A List of Implacable Beings in Folklore and Myth

Some monsters strike fast — a wolf from the woods, a bandit on the road.
But others are different.
These are the ones that pursue you slowly, inexorably, across land and sea, through life and death. They cannot be outrun forever.

The meme of the immortal snail captures this perfectly: a being that moves slowly toward you, undeterred by barriers or distance. Its power lies not in speed, but in certainty.

Yet this motif predates memes by millennia. Many folk traditions speak of such creatures: those that advance one step at a time, patient as stone.
Here is a list.

1. The Draugr

Scandinavian Folklore

The draugr is an undead figure from Norse lore — a reanimated corpse inhabiting its burial mound or roaming the land.

It walks.
It stinks of death.
It brings sickness and madness.
No wall or door will keep it out forever.

Draugar are jealous of the living and driven by hatred. They are not swift, but their tenacity is terrible. They will walk through blizzards or across oceans to reach a hated foe or reclaim stolen treasure.

2. The Nuckelavee

Orkney Folklore

A flayed, skinless horse-man hybrid from the Orkney Islands, the nuckelavee is one of the most feared beings of northern folklore.

It spreads plague and blight.
Crops wither in its presence.
Its breath kills animals and humans.

The nuckelavee does not charge in battle. Instead, it stalks villages and fields, radiating death. To encounter it is to be marked. Its pursuit is more plague-like than predatory — invisible at first, relentless in the end.

3. The Wild Hunt

European Folklore

Across Germanic and Celtic traditions runs the tale of the Wild Hunt:

A spectral cavalcade of huntsmen, fae, and spirits.
Their passing portends disaster or death.
They ride the skies or sweep through forests.

Being spotted by the Hunt means doom. You may flee, but their passage through your life is now certain. The Hunt will cross mountains and seas if it must; no home or hearth offers protection.

4. The Duppy

Caribbean Folklore

In Jamaican and broader Caribbean lore, duppies are malevolent spirits of the dead.

They are known for:

Following individuals from place to place.
Whispering in the night.
Slowly draining vitality and will.

Once a duppy is attached, escape is hard. Moving house, crossing water, or performing rituals may delay it, but the spirit will return. Its pursuit is subtle: illness, bad dreams, withering luck — until the end.

5. The Yōkai Yamauba

Japanese Folklore

The yamauba, or “mountain witch,” lures travelers with kindness and food — only to devour them.

In many tales, a yamauba once thwarted will pursue her escaped victim:

Moving from village to village.
Changing shape to appear harmless.
Waiting for a moment of weakness.

This pursuit may last years. The yamauba’s patience is as monstrous as her hunger.

6. The Bannik

Slavic Folklore

A less visible but no less dreadful being: the bannik is the spirit of the bathhouse in Slavic lore.

It does not chase on foot. Instead:

If offended, it follows you from the bathhouse.
It brings misfortune and accidents.
It waits, unseen, for chances to harm.

You cannot outpace a bannik. Its pursuit is quiet and magical — an invisible hand pressing down on your life.

7. The Acheri

Hindu and North Indian Folklore

Acheri are spirits of girls who died unnatural deaths.

They:

Sing from mountaintops at night.
Cast illness upon those below.
Fixate on specific individuals, pursuing them with sickness.

Children are particularly vulnerable. Acheri do not fly fast or lash out suddenly; their curse creeps slowly, as wasting disease. The afflicted may travel far, but the shadow follows.

8. The Brollachan

Scottish Folklore

A formless, creeping being from Scottish lore, the brollachan:

Cannot be seen clearly.
Cannot speak or reason.
Can only move… toward you.

Descriptions vary: a black shadow, a creeping mass, a cold presence. If it marks you, it will seek you — across land and time — until it reaches you. Its touch brings paralysis and eventual death.

9. The Red Cap

Border Folklore (England / Scotland)

A small goblin who haunts ruined castles and towers:

It wears a cap dyed with human blood.
It sharpens iron boots and pikes.
It hunts intruders methodically.

Red Caps cannot be outrun in their chosen domain. They will walk step by step through a crumbling keep, their iron boots clanging, their gaze fixed. If you hide, they will wait. If you flee, they will follow.

10. The Lhiannan Shee

Manx and Irish Folklore

A type of fairy lover — beautiful, irresistible, and deadly:

Once attached to a mortal, she never lets go.
The victim wastes away, obsessed and drained.
Distance offers no salvation.

The lhiannan shee is the most metaphorical pursuer on this list. There are no footsteps, no clawing hands — only longing, madness, and the slow erosion of life under her haunting influence.

Why These Creatures Haunt Us

The creatures above represent a particular kind of horror:

Time’s inevitability.
Guilt’s return.
Fate closing in.

Fast dangers trigger fight or flight. Slow dangers erode. They give space for imagination to feed terror — like the snail of the meme.

You can run to another town. You can cross the sea.
But one night, there will be a sound at the door — a shadow at the window — a step in the hall.

It was always coming.