Obscure mythical creatures and monsters

[moonfly7]

I love mythical creatures and monsters, especially the obscure ones, but it's always hard for me to find the really interesting ones, so I figured I could compile my nerdy knowledge with the rest of you and we could help each other.
Here are some of my favourites:
The Rougarou: a type of werewolf like creature that can only he killed with fire, and in some versions turns you into a Rougarou not if it bites you, but if you look at it.

Leshi: a Slavic nature spirit that will lure you to its lair and tickle you to death. To stop this from happening you turn your clothes inside out and put your shoes on the wrong feet.

Ghillie dhu: a Scottish nature spirit/creature. It's actually friendly and has a soft spot for kids, and will protect them and guide them out of the woods if they're lost.

Caladruis: looks like a bluish white Phoenix, also called a "Phalliun" apparently. It takes away sickness then burns them up in the sun to destroy it.

Pooka: giant rabbit, but can take on a number of forms and is actually more commonly a terrifying donkey. They are highly violent but mostly ok. They do demand a "pooka's" share of crops be left in the field, and because of a deal made with a Scottish king or priest(not sure which) long ago they only kick drunk people coming home from bars, which is a vast improvement over their previous target of everyone.

Lou Carlcoth: a combination giant snake slug. Just sounds awesome honestly.

Nachtkrapp: a Slavic giant raven monster thing that, if a child whose supposed to be asleep sees it will either: steal and eat them brutally, steal them in a giant sackbut not harm them, terrify them with noises by flapping its wings and scraping its claws, or spothe them to sleep depending on which version of the myth you read.

Cikavac: reminds me of a basilisk in how you make one: you take a black hens egg and hold it under a woman's armpit for 40 days, during which she cannot confess, cut her nails, wash her face or pray. It's a bird with long wings and long pointed beak with a pelican like sack, it steals honey and milk from other people's cows and bees for you and brings it to you via the sack, it would fulfill any of the owners wishes(I'm assuming to the best of its ability not granting wishes) and let it's owner speak to animals.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by moonfly
Leshi: a Slavic nature spirit that will lure you to its lair and tickle you to death.

Do you have a source for this particular legend? Rusalkas are sometimes said to tickle young men to death, but I've never come across that claim for leshiis.

Given the wide range of legends and folk traditions about the leshii, I wouldn't put it past them, but I would be interested in a specific citation.


Originally Posted by moonfly
Pooka: giant rabbit, but can take on a number of forms and is actually more commonly a terrifying donkey.

This is the second time recently I've seen a mention of the pooka as a rabbit, which is interesting, since I usually see a number of other forms (usually quadrupeds) listed in its repertoire.

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[comicshorse]

I always liked the Kappa. I dig a monster you can defeat with its own politeness

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kappa_(folklore)


And from English folk lore there is The Lambton Worm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambton_Worm

[Traab]

I love japanese folklore/mythology. There seem to be dozens of things unquiet dead turn in to and then you have the random demons/monsters like the Akaname or filth licker. Thats literally what it does, it licks the filth from bathtubs and bathrooms in general. So uhhh, clean your bathrooms people? Or not, as even demons gotta eat? Or the Goryo which is the spirit of a martyred nobleman capable of causing all sorts of terrible things like rotting crops or causing typhoons unless properly laid to rest. In fact, here (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_legendary_creatures_from_Japan) this is a wiki link to what seems to be a fairly comprehensive list of japanese creatures, monsters, ghosts, and demons.

[Gnoman]

This is the second time recently I've seen a mention of the pooka as a rabbit, which is interesting, since I usually see a number of other forms (usually quadrupeds) listed in its repertoire.

One of the most famous occurances of a pooka in modern Western media is the one in the book and film Harvey, featuring a giant rabbit pooka.

[Palanan]

Never heard of it before, but that explains a lot, thanks.

[moonfly7]

Do you have a source for this particular legend? Rusalkas are sometimes said to tickle young men to death, but I've never come across that claim for leshiis.

Given the wide range of legends and folk traditions about the leshii, I wouldn't put it past them, but I would be interested in a specific citation.



This is the second time recently I've seen a mention of the pooka as a rabbit, which is interesting, since I usually see a number of other forms (usually quadrupeds) listed in its repertoire.

.

I have a link to the thing, give me a minute and I'll give it to you. But as for the pooka, it can take like, a blue billion forms and is your average fey trickster to some extent. The first book I saw it in was cold cereal where it was a rabbit, which I have since learned is a common misconception.

