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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kting VoarGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Southeast Asian | Snake eating cattle | — |
| Kuarahy JáraSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Guaraní | Forest spirit | — |
| KubikajiriSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | Female corpse-chewing graveyard spirit | 5 |
| Kuchisake-onnaThe dead and disembodied souls (suggested) | Japanese | Vengeful ghost of a woman mutilated by her husband | 5 |
| Kuda-gitsuneSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | Miniature fox spirit | 5 |
| KudanGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Japanese | Human-faced calf which predicts a calamity before dying | 5 |
| KuiGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Chinese | One-legged monster | 1 |
| KujataGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Arabian | Cosmic bull | — |
| KukudhiSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Albanian | Female demon who spreads sickness | 1 |
| KukwesGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Mi'kmaq | Large, hairy, greedy, human-eating bipedal monsters whose scream can kill | 1 |
| KulshedraGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Albanian | Drought-causing dragon | 1 |
| KumakatokSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Philippine | Death spirits | 1 |
| KumihoSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Korean | Fox spirit | 1 |
| KunGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Chinese | Giant fish | 1 |
| KupuaSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Hawaiian | Shapeshifting tricksters | — |
| KurabokkoSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | Guardian spirit of a warehouse | 5 |
| Kurage-no-hinotamaAnimals (suggested) | Japanese | Jellyfish which floats through the air as a fireball | 5 |
| KurmaDivine and sacred beings (suggested) | Hindu mythology | Second avatar of Vishnu in the form of a Turtle | — |
| KurupiSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Guaraní | Wild man and fertility spirit | — |
| KushtakaSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Tlingit | Shapeshifting "land otter man" | 1 |
| Kye-ryongGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Korean | Chicken-lizard hybrid | 1 |
| KyourinrinPersonified nature and animated objects (suggested) | Japanese | Animated scroll or paper | 5 |
| Kyūbi-no-kitsuneGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Japanese | Nine-tailed fox | 5 |
| KyūketsukiThe dead and disembodied souls (suggested) | Japanese | Vampire king | 5 |
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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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