Rolling Head

Rolling Head is an undead, vampiric monster found in the lore of several Native American tribes.

Appearance: Rolling Head is usually a female decapitated head, though some legends involve a decapitated male head.

Lore: Most legends of Rolling Head involve either a disobedient girl or an unfaithful wife. For the tales involving a disobedient girl, the child disobeys her elders and goes and does something she should not be doing. She is cut or injured in the process and then precedes to suck her blood. She finds the taste of her blood and flesh to be so delicious that she begins to consume her own body until only her head is left. She does not die but instead becomes an undead monster, the Rolling Head. As the name implies Rolling Head achieves locomotion by rolling or even bouncing. Rolling Head will roll or bounce until she comes across a human victim which she then consumes. In the legends involving an unfaithful wife, a husband usually murders her and butchers her body and feeds it to their children. The undead mother's head then returns, kills and consumes the husband who murdered her. Since the Rolling Head's hunger is insatiable, she then turns and devours her children. In time she turns and starts attacking the rest of the tribe. The tales involving a male Rolling Head usually involve a man who has been decapitated and who returns to seek vengeance because his brother has taken his wife for his own. Rolling Heads are evil and must be destroyed lest they will continue to kill and eat people.

Powers: Rolling Heads have incredibly sharp teeth and roll or bounce for locomotion.

Defense Against Rolling Head: Like vampires, some Rolling Heads are only active at night and will roll through the brush and undergrowth looking for sleeping victims. Rolling Heads can be killed with fire. In legend, most Rolling Heads are dispatched when they attempt to cross a river and are eaten by a large fish. Rolling Heads do not appear to be able to swim. If one is being chased by a Rolling Head it would be advisable to try to trick the Rolling Head into bouncing into water. Otherwise, make a dash for the nearest body of water to make your escape.

(My Grandfather told me this legend as a child and it freaked me out!)

Rolling Head

The Rolling Head

Rolling Head

The Rolling Head