The BoogeyMan! Ahhhh!

Have you ever stared at your closet door late at night when you were alone and imagined it slowly sliding open from the inside? Have you ever checked underneath your bed to make sure no one was hiding there and waiting for you to fall asleep? There is no physical embodiment of this fear, but there is a word for it. This entity is the master of bedroom fright, and is known as the " Boogeyman". 
Where the heck did this darn boogeyman come from? I was scared of finding this dude under my bed when I was younger, and now I can get my  niece and nephews to behave, or else I call this boogeyman on my cell phone!  The bogeyman legend originates from Scotland, where such creatures are sometimes called bogles, boggarts, or bogies. The bogeyman changes description from region to region but generally means a person that causes irrational fear.




It's common knowledge that the Boogeyman is the Santa Claus of horror. Parents use this creature with a heart of darkness, that resides in a realm that somehow allows it to warp into any child's closet and reek havoc. This tale is key in teaching children obedience via supposed "hollow" threats. "If you aren't good the Boogeyman will get you, " they might say to their frightened young lings. Then, as parents bask in the warmth of a well-oiled order-taking child, they realize they've instilled fear in them that will take many restless nights to go away. The lights will go out and the nightmares will begin.