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
50 creatures at 53 tradition locations · 29 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
- Africa (1)
- Ancient Greece (8)
- Armenia (1)
- Armenians (1)
- Bosnia Muslims (2)
- Bosnians (2)
- Bulgarians, Balkarians (2)
- Byelarusians, Belarusians (2)
- Catalan (1)
- Central Tibetans (Yu Tsang, incl. Sikkim Tibetans, Tichurong of NW Nepal) (2)
- China (5)
- Colombia (1)
- Croatians, Croats; Italians of Dalmatia (if the motif is absent among other Italians) (2)
- Czech, Czechs (2)
- Early Russian written sources (2)
- Eastern Ukrainians (2)
- England (1)
- England, British, Bretons (1)
- Finland (2)
- Finns (2)
- France (1)
- France (1)
- Frisians (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 (2)
- Germans: South (Upper German dialects): Alsace (Elsass), Baden-Württemberg, Bawaria, Swabia, Switzerland, Bohemia, Sudeten, Austria (1)
- Germany (2)
- Greece (8)
- Greeks (modern), Balkarians (8)
- Greeks of Cyprus (8)
- Iceland (1)
- Icelanders (1)
- Kashubians (2)
- Latvia (1)
- Latvians (1)
- Macedonians, Balkarians (2)
- Malay; Temuan (incl Mantra or Mentra), Jakun (Moken) (4)
- Maori, Moriori (Chatam Islands) (3)
- Mapuche (2)
- Northern Ukrainians (2)
- People's Republic of China (5)
- Persians (1)
- Peru (1)
- Peru (1)
- Philippines (1)
- Philippines (1)
- Poland (1)
- Poles (3)
- 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)
- Scotland, Scots, Picts, Scotti, Scottish (1)
- Serbia (1)
- Serbs, Monte Negro, Balkarians (2)
- Slovakians, Slovaks (2)
- Slovenians, Slovenes (2)
- Sorbians (Luzhitsa Serbs) (2)
- Tats (2)
- Terek Cossacks (2)
- Thailand (2)
- Wales (1)
- Wawenock, Abenaki, Penobscot (4)
- Western Ukrainians (2)
Browse the dictionary
79 matching entries
| Creature | Tradition | Description | Map locations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paasselkä devilsSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Finnish | Spectral fire | 1 |
| PakhangbaGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Meitei mythology and Sanamahism | Serpentine dragon, ruler of the universe | 1 |
| PamolaSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Abenaki | Weather spirit | 1 |
| Pandi | Medieval Bestiary | White-haired humanoid with giant ears and eight fingers and toes | — |
| PanesGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Greek | Human-goat hybrids descended from the god Pan | 3 |
| PanisSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Hindu | Demons with herds of stolen cows | — |
| PanlongGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Chinese | Water dragon | 1 |
| Panotti | Medieval Bestiaries | Humanoid with gigantic ears | — |
| Panther | Medieval Bestiaries | Feline with sweet breath | — |
| Parandrus | Medieval Bestiaries | Shapeshifting animal whose natural form was a large ruminant | — |
| Pard | Medieval Bestiaries | Fast, spotted feline believed to mate with lions to produce leopards | — |
| PardalokampoiGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Etruscan | Fish-tailed leopard | — |
| PatagonGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Medieval folklore | Giant race reputed to live in the area of Patagonia | — |
| Patasola | Latin America | Anthropophagous, one-legged humanoid | — |
| PatupaireheSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Māori | White-skinned nature spirits | 1 |
| PechSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Scottish | Strong little people | 1 |
| PegacornGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Not specified | Pegasus-unicorn hybrid | — |
| PegaeaeSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Greek | Spring nymph | 3 |
| PegasusAnimals (suggested)Giants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Greek | Winged horse | 3 |
| PelesitSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Malay | Servant spirit | 1 |
| PeludaGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | French | Dragon | 1 |
| Penanggalan | Malay | Vampires that sever their heads from their bodies to fly around, usually with their intestines or other internal organs trailing behind | 1 |
| PengAnimals (suggested)Giants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Chinese | Giant bird | 1 |
| PenghouSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Chinese | Tree spirit | 1 |
| Perchta | Not specified | A description has not yet been recorded. | — |
| Peri | Persian | Winged humanoid | 1 |
| PerytonGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Allegedly Medieval folklore | Deer-bird hybrid | — |
| PesantaSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Catalan | Nightmare demon in the form of a cat or dog | 1 |
| PeuchenAnimals (suggested) | Chilota and Mapuche | Vampiric, flying, shapeshifting serpent | 1 |
| Phi Tai HongThe dead and disembodied souls (suggested) | Thai | Ghost of a person who has died suddenly of a violent or cruel death | 1 |
| PhoenixAnimals (suggested) | Phoenician | Regenerative bird reborn from its own ashes | — |
| PiasaGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Native American mythology | Winged, antlered feline-like dragon | — |
| Piatek | Armenian | Large land animal | 1 |
| Pictish BeastGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Pictish stones | Stylistic animal, possibly a dragon | — |
| PillanSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Mapuche | Nature spirit | 1 |
| Pim-skwa-wagen-owadSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Abenaki | Water spirit | 1 |
| PiruSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Finnish | Minor demon | 1 |
| PishachaSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Hindu | Carrion-eating demon | — |
| PishtacoGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Peru | Monster man that steals its victim's body fat for cannibalistic purposes | 1 |
| Pita-skogSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Abenaki | Serpentine rain spirit | 1 |
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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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