Throughout history, people have created countless tales of mythical creatures, legendary monsters, and supernatural beasts. Despite their obscure origins, these mythical creatures described in folklore different nations and in many cases are part of the culture. It's amazing that there are people all over the world who are still convinced that these monsters exist, despite the lack of any meaningful evidence. So today we will look at a list of 25 legendary and mythical creatures that never existed.

Budak is present in many Czech fairy tales and legends. This monster is usually described as a creepy creature, reminiscent of a scarecrow. It can cry like an innocent child, thus luring its victims. On the night of the full moon, Budak allegedly weaves fabric from the souls of those people whom he killed. Budak is sometimes described as an evil version of Father Christmas who travels on Christmas Day in a cart pulled by black cats.

24. Ghoul

The ghoul is one of the most famous creatures in Arabian folklore and appears in the collection of tales One Thousand and One Nights. The ghoul is described as an undead creature that can also take the form of an immaterial spirit. He often visits cemeteries to eat the flesh of recently deceased people. This is probably main reason, why the word ghoul in Arab countries is often used when referring to gravediggers or representatives of any profession directly related to death.

23. Yorogumo.

Loosely translated from Japanese, Yorogumo means “seductress spider,” and in our humble opinion, the name perfectly describes this monster. According to Japanese folklore, Yorogumo was a bloodthirsty monster. But in most tales it is described as a huge spider that takes the form of a very attractive and sexy woman who seduces its male victims, captures them in a web and then happily devours them.

22. Cerberus.

IN Greek mythology, Cerberus is the guardian of Hades and is usually described as a bizarre-looking monster that looks like a dog with three heads and a tail whose end is the head of a dragon. Cerberus was born from the union of two monsters, the giant Typhon and Echidna, and is himself the brother of the Lernaean Hydra. Cerberus is often described in myth as one of the most loyal guards in history and is often mentioned in Homer's epic.

21. Kraken

The legend of the Kraken came from the Northern Seas and its presence was initially limited to the shores of Norway and Iceland. Over time, however, its fame grew, thanks to the wild imagination of storytellers, which led subsequent generations to believe that it also lives in all the seas of the world.

Norwegian fishermen initially described the sea monster as a gigantic animal that was as large as an island and posed a danger to passing ships not from direct attack, but from giant waves and tsunamis caused by the movements of its body. However, later people began to spread stories about the monster's violent attacks on ships. Modern historians believe that the Kraken was nothing more than giant squid and the rest of the stories are nothing more than the wild imagination of sailors.

20. Minotaur

The Minotaur is one of the first epic creatures we meet in human history, and takes us back to the heyday of the Minoan civilization. The Minotaur had the head of a bull on the body of a very large, muscular man and settled in the center of the Cretan labyrinth, which was built by Daedalus and his son Icarus at the request of King Minos. Anyone who entered the labyrinth became a victim of the Minotaur. The exception was the Athenian king Theseus, who killed the beast and came out of the labyrinth alive with the help of the thread of Ariadne, the daughter of Minos.

If Theseus were hunting the Minotaur these days, a rifle with collimator sight, a huge and high-quality selection of which is on the portal http://www.meteomaster.com.ua/meteoitems_R473/.

19. Wendigo

Those familiar with psychology have probably heard the term “Wendigo psychopathy,” which describes the psychosis that compels a person to eat human flesh. The medical term takes its name from a mythical creature called the Wendigo, which, according to the myths of the Algonquin Indians. The Wendigo was an evil creature that looked like a cross between a human and a monster, something similar to a zombie. According to legend, only people who ate human flesh were able to become Wendigos themselves.

Of course, this creature never existed and was invented by Algonquin elders who were trying to stop people from engaging in cannibalism.

In ancient Japanese folklore, Kappa is a water demon who lives in rivers and lakes and devours naughty children. Kappa means "child of the river" in Japanese and has the body of a turtle, the limbs of a frog, and a head with a beak. In addition, there is a cavity with water on the top of the head. According to legend, Kappa's head must always be kept moist, otherwise he will lose his strength. Oddly enough, many Japanese consider the existence of Kappa to be a reality. Some lakes in Japan have posters and signs warning visitors that there is a serious risk of being attacked by this creature.

Greek mythology gave the world some of its most epic heroes, gods, and creatures, and Talos is one of them. A huge bronze giant supposedly lived in Crete, where he protected a woman named Europa (from whom the European continent took its name) from pirates and invaders. For this reason, Talos patrolled the shores of the island three times a day.

16. Menehune.

According to legend, the Menehune were an ancient race of gnomes who lived in the forests of Hawaii before the arrival of the Polynesians. Many scientists explain the existence of ancient statues on the Hawaiian Islands due to the presence of Menehune here. Others argue that the legends of the Menehune began with the arrival of Europeans in these areas and were created by human imagination. The myth goes back to the roots of Polynesian history. When the first Polynesians arrived in Hawaii, they found dams, roads, and even temples that had been built by the Menehune.

However, no one found the skeletons. Therefore, it still remains a big mystery what kind of race built all these amazing ancient structures in Hawaii before the arrival of the Polynesians.

15. Griffin.

The griffin was a legendary creature with the head and wings of an eagle and the body and tail of a lion. The griffin is the king of the animal kingdom, a symbol of power and dominance. Griffins can be found in many depictions of Minoan Crete and later in the art and mythology of Ancient Greece. However, some believe that the creature symbolizes the fight against evil and witchcraft.

14. Medusa

According to one version, Medusa was a beautiful maiden destined for the goddess Athena, who was raped by Poseidon. Athena, furious that she could not confront Poseidon directly, turned Medusa into an unsightly, evil monster with a head full of snakes for hair. Medusa's ugliness was so disgusting that anyone who looked at her face turned to stone. Perseus eventually killed Medusa with the help of Athena.

Pihiu is another legendary monster hybrid native to China. Even though no part of its body resembled human organs, the mythological creature is often described as having the body of a lion with wings, long legs and the head of a Chinese dragon. Pihiu is considered the guardian and protector of those who practice Feng Shui. Another version of the pihiu, the Tian Lu, is also sometimes considered a sacred being that attracts and protects wealth. This is the reason why small statues of Tian Lu are often seen in Chinese homes or offices, as it is believed that this creature can help accumulate wealth.

12. Sukuyant

The soucouillant, according to Caribbean legends (especially in the Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Guadeloupe), is an exotic black version of the European vampire. By word of mouth, from generation to generation, Sukuyant has become part of local folklore. He is described as a hideous-looking old woman by day, who at night transforms into a magnificent-looking young black woman resembling a goddess. She seduces her victims in order to later suck their blood or make them her eternal slaves. She was also believed to practice black magic and voodoo, and could transform herself into ball lightning or enter the homes of her victims through any opening in the house, including cracks and keyholes.

11. Lamassu.

According to the mythology and legends of Mesopotamia, Lamassu was a protective deity, depicted with the body and wings of a bull, or with the body of a lion, the wings of an eagle and the head of a man. Some described him as a menacing-looking man, while others described him as a female deity with good intentions.

