Folklore Creatures BANSHEE: Scotland and Ireland
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Folklore creatures BANSHEE: Scotland and ireland • Known as CAOINEAG (wailing woman) • Foretells DEATH, known as messenger from Otherworld • Begins to wail if someone is about to die • In Scottish Gaelic mythology, she is known as the bean sìth or bean-nighe and is seen washing the bloodstained clothes or armor of those who are about to die BANSHEE Doppelganger: GERMANY • Look-alike or double of a living person • Omen of bad luck to come Doppelganger Goblin: France • An evil or mischievous creature, often depicted in a grotesque manner • Known to be playful, but also evil and their tricks could seriously harm people • Greedy and love money and wealth Goblin Black Dog: British Isles • A nocturnal apparition, often said to be associated with the Devil or a Hellhound, regarded as a portent of death, found in deserted roads • It is generally supposed to be larger than a normal dog, and often has large, glowing eyes, moves in silence • Causes despair to those who see it… Black Dog Sea Witch: Great Britain • Phantom or ghost of the dead • Has supernatural powers to control fate of men and their ships at sea (likes to dash ships upon the rocks) The Lay Of The Sea Witch In the waters darkness hides Sea Witch Beneath sky and sun and golden tides In the cold water it abides Above, below, and on all sides In the Shadows she lives Without love or life to give Her heart is withered, black, dried And in the blackness she forever hides Her hair is dark, her skin is silver At her dangerous beauty men shiver But her tongue is sharp as a sliver And at her words a mortal quivers She sits in the darkness and weaves her spells Wrath as hot as the fires of hell Wrath at the love from which she fell Forever withdrawing into her dark shell Werewolf: Greek mythology/ EUROPE • Man who is transformed into a wolf under the influence of the full moon • Only active at night • Can be killed by silver objects Werewolf Kelpie: Scotland • Treacherous water devil who lurks in lakes and rivers • Usually assumes shape of a horse and when a traveler sees the horse and mounts it, the creature dives into the water, drowning its victim Kelpie Boggart: England • Household spirits with malicious nature • Dark and hairy, dressed in tattered clothing with meddling hands and clumsy feet • Presence is betrayed by the unusual number of small accidents and strange noises after dark Boggart Griffin: Greek Mythology/ Middle east • Creature with head, beak and wings of an eagle and body of a lion • A tribe of the beasts guarded rich gold deposits in certain northern or eastern mountains Griffin Unicorn: Old Testament/ Greece/India • Slender white horse with a spiraling horn on its forehead, said to have healing powers Unicorn Basilisk: Greek mythology/ india • Mythical king of serpents • Known to either burn everything it approaches, or kill every living thing with a mere glance Basilisk Yeti: Himalayas (Nepal, Tibet) • The Abominable Snowman of the Himalayas • Ape-like creature, known to smell terrible, have reddish hair, and be very strong Yeti Firebird: Russia • Miraculous bird with feathers that shine like silver gold and eyes that sparkle like crystals • Known to have healing properties Firebird Baba Yaga: Eastern Europe • Cannibalistic witch who lives in a hut on the edge of the forest • Regarded as the devil’s own grandmother Baba Yaga Jack ‘O Lantern: IreLand • Story based on a lazy farmer who tricked the devil into not letting him into hell, but he wasn’t let into heaven either • He hollowed at a gourd for a light and roams the world, looking for a place to stay Jack ‘O Lantern Cuegle: Spain • Black skinned monster that walks on 2 legs, has a big horn on his brow, 3 arms with no hands or fingers and rows of sharpened teeth • Known to steal babies from the cradle and devour them Cuegle Giant: Ancient Mythology (Greek, Norse, and etc.) • Ancient creature of enormous size • Usually enemies of humans • Often battle the gods Giant Selkie: Scotland • Marine creature in the shape of a seal • A female can shed her skin and come ashore as a beautiful woman • If a man steals a female selkie's skin, she is in his power, to an extent, and she is forced to become his wife but because their true home is the sea, they will often be seen gazing longingly to the ocean. Selkie Vampire: Slavic Regions (Eastern Europe, very global) • Undead that rises from the grave during the night to drink the blood of the living Vampire Troll: Scandinavia • Ugly, malicious creatures, the enemies of mankind; much bigger and stronger than humans • If they are exposed to sunlight they will instantly turn to stone • Very fond of human flesh Troll Gargoyle: France • Grotesque stone carvings that originally served as waterspouts, often found on gothic buildings and churches • Created to avert evil Gargoyle Dwarf: Germanic and Norse Mythology • Small humanoids, about half the size of a man, who live in caves or holes under the ground • Exceptionally skillful with their hands Dwarf Dragon: European, Chinese • Typically depicted as a huge, scaly lizard with long fangs, wings, and the ability to breathe fire • This creature is found across many cultures Dragon Jack Frost: Anglo-Saxon And Norse • An elfish creature who personifies crisp, cold weather • Known for leaving beautiful patterns on windows on frosty mornings Jack Frost Santa Claus: British and Dutch • Father Christmas, patron of children • Represented as a fat, jolly old man who drives a sleigh pulled by reindeer and brings gifts to children Santa Claus RUSALKA: Slavic folklore • Water witch, often malicious towards mankind • Can be portrayed as the following: -lake-dwelling soul of a child who died unbaptized -a virgin who was drowned -ugly, wicked witch, always eager to trick or torture humans • All rusalki love to entice men—the vile to enchant them and the northern rusalki to torture them. rusalka.