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Huǒshǔ

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Tradition: Chinese Mythology
Alternative Names: 火鼠, Fire Rat, Firelight Beast, Huǒguāng Shòu
Category: Rat

The Myth

Huǒshǔ, the Fire Rat, is a legendary creature in Chinese mythology said to dwell amid supernatural flames. Some accounts place it among the burning trees of a volcanic region at the southern edge of the world, while others associate it with Mount Kunlun or the fiery mountains of the western and southern lands. It is described as a gigantic rat weighing around 250 kilograms, with fur approximately 50 centimetres long and as fine as silk.

The Fire Rat’s most remarkable feature is its fire-resistant fur. Cloth woven from its hair is known as huǒhuàn bù, or fire-washed cloth. Unlike ordinary fabric, it does not burn; when it becomes dirty, it can be thrown into a fire, emerging pure white as the flames consume the impurities.

The creature appears in Chinese texts such as the Shényì Jīng and is mentioned in later encyclopaedias and natural histories. Its legend also travelled to Japan, where the fire rat’s pelt became the impossible treasure sought by Prince Abe in The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter. The Fire Rat thus became closely associated with a magical garment that could withstand fire.

Sources

“火鼠 (Huǒshǔ).” Chinese Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%81%AB%E9%BC%A0

Fēishǔ

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Tradition: Chinese Mythology
Alternative Names: 飞鼠, Flying Rat, Flying Mouse
Category: Rat

The Myth

Fēishǔ is a legendary flying beast recorded in the Classic of Mountains and Seas. It is described as resembling a rabbit, but with the head of a rat, and possessing the ability to fly using its back.

According to the Classic of Mountains and Seas, the Fēishǔ lives in the Tianchi Mountains. Later commentary in the Shanhaijing Buzhu also associates it with the Yao’an and Menghua regions of Yunnan. Its identity has sometimes been linked to flying squirrels or bats.

The creature was also believed to be useful as food. Traditional accounts claim that its flesh could be eaten and used as a remedy for difficult childbirth.

Sources

“飞鼠 (Fēishǔ).” Chinese Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%A3%9E%E9%BC%A0_(%E5%A6%96%E6%80%AA)

Schilalyi

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Tradition: Romanian Mythology
Alternative Names: Schilalyi, Cold One
Category: Rat

The Myth

Schilalyi, whose name means “Cold” or “Cold One,” is the fifth of Ana’s children and her third daughter. She and her siblings are demons of disease, born from the unnatural unions between Ana, the Keshalyi queen, and the King of the Loçolico.

According to legend, after Ana gave birth to her fourth child, Melalo advised his father to serve her soup alongside a cooked mouse he had spat on. Ana fell ill, and as she drank water, Schilalyi crawled out of her mouth. Her unnatural birth earned her the hatred of her mother, and Schilalyi tormented her siblings until her husband, Bitoso, was born.

Schilalyi appears as a white mouse with numerous small legs and possibly several tails. She is responsible for chills and cold fevers. In traditional remedies, sufferers were treated with dried mouse lungs and stomachs steeped in alcohol. White mice were considered agents or offspring of Schilalyi, and one reported incident tells of a pharmacist’s laboratory mice being drowned in a well in an attempt to avert disaster.

Sources

“Schilalyi.” A Book of Creatures, November 14, 2016. https://abookofcreatures.com/2016/11/14/schilalyi/

Uiluruyak

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Tradition: American Mythology
Alternative Names: Wi’-lû-ghó-yûk, Sea Shrew
Category: Rat

The Myth

The Uiluruyak is a small, mouse-like creature associated with the sea ice of Alaska in Yupik folklore. Although the name has been identified with the meadow jumping mouse (Zapus hudsonius), the explorer Edward William Nelson described it as a sea shrew. Hunters are said to encounter it on the frozen sea.

