A List of Magical Creatures, Fantasy Animals, and Supernatural Beings (2024)

abiku – among the Yoruba and Dahomey people in West Africa, these are evil tree spirits that are born as children and die several times, often within the same family. I could be wrong, but I think the ogbanjeare basically the same thing.

angels – they show up in Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, and other traditions of belief. To millions of people around the world, these aren’t mythical creatures at all, of course, but very real divine beings.

bakru – these little gnome-like people in Suriname are half flesh and half wood. They will do your dirty work for you if you enter into a pact with them — which is a terrible idea.

banshee – you’ve probably heard the expression “screaming like a banshee,” but you may not have known exactly what these supernatural creatures are. They’re Irish female spirits, and if you’re about to die, one will show up to wail at you. The Slavic božalość are pretty much the same thing.

barghests – giant demonic dogs with huge teeth and claws who live in northern England. One of these fantasy creatures shows up when you’re about to die. Some creatures like this are simply referred to as Black Dogs.

basilisks – these reptiles can kill a person with a single glance. Sometimes people call them co*ckatrices.

brownies – in England and Scotland, these are little people who are loyal to human households and will sometimes help out with the chores. You don’t want to make them mad, though. Fans of Harry Potter and the wizarding world, take note: a dobbie or dobie is a kind of brownie, and an angry brownie can turn into a boggart.

btsan – the btsan are fierce sky spirits in Tibet that look like red hunters riding red horses.

Cerberus – this is one of the most dangerous or evil Greek mythological creatures: a three-headed dog that guards the door of the Underworld in Greek mythology.

chimera – in Greek mythology, the chimera has the body and head of a lion, a goat’s head sticking out of its back, a set of goat-udders just for fun, and a serpentine tail. (By the way, the term chimera also refers to something you’re hoping for, but is impossible to achieve.)

changeling – many European countries have stories about the fairies or trollsstealinghuman babies and leavingsickly or malignantmagicalbabies in their place. These myths have some similarities with the abiku, above.

Cloud People – also known as the Shiwanna. In Pueblo Native American traditions, these are supernatural beingsfrom the underworld who bring rainfall.

Co-hon – in Vietnam, these are the spirits of people who died a violent death and weren’t buried with ceremony. They bring bad luck to people who pass by them unless they are appeased.

Coraniaid – the Coraniaid are Welsh dwarves with very sharp hearing who are immune to weapons. They use fairy money, which looks legit but soon turns into toadstools.

Cwn Annwn – Welshhellhounds. They’re white with red ears, and gather up souls and drag them to hell. (See also: Dando’sDogs.)

dæmons – (also spelled daimons.) These not the same thing as demons. In ancient Greek mythology, they were helpful spirit guides, similar to guardian angels.

demons – obviously, no list of supernatural creatures would be complete without these guys. They’re most often depicted as humanoid creatures, and in Western culture, they frequently have horns. Variations of them appear in ancient near East religions, Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, and other faiths. Here’s a fun list of some of the worst ones, and a here’s a list of many or all of the demons with names.

dodore – these are little people in the Solomon Islands have one eye, one leg, and long red hair, and they don’t seem to be friendly.

djinn – these are supernatural beings of Arabian mythology who can be conjured up for aid. However, they are malicious tricksters and shape shifters. There are a few different classes of djinn, including the afrit (also spelled ifrit), who are large beings made out of smoke. Djinn are often associated with the desert.

dracae – singular “drac.” These weirdo water spirits in England take the form of floating wooden dishes. If women passing by think, “Yay! Free dishes!” and try to grab one, the dracae drag her under the water and make her their nanny forever.

dragons – these awesome fire breathing creatures must be one of the most famous fantasy animals of all, and they appear in the mythologies of Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

dryads – tree nymphs in Greek mythology.

dwarves – most of them come from Norse mythology, but there are also Teutonic dwarves,Slavic dwarves, Welsh dwarves (see the Coraniaid, above), and other kinds. Dwarvesare almost always miners and/or smiths who live underground.

duende – the Spanish word “duende” has an abstract meaning that I find hard to grasp, even though I’ve read plenty of Federico Garcia Lorca. However, the duende are also pixie-like creatures who may either get you lost in the forest, or help you find your way home, depending on the story. In some other tales, they hide in the walls or under your bed, accidentally cut off kids’ toes in attempts to clip their toenails, or just give people nightmares.

elves – this is probably one of the best-known supernatural species, and there are so many different kinds. This link discusses theálfar (singular,álfr) — light-elves in Norse Germanic mythology, which clearly inspired Tolkien — as well as some other types.

emandwa – these protective householdspirits in Uganda are loyal to families and help women to be fertile.

encantados – in Brazil, this can refer to shape-shifting dolphin menwho live in an underwater realm. In the vodou religion, the word has a different meaning.

