Mythology

Odminok

by

Tradition: Ukrainian Mythology
Alternative Names: Vidminnyk, Odmina, Odminok
Category: Goblin

The Myth

The Odminok is a changeling in Ukrainian folklore. Its name refers to a supernatural child believed to replace a human baby, taking the place of a child stolen by another otherworldly being. The tradition is associated with beliefs about the dangers surrounding childbirth and the vulnerability of infants to supernatural interference.

According to Ukrainian folk belief, the Odminok may be left behind when a supernatural creature steals a human child and substitutes one of its own. The changeling is often described as an unusually strange or unnatural-looking child, and its presence may be interpreted as evidence that the original baby has been taken. Related traditions in neighbouring Slavic regions also describe changelings as supernatural substitutes for human children, although their names and characteristics vary between communities.

Beliefs about changelings often include attempts to identify or drive away the substituted child. In some regional traditions, unusual behaviour, physical differences, or a failure to develop as expected could be interpreted as signs of supernatural replacement. Such beliefs reflected historical anxieties about infant illness, disability, and unexplained changes in a child’s behaviour. The Odminok belongs to this wider complex of European folklore in which supernatural beings were thought to interfere with families by stealing children and leaving strange substitutes behind.

Sources

“Odmina.” New Bestiary (Bestiary.us). https://www.bestiary.us/odmina/en

Trenti

by

Tradition: Cantabrian Mythology, Spanish Mythology
Alternative Names: Trenti
Category: Goblin

The Myth

The Trenti is a small, imp-like goblin from Cantabrian mythology in northern Spain. Although annoying and mischievous, it is not considered malicious. It lives deep in the forest, where its appearance blends into the surrounding vegetation, making it extremely difficult to spot. Its body resembles mushrooms, leaves, and moss, while its most distinctive features are a completely black face and bright green eyes.

Trentis generally avoid direct contact with humans, preferring to remain hidden among bushes and woodland plants. However, they enjoy startling unsuspecting walkers by suddenly jumping out of the undergrowth. Their favourite prank is to pull at women’s skirts before disappearing back into the vegetation. These antics make the Trenti a troublesome but relatively harmless figure of the Cantabrian forests, embodying the playful and unpredictable side of the natural world.

Sources

“Trenti.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 17, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trenti

Tokoloshe

by

Tradition: Nguni Mythology, South African Mythology
Alternative Names: Tikoloshe, Tikolosh, Tonkolosh, Tonkolosi, Tokolotshe, Thokolosi, Hili
Category: Goblin

The Myth

The Tokoloshe is a dwarf-like supernatural being in Nguni mythology, particularly associated with Zulu traditions and other cultures of southern Africa. It is generally described as a mischievous and malevolent spirit capable of becoming invisible by drinking water or swallowing a stone. Although it may sometimes be invoked to frighten children, the Tokoloshe is feared for its ability to cause illness, torment individuals, and even bring about death. It is also associated with witchcraft, as people believed to harbour hostile intentions may summon the creature to attack their enemies.

According to traditional accounts, a person seeking revenge may approach a malevolent witch doctor and request the creation of a Tokoloshe. In one version of the legend, the witch doctor obtains a dead body and prepares it through ritual procedures, piercing its eye sockets and brain with a heated iron rod to prevent it from thinking independently. Special powder is then applied to shrink the body, transforming it into a vessel for the spirit. The Tokoloshe is released against its intended victim, whom it terrorises over a period of weeks, months, or even years. The person who commissions the creature must promise the soul of a loved one, although the Tokoloshe itself chooses whose soul it will claim.

The Tokoloshe is particularly associated with unexplained deaths during the night. In traditional accounts, it was blamed when people sleeping on the floors of their homes died mysteriously. One explanation connects these beliefs to the dangers of indoor fires used for warmth in southern Africa’s cold highland winters. Fires burning in poorly ventilated homes could produce carbon monoxide, which can accumulate dangerously near sleeping people. Those sleeping on raised beds might be less exposed, and this contributed to the belief that the Tokoloshe could be kept away by elevating one’s sleeping place. Placing bricks beneath the legs of a bed became a well-known protective measure.

