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
45 creatures at 61 tradition locations · 17 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
- Ancient Greece (5)
- Aztec; Aztec and Teotihuacan iconography (1)
- Bosnia Muslims (3)
- Bosnians (3)
- Bulgarians, Balkarians (3)
- Byelarusians, Belarusians (3)
- Catalan (1)
- China (2)
- Croatians, Croats; Italians of Dalmatia (if the motif is absent among other Italians) (3)
- Czech, Czechs (3)
- Danes, Danish (3)
- Dogon (1)
- Dutch, Flemish (2)
- Early Russian written sources (3)
- Eastern Ukrainians (3)
- England, British, Bretons (2)
- Faroe Islands (3)
- Finland (1)
- Finns (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 (3)
- 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)
- Germany (1)
- Greece (5)
- Greeks (modern), Balkarians (5)
- Greeks of Cyprus (5)
- Icelanders (3)
- Japan (16)
- Japan (16)
- Japan AD 700-1700 (16)
- Japanese folklore outside of Ryukyu (16)
- Kashubians (3)
- Lithuania (1)
- Lithuanians (1)
- Macedonians, Balkarians (3)
- Maori, Moriori (Chatam Islands) (1)
- Mapuche (2)
- Northern Ryukyu Islands (with southern Kyusyu in case of absence across the rest of Japan (16)
- Northern Ukrainians (3)
- Norwegians (3)
- People's Republic of China (2)
- Philippines (1)
- Philippines (1)
- Poles (3)
- Russian Pomors ("seasiders"): Lower Pechora (3)
- Russian Pomors ('seasiders'): Terski Coast (Murmansk province) (3)
- Russian Pomors (“seasiders): Arkhangelsk province without its southern part (Shengur district and Konosha dstrict), Karelia White Sea coast (3)
- 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) (3)
- Russians: Novgorod and Pskov provinces (3)
- Russians: Olonets province/SE Karelia, Shengur district of Arkhangelsk province (3)
- 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) (3)
- Russians: Vologda province (incl. Belozersk, Kirillov and Cherepovets districts of form. Novgorod Province) (3)
- Rusyns, Hutsuls (3)
- 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 (3)
- Slovakians, Slovaks (3)
- Slovenians, Slovenes (3)
- Sorbians (Luzhitsa Serbs) (3)
- Southern and Central; Ryukyu Islands: Yaeyama, Miyako, Okinawa (16)
- Swedes (3)
- Tats (3)
- Terek Cossacks (3)
- Thailand (3)
- Transylvanian Saksons (2)
- Wawenock, Abenaki, Penobscot (2)
- Western Ukrainians (3)
Browse the dictionary
62 matching entries
| Creature | Tradition | Description | Map locations |
|---|---|---|---|
| N-dam-keno-wetGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Abenaki | Fish-human hybrid | 1 |
| NachzehrerThe dead and disembodied souls (suggested) | German | Anthropophagous undead | 1 |
| NāgaSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested)Giants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Buddhist and Hindu | Nature and water spirits, serpentine or human-serpent hybrids | — |
| Naga fireballs | Thai | Spectral fire | 1 |
| NagualGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Mesoamerica | Human-animal shapeshifter | 1 |
| NaiadSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Greek | Freshwater nymph | 3 |
| NäkkiSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Finnish | Water spirit | 1 |
| NamahageSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | Ritual disciplinary demon from the Oga Peninsula | 5 |
| NamazuGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Japanese | Giant catfish whose thrashing causing earthquakes | 5 |
| Nandi BearAnimals (suggested)Giants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | East Africa | Monster Bear-like | — |
| Nando-babaHumans (suggested) | Japanese | Old woman who hides under the floor in abandoned storerooms | 5 |
| Nang TakianSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Thai | Tree spirit | 1 |
| Nanom-keea-po-daSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Abenaki | Earthquake spirit | 1 |
| NapaeaeSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Greek | Grotto nymph | 3 |
| Narasimha | Hindu mythology | Avatar of Vishnu in the form of half-man/half-lion | — |
| NarecnitsiSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Slavic | Fate spirit | 27 |
| NargunGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Gunai | Water monster | — |
| Nariphon | Thai | Pod people | 1 |
| NasnasSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested)Giants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Arabian | Half-human, half-demon creature with half a body | — |
| Nav'The dead and disembodied souls (suggested) | Slavic | Ghost | 27 |
| Nawao | Hawaiian | Savage humanoid | — |
| NeckSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Germanic mythology | Female water spirit | 15 |
| NegretSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Catalan | Little people that turn into coins | 1 |
| NekomataAnimals (suggested) | Japanese | Split-tailed magical cat | 5 |
| NekomusumeAnimals (suggested) | Japanese | Cat in the form of a girl | 5 |
| Nemean LionAnimals (suggested) | Greek | Lion with impenetrable skin | 3 |
| Nephilim | Abrahamic mythology | Gigantic sons of Grigori and human women | — |
| NeptuneDivine and sacred beings (suggested) | Roman mythology | God of freshwater and sea | — |
| NereidSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Greek | Nymph daughters of Nereus | 3 |
| NgenSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Mapuche | Nature spirit | 1 |
| NguruviluAnimals (suggested) | Mapuche | Fox-like water snake | 1 |
| Nian | Chinese | Predatory animal | 1 |
| NíðhöggrGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Norse | Dragon | — |
| Night hag | Worldwide | Supernatural creature, commonly associated with the phenomenon of sleep paralysis. | — |
| NightmarchersThe dead and disembodied souls (suggested) | Hawaiian | Warrior ghosts | — |
| NikusuiGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Japanese | Monster which appears as a young woman and sucks all of the flesh off of its victim's body | 5 |
| NimerigarSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Shoshone | Aggressive little people | — |
| NingyoGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Japanese | Monkey-fish hybrid | 5 |
| Ninki NankaGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Western Africa | Large reptile, possibly a dragon | — |
| NisseSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Scandinavian | House spirit | 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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