fairies – dozens and maybe hundreds of cultures across the world have myths about magical, tricksy little people, a few of which are called out separately on this list. Fairies have often been depicted as cute fantasy creatures, but in some tales, they’re a bit more sinister. Here are links to read about English fairies, Irish fairies, and fairies on the Isle of Man. There’s some discussion of Italian fairies, or “fatas,” in this article about Italian witchcraft.

fauns – C.S. Lewis may have introduced you tothese half-human, half-goat forest pals. They are Roman in origin, and this article discusses the difference between fauns and satyrs.

firebird – in Russian mythology, this bird has feathers that glow in the night.

flagae – (singular, flaga) – this spirits have their roots in medieval Europe. If you are a witch, you can make them show up in your mirror and tell you about the future.

fuaths– theseugly little jerkslive in bodies of water in Scotland and play tricks on you or try to sink your boat. You can kill them with sunlight or steel.

gahe– also known as the Mountain People, because they live inside mountains. According to Apache beliefs, thesespiritshave healing powers.

ganas– in Hindumythology, these are different kinds of supernatural beings in Lord Shiva’s entourage (thoughGanesha, the elephant-headed god, is their boss.)

gandharvas– Gandharvas are male nature spirits who are, among many other things, wonderful singers and musicians. They figure in both Hindu and Buddhist mythology.

gnomes – these humanoid creatures are somewhat similar to dwarves, but they don’t live underground, and they wear cute peaked red hats. Garden gnomes are a particular subset of gnomes, and you can read more about them here.

goblins – these European creatures can be very short or human-sized, and they are as ugly as they are mean.

gremlins – the British Royal Air Force blamed equipment failures and such onmagical troublemakers called “gremlins,” but they were just as likely boggarts or goblins.

gryphons – also spelled griffins. These medieval fantasy creatures have the head, talons, and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion.

hag – in some European tales, a hag is a supernatural being that takes the form of a crone. Some hagssit on people when they’re sleeping and give them nightmares.

harpies – in Greek and Roman mythology, these are vengeful wind spirits. They have the heads and torsos of ugly women,long talons, and bird bodies.

Hesperides – these Greek nymphs are associated with the light of sunset, and they guard a sacred treeof golden apples.

hobgoblin – like abrownie, but moreinto playing practical jokes.

hongaek – this Korean word means “Red Disaster,” and describes a cloud of fear and confusion that shows up at the scene of a suicide, murder, fatal traffic accident, orothercatastrophes. The cloud infects people and brings them bad luck.

hu hsien – in Chinese mythology, these are shapeshifting foxes who turn into gorgeous women.

hydra – the terrorist organization in Marvel Comics is named after an ancient sea monster in Greek and Roman mythology. It has many heads, and if you cut one off, it grows two more in its place.

hyter sprites – awwww… these green-eyed fairies in East Anglia, England can shapeshift into sand martins, and they help lost children get home.

igigi – in the mythology of ancient Mesopotamia, these spirits hovered above the earth’s horizon and, like angels, helped the deities.

incubi – (singular, incubus) – these are male evil spirits that have sex with women while they are sleeping and impregnate them. In medieval England, an incubus can shapeshift to look just like a woman’s husband or lover. However, in his natural state, he has cloven hooves. In a few variations, the incubus can take a male or a female form. Many cultures have their own version of the incubus.

javerzaharses – these Armenian nymphs sometimes have wings. Their name means “The Perpetual Brides,” and they are involved with planning wedding ceremonies.

kaches – in Armenian tales, these mean spirits hide in rocks and trap and torture humans.

kakamora – in the Solomon Islands, these little people have long hair, long teeth, and long nails. They hide in caves and banyan trees, and either eat people or play tricks on them, depending on who you talk to.

kanaima – in Guinia, these avenging spirits can possess people.

kitsune – “kitsune” is Japanese for “fox.” In some Japanese tales, foxes have magical powers and can shapeshift into women. The more tails a kitsune has, the older and more powerful she is.

kupua – these are supernatural tricksters in Hawaiian mythology. They are versatile shapeshifters.

keshalyi – Transylvanian fairies. It doesn’t get any cooler than that. They appear in Romani folklore.

kobolds – these little German guys might live in mines or in your house. Theyhave similarities to brownies and to dwarves.

Korrigan – in northwestern France, these elf-like female beings have long hair, flowing white garments, and sometimes delicate wings. Their songs and firelit dances can lead travelers astray.

knockers – also called “Tommyknockers,” these mine spirits live in Cornwall and sometimes in the U.S. (I believe some emigrated). They are similar to kobolds and to dwarves.

leprechauns – these famous little bearded shoemakers in Irish tales sometimes hide pots of gold at the end of rainbows. I don’t know if this is true in other countries, but in the United States, we associate these cute fantasy creatures very strongly with Saint Patrick’s Day.

limoneads – I know, it looks like “lemonheads.” These ancient Greek nymphs protected meadows and fields of flowers.