10. Tarasca

The tale of the Tarasca is reported in the history of Martha, which is included in Jacob's biography of the Christian saints. Tarasca was a dragon with a very scary appearance and bad intentions. According to legend, it had the head of a lion, six short legs like a bear, the body of a bull, was covered with the shell of a turtle and a scaly tail that ended with a scorpion sting. Tarasca terrorized the Nerluc region of France.

It all ended when a young devoted Christian named Martha arrived in the city to spread the gospel of Jesus and discovered that the people had been afraid of a fierce dragon for years. Then he found the dragon in the forest and sprinkled it with holy water. This action has tamed wildlife dragon. After this, Martha led the dragon back to the city of Nerluk, where the enraged locals stoned Tarascus to death.

On November 25, 2005, UNESCO included Tarasca in the list of masterpieces of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity.

9. Draugr.

The draugr, according to Scandinavian folklore and mythology, is a zombie that emits a surprisingly powerful putrid odor of the dead. It was believed that the Draugr eats people, drinks blood, and has power over the minds of people, driving them crazy at will. A typical Draugr was somewhat similar to Freddy Krueger, who, apparently, was created under the influence of fairy tales about the Scandinavian monster.

8. Lernaean Hydra.

The Lernaean Hydra was a mythical water monster with many heads that resembled big snakes. A ferocious monster lived in Lerna, a small village near Argos. According to legend, Hercules decided to kill the Hydra and when he cut off one head, two appeared. For this reason, Hercules' nephew Iolaus burned each head as soon as his uncle cut it off, only then did they stop reproducing.

7. Broxa.

According to Jewish legend, the Broxa is an aggressive monster, like a giant bird, that would attack goats or, in rare cases, drink human blood at night. The legend of Broxa spread in the Middle Ages in Europe, where it was believed that witches took the form of Broxa.

6. Baba Yaga

Baba Yaga is perhaps one of the most popular paranormal creatures in the folklore of the Eastern Slavs and, according to legend, had the appearance of a fierce and scary old woman. However, Baba Yaga is a multifaceted figure capable of inspiring researchers, capable of turning into a cloud, snake, bird, black cat and symbolizing the Moon, death, winter or the Goddess of Mother Earth, the totemic ancestor of matriarchy.

Antaeus was a giant with enormous strength, which he inherited from his father, Poseidon (god of the sea), and mother Gaia (Earth). He was a hooligan who lived in the Libyan Desert and challenged any traveler in his lands to a fight. After defeating the stranger in a deadly wrestling match, he killed him. He collected the skulls of the people he defeated in order to one day build a temple dedicated to Poseidon from these “trophies.”

But one day one of the passersby turned out to be Hercules, who was making his way to the Garden of the Hesperides to complete his eleventh labor. Antaeus made a fatal mistake by challenging Hercules. The hero lifted Antaeus off the ground and crushed him in a bear hug.

4. Dullahan.

The fierce and powerful Dullahan is a headless horseman in Irish folklore and mythology. For centuries, the Irish described him as a harbinger of doom who traveled on a black, terrifying-looking horse.

According to Japanese legend, Kodama is a peaceful spirit that lives inside certain types of trees. Kodama is described as a small, white and peaceful ghost that is perfectly in sync with nature. However, according to legend, when someone tries to cut down the tree where Kodama lives, bad things and a series of misfortunes begin to happen to him.

2. Corrigan

Strange creatures called Corrigan come from Brittany, cultural area in northwestern France with a very rich literary tradition and folklore. Some say Corrigan was a beautiful, kind fairy, while other sources describe him as an evil spirit who looked like a dwarf and danced around fountains. He seduced people with his charm to kill them or steal their children.

1. Fish-man Lyrgans.

The fish-man Lyrgans existed in the mythology of Cantabria, an autonomous community located in northern Spain.

According to legend, this is an amphibious creature that looks like a sullen man who was lost at sea. Many people believe that the fish-man was one of the four sons of Francisco de la Vega and Maria del Casar, a couple who lived in the area. It was believed that they drowned in the waters of the sea while swimming with their friends at the mouth of Bilbao.

Good afternoon, dear movie lovers and readers who just happened to be here. Every blogger knows that it is necessary to keep the blog active as often as possible. But bad luck - today is the most boring day. On July 13, 2013, nothing happens in the world of cinema. Due to such a boring and also rainy day, I will move a little away from the topic. If you noticed, my blog has articles about mystical films. As part of the "" section, today we will remember mythology and list the top female mythical creatures.

The most interesting thing is that the word " Banshee“The translator translated it for me as “a spirit whose groans foretell death.” In principle, Google translation has already revealed the intrigue of this creature. It is better not to anger such a lady, otherwise her cry promises you a short life.

Banshees are cool because they belong to Irish myths, and Irish women have cool accents. If there were real banshees, they would have a louder cry than Nuki from the Slot group (if anyone is in the know).

Dryads are the souls of trees. This leads to two pieces of news. First, trees have souls. I just remember I said something like this to my teacher in the 3rd grade, and she said that trees don’t have souls and gave me two points. I hope the dryads will take revenge on my mythologically ignorant teacher, or the Banshee will scream in her ear.

Oh yes, second news. Dryads are only women - does that mean all trees are women? In a bit of a rush of information, I found the answer to this question. Dryads take the form of hot chicks, and the souls themselves are genderless.

The disadvantage of relations with Dryads is that they are rooted to the ground and you don’t see them in the movies. But they are immortal as long as their tree is alive.

8. Mystical creature: centaur

I would like to note right away that female centaurs are practically not mentioned in movies or books - what kind of sexism is there towards these creatures? The ancient Greeks did not say that Centaurs were only men - and how would they reproduce then?

Centaurs are famous enough to talk about, but anyone can read this post, so: Centaurs are half-human/half-horse. It would be difficult for centaurs to live in our time. There are cars all around, and people smoke here and there. And a drop of nicotine...

Gargona is very ancient creature. According to the description, she looks like a woman, except for snakes instead of hair...

The most famous Gargon was Medusa-Gargon, well, the one who fell at the hands of the hero Perseus. I previously thought that Gargona was the name of a jellyfish, but no - take a bite, this is the name of the creature.

The Gargons became extinct a long time ago, probably due to the fact that they turned everything into stone. Or because of the popularization of mirrors, because Gargona can turn herself into stone if she sees a reflection. One more thing about snake hair, what is going on with these creatures in the bikini area? o.O

Closes the top five women's mystical creatures very interesting character. Harpies are winged beauties who love to steal children like witches. I don't know why in so many movies the Harpies are shown as monsters with sharp teeth when the Greeks imagined them as graceful girls?

Harpies usually had long, luxurious hair. The harpy, in principle, might not have stolen the young boy, since he himself could happily wish to go to visit such a lady.. The most negative thing about a relationship with a harpy is its sharp bird claws. Your back will be scratched, be healthy.

