Legends, Myths and Monsters of Malta!

It’s a small, small place, so you may imagine that there just isn’t the space on an island this size for legendary creatures to flit and lurk.  You would be wrong.  There are three I have discovered (on the internet, not in an X-Files style encounter), and I will share what scant information I’ve been able to uncover about them below:

(This looks nothing like anything)


Il-Belliegħa

Lives in wells, so easily avoidable.  Can snatch children with it’s many toed foot, but will subsist on eels and worms if children are unavailable.  I didn’t come across much information besides this, so just have a mental image of a many-toed foot on the end of a leg stretching out of a well.  Probably unlikely to warrant it’s own movie anytime soon.

Kaw-Kaw  (or possibly ‘Gaw-Gaw)

This chap is much more like it.  He’s a ‘Slimy Grey Bogey Man’ who can slime his way through cracks.  He knows you’re guilty, because he can smell it.  Then he gives you a gummy toothless grin, and presumably performs unspeakable acts upon his victim.  (Or else he’s a giant, but that’s just ridiculous).


L-Imħalla
Another well inhabitant.  Malta is a pretty dry country in terms of fresh water, so maybe that’s why wells featured prominently in these legends.  This fine fellow looks like some kind of eel, apparently.  Wikipedia (primary source for the lazy researcher) quotes a Mr G.Borg of Selmun, who says with stoic indifference: “It is nothing special.  It looks like an eel.  It comes to take them away”.  






(Note: if you are a great artist who can draw something resembling one of the creatures above I will be more than happy to stick your creation in pride of place on this post and rhapsodise about your wonderful talent  –  howtomalta@hotmail.com)


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David

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