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
14 creatures at 1 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.
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14 matching entries
| Creature | Tradition | Description | Map locations |
|---|---|---|---|
| AnkouThe dead and disembodied souls (suggested) | French | Skeletal grave watcher with a lantern and scythe. | 1 |
| Beast of GévaudanGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | France | French werewolf | 1 |
| Cheval GauvinGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | French | Evil horse who drowns riders, similar to kelpie | 1 |
| Cheval MalletAnimals (suggested) | French | Evil horse who runs away with travelers | 1 |
| Dahu | France, Switzerland and the north of Italy | Similar to a deer or ibex; legs on one side of its body are shorter than on the other side | 1 |
| DracAnimals (suggested) | French | Winged sea serpent | 1 |
| FarfadetSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | French | Small (some half-meter tall), wrinkled, and brown-skinned helpful sprites. | 1 |
| GargouilleGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | French | Water dragon | 1 |
| Lou CarcolhGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | French | Snake-mollusk hybrid | 1 |
| Loup-garou | French | Werewolf | 1 |
| LutinSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | French | Amusing goblin | 1 |
| MatagotSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | French | Spirit that takes animal form, usually that of a black cat | 1 |
| PeludaGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | French | Dragon | 1 |
| TarasqueGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | French | Dragon with leonine, turtle, bear, and human attributes | 1 |
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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.
0009-0006-1672-4451
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