Loch Ness monster – this is one of the more famous mythological creatures: a long-necked water creature said to inhabit Loch Ness in Scotland. Its legend goes back to the year 564.

ma-mo – female disease demons in Tibet who dress entirely in black.

matabiri – nasty swamp spirits in Papua New Guinea.

matagaigai – malevolent tree spirits, also in Papua New Guinea. The females have one big breast and one small one.

mermaids and mermen – dozens of cultures have myths about these half-human, half-fish creatures.

minotaur – in Greek mythology, this monstrous creature with the head of a bull lived in a maze. King Minos offered it regular sacrifices of young people to feed his hunger.

moksin tongbop – in Korea, these wood imps can hide in an armload of firewood and come into your house, where they will cause disease and misfortune.

Muses – in Greek mythology, these nine nymphs or goddesses are patronesses of the arts.

nats – these tree spirits, sometimes worshipped in parts of Myanmar, may guard the environment.

nixies – water spirits in Germany, Scandinavia, and Switzerland.

norns – also called the nornir, these are the three Fates in Norse mythology.

phoenix – this long-lived bird stars in the mythologies of several ancient cultures. After hundreds of years, he spontaneously combusts, and a new baby phoenix is born in the ashes.

pixies – red-haired fairies from Cornwall, England, with turned-up noses like pigs.

poltergeists – spirits of the dead or malignant forces that live in some houses and throw things around. The name means “noise spirit” in German.

saba-leippya – this is actually a sub-category of nats (see above), but they are so lovely I had to call them out specifically. They are guardian spirits of rice paddies. One is assigned to each field, and they take the form of butterflies.

salamanders – these are real lizards, but they also have legends associated with them. European medieval philosophers said that salamanders could create and put out fires.

selkies – most cultures have shapeshifter stories. In Orkney, the selkies are seals who can turn into humans.

skinwalkers – in Navajo mythology, a skinwalker can take on the appearance of any person or creature, and they can be terrifying.

Sphinx – in Greek and Egyptian stories, the Sphinx is a man eating creature with a human head and a lion’s body who likes to ask people riddles, and then devour them if they don’t know the answer.

succubi – (singular, succubus) – in European tales, these female demons have sex with sleeping men.

sylphs – these supernatural creatures are elemental, delicate spirits of the air. They be the souls of women who died as virgins. From medieval European mythology.

trolls – unlike Internet trolls, these legendary creatures of Scandinavia and England are useful once in a great while. Mostly they’re malicious, and most people agree that they’re hideous.

undines – beautiful but soulless female water spirits, according to medieval European tradition.

unicorns – I don’t really need to explain these medieval fantasy creatures. Click the link to find out about the nine times they are referenced in the Bible, among other things.

Valkyries – finally we get to my favorites! Their name means “Choosers of the Slain,” and they show up at battles to decide who will die. Then they escort the souls of the chosen back to Valhalla, where everyone has a good time.[spacer height=”20px”]

vampires – forget about sparkling — in all the old stories, vampires are beyond disgusting. This site has a pretty good breakdown of vampires and vampire-like creatures from different cultures. Most of our modern vampire lore comes from early 18th century Eastern Europe, when everyone lost their minds, claimed to see vampires, and tried to stake and kill them. (You can read about one case here.) The vampires in Romanian mythology are called the strigoi.

veela – Also spelled vila. These ladies are beautiful mountain nymphs of Serbia who like to dance in the forest under the light of the moon.

wendigos – in Native American mythology, these giant creatures was once human, but turned into lanky, hairy monsters after they resorted to cannibalism. They roam the woods looking for more people to eat.

werewolves – wolves are some of the most common kinds of shapeshifters in folklore. Here’s a pretty comprehensive werewolf site, and you can read about Louisiana’s loup-garou here.

winged horses – there are many of them, from a few different cultures, besides the famous Pegasus.

Zduhać – in Slavic mythology, these were men with the natural magical ability to protect their people and their property from storms and hail. During sleep, they could leave their bodies to do battle with the evil spirits who caused foul weather.

I hope this mythical creatures list serves as good reference and inspiration, and if you happen to be an expert on one of these magical creatures, please share more information in the comments!

If you’re planning a fantasy or supernatural novel (or a trilogy or series!), you might like to order my book Blank Page to Final Draft. It’ll take you step by step through planning, writing, ane editing a novel to get to a polished, ready-to-publish version. Check it out!

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Thanks so much for reading, and happy writing!

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