Urban Legends

Santhi Mariyanbu

Origin: Maldives

Santhi Mariyanbu is a chilling figure from Maldivian folklore, often described as a terrifying counterpart to the Western Tooth Fairy. Unlike her gentle Western cousin, who rewards children for lost teeth, Santhi Mariyanbu is feared as a night-stalking demon who punishes those who neglect their oral hygiene. 

According to the legend, she prowls the quiet homes of islanders in the dead of night, drawn to the scent of unbrushed or decaying teeth. Children are warned that if they go to bed without brushing, she may come for them, ripping out their rotten teeth or, in darker versions of the tale, abducting them or causing them to disappear.

Her appearance is as horrifying as her intent. Stories describe her as a hunched, ghostly woman with matted hair, claw-like nails, and an unsettling presence. In some versions, she is portrayed as cannibalistic or part of an older tradition of female demons that haunt the Maldivian islands. 

Her name, Santhi Mariyanbu, suggests a possible historical link to "Saint Mary," introduced to the Maldives during the brief Portuguese colonial era. Over time, this Christian figure may have been transformed through local oral storytelling into a more ominous character, blending religious iconography with pre-Islamic folklore about spirits and demons.

Though she may have begun as a cautionary tale to encourage children to brush their teeth, Santhi Mariyanbu has become something deeper, a reflection of how outside influences can merge with indigenous beliefs to form new mythologies. Modern retellings on social media platforms like TikTok have revived her story, turning her into a viral icon of Maldivian horror. Yet beneath the memes and dramatizations lies a powerful example of how folklore adapts, carrying with it fragments of history, culture, and the fears of the communities that tell it.