[Grim Portent]

The boobrie from west Scotland is one I'm fond of.

It's a shapeshifting creature, usually portrayed as being a great auk, a now extinct bird, but also as a blood drinking insect, a horse and various other creatures. They drink the blood of humans and livestock, and in some stories turn into large winged forms and outright steal horses and cattle. When in horse form they can run over lochs like they were solid ground.

I also like the Dobhar-Chu, or King Otter, a dog/wolf sized otterlike creature from Irish folklore, sometimes portrayed as part fish. Pretty simple beast, they live in rivers and they eat people. The fur of the creature is supposed to be protective.

[PoeticallyPsyco]

Thunder Children, which give bad advice to lost travelers until they're hopelessly lost... and then eat them, leaving no trace at all. I know about these guys from the webcomic Wilde Life (https://www.wildelifecomic.com/), which actually has all sorts of myths featured in it, obscure and otherwise.

The Tarrasque is pretty famous to the D&D crowd, but I doubt many people know it's based on an actual mythological monster, a lion-scorpion-turtle dragon thing with six legs, IIRC.

Don't know how obscure Kelpies are, but they're typically portrayed as a wild horse. Anyone who attempts to ride them adheres to their back and can't get free. In most stories, the victim is promptly dragged to the bottom of a river, drowned, and eaten, but I've also seen at least one version where the kelpie is just a trickster, humbling the arrogant by taking them on a terrifying ride through briars, thorns and rivers.

[Saintheart]

The Bunyip, from Australian Aboriginal myth. Lives in waterholes (e.g. billabongs, swamps, pools, etc), looks like a massive seal or swimming dog. Water spirit. Eats people.

Because Australia doesn't just have the most awful actual land animals on Earth, we also have the most awful mythical creatures as well.

[Vinyadan]

So pooka are a thing? I thought they were a made-up species by the author of How To Be Homeless (https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/how_to_be_homeless/5516834/), who occasionally refers to himself as a pooka.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Saintheart
The Bunyip, from Australian Aboriginal myth.

Which may have been Palorchestes (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palorchestes).

Although apparently Diprotodon (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diprotodon) has also been suggested.

.

[moonfly7]

So pooka are a thing? I thought they were a made-up species by the author of How To Be Homeless (https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/how_to_be_homeless/5516834/), who occasionally refers to himself as a pooka.

Yeah, not made up for a book at all. They're a real Scottish or Irish(can't remember which) myth. Mischevious and a tad vicious in its "pranks" if beating the tar out of drunks at night can he called a prank, but they aren't evil.

[Rodin]

Do you have a source for this particular legend? Rusalkas are sometimes said to tickle young men to death, but I've never come across that claim for leshiis.


I'm forever fascinated by the weirder aspects of folk tales. Rusalkas make sense as a scary story to capture the imagination. A jilted/murdered woman haunts the local body of water and murders all men in revenge. She lures them in by appearing as a beautiful naked woman and then drags them under with a hug. It's exactly the right blend of scary and titillating for the story to carry far.

So where does the tickling come from? It's an odd detail in a scary story that robs it of some gravitas. Being tickled to death is an awfully specific phobia, especially when drowning is already involved.

[Rogar Demonblud]

Don't know how obscure Kelpies are, but they're typically portrayed as a wild horse.

Not very obscure, seeing as how they even showed up in an episode of DuckTales (voiced by Tara "Twilight" Strong and Andrea "Fluttershy" Libman).

For mine, let me note the Bonnacon, a bull-like creature with backwards horns and a horse's mane, that defends itself with waves of flaming bullsh-- (aka the patron totem of pretty much the entire internet).

[Wraith]

When I was a teenager and getting into fantasy tropes for the first time, I really had a thing for Griffons - I thought they were really cool and just a little bit edgy, since everyone else I knew was into Dragons and Griffons are said to hunt Dragons for sport. :smalltongue:

Not that they're obscure of course; the trick here is that not every part-lion-part-eagle creature is a Griffon. They come in various combinations and each is actually a semi-unique species depending on small changes.

For example: if you meet a creature with a lion's torso and rear legs, and an eagle's front legs, wings and head? That's a Griffon. Or a Gryphon. Or a Gryffon. Or a Griffin. There's like, 24 recognised ways of spelling it apparently.