Protection against the Tokoloshe may also involve spiritual intervention. Traditional healers known as sangomas and certain Christian pastors are believed to possess the power to banish the spirit. The creature remains an influential figure in southern African popular culture, where stories about it can express genuine spiritual fears as well as provide a satirical way to criticise superstition and its influence on social behaviour.

Sources

“Tokoloshe.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 17, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokoloshe

Akaname

by

Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: Aka-name, 垢嘗, Filth Licker, Mudlicker
Category: Goblin

The Myth

The Akaname is a small, goblin-like yōkai from Japanese folklore that inhabits dirty bathrooms and toilets. Its name literally translates as “dirt licker,” referring to its habit of licking grime from neglected bathing areas. It is typically depicted as an ugly creature with a bald or short-haired head, a long sticky tongue, and either one or five fingers on each hand and foot. Some illustrations portray it with a single eye, while others give it two.

The Akaname appears at night in dirty or abandoned bathrooms, particularly in old houses where cleaning and maintenance have been neglected. It uses its long tongue to lick away accumulated dirt, grease, hair, and other filth from the floors and walls. Although it may help remove grime, its presence is generally considered frightening and unpleasant. The creature’s association with unclean spaces reflects the importance of keeping domestic bathing areas clean in Japanese culture.

Like cockroaches, rats, and other creatures associated with neglected places, Akaname prefers dark, secluded environments where it can remain hidden from people. Stories about the yōkai serve as a warning about the consequences of poor household hygiene, encouraging people to keep their bathrooms and toilets clean. Its grotesque appearance and disgusting habits transform an ordinary domestic chore into a supernatural reminder not to neglect the home.

Sources

“Akanamje.” New Bestiary (Bestiary.us). https://www.bestiary.us/akanamje

“Akaneburi.” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1010653511.html

Basty

by

Tradition: Turkish Mythology
Alternative Names: Bastı, Basdı, Al-Basty, Kara-Basty, Qul-Basty, Sary-Basty
Category: Goblin

The Myth

The Basty, also known as Bastı or Basdı, is an evil spirit or goblin in Turkic folklore. In Anatolian traditions, several types of Basty are distinguished, each associated with different frightening characteristics and supernatural dangers. These beings include Al-Basty, Kara-Basty, Qul-Basty, and Sary-Basty, whose appearances and behaviour vary between accounts.

Al-Basty is described as a tall, naked female creature with white skin and an evil nature. Kara-Basty is associated with nightmares and is characterized as a nightmare demon. Qul-Basty has a different pattern of activity: it sleeps in its grave during the day and travels at night. It is portrayed as hairy and foul-smelling, giving it a disturbing physical presence.

Sary-Basty appears as a woman dressed in yellow and is associated with causing epilepsy. Together, these different forms of Basty represent a range of malevolent supernatural beings in Turkic folklore, linked to nightmares, nocturnal activity, and illness.

Sources

“Basty.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 17, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basty

Bauchan

by

Tradition: Scottish Mythology
Alternative Names: Bòcan, Buckawn, Bogan
Category: Goblin

The Myth

The Bauchan is a domestic hobgoblin from Scottish folklore, particularly associated with the Highlands. It is an unpredictable supernatural being whose temperament combines mischief and occasional danger with a surprising willingness to help humans when necessary. Although it can be belligerent and combative, the Bauchan is not invariably hostile and may become a useful companion in everyday work.

One of the best-known accounts of the Bauchan appears in John Francis Campbell’s Popular Tales of the West Highlands. The story concerns Callum Mor MacIntosh, a farmer in Lochaber whose farm is haunted by one of these creatures. The Bauchan frequently behaves aggressively toward Callum, yet it also assists him with various agricultural tasks. Their relationship is marked by this contradiction: the creature can be troublesome and confrontational while simultaneously proving valuable through its practical help.

