Mythology

El Vell Llop

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Tradition / Region: Andorran Mythology
Alternate Names: Rei dels animals
Category: Wolf

The Myth

The Old Wolf is portrayed as the wise and aging king of all animals, ruling over them in a time when beasts could speak and live in organized society. As he sensed his death approaching, he gathered all the animals of the land to decide who would succeed him as ruler.

Each animal proposed a successor from its own kind, but no agreement could be reached, as every species favored itself. Faced with this division, the Old Wolf chose to decide the matter himself. He called witnesses and formally declared his final will before withdrawing to await death.

After he died, the animals assembled again and read his testament. In it, the Old Wolf declared that the true heir to his kingdom would not be one of the animals, but a mysterious and superior being of the mountains known as the tamarro.

The tamarro was described as the most clever, brave, and intelligent of all beings, yet no human had ever managed to see or capture it. Because of this, it remained an almost mythical presence, existing beyond reach.

In the end, the Old Wolf’s decision emphasized that true superiority does not belong to those who argue for power, but to that which remains unseen, elusive, and beyond ordinary understanding.

Sources

Valls, À., & Carol, R. (2023). Llegendes d’Andorra. In Encamp-Montellà: Anem Editors p. 97.

Alber

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Tradition / Region: Austrian Mythology
Alternate Names: —
Category: Dragon

The Myth

The Alber is a demonic being said to appear as a great fiery dragon descending from the mountain known as the “Devil’s Corner.” It glows with an intense, unnatural light and flies through the mountains toward the valley, bringing with it signs of disaster such as plague, war, and famine.

It is not merely a creature, but a manifestation of destructive forces, associated directly with the devil and appearing during ominous or cursed moments.

In one account, two men climbed a cherry tree near a sacred cross during a pitch-black night. One of them, a dishonest and reckless man, had made a bet to steal cherries, while the other was an honest villager who had been persuaded to join him.

As they were in the tree, the Alber suddenly passed by, lighting the darkness with its fiery glow. The dishonest man was overcome with fear, nearly falling from the tree, while the honest man remained calm and even addressed the creature without fear.

Because of his integrity and lack of wrongdoing, the Alber had no power over him and departed immediately.

The Alber represents a demonic force that is drawn to corruption and wrongdoing, yet powerless against those who remain morally upright and unafraid.

Sources

A Book of Creatures contributors. (2021, May 3). Alber. In A Book of Creatures, from https://abookofcreatures.com/2021/05/03/alber/

Trud

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Tradition / Region: Austrian Mythology
Alternate Names: —
Category: Bat

The Myth

The Trud is a malevolent spirit or witch-like being that can enter homes through the smallest openings, even slipping through a keyhole, which is why people traditionally block keyholes during births or illness. It is believed that protective measures such as blessed objects, crosses marked on the floor, or sacred items placed near the bed can keep it away.

In southern Burgenland, the Trud is said to appear during moonlit nights at the ghostly hour, taking the form of a large, bat-like creature with wide wings and clawed limbs. It is described as extremely ugly and unnatural in appearance. The Trud flies through the night and enters stables, where it sits on animals and “bewitches” them, causing cows to stop giving milk or preventing them from calving.

It is also feared as a danger to mothers and newborn children. During the days following childbirth, both are carefully protected because the Trud is believed to strangle infants or harm them through supernatural means. Various rituals and religious protections are used to guard against it, including holy water, prayer books, and symbolic objects.

The Trud can also change form. In one account, it transformed into a straw that was about to be burned, but when the fire was lit, it turned back into a woman who begged for mercy and claimed to be released from its condition.

The Trud represents a nocturnal, intrusive force associated with vulnerability, especially in moments of weakness such as illness or childbirth, and is repelled by strong symbolic and religious protections.

Sources

sagen.at contributors. (n.d.). Von der Trud. In sagen.at, from https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/oesterreich/burgenland/petzoldt/von_der_trud.html

Black Hare

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Tradition / Region: Austrian Mythology
Alternate Names: –
Category: Rabbit (hare)

The Myth

The Devil appears as a black hare and is understood to be a manifestation of the Devil himself, taking animal form to deceive and claim human lives.

The legend takes place in an old farmhouse where a group of workers were threshing grain in autumn. During a break, they joked and challenged one another, and one of the farmhands boasted that a person could hang themselves even from a single straw. When the others doubted him, he insisted it was possible and agreed to prove it, asking them to cut him down immediately if he began to suffocate.

