cazzy99

Anggitay

by

Tradition / Region: Philippines Mythology
Alternative names: –
Category: Horse

The Myth

The Anggitay is a mythical creature with the upper body of a woman and the lower body of a horse, making it the Philippine counterpart of the female centaur. Some depictions also give the Anggitay a single horn in the center of its forehead, resembling a unicorn.

According to tradition, the Anggitay is the female counterpart of the Tibalang. It is especially attracted to precious gemstones and jewelry.

The Anggitay is also believed to appear when rain falls while the sky remains clear, a phenomenon sometimes associated with its presence.

Sources

Bestiary.us. (n.d.). Anggitay. In New Bestiary: Encyclopedia of Imaginary Beings. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://www.bestiary.us/anggitai/en

Karkadann

by

Tradition / Region: Persia, Arabia, India, Iran
Alternative names: Karkaddan, Kardunn, Karkadan, Karkend
Category: Horse

The Myth

The Karkadann is a legendary beast from Persian and Arabic tradition, originally based on the Indian rhinoceros but gradually transformed into a mythical creature resembling a unicorn.

Early descriptions portray it as a powerful animal with the body of a buffalo, thick black scaly skin, donkey-like ears, three-toed feet, and a single horn growing from its nose. Later traditions changed its appearance, giving it a long, straight horn growing from its forehead, making it increasingly resemble the unicorn of medieval legend.

The Karkadann was feared for its ferocity. It was said to attack and drive away even elephants, fiercely defending its territory. Despite its savage nature, it could be calmed and subdued by a virgin, a motif that later became closely associated with the European unicorn.

Its horn was believed to possess extraordinary medicinal powers. It could detect or neutralize poison, cure ailments such as epilepsy and lameness, relieve constipation, and serve as a powerful antidote against toxins. Because of these properties, the horn was highly prized and was sometimes fashioned into knife handles and other valuable objects.

In later Persian and Arabic folklore, the Karkadann became the mythical counterpart of the rhinoceros—a wild and dangerous beast whose miraculous horn combined immense destructive power with the ability to heal and protect.

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Karkadann. In Wikipedia. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karkadann

Abada

by

Tradition / Region: Congo Mythology
Alternative names: Nillekma, Arase
Category: Horse

The Myth

The Abada is a rare mythical beast from Kongo tradition, often compared to a unicorn, though it differs in one important respect: instead of a single horn, it bears two crooked horns. These horns possess remarkable healing powers and are believed to neutralize poison and cure disease.

The creature is about the size of a small donkey and has a sturdy body with the tail of a boar. Despite its unusual appearance, the Abada is not portrayed as a fearsome or majestic beast, but as one associated with endurance, healing, and survival.

According to tradition, the Abada appears during times of great hardship. It is encountered when travelers lose their way, when illness persists beyond ordinary remedies, or when danger quietly threatens a person’s life. Rather than confronting evil through violence, the Abada offers the possibility of recovery and restoration through the healing power of its horns.

The Abada symbolizes hope arriving when human strength is no longer enough. Instead of preventing suffering, it appears when suffering has reached its greatest point, embodying the belief that healing and assistance can emerge even in humanity’s darkest moments.

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Abada (unicorn). In Wikipedia. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abada_(unicorn)

Jiliang

by

Tradition / Region: Chinese Mythology
Alternative name: Jiliang, Jiliang Horse, Jisi’s Chariot
Category: Horse

The Myth

Jiliang is a divine horse described in the Classic of Mountains and Seas. It has a white or spotted white body, a red mane, golden eyes, and a long neck ending in feathers that resemble a rooster’s tail.

The horse is said to live in the Kingdom of Quanfeng. It is regarded as a supernatural steed whose greatest power is the gift of longevity. Anyone who rides Jiliang is granted a lifespan of one thousand years, making it one of the most auspicious mythical horses in Chinese mythology.

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). 吉量. In 维基百科，自由的百科全书. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%90%89%E9%87%8F

Thorgeir’s Bull

by

Tradition / Region: Icelandic Mythology
Alternative Name: –
Category: Cow

The Myth

Thorgeir’s Bull was a powerful magical creature created by the Icelandic sorcerer Thorgeir the Wizard. To make it, Thorgeir flayed the hide from a newborn calf while it was still alive. He then placed inside the hide the bones or essence of eight different creatures—a bird, a man, a dog, a cat, a mouse, and two kinds of sea beasts, together with the calf itself—giving the Bull the combined nature of nine beings. Because of this, it could travel on land, in the sea, or through the air, and could appear in whatever form suited it best.