If we analyze the proportions of their wings and body, we can conclude that the harpy's wings are not capable of lifting a woman's body. In fact, harpies turned out to be more like chickens, which is probably why they became extinct.

Snake? This is what my mother-in-law looked like when she was young! Just kidding, how can she care about the grace of this mystical snake...

All Lamia are female, and they are all demonic creatures with a snake tail instead of legs. These evil creatures are able to take the form of an ordinary woman. If you have ever met real bitches in your life, maybe they were Lamia?

Like the harpies, these cold girls are greedy for young guys. But they’re not interested in sex (remind me of the snake’s tail?), they prefer to gobble up literally young guy.

These creatures usually attract the male population, seducing them. So, if you are seduced by a girl, think twice, maybe she will turn out to be that snake. (Damn, how vital - the Greeks are great.)

We continue the snake theme. They are often confused with the creatures described above, but although both species have a snake tail, Naga Not demonic creatures. Another difference: Nagi can also be men - this is a full-fledged biological species, and it also reproduces biologically, therefore there are both males and females. To be honest, I don’t know exactly how snakes reproduce... I’m a lousy biologist.

Nagas, unlike Lamia, also have 4 arms. Although the Nagas were always friendly to people, people probably exterminated them because they mistook them for Lamia.

Sirens seem to have an unrealistically wide range of voices, as they lure sailors from far away. An interesting fact is that you can easily confuse a female siren from a male siren (oh yes, my dears, there are such ones). It turns out that sirens look like Korean prostitutes...

So the attempt to present boring mythology in a fun, entertaining style has come to an end. The first place in the top goes to Succubus.

Succubi are a typical type of girl who gets anything for sex. These demonesses completely immorally and shamelessly seduce men and make them slaves in hell. According to legend, the slaves of the Succubus mine hellish gold by working in hellish mines (Well, at least they don’t cook in a cauldron, as Catholicism promises us...).

Succubi love to have fun and are only female. Temptress demonesses usually have small horns, hooves and wings. The wings do not allow them to fly, but rather cushion their fall as the Succubi jump from rock to rock in Hell.

Don’t look for logic in the distribution of places - there is none, it’s just a psychological technique to attract attention. Let's look at more posts.

List of monsters, demons, giants and magical creatures of ancient Greek mythology

Cyclops- in ancient Greek mythology, giants with a large, round, fiery eye in the middle of their forehead. The first three Cyclops were born by the goddess Gaia (Earth) from Uranus (Sky). In ancient times, Cyclopes were personifications of thunderclouds, from which the “eye” of lightning sparkled.

Cyclops Polyphemus. Painting by Tischbein, 1802

Hecatoncheires - the children of Gaia and Uranus, hundred-armed giants, against whose terrible power nothing can resist. Mythical embodiments of terrible earthquakes and floods. The Cyclopes and Hecatoncheires were so strong that Uranus himself was horrified by their power. He tied them up and threw them deep into the earth, where they went on a rampage, causing volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. The presence of these giants in her womb began to cause terrible suffering to Earth-Gaia, and she persuaded her youngest son, the titan Cronus (“Time”), to take revenge on his father, Uranus, by emasculating him. Cron did it with a sickle.

From the drops of blood of Uranus that spilled during castration, Gaia conceived and gave birth to three Erinny- goddesses of vengeance with snakes on their heads instead of hair. The names of Erinny are Tisiphone (the killing avenger), Alecto (the tireless pursuer) and Megaera (the terrible).

The Goddess of the Night (Nyukta), in anger at the lawlessness committed by Kron, gave birth to terrible, monstrous creatures: Tanata (Death), Eridu(Discord) Apata(Deception), Ker(goddesses of violent death), Hypnos(Dream), Nemesis(Revenge), Gerasa(Old age), Charona(carrier of the dead to the underworld).

Phorcys- the evil god of the stormy sea and storms. In ancient Greek mythology, the children of Phorcys were considered to be the monsters Gorgons, Grays, Sirens, Echidna and Scylla.

Keto- the evil goddess of the sea depths, sister and wife of Phorcys. Both of them personified the majestic and terrible phenomena of the sea

Grayi- personification of Old Age. Three ugly sisters: Deino (trembling), Pemphedo (Anxiety) and Enyo (anger, horror). Gray from birth, they have one eye and one tooth among three. This eye was once stolen from them by the hero Perseus. In exchange for the return of the eye, the Grays had to show Perseus the way to Medusa the Gorgon.

Skilla(Scylla - “Barking”) is a terrible monster with 12 paws, six necks and six heads, each of which has three rows of teeth. Scylla makes a continuous high-pitched bark.

Charybdis- the personification of the all-consuming abyss of the sea. A terrible whirlpool that absorbs and spews out sea moisture three times a day. The ancient Greeks believed that Scylla and Charybdis lived according to to different parties Strait of Messina (between Italy and Sicily). Odysseus sailed between Scylla and Charybdis during his travels

Gorgons- three sisters, three winged snake-haired monsters. The names of the Gorgons are: Euryale (“jumping far”), Stheno (“mighty”) and Medusa (“mistress, guard”). Of the three sisters, only Medusa was mortal, who had the ability to turn everything to stone with her terrible gaze. She was killed by the hero Perseus. Preserved his magical power the look of the dead Gorgon Medusa later helped Perseus defeat the sea monster and save the beautiful Andromeda.

Head of Medusa. Painting by Rubens, c. 1617-1618

Pegasus- winged horse, favorite of the muses. Conceived by Medusa the Gorgon from the god Poseidon. While killing Medusa, Perseus jumped out of her body.

Sirens- in ancient Greek myths, monsters that have a beautiful female head, and the body and legs are like a bird (according to other stories - like a fish). With their enchanting singing, the sirens lured sailors to their magical island, where they tore them into pieces and devoured them. Only the ship of Odysseus passed this island safely. He ordered all his companions to cover their ears with wax so as not to hear the voices of the sirens. He himself enjoyed their singing, tightly tied to the mast.

Odysseus and the Sirens. Painting by J. W. Waterhouse, 1891

Echidna(“Viper”) is a gigantic half-woman, half-snake of a ferocious character, with a beautiful face and a spotted snake body.

Tavmant- god of sea wonders, underwater giant. The harpies were considered his daughters.

Harpies– in ancient Greek mythology – the personification of destructive storms and whirlwinds. Monsters that have the wings and clawed feet of a vulture, but the chest and head are female. They suddenly swoop in and disappear. They kidnap children and human souls.

Typhon(“Smoke, Chad”) is a terrible monster born of Gaia-Earth. The personification of gases that burst from the bowels of the earth and cause volcanic eruptions. Typhon entered into a struggle with Zeus for power over the universe and almost won it. In ancient Greek myths, Typhon is a giant who had a hundred hissing dragon heads with black tongues and flaming eyes. Zeus blew off all of Typhon's heads with lightning and cast his body into the abyss of Tartarus.