When Callum emigrates to New York City, the Bauchan accompanies him across the Atlantic. Rather than abandoning its former companion, it helps him clear his new plot of land. This continuation of their relationship shows that the Bauchan’s connection to a person need not be restricted to a particular house or location. The creature is also a shapeshifter and can transform itself into a goat, adding to its unpredictable and uncanny nature.

Sources

“Bauchan.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 17, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bauchan

Brag

by

Tradition: English Mythology
Alternative Names: Picktree Brag
Category: Goblin, Horse

The Myth

The Brag is a mischievous shapeshifting goblin from the folklore of Northumbria, particularly Northumberland and County Durham in northern England. It is best known for assuming the form of a horse or donkey, using its appearance to trick unsuspecting people into climbing onto its back. Once a person is riding it, the Brag suddenly bucks, throwing its victim into a pond or bush before fleeing with laughter.

The Brag’s shapeshifting abilities allow it to appear in stranger forms as well. One famous example is the Picktree Brag, which was said to take the shape of a calf wearing a white handkerchief around its neck, a naked headless man, and even four men holding a white sheet. These bizarre transformations make the creature difficult to identify and add to its reputation as an unpredictable supernatural prankster.

Not every Brag reveals itself through a visible form. A Brag associated with Humbleknowe was never seen, but was known for making hideous noises during the night. Whether appearing as an animal, a frightening apparition, or an unseen presence, the Brag delights in confusing and startling people rather than confronting them directly.

Sources

“Brag (folklore).” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 17, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brag_(folklore)

Bieresel

by

Tradition: German Mythology
Alternative Names: Biersal, Bieresal, Bierasal, Beer Donkey
Category: Goblin, Horse

The Myth

The Bieresel, whose name means “beer donkey” in German, is a type of kobold or household spirit found in German folklore. It is particularly associated with taverns, breweries, beer cellars, and other places where beer is stored or consumed. One of the earliest detailed descriptions appears in Johann Georg Schmidt’s Die gestriegelte Rockenphilosophie, first published in 1705, which describes the Bieresel as a devil or kobold that takes the form of a donkey and drinks beer at night. The name was also recorded as an insult in Bürgel in 1597.

The Bieresel has several different appearances depending on the region. It is often described as a donkey-like creature with three or four legs, or as a spirit with donkey legs. In some traditions, it resembles a gray ox with a thick red human head and enormous horns. Other accounts describe a donkey-headed, hoofed creature that causes disturbances in farmhouses and taverns. These varied descriptions reflect the Bieresel’s changing character across German-speaking regions.

In Ruhla and Steinbach in Thuringia, the Bieresel is said to roam the streets in search of beer drinkers. It particularly targets people returning home late after drinking at a tavern, leaping onto their backs and forcing them to carry it all the way to their front doors. This behaviour, known as aufhocken, is also associated with other supernatural beings in German folklore. In the Vogtland, however, the Bieresel is described as a less threatening figure that enters pubs and mingles with drinkers without causing significant harm. Its name is even used to describe a child who laughs particularly loudly.

In other traditions, the Bieresel performs useful household tasks. In Grochwitz, Saxony, it is said to bring beer into houses and carry out domestic chores like other kobolds. Its only expected reward is a glass of beer each evening. If this payment is withheld, it becomes destructive, breaking objects and causing trouble. Similar beliefs describe a Bieresel living in a cellar beneath a barn near Grimma, where it would not tolerate anyone staying overnight.

The Bieresel can also be a more dangerous spirit. In former German-speaking Bohemia, unscrupulous tavern keepers were sometimes said to transform into Bieresels, which haunted inns and caused violent disturbances. One tale describes a servant found dead with a broken neck after apparently confronting the creature, while a girl who encountered it suffered a swollen face and fever before recovering. Other stories tell of the Bieresel throwing maids from their beds, breaking milk vessels, and following people home from taverns. At a haunted mill known as the Katzenmühle, a nightly offering of beer was made to the spirit until a travelling bear-handler drove it away after a confrontation.

