Resources · Creatures, deities & other beings
Character & Creature Catalogue
Meet the beings of folklore and mythology: explore creatures, deities and spirits by name, description and associated tradition.
2,504 reference entries · 1,598 in the creature catalogue · 906 in the deity catalogue
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Catalogue coverage
Zoom or move the map, then choose “Filter to this area” to list beings with a tradition location in that view. You can combine this with a collection, character family or search term.
Beings associated with a tradition
8 entries at 14 tradition locations · 0 without tradition coordinates
Markers use tradition coordinates linked through source names, recorded aliases, language groups or reviewed associations. Deity links awaiting review are labelled as suggestions. Language-group links show cultural context, rather than verified occurrences in every tradition. Select a marker to list deities, creatures or all catalogue entries for its tradition, or examine its narratives in a new tab. 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
- Bhils (incl Barela-Bhilala) (1)
- Brahui (8)
- Dogon (1)
- Gondi (mostly Northern Gondi) (8)
- Kannada, Lingayat, Halakki (8)
- Kolam (8)
- Konds (Khonds; language is Kui, incl Kuttia, Konda-Dora), Koya; Pengo (8)
- Malayali; Kannikaran (8)
- Maria, Muria, and other South-Central Dravidians: Binjhwar, Bacop, Bhattra, Bom, Jhoria (=Jhodia), Gadaba (in Koraput, neighbors of Munda-speaking Gadaba), Duruwa (Parji), Mehtar; Pardhan (8)
- Oraon (Kurukh) (8)
- Tamil, Muthuvan, Marvar, Tamils (8)
- Telugu (incl. Yanadi, Chenchu) (8)
- Toda, Kota, Kuruba (Kurumba), Badaga, Maravar, Pulaya, Kadar (8)
- Tulu (8)
Browse the catalogue
8 matching entries
Mapped traditions counts linked traditions with map coordinates. Suggested associations awaiting review are included.
| Name | Tradition | Description | Mapped traditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| AmmDeity catalogueDivine and sacred beings (suggested) | Pre-Islamic southern Arabian; Qataban tribe; Dravidian (Tamil); Dogon | Amm denotes three distinct deities in the supplied text: a pre-Islamic southern Arabian moon and weather god who protects the Qataban tribe; a local Dravidian (Tamil) tutelary god known from southern India; and a Dogon creator who fashions the sun and moon and, through unions with the earth goddess, brings forth a jackal, vegetation and humankind. | 13 |
| AmmavaruDeity catalogueDivine and sacred beings (suggested) | Hindu-Dravidian; Telugu (described as a Dravidian tribe) | Ammavaru is a primordial mother goddess described as Hindu-Dravidian and worshipped locally by the Telugu, identified in the source as a Dravidian tribe of east central India. She is said to have produced the cosmic egg in the sea of milk, from which Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva were born. | 12 |
| AnkalammanDeity catalogueDivine and sacred beings (suggested) | Hindu-Dravidian (Tamil) | Ankalamman is a Hindu-Dravidian (Tamil) guardian goddess, known especially in southern India for protecting against demons. The source alternatively identifies her as an aspect of Kali, rather than solely as an independent goddess. | 12 |
| Bala-SaktiDeity catalogueDivine and sacred beings (suggested) | Dravidian (Tamil) | Bala-Sakti is a youthful Dravidian (Tamil) goddess of southern India who presides over six cakras, described in the source as prayer wheels. She is often accompanied by a geometric magical diagram, or yantra. Her attributes include a book, hook, noose and rosary. | 12 |
| CankilikkaruppanDeity catalogueDivine and sacred beings (suggested) | Hindu-Dravidian (Tamil) | Cankilikkaruppan is a local Hindu-Dravidian (Tamil) god worshipped in southern India. The source glosses his name as ‘the black man of the chain’, but provides no further details about his attributes or worship. | 12 |
| EllamanDeity catalogueDivine and sacred beings (suggested) | Hindu-Dravidian (Tamil) | Ellaman is a Hindu-Dravidian (Tamil) goddess of passage who guards the boundaries of villages and fields in southern India. Her name is glossed as ‘lady of the boundary’. Also called Ellaiyamman, she is identified as one of the Navasakti, or astral deities. | 12 |
| GajavahanaDeity catalogueDivine and sacred beings (suggested) | Hindu-Dravidian (Tamil) | Gajavahana is a Hindu-Dravidian (Tamil) god, described as a form of Skanda whose vehicle is an elephant. Associated mainly with southern India, he has the cockerel and spear as his attributes. | 12 |
| Gal BapsiDeity catalogueDivine and sacred beings (suggested) | Bhils; Hindu-Dravidian (Tamil) | Gal Bapsi is a local Hindu-Dravidian (Tamil) god of southern India, particularly worshipped by the Bhils. The name is glossed as ‘hook’ god. The source describes a penitential rite in which a worshipper seeks to expiate sins by being suspended from a hook thrust into his back when the sun enters Aries. | 13 |
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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.
0009-0006-1672-4451
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