There’s a surprising amount of cryptids that tickle people to death lolol like the mahaha from Inuit stories
So I did some research (because you can’t just mention multiple tickle cryptids and expect me not to google that endlessly) and you’re right, there’s a ton. The Mahaha itself I thought was interesting, as it’s described as a humanoid creature with long fingernails, and, according to the Wikipedia page for some game called Warriors of Myth, “...if an Aboriginal was found dead with a bizarre smile across his or her face, the tribe assumed it was the work of the Mahaha....”
Among the Mahaha and the Mavka previously mentioned, there is also the Surale, a woolly shapeshifter who plays tricks on farmers, one of which is often leading them astray and tickling them to death. There’s also the Archura, also a shapeshifter (lots of shapeshifters in these mythologies), who is described as a mischievous creatures who imitates other’s voices to lure victims into his cave whereupon he tickles them to death. Finally, closely related to the earlier Surale is the Leshy from Slavic mythology, who who embodies much of the same traits and mannerisms.
There appear to be a lot of tickle-themed cryptids, strangely, sprinkled all throughout different cultures. It would be cool if one existed where the tickling didn’t end in death, but one can only hope I suppose.
