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
19 creatures at 53 tradition locations · 14 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
- Bosnia Muslims (1)
- Bosnians (1)
- Bretagne (1)
- Bulgarians, Balkarians (1)
- Byelarusians, Belarusians (1)
- China (3)
- Croatians, Croats; Italians of Dalmatia (if the motif is absent among other Italians) (1)
- Czech, Czechs (1)
- Danes, Danish (3)
- Dutch, Flemish (2)
- Early Russian written sources (1)
- Eastern Ukrainians (1)
- England (1)
- England, British, Bretons (3)
- Faroe Islands (3)
- France (1)
- France (1)
- Frisians (2)
- Germans: North (Low- and Central German dialects): Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg, Pommern, Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony, incl East Frisia and Oldenburg), Nordrhein-Westfalen, Hessen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Thüringen, Saxony-Anhalt, Sachsen, Brandenburg, Rügen (2)
- Germans: Northeast (Brandenburg, Meklenburg, Rügen, Pommern, Silesia, Posen) (2)
- Germans: South (Upper German dialects): Alsace (Elsass), Baden-Württemberg, Bawaria, Swabia, Switzerland, Bohemia, Sudeten, Austria (2)
- Germans – Southwest: Alsace (Elsass), Baden-Württemberg, Swabia, Switzerland (2)
- Icelanders (3)
- Ireland (7)
- Ireland (5)
- Japan (3)
- Japan (3)
- Japan AD 700-1700 (3)
- Japanese folklore outside of Ryukyu (3)
- Kashubians (1)
- Macedonians, Balkarians (1)
- Northern Ryukyu Islands (with southern Kyusyu in case of absence across the rest of Japan (3)
- Northern Ukrainians (1)
- Norwegians (3)
- People's Republic of China (3)
- Poles (1)
- Russian Pomors ("seasiders"): Lower Pechora (1)
- Russian Pomors ('seasiders'): Terski Coast (Murmansk province) (1)
- Russian Pomors (“seasiders): Arkhangelsk province without its southern part (Shengur district and Konosha dstrict), Karelia White Sea coast (1)
- 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) (1)
- Russians: Novgorod and Pskov provinces (1)
- Russians: Olonets province/SE Karelia, Shengur district of Arkhangelsk province (1)
- 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) (1)
- Russians: Vologda province (incl. Belozersk, Kirillov and Cherepovets districts of form. Novgorod Province) (1)
- Rusyns, Hutsuls (1)
- Scandinavia (1)
- Scandinavians: early written sources ("Edda"; Saxo Grammaticus etc.); Gothland picture stones; Ancient Germans (Late Bronze Age in Scandinavia) (3)
- Scotland, Scots, Picts, Scotti, Scottish (3)
- Serbs, Monte Negro, Balkarians (1)
- Slovakians, Slovaks (1)
- Slovenians, Slovenes (1)
- Sorbians (Luzhitsa Serbs) (1)
- Southern and Central; Ryukyu Islands: Yaeyama, Miyako, Okinawa (3)
- Swedes (3)
- Terek Cossacks (1)
- Transylvanian Saksons (2)
- Wales (1)
- Western Ukrainians (1)
Browse the dictionary
33 matching entries
| Creature | Tradition | Description | Map locations |
|---|---|---|---|
| FachenGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Irish and Scottish | Monster with half a body | 2 |
| FafnirSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Germanic mythology | Dwarf who was cursed and turned into a dragon. He was later slain by Sigurd in the Saga of Nibelung. | 15 |
| FairySpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | many cultures worldwide, esp. Germanic mythology/folklore | Nature spirits | — |
| FalakAnimals (suggested)Giants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Arabian | Giant serpent | — |
| Familiar | English | Animal servant | 2 |
| Far darrigSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Irish | Little people that constantly play pranks | 1 |
| FarfadetSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | French | Small (some half-meter tall), wrinkled, and brown-skinned helpful sprites. | 1 |
| FaunSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested)Giants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Roman | Human-goat hybrid nature spirit | — |
| Fear gortaThe dead and disembodied souls (suggested) | Irish | Hunger ghost | 1 |
| Fearsome critters | American | A description has not yet been recorded. | — |
| Feathered SerpentDivine and sacred beings (suggested)Giants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Mesoamerican | Dragon deity | — |
| Fei LianDivine and sacred beings (suggested) | Chinese | Chinese wind god | 1 |
| Fenghuang | Chinese | Chinese Phoenix, female in marriage symbol | 1 |
| FenodyreeSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Manx | House spirit | — |
| FenrirAnimals (suggested) | Norse | Gigantic, ravenous wolf | — |
| Fetch | Irish | Double or doppelgänger | 1 |
| FextThe dead and disembodied souls (suggested) | Slavic | Undead | 27 |
| FinfolkGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Orkney | Fish-human hybrid that kidnaps humans for servants | — |
| Fir Bolg | Irish | Ancestral race | 1 |
| FirebirdAnimals (suggested) | Many cultures worldwide | Regenerative solar bird | — |
| FiredrakeGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Germanic | Dragon | 15 |
| Fish-man | Cantabrian | Amphibious, scaled humanoid | — |
| Flatwoods MonsterGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | American, West Virginia | Alien, humanoid | — |
| FomorianGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Irish | Goat-headed giant | 1 |
| Forest BullGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Medieval Bestiaries | Giant horned red cattle | — |
| Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse | Not specified | A description has not yet been recorded. | — |
| FreybugAnimals (suggested) | Norfolk | black dog | — |
| FuathSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Celtic | Malevolent water spirit | 3 |
| FucanglongGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Chinese | Underworld dragon | 1 |
| FunayūreiThe dead and disembodied souls (suggested) | Japanese | Ghosts of people who drowned at sea | 5 |
| Furu-utsubo | Japanese | Animated jar | 5 |
| Futakuchi-onna | Japanese | Woman with a second mouth on the back of her head | 5 |
| Fylgja | Scandinavian | Animal familiar | 6 |
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How to cite: Fielder-White, Jonathan (2026). The Folklore Database. Citation version 1.261028.1 (28 October 2026). https://folkloredatabase.com.
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