Tickling in folklore: the rusalka!

[MikeMenace]

In Slavic folklore it's common to have some crazy nymphs who like to do mischeveous stuff: like dancing with men until they die of exhaustion or in some version tickle them to death. Rusalka is just one of the examples.

A Rusalka would tickle men to death. A Poludnica (Lady Midday) would dance men to death. Because the Slavs have a sexy demon lady for a variety of kinks. The former could be found hanging out by the lake, the latter preferred a wheat field on a hot summer day.

Also, according to some versions of the myth a Rusalka would first drag a man under water and then tickle.

But on a more serious note, demons and monsters are essentially folklore PSA. The Rusalka myth warned you about drowning, the Poludnica - about sun stroke. If I recall correctly, the Inuit Mahaha myth that the others have mentioned had something to do with the symptoms of hypothermia.