I have spent the past week researching the original texts history and origins of 'The Boogeyman'.
I have been watching all the filmic versions of the story and reading up on information surrounding the topic, using various sources and forms of media. As a result of this I have discovered various historical references from my research including the original myths behind the tale itself.
The myth based on a real man who would carry orphan babies to the orphanage in baskets or sacks in the 17th century. Victor Hugo wrote about this chracter and cited him as the origin of the Spanish Bogeyman myth. In Spain and Eastern Europe – The Sack Man – carries children away in sacks to eat them. Not a paranormal figure, but a psychotic murderer who is accepted as someone who will take naughty children, or children not home before tea.
This was also found to be linked to an old story told by mothers, of Jewish men who would carry children away in the night in sacks to circumcise and castrate them.
There are many different versions and takes on the original story of the Boogeyman, including a variety of different films. However there is always the constant theme that the Boogeyman is a dark and scary character used to either control children's behaviour though fear. This create is usually portrayed as something that lurks in the cupboard or under the bed of its victim's and only come out at night when its dark and everybody has gone to sleep.
