The Bogeyman (also spelled Boogeyman, Bogieman, or Boogieman) is an amorphous imaginary being used by adults to frighten children into behaving. The monster has no specific appearance, and conceptions about it can vary drastically from household to household within the same community; in many cases, he has no set appearance in the mind of a child, but is simply a non-specific embodiment of terror. Parents may tell their children that if they misbehave the Bogeyman will get them. Bogeymen may target a specific mischief — for instance, the Bogeyman that punishes children who suck their thumbs — or general misbehaviour, whichever need serves the adult's purpose best. In some cases the Bogeyman is a nickname for the devil.
Bogeyman tales vary by region. In some places, the Bogeyman is male; in others, female, and in others, both.
In some Midwestern states of the United States, the Bogeyman scratches at the window. In the Pacific Northwest, he may manifest in "green fog". In most places, he hides or appears from under the bed or in the closet and tickles (in most stories, eats) children when they go to sleep at night. It is said that a wart can be transmitted to someone by the Bogeyman.
Popular culture[]
- American wrestler Marty Wright, Jr. wrestles under the ring name "The Boogeyman"
- Freddy Krueger of A Nightmare on Elm Street is a Bogeyman-like figure
- Michael Myers from Halloween is referred to as "the Bogeyman" throughout the Halloween series
- Pyramid Head is credited as "the Boogeyman" in Silent Hill Homecoming
- The Bogeyman from Silent Hill: Downpour
- Boogeyman, Boogeyman 2, and Boogeyman 3 are films about the Bogeyman
- Oogie Boogie from TBNBC is Often Called the Boogeyman