Resources · Creatures, spirits & other beings
Folklore Dictionary
Meet the beings of folklore: explore their names, descriptions and associated traditions, from familiar creatures to less familiar inhabitants of the otherworld.
1,598 reference entries · Browse A–Z or explore by place
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Creature coverage
Zoom or move the map, then choose “Filter to this area” to list creatures with a tradition location in that view. You can combine this with a character family or a search term.
Creatures associated with a tradition
62 creatures at 95 tradition locations · 39 without tradition coordinates
Markers use tradition coordinates linked through source names, recorded aliases, language groups or reviewed associations. Language-group links show cultural context, rather than verified creature occurrences in every tradition. Creatures sharing a location are grouped; select a marker to see their names. Counts cover all matching entries across every results page.
Use the location filter or the list below to browse associated places.
Browse associated places without the map
- Albania (3)
- Albanians, Balkarians (3)
- Anatolia Turks (2)
- Ancient Egypt, Egyptian (2)
- Astrakhan Tatars, Karagash Nogai (2)
- Azeris (Azerbaijanis) (2)
- Bashkirs (2)
- Basques (1)
- Bengali (1)
- Bosnia Muslims (9)
- Bosnians (9)
- Brazil (3)
- Bretagne (2)
- Bulgarians, Balkarians (9)
- Byelarusians, Belarusians (9)
- Central Yakuts (Sakha) (2)
- China (5)
- Chulym Turks (2)
- Chuvash (2)
- Crimean Tatars, Karaims (2)
- Croatians, Croats; Italians of Dalmatia (if the motif is absent among other Italians) (9)
- Czech, Czechs (9)
- Danes, Danish (1)
- Dolgans (2)
- Dutch, Flemish (1)
- Early Russian written sources (9)
- Eastern Ukrainians (9)
- Egypt (2)
- England (9)
- England, British, Bretons (10)
- Faroe Islands (1)
- France (1)
- France (1)
- Gagauz (2)
- Guyana (1)
- Icelanders (1)
- India (1)
- Indonesia (1)
- Indonesia (1)
- Ireland (2)
- Ireland (4)
- Italians: Central (Toscana, Umbria, Marche, Lazio) (2)
- Italy (2)
- Japan (8)
- Japan (8)
- Japan AD 700-1700 (8)
- Japanese folklore outside of Ryukyu (8)
- Karachays, Balkar (2)
- Kara Kalpak (2)
- Kashubians (9)
- Kazakh (2)
- Kazan (Middle Volga) Tatars (2)
- Khakas (2)
- Khoekhoe (=Hottentot; incl Nama, Korana); Damara (1)
- Khwarezm Uzbek; Turkic written tradition from Kök Orda (2)
- Kirghiz (2)
- Korea (1)
- Koreans (1)
- Kumyk, Terekemen (2)
- Lithuania (1)
- Lithuanians (1)
- Macedonians, Balkarians (9)
- Netherlands (1)
- Nogai (2)
- Northeastern Yakuts (Sakha): Yana, Indigirka and Kolyma Basins (2)
- Northern Altai: Chelkan, Kumanda, Tubalar, Altaians (2)
- Northern Ryukyu Islands (with southern Kyusyu in case of absence across the rest of Japan (8)
- Northern Ukrainians (9)
- Northwestern Yakuts (Sakha): Yessey, Anabar, Olenyok and Lower Lena Basins (2)
- Norwegians (1)
- Ossetians (1)
- People's Republic of China (5)
- Persians (1)
- Philippines (3)
- Philippines (3)
- Poles (9)
- Romania (1)
- Russian Pomors ("seasiders"): Lower Pechora (9)
- Russian Pomors ('seasiders'): Terski Coast (Murmansk province) (9)
- Russian Pomors (“seasiders): Arkhangelsk province without its southern part (Shengur district and Konosha dstrict), Karelia White Sea coast (9)
- Russians: Central part of ethnic territory as in A.D. 1500 (Tver, Yaroslavl, Moscow, Kostroma, Vladimir, Ivanovo, Nizhny Novgorod, Ryazan, Tula, Kaluga, Smolensk provinces; in case of absence in other areas also Russians in Vyatka, Perm, Kazan provinces) (9)
- Russians: Novgorod and Pskov provinces (9)
- Russians: Olonets province/SE Karelia, Shengur district of Arkhangelsk province (9)
- Russians: Southern part of ethnic territory as in A.D. 1500 (Belgorod, Voronezh, Tambov, Penza, Lipetsk, Orel, Kursk, Bryansk provinces; in case of absence in other areas also Russians in Samara, Simbirsk and Saratov provinces) (9)
- Russians: Vologda province (incl. Belozersk, Kirillov and Cherepovets districts of form. Novgorod Province) (9)
- Rusyns, Hutsuls (9)
- Salars (2)
- Scandinavia (1)
- Scandinavians: early written sources ("Edda"; Saxo Grammaticus etc.); Gothland picture stones; Ancient Germans (Late Bronze Age in Scandinavia) (1)
- Scotland, Scots, Picts, Scotti, Scottish (4)
- Scythians, Scythe (1)
- Serbia (2)
- Serbs, Monte Negro, Balkarians (9)
- Shor (2)
- Siberian Tatars (2)
- Slovakians, Slovaks (9)
- Slovenians, Slovenes (9)
- Sorbians (Luzhitsa Serbs) (9)
- Southern Altai: Altai proper (Altai-Kiji), Telengit, Altaians (2)
- Southern and Central; Ryukyu Islands: Yaeyama, Miyako, Okinawa (8)
- Stavropol Turkmen (recent migrants from Mangyshlak Peninsular) (2)
- Swedes (1)
- Terek Cossacks (9)
- Tofa (Karagas) (2)
