Global Bestiary

A comprehensive compendium of spirits, beasts, and folklore.

• Adaro

  Solomon Islands • Melanesia (South Pacific) • Sea Spirit / Hostile Monster

  Sea spiritMelanesianHostileMermanFishing loreStorm omen

• Adlet

  Inuit (Kalaallit / Nunamiut) • Arctic — Greenland & Arctic Canada • Cryptid

  ArcticDog-leggedInuitPredatorCoast

• Adze (Adzé)

  Ewe / Togolese & Ghanaian folklore • West Africa (Togo, Ghana) • Spirit / Hostile (Monster)

  West AfricaVampiric SpiritNocturnalFireflyPossession

• Agni

  Vedic (Hindu) • Indian subcontinent • Deity

  FireVedicSacredMessengerHearth

• Ahool

  Javanese / Indonesian • Java (rainforests and caves) • Cryptid/Beast

  JavaneseCryptidNocturnalFlyingRiverlands

• Aigamuxa

  Khoisan (San/Khoikhoi) • Southern Africa (Kalahari) • Monster

  Southern Africanocturnal predatorgiantlegendfield-notes

• Áine

  Irish • Munster (Lough Gur / County Limerick) • Deity

  CelticSovereigntySummerFairy QueenSolar

• Akhlut

  Inuit • Arctic (Canada, Greenland, Alaska) • Monster

  InuitArcticSea-WolfHybridPredator

• Akkorokamui

  Ainu • Hokkaido (Funka Bay) • Deity (Sea Spirit / Cephalopod)

  AinuSea DeityOctopusFolkloreMaritime

• Al-Buraq

  Islamic (Hadith tradition) • Arabian Peninsula / Levant • Deity

  Celestial SteedIslamic FolkloreHeavenly MessengerLightWinged Creature

• Alicanto

  Chilean (Atacama folklore) • Atacama Desert, Chile • Cryptid (Beast)

  ChileanAtacamaminingluminescentavianguardian

• Alkonost

  Slavic • Eastern Europe (Rus') • Fae (Bird-Spirit)

  Slavicbirdfaeenchantmentprophecy

• Alp

  Germanic • Central/Eastern Alps • Fae (Nocturnal Spirit)

  GermanNightmareSleep ParalysisNocturnal SpiritFolklore

• Amanojaku

  Japanese • Heian-period Japan / Nationwide folklore • Fae (Trickster)

  JapaneseYokaiTricksterMind-benderField Notes

• Amarok

  Inuit • Arctic (Greenland, Canada, Alaska) • Cryptid (Monstrous Wolf)

  wolfInuitarcticsolitarymonster

• Ammit

  Ancient Egyptian • Duat / Nile Valley • Deity

  EgyptianAfterlifeJudge

• Anansi

  Akan (Asante/Twi) • Ghana; West Africa (and diaspora, e.g., Caribbean) • Fae (Trickster)

  TricksterSpiderFolklore

• Ankou

  Breton (Celtic) • Brittany, France • Spirit (Psychopomp)

  BretonPsychopompDeathSpiritFolklore

• Anubis

  Ancient Egyptian • Ancient Egypt (Memphis tradition) • Deity

  EgyptianDeityDeathGuardianJackal

• Anzu

  Sumerian/Akkadian • Mesopotamia • Monster

  Mesopotamianstorm-birdtablet loremonstersky predator

• Apep

  Ancient Egyptian • Duat (Egyptian Underworld) / Nile Delta • Deity (Primordial Serpent)

  EgyptianSerpentChaosNightCosmic

• Aphrodite

  Ancient Greek • Cyprus & Cythera (Mediterranean) • Deity

  GreekGoddessSeaBeautyRitual

• Apollo

  Greek • Delphi (Greece) • Deity

  Greek MythologySunMusicProphecyHealing

• Apsara

  Hindu-Buddhist • South Asia & Southeast Asia • Deity (Celestial Nymph)