BUT if you meet a creature with a lion's torso, back and front legs and an eagle's head and wings? That's not a Griffon, it's an Opinicus, which comes from a different country and instead of being born with wings they grow in over time.

And if you meet a 'Griffon' that looks like a Griffon but can also breathe fire? Nope - an Anzû. They're Babylonian, and more akin to Angels than beasts.

I used to have a long list of the different combinations, but I've long since forgotten a lot of them - for example, I know there's a 'Griffon' that has 4 eagle legs whose name escapes me. I find it fascinating how many cultures not only have a Griffon analogue, but how many of them also have multiple varieties as well, each with an entire back-story of their own.

[Lord Torath]

The Tarrasque is pretty famous to the D&D crowd, but I doubt many people know it's based on an actual mythological monster, a lion-scorpion-turtle dragon thing with six legs, IIRC.More on the Tarresque (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4sVmnfz9Wk). Before watching this video, I thought it was supposed to be based off Godzilla.

[Imbalance]

I named my dog after the rougarou. Nobody ever got it, but he and I knew...

One of my favorites is a variant of the unabashedly fake hodag: the sidehill gouger, noted for having evolved longer legs on one side of its body to more speedily traverse steep hillisides.

[moonfly7]

Do you have a source for this particular legend? Rusalkas are sometimes said to tickle young men to death, but I've never come across that claim for leshiis.

Given the wide range of legends and folk traditions about the leshii, I wouldn't put it past them, but I would be interested in a specific citation.

.

https://thevictorvoice.com/1315/our-world/top-10-uncommon-mythical-creatures/
here's the link. not exactly a super reputable website but its the first I'd ever heard of Leshi's so thats where I was getting it from.

[Wizard_Lizard]

I would say Scylla and Charybdis are fairly obscure.

[tyckspoon]

I would say Scylla and Charybdis are fairly obscure.

Not sure anything that features in The Odyssey can be considered obscure, especially in European-descended cultures that mostly all share a fascination/reverence for historical Greek culture. I think it is somewhat unusual to see Scylla depicted as an actual monster tho? I can recall a few references where "Scylla" (or at least the part of it that is visible/is the threat to a ship) is a couple of giant boulders that unpredictably clash into each other, as the counterpart to Charybdis's whirlpool.

[Vinyadan]

Not sure anything that features in The Odyssey can be considered obscure, especially in European-descended cultures that mostly all share a fascination/reverence for historical Greek culture. I think it is somewhat unusual to see Scylla depicted as an actual monster tho? I can recall a few references where "Scylla" (or at least the part of it that is visible/is the threat to a ship) is a couple of giant boulders that unpredictably clash into each other, as the counterpart to Charybdis's whirlpool.
That sounds like the stones passed by the Argonauts. Scylla has a very complex depiction that involves lots of arms (tentacles?) and sounding like a puppy, although I am not sure about the details. The thing is, in the Odyssey iirc you only see the arms.

[Fiery Diamond]

Do you have a source for this particular legend? Rusalkas are sometimes said to tickle young men to death, but I've never come across that claim for leshiis.

Given the wide range of legends and folk traditions about the leshii, I wouldn't put it past them, but I would be interested in a specific citation.



This is the second time recently I've seen a mention of the pooka as a rabbit, which is interesting, since I usually see a number of other forms (usually quadrupeds) listed in its repertoire.

.

I'm only familiar with the pooka from two sources: the Feature Films for Families movie "Behind the Waterfall," in which the spirit is said to take on the form of a horse which reacts to your fear and can be ridden if you are confident enough but will attack you otherwise, and the very famous play/movie Harvey, in which the titular character (a pooka) is an giant invisible rabbit who can only be perceived by one man of dubious sanity and is prankster.

[Wizard_Lizard]

Not sure anything that features in The Odyssey can be considered obscure, especially in European-descended cultures that mostly all share a fascination/reverence for historical Greek culture. I think it is somewhat unusual to see Scylla depicted as an actual monster tho? I can recall a few references where "Scylla" (or at least the part of it that is visible/is the threat to a ship) is a couple of giant boulders that unpredictably clash into each other, as the counterpart to Charybdis's whirlpool.

I've seen Scylla mostly interpretted as a hydra looking thing.

