V is for Varcolac

A varcolac in Romanian folklore is a wolf demon. It is said that it occasionally swallows the moon and the sun; it's thus responsible for eclipses.

Some legends say it's a ghost tor vampire (Strigoi) while others say it's a werewolf, but unlike a shapeshifter, a Varcolac is born from the spirit leaving the mouth during sleep. Varcolaci are said to fasten themselves to the thread of people spinning at night, then going up to eat the moon and cover it with blood.

These creatures are  said to be created by:

• souls of unbaptized children
• children of unmarried parents, cursed by God
• they rise upon sweeping dust out of the house at sunset, in the direction of the sun

Varcolaci are recognised by their pale faces, as well as the deep sleep they fall into when sending their spirits out through their mouths to eat the sun or the moon. If they are moved during their sleep they die as their returning spirit won't be able to find the mouth where they came.