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
59 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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59 matching entries
| Creature | Tradition | Description | Map locations |
|---|---|---|---|
| AoGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Chinese | Giant turtle. | 1 |
| Bai ZeGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Chinese | Talking beast which handed down knowledge on harmful spirits | 1 |
| Ba Jiao GuiSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Chinese | Banana tree spirit | 1 |
| BasheGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Chinese | Elephant-swallowing serpent | 1 |
| BatsuSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Chinese | Drought spirit | 1 |
| BixiGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Chinese | Dragon with the shell of a turtle | 1 |
| ChimimōryōSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Chinese/Japanese | Spirits of mountains and rivers | 6 |
| Diao Si GuiThe dead and disembodied souls (suggested) | Chinese | Hanged ghost | 1 |
| DilongGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Chinese | Earth dragon | 1 |
| Diting | China | Horned White Canine | 1 |
| Dragon turtleAnimals (suggested)Giants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Chinese | Giant turtle with dragon-like head | 1 |
| Er GuiThe dead and disembodied souls (suggested) | Chinese | Hungry ghost | 1 |
| Fei LianDivine and sacred beings (suggested) | Chinese | Chinese wind god | 1 |
| Fenghuang | Chinese | Chinese Phoenix, female in marriage symbol | 1 |
| FucanglongGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Chinese | Underworld dragon | 1 |
| Gui PoThe dead and disembodied souls (suggested) | Chinese | Ghost that manifests as an old woman | 1 |
| Gui Shu | Chinese | Ghostly tree that confuses travelers by moving | 1 |
| Huli jingAnimals (suggested)Spirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Chinese | nine-tailed fox spirit | 1 |
| HundunSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Chinese | chaos spirit | 1 |
| JianAnimals (suggested) | Chinese | One-eyed, one-winged bird who requires a mate for survival | 1 |
| JiangshiThe dead and disembodied souls (suggested) | Chinese | Life-draining, reanimated corpse | 1 |
| JiaolongGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Chinese | Dragon | 1 |
| JiufengAnimals (suggested) | Chinese | Nine-headed bird worshiped by ancient natives in Hubei Province. | 1 |
| Jiu tou niaoAnimals (suggested) | Chinese | Nine-headed, demonic bird | 1 |
| KuiGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Chinese | One-legged monster | 1 |
| KunAnimals (suggested)Giants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Chinese | Giant fish | 1 |
| Long MaGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Chinese | Dragon-horse hybrid | 1 |
| Luduan | Chinese | Truth-detecting animal | 1 |
| MogwaiSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested)The dead and disembodied souls (suggested) | Chinese | Vengeful ghost or demon | 1 |
| Nian | Chinese | Predatory animal | 1 |
| Nü GuiThe dead and disembodied souls (suggested) | Chinese | Vengeful female ghost | 1 |
| PanlongGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Chinese | Water dragon | 1 |
| PengAnimals (suggested)Giants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Chinese | Giant bird | 1 |
| PenghouSpirits and otherworld peoples (suggested) | Chinese | Tree spirit | 1 |
| PixiuAnimals (suggested)Giants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Chinese | Winged lion | 1 |
| Pi yaoGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Chinese | Horned, dragon-lion hybrid | 1 |
| QilinGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Chinese | Dragon-ox-deer hybrid | 1 |
| Qiongqi | Chinese | a legendary, malevolent winged beast in Chinese mythology, known as one of the "Four Perils" | 1 |
| Shang-YangAnimals (suggested) | Chinese | Rain bird | 1 |
| ShenGiants, monsters and fabulous creatures (suggested) | Chinese | Shapeshifing sea monster | 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.
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