  ApsaraCelestial NymphHinduBuddhistWater SpiritDance

• Arawn

  Welsh (Brythonic) • Annwn / Wales • Deity (King of Annwn)

  CelticOtherworldPsychopompKingSpectral Hounds

• Ares

  Greek • Ancient Greece • Deity

  GreekDeityWarMartialHonor

• Artemis

  Greek • Ancient Greece (Arcadia, Ephesus) • Deity

  GreekGoddessHuntMoonWildernessProtector

• Asanbosam

  Akan (Asante) • West Africa (Ghana, Ivory Coast) • Fae (Forest Entity)

  AkanWest AfricaVampiricForest PredatorHooks-and-Iron

• Aspidochelone

  Medieval Bestiary (Physiologus) • North Atlantic / Medieval Europe • Fae

  seaisland-beasttrickstermaritime-legendturtle

• Aswang

  Philippine (Filipino) • Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao • Shapechanger (Monster)

  Philippineshapechangernight predatorfolk horrorguardian-tactics

• Athena

  Greek • Athens (Attica), Ancient Greece • Deity

  GreekGoddessWisdomWarCraft

• Baba Yaga

  Slavic • Eastern Europe (Russia / Ukraine) • Fae (Witch)

  witchSlavictricksterforestchicken-legged hutriddle

• Bahamut

  Islamic cosmography (fish/giant) and later modern fantasy (dragon-deity) • Middle East origin; common in pan-fantasy settings • Deity (Dragon)

  DragonDeityGuardianJusticePlatinumLawful

• Baiame

  Gamilaraay, Wiradjuri and neighbouring southeastern Aboriginal Australian groups • Southeast Australia (New South Wales) • Deity

  CreatorSkyAncestral LawRock ArtCountry

• Baize

  Breton/Norman folk belief • Brittany / Normandy, France • Fae (Trickster)

  FaeTricksterTabletopHousehold SpiritBritish Folklore

• Bajang

  Malay • Malay Peninsula / Nusantara • Spirit (Familiar)

  MalayFamiliar spiritNocturnalJar-spiritChild-protective folklore

• Bake-kujira

  Japanese • Coastal Japan • Yokai (Spirit)

  yokaiwhaleomenseaghostcoastal folklore

• Bakunawa

  Visayan (Philippine) • Philippines (Visayas) • Monster (Sea Dragon)

  PhilippineDragonSea SerpentEclipseLunar MythHostile

• Balder

  Norse • Scandinavia • Deity

  NorseLightDeityTragicHonorBaldr

• Balor of the Evil Eye

  Irish (Celtic) • Gaelic Ireland / Western Isles • Fomorian Giant

  CelticGiantFomorianHostileEvil Eye

• Banaspati

  Bengali (folk belief) • Bengal (eastern India & Bangladesh) • Forest Spirit (Cryptid)

  Forest spiritSouth Asianguardianplant-soulgrove

• Bannik

  East Slavic • Rural Russia (banya / bathhouse) • Fae (Bathhouse Spirit)

  SlavicBathhouseHouse SpiritTricksterSteam

• Banshee

  Irish (Gaelic) • Ireland • Spirit (Fae)

  OmenKeeningAncestralIrishSpectral

• Baobhan Sith

  Scottish Gaelic • Scottish Highlands • Fae (Predatory)

  FaeVampiricScottishNocturnalFieldNotes

• Barghest

  English (Northern England) • Yorkshire & Northumbria • Cryptid (Spectral Hound)

  folklorespectral-houndomenenglish-cryptidnight-beast

• Basilisk

  Medieval European folklore • Mediterranean / Western Europe • Beast (Monster)

  basiliskserpentdeadly gazemedievalmonster

• Bastet

  Ancient Egyptian • Bubastis (Nile Delta) • Deity

  EgyptianGoddessCatProtectorHousehold

• Batibat

  Philippine (Ilocano / Tagalog folklore) • Luzon • Spirit

  PhilippineSpiritNightmareSleep ParalysisHousehold