Related accounts of the Biersal portray it as a brewery spirit that cleans bottles, beer steins, casks, and kegs in exchange for its own portion of beer. When properly rewarded, it may serve as a useful helper; when neglected, it steals or hides tools, damages equipment, and causes general disorder. Across these traditions, the Bieresel embodies the unpredictable nature of household spirits: it can be a helpful worker, a troublesome prankster, or a dangerous presence, depending on how it is treated.

Sources

“Bieresel.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 17, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bieresel

Yeitso

by

Tradition: Navajo Mythology, American Mythology
Alternative Names: Yéʼiitsoh, Big Monster
Category: Giant

The Myth

Yeitso, whose name means “Big Monster,” was the largest, most powerful, and most feared of the Anaye, the hostile beings known as the “Alien Gods” in Navajo mythology. He was a terrifying giant whose immense size and supernatural abilities made him a formidable enemy of the Navajo people. According to different traditions, Yeitso was either the eldest son of the Sun God, Tsohanoai, or the offspring of a Navajo woman who, frustrated by unnatural practices, conceived a child with a stone. He lived near Tsoodzil, identified with Mount Taylor in New Mexico, and was regarded as the leader of the Anaye.

Yeitso’s enormous size was his most distinctive characteristic. His stride extended as far as an ordinary man could walk between sunrise and noon. His body was protected by overlapping scales of flint as sharp and hard as stone knives. He wore a perfect agate disc on his head, a perfect turquoise around his neck, and a perfect white shell over his shoulder. His face was marked with intimidating stripes, and he carried a basket that served as a quiver for his lightning bolts. Coyote acted as his messenger, connecting the monstrous giant with the wider world of supernatural beings.

When the hero twins Nayenezgani and To’badzistsini were still infants, Yeitso came close to discovering and devouring them. Their mothers, Yolkai’Estsan and Estsanatlehi, saved them through quick thinking. Yolkai’Estsan concealed the boys beneath piles of sticks while Estsanatlehi confronted the giant. When Yeitso noticed footprints and demanded to know whose they were, she courageously claimed they were her own. She explained that loneliness had driven her to make footprints so that she could pretend she had company. To convince him, she demonstrated how she had made the tiny prints with her hand. Fooled by her explanation, Yeitso left without discovering the children.

When the twins reached adulthood, they consulted their father, Tsohanoai, and set out to confront Yeitso at Tsoodzil. They heard the giant’s tremendous footsteps before seeing his head rise above an eastern hill. As he approached, his head and chest appeared above a southern hill, followed by his body above the waist over a western hill, before he finally came into view near Tsoodzil. Yeitso then descended to a lake and drank from it four times, visibly lowering the water level until the lake was almost dry. Only then did he notice the reflections of the two heroes in the water.

Delighted by the prospect of finding new prey, Yeitso called out to the twins and challenged them. The giant and the heroes exchanged taunts four times before Yeitso hurled four lightning bolts at them. Riding upon a rainbow, the twins evaded the attacks with ease. Their father, Tsohanoai, then struck Yeitso with lightning, and the twins followed with four bolts of chain lightning. The combined assault shattered the giant’s protective flint scales. Yeitso collapsed and attempted to rise, but fell forward onto his face and lay motionless.

After defeating the giant, the twins scalped him and threw his head toward the east, where it became Cabezon Peak in present-day New Mexico. Yeitso’s blood remained dangerous because, if it reached the other Anaye, it could revive him. Nayenezgani therefore used his knife to dig trenches that redirected the flowing blood and prevented it from reaching the other monsters. The resulting trenches were said to account for the ridges and cliffs of volcanic rock around Cabezon Peak. Yeitso’s shattered flint scales, meanwhile, became a valuable resource for the Navajo, who used the stone to make armor, knives, and arrowheads.

Yeitso’s death marked the defeat of one of the most formidable enemies faced by the Navajo hero twins. His enormous stature, flint armor, and mastery of lightning made him nearly invincible, but the combined power of the twins and their father brought him down. His story explains the mythological origins of a striking landscape feature and connects the defeat of a monstrous adversary with the acquisition of materials used for protection and warfare.

