Parents around the globe have been using threats of fictional “enforces” for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Some parents decide that the use of a made-up character who represents a threat to their children makes it easier to get them to comply with their wishes. Some of the fictional characters that are invoked by angry or frustrated parents have names that have been passed on from generation to generation, and the practice is likely to continue. Some of these characters are actually quite colorful and even downright weird. Perhaps you recognize some of these names from your own childhood.

1. Kotgahm

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This is Korea’s version of the bogeyman, who is said to come and carry unruly children away in a sack. The word also means persimmon, since it was used in Korean folklore as a treat that was given to a crying child, sparing it from being devoured by a hungry tiger who apparently disliked the sound of a crying child. Perhaps it’s a difficult connection to piece together if you did not grow up in Korea, but we just like trying to pronounce “kotgahm.”