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
88 creatures at 106 tradition locations · 16 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
- Ainu (1)
- Albania (3)
- Albanians, Balkarians (3)
- Anatolia Turks (3)
- Ancient Greece (5)
- Angola (1)
- Astrakhan Tatars, Karagash Nogai (1)
- Azeris (Azerbaijanis) (1)
- Bashkirs (1)
- Bosnia Muslims (2)
- Bosnians (2)
- Bulgarians, Balkarians (2)
- Byelarusians, Belarusians (2)
- Central Tibetans (Yu Tsang, incl. Sikkim Tibetans, Tichurong of NW Nepal) (2)
- Central Yakuts (Sakha) (1)
- China (2)
- Chukchi (1)
- Chulym Turks (1)
- Chuvash (1)
- Crimean Tatars, Karaims (1)
- Croatians, Croats; Italians of Dalmatia (if the motif is absent among other Italians) (2)
- Cuiva (1)
- Czech, Czechs (2)
- Danes, Danish (3)
- Dolgans (1)
- Dutch, Flemish (2)
- Early Russian written sources (2)
- Eastern Ukrainians (2)
- England (2)
- England, British, Bretons (3)
- Faroe Islands (3)
- Frisians (1)
- Gagauz (1)
- 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 (3)
- Germans: Northeast (Brandenburg, Meklenburg, Rügen, Pommern, Silesia, Posen) (1)
- Germans: South (Upper German dialects): Alsace (Elsass), Baden-Württemberg, Bawaria, Swabia, Switzerland, Bohemia, Sudeten, Austria (1)
- Germans – Southwest: Alsace (Elsass), Baden-Württemberg, Swabia, Switzerland (1)
- Germany (3)
- Germany (1)
- Greece (5)
- Greeks (modern), Balkarians (5)
- Greeks of Cyprus (5)
- Hopi (1)
- Icelanders (3)
- Ireland (1)
- Japan (41)
- Japan (41)
- Japan AD 700-1700 (41)
- Japanese folklore outside of Ryukyu (41)
- Karachays, Balkar (1)
- Kara Kalpak (1)
- Kashubians (2)
- Kazakh (1)
- Kazan (Middle Volga) Tatars (1)
- Khakas (1)
- Khwarezm Uzbek; Turkic written tradition from Kök Orda (1)
- Kirghiz (1)
- Korea (2)
- Koreans (2)
- Kumyk, Terekemen (1)
- Lithuania (1)
- Lithuanians (1)
- Macedonians, Balkarians (2)
- Micmac (1)
- Nepal (1)
- Nepali; Tharu (1)
- Netherlands (1)
- Nogai (1)
- Northeastern Yakuts (Sakha): Yana, Indigirka and Kolyma Basins (1)
- Northern Altai: Chelkan, Kumanda, Tubalar, Altaians (1)
- Northern Ryukyu Islands (with southern Kyusyu in case of absence across the rest of Japan (41)
- Northern Ukrainians (2)
- Northwestern Yakuts (Sakha): Yessey, Anabar, Olenyok and Lower Lena Basins (1)
- Norwegians (3)
- People's Republic of China (2)
- Persians (1)
- Philippines (3)
- Philippines (3)
- Poland (1)
- Poles (3)
- Russia (1)
- Russian Federation (1)
- Russian Pomors ("seasiders"): Lower Pechora (2)
- Russian Pomors ('seasiders'): Terski Coast (Murmansk province) (2)
- Russian Pomors (“seasiders): Arkhangelsk province without its southern part (Shengur district and Konosha dstrict), Karelia White Sea coast (2)
- 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) (2)
- Russians: Novgorod and Pskov provinces (2)
- Russians: Olonets province/SE Karelia, Shengur district of Arkhangelsk province (2)
- 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) (2)
- Russians: Vologda province (incl. Belozersk, Kirillov and Cherepovets districts of form. Novgorod Province) (2)
- Rusyns, Hutsuls (2)
- Salars (1)
- Scandinavia (2)
- 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 (2)
- Shor (1)
- Siberian Tatars (1)
- Slovakians, Slovaks (2)
- Slovenians, Slovenes (2)
- Sorbians (Luzhitsa Serbs) (2)
- Southern Altai: Altai proper (Altai-Kiji), Telengit, Altaians (1)
- Southern and Central; Ryukyu Islands: Yaeyama, Miyako, Okinawa (41)
- Stavropol Turkmen (recent migrants from Mangyshlak Peninsular) (1)
- Swedes (3)
- Terek Cossacks (2)
- Tlingit (1)
- Tofa (Karagas) (1)
- Transylvanian Saksons (1)
- Turkey (1)
- Turkmen (1)
- Tuvinians of Monglian Altai (1)
- Tuvinians of Tuva, Tuvans (1)
- Uyghur (1)
- Uzbek (1)
- Wales (1)
- Wawenock, Abenaki, Penobscot (2)
- Western Ukrainians (2)
- Western Yakuts (Sakha): Olekma and Vilyuy Basins (1)
- Yugur (Sarïg Yogïr, Yellow Uyghur) (1)
Browse the dictionary
104 matching entries
| Creature | Tradition | Description | Map locations |
|---|---|---|---|
| KabouterSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Dutch | Little people that live underground, in mushrooms, or as house spirits | 1 |
| KachinaSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Hopi and Puebloan | Nature spirit | 1 |
| KahakuSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | Little people and water spirits | 5 |
| KajsaSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Scandinavian | Wind spirit | 6 |
| Kalakeyas | Hindu | Descendants of Kala | — |
| KallikantzaroiSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Greek | Grotesque, malevolent spirit | 3 |
| KamaitachiSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | Wind spirit | 5 |
| Kamatayan | Philippine | Philippine counterpart of Death | 1 |
| KamiSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | Nature spirit | 5 |
| KamikiriSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | Hair-cutting spirit | 5 |
| Kanbari-nyūdōSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | Bathroom spirit | 5 |
| KanboSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | Drought spirit | 5 |
| KanedamaSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | Money spirit | 5 |
| Kangla ShaAnimals (suggested)Giants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Meitei mythology | Dragon Lion in the Kangla Palace | 1 |
| KappaSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | Little people and water spirit | 5 |
| KapreSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Philippine | Malevolent tree spirit | 1 |
| KarakoncolosSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Bulgarian and Turkish; also in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia known as Karanđoloz | Troublesome spirit | 1 |
| KarakuraSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Turkish | Male night-demon | 1 |
| Karasu-tengu | Japanese | Tengu with a bird's bill | 5 |
| KarkadannGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Persian | One-horned giant animal | 1 |
| KarkinosGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Greek | Giant crab | 3 |
| KaruraGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Japanese | Eagle-human hybrid | 5 |
| KarzełekSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Polish | Little people and mine spirits | 1 |
| Kasa-obake | Japanese | Animated parasol | 5 |
| KashaAnimals (suggested)Spirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | Cat-like demon which descends from the sky and carries away corpses | 5 |
| Kashanbo | Japanese | Kappa who climb into the mountains for the winter | 5 |
| KatallanGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Albanian | Man-eating giant | 1 |
| Katawa-gurumaHumans (suggested) | Japanese | Woman riding on a flaming wheel | 5 |
| Katsura-otoko | Japanese | Handsome man from the Moon | 5 |
| KaukasSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Lithuanian | Nature spirit | 1 |
| Kawa-uso | Japanese | Supernatural river otter | 5 |
| Kawa-zaruSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | Smelly, cowardly water spirit | 5 |
| KayeriGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Cuiva | Mushroom-like monster | 1 |
| Ke'letsSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested)Giants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Chukchi | Ogre or evil spirit | 1 |
| Kee-wakwGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Abenaki | Half-human half-animal cannibalistic giant | 1 |
| KeelutAnimals (suggested) | Inuit | Hairless dog | — |
| Keibu Keioiba | Meitei | Man with the body of a human but the head of a tiger | 1 |
| KekkaiSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | Amorphous afterbirth spirit | 5 |
| KelpieAnimals (suggested) | Irish and Scottish | Malevolent water horse | 2 |
| KerSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Greek | Female death spirit | 3 |
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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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