Sources

“Yeitso.” A Book of Creatures, February 10, 2017. https://abookofcreatures.com/2017/02/10/yeitso/

Hecatoncheires

by

Tradition: Greek Mythology
Alternative Names: Hundred-Handers, Hundred-Handed Ones, Centimanes, Centimani, Hekatóncheires
Category: Giant

The Myth

The Hecatoncheires, whose name means “Hundred-Handed Ones” in Ancient Greek, are three monstrous giants of extraordinary size and strength. Each possesses fifty heads and one hundred arms, making them among the most formidable beings in Greek mythology. Their individual names are Cottus, Briareus, and Gyges, also known as Gyes. Briareus is sometimes called Aegaeon, a name particularly associated with his role in traditions concerning the sea. In the standard account, the three are children of Uranus, the Sky, and Gaia, the Earth, and belong to the earliest generations of divine beings.

The Hecatoncheires play an important role in the struggle for control of the cosmos. Their father, Uranus, imprisons them along with their brothers, the Cyclopes, because of their monstrous appearance and power. Gaia eventually persuades her son Cronus to overthrow Uranus. Cronus seizes power but later becomes a tyrant himself, swallowing his children by his sister Rhea to prevent them from overthrowing him. Rhea saves their youngest child, Zeus, who eventually frees his siblings and begins a war against Cronus and the Titans known as the Titanomachy.

According to the best-known tradition, Gaia foretells that Zeus and the Olympian gods will prevail with the assistance of the Hecatoncheires. Zeus therefore releases the three giants from their imprisonment, and they join the Olympians in battle. Their extraordinary strength proves decisive in the conflict, helping secure the defeat of the Titans. After the war, the defeated Titans are imprisoned in Tartarus, the deep abyss beneath the underworld, and the Hecatoncheires become their guards. Their transformation from imprisoned beings into guardians of the defeated Titans marks their central place in the establishment of Zeus’s rule.

Briareus, the most prominent of the three, appears in several additional myths. In Hesiod’s Theogony, he is distinguished as a good and powerful ally of the gods, and Poseidon rewards him by giving him his daughter Cymopolea as his wife. In Homer’s Iliad, Briareus is also called Aegaeon. When Hera, Poseidon, and Athena conspire to bind Zeus during a revolt on Olympus, the sea goddess Thetis summons Briareus to the divine assembly. His formidable presence frightens the rebellious gods, preventing them from carrying out their plan and allowing Zeus to retain his authority.

Not every ancient account portrays Briareus as an ally of the Olympians. In a different tradition, preserved in references to the lost epic Titanomachy, Aegaeon is the son of Gaia and Pontus, the Sea, rather than Uranus and Gaia. He fights on the side of the Titans and is defeated by Poseidon. The poet Virgil likewise depicts Aegaeon as an enemy of the gods, describing him as wielding fifty shields and fifty swords. Ovid also associates Briareus with the defeated Titans. In one episode, Briareus attempts to restore their power by sacrificing a bull whose entrails are prophesied to grant victory over the gods. Before he can burn them, however, birds seize the entrails and are rewarded with a place among the stars.

An alternative, rationalized account by the mythographer Palaephatus presents Cottus and Briareus not as literal hundred-handed giants but as men known by a name associated with a city called Hecatoncheiria, meaning “Hundredarm.” In this version, they help the mortal inhabitants of Olympia drive away their enemies, the Titans. This interpretation differs from the supernatural accounts but preserves the central theme of powerful allies intervening in a struggle for supremacy.

The Hecatoncheires embody overwhelming physical power and the dangerous, unpredictable forces of the primordial world. Their role in the Titanomachy makes them essential to the victory of the Olympian gods, while their later service as guardians of Tartarus establishes them as defenders of the new cosmic order. The differing traditions surrounding Briareus and Aegaeon also reveal that these giants were not always assigned a single allegiance: depending on the account, they could be allies of Zeus or formidable opponents of the Olympian gods.

Sources

“Hecatoncheires.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 17, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hecatoncheires