with humans, who can blame them?
The Otter People are most often seen in the Pacific Northwestern region of Alaska known as the Kushtaka. These tall, ape-like creatures are known to be aggressive and deadly and chase and kill their victims. Described as being horribly ugly, covered in long coarse hair, scabs, scars, and have enormously long claws. Their scream is high-pitched and terrifying, they have a strange whistling call that also alerts people to their presence.
Georgia-based author and artist, Mary has been a horror aficionado since the mid-2000s. Originally a hobby artist and writer, she found her niche in the horror industry in late 2019 and hasn’t looked back since. Mary’s evolution into a horror expert allowed her to express herself truly for the first time in her life. Now, she prides herself on indulging in the stuff of nightmares.
Mary also moonlights as a content creator across multiple social media platforms—breaking down horror tropes on YouTube, as well as playing horror games and broadcasting live digital art sessions on Twitch.
Wednesday Addams was initially made iconic by Christina Ricci in The Addams Family (1991), but her character began in the one-panel cartoons created by Charles Addams in 1938. Her character received further development when that popular comic turned into a popular television show by the same name in the 1960s. It was the movies made in the ‘90s, however, that really brought a modern spotlight to this nearly century-old family. Now, the Netflix show Wednesday has brought renewed vigor to the Charles Addams creation, but let’s not forget the Wednesday Addams that really defined the character.
Christina Ricci’s portrayal of Wednesday in 1991 The Addams Family movie as well as the 1993 Addams Family Values turned the character into who we know and love today. Wednesday Addams is obsessed with death and incredibly brilliant with a penchant for science—specifically performing scientific experiments on her younger brother Pugsley. Much like the rest of her family, the creepier things in life—such as spiders, the Bermuda Triangle, and death—are her bread and butter, so the more emotionless and creepy you can act while in costume the more authentically you’ll be portraying this timeless character.
Looking the Part: Putting together the Costume
Wednesday is most often seen in a primarily simple knee-length black dress with long sleeves and a white collar. The dress doesn’t have to be solid black, but for simplicity’s sake, it might be easiest to find one without a pattern that fits the character. In the movie, we see that she frequently wears dresses with very minimal floral patterns that have a Gothic or slightly Victorian feel to them. She is always seen with her long black hair in pigtails, so if you happen to have long black hair and know how to braid then you’re all set—but if you’re like the rest of us you might need a wig! Wednesday also always wears either opaque black tights or stockings and finishes off the look with a pair of comfortable black boots. Suffice it to say, when the movies came out the character spoke to a lot of us Gothic youths when the norm was brightly colored anoraks, velour tracksuits, and butterfly clips.
Whether you’re an adult or a kid wanting to dress like Wednesday Addams, the costume is the same—the size, however, will vary quite a bit. So we’ve provided options for both!
If you’re interested in doing a true throwback of Wednesday Addams and want the look that Lisa Loring sported in 1968, then have a look at this Officially Licensed costume—it’s almost a full set, including the dress, tights, and Wednesday’s headless doll, Marie Antoinette. Just pair it with a black braided wig and some black combat boots and you’ll be all set to do the Drew!
Since the traditional look for Wednesday Addams is based on a young girl’s character, there isn’t much in the way of makeup that needs to be addressed. Unless of course, you’re interested in obtaining that pale-as-death skin tone to really complete the costume, consider trying a white foundation.
Georgia-based author and artist, Mary has been a horror aficionado since the mid-2000s. Originally a hobby artist and writer, she found her niche in the horror industry in late 2019 and hasn’t looked back since. Mary’s evolution into a horror expert allowed her to express herself truly for the first time in her life. Now, she prides herself on indulging in the stuff of nightmares.
Mary also moonlights as a content creator across multiple social media platforms—breaking down horror tropes on YouTube, as well as playing horror games and broadcasting live digital art sessions on Twitch.
Ever since the show Wednesday debuted on Netflix in late 2022, it has experienced huge success, especially in the re-imagining of the character Wednesday Addams herself. Wednesday Addams has come a long way from her origins in Charles Addams’s dark, yet humorous comics. To dress like Wednesday Addams you will first need to decide which look to follow.
