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
49 creatures at 43 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 associated places without the map
- Bosnia Muslims (1)
- Bosnians (1)
- Bulgarians, Balkarians (1)
- Byelarusians, Belarusians (1)
- Croatians, Croats; Italians of Dalmatia (if the motif is absent among other Italians) (1)
- Czech, Czechs (1)
- Danes, Danish (13)
- Dutch, Flemish (12)
- Early Russian written sources (1)
- Eastern Ukrainians (1)
- England (36)
- England, British, Bretons (49)
- Faroe Islands (13)
- Frisians (12)
- 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 (13)
- Germans: Northeast (Brandenburg, Meklenburg, Rügen, Pommern, Silesia, Posen) (12)
- Germans: South (Upper German dialects): Alsace (Elsass), Baden-Württemberg, Bawaria, Swabia, Switzerland, Bohemia, Sudeten, Austria (12)
- Germans – Southwest: Alsace (Elsass), Baden-Württemberg, Swabia, Switzerland (12)
- Icelanders (13)
- Kashubians (1)
- Macedonians, Balkarians (1)
- Northern Ukrainians (1)
- Norwegians (13)
- Poles (1)
- Russian Pomors ("seasiders"): Lower Pechora (1)
- Russian Pomors ('seasiders'): Terski Coast (Murmansk province) (1)
- Russian Pomors (“seasiders): Arkhangelsk province without its southern part (Shengur district and Konosha dstrict), Karelia White Sea coast (1)
- 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) (1)
- Russians: Novgorod and Pskov provinces (1)
- Russians: Olonets province/SE Karelia, Shengur district of Arkhangelsk province (1)
- 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) (1)
- Russians: Vologda province (incl. Belozersk, Kirillov and Cherepovets districts of form. Novgorod Province) (1)
- Rusyns, Hutsuls (1)
- Scandinavians: early written sources ("Edda"; Saxo Grammaticus etc.); Gothland picture stones; Ancient Germans (Late Bronze Age in Scandinavia) (13)
- Scotland, Scots, Picts, Scotti, Scottish (15)
- Serbs, Monte Negro, Balkarians (1)
- Slovakians, Slovaks (1)
- Slovenians, Slovenes (1)
- Sorbians (Luzhitsa Serbs) (1)
- Swedes (13)
- Terek Cossacks (1)
- Transylvanian Saksons (12)
- Western Ukrainians (1)
Browse the dictionary
49 matching entries
| Creature | Tradition | Description | Map locations |
|---|---|---|---|
| PuckSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | English | House spirit | 2 |
| RedcapSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | English | Evil, ugly humanoid | 2 |
| SceadugengaThe dead and disembodied souls (suggested) | English | Shapeshifting undead | 2 |
| ShellycoatSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | English, Scottish and German, as schellenrocc | Water spirit | 4 |
| Shug MonkeyGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | English | Dog/monkey | 2 |
| Tiddy MunSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | English | Bog spirit | 2 |
| WargAnimals (suggested)Giants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | English and Scandinavian O.N. vargr | Giant, demonic wolf | 2 |
| Yallery-BrownSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | English | Nature spirit | 2 |
| Yeth houndAnimals (suggested) | English | Headless dog | 2 |
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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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