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
230 creatures at 6 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.
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230 matching entries
| Creature | Tradition | Description | Map locations |
|---|---|---|---|
| NikusuiGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Japanese | Monster which appears as a young woman and sucks all of the flesh off of its victim's body | 5 |
| NingyoSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested)Giants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Japanese | Monkey-fish hybrid | 5 |
| NobusumaGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Japanese | Supernatural wall, also a monstrous flying squirrel | 5 |
| Noppera-bōSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | Faceless ghost | 5 |
| NozuchiGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Japanese | Small sea serpent | 5 |
| NueGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Japanese | Monkey-raccoon dog-tiger-snake hybrid | 5 |
| NukekubiGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Japanese | Disembodied, flying head that attacks people | 5 |
| NuppeppoGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Japanese | Animated chunk of dead flesh | 5 |
| NurarihyonSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | Head-sized ball-like creature that floats in the sea and teases sailors | 5 |
| Nure-onnaGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Japanese | Female monster who appears on the beach | 5 |
| NurikabeSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | Spirit that manifests as an impassable, invisible wall | 5 |
| ObakeSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | Shapeshifting spirits | 5 |
| ObariyonSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | Spook which rides piggyback on a human victim and becomes unbearably heavy | 5 |
| OiwaThe dead and disembodied souls (suggested) | Japanese | Ghost of a woman with a distorted face who was murdered by her husband | 5 |
| ŌkamiAnimals (suggested) | Japanese | Spirit wolf of powerful | 5 |
| OkikuThe dead and disembodied souls (suggested) | Japanese | Spirit of a plate-counting servant girl, associated with the "Okiku-Mushi" worm | 5 |
| ŌkubiSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | Death spirit | 5 |
| Okuri-inuAnimals (suggested) | Japanese | Dog or wolf that follows travelers at night, similar to the Black dog of English folklore | 5 |
| ŌmukadeGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Japanese | Giant, human-eating centipede that lives in the mountains | 5 |
| OniSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested)Giants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Japanese | Large, grotesque humanoid demon, usually having red skin and horns | 5 |
| OnibiThe dead and disembodied souls (suggested) | Japanese | Spectral fire | 5 |
| OnikumaGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Japanese | Bear monster with enormous strength that walks upright | 5 |
| OnmorakiSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested)The dead and disembodied souls (suggested) | Japanese | Bird-demon created from the spirits of freshly dead corpses | 5 |
| OnryōThe dead and disembodied souls (suggested) | Japanese | Vengeful ghost that manifests in a physical rather than a spectral form | 5 |
| RaijūSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | Lightning spirit | 5 |
| RokurokubiSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Japanese | Long-necked, humanoid trickster | 5 |
| 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 |
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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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