Babaduki

The name is an original invention by Kent, inspired by the Serbo-Croatian word for boogeyman, babaroga .

His distinctive look—the top hat, pale face, and elongated fingers—was inspired by Lon Chaney’s character in the lost 1927 silent film London After Midnight . 2. More Than a Monster: A Metaphor for Grief babaduki

One of the most bizarre turns in the "Babaduki" legacy is the character's status as an . The name is an original invention by Kent,

The most likely explanation for the rise of Babaduki is the —a phenomenon where a large group of people remember something differently than how it occurred. More Than a Monster: A Metaphor for Grief

This usage probably emerged spontaneously on text-based forums in the early 2010s, perhaps as a mishearing of "Baba Yaga" (the famous Slavic witch) or a mashup of "Babadook" (the horror film monster) and "yuki" (Japanese for snow, or a common name ending). Once uttered, its viral, ear-worm quality allowed it to spread.