From Lisa Loring’s charismatic stage presence in the 1964 television show, Christina Ricci’s reprisal of the role in 1991 and 1993, and now Jenna Ortega’s 2022 Wednesday series on Netflix, we have seen this macabre and intelligent character grow from a mere child to a young adult. This makes this character age appropriate for children, teens, and adults.
In no small part due to the most recent re-invigoration of Wednesday’s character on screen, her look has not only become a popular costume concept (again), but her character’s style has become the trending look for Gen Z Goths everywhere. From her now-viral dance—you know the one—to her Gothic Prep casual style, it seems that everything she wears is uniquely representative of who she is.
Her modern interpretation, embodied by one of the genre’s newer Scream Queens, Jenna Ortega, remains distinctive—even from that of the more traditional Wednesday renditions. Since we get to see Wednesday in so many different situations than we might otherwise not get to be acquainted with, there are so many new costume looks to choose from—so let’s take a look and see how to transform ourselves into a modern Wednesday Addams without breaking the bank.
Updated Wednesday Throwback Look
Courtesy of Netflix 2022Courtesy of Vanity Fair 2022
This particular look will probably be the most recognizable for those familiar with the original Wednesday as well as those who were introduced to the character for the first time with the 2022 Netflix series. It features a simple long-sleeved dress, either solid black or with minimal Gothic/Victorian floral print, a start white dress collar and cuffs. While the original Wednesday was more likely to be found in a pair of matte black flat Mary Janes, we’ve gotten an update to match the Goth trend appropriate to the time.
While every other student running around Nevermore Academy is dressed in two shades of blue, Wednesday’s outfit is especially colorless, which decidedly makes her stand out amongst the rest of her peers. To dress like Wednesday in her Nevermore Academy Uniform you will need a few core pieces.
Courtesy of Netflix 2022Courtesy of Netflix 2022Courtesy of Netflix 2022
When it comes to being casual, it’s clear Wednesday seeks comfort while still adhering to her personal no-color policy. She favors the over-sized tops and opts for sneakers over dress shoes, but don’t let this comfy look fool you—it’s probably the most involved costume out of the bunch! Dress like Wednesday Addams comfy feel.
While the dress that Wednesday wears to the Annual Rave’n is from the Alaïa Fall 2020 collection, most high schoolers don’t have four figures to drop on a dress to wear to prom. So, thankfully, there are already recreations of it within a reasonable price range. Surprisingly, considering the formal look of this costume, it’s likely the easiest to pull off.
Georgia-based author and artist, Mary has been a horror aficionado since the mid-2000s. Originally a hobby artist and writer, she found her niche in the horror industry in late 2019 and hasn’t looked back since. Mary’s evolution into a horror expert allowed her to express herself truly for the first time in her life. Now, she prides herself on indulging in the stuff of nightmares.
Mary also moonlights as a content creator across multiple social media platforms—breaking down horror tropes on YouTube, as well as playing horror games and broadcasting live digital art sessions on Twitch.
Fear of the dark is often instigated during a person’s childhood and often causes severe symptoms of anxiety and depression–in some cases, this fear becomes a phobia, then causes an excessive and irrational impact on daily life. Nyctophobia most often starts as a childhood fear that is considered a normal part of development, but studies have shown that this is often more of a fear of a lack of visual stimuli and not the dark itself. So it’s not necessarily the dark–it’s what you can’t see in the dark–and the fears or anxieties that normally accompany a fear of the dark are the things that are normally associated with what cannot be seen. Ghosts, monsters, strange noises go hand in hand with what can be hanging around, unseen, in the darkest corners of the house and this is often paired with the anxiety of being or sleeping alone. Stressful or traumatic events, such as accidents or loss of a loved one tend to develop such phobias in the lives of people who might not otherwise fear things that are believed to be more dangerous. Overprotective or overanxious caregivers may also propagate fears, due to a guardian’s unwillingness to allow their children to experience the world at their own pace.
