Baykok facts for kids
The baykok (also called pau'guk or paguk) is a scary spirit from the traditional stories of the Ojibwe people. In the Ojibwe language, its name bakaak means "skeleton." This spirit is known for being very mean and dangerous.
What is the Baykok?
The Baykok is a character from the Anishinaabe traditional stories, called aadizookaan. People say it flies through the forests around the Great Lakes region. Its cries are described as very loud and sharp.
The Baykok looks like a very skinny, skeleton-like figure. It has thin, see-through skin and glowing red eyes. This spirit only hunts warriors. It is very ruthless, meaning it shows no mercy. The Baykok uses invisible arrows or a club to attack its victims. After it paralyzes or kills someone, it feeds on them. Sometimes, it was said to approach a sleeping hunter. It would gently cut an opening in their chest and take a piece of their stomach without waking them up.
The word bakaak in the Ojibwe language means "skeleton" in a way that suggests "bones covered in skin." This is why words like bakaakadozo mean "to be thin or skinny."
Baykok in Modern Stories
The Baykok first became known to people outside the Anishinaabe culture through a famous poem called The Song of Hiawatha. Today, you can sometimes find the Baykok mentioned in modern books and games.
For example, in Elliot James' novel Daring, a bakaak hunts werewolves. The Bakaak also appears in Gemma Files' short story Grave Goods. In this story, they are shown as an ancient type of human-like creature that hunted early humans.
The Baykok also shows up in the Japanese role-playing game series Megami Tensei. It appears as a demon enemy in the first two games of the Shin Megami Tensei series.
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