Thorgeir intended the Bull to help him win a feud with a woman named Gudrun after she rejected him. The Bull relentlessly hunted her, making her life miserable. Even when she fled between farms with armed escorts, it continued to pursue her. It tormented her so severely that she eventually died, and afterward her ghost was said to haunt the place where she had suffered.

After Gudrun’s death, the Bull remained devoted to Thorgeir and carried out his commands. It was used to stampede other people’s cattle, scatter horses, and perform acts of destruction. However, it also became increasingly dangerous to its own master. Whenever Thorgeir ordered it to perform some task, it would later return and attack him in revenge. Even Thorgeir, despite his magical knowledge, struggled to defend himself from the creature.

One day the Bull tried to kill Thorgeir. He fled into his house while his wife held their infant child. Believing the Bull wanted a sacrifice, she begged him to offer one of their heifers instead. Thorgeir released the animal, and the Bull tore it to pieces, sparing the family.

The Bull could also change shape. It sometimes appeared as a man, a dog, a grey cat, or even a black puppy, but most often it took the form of a gigantic horned bull draped in a flayed hide. Its appearance was so terrifying that anyone who saw it was filled with fear.

According to tradition, the Bull remained with Thorgeir until his death, and some claimed it was seen crouching upon his chest as he lay dying before vanishing forever.

Sources

Simpson, J. (Comp.). (1972). Icelandic folktales and legends. University of California Press.

Nauthveli

by

Tradition / Region: Icelandic Mythology
Alternative Name: –
Category: Whale, Cow

The Myth

The Nauthveli, also called the Ox-Whale, is one of Iceland’s feared illhveli (“evil whales”) and is said to be the second largest of these monstrous sea creatures. Like the other evil whales, it is considered inedible, and tradition warns that merely speaking its name aloud can summon it.

The Nauthveli is a massive toothed whale with a black-and-white body resembling a cow. Its enormous head resembles that of a bull, bearing two large nodules, while its long body narrows into a worm-like tail without fins.

Its most terrifying feature is its voice. When hungry, the Nauthveli lets out an immense bull-like bellow that echoes across the sea and coastline. The sound resembles the roar of enraged cattle and can be heard over great distances. Its vibrations shake the ground and are powerful enough to knock oars from sailors’ hands. Whenever its bellow is heard, people refuse to sail.

Like all evil whales, the Nauthveli attacks boats and delights in killing people, but it has a particular craving for cattle. Its supernatural bellow hypnotizes cows and bulls, compelling them to run over cliffs and plunge into the sea. Once they reach the water, the whale toys with them like a cat playing with a mouse before biting them in half and devouring them.

The creature is also drawn to cattle carried aboard ships. One legend tells of a Nauthveli that relentlessly pursued a vessel near Grímsey until the sailors released the single cow they were transporting. The animal immediately leapt into the sea, satisfying the monster.

After the Nauthveli has been heard, cattle are traditionally kept locked away for several days until its enchantment fades. In areas where the monster was believed to roam, herding cattle near the coast was discouraged. According to tradition, sacrificing a single bull or cow would appease the Nauthveli, making the sea safe once more.

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Fylgja. In Wikipedia. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fylgja

Fylgja

by

Tradition / Region: Norse Mythology
Alternative Name: –
Category: Spirit

The Myth

A Fylgja is a supernatural spirit that accompanies a person throughout life and is closely connected to their fate and fortune. Although its name means “follower,” it often appears ahead of its owner, foreshadowing important events. As death approaches, however, it stays close to the person.

A Fylgja most commonly appears in one of two forms: an animal or a woman.

In its animal form, the Fylgja reflects the nature of the person it belongs to. Gentle or dependable individuals might be accompanied by an ox, goat, or boar, while fierce or cunning people could have a wolf, fox, bear, eagle, falcon, serpent, deer, lion, or other powerful animal as their spirit companion. The animal often appears in dreams as an omen, foretelling future events or the owner’s destiny. In some sagas, the Fylgja is also linked to shape-shifting, with warriors taking on the forms of bears or wolves in battle.

