Bottler

water-spirit · Netherlands · Germanic

The Bottler is a malevolent water spirit from Dutch folklore, particularly known in the rural provinces of Brabant and Zeeland. Often called the Flodder or Watervlodder, this nocturnal tormentor lurks in polders, ditches, and soggy pastures, waiting for unsuspecting travelers who venture too close to the water after dark. It is said that the creature earns its name from the wet, slapping sound it makes when it emerges from the water onto dry land, a noise witnesses describe as similar to a barking otter or a heavy fish flopping onto mud

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