Zeus throws lightning at Typhon

Kerber(Cerberus) is a terrible three-headed dog, the son of Typhon and Echidna. The guardian of the exit from the underworld of Hades, who does not let anyone out of there. Hercules, during his eleventh labor, took Kerberus away from the bowels of the earth, but then he was returned back

Orff- a monstrous two-headed dog, the son of Typhon and Echidna, the father of the Sphinx and the Nemean Lion. It belonged to the giant Geryon and was guarded by his magical bulls. Killed by Hercules during the abduction of these bulls (tenth labor).

(“Strangler”) - in ancient Greek mythology (as opposed to Egyptian) - a monstrous maiden with the body of a dog, the wings of a bird and a woman’s head. Having settled near the city of Thebes in Boeotia, the Sphinx devoured young men who could not solve her riddle: “who walks in the morning on four legs, in the afternoon on two, and in the evening on three.” The hero Oedipus solved the riddle, and the Sphinx then threw herself into the abyss.

Sphinx. Detail of a painting by F. C. Fabre. Late XVIII - early XIX centuries.

Empusa- in ancient Greek mythology, a night ghost, a woman with donkey legs, who could take on a wide variety of guises (most often a cow, a beautiful girl or a dog with one leg of copper and the other of dung). She sucked blood from sleeping people and often devoured their meat.

Lamia- in ancient Greek myths, the daughter of Poseidon, with whom Zeus entered into a relationship. Zeus's wife, Hera, was angry at this, deprived Lamia of her beauty, made her an ugly monster and killed her children. In desperation, Lamia began to take children from other mothers. She ate these children. Since then, she has regained her beauty only in order to seduce men, and then kill them and drink their blood. Falling into a mad frenzy, Lamia can only fall asleep after taking out her own eyes and putting them in a bowl. In later fairy tales, lamias were a special kind of creature, close to medieval vampires.

Nemean lion - son of Typhon and Echidna. A huge lion with skin that no weapon could pierce. Strangled by Hercules during his first labor.

Hercules kills the Nemean lion. Copy from the statue of Lysippos

Lernaean Hydra - daughter of Typhon and Echidna. Huge snake with nine heads, in which instead of one severed one, three new ones grew. Killed by Hercules during the second labor: the hero, having cut off Hydra's head, cauterized the severed area with a burning brand, causing new heads to stop growing.

Stymphalian birds - monstrous birds nurtured by the god Ares with copper beaks, claws and feathers, which they could sprinkle on the ground like arrows. They ate people and crops. Partially exterminated, partially driven away by Hercules during his third labor.

Kerynean fallow deer - a doe with golden horns and copper legs, who never knew fatigue. She was sent as a punishment to people by the goddess Artemis to the ancient Greek region of Arcadia, where she rushed through the fields, devastating crops. Caught by Hercules during his fourth labor. The hero chased the doe for a whole year and overtook her far in the north, at the source of the Istra (Danube).

Erymanthian boar - a huge boar who lived in Arcadia, on Mount Erymanthes, and terrified the entire area. The fifth labor of Hercules was that he drove this boar into deep snow. When the boar got stuck there, Hercules tied it up and took it to King Eurystheus.

Hercules and the Erymanthian boar. Statue of L. Tuyon, 1904

Horses of Diomedes – the mares of the Thracian king Diomedes ate human flesh and were chained to stalls with iron chains, because no other fetters could hold them. During his eighth labor, Hercules took possession of these monstrous horses, but they tore apart his companion, Abdera.

Geryon- a giant from the island of Erithia located on the western edge of the earth. Had three torsos, three heads, six arms and six legs. Performing his tenth labor, Hercules reached Erithia on the golden boat of the sun god Helios and entered into battle with Geryon, who threw three spears at him at once. Hercules killed the giant and his two-headed dog Orff, after which he drove the magical cows of Geryon to Greece.

Periphetus- in ancient Greek mythology, a lame giant, son of the god Hephaestus. He lived in the mountains near the cities of Epidaurus and Troezena and killed all passing travelers with an iron club. Killed by the hero Theseus, who from then on carried the club of Periphetus with him everywhere, like Hercules carried the skin of the Nemean lion.

Sinid- a ferocious giant robber who killed people he met, tying them to two bent pine trees, which he then released. The pines, straightening up, tore the unfortunate people apart. Killed by the hero Theseus.

Skiron- a giant robber who lived on the edge of one of the rocks of the Greek Isthmus. Forced passers-by to wash their feet. As soon as the traveler bent down to do this, Skiron threw him off the cliff into the sea with a push of his foot. The bodies of the dead were devoured by a gigantic turtle. Sciron was killed by Theseus.

Kerkion – monstrous giant, who challenged Theseus to a wrestling match. Theseus strangled him with his hands in midair, just as Hercules Antaeus once did.

Procrustes(“Puller”) - (another name is Damast) a ferocious villain who laid people who fell into his hands on his bed. If the bed was short, Procrustes cut off the unfortunate man’s legs, and if it was long, he stretched him to the required size. Killed by Theseus. The expression “Procrustean bed” has become a common noun.

Minotaur- son born of the wife of the Cretan king Minos, Pasiphae, from an unnatural passion for a bull. The Minotaur was a monster with the body of a man and the head of a bull. Minos kept him in the Labyrinth, which was built by the great master Daedalus in the capital of Crete, Knossos. The Minotaur was a cannibal and fed on criminals sentenced to death, as well as boys and girls who were sent to Crete from Athens as tribute. Killed by Theseus: he voluntarily went to Minos among the doomed “tributaries”, killed Minos in the Labyrinth, and then safely emerged from this tangled structure with the help of the Minotaur’s sister, Ariadne, who was in love with him, and her thread.

Theseus kills the Minotaur. Drawing on an ancient Greek vase

Laestrygonians- in ancient Greek myths, a tribe of cannibal giants who lived on one of the islands, past which Odysseus sailed. The Laestrygonians strung the captured sailors on stakes like fish and carried them away to be devoured, and their ships smashed them by throwing huge stones from the rocks.

Pick(among the Romans Circe) is the daughter of the sun god Helios, the sister of the evil king of Colchis Eetos, from whom the Argonauts stole the Golden Fleece. An evil witch who lived on the island of Ee. Friendly luring travelers into her home, she treated them to delicious dishes mixed with a magic potion. This potion turned people into animals (most often into pigs). Odysseus, who visited Kirk, escaped from her witchcraft with the help of a moth flower received from the god Hermes. Odysseus entered into a love affair with Kirka, and she had three sons from him.

Kirk hands Odysseus a cup of witchcraft potion. Painting by J.W. Waterhouse

Chimera(“Young goat”) - in ancient Greek mythology, a monster with the head and neck of a lion, the body of a goat and the tail of a snake. Killed by the hero Bellerophon.