[Lvl 2 Expert]

The bahkauv is a creature resembling a deformed calf with long fangs, and sometimes a tail or claws. It lies in waiting near springs, looking to pounce its favorite victims: drunk men who left the pub right on time and who just want to get home to their loving families. It demands to be carried or just plain jumps on the back of its victim, and the more the man pleads and begs, he heavier the beast becomes, while loud cursing is said to lighten the creature.

King Pippin the Younger had the word spread that he fought and killed the bahkauv that was terrorising his capital, no doubt to the great dismay of every drunkard who had been using the legend as an excuse. But if the king says the beast is gone because he personally took care of it it's probably wise not to contradict him. And that's how an obscure myth and obvious lie made it into serious history.

[Palanan]

Now the bahkauv is definitely obscure. Nicely done.

What's your source for this one? It seems to be particular to Aachen and thereabouts.

[Corvus]

The Bunyip, from Australian Aboriginal myth. Lives in waterholes (e.g. billabongs, swamps, pools, etc), looks like a massive seal or swimming dog. Water spirit. Eats people.

Because Australia doesn't just have the most awful actual land animals on Earth, we also have the most awful mythical creatures as well.

The bunyip is the best known of the Australian Aboriginal mythological creatures. Some of the others are pretty interesting as well.

Yara-ma-yha-who - According to legend, the creature resembles a little red man, a very big head, a large mouth with no teeth and suckers on the ends of its hands and feet.

The Yara-ma-yha-who is said to live in fig trees. Instead of hunting for food, it is described as waiting for an unsuspecting traveller to rest under the tree. The creature then drops down and uses its suckers to drain the victim's blood. After that it swallows the person, drinks some water, and then takes a nap. When the Yara-ma-yha-who awakens, it regurgitates the victim, leaving them shorter than before. The victim's skin also has a reddish tint to it that it didn't have before. It repeats this process several times. At length, the victim is transformed into a Yara-ma-yha-who themselves.

Garkain - (used by CDPR in the Witcher), a creature that lives in dense jungle, swooping down on unwary travellers on its leathery wings and enveloping them. It suffocates them with its foul stench and then devours their flesh, leaving them a spirit to wander forever looking for its final resting place.

And of course there is the legendary drop bear.

[Saintheart]

And of course there is the legendary drop bear.

I realise you're trying not to scare people, Corvus, but I'm telling you as a fellow Australian you have to be straight on this issue. Guys, the drop bear is not a mythical creature. It's very real. Even Australians accustomed to living with five to ten of the world's most venomous animals have a care when walkabout in drop bear regions.

[Lvl 2 Expert]

Now the bahkauv is definitely obscure. Nicely done.

What's your source for this one? It seems to be particular to Aachen and thereabouts.

Wikipedia, mostly.

I heard about it when I was in Aachen where they have that statue, but vaguely remembered details from tourist information aren't much to go by. So any details in which I deviate from Wikipedia might have been made up by me.

As far as I can tell, yes, it's very local. Or at least it doesn't seem to have spread into the Netherlands.

Speaking of the Netherlands, both witte wieven and buckriders might count.

Witte wieven are one of the oldest myths from around here, quite possibly older than the use of writing in the area (that is: the arrival of the Romans). The myths come from the east of the Netherlands and neighbouring German area. Witte wieven (white women if you translate it literally, although from what I've heard the origin of the term is supposed to be closer to wise women) are some sort of white and misty looking female spirits that come out in the mist, although later versions also place them as witches that operate from the fog.

Buckriders on the other hand are new enough to almost be urban legends. There may have been stories about them earlier, but their big claim to fame comes from the 18th century in the southern Netherlands and northern Belgium, when and where around 500 people where convicted of being one. Buckriders are basically a prequel to Marvel's Night Rider (edit: I meant Ghost Rider, thanks for the correction Palanan), people who made a deal with the devil to ride around on flying bucks and rob places, including churches. The "proof" of them using flying bucks was that robberies sometimes took place so shortly after each other that the culprits must have flown between them. Or, you know, maybe there were just two crews in that area... The funny thing is that this being the time of the enlightenment the official court documents leave out all mentions of the supernatural, even though that's what these men were convicted for.

Today both the buckriders and the witte wieven are the focal point of their own ride in the Efteling, which could be said to be something of an unofficial national amusement park.

[Rodin]

I realise you're trying not to scare people, Corvus, but I'm telling you as a fellow Australian you have to be straight on this issue. Guys, the drop bear is not a mythical creature. It's very real. Even Australians accustomed to living with five to ten of the world's most venomous animals have a care when walkabout in drop bear regions.

