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
15 creatures at 55 tradition locations · 15 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
- Albania (1)
- Albanians, Balkarians (1)
- Ancient Greece (1)
- Armenia (1)
- Armenians (1)
- Bosnia Muslims (3)
- Bosnians (3)
- Bulgarians, Balkarians (3)
- Byelarusians, Belarusians (3)
- Catalan (1)
- Chol; pre-Columbian Mayan iconography outside of Yucatan (2)
- Chontal (2)
- Chorti (2)
- Colombia (1)
- Croatians, Croats; Italians of Dalmatia (if the motif is absent among other Italians) (3)
- Czech, Czechs (3)
- Danes, Danish (2)
- Denmark (1)
- Early Russian written sources (3)
- Eastern Ukrainians (3)
- Faroe Islands (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 (1)
- Germany (1)
- Greece (1)
- Greeks (modern), Balkarians (1)
- Greeks of Cyprus (1)
- Huastec (Teenek) (2)
- Icelanders (1)
- Kashubians (3)
- Kekchi; Mopan (2)
- Lacandon (2)
- Latvia (3)
- Latvians (3)
- Macedonians, Balkarians (3)
- Mam, Ixil, Aguatec, Avakatec (2)
- Ngbakka, Mbum (incl Mbai), Mundang, Fali, Tupuri, Maya (=Bali), Nyong (2)
- Northern Ukrainians (3)
- Norwegians (1)
- Poles (3)
- Quiche, Achí, Cakchiquel, Pocomchi, Pocomam (2)
- Romania (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) (1)
- Serbs, Monte Negro, Balkarians (3)
- Slovakians, Slovaks (3)
- Slovenians, Slovenes (3)
- Sorbians (Luzhitsa Serbs) (3)
- Swedes (1)
- Terek Cossacks (3)
- Tojolabal, Chuj, Jacalteca, Kanjobal, Mocho (incl Tuzantec), Acatec (2)
- Tzeltal (2)
- Tzotzil (2)
- Tzutujil (2)
- Western Ukrainians (3)
- Yucatec, Itza (2)
Browse the dictionary
30 matching entries
| Creature | Tradition | Description | Map locations |
|---|---|---|---|
| VadātājsSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Latvian | Spirit that misleads people | 1 |
| VahanaDivine and sacred beings (suggested) | Hindu | Divine mounts | — |
| ValkyrieSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Norse | Female spirit that leads souls of dead warriors to Valhalla | — |
| ValravnAnimals (suggested) | Danish | Supernatural raven | 1 |
| VâlvăSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Romanian | Female nature spirit | — |
| VampireThe dead and disembodied souls (suggested) | Slavic | Reanimated corpse that feeds on blood | 27 |
| VanaraGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Hindu | Human-ape hybrid | — |
| VântoaseSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Romanian | Female weather spirit | — |
| Varaha | Hindu mythology | Third Avatar of Vishnu in the form of a boar | — |
| Vârcolac | Romanian | Vampire or werewolf | — |
| Vardøger | Scandinavian | Ghostly double | 6 |
| VættirSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Norse | Nature spirit | — |
| VedrfolnirAnimals (suggested) | Norse | Hawk sitting between the eyes of an eagle in the crown of the World Tree Yggdrasil | — |
| VeļiThe dead and disembodied souls (suggested) | Latvian | Ghost, shade, formed after a death of a human | 1 |
| Vengeful ghostThe dead and disembodied souls (suggested) | Not specified | A description has not yet been recorded. | — |
| Věri ŞělenGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Not specified | Chuvash dragon | — |
| VetalaSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Hindu | Corpses possessed by vampiric spirits | — |
| VíbriaGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Catalan | Dragon with breasts and an eagle's beak | 1 |
| VíðópnirAnimals (suggested) | Norse | Rooster that sits atop the tree | — |
| VielfrasGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | German | Gluttonous dog-cat-fox hybrid | 1 |
| VilaSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Slavic | Weather spirit | 27 |
| VilkacisGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Latvian | Animalistic, werewolf-like monster | 1 |
| Vimana | Not specified | A description has not yet been recorded. | — |
| ViruñasSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Colombian | Handsome demon | — |
| VishapGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Armenian | A dragon closely associated with water, similar to the Leviathan | 1 |
| Vision SerpentGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Mayan | Mystical dragon | 14 |
| VitoreAnimals (suggested)Spirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Albanian | Snake spirit that protects the home from evil | 1 |
| VodyanoySpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Slavic | Male water spirit | 27 |
| VrykolakasGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested)The dead and disembodied souls (suggested) | Greek | Undead wolf-human hybrid | 3 |
| Vucub-CaquixAnimals (suggested)Divine and sacred beings (suggested)Spirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Mayan | Bird demon and false sun god | 14 |
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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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