List of species in folklore and mythology by type - Definition

This is a list of creatures from mythology, folklore and fairy tales by their classification or affiliation. Creatures from modern fantasy fiction and role-playing games are not included.

Creatures associated with air and weather

This listing includes birds and other flying creatures.

• Ariel
• Boobrie
• Djinn
• Dragon
• Elemental
• Erinyes
• Fenghuang
• Firebird
• Gargoyle
• Garuda
• Griffin
• Harpy
• Nue
• Odin's ravens, Hugin and Munin
• Pegasus
• Phoenix
• Raiju
• Roc
• Simurgh
• Sphinx
• Stymphalian Birds
• Sylph
• Tzafrir
• Yuki-onna
• Zephyr

Artificial creatures

This listing includes creatures that are man-made, mechanical or of alchemical origins.

• Familiar
• Galatea
• Golem
• Homunculus
• Talos
• see also List of fictional robots, List of famous puppets

Bears

• Drop Bear

Creatures associated with blood

• Gaki
• Golden Hind
• Kappa
• Redcap
• Rokurokubi
• Vampire
• Yuki-onna

Boars and pigs

• Calydonian Boar
• Erymanthian Boar

Bovines (bulls and cows)

• Audumla
• Bull of Heaven
• Kujata
• Lamassu
• Minotaur

Canines

• Barghest
• Black Shuck
• Cerberus
• Chupacabra
• Cwn Annwn
• Fenris
• Garm
• Kitsune
• Orthrus
• Tanuki
• Werewolf

Cats

This listing includes both domestic and wild cats, as well as great cats such as lions and tigers.

• Beast of Bodmin
• Chimera
• Griffin
• Kirin
• Lamassu
• Manticore
• Nemean Lion
• Sphinx

Deer, Stags and Antelope

• Golden Hind
• Kirin

Demons

• see list of specific demons and types of demons

Dragons

• see List of dragons

Creatures associated with the earth

This listing also includes subterranean and cave-dwelling creatures.

• Bahamut
• Behemoth
• Dwarf
• Elemental
• Gargoyle
• Gnome
• Goblin
• Golem
• Human
• Kobold
• Nymph
• Tommy Knockers

Elves, Fairies, Nymphs and house spirits

• Bannik
• Boggart
• Brownie
• Changeling
• Domovoi
• Dryad
• Elf
• Fairy
• Gremlin
• Imp
• Kikimora
• Knocker
• Leprechaun
• Naiad
• Nereid
• Nix
• Nymph
• Oceanid
• Pixie
• Pookha / Puck
• Redcap
• Seelie
• Sidhe
• Spriggan
• Sprite
• Tennin
• Titania
• Tomte
• Tonttu
• Vetter
• Vila

Creatures assocociated with the eyes

• Argus/Panoptes
• Catoblepas
• Cyclopes
• Hitotsume-kozou
• Lamia

Creatures associated with fertility and human sexuality

• Abatwa
• Incubus
• Nymph
• Satyr
• Succubus
• Unicorn

Creatures associated with fire

• Angel
• Demon
• Devil
• Dragon
• Efreet/Ifrit
• Elemental
• Firebird
• Phoenix
• Salamander
• Surtur

Creatures associated with fortune, wealth and wishes

• Baku
• Carbuncle
• Djinn, Jinni, Genie
• Leprechaun
• Nue
• Oni

Giants

• see list of giants in folklore and mythology

Goats

• Amalthea
• Capricorn
• Satyr
• Sidehill Gouger
• Thor's magical goats, Tanngnjóstr and Tanngrisnir

Horses

This listing also includes ponies, mules and other equestrians.

• Centaur
• Chiron
• Haizum
• Hippocampus
• Hippogriff
• Karkadann
• Kelpie
• Pegasus
• Sileni/Silenus
• Slepnir
• Unicorn
• Bäckahästen

Humanoids and monstrous humans

• Abarimon
• Abatwa
• Baba Yaga
• Beast (as in Beauty and the...)
• Bestia
• Bigfoot
• Bogeyman
• Bunyip
• Caliban
• Cyclopes
• Ghoul
• Giant / Giantess
  • see also List of giants in mythology and folklore
• Gigantes
• Grendel
• Hag
• Hitotsume-kozou
• Jotuns
• Nukekubi
• Ogre / Ogress
• Oni
• Rokurokubi
• Samebito
• Titan
• Troll
• Trowe
• Vampire
• Wendigo
• Yama-uba
• Yeti
• Yowie
• Yuki-onna

Hybrids (part-human)

• Asterius
• Centaur
• Golden Hind
• Harpy
• Manticore
• Mermaid
• Minotaur
• Satyr
• Sphinx
• Triton

Hybrids (non-human)

• Baku
• Chimera
• Griffin
• Hippocampus
• Hippogriff
• Nue
• Peryton
• Qilin

Creatures associated with ice and winter

• Ymir
• Yuki-onna

Insects, arachnids and arthropods

• Arachne

Otherworldly and spiritual creatures

• Angel
• Cerberus
• Charon
• Daemon
• Demon
  • see also list of specific demons and types of demons
• Deva
• Devil
• Elemental
• Genius
• Geryon
• God/deity
  • see also list of deities
• Houri
• Loa
• Nahual
• Orisha
• Psychopomp
• Spirit
• Tennin
• Totem
• Youkai
• Yuki-onna

Plants and fungi

• Dryad
• Leshy
• Mandrake
• Vegetable Lamb of Tartary

Rabbits

• Jackalope
• Skvader

Serpents, snakes and worms

• Amphisbaena
• Apep/Apophis
• Azhi Dahaka
• Basilisk
• Cockatrice
• Dragon
  • see also List of dragons
• Drake
• Echidna
• Fafnir
• Gorgons
• Hoopsnake
• Hydra
• Jaculus/Jaculi
• Jasconius
• Jormungand
• Lamia
• Medusa
• Naga
• Nidhogg
• Ouroboros
• Python
• Sea serpent
• Tarasque
• Wyvern

Shapeshifters

• Changeling
• Doppelganger
• Empusa
• Kitsune
• Lamia
• Lycanthrope
• Rokurokubi
• Skin-walker
• Tengu
• Werewolf

Undead creatures

• Banshee
• Gaki
• Ghost
• Jikininki
• Mummy
• Nukekubi
• Phantom
• Poltergeist
• Rusalka
• Sluagh
• Spectre
• Spirit
• Vampire
• Wili
• Will o' the wisp
• Wraith
• Yuurei
• Zombie

Creatures associated with water

This listing includes fish, whales, turtles, frogs and other aquatic and amphibious creatures

• Afanc
• Bunyip
• Capricorn
• Charybdis
• Dragon
• Elemental
• Fur-bearing trout
• Hippocampus
• Kami
• Kappa
• Kelpie
• Kraken (giant squid)
• Lake monster
• Leviathan
• Loch Ness monster
• Mermaid
• Merrow
• Nereid
• Nix
• Nymph
• Pisces
• Ri
• Samebito
• Sea monster
• Sea serpent
• Siren
• Taniwha
• Tiamat
• Triton
• Undine
• Zaratan