Name: Babau (also known as Babao)
Location/Origin: Italy — especially Northern and Central regions like Veneto, Lombardy, and Emilia-Romagna
Powers: Instills fear and dread; can sense disobedience in children; manifests in shadows or dark corners
Appearance: Tall, thin man in a long trench coat with a hoodie obscuring most of his face. Glowing yellow eyes pierce through the darkness. Sometimes faceless or barely visible, depending on the fear he feeds from
Specific Danger: Psychological terror. Doesn’t harm physically — he waits, watches, and feeds on fear. Children report sleepless nights, paranoia, and dread after an encounter
Evolution: Originated as a vague “boogeyman” used to discipline children. Over time, he evolved into a more defined urban figure — a humanoid shadow in modern clothes, blending into the crowd but always standing slightly too still, watching
No one really knows what Babau looks like — and that’s part of what makes him terrifying.In traditional Italian folklore, Babau was never clearly described. He was a shadow, a threat, a whispered name used by parents when a child misbehaved. “If you don’t eat your dinner… if you don’t go to bed… the Babau will come.” He wasn’t tied to a place, or a time, or even a form — he was simply the thing that waits in the dark. But over the years, as stories passed from village to village and then into cities, some began to give him shape. They say he’s tall. A little too tall. And thin — almost gaunt, like someone stretched him out just slightly beyond human. He wears a long trench coat and a hoodie, the hood pulled low, shadowing a pale, sharp face with unsettling yellow eyes that never blink. Sometimes he’s seen lingering at the edge of crowds, standing too still. Other times, he’s mistaken for a passerby — until he isn’t. These are modern descriptions, of course. Interpretations, shaped by the fears of a different generation. But isn’t that what Babau always was? A mirror of our worst imaginings? He doesn’t speak. He doesn’t chase. He just watches. And if you sense him watching you — it’s already too late to pretend you didn’t.
Warning to Travelers:
If you feel someone watching you on a busy Italian street — but no one is there when you turn — don’t look again.
Babau thrives on attention.
The more you notice him, the more real he becomes. Avoid poorly lit alleyways alone at night, especially in Northern towns. If a tall, hooded man stops near your table and doesn’t order anything, do not make eye contact. Leave calmly. Return to a well-lit space. And whatever you do — don’t bring him up in conversation around children. That’s how he finds them.
Symbolism of Babau:
Babau represents childhood fear of the unknown — that creeping unease we never quite grow out of. He is the embodiment of every warning we were given without explanation.
“Don’t go there.”
“Be good.”
“Or else.” But in modern times, Babau has come to symbolize something deeper: the silent presence of dread in public life. Anxieties we suppress. The stranger who seems too familiar. The sense that we’re being watched — even in a crowd. He’s a warning, yes — but also a mirror of what fear becomes when left unchecked.