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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| PixieSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Cornish | Little people and nature spirits | — |
| PixiuGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Chinese | Winged lion | 1 |
| Pi yaoGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Chinese | Horned, dragon-lion hybrid | 1 |
| Plague MaidenPersonified nature and animated objects (suggested) | Not specified | A description has not yet been recorded. | — |
| PlakavacThe dead and disembodied souls (suggested) | Slavic | Vampire created when a mother strangles her child | 27 |
| Pok-wejee-menSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Abenaki | Tree spirit | 1 |
| PolevikSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Polish | Little people and field spirits | 1 |
| Pollo MalignoSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Colombian | Man-eating chicken spirit | — |
| PolongSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Malay | Invisible servant spirit | 1 |
| PoltergeistThe dead and disembodied souls (suggested) | German | Ghost that moves objects | 1 |
| PomberoSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Guaraní | Wild man and nature spirit | — |
| PonaturiSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Māori | Grotesque, malevolent humanoid | 1 |
| PontianakThe dead and disembodied souls (suggested) | Malay | Undead, vampiric women who died in childbirth | 1 |
| PopSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Thai | Cannibalistic spirit | 1 |
| Pope Lick MonsterGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | American Folklore; Kentucky Urban Legend | Cryptid, a murderous creature that is part man, sheep, and goat | — |
| PopobawaSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Africa | One-eyed creatures bat-like | — |
| PoroniecThe dead and disembodied souls (suggested) | Not specified | A description has not yet been recorded. | — |
| PouākaiGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Māori | Giant bird | 1 |
| Poubi LaiGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Meitei mythology | Evil dragon python from the Loktak lake | 1 |
| PovitrulyaSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Not specified | A description has not yet been recorded. | — |
| PražnecSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Bohemia | Malevolent field spirit | 1 |
| PretaThe dead and disembodied souls (suggested) | Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain | Ghosts of especially greedy people | — |
| Pricolici (RomanianThe dead and disembodied souls (suggested) | Not specified | Roman) – Undead wolf | — |
| PsoglavGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Serbia | Dog-headed monster | — |
| PsotnikSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Slavic | Mischievous spirit | 27 |
| PsychaiSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Greek | Butterfly-winged nymphs, daughters of Psyche | 3 |
| Psychic vampire | Not specified | A description has not yet been recorded. | — |
| Psychopomp | Greek | Creatures, spirits, angels, or deities in many religions who escort newly deceased souls from Earth to the afterlife | 3 |
| PúcaSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Welsh | Shapeshifting animal spirit | 1 |
| PuckSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | English | House spirit | 2 |
| PuckwudgieSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Native American mythology | Troll-like gray-skinned being | — |
| PugotSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Philippine | Headless humanoid | 1 |
| PukSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Frisian | House spirit | 1 |
| PúkiSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Icelandic | Malevolent little person | 1 |
| PūķisGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Latvian | Dragon | 1 |
| PutzSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | German | House spirit | 1 |
| PygmyHumans (suggested) | Greek | Little people | 3 |
| PyraustaGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Greek | Insect-dragon hybrid | 3 |
| PythonGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Greek | Serpentine dragon | 3 |
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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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