Mullo (2)
ALSO KNOWN AS:
Mulo; the plural is Mulé
ORIGIN:
Romani (Gypsy)
In the Romani language, Mullo literally means “dead one” or “one who is dead.” Theoretically everyone becomes a Mullo at death, but the average Mullo who rests quietly in peace isn’t the stuff of legends.
• The word Mullo may be used to indicate a fetch or spirit-double.
• Mullo names revenants who return to haunt loved ones and relatives left behind.
A Mullo may be protective, benevolent, dangerous, or malignant. Some return to protect loved ones. A Mullo may simply long for the presence of its loved ones and do no harm (or at least not intentionally). Others are hungry ghosts, lusting for sex, vitality, the essence of life, or yang energy. The Mullo may vampirize the living, not by drinking blood but by absorbing their aura or life-essence. A Mullo may return every night to have sex with former partners. Although not necessarily intended badly, this may ultimately have a debilitatingly vampiric effect, drawing out their life essence.
A Mullo appears in the fifth season of the television series Charmed to deliver a warning to a loved one.
The most dangerous Mullo tend to be deceased children, especially stillborn children. The Mullo is active after dark, but it is most powerful at the exact moment of noon. According to Romani cosmology, at this precise moment, everything belongs to the Mullo, to the realm of death. It’s theorized that this is because at this moment, the shadow does not exist or is not visible.
MANIFESTATION:
Mullo take various forms. A Mullo may appear as an obviously reanimated corpse—akin to a Hollywood zombie—as a pale specter like a classical ghost, or as odd, disembodied lights.
Date: The Mullo is considered especially powerful and dangerous on New Year’s Eve, the threshold between the old and new years.
SEE ALSO:
Ghost; Hone-Onna; Pixie; Vam pire
SOURCE:
Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses – Written by : Judika Illes Copyright © 2009 by Judika Illes.