Styx(from the common Indo-European root “cold”, “horror”) - the personification of primitive horror and darkness and the goddess of the river of the same name in the underground kingdom of Hades. Lives in the far west, in the abode of the night. Lives in a luxurious palace, whose silver columns reach into the sky.

Charon- among the ancient Greeks, the carrier of the souls of the dead across the River Styx. A gloomy old man in rags, with feverishly looking eyes. The name is sometimes translated as "sharp-eyed."

Python(from the word “rot”) - a terrible dragon that owned the Delphic sanctuary in ancient times. Python, like Typhon, was the son of Gaia. Python encircled the surrounding area of ​​Delphi with seven or nine rings of his long body. The god Apollo entered into battle with him and killed Python by firing 100 (according to other ancient Greek myths - 1000) arrows. After this, the Delphic sanctuary became the temple of Apollo. His prophetess, Pythia, is named after Python.

Giants- sons of Gaia-Earth. 150 terrible monsters with dragon tails instead of legs and human bodies. The giants were covered thick hair and had long beards. Gaia gave birth to them either from drops of blood from the severed genital organ of Uranus, or from the seed of Tartarus, or on her own, angry that

Almost each of us has heard about one or another magical and mythical creatures that inhabit our world. However, there are many more such creatures, the existence of which we know little or do not remember. Many magical entities are mentioned in mythology and folklore, some described in more detail, others less so.

Homunculus, according to the ideas of medieval alchemists, a creature similar to a small person that can be obtained artificially (in a test tube). To create such a man, the use of a mandrake was required. The root had to be picked at dawn, then it had to be washed and “soaked” with milk and honey. Some instructions stated that blood should be used instead of milk. After which this root will fully develop into a miniature man who will be able to guard and protect its owner.

Brownie- y Slavic peoples home spirit, mythological owner and patron of the house, ensuring normal family life, fertility, health of people and animals. They try to feed the brownie, leaving him a separate saucer on the kitchen floor with treats and water (or milk). If the brownie loves the owner or mistress, he not only does not harm them, but also protects the well-being of the home. Otherwise (which happens more often), he begins to do mischief, breaks and hides things, attacks light bulbs in the bathroom, and creates incomprehensible noise. It can “strangle” its owner at night by sitting on the owner’s chest and paralyzing him. A brownie can change appearance and chase its owner when moving.

Babai in Slavic folklore - a night spirit, a creature mentioned by parents to intimidate naughty children. Babai does not have a specific description, but most often he was represented as a lame old man with a sack on his shoulders, into which he takes naughty children. Parents usually remembered Babai when their child did not want to fall asleep.

Nephilim (observers - “sons of God”) described in the book of Enoch. They are fallen angels. The Niphilim were physical beings, they taught people forbidden arts and, taking human wives as wives, gave birth to a new generation of people. In the Torah and several non-canonical Jewish and early Christian writings, nephilim means "who cause others to fall." The Nephilim were gigantic in stature, their strength was enormous, as was their appetite. They began to eat up all human resources, and when they ran out, they could attack people. The Nephilim began to fight and oppress people, which caused enormous destruction on earth.

Abaasy- in the folklore of the Yakut peoples, a huge stone monster with iron teeth. Lives in the thicket of the forest away from human eyes or underground. It is born from a black stone, similar to a child. The older he gets, the more the stone looks like a child. At first, the stone child eats everything that people eat, but when he grows up, he begins to eat the people themselves. Sometimes referred to as anthropomorphic, one-eyed, one-armed, tree-sized, one-legged monsters. Abaas feed on the souls of people and animals, tempt people, send misfortunes and illnesses, and can deprive people of their minds. Often the relatives of the sick or deceased sacrificed an animal to Abaasy, as if exchanging its soul for the soul of the person they were threatening.

Abraxas— Abrasax is the name of a cosmological being in the ideas of the Gnostics. In the early era of Christianity, in the 1st-2nd centuries, many heretical sects arose, trying to combine the new religion with paganism and Judaism. According to the teachings of one of them, everything that exists originates in a certain higher Kingdom of light, from which 365 categories of spirits emanate. At the head of the spirits is Abraxas. His name and image are often found on gems and amulets: a creature with a human body and a rooster’s head, and instead of legs there are two snakes. Abraxas holds a sword and shield in his hands.

Baavan shi- in Scottish folklore, evil, bloodthirsty fairies. If a raven flew up to a person and suddenly turned into a golden-haired beauty in a long green dress, it means that in front of him is a baavan shi. Long Dresses It is not for nothing that they are worn, hiding under them the deer hooves that the baavan shi has instead of feet. These fairies lure men into their homes and drink their blood.

Baku- "Dream Eater" Japanese mythology good spirit eating bad dreams. You can call him by writing his name on a piece of paper and putting it under your pillow. At one time, images of Baku hung in Japanese homes, and his name was written on pillows. They believed that if Baku was forced to eat a bad dream, then he had the power to turn the dream into a good one.
There are stories where Baku does not look very kind. By eating all dreams and dreams, it deprived the sleeping people of beneficial effects, or even completely deprived them of sleep.

Kikimora- a character in Slavic-Ugric mythology, as well as one of the types of brownie, causing harm, damage and minor troubles to households and people. Kikimoras, as a rule, settle in premises if a child has died in the house. Kikimoras can appear in the form of an abandoned one on the way of the escaping child. The swamp or forest kikimora was accused of kidnapping children, leaving behind an enchanted log in their place. Her presence in the house could be easily determined by her wet footprints. A caught kikimora could be turned into a human.

Basilisk- a monster with the head of a rooster, eyes of a toad, wings bat and the body of a dragon that exists in the mythologies of many peoples. His gaze turns all living things to stone. According to legend, if the Basilisk sees its reflection in the mirror, it will die. The Basilisk's habitat is caves, which are also its source of food, since the Basilisk only eats stones. He can only leave his shelter at night because he cannot stand the crowing of a rooster. And he is also afraid of unicorns because they are too “pure” animals.

Baggain- in the folklore of the Isle of Man, a malicious werewolf. He hates people and harasses them in every possible way. Baggain can grow to gigantic sizes and take on any form. It can pretend to be human, but if you look closely, you will notice pointed ears and horse hooves, which will still give away a baggain.

Alkonost (alkonst)- in Russian art and legends, a bird of paradise with the head of a maiden. Often mentioned and depicted together with another bird of paradise, Sirin. The image of Alkonost goes back to the Greek myth about the girl Alcyone, who was transformed by the gods into a kingfisher. The earliest image of Alkonost is found in a book miniature of the 12th century. Alkonst is a safe and rare creature living closer to the sea. According to folk legend, in the morning on Apple Savior the bird Sirin flies into the apple orchard, which is sad and cries. And in the afternoon the bird Alkonost flies into the apple orchard, rejoicing and laughing. The bird brushes the living dew from its wings and the fruits are transformed, an amazing power appears in them - all the fruits on the apple trees from that moment become healing

Water- master of waters in Slavic mythology. Mermen graze their cows - catfish, carp, bream and other fish - at the bottom of rivers and lakes. Commands mermaids, undines, drowned people, and aquatic inhabitants. Most often he is kind, but sometimes he drags some unwary person to the bottom so that he entertains him. It often lives in pools and likes to settle under a water mill.

