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
30 creatures at 47 tradition locations · 18 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
- Akan, Ashanti, Akwapim; Ga (Accra), Kra, Twi (Chwi, Chi) (1)
- Ancient Greece (5)
- Aztec; Aztec and Teotihuacan iconography (1)
- Basques (1)
- Bosnia Muslims (2)
- Bosnians (2)
- Bulgarians, Balkarians (2)
- Byelarusians, Belarusians (2)
- Canada (1)
- Central Yakuts (Sakha) (1)
- Croatians, Croats; Italians of Dalmatia (if the motif is absent among other Italians) (2)
- Czech, Czechs (2)
- Dolgans (1)
- Early Russian written sources (2)
- Eastern Ukrainians (2)
- Europe (1)
- Finland (1)
- Finns (1)
- Greece (5)
- Greeks (modern), Balkarians (5)
- Greeks of Cyprus (5)
- Guyana (1)
- Hungarians (1)
- Hungary (1)
- Japan (13)
- Japan (13)
- Japan AD 700-1700 (13)
- Japanese folklore outside of Ryukyu (13)
- Kashubians (2)
- Macedonians, Balkarians (2)
- Malay; Temuan (incl Mantra or Mentra), Jakun (Moken) (2)
- Nigeria (2)
- Nigeria (2)
- Northeastern Yakuts (Sakha): Yana, Indigirka and Kolyma Basins (1)
- Northern Ryukyu Islands (with southern Kyusyu in case of absence across the rest of Japan (13)
- Northern Ukrainians (2)
- Northwestern Yakuts (Sakha): Yessey, Anabar, Olenyok and Lower Lena Basins (1)
- Poles (2)
- 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)
- Serbs, Monte Negro, Balkarians (2)
- Slovakians, Slovaks (2)
- Slovenians, Slovenes (2)
- Sorbians (Luzhitsa Serbs) (2)
- Southern and Central; Ryukyu Islands: Yaeyama, Miyako, Okinawa (13)
- Terek Cossacks (2)
- Western Ukrainians (2)
- Western Yakuts (Sakha): Olekma and Vilyuy Basins (1)
Browse the dictionary
48 matching entries
| Creature | Tradition | Description | Map locations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orphan BirdGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Medieval Bestiaries | Peacock-eagle-swan-crane hybrid | — |
| OrthrusGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Greek | Two-headed dog | 3 |
| OshunDivine and sacred beings (suggested) | Nigeria | God of love and fertility | 1 |
| OsirisDivine and sacred beings (suggested) | Hellenized | God of the dead and the judge of the underworld | — |
| OtsoSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Finnish | Bear spirit | 1 |
| OuroborosGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Worldwide | Mystic serpent/dragon that eats its own tail | — |
| OvinnikSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Slavic | Malevolent threshing house spirit | 27 |
| OwlmanGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Cornish | Owl-like humanoid | — |
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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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