My favorite video of this year is of the Scottish reporter who got pranked by some Aussie wildlife handlers. They put her in heavy protective equipment and then hand her a koala while acting like it's the most dangerous creature on the planet.

I won't link it here due to intemperate language when she realizes she's being pranked, but you can find it by searching drop bears on Youtube.

[Julian84]

The taurokampoi! It's the less hip, Etruscan cousin of the famous greek hippokampoi, the mythical seahorses! The taurokampoi obviously are seabulls, and never really got the same amount of attention. Compare and contrast with the greek ophiotaurus which was a bull serpent whose entrails would give someone the power to slay the Olympians if they were removed and ritualistically burned.

[Wizard_Lizard]

the Taniwha is fairly obscure from Maori mythology

[moonfly7]

And of course there is the legendary drop bear.

So this doesn't really count as a mythical creature, but when I was a kid my older brother told me all kinds of ridiculously well thought out stories. One of these was the ongoing mythology of a country he'd invented. The countries national animal was a Flying Bear and this is what I thought dropbears were for a long time. These things were kodiaks mixed with flying squirls. They jumped off large mountains and simply glided, and when they spotted prey, they simply closed their limbs and Dropped.

And that's why the actual Drop Bear myth doesn't freak me out. Give me a carnivourus koala over a flying Kodiak any day.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Lvl 2 Expert
Speaking of the Netherlands, both witte wieven and buckriders might count.

These are very cool, thanks. I’d never heard of them, despite a lifelong interest in mythology. Now I think I need a book on the folktales of the Netherlands.


Originally Posted by Lvl 2 Expert
Buckriders are basically a prequel to Marvel's Night Rider….

I think you mean Ghost Rider. :smalltongue:


Originally Posted by Wizard_Lizard
*Taniwha*

I've seen this before at some point, just can't recall where. Pathfinder has one in Bestiary 6, but their version doesn't do the legends justice.

Apparently there are taniwha-slayers, which must be an interesting profession.

[Lvl 2 Expert]

I think you mean Ghost Rider. :smalltongue:

Good thing I specified it was Marvel's, or that could have become a pretty confusing mental image.


Or a pretty cool one. I might include cyberbuckriders in my next oneshot...

[hamishspence]

Rick Riordan's Camp Half-Blood series has some pretty obscure ones - the Ophiotaurus (bull's head, fishy/snaky lower body) most notably.

EDIT: Apparently it's already been mentioned.

The taurokampoi! It's the less hip, Etruscan cousin of the famous greek hippokampoi, the mythical seahorses! The taurokampoi obviously are seabulls, and never really got the same amount of attention. Compare and contrast with the greek ophiotaurus which was a bull serpent whose entrails would give someone the power to slay the Olympians if they were removed and ritualistically burned.

[Spacewolf]

Well there's Selkies which I don't think are well known, basically seals that can change into humans by shedding their skin.

Theres also Dobhar-Chu which are giant murderous otter/dogs.

[moonfly7]

Well there's Selkies which I don't think are well known, basically seals that can change into humans by shedding their skin.

Theres also Dobhar-Chu which are giant murderous otter/dogs.

Selkies are a Scottish/Irish myth I believe. They're generally women although recently I've been told they could be men too but I've never seen evidence of this.
To come onto land a selkie must shed her seal skin cloak, and if you pick it up they have to do whatever you say. In the myths this ranged from really really bad, to nice fishermen dudes having no idea what's going on, falling in love, marrying the selkie, and treating her right.
Also there are obviously deviations from story to story. In some giving a selkie back her cloak forces her to go back into the ocean and leave you, even if she wants to stay, much to the sadness of their human family. Sometimes just finding the cloak does that.
In other versions giving a selkie back her cloak is the ultimate kindness and generally results in a kind but oblivious human suddenly gaining a selkie spouse.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by moonfly7
Selkies are a Scottish/Irish myth I believe. They're generally women although recently I've been told they could be men too but I've never seen evidence of this.

I'd say selkies are fairly well-known, especially since they were central to the story in the recent movie Song of the Sea, which is a lovely and charming tale.

