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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beast of Bray RoadGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | American Folklore | Werewolf | — |
| Beast of GévaudanGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | France | French werewolf | 1 |
| Beast of the EarthGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Not specified | A description has not yet been recorded. | — |
| BehemothGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Jewish | Massive beast, possibly like a dinosaur or elephant | — |
| BendigeidfranGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Welsh | Giant king | 1 |
| BennuDivine and sacred beings (suggested) | Egyptian | Heron-like, regenerative bird, equivalent to (or inspiration for) the Phoenix | 1 |
| BerehyniaSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Slavic | Water spirit | 27 |
| BergrisarGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Norse | Mountain giants who live alongside the Hrimthursar (lit. "Rime-Giants") in Jotunheim | — |
| BergsråSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Norse | Mountain spirit | — |
| Bestial beastGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Brazilian | Centauroid specter | — |
| Betobeto-sanSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | Invisible spirit which follows people at night, making the sound of footsteps | 5 |
| BhūtaThe dead and disembodied souls (suggested) | Buddhist and Hindu | Ghost of someone killed by execution or suicide | — |
| Bi-bloukGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Khoikhoi | Female, cannibalistic, partially invisible monster | 1 |
| BichuraSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Turkic | House spirit that can take the form of cats or dogs | 35 |
| BicornGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Not specified | Human-faced cow that feeds on good men | — |
| BiesSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Slavic | Demon | 27 |
| BigfootGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | American Folklore | Forest-dwelling hominid cryptid. | — |
| BinbōgamiDivine and sacred beings (suggested) | Japanese | Spirit of poverty | 5 |
| BiscioneAnimals (suggested) | Heraldic | Large grass snake | — |
| Bishop-fishGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Medieval Bestiaries | Fish-like humanoid | — |
| Biwa-bokubokuPersonified nature and animated objects (suggested) | Japanese | Animated biwa | 5 |
| BixiGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Chinese | Dragon with the shell of a turtle | 1 |
| Black AnnisGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | English | Blue-faced hag | 2 |
| Black DogSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | British | Canine death spirit | 1 |
| Black Lady of Bradley WoodsThe dead and disembodied souls (suggested) | English | Female ghost which reportedly haunts the woods near the village of Bradley, Lincolnshire, England | 2 |
| Black ShuckSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Not specified | Norfolk, Essex, and Suffolk black dog | — |
| Blafard | Not specified | Imaginary creature from the early United States of America | — |
| BlemmyaeGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Medieval Bestiary | Headless humanoid with face in torso | — |
| Bloody BonesSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Not specified | Water bogeyman | — |
| BłudnikSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Slavic | Mischievous gnome | 27 |
| BluecapSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | English | Mine-dwelling fairy | 2 |
| Blue CrowGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Brazilian | Giant amazonian bird | — |
| BodachSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Scottish | Malevolent spirit | 1 |
| BogeymanSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | English | Malevolent spirit | 2 |
| BoggartSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | English | Malevolent household spirit | 2 |
| BoginkiSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Slavic | Nature spirit | 27 |
| BogleSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Scottish | Malevolent spirit | 1 |
| Boi-tatáGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Brazilian | Giant snake | — |
| BokkenrijdersSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested)The dead and disembodied souls (suggested) | Dutch | Ghosts/devils riding flying goats; co-opted by bandits to instil fear during raids | 1 |
| BollaGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Albanian | Dragon | 1 |
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