30 Most Mythical Creatures From Folklore, Legends and Fairytales

For centuries or more, tales of mythological creatures and mythical beasts have captured our minds. Stories of mythical animals, supernatural monsters, and other cool fantasy creatures continue to spread across the world through books, film, television, and many other media sources.

Sometimes, these mystical creatures are purely symbolic and offer us a closer look at a particular culture’s fears, desires, or values, while other folk tales about cute mythical creatures are based on human nature—or perhaps simply invented to keep disobedient children in line.

Whatever the origin or purpose of these myths and folklore, people seem to be intrinsically drawn to them. So, let’s dive in (sometimes literally—I’m looking at you, mermaids) and learn more about this list of mythical creatures.

30 Mythical Creatures

1. Golems

Famous in Jewish folklore, golems are most often depicted as beings created from inanimate matter such as clay or mud, which have been brought to life to serve some purpose. For example, in some stories, a golem is created to defend against antisemitic attacks. According to legend, golems are uniquely obedient and will follow exact and literal orders, so their creators definitely had to be careful with what they asked them to do.

2. Oni

In Japanese myth, oni are people who were so truly wicked in their lives that they transformed into demons in hell. Some were even bad enough to be transformed while still alive! These giant, scary monsters with red or blue skin, horns, and tusks are traditionally the servants of hell. They enact violent punishment on evil-doers and will eat just about anything, including humans. While stories or depictions of oni may vary, they are always seen as dangerous and powerful villains.

3. Cyclops

Most often depicted as a giant with one eye, the cyclops (which means ‘circle-eyed’) first appeared in ancient Greek mythology. Somewhat lesser known than the classic Greek gods, the cyclopes lived in isolation and tended sheep or goats without any government, society, or community. While scorned for their lawlessness, it was the cyclopes who created Zeus’ thunderbolts, Hades' helmet which made the wearer invisible, Poseidon’s trident, and Artemis’ silver bow. So, we should give them some credit for their creativity.

Related: 32 Creatures From American Folklore (That Aren't Bigfoot!)

4. Ogre

Ogres are featured in folktales from all around the world, and though the word is of French origin, the creature itself is derived from the man-eating ancient Etruscan god Orcus. Now, many of us know ogres from Shrek, but Shrek is not your typical ogre. Ogres are usually large, tall, and strong with plenty of hair and a huge appetite. They are depicted as either dull and dim-witted or violent, but who knows? Maybe they have layers like an onion.

5. Leprechauns

Leprechauns are widely known and easily recognizable, especially if you’ve ever had a certain breakfast cereal. While leprechauns originated in medieval Irish folklore, they did not become prominent until much later. Smaller, diminutive human-like beings, leprechauns are known to be solitary creatures with a love for mischief and practical jokes. Interestingly enough, according to folktales, a leprechaun’s appearance and dress could change by region!

6. Gnomes

When you think of a gnome, you might picture your standard garden gnome: a small, cheerful guardian of flora and fauna. In some senses, this depiction isn’t entirely incorrect. In European folklore, dwarf-like earth spirits called gnomes guarded underground treasures. Medieval myths depicted gnomes as creatures resembling little old men, often with hunched over backs.

7. Goblins

First appearing in Germanic and British folk tales, goblins vary in abilities, physical appearances, and purposes depending on the story and purpose. Like many other European legends, the origin of goblin mythology is not exactly clear. However, whether with devious tricks or real harm, they are universally known to be troublemakers and possess qualities of malice and greed.

8. Faeries (or Fairies)

Faeries, also known as fairies, fey, or fae, can be traced back to Old French medieval romance stories. These supernatural creatures or spirits are popular across a wide variety of myths, legends, and stories, leading up to the present day. Generally, when we think of fairies or faeries, we think of small, winged, magical creatures. However, faeries were rarely depicted with wings outside of Victorian artwork. In folk tales, faeries flew using magic and occasionally caught a ride on the back of a friendly bird!

9. Gorgon

Another memorable mythical creature from ancient Greece, the Gorgons, such as the famous Medusa, were vicious monsters capable of turning victims to stone with just one look. The Gorgons’ appearance was an interesting mix of beautiful and frightening, with their most notable feature being the fact that they had live snakes instead of hair. Gorgon myths are important lessons in not being tricked by beauty alone.

10. Mermaid

Mermaids have a unique allure that has captivated people throughout history. Myths of half-human, half-fish creatures can be traced all the way back to ancient Babylon. Similarly, merpeople are featured in Syrian, Polynesian, and Greek mythology. While some cultures depicted mermaids as beautiful and romantic (in Irish folklore, mermaids could transform into human form and marry humans), sometimes mermaid stories took on a more sinister tone where they were capable of foretelling and bringing disaster.

11. Aqrabuamelu

The aqrabuamelu, or scorpion man, is a monstrous creature that originated in ancient Mesopotamia, specifically in Babylonian creation myths. They are a hybrid of a scorpion and a man, with the body of a scorpion and the face, torso, and arms of a man. While they are terrifying in appearance and were created to wage war against gods, they also stand as guardians and often warn travelers who might be in danger.

12. Minotaur

According to Greek myth, the Minotaur was the offspring of the queen of Crete and a majestic bull that came from the sea. The Minotaur had the body of a man with the head and tail of a bull. King Minos, was so horrified by this creation that he had a complicated maze called the Labyrinth built to imprison him.

13. Centaurs

Another human and animal hybrid from Greek legend is the centaur. Centaurs have the body of a horse with the head and chest of a human. While these creatures were widely depicted as wild, there was a centaur named Chiron (or Cheiron) who possessed great wisdom. He tutored several characters of Greek myth.

14. Fauns

Fauns, or goat men, were carried over to Roman mythology from the Greek Satyrs. In turn, Satyrs’ appearance was based on the god Pan. With the legs and tail of a goat and the upper body of a man. In art, they also feature other goatlike features such as horns and pointed ears. These goat men offered guidance to travelers in need.

15. Werewolf

The history of the werewolf or lycanthrope is incredibly diverse, with stories from Germanic pagan cultures, Slavic Europe, and classic Greek mythology. Despite such ancient origins, werewolves have obviously remained popular until today! Generally speaking, a werewolf is a human who can transform or shapeshift into a wolf, though stories may differ depending on lore. The full moon may or may not be involved.

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16. Loch Ness Monster

Surprisingly, the myth of the Loch Ness Monster, colloquially referred to as Nessie, dates back all the way to the Picts, a people group in ancient Scotland. Scottish folklore is full of mythical water creatures, but Nessie is definitely the most famous. In appearance, the Loch Ness Monster resembles a plesiosaur, a water-based dinosaur. Since most photographic or eye-witness accounts are considered hoaxes, the creature is widely assumed to be a myth. However, many still believe Nessie is out there today!

17. Griffin

A hybrid of a lion and an eagle, the griffin was a powerful, majestic creature of ancient Egyptian and Persian mythology. Traditionally, griffins were depicted with the body, tail, and hind legs of a lion in addition to the head, wings, and talons of an eagle. However, sometimes, the art of griffins featured the creatures with lions front paws as well. In legend, griffins were guardians over great treasure and riches.