- Turkmen (2)
- Tuvinians of Monglian Altai (2)
- Tuvinians of Tuva, Tuvans (2)
- Uyghur (2)
- Uzbek (2)
- Wales (3)
- Western Ukrainians (9)
- Western Yakuts (Sakha): Olekma and Vilyuy Basins (2)
- Yugur (Sarïg Yogïr, Yellow Uyghur) (2)
Browse the dictionary
101 matching entries
| Creature | Tradition | Description | Map locations |
|---|---|---|---|
| BaThe dead and disembodied souls (suggested) | Egyptian | Soul of the deceased, depicted as a bird or a human-headed bird | 1 |
| Baba YagaSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Slavic | Forest spirit and hag | 27 |
| Babi ngepetGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Indonesia | Monster boar | 1 |
| BaccooSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Guyanese/Surinamese | Malevolent little people | — |
| BadaliscGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Italian | Goat-like creature from the southern central Alps | 1 |
| Bahamut | Arabian | Very powerful dragon-like demon | — |
| Bai ZeGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Chinese | Talking beast which handed down knowledge on harmful spirits | 1 |
| Ba Jiao GuiSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Chinese | Banana tree spirit | 1 |
| BakSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Indian | Assamese shape-shifting aqueous creature | — |
| Bake-kujiraThe dead and disembodied souls (suggested) | Japanese | Ghostly whale skeleton that drifts along the coastline of Shimane Prefecture | 5 |
| BakenekoAnimals (suggested) | Japanese | Magical cat | 5 |
| BakezōriPersonified nature and animated objects (suggested) | Japanese | Animated straw sandal | 5 |
| BakhtakSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Iranian | Night demon named Shaina | 3 |
| BakuGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Japanese | Dream-devouring, tapir-like creature | 5 |
| BakunawaGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Philippine | Sea serpent that causes eclipses | 1 |
| BalaurGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Romanian | Multi-headed dragon | — |
| BalozGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Albanian | Sea monster | 1 |
| BannikSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Slavic | Bathhouse spirit | 27 |
| BansheeSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Irish | Screaming death spirit | 1 |
| Baobhan SithSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Celtic Mythology | Beautiful vampiric seductresses who prey on young travelers | 3 |
| BardhaSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Albanian | Mountain spirit | 1 |
| BardiSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Trabzon | Shapechanging death spirit | — |
| BarghestSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Not specified | Yorkshire black dog | — |
| Bar JuchneGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Jewish | Gigantic bird | — |
| Barnacle GeeseAnimals (suggested) | Medieval folklore | Geese which hatch from barnacles | — |
| BarometzGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Medieval folklore | Plant-lamb hybrid | — |
| BarongSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Balinese | Tutelary spirit | — |
| BasajaunGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Basque | Ancestral, megalith-building race | 1 |
| Baš ČelikGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Serbian | Powerful, evil winged man whose soul is not held by his body and can be subdued only by causing him to suffer dehydration | — |
| BasheGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Chinese | Elephant-swallowing serpent | 1 |
| Basilisco ChiloteGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Chilota | Chicken-serpent hybrid | — |
| BasiliskGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Italian | Multi-limbed, venomous lizard | 1 |
| BastySpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Turkic | Evil spirit or goblin of bad dreams | 35 |
| BathalaDivine and sacred beings (suggested) | Philippine | Primordial god of creation | 1 |
| BatibatSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Philippine | Female night-demon | 1 |
| BatsuSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Chinese | Drought spirit | 1 |
| BaubasSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Lithuanian | Malevolent spirit | 1 |
| BaukGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Slavic | Darkness beast | 27 |
| BaykokSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Ojibwa | Flying skeleton | — |
| Bean NigheSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Irish | Death spirit; a type of Banshee/Bean Sídhe) | 1 |
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