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
Explore by place
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
31 creatures at 5 tradition locations · 0 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 the dictionary
31 matching entries
| Creature | Tradition | Description | Map locations |
|---|---|---|---|
| SagariGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Japanese | Horse head that dangles from trees on Kyūshū | 5 |
| SakabashiraPersonified nature and animated objects (suggested) | Japanese | Haunted pillar, installed upside-down | 5 |
| SamebitoSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested)Giants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Japanese | Shark-man servant of the dragon king of the sea | 5 |
| SarugamiSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | Wicked monkey spirit who was defeated by a dog | 5 |
| SatoriGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Japanese | Mind-reading humanoid | 5 |
| Sazae-oniSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | Shapeshifting turban snail spirit | 5 |
| SekoSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | Water spirit which can be heard making merry at night | 5 |
| Senpoku-KanpokuGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Japanese | Human-faced frog which guides newly deceased souls to the graveyard | 5 |
| ShachihokoGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Japanese | Tiger-carp hybrid | 5 |
| ShibatenSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | Water spirit from Shikoku | 5 |
| Shiki-ōjiSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | Child-sized servant spirit | 5 |
| ShikigamiSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | Servant spirit | 5 |
| ShikomeSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | Underworld hag | 5 |
| ShinigamiDivine and sacred beings (suggested) | Japanese | "Death god" | 5 |
| Shiro-bōzuSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | White, faceless spirit | 5 |
| ShirouneriPersonified nature and animated objects (suggested) | Japanese | Animated mosquito netting or dust cloth | 5 |
| ShiryōThe dead and disembodied souls (suggested) | Japanese | Spirit of a dead person | 5 |
| ShisaGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Japanese | Lion-dog hybrid | 5 |
| ShōjōSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | Red-haired sea-sprites who love alcohol | 5 |
| ShōkeraSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | Creature that peers in through skylights | 5 |
| ShunobanSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | Red-faced ghoul | 5 |
| Shuten-dōjiSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | Ruler of the Oni | 5 |
| Sodehiki-kozōSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | Invisible spirit which pulls on sleeves | 5 |
| SōgenbiThe dead and disembodied souls (suggested) | Japanese | Fiery ghost of an oil-stealing monk | 5 |
| SoragamiSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | Ritual disciplinary demon | 5 |
| Soraki-gaeshiSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | Sound of trees being cut down, when later none seem to have been cut | 5 |
| SorobanbōzuThe dead and disembodied souls (suggested) | Japanese | Ghost with an abacus | 5 |
| SōtangitsuneSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | Fox spirit from Kyoto | 5 |
| Sunakake-babaSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | Sand-throwing hag | 5 |
| SunekosuriSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | Small dog- or cat-like creature that rubs against a person's legs at night | 5 |
| SuzakuDivine and sacred beings (suggested) | Japanese | Japanese version of the Chinese Vermillion Bird | 5 |
If you wish to get access to data for projects and research, then please contact us, we do our best to help
How to cite: Fielder-White, Jonathan (2026). The Folklore Database. Citation version 1.261029.1 (29 October 2026). https://folkloredatabase.com.
0009-0006-1672-4451
The citation version records the access date and does not identify an archived database snapshot.
Please cite the relevant sources, catalogues, and classification systems, including the Folklore Database, Berezkin-Duvakin Catalogue, ATU, Thompson, alongside the page accessed and the last time accessed. Please respect copyright and licences.
Editorial annotations and database enhancements © Jonathan Fielder-White licensed under CC BY 4.0. Berezkin-Duvakin derived narrative and metadata licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. Full rights information can be found here.
Rights in original software, interface design and other protected material not expressly licensed for reuse are reserved to their respective rights holders.
Text and data mining: For protected material not offered under a Creative Commons or other reuse licence, the Folklore Database reserves the rights it holds in automated extraction, dataset creation and AI training, to the extent permitted by law. This reservation does not restrict uses permitted by the applicable Creative Commons or other licence, public-domain status, or statutory exceptions and limitations. Third-party material retains its own terms. Please contact us for help identifying the applicable sources, licences and attribution for bulk research access.
Designed and Developed by Jonathan Fielder-White.
© 2024–2026 Crecganford / Jonathan Fielder-White. Rights reserved except where licensed or otherwise stated.