When the Uiluruyak sees a person, it darts forward with incredible speed, pierces the sole of their boot, and crawls beneath their clothes. If the person remains completely motionless, the creature eventually leaves through the same hole it entered. Those who endure the encounter without moving are said to become successful hunters.

However, even the slightest movement can prove fatal. The Uiluruyak is believed to burrow into the victim’s flesh, pierce their heart, and kill them. For this reason, hunters are warned to remain perfectly still if they encounter a mouse on the sea ice, in case it is the dangerous Uiluruyak.

Sources

“Uiluruyak.” A Book of Creatures, October 19, 2020. https://abookofcreatures.com/2020/10/19/uiluruyak/

Lolmischo

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Tradition: Romanian Mythology
Alternative Names: Lolmischo, Red Mouse
Category: Rat

The Myth

Lolmischo, the “Red Mouse,” is the seventh of the Children of Ana and her fourth son. Like his siblings, he was conceived by Ana, a Keshalyi fairy, and her husband, the King of the Loçolico. According to the legend, Ana was suffering from a skin condition when the vile Melalo recommended that mice lick her skin. One mouse entered her belly, resulting in Lolmischo’s conception.

As his name suggests, Lolmischo takes the form of a red mouse or rat. He governs skin ailments, including rashes, hives, itching, ulcers, blisters, and boils. It is said that he can cause eczema simply by running across the skin of a sleeping person.

Lolmischo married his younger sister, Minceskro. Their offspring became demons associated with infectious diseases, including chickenpox, measles, scarlet fever, and smallpox.

Sources

“Lolmischo.” A Book of Creatures, February 17, 2017. https://abookofcreatures.com/2017/02/17/lolmischo/

Gosoku Usagi

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Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: 五足の兎, Five-Legged Rabbit, Moon Rabbit
Category: Rabbit

The Myth

Gosoku Usagi is a supernatural rabbit with five legs that appears in the old Japanese puppet play Atago no Honji. The creature first appears as Katsura Otoko, a mysterious being connected to the Moon who takes the form of a white demon. Its strange appearance and unusual number of legs reveal its supernatural nature.

During the reign of Emperor Bidatsu, two moons mysteriously appeared in the sky, moving in opposite directions. The warrior Nichira recognized one as an evil moon and had a towering wooden structure built so he could shoot it down with a bow and arrow. When the fallen moon struck the imperial palace grounds, it transformed into a great tree. Nichira cut the tree open, releasing a white demon who called himself Katsura Otoko and attacked the warrior. Nichira defeated him and declared that he must be a rabbit, reminding him of the legend of the rabbit that sacrificed itself to feed a hungry holy man. Katsura Otoko then transformed into a five-legged rabbit and fled.

Nichira pursued the creature and caught it again near western Nishiyama in Yamashiro Province. After Nichira cut off its head, the head flew into the sky while the body was torn apart and thrown into a river. The head returned and breathed fire from above, but Nichira struck it down and destroyed it. The story explains the names of Katsura Village and the Katsura River. The rabbit’s unusual number of legs connects it to traditions of the Moon Rabbit, whose extra legs distinguish it from an ordinary hare.

Sources

“Gosoku-usagi.” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1084159775.html

Isopotono

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Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: イソポトノ, Isepotono, Isopo-tono, Great Rabbit Lord
Category: Rabbit

The Myth

Isopotono is a giant rabbit from Ainu tradition. Its name combines isepo, meaning rabbit, with tono, a title for a lord, king, or powerful person. The creature was said to have lived on Poronupuri, or Mount Umaoi, near the former settlement of Osatsukotan in Hokkaido. Its feet were enormous, and its footprints were as large as the snowshoes used by humans.

The people of Osatsukotan revered Isopotono and the mountain where it lived, offering sake to the great rabbit. In nearby Naganuma, the creature was also regarded as a lord of demons. According to local tradition, Isopotono rode a white horse and defeated evildoers, acting as a powerful figure who punished those who did wrong.

