Marten

Wapaloosie

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Tradition: American Mythology
Alternative Names: Wapaloosies
Category: Marten

The Myth

Wapaloosies are unusual mammals that inhabit the forests of the Pacific Coast. About the size of a dachshund, they have velvety fur, woodpecker-like feet, and a tail tipped with a sharp spike. Their bodies and movements resemble those of inchworms, allowing them to climb effortlessly up the tallest trees. They seek out bracket fungi growing on tree trunks and branches, using their specialized feet and spike-tipped tails to aid their ascent.

The wapaloosie’s climbing ability supposedly persists even after death. One lumberjack in Washington shot a wapaloosie and turned its fur into a pair of mittens. However, whenever he tried to grasp an axe or another object, the mittens began shimmying up whatever he held, climbing toward the top of its handle. Unable to use them without the strange behavior recurring, the lumberjack eventually discarded the mittens. They were last seen scrambling over piles of lumber slash, continuing their peculiar climbing long after the animal itself had died.

Sources

“Wapaloosie.” A Book of Creatures, May 27, 2019. https://abookofcreatures.com/2019/05/27/wapaloosie/

Bitard

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Tradition: French Mythology
Alternative Names: Venerated Bitard, Bitard
Category: Marten

The Myth

The Bitard is a fabulous animal associated with the Order of the Venerated Bitard (Ordre du Vénéré Bitard, Loué Soit-Il !), a student association established at the University of Poitiers in France during the 1920s. The creature serves as the symbolic figure of the Order, whose members are also known as Bitards. Although its precise physical appearance is not described, the Bitard occupies a central place in the association’s traditions and ceremonial identity.

The Order’s mythology draws upon the writings of François Rabelais, in whose work Pantagruel the word bitard appears twice in hunting contexts. Each year, the association organizes the Semaine estudiantine, a week of festivities that includes a procession, drinking celebrations, and a ceremonial hunt for the Bitard. These traditions turn the creature into the focus of a distinctive student culture, blending mock hunting, ritual, and communal celebration.

Sources

“Bitard.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 21, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitard

Azuki-tori no Tanuki

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Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: Azuki-tori Tanuki, Bean-Washing Tanuki
Category: Marten

The Myth

Azuki-tori no Tanuki is a mysterious tanuki associated with an old storehouse near the waterfront in Tsuchido, Onomichi, Hiroshima Prefecture. In the past, the area had a stone-paved landing place, with large storehouses lining the coast to the west. Every night, a strange, sharp shari, shari sound could be heard near the buildings. It resembled neither the scurrying of mice nor the noise of weasels, and the locals found it deeply unsettling.

One night, a young man passing by heard the familiar sound and realized it seemed to come from inside a storehouse. Determined to discover its source despite his fear, he shouted loudly toward the building. The sound immediately stopped, and a round creature burst out of the storehouse. Moving quickly on its short legs, it ran toward Mount Senkoji. The young man watched it closely enough to recognize it as a tanuki.

After this encounter, people came to believe that the strange scraping noise was made by the tanuki sneaking into the storehouse to steal azuki beans. Even after its identity became known, the sound continued to frighten the locals. Whenever the sharp shari, shari noise echoed through the darkness, children hurried home.

Sources

“Azuki-tanuki.” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1010655099.html

Shirotokkuri

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Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: Shiro Tokkuri, 白徳利
Category: Marten

The Myth

Shirotokkuri is a shape-shifting tanuki known for transforming into a white sake bottle. In this form, it rolls along the ground, attracting the attention of anyone who comes across it. However, whenever someone tries to grab the bottle and stop it, it simply rolls away again.

No matter how persistently a person attempts to catch it, Shirotokkuri keeps rolling out of reach, making it impossible to capture.

Sources

“Shiro Tokkuri.” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1010654408.html

Dobin Korogashi

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Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: Tobin Korogashi, 土瓶転がし
Category: Marten

The Myth

Dobin Korogashi is a mysterious phenomenon associated with a dense thicket of bamboo and trees on the border between Shitami and Hara villages in Hachihonmatsu, Kamo District, Hiroshima Prefecture. Those who passed through the area late at night were said to hear the sound of an earthen teapot tumbling and clattering, making a frightening gacha, gacha noise. People believed that a creature called the Dobin Korogashi lurked in the thicket.

The strange sounds inspired fear among local residents. Children were afraid to take errands along the road in the evening, while even adults found the path unsettling after dark. The creature’s true identity, however, may have been less supernatural than people imagined. One explanation suggests that a weasel had made its nest in a dumping ground for discarded pottery and produced the clattering sounds when startled by approaching footsteps and fleeing.

Sources

“Dobinkoro.” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1010654264.html

Treesqueak

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Tradition: American Mythology
Alternative Names: Treesqueaks
Category: Marten

The Myth

Treesqueaks are small, weasel-like creatures that inhabit the northern woods. Their bodies are flexible and prehensile, allowing them to move around trees with ease. They can also change color to match the bark and appearance of the trees they climb, making them difficult to spot among the branches.

These creatures are known for producing an extraordinary variety of strange sounds. Their calls can resemble wind blowing through the trees, the whining of a cougar, the squealing of a piglet, or even firecrackers exploding at a wedding. Despite their small size, treesqueaks are as unfriendly and troublesome as their weasel-like appearance suggests.

According to the saying associated with them, any unexplained noise in the woods can be blamed on a treesqueak. Whenever something rustles, squeals, whistles, or cracks without an obvious cause, one of these elusive creatures is presumed to be responsible.

Sources

“Treesqueak.” A Book of Creatures, May 17, 2021. https://abookofcreatures.com/2021/05/17/treesqueak/