Even though it might sound childish to still possess a fear of the dark, it’s actually an evolutionary trait that human beings developed to survive in a world where we didn’t have the technology to illuminate the darkness. Due to our own inability to see in the dark due to poor eyesight, people were often wary of the dark, as it masked the predators that we couldn’t fend off without being able to see clearly. It didn’t help that most of these predators came out at night–even though being stalked or hunted by predators at night is more of a rarity these days, fear of the dark is still an instinctual trait that we still experience today. Most people, however, don’t have an overwhelming fear though, as it presents as a form of mild anxiety, our own clue to remain vigilant in case danger arises when we’re least expecting it.
For our ancestors, lions and other predators were among the biggest threat to their lives–but now it’s the fear of the unknown. Our imaginations run wild and fill the void with our worst fears–the things that go bump in the night. The more creative among us have invented these monsters because they allow us to come to terms with the fight-or-flight instinct that lingers on the edge of our subconscious and waits for its time to shine.
The ALTER Horror Short FIlm: La Noria (2018)
ALTER is actually a fairly prolific horror channel on YouTube, one that churns out horror shorts like there is no tomorrow. Honestly, some are amazing while others might fall short, but one that has really caught our attention recently is La Noria which they uploaded to YouTube in 2018. If you were afraid of the dark as a child, needless to say, you would probably have reacted just like the little boy depicted in this animated short.
https://youtu.be/omsgfpbUrmA
The horror genre capitalizes on the eerie darkness that stirs up our fears and anxieties–many movies focus solely on why the darkness scares us, while most of them just use it as another scare tactic that goes along with all of the other hidden fears that may have developed over the years that we have existed on this planet.
Just remember, if you’re afraid of the dark, you’re not a chicken, it just means your mind and body are just more attuned to the evolutionary traits that your ancestors have passed down that make you more fit for survival!
Georgia-based author and artist, Mary has been a horror aficionado since the mid-2000s. Originally a hobby artist and writer, she found her niche in the horror industry in late 2019 and hasn’t looked back since. Mary’s evolution into a horror expert allowed her to express herself truly for the first time in her life. Now, she prides herself on indulging in the stuff of nightmares.
Mary also moonlights as a content creator across multiple social media platforms—breaking down horror tropes on YouTube, as well as playing horror games and broadcasting live digital art sessions on Twitch.
The occult, by definition, boils down to an involvement in the supernatural, mystical, or magical beliefs, practices, phenomena. In the sixteenth century, the term occult sciences was used to refer to astrology, alchemy, and natural magic. In the nineteenth century, occultism emerged in France and began to be associated with various esoteric groups therein connected to Éliphas Lévi and Papus, then in 1875, it was introduced into the English language by esotericist, Helena Blavatsky. During the twentieth century, the term was used to describe a wide range of different authors and their particular eccentricities—finally, during the twenty-first century, it is commonly used to describe a certain esotericism and the several different categories that it encompasses, including but not limited to spiritualism, theosophy, anthroposophy, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, and New Age practices. Then again, to be fair, the occult has been used since the twentieth century to also reference a more broad category of supernatural, including the beliefs in vampires, fairies, UFOs, and parapsychology.
When it comes down to it though, what is most often thought of when the occult is considered? The occult is this unknowable magical thing that is mostly considered to have a nasty nature about it—but that’s not always the case, while the occult in the broadest sense it can be more than just witchcraft and esoteric cults; far be it for this witch to say what every other practitioner of the esoteric arts does in their own craft, I can only speak from my own experience.
What is Dark Magic?
There is a misconception about dark magic–even those that practice magic may believe that dark magic, some people refer to it as “black” magic, is always a malevolent thing–this isn’t even remotely true, although there are two sides to that coin. There are many practitioners of dark magic who don’t even appreciate the connotation that what they practice is inherently negative or malevolent at all. Here we refer to it as dark magic because it is the most recognizable way to refer to this type of magical practice, so what we really mean when we are discussing dark magic is any type of magic that is not regarding the free will, emotional, mental, or physical state of the recipient. Now you might be thinking that those parameters automatically make this magic negative or malevolent, but love spells, legal justice spells, and so much more fall under this umbrella, as it benefits the caster, but not necessarily the target. Curses, hexes, jinxes, and other negative forms of magic may also be–as an example, cursing an addict to no longer be able to stand the thought of drug use–that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, now is it? In this writer’s opinion, dark magic can be anything that the practitioner casts that they use an excess of emotion–something that mentally, emotionally, and physically drains them of any existing energy that they may possess.