Selkies were originally from the Orkney and Shetland islands in Scotland, where the larger seals were held to be humans who wore sealskins to pass through the waters. There are both male and female selkies, and the males often come ashore to dally with ordinary human woman, not unlike legends of the boto (pink river dolphin) in the Amazon. Female selkies don't usually seek out human men, but as noted they can be compelled to become wives if their sealskins are captured and hidden. Selkies are also called roane. In Ireland the term merrow is used for mermaids, but they wear red-feathered caps rather than sealskins.

Selkies are usually considered a subtype of the swan maiden, which is a folk motif found all around the world. Interestingly, a colleague of mine was familiar with selkies but had never heard of swan maidens, although her focus wasn't on mythology per se.

[Lvl 2 Expert]

I'd say selkies are fairly well-known, especially since they were central to the story in the recent movie Song of the Sea, which is a lovely and charming tale.

Ooh, haven't seen that one yet, although I enjoyed both The Secret of Roan Inish and Ondine.

I have a bit of a soft spot for water-based pseudohumans in general.

[Grim Portent]

Just remembered a fun troll-like elf creature from Denmark, the Slattenpatten aka Slattenlangpat, in english it means something like Saggy-boobs.

It's a female creature, often depicted as a larger than human woman with cow horns and a tail, sometimes hooves, cow ears and a snout, generally somewhat overweight and with breasts that hang to her knees. They have something of a habit of feeding their breast milk to hungry things they find, presumably a trait developed from stories where they breastfeed their own monstrous babies which were fishlike. Like many spirits they're supposed to sometimes fall in love with humans, though they're meant to be unpleasant to look at and somewhat shy, so they generally just sexually assault sleeping shepherds and other men who dozed off outdoors rather than trying to seduce and steal away men like other elven spirits.

When chased by the people who want rid of the blasted things they throw their breasts over their shoulders so they don't get bashed about by their knees as they run.

[No brains]

For one, nuckelavee. A skinless centauroid with only ever one visible eye, fins on its hooves, and is enraged by burning seaweed. So weird.

For another, the piasa. A native american dragon and possible hoax mural. I just like it because it's peculiar.

[Wizard_Lizard]

Vampire fruit are fairly obscure.

[moonfly7]

vampire fruit are fairly obscure.

vampire fruit????????????

[Wizard_Lizard]

vampire fruit????????????

Wikipedia says so and wikipedia can NEVER be wrong!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vampire_pumpkins_and_watermelons

[ereinion]

For one, nuckelavee. A skinless centauroid with only ever one visible eye, fins on its hooves, and is enraged by burning seaweed. So weird.

I learned all about the nuckalavee from the bard's tale, and clearly it has a spear for an arm >_>


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JQpE7n6eUk

[Maelstrom]

The Rougarou is just an alternative spelling of loupgarou (both french), which is a were wolf, nothing special. Not sure of your source, but it's possible some author out there used the different spelling to create a particular creature for their tale, but it is not folklore.

[PoeticallyPsyco]

I learned all about the nuckalavee from the bard's tale, and clearly it has a spear for an arm >_>

The nuckalavee also makes an appearance in RWBY, as one of the most dangerous Grimm in the setting. Certainly the only one we've seen that keeps a trophy room... a cave full of banners and flags from armies and cities it has destroyed.

[Traab]

The Rougarou is just an alternative spelling of loupgarou (both french), which is a were wolf, nothing special. Not sure of your source, but it's possible some author out there used the different spelling to create a particular creature for their tale, but it is not folklore.

Ive seen a few variations where loup garou is used to differentiate between types of werewolves. In the dresden books I think they are like super werewolves only harmed by inherited silver, not just any random bit you find. In some you earn the title loup garou when you as a werewolf can control your transformations and behavior in wolf form.

[No brains]

Also Perytons! In addition to being a mysterious creature, they were also an astronomical mystery. Astronomers in Australia were picking up large microwave emissions from an unknown source. Deeper study revealed something sickening... the astronomers in the break room were opening the microwave oven before it was done cooking. The deer-eagle is silly on Earth, in space, and in our dreams.

[moonfly7]

The Rougarou is just an alternative spelling of loupgarou (both french), which is a were wolf, nothing special. Not sure of your source, but it's possible some author out there used the different spelling to create a particular creature for their tale, but it is not folklore.

