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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kesaran-pasaranSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | Mysterious, white, fluffy creature | 5 |
| KeukegenSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | Disease spirit | 5 |
| KeythongGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Heraldic | Wingless griffin | — |
| KhalkotauroiGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested)Personified nature and animated objects (suggested) | Greek | Bronze-hoofed bulls | 3 |
| KholomodumoGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Sotho | Gluttonous monster that was one of the first beasts of creation | — |
| KhyahGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Nepalese | Fat, hairy ape-like creature | 1 |
| KigatilikSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Inuit | Night-demon | — |
| KijimunaSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Ryukyuan | Tree sprite from Okinawa | — |
| KijoSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | She-devil | 5 |
| KikimoraSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Slavic | Female house spirit | 27 |
| KillmoulisSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | English and Scottish | Ugly, mischievous mill spirit | 3 |
| Kin-uGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Japanese | Bird | 5 |
| KinnaraGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Hindu | Human-bird hybrid | — |
| KirinGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Japanese | Japanese Unicorn | 5 |
| KishiSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested)Giants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Angola | Malevolent, two-faced seducer | 1 |
| KitsuneSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | Fox spirit | 5 |
| Kitsune-TsukiHumans (suggested) | Japanese | Person possessed by a fox spirit | 5 |
| KiyohimeHumans (suggested)Giants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Japanese | Woman who transformed into a serpentine demon out of the rage of unrequited love | 5 |
| KlabautermannSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | German | Ship spirit | 1 |
| Knocker (folklore)Spirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Cornish and Welsh | Little people and mine spirits | 1 |
| KnuckerGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | English | Water dragon | 2 |
| Ko-gokGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Abenaki | Hideous monster | 1 |
| KobalosSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Greek | Goblin like thieves and tricksters | 3 |
| KoboldSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | German | Little people and mine or house spirits | 1 |
| KodamaSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | Tree spirit | 5 |
| KofewaltSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Germanic | House spirit | 15 |
| KokakuchōGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested)The dead and disembodied souls (suggested) | Japanese | Ubume bird | 5 |
| KomainuGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Japanese | Protective animal | 5 |
| Konaki-jijiSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | Infant that cries until it is picked up, then increases its weight and crushes its victim | 5 |
| Konoha-tenguSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | Bird-like creature | 5 |
| KonrulGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Turkic | Bird that is reborn | 35 |
| Koro-pok-guruSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Ainu | Little people | 1 |
| KorriganSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Breton | Little people and nature spirits | — |
| KoshcheiHumans (suggested) | Russian | Villainous figure that is unkillable, usually by hiding "his death" inside objects to protect it | 1 |
| Koto-furunushiPersonified nature and animated objects (suggested) | Japanese | Animated koto | 5 |
| KrakenGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Scandinavian | Sea monster | 6 |
| KrampusSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Germany | Christmas Devil who punishes badly-behaved children | 1 |
| KrasnoludekSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Slavic | Little people nature spirits | 27 |
| KrasueSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Southeast Asian | Vampiric, floating head | — |
| KrattPersonified nature and animated objects (suggested) | Not specified | A description has not yet been recorded. | — |
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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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