AKA: Big Heads, Kunenhrayenhnenh, Dagwanoeient, Whirlwind

Tribal affiliation: Iroquois, Wyandot

Creatures of macabre legend, Flying Heads are microbial beings that bring disembodied heads to life, transforming the body part into a thing of nightmares. Moving as a swarm, flying through the air like a cloud of gnats, these minuscule creatures seek out hosts—where they feed, multiple, and die. According to Iroquois and Wyandot folklore, Flying Heads are spawned from brutal murders, mass graves, and cannibal nests; in reality, the microbes can take over any severed head, though they are attracted to gore and strong scents of death, explaining their associations with such gruesome scenes. No legends, however, account for the primordial, man-eating monsters' origin—though many believe they have existed since ancient times, able to thrive upon any head-bearing species.

When a Big Head swarm comes into contact with a disembodied head, the microbes fill it with their numerous bodies; as the creatures break down the carnage, they rapidly, repeatedly go through binary fission, further engorging the head. As they feed, chemicals are…