Bunabuna

Lore

Bunabuna (Spirit) - New Guinea - Malevolent spirits that hunt people.

Bunabuna is a spiteful entity that preys on humans. It falls into the category of territorial spirits—beings famed for their unpredictability, danger, and lack of morality. Take note: Bunabuna is not a demon in the strict sense, but a vicious force of nature born from a concentrated well of ill will.

The name Bunabuna ties the spirit to the Buna region of Oro Province, Papua New Guinea. Although this spirit is undeniably deadly, Polynesian lore insists it can be driven out if one learns and pronounces its true name. First, however, a ritual must be performed to discover that name; only then can it be spoken aloud to banish the spirit. In its material, combat-ready form, Bunabuna manifests as a large, ogre-sized, anthropomorphic horror.

An encounter with Bunabuna is unforgettable. The entity specializes in inflicting gruesome, ragged, never-healing wounds. In its physical state it wields sharp, glassy—perhaps volcanic—claws reminiscent of obsidian. It also commands visual and auditory illusions: it may appear in mist or twilight while unleashing unsettling sounds, or it may mimic noises— even human voices— to lure travelers into ambushes.

Bunabuna is solitary and exclusively nocturnal. It stalks loners, isolates them, then strikes with its claws. Survivors say it all begins quietly: a hunter, forager, or weary traveler lingers on a forest trail and suddenly hears a familiar whisper: “Hey, wait… come here, I know a shortcut.” The voice seems close, yet each time the listener moves toward it, the whisper drifts farther away. If the victim follows, he leaves the path without noticing; the voice leads him ever deeper, to a place where the spirit can enact its ancient malice. Soon the village lies impossibly far behind, and between the trees it grows as dark as a starless midnight.