He tied a straw to a beam and placed it around his neck, attempting to demonstrate his claim. At that exact moment, a pitch-black hare with glowing red eyes suddenly ran through the barn. The sight startled everyone, and they all chased after it, completely forgetting the man hanging from the straw.

When they finally returned, exhausted and empty-handed, they found him dead, still hanging. The straw had not broken.

The black hare was understood to have been the Devil, appearing deliberately to distract the others and claim the life of the reckless man.

Sources

sagen.at contributors. (n.d.). Der schwarze Hase. In sagen.at, from https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/oesterreich/oberoesterreich/linz/derschwarzehase.html

Wörthersee Sprite

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Tradition / Region: Austrian Mythology
Alternate Names: Wassermann
Category: Spirit

The Myth

The Wörthersee Sprite is a male water spirit said to inhabit Lake Wörthersee and is known for dragging young women into its depths. One evening, a servant girl went alone to bathe in the lake at sunset. After some time in the water, the surface suddenly grew restless and waves began to rise, and from the middle of the lake she saw something approaching her. She recognized the figure by its pale green face and the wreath of reeds in its hair — it was the Wassermann.

Overcome with fear, she ran out of the water and fled back to the house, managing to lock the door just in time. Moments later, the Wassermann reached the house and could be heard outside, but it was unable to enter. The doorway bore the protective sign “C + M + B”, which prevented the spirit from crossing the threshold.

The Wassermann, which was said to claim victims from the lake each year, was forced to leave empty-handed. The girl survived, but from that day on, she never entered the lake after sunset again.

Sources

sagen.at contributors. (n.d.). Die Wichtelcher zu Useldingen. In sagen.at, from https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/luxemburg/Wichtlein_Useldingen.html

Ghostly Cat

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Tradition / Region: Austrian Mythology
Alternate Names: White Cat Spirit
Category: Cat, Ghost

The Myth

The Ghostly Cat is the spirit of a woman condemned to wander in the form of a large white cat, appearing at night on the rooftops of an old house.

The legend tells of a man who lived a corrupt and immoral life, while his wife endured everything in silence. Eventually, he fell under the influence of another wicked woman, and together they plotted to murder his wife using poisoned food.

However, through a twist of fate, the poison was consumed by the very woman who had prepared it. The effects were unnatural and disturbing. Instead of dying immediately, she began to lose her humanity and believed herself to be a cat.

She crawled on all fours, ran wildly through the house, climbed across the roof, and screamed like an animal. Her madness intensified with time, growing worse by the hour, until finally she fell from the highest point of the roof and broke her neck.

After her death, she did not find rest.

She became a restless spirit, condemned to return as a ghostly white cat, roaming the rooftops at night. Those who come too close to her path risk being attacked, as she lashes out with sharp claws at anyone who dares approach.

The Ghostly Cat represents a punishment tied to guilt, corruption, and unnatural transformation — a human reduced to an animal in life, and bound to that form even after death.

Sources

sagen.at contributors. (n.d.). Die gespenstische Katze. In sagen.at, from https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/oesterreich/wien/sagen_legenden_gugitz/katze.html

Iron Man

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Tradition / Region: Albanian Mythology
Alternate Names: Half-Iron Man
Category: Human creature

The Myth

The Iron Man is a being that is half human and half iron, combining human awareness with unnatural physical strength and durability. His body is fused with metal, making him extremely difficult to harm, and he exists as a powerful and dangerous figure.

He appears as a prisoner who has been locked away for life, indicating that he is already feared and known. When he is released, he immediately devours the king’s daughter and escapes to a distant, inaccessible place in another world, where he keeps her captive.

The Iron Man is not a mindless monster but an intelligent and predatory being. When the hero reaches him, he proves overwhelmingly powerful and kills the hero by draining his blood, leaving only skin and bones behind.

His true power lies in the fact that his life is not contained within his body. Instead, it is hidden externally in a layered structure: inside a boar, within the boar a hare, and within the hare three doves. As long as these exist, he cannot be killed.

The hero ultimately defeats him through knowledge and strategy rather than strength. By killing the boar, then the hare, and finally the three doves, the Iron Man’s life force is destroyed. At that exact moment, his body collapses and he dies instantly.

The Iron Man represents a form of false invincibility, a being whose apparent immortality depends on a hidden and separable life source rather than his physical form.

