List of legendary creatures by type
This list of legendary creatures from mythology, folklore and fairy tales is sorted by their classification or affiliation. Creatures from modern fantasy fiction and role-playing games are not included.
Animals, creatures associated with
Arthropods
- Karkinos – Crab who attacked Heracles and was killed, becoming the constellation of Cancer.
- Nerites – Minor sea deity turned into a shellfish by jealous gods.
- Ōmukade – Giant man-eating centipede, but weak to human saliva.
- Zaratan – Giant crab mistaken for an island.
Insects
Scorpions
Spiders
Birds
Avian Humanoids
Chickens
Corvids
Eagles
Owls
- Chickcharney – Magical owl with powers over fate, sometimes encountered by travellers in pine forests.
- Nyctimene – Princess transformed into an owl by Minerva.
- Owlman – Owl-like humanoid compared to America's Mothman.
- Sirin – Birds with women's heads who lured men to their deaths.
- Strix – Owl that ate human flesh.
Fish
Mammals
Aquatic and marine-based
Bats
- Balayang – Bat-god and brother to Bunjil.
- Camazotz – Bat spirit and servant of the lords of the underworld.
- Leutogi – Samoan princess rescued by bats.
- Minyades – Three sisters who refused to take part in the worship of Dionysus, and turned into bats by Hermes.
- Tjinimin – Ancestor of the Australian people.
- Vetala – Vampiric entity that takes over cadavers.
Carnivorans
Bears
- Bjarndyrakongur – King of bears. Stems from Polar Bear sightings in Iceland being extremely rare, but not unheard of. Has a shining horn on its head topped with a ball and red patches on cheeks.
- Bugbear – Child-eating hobgoblin.
- Callisto – A nymph who was turned into a bear by Hera.
- Stiff-Legged Bear – Gigantic, hairless bear monster in tribal folklore, predominantly Iroquoians and Algonquians, possibly inspired by mammoths.
Canines
Foxes
Felines
Lions
Hyenas
- Werehyena
Musteloids and non-hyena herpestoids
Procyonids
- Azeban – trickster raccoon spirit in Abenaki mythology
Marsupials
- Drop bear
- Bunyip
Primates
Rabbits and hares
Rodents
- Afanc
- Lavellan – Water shrew or water vole with poisonous abilities, said to be able to injure cattle over a hundred feet away.
- Ratatoskr
- Rat king; phenomenon in which a number of rats become intertwined at their tails.
- Wolpertinger
Ungulates
Antelopes and deer
Bovines
Camelids
- Allocamelus – A donkey-headed camel.
- Heavenly Llama
Caprids
Equines
Pachyderms
- Abath
- Baku
- Behemoth
- Quugaarpak - Explanation for Mammoths & other Ice Age remains washing out of riversides. Underworld monsters who dig their way up to the human world, but die upon breathing our air.
- Taweret
Pigs and boars
- Calydonian Boar
- Erymanthian Boar
- Zhu Bajie
Xenarthrans
- Mapinguari
Molluscs
- Akkorokamui – octopus monster
- Amikuk - Shapeshifting four armed 'octopus' that can swim through land as easily as water.
- Carbuncle – one of its many descriptions is a luminescent bivalve
- Lou Carcolh – A giant, man-eating snail with fur and tentacles
- Kraken – squid monster
- Shen – A clam-dragon that creates mirages and fata morgana at sea
Reptiles
Limbed
Serpents and worms
Megafauna
Giants
Artificial creatures
This listing includes creatures that are man-made, mechanical or of alchemical origins.Body parts, creatures associated with
Blood
Bone
One-eyed
Face
- Asura
- Deva / Devi
- Noppera-bō
Hair
- Futakuchi-onna
- Harionago
- Mavka
- Medusa
Head
Limbs
Mouth
- Futakuchi-onna
- Kuchisake-onna
Skin
- Selkie
- Skin-walker
- Swan maiden
Tail
- Bakeneko
- Kitsune
- Yamata no Orochi
- Kumiho
- Hulder
- Nguruvilu
Neck
- Serpopard
- Rokurokubi
- Vampire
Torso
- Manananggal
- Geryon
Abdomen
- Pixiu
Concepts, creatures associated with
Battle, Vengeance, Violence, and War
Birth and Rebirth
Dream, the Mind, and Sleep
Evil Eye and Sight
Fertility and Human Sexuality
Fortune, Luck, and Wealth
Light
- Angel
- Chalkydri
- Deity
- Lampetia
- Will-o'-the-wisp
- Dragon
Love and Romance
Sound
- Banshee
- Encantado
- Fenghuang
- Fossegrim
- Mermaid
- Nue
- Siren
- Yamabiko
Speech
- Gef
- Satan
Time and Technology
- Chronos
- Father Time
- Gremlin
Wisdom
- Baba Yaga
- Bai Ze
- Griffin
- Salmon of Wisdom
- Sphinx
Demons
- See list of theological demons
Elements, creatures associated with
Aether
Air and wind
- Ala
- Elemental
- Feldgeister
- Zduhać
Darkness
Earth and subterranean
Fire
Light and rainbow
Metal and gold
Thunder and lightning
Water
Habitats, creatures associated with
Cave and underground
Celestial and heaven
Desert
Temperate forest and woodland
Tropical forest and jungle
Temperate grassland and garden
Mountain and hill
Sea
Swamp and marsh
Volcano and lava
- Cherufe
- Phoenix
- Salamander
Polar, ice, and winter
Urban and house
Underworld and hell
Humanoids
Hybrids
Astronomical objects, creatures associated with
Sun
- Chalkydri beings from the Second Book of Enoch
- Kua Fu a giant in China
- Three-legged bird in China, Korea, and Japan
- Phoenix in Greek Mythology
Moon
- Jade rabbit
- Werewolf
- Werejaguar
- Alien
Constellation
World
- World Elephant
- World Tree
- World Turtle
Creatures associated with plants