Sources

“Isopotno.” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1081433220.html

Dragon King Rabbit

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Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: Dragon King Rabbit, White Rabbit of Daio Kokushi
Category: Rabbit

The Myth

The Dragon King Rabbit was a white rabbit that appeared harmless but possessed a hidden divine nature. When the young monk Daio Kokushi encountered the rabbit, he saved it from a pack of wolves. The rabbit later repaid this kindness by revealing its extraordinary powers.

While Daio Kokushi was travelling by ship, a violent storm threatened to sink the vessel. As the waves grew dangerous and disaster seemed unavoidable, the white rabbit leapt into the sea. The moment it entered the water, the raging waves calmed, and a safe path opened across the ocean, allowing the ship to escape destruction.

Surrounded by a golden glow, the rabbit then rose into the sky and transformed into the Dragon King, revealing itself as an incarnation of the sea god. Though it had appeared as a small, silent animal, the rabbit was in truth a divine protector capable of commanding the sea and saving those in danger.

Sources

“Ryūō-usagi.” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1082914475.html

Tu’er Ye

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Tradition: Chinese Mythology
Alternative Names: 兔兒爺, Tu’er Ye, Rabbit God, Lord Leveret
Category: Rabbit

The Myth

Tu’er Ye is a rabbit deity from Beijing, closely associated with the Moon and the moon rabbit of the goddess Chang’e. He is traditionally represented as a rabbit-like figure and is often depicted riding a tiger, dragon, or horse, although some sculptures show him standing alone. His name means “Lord Leveret,” and he has become a distinctive figure in Beijing’s folk religious traditions.

Tu’er Ye is associated with a female counterpart called Tu’er Nainai, or “Lady Leveret.” However, the two may actually be the same deity. According to some legends, Tu’er Ye changes his appearance depending on the human clothing donated to him by the people he helps, meaning that Tu’er Nainai might simply be another form of Tu’er Ye. His worship began in Beijing in 1906, later disappeared during the twentieth century, and was revived in the late 2000s. He should not be confused with Tu’er Shen, a different deity who may share some connections with the Rabbit God.

Sources

“Tu’er Ye.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tu%27er_Ye

Nanabozho

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Tradition: Canadian Mythology
Alternative Names: Nanabush, ᓇᓇᐳᔓ, Mishaabooz, Gitchii-waabooz, Michabo, Great Hare
Category: Rabbit

The Myth

Nanabozho is a powerful shapeshifting spirit who most often appears as a rabbit or hare, though he can also take the form of other animals or humans. Clever, mischievous, and sometimes greedy, he frequently causes trouble through his tricks and desires. Yet his adventures also teach important lessons about life, relationships, and the consequences of one’s actions. He is the son of a human mother and a spirit father, E-bangishimog, and was sent to Earth by Gitche Manidoo to teach the Ojibwe people.

Nanabozho played an important role in shaping the world and teaching humanity. Among his deeds, he named plants and animals, invented fishing and hieroglyphs, and became associated with the creation of the Earth. He is also considered the founder of the Midewiwin, a spiritual tradition of the Anishinaabe. Through his adventures, Nanabozho learns that greed and manipulation create chaos, while cooperation, respect, and reciprocity help restore balance.

In a more recent story, Nanabozho confronts the legendary lumberjack Paul Bunyan in Minnesota, demanding that he stop cutting down the forests. The two fight for forty days and forty nights until Nanabozho strikes Bunyan across the face with a giant walleye fish. Nanabozho then pulls Bunyan by his whiskers until he promises to leave the area. One version says Bunyan falls onto his backside, creating Red Lake. The story also explains why Bunyan’s statue in Lake Bemidji is depicted without a beard and facing west.

Sources

“Peschanyi Zvyak” (Sandy Squink). New Bestiary (Bestiary.us). https://www.bestiary.us/peschanyi-zvyak