Sources

Albanian Literature contributors. (n.d.). Folktale 4. In Albanian Literature, from http://www.albanianliterature.net/folktales/tale_04.html

Dozon, A. (1879). Manuel de la langue chkipe ou albanaise: Grammaire, vocabulaire, chrestomathie. In Paris: Ernest Leroux (reprinted in Folklor shqiptar 1, Proza popullore, 1963). Translated by Elsie, R.

Skull Husband

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Tradition / Region: Albanian Mythology
Alternate Names: —
Category: Skeleton

The Myth

The Skull Husband is a man transformed into a skull, bound to exist in that form until restored. Despite his appearance, he possesses agency and the ability to provide wealth and assistance.

A king promised his daughter in marriage to whoever freed his horse. When the oath was fulfilled, she was sent to a palace where her husband appeared only as a skull. The first two daughters rejected this fate, but the third accepted it without fear and treated the skull as a true husband.

The skull responded to her acceptance by providing for her needs. Through commands delivered by a servant, it granted her access to wealth, food, and servants. Her life became one of abundance, despite the unnatural form of her husband.

When her sisters demanded to see the husband in human form, the maiden sought help. She encountered a supernatural maiden who revealed that the skull was in fact a transformed man. At that moment, the enchantment was broken, and the skull became a living man once more.

The transformation had been imposed to keep him hidden from the world, and it was undone through intervention and the maiden’s actions.

Sources

Albanian Literature contributors. (n.d.). Folktale 11. In Albanian Literature, from http://www.albanianliterature.net/folktales/tale_11.html

Frashëri, S. (1936). Folklor shqipëtar. In Durrës (reprinted in Folklor shqiptar 1, Proza popullore, 1963). Translated by Elsie, R.

Giant Falcon

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Tradition / Region: Albanian Mythology
Alternate Names: —
Category: Giant bird, Supernatural helper

The Myth

The Giant Falcon is an enormous and ancient bird encountered during a hero’s journey. It serves as a guide and means of transport to a distant, unreachable realm, but demands sustenance and assistance in return.

A young man searching for the half iron being was told by the south wind that he would find a falcon so large it could no longer fly. When he found it, he seized it and demanded information. The falcon agreed to help, but only after being fed and restored, as its wings had weakened with age.

The young man remained with the falcon and provided it with large amounts of meat until its strength returned. Once recovered, the falcon allowed him to climb onto its back and carried him across vast distances to a mountain in another world where the half iron being lived.

During the journey, the falcon required constant feeding. When the meat ran out, it demanded more, threatening to drop him. The young man cut flesh from his own body to sustain the bird until they reached their destination. Afterward, the falcon restored him by returning what it had taken, bringing him back to health.

The falcon later recognized the hero again after his death and revived him using swallow’s milk, restoring him to life and allowing him to continue his quest.

Sources

Albanian Literature contributors. (n.d.). Folktale 4. In Albanian Literature, from http://www.albanianliterature.net/folktales/tale_04.html

Dozon, A. (1879). Manuel de la langue chkipe ou albanaise: Grammaire, vocabulaire, chrestomathie. In Paris: Ernest Leroux (reprinted in Folklor shqiptar 1, Proza popullore, 1963). Translated by Elsie, R.

Devouring Wild Mare

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Tradition / Region: Albanian Mythology
Alternate Names: —
Category: Horse

The Myth

The Devouring Wild Mare is a dangerous supernatural horse said to consume all living beings. Despite its violent nature, it can be subdued through cunning and oath-binding.

A young hero was sent to water a mare known for devouring anyone who approached it. Guided by a magical horse, he prepared a trap by mixing honey into the water and placing a golden saddle nearby. When the mare arrived, it drank the sweetened water and was drawn to the sight of the saddle.

The mare called out for a human to ride it. The hero revealed himself but demanded an oath for safety. The mare swore by the head of Demirçil, the hero’s horse, that it would not harm him. Only after this oath did the hero descend and mount the mare.

Once mounted, the mare did not attack him. Instead, it behaved peacefully and even expressed a desire to be reunited with its offspring, the very horse that had guided the hero. The three then moved together without conflict.

Although known as a devourer of living beings, the mare’s behavior was restrained when bound by oath and approached with strategy.

Sources

Albanian Literature contributors. (n.d.). Folktale 7. In Albanian Literature, from http://www.albanianliterature.net/folktales/tale_07.html

Dozon, A. (1879). Manuel de la langue chkipe ou albanaise: Grammaire, vocabulaire, chrestomathie. In Paris: Ernest Leroux (reprinted in Folklor shqiptar 1, Proza popullore, 1963). Translated by Elsie, R.