This is especially true of curses, hexes, and other unsavory forms of magic … It has … to do with the emotion that fuels them: that raw, untamed emotion goes way beyond peel-me-off-the-ceiling anger and can only be termed as livid pissed. And livid pissed is exactly what we are by the time we get around to even consider such things. The old adage of adding fat to the fire doesn’t even begin to cover it when fueling magic with this sort of emotion. In fact, it’s more like adding a hefty dose of jet fuel to a hearth fire. There’s going to be more than a minor flare-up. There’s going to be an explosion to end all explosions. And anyone who thinks that a simple [magical] shield is going to deflect that sort of energy definitely has another thing coming.
Dorothy Morrison, Utterly Wicked: Hexes, Curses, and Other Unsavory Notions
Fallacies of Dark Magic
Photography by Eduardo Cano
Dark Magic, or as it is more often (and inappropriately) referred to as “black magic,” is not at all what it seems to be. There is an argument that there is no “color” in magic, but even within the practice, there are references to different colors of magic–black, grey, white, green, etc. ad nauseam. To be honest, if you’ve been a part of the witchcraft community for almost two decades, you’d find the use of color within magic as a tad bit pretentious. Those who practice the darker aspects of magic tend to refer to it as baneful magic–it’s honest and unpretentious and it says exactly what it means.
Whatever you’ve experienced, be cautious before you utter: someone cursed me! I cannot honestly tell you how many times I have heard this uttered from someone who was down on their luck–to be completely honest it is the most unlikely reason for someone having bad luck, sometimes bad things just happen. While it may be possible that a witch is pissed off enough to have cursed you, more often than not the best curse is someone’s conscience–that’s not a curse, it’s just your own ethical code telling you to take a look at what you’re doing to other people or, more likely, yourself.
Recount the related problems you’ve experienced to the present, and try to pinpoint the time they began … Then look for any semblance of reason for their occurrence … give some serious thought to what led you to … the conclusion that a hex had been tossed your way … look for reasonable explanations … Because if you can find plausible reasons for any of the … trials and tribulations connected to the time period, it could be that a curse may not be the culprit at all … It’s quite possible that you, yourself, are at fault.
Dorothy Morrison, Utterly Wicked: Hexes, Curses, and Other Unsavory Notions
Are you sure that I haven’t been cursed? Yes, we’re pretty sure, and mostly because this author has personally cursed someone before–cursing, crossing, or hexing someone is definitely not as easy as it seems. It takes energy that is derived from our personal emotional, mental, and physical reserves. Most of the time, even if we’re really angry at someone, we realize that the nasty person that we’re angry at isn’t worth the time and energy it takes to do any dark work. If you’re an awful person though, we might take the time and sacrifice the energy, but that’s a personal choice.
… Cursing someone takes an inordinate amount of energy. Your energy. Energy that you’ve stored for other things, like the simple business of everyday living. And cursing someone effectively is going to wipe out all your reserves. But even if that weren’t the case, it’s important to remember that you’re going to be transferring that energy to the person on the other end of your magic. So, there’s a good chance that you’re inadvertently going to pick up some of that person’s energy along the way too. Do you really want that nasty stuff on you? Probably not.
Dorothy Morrison, Utterly Wicked: Hexes, Curses, and Other Unsavory Notions
Another thing I have heard in my time of practicing witchcraft is that blood magic is evil magic. That is absolutely not true–blood magic is just more powerful and potent magic. If a witch is practicing blood magic that usually means they know what they’re doing. If we’re using our own blood it means it is going to affect us personally, if we’re using someone else’s blood it means that they are going to be personally affected.
You Can’t Get Cursed if You Don’t Believe is probably the most laughable thing I have ever heard in my life–because if it were true there wouldn’t be any instances of curses at all. If you found out that someone was cursing you and you decided that you just didn’t believe, it would be quite ineffective, right? Truly, if you don’t believe it curses, it actually is more effective to let the person know in some way that they have been cursed. There is nothing more effective than using someone’s imagination against them.
