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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| BolotnikSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Slavic | Male swamp spirit | 27 |
| BonnaconGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Medieval Bestiaries | Bull-horse hybrid with flaming dung | — |
| BoobrieGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Scottish | Roaring water bird | 1 |
| Boo HagSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | American Folklore | Vampire-like creature that steals energy from sleeping victims | — |
| BoroborotonPersonified nature and animated objects (suggested) | Japanese | Animated futon | 5 |
| BozaloshtshSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Slavic | Death spirit | 27 |
| BragSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | English | Malevolent water horse | 2 |
| British big catAnimals (suggested) | English | mysterious black panther | 2 |
| BrownieSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | English and Scottish | Benevolent household spirit | 3 |
| BroxaAnimals (suggested) | Jewish | Nocturnal bird that drains goats of their milk | — |
| BuccaSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Cornish | Male sea-spirit, a merman, that inhabited mines and coastal communities as a hobgoblin during storms | — |
| BugbearSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | English | Bearlike goblin | 2 |
| BugganeGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Manx | Ogre-like humanoid | — |
| Bugul NozSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Celtic | Extremely ugly, but kind, forest spirit | 3 |
| BukavacGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Serbia | Six-legged lake monster | — |
| BulgaeGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Korean | Fire dog | 1 |
| Bunny Man | American Folklore; Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. Urban Legend | Spirit/Maniac that wears a bunny costume and wields an ax | — |
| BunyipGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Australian Aboriginal | Horse-walrus hybrid lake monster | — |
| Bush Dai DaiSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Guyanese | Spirit that seduces and kills men | — |
| ByangomaAnimals (suggested) | Bengali | Fortune-telling birds | 1 |
| BysenSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Scandinavian | Diminutive forest spirit | 6 |
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How to cite: Fielder-White, Jonathan (2026). The Folklore Database. Citation version 1.261029.1 (29 October 2026). https://folkloredatabase.com.
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