A great legend of the Midwest is introduced to us in Laurell K. Hamilton's fifth book Bloody Bones, but not much is explained about him beyond the fact that he is a fairytale. Here is the information gathered about Rawhead and Bloody Bones, the bogeyman.

The Legend

According to gathered information, Rawhead and Bloody Bones comes from Ireland and is sometimes called Bloody-Bones, Tommy Rawhead, or "Rawhead". Though the stories originated from Ireland, they have spread through the UK and North America, and the stories still hold strong in the south.
It is said to live near places of water (in older tellings) and under sink pipes (in newer tellings).


Rawhead and Bloody Bones rewards very good children, but will punish naughty children by dragging them down the drainpipes or into the water and drowning them. In addition to drowning naughty children, it is said to be able to turn them into objects such as pieces of trash or spots of jam, which are inadvertently cleaned-up and thrown out by unwitting parents.


For the purpose of the Anita Blake novels, Bloody Bones slices its victims to death with a short sword or scimitar. Very little information about its appearance is given, beyond the facts that it is tall, around ten feet, muscular and ugly. We are also informed that its head is covered in raw, pulsating skin and that its voice is deep and gravelly.

Other Appearances

• A crouching rock-like hairy creature
• A gremlin with twisted flesh
• A dog or old man covered in scabs
• A burn victim, but with sharp claws and teeth
• A giant razorback boar with missing pieces of flesh
• A hairy creature with long fangs, a bushy tale, and razor claws
• In some tellings, he can take any form he chooses

The information from this page comes from:
Wikipedia
Bloody Bones, the novel

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