Abnauay- in Abkhazian mythology (“forest man”). A gigantic, ferocious creature distinguished by extraordinary physical strength and rage. Abnauayu's entire body is covered with long hair, similar to bristles, and he has huge claws; eyes and nose - like people's. Lives in dense forests (there was a belief that in every forest gorge there lives one Abnauayu). A meeting with Abnauayu is dangerous; an adult Abnauayu has an axe-shaped steel protrusion on his chest: pressing the victim to his chest, he cuts it in half. Abnauayu knows in advance the name of the hunter or shepherd he will meet.

Cerberus (Spirit of the Underworld)- in Greek mythology, a huge dog of the Underworld, guarding the entrance to the afterlife. In order for the souls of the dead to enter the Underworld, they must bring gifts to Cerberus - honey and barley biscuits. Cerberus' task is to prevent living people from entering the kingdom of the dead who want to rescue their loved ones from there. One of the few living people who managed to penetrate the underworld and emerge unharmed was Orpheus, who played beautiful music on the lyre. One of the labors of Hercules that the gods ordered him to perform was to lead Cerberus to the city of Tiryns.

Griffin- winged monsters with a lion's body and an eagle's head, guardians of gold in various mythologies. Griffins, vultures, in Greek mythology, monstrous birds with an eagle's beak and the body of a lion; They. - “dogs of Zeus” - guard gold in the country of the Hyperboreans, protecting it from the one-eyed Arimaspians (Aeschyl. Prom. 803 next). Among the fabulous inhabitants of the north - the Issedons, Arimaspians, Hyperboreans, Herodotus also mentions the Griffins (Herodot. IV 13).
Slavic mythology also has its own griffins. In particular, it is known that they guard the treasures of the Riphean Mountains.

Gaki. in Japanese mythology - eternally hungry demons. Those who, while living on Earth, overeat or threw away completely edible food are reborn into them. The gaki's hunger is insatiable, but they cannot die from it. They eat anything, even their children, but they cannot get enough. Sometimes they end up in the Human World, and then they become cannibals.

Vouivre, Vouivra. France. King or queen of snakes; in the forehead there is a sparkling stone, a bright red ruby; the appearance of a fiery serpent; keeper of underground treasures; can be seen flying across the sky on summer nights; dwellings - abandoned castles, fortresses, donjons, etc.; his images are in the sculptural compositions of Romanesque monuments; when swimming, he leaves the stone on the shore, and whoever manages to take possession of the ruby ​​will become fabulously rich - he will receive part of the underground treasures guarded by the snake.

Dressing- a Bulgarian vampire who eats dung and carrion because he is too much of a coward to attack people. He has a bad character, which is not surprising given such a diet.

Ayami, in Tungus-Manchu mythology (among the Nanais) the ancestral spirits of shamans. Each shaman has his own Ayami, he instructed, indicated what costume the shaman (shaman) should have, how to heal. Ayami appeared to the shaman in a dream in the form of a woman (to the shaman - in the form of a man), as well as a wolf, tiger and other animals, and inhabited the shamans during prayers. Ayami could also be possessed by spirits - the owners of various animals, and they sent Ayami to steal the souls of people and cause them illnesses.

Duboviki- in Celtic mythology, evil magical creatures living in the crowns and trunks of oak trees.
They offer delicious food and gifts to every person passing by their home.
Under no circumstances should you take food from them, much less taste it, since food prepared by oak trees is very poisonous. At night, oaks often go in search of prey.
You should know that walking past a recently felled oak tree is especially dangerous: the oak trees that lived in it are angry and can cause a lot of trouble.

Damn (in the old spelling “devil”)- an evil, playful and lustful spirit in Slavic mythology. In the book tradition, according to the Great Soviet encyclopedia, the word devil is a synonym for the concept of demon. The devil is social and most often goes hunting with groups of devils. The devil is attracted to people who drink. When the devil finds such a person, he tries to do everything to make the person drink even more, leading him to a state of complete madness. The very process of their materialization, popularly known as “getting drunk as hell,” is described colorfully and in detail in one of Vladimir Nabokov’s stories. “Through long, persistent, lonely drunkenness,” the famous prose writer reported, “I brought myself to the most vulgar visions, namely: I began to see devils.” If a person stops drinking, the devil begins to waste away without receiving the expected nourishment.

Vampal, in the mythology of the Ingush and Chechens, a huge shaggy monster with supernatural strength: sometimes Vampala has several heads. Vampalas come in both male and female genders. In fairy tales, Vampal is a positive character, distinguished by his nobility and helping heroes in their battles.

Gianas- in Italian folklore there are mainly women's perfumes. Tall and beautiful, they lived in forests and did handicrafts. They could also predict the future and knew where treasures were hidden. Despite their beauty, the Gianas, the majority of whom were women, had difficulty finding a mate. There were very few Gyan men; dwarfs were not suitable for husbands, and giants were real rude people. Therefore, the Gyans could only do their work and sing sad songs.

Yrka in Slavic mythology- an evil night spirit with eyes on a dark face, glowing like a cat’s, is especially dangerous on the night of Ivan Kupala and only in the field, because goblins do not let him into the forest. He becomes a suicide. It attacks lonely travelers and drinks their blood. Ukrut, his assistant, brings him naughty creatures in a bag, from whom Yrka drank the life. He is very afraid of fire and does not go near fire. To save yourself from it, you cannot look around, even if they call you in a familiar voice, do not answer anything, say “mind me” three times or read the “Our Father” prayer.

Div— Demonic character of East Slavic mythology. Mentioned in medieval teachings against pagans. There are echoes of the latter meaning in the episodes of “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign,” where the expression “the marvels fell upon the earth” is perceived as a harbinger of misfortune. Div turned people away from dangerous deeds by appearing in the form of something unseen. Seeing him and being surprised, people forgot about the unrighteous deed they wanted to commit. The Poles called him eziznik (“There is a znik”, there is and is gone), that is, a god-vision.

Ayustal, in Abkhaz mythology the devil; harms people and animals. According to beliefs, if Ayustal inhabits a person, he gets sick and sometimes dies in agony. When a person suffers greatly before death, they say that Ayustal has taken possession of him, but often a person defeats Ayustal by cunning.

Sulde " life force» , in the mythology of the Mongolian peoples, one of the souls of a person, with which his vital and spiritual force is connected. The ruler's sulde is the guardian spirit of the people; its material embodiment is the ruler’s banner, which in itself becomes an object of cult and is protected by the ruler’s subjects. During wars, human sacrifices were made to the Sulda Banners to raise the morale of the army. The Suldi banners of Genghis Khan and some other khans were especially revered. The character of the shamanic pantheon of the Mongols, Sulde Tengri, the patron saint of people, is apparently related genetically to Genghis Khan’s Sulde.