Dark Magic Among the Different Practices
There are so many different religions and secular occult practices that have darker leanings–while not all of the practitioners utilize the darker aspects of these religions or occult practices, they are still there and they are still very legitimate practices.
Voodoo, Hoodoo, Rootwork, Conjure, Appalachian Folk Magic, & Santeria
These are four different titles for some very similar practices–Voodoo, is perhaps the exception among the bunch, as it is based within a religious practice and the occult practices that are utilized are done so within the context of that religion. Hoodoo, rootwork, and folk magic are unique in the fact that they are not necessarily tied into a religion but can be practiced by anyone and everyone–so long as they have the proper knowledge to utilize the techniques that are a learned aspect of these decades-old traditions that are typically passed down through familial lines. While many of these occult practices exist solely in the southern United States, such as Louisiana, Florida, Georgia, etc.–there are also the folk magic practices that are known as Appalachian folk magic which occur throughout the Appalachian Mountains.
Voodoo, Vodou, and Vodun are the variations upon the spelling of the same practice–it really just depends upon where the religion is practiced. It’s a religion that practices a sort of folk magic, but differing from other types of folk magic, it is entirely tied into the Christian or Catholic faiths. Voodoo also ties in African folk magic, however, by adding in the veneration of spirits or loa. If you’re looking for a movie that most accurately depicts voodoo, even if it is a bit campy and over-the-top, take a moment to watch The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988). You’ll get the feel of voodoo without having to delve too deeply into it. If you’re looking to get revenge on someone, while we certainly don’t recommend jumping into something as complex as Voodoo and getting in over your head, crossing is what you’re after when it comes to the Voodoo religion. It usually utilizes personal objects or bodily fluids–that’s an entirely different topic on its own.
If you’re looking to make someone bend completely to your will, you’re probably thinking of Haitian zombification. Zombies are some of the darker aspects of the Voodoo religion–as a whole, the religion doesn’t typically approve of zombification, you can learn more about the practice in one of our older articles.
Within Hoodoo, Conjure, Rootwork, & Appalachian Folk Magic you’ll find a lot of diversity, but a surprising amount of similarities considering the different terms to refer to this type of practice. This practice is generally considered separate from any religious practice, but isn’t exempt from including it either. Hoodoo, conjure, and rootwork are primarily practiced in the Southern United States, as well as the Caribbean and some other regions. Appalachian Folk Magic is quite similar to the hoodoo, conjure, and rootwork practices, but this particular folk magic practice only naturally occurs in the Appalachian Mountains.
The religion of Santeria is quite complex–the beliefs are more difficult to follow because a lot of the details of the practice are hidden to those who are not inducted into the religion. It has a poor reputation due to the newspaper articles that deteriorate the image of Santeria as a whole.
Satanism and Daemonolatry
Satanism is one of the most misunderstood occult practices, but it is also an umbrella term that encompasses quite a few different practices and religions. The witchcraft that follows along with the different practices of Satanism are not at all like what they show in the movies, in fact, the practices are generally a surprisingly vanilla expression of magical practice.
Daemonolatry is more of a practice that is considered separate from satanic practices–it is a less religious practice and can be compared to hoodoo the same way that satanism can be compared to voodoo.
Photography by Halanna Halila
Traditional Witchcraft
You don’t have to be any of the above mentioned practitioners in order to practice baneful magic–you can be of pretty much any magical background (except for, possibly, Wicca) and practice magic that is aimed to harm another person.
If you’re looking for more information on stuff like this, leave us a comment and let us know!
Georgia-based author and artist, Mary has been a horror aficionado since the mid-2000s. Originally a hobby artist and writer, she found her niche in the horror industry in late 2019 and hasn’t looked back since. Mary’s evolution into a horror expert allowed her to express herself truly for the first time in her life. Now, she prides herself on indulging in the stuff of nightmares.
Mary also moonlights as a content creator across multiple social media platforms—breaking down horror tropes on YouTube, as well as playing horror games and broadcasting live digital art sessions on Twitch.
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