BackArts & Culture » Culture » [Illustrations] A Calendar Features Famous Phantoms in Vietnamese Folklore

[Illustrations] A Calendar Features Famous Phantoms in Vietnamese Folklore

Demon henchmen, a vampire and even a hero get their own month alongside the year's lunar animal in this colorful calendar.

Artist Kay Trinh explains that the project is an attempt to showcase the "beauty along with interesting stories" of Vietnamese culture via these unique demons, as shared on his Behance page. The mythical beasts include two of the demon king's henchmen — Đầu Trâu (Bullhead) and mặt Ngựa (Horseface); Ma Cà Rồng, which loves to suck the blood of pregnant women; the bipedal demon dog chó đội nón mê; Ma Trơi, or will-o'-the-wisp; and the heroic, demon-slaying thầy pháp. Kay added playful pigs to each scene thanks to it being the year's zodiac animal.

Check out the colorful calendar below and visit Kay's page for background on the featured demons. Kay Trinh is also participating in a competition that celebrates distinctively Vietnamese design projects, vote for him here.

Đầu Trâu, who is tasked with torturing souls in hell.

Mặt Ngựa, another abuser of sinners.

The blood-sucking Ma Cà Rồng is said to fly with his toes in his nose while he holds his ears.

Chó đội nón mê typically appears as a dog that walks on two legs with a cane, except for during a full moon, when it takes human form.

Ma Trơi are purported to be the floating souls of soldiers who died in battle.

Thầy pháp are witch doctors who can banish demons, however, people often falsify them as a means to make money. 


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