Shikome in Japanese mythology, a warlike race of creatures vaguely similar to European goblins. Bloodthirsty sadists, slightly taller than humans and much stronger, with developed muscles. Sharp teeth and burning eyes. They do nothing else but wars. They often set up ambushes in the mountains.

Buka - scarecrow. A small evil creature that lives in the closet of a child's room or under the bed. Only children see him, and children suffer from him, since Buka loves to attack them at night - grab them by the legs and drag them under the bed or into the closet (his lair). He is afraid of the light, from which even the faith of adults can perish. He is afraid that adults will believe in him.

Beregini in Slavic mythology, spirits in the guise of women with tails, living along the banks of rivers. Mentioned in ancient Russian historical and literary monuments. They protect people from evil spirits, predict the future, and also save small children left unattended and falling into the water.

Anzud- in Sumerian-Akkadian mythology, a divine bird, an eagle with a lion's head. Anzud is a mediator between gods and people, simultaneously embodying good and evil principles. When the god Enlil took off his insignia while washing himself, Anzud stole the tablets of fate and flew off to the mountains with them. Anzud wanted to become more powerful than all the gods, but by his action he violated the course of things and divine laws. The god of war Ninurta set off after the bird. He shot Anzud with a bow, but Enlil's tablets healed the wound. Ninurta managed to hit the bird only on the second attempt or even on the third attempt (in different versions of the myth it differs).

Bug- in English mythology, spirits. According to legends, the bug is a “children’s” monster; even in our time, English women scare their children with it.
Usually these creatures have the appearance of shaggy monsters with tangled, patchy fur. Many English children believe that bugs can enter rooms using open chimneys. However, despite their rather terrifying appearance, these creatures are not at all aggressive and are practically harmless, since they have neither sharp teeth nor long claws. They can scare in only one way - by making a terrible ugly face, spreading their paws and raising the hair on the back of the neck.

Alrauns- in the folklore of European peoples, tiny creatures that live in the roots of the mandrake, the outlines of which resemble human figures. Alrauns are friendly to people, but they are not averse to playing tricks, sometimes quite cruelly. These are werewolves that can transform into cats, worms and even small children. Later, the Alrauns changed their way of life: they liked the warmth and comfort of people’s homes so much that they began to move there. Before moving to a new place, alrauns, as a rule, test people: they scatter all kinds of garbage on the floor, throw clods of earth or pieces of cow dung into milk. If people don’t sweep up trash and drink milk, Alraun understands that it’s quite possible to settle here. It is almost impossible to drive him away. Even if the house burns down and people move somewhere, alraun follows them. Alraun had to be treated with great care due to its magical properties. It was necessary to wrap or dress him in white clothes with a golden belt, bathe him every Friday, and keep him in a box, otherwise Alraun would start screaming for attention. Alrauns were used in magical rituals. It was assumed that they brought great luck, like the quatrefoil talisman. But their possession carried the risk of prosecution for witchcraft, and in 1630 three women were executed in Hamburg on this charge. Due to the high demand for Alrauns, they were often carved from Bryonia roots, as genuine mandrakes were difficult to find. They were exported from Germany to various countries, including England, during the reign of Henry VIII.

Authorities- in Christian mythological ideas, angelic beings. Authorities can be both good forces and minions of evil. Among the nine angelic ranks, the authorities close the second triad, which in addition to them also includes dominions and powers. As Pseudo-Dionysius said, “the name of the holy Powers signifies an order equal to the Divine Dominions and Powers, harmonious and capable of receiving Divine insights, and a structure of premium spiritual dominion, which does not autocratically use the granted sovereign powers for evil, but freely and decently to the Divine as itself ascending , so holyly leading others to Him and, as far as possible, becoming like the Source and Giver of all power and depicting Him... in the completely true use of His sovereign power.”

Gargoyle- the fruit of medieval mythology. The word "gargoyle" comes from the Old French gargouille - throat, and its sound imitates the gurgling sound that occurs when gargling. Gargoyles perched on facades Catholic cathedrals seemed ambivalent. On the one hand, they were like ancient sphinxes, guarding statues, capable of coming to life in moments of danger and protecting a temple or mansion, on the other hand, when they were placed on temples, it showed that all evil spirits were fleeing from this holy place, since they could not endure the temple cleanliness.

Make-ups- according to medieval European beliefs, they lived throughout Europe. Most often they can be seen in old cemeteries located near churches. Therefore, scary creatures are also called church makeups.
These monsters can take many forms, but most often they transform into huge dogs with jet-black fur and glow-in-the-dark eyes. You can see monsters only in rainy or cloudy weather; they usually appear in the cemetery in the late afternoon, as well as during the day during funerals. They often howl under the windows of sick people, foreshadowing their imminent death. Often, some grim, who is not afraid of heights, climbs into the church bell tower at night and begins to ring all the bells, which is popularly considered a very bad omen.

Ahti- a water demon among the peoples of the north. Neither evil nor good. Although he loves to joke and can overdo it with jokes so that a person will die. Of course, if you make him angry, he can kill you.

Atsys“without a name”, in the mythology of the West Siberian Tatars, an evil demon who unexpectedly appears before travelers at night in the form of a haystack, a cart, a tree, a fireball and strangles them. Atsys also called various evil spirits (myatskai, oryak, ubyr, etc.), the names of which were feared to be pronounced out loud for fear of attracting a demon.

Shoggoths- creatures mentioned in the famous mystical book "Al Azif", better known as the "Necronomicon", written by the mad poet Abdul Alhazred. About a third of the book is devoted to controlling shoggoths, which are presented as shapeless “eels” made of bubbles of protoplasm. The ancient gods created them as servants, but the shoggoths, possessing intelligence, quickly emerged from submission and have since acted of their own free will and for the sake of their strange, incomprehensible goals. They say that these beings often appear in narcotic visions, but there they are not subject to human control.

Yuvha, in the mythology of the Turkmens and Uzbeks of Khorezm, Bashkirs and Kazan Tatars (Yukha) is a demonic character associated with water element. Yuvkha is a beautiful girl, whom she turns into after living for many (for the Tatars - 100 or 1000) years. According to the myths of the Turkmen and Uzbeks of Khorezm, Yuvkha marries a man, having previously set him a number of conditions, for example, not to watch her comb her hair, not stroke the back, perform ablution after intimacy. Having violated the conditions, the husband discovers snake scales on her back and sees how, while combing her hair, she removes her head. If you do not destroy Yuvha, she will eat her husband.

