Legend has it…These 5 Supernatural episodes are inspired by real myths that will give you nightmares

The Winchester brothers in Supernatural have fought against many monsters and otherworldly beings in the CW's horror series.

From witches, monsters, spirits, to vampires, the brothers have seen it all. While most of them were fictional and created for the show, many of these also drew inspiration from real-life urban legends and folklore from various cultures.

Interestingly, the name Winchester is also synonymous with a haunted house in San Jose, California, and its mysterious heiress, Sarah Winchester.

Here are 5 Supernatural episodes that are inspired by real-life myths and folklore.

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5 Supernatural episodes that are inspired by real-life urban legends and folklore

1) Bloody Mary

Even someone who has never seen an episode of Supernatural or naturally stays away from the horror genre has likely heard about the Western legend of Bloody Mary.

A legend, apparition, ghost or phantom, Bloody Mary is one of the most popular myths in Western folklore, who can be summoned by calling out her name in the mirror (popularly three times). All you need is a dark room, a candle, a large mirror, and some courage.

While the legend has many variations now, the CW show featured the most popular one. Chant the Bloody Mary name three times in a group while looking into the mirror, and she will be summoned.

In Season 1 Episode 5, Dean and Sam come across the legend when she is summoned by a group of friends as a joke. The spirit lived in the mirror and preyed on her victims by gouging their eyes out.

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2) Wendigo

In the second episode of Supernatural, the Winchester brothers visit a town where people mysteriously go missing every 23 years. After some sleuthing, they realise it is the work of a cannibalistic monster called Wendigo.

While the Native American monster gave chills to the audience, you might actually not sleep tonight after knowing that it was inspired by real folklore.

In Algonquin folklore, the Wendigo was initially a man. But after he got lost in the woods while hunting during a cold winter, he turned to cannibalism and eventually became a monster. He is now described as a monster who lures its victims by imitating a human's voice, and they soon develop an insatiable hunger, faithfully depicted in the show.

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3) All Dogs Go to Heaven

Supernatural Season 6 Episode 8 saw Dean and Sam travel to a place that was seemingly plagued by a werewolf. However, when Sam sees a dog turn into a human, the Winchester brothers realise that they have the curious case of Skin-walkers on their hands, who can transform into animals.

In Navajo mythology, skin-walkers are a kind of witch or sorcerer who lures their victims by transforming themselves into animals. When humans get close to them, they usually kill or bite them and change them into fellow skin-walkers, something that also happened in the episode. Animal lovers beware!

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4) Weekend at Bobby's

Supernatural Season 6 Episode 4 featured a bloodthirsty monster who cut open their victims' bodies and ate their flesh. After the Winchester brothers could not recognise the creature, Bobby pointed out that it was a lamia.

While Supernatural slightly changed the lore, Lamia is a popular demon in Greek mythology, popularly known as the child-eating monster. As the legend goes, Lamia was initially a woman and one of Zeus' mistresses. After Zeus' wife became jealous of her, she turned her into a monster and killed all her kids.

It is said that in vengeance, the lamia became a child-eating monster, feared by all mothers.

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5) Crossroad Blues

Supernatural Season 2 Episode 8 saw Sam and Dean travel to a town where people had been selling their souls to Crossroad Demons.

While the episode is easily one of the scariest in the show, it becomes more chilling because it is based on a real urban legend. Crossroad Demons are a popular part of urban mythology, famously known for making deals with humans in exchange for their souls.

Just like Sam and Dean learned that the man in the Supernatural episode died in relation to a black hellhound, crossroad demons are said to be associated with hellhounds, who take human souls in exchange for something. Hellhounds are also symbols of death in Greek mythology, with Cerberus guarding the Underworld.

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Also Read: The Winchester family name in Supernatural is synonymous with this real-life mystery house in San Jose