In its female form, the Fylgja appears as a mysterious woman, especially in dreams. She acts as a guardian spirit for an individual or an entire family, warning of danger or revealing a person’s fate. Some heroes are visited by both a benevolent and a malevolent dream-woman, representing opposing destinies or influences.

Seeing one’s own Fylgja while awake is considered a grave omen, often foretelling the person’s imminent death. The sagas describe several warriors and poets who recognized their Fylgja shortly before they died.

According to one traditional belief, the Fylgja originates at birth. It may take the form of the first animal that consumes a newborn’s afterbirth, linking that animal to the child’s life. Because of this connection, the Fylgja is regarded not merely as a guardian but as a person’s spiritual double, sharing their life and ultimately perishing when they die.

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Fylgja. In Wikipedia. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fylgja

Vætt

by

Tradition / Region: Icelandic Mythology
Alternative Name: –
Category: Spirit

The Myth

A Vætt is the guardian spirit of a particular place, such as a hill, waterfall, burial mound, or settlement. Most are believed to be female, although they can take many different forms. According to tradition, sailors removed the carved dragon heads from their ships before approaching land so they would not frighten the local landvættir (land spirits).

Over time, Vættir came to be seen as spirits of nature and the household. They can be helpful or troublesome depending on how people treat them. When offended, they may play pranks such as tangling hair, spoiling food, stealing milk or cream, making pigs grunt, or causing general disorder. When treated with respect, they care for children, watch over livestock, feed animals, keep the house tidy, and even bring water.

They are described as having long gray beards, deep-set eyes, round bodies, thin legs, rough voices, and wearing old-fashioned peasant clothing or red jackets with red stockings while carrying birch staffs.

In a broader sense, the Old Norse word vætt can refer to almost any supernatural being, including elves, dwarfs, trolls, jötnar, and even the Æsir and Vanir.

Sources

Bestiary.us. (n.d.). Vette. In New Bestiary: Encyclopedia of Imaginary Beings. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://www.bestiary.us/vette

Zhiburinis

by

Tradition / Region: Lithuanian Mythology
Alternative name: –
Category: Skeleton

The Myth

Zhiburinis is a terrifying forest spirit in Lithuanian folklore. It appears as a glowing human figure, a phosphorescent skeleton, or a human-shaped shell with a burning candle where its heart should be.

Anyone who sees Zhiburinis is believed to die almost instantly from overwhelming terror or suffer a fatal heart attack. A small flame is said to appear on the victim’s body near the heart.

The spirit is also known for taking revenge on those who offend it. According to one well-known legend, a man once shot at the glowing silhouette of Zhiburinis in the forest. The following night, the spirit returned disguised as a woman. While the man slept, she embraced him from head to toe, and by morning he was found dead.

Zhiburinis is therefore feared as a deadly forest apparition whose supernatural glow brings terror, sudden death, and vengeance upon those who dare attack or disrespect it.

Sources

Bestiary.us. (n.d.). Zhiburinis. In New Bestiary: Encyclopedia of Imaginary Beings. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://www.bestiary.us/zhiburinis

Elnias Devyniaragis

by

Tradition / Region: Lithuanian Mythology
Alternative name: Nine-Horned Deer
Category: Deer

The Myth

Elnias Devyniaragis, the Nine-Horned Deer, is an ancient Lithuanian mythological deer that carries the celestial bodies—most often the Moon, but sometimes the Sun—upon its antlers.

Its name refers to the nine days between the new moon and the full moon, and it frequently appears in archaic Lithuanian songs as a symbol of the movements of the heavens.

According to tradition, a white deer disappears at the winter solstice and returns at Christmas. The winter solstice festival itself was sometimes known as the Festival of the Nine-Horned Deer. In some songs, the deer carries the Sun upon its antlers, while in others it bears new antlers that are forged by divine blacksmiths.

The Nine-Horned Deer was likely revered as a sacred totem. Lithuanians believed deer were servants of God, capable of warding off disease and protecting people from floods, and that they were guarded in the mountains. In older Eurasian hunting mythology, the deer symbolized the Universe, the sky, and the Moon, making Elnias Devyniaragis a powerful embodiment of the cosmic order.

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Elnias devyniaragis. In Vikipedija. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://lt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elnias_devyniaragis