Ghouls - (Russian; Ukrainian upir, Belarusian ynip, other Russian upir), in Slavic mythology, a dead man who attacks people and animals. At night, the Ghoul rises from the grave and, in the guise of a bloodshot corpse or zoomorphic creature, kills people and animals, sucks the blood, after which the victim either dies or can become a Ghoul herself. By folk beliefs, ghouls became people who died an “unnatural death” - violently killed, drunkards, suicides and also sorcerers. It was believed that the earth does not accept such dead people and therefore they are forced to wander around the world and cause harm to the living. Such dead people were buried outside the cemetery and away from housing.

Chusrym in Mongolian mythology - the King of Fishes. It freely swallows ships, and when it sticks out of the water, it looks like a huge mountain.

Shuffle, in Hungarian mythology, a dragon with a serpentine body and wings. It is possible to distinguish between two layers of ideas about Shuffling. One of them, associated with the European tradition, is presented mainly in fairy tales, where Sharkan is a ferocious monster with a large number (three, seven, nine, twelve) heads, the hero’s opponent in battle, often an inhabitant of a magic castle. On the other hand, there are known beliefs about the one-headed Shuffler as one of the assistants of the sorcerer (shaman) taltosh.

Shilikun, Shilikhan- in Slavic mythology - hooligan little spirits that appear on Christmas Eve and run through the streets with burning coals in frying pans until Epiphany. Drunk people can be pushed into the ice hole. At night they will make noise and roam, and having turned into black cats, they will crawl under your feet.
They are as tall as a sparrow, their legs are like those of a horse - with hooves, and fire breathes from their mouths. At Epiphany they go into the underworld.

Faun (Pan)- spirit or deity of forests and groves, god of shepherds and fishermen in Greek mythology. This is a cheerful god and companion of Dionysus, always surrounded by forest nymphs, dancing with them and playing the flute for them. It is believed that Pan had a prophetic gift and endowed Apollo with this gift. The faun was considered a crafty spirit who stole children.

Kumo- in Japanese mythology - spiders that can turn into people. Very rare creatures. In normal form they look like huge spiders, the size of a person, with glowing red eyes and sharp stings on its paws. In human form - beautiful women with cold beauty, luring men into a trap and devouring them.

Phoenix- an immortal bird personifying the cyclical nature of the world. Phoenix is ​​the patron of anniversaries, or large time cycles. Herodotus presents the original version of the legend with marked skepticism:
“There is another sacred bird there, its name is Phoenix. I myself have never seen it, except as a drawing, for in Egypt it appears rarely, once every 500 years, as the inhabitants of Heliopolis say. According to them, she flies when her father (that is, herself) dies. If the images correctly show her size and size and appearance, her plumage is partly golden, partly red. Its appearance and size resemble an eagle.” This bird does not reproduce, but is reborn after death from its own ashes.

Werewolf— Werewolf is a monster that exists in many mythological systems. This refers to a person who can transform into animals or vice versa. An animal that can turn into people. Demons, deities, and spirits often possess this ability. The classic werewolf is the wolf. It is with him that all the associations generated by the word werewolf are connected. This change can occur either at the request of the werewolf or involuntarily, caused, for example, by certain lunar cycles.

Wiryava- mistress and spirit of the grove among the peoples of the north. She appeared as a beautiful girl. Birds and animals obeyed her. She helped lost travelers.

Wendigo- a cannibal spirit in the myths of the Ojibwe and some other Algonquin tribes. Served as a warning against any excesses human behavior. The Inuit tribe calls this creature different names, including Windigo, Vitigo, Vitiko. Wendigos enjoy hunting and love to attack hunters. A lonely traveler who finds himself in the forest begins to hear strange sounds. He looks around for the source, but sees nothing except the flicker of something that moves too fast for the human eye to detect. When the traveler begins to run away in fear, the Wendigo attacks. He is powerful and strong like no other. Can imitate people's voices. In addition, the Wendigo never stops hunting after eating.

Shikigami. in Japanese mythology, Spirits summoned by a magician, an expert on Onmyo-do. They usually appear as small oni, but can take the forms of birds and animals. Many shikigami can inhabit the bodies of animals and control them, and the shikigami of the most powerful magicians can inhabit people. Controlling shikigami is very difficult and dangerous, as they can break out of the magician’s control and attack him. An expert on Onmyo-do can direct the power of other people's shikigami against their master.

Hydra monster, described by the ancient Greek poet Hesiod (VIII-VII centuries BC) in his legend of Hercules (“Theogony”): a multi-headed snake (Lernaean Hydra), in which, instead of each severed head, two new ones grew. And it was impossible to kill her. The hydra's lair was near Lake Lerna near Argolis. Under the water there was an entrance to the underground kingdom of Hades, which was guarded by a hydra. The hydra hid in a rocky cave on the shore near the Amymone spring, from where it came out only to attack the surrounding settlements.

Fights- in English folklore, water fairies who lure mortal women by appearing to them in the form of wooden dishes floating on water. As soon as any woman grabs hold of such a dish, the drac immediately takes on its true, ugly appearance and drags the unfortunate woman to the bottom so that she can look after his children.

Sinister- pagan evil spirits of the ancient Slavs, the personification of Nedolya, Navi’s servants. They are also called krixes or khmyri - swamp spirits, which are dangerous because they can stick to a person, even move into him, especially in old age, if the person has never loved anyone in his life and has not had children. A sinister person can turn into a poor old man. In the Christmas game, the evil one personifies poverty, misery, and winter darkness.

Incubi- in medieval European mythology, male demons seeking female love. The word incubus comes from the Latin “incubare”, which means “to recline”. According to ancient books, the incubus is fallen angels, demons who are attracted to sleeping women. Incubi showed such enviable energy in intimate affairs that entire nations were born. For example, the Huns, who, according to medieval beliefs, were the descendants of “outcast women” of the Goths and evil spirits.

Goblin- owner of the forest, forest spirit, in mythology Eastern Slavs. This is the main owner of the forest, he makes sure that no one harms anyone on his farm. TO good people treats well, helps to get out of the forest, treats those who are not too good - badly: confuses, makes you walk in circles. He sings in a voice without words, claps his hands, whistles, hoots, laughs, cries. The goblin can appear in various plant, animal, human and mixed images, and can be invisible. Most often it appears as a solitary creature. For the winter it leaves the forest, falling underground.

Baba Yaga- a character in Slavic mythology and folklore, mistress of the forest, mistress of animals and birds, guardian of the borders of the kingdom of Death. In a number of fairy tales she is likened to a witch or sorceress. Most often she is a negative character, but sometimes acts as an assistant to the hero. Baba Yaga has several stable attributes: she can cast magic, fly in a mortar, and lives on the border of the forest, in a hut on chicken legs surrounded by a fence made of human bones with skulls. She lures good fellows and small children to her, supposedly in order to eat them.

Shishiga, unclean spirit, in Slavic mythology. If he lives in the forest, he attacks people who accidentally wander in, so that he can gnaw off their bones. At night they like to make noise and chatter. According to another belief, shishimoras or shishigi are mischievous, restless house spirits who mock a person who does things without praying. We can say that these are very instructive spirits, correct, teaching a pious lifestyle.