I am aware of the origins or the word Rougarou yes. If I'm not incorrect the giant wolf which spawned the stories actually has a vague connection to French nobleman and American revolutionary lafayte(if the Nathan hale series can be trusted and if my memory is correct).
This interpretation is used in the comic with Oscar Wilde, Wilde Life. But the reason I mentioned it is because I've actually read this version in more than one iteration of the Rougarrou. I'm 95 percent sure it's mentioned in "Tales from the Rumble woods" a very awesome Cryptic Bestiary with a mixture of "real" and made up by the author cryptids. I've also seen the see them and become them thing used in at least one other book but for the life of me I can't remember what it was.
The Rumble Woods also had some beautiful monsters like a creature that had really long arms made up of stolen arms of its victims holding each other, and goblins who steel corpses noses and replace them with cheese.
Also a goat moose hybrid which walks on to legs and drives those tracking it into actual insanity.

[Illogictree]

Hehe, I like me some weird obscure creatures. Here's some I've run across.

Peluda - a porcupine-dragon with toxic breath and the ability to shoot its quills. Its only weak point is its tail.

Gargouille - a river dragon that shoots deadly jets of water instead of flames. It is apparently easily flustered by human nudity. (Seriously!) And yes, this is where the term Gargoyle came from originally.

Buggane - a sort of ogre from Manx folklore. Its one standout feature is that it can supposedly dig through the ground like a house-sized mole. And also turn into a cow occasionally.

Skoffin - a hybrid of a cat and a fox. (As in, the offspring of a cat and a fox.) These are dangerous wild animals that dig complex burrows beneath graveyards to eat corpses and have a death-gaze attack.

I might recall more later, but this is a good place to start.

EDIT: Ziz - its counterparts, the behemoth and leviathan, are well-known, but the ziz is a lot more obscure as far as I can tell. This is a gigantic bird-like creature that in Hebraic tradition is the most powerful being of the air.

[Maelstrom]

Gargouille - a river dragon that shoots deadly jets of water instead of flames. It is apparently easily flustered by human nudity. (Seriously!) And yes, this is where the term Gargoyle came from originally.


Yes, and no. 'Gargouille' is simply the french name for these sculptures (and yes, is where the word gargoyle comes from), but a tale of Saint Romain of Rouen (somewhere around the 7th century)revolves around him placating and eventually condemning a 'huge dragon/serpent' that lived in the marshes on the bank of the Seine (that was eating people and livestock). This beast was eventually referred to as the 'Gargouille'. Note that the tale came to be around the 14th century, after gargoyles/gargouilles were being placed on cathedrals

[moonfly7]

Yes, and no. 'Gargouille' is simply the french name for these sculptures (and yes, is where the word gargoyle comes from), but a tale of Saint Romain of Rouen (somewhere around the 7th century)revolves around him placating and eventually condemning a 'huge dragon/serpent' that lived in the marshes on the bank of the Seine (that was eating people and livestock). This beast was eventually referred to as the 'Gargouille'. Note that the tale came to be around the 14th century, after gargoyles/gargouilles were being placed on cathedrals

The beast is also sometimes called "the Gargeler"(spelling is probably off) and it's a pretty famous dragon. Boiling water probably cooked those sheep nice.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Illogictree
Peluda - a porcupine-dragon with toxic breath and the ability to shoot its quills. Its only weak point is its tail.

Adapted for Pathfinder in Bestiary 4. In that context, I can tell you from personal experience these things are a ***** to fight.


Originally Posted by Illogictree
Buggane - a sort of ogre from Manx folklore. Its one standout feature is that it can supposedly dig through the ground like a house-sized mole. And also turn into a cow occasionally.

Where did you find the reference to burrowing? I’m familiar with this one, but in the sources I’ve read the buggane is known mainly for its shapeshifting, involving a calf and many other forms.


Originally Posted by Illogictree
…the ziz is a lot more obscure as far as I can tell. This is a gigantic bird-like creature that in Hebraic tradition is the most powerful being of the air.

Oddly enough, I came across this a couple of weeks ago while searching for something else.

[Artemis97]

Came across one recently that I didn't know about: the Ichneumon. It's a medieval mythological creature known for its hatred of dragons and serpents. It's basically a sized up version of the Egyptian Mongoose. It coats itself in layers of mud to fend off the serpent's bite during their battles.

The only place I'd seen the word before was a poster here, but I think their avatar was a reference to the Ichneumon Wasp, which is something else entirely. The medieval Ichneumon featured heavily in a book I was reading recently, The Priory of the Orange Tree, where they're big enough to ride, intelligent enough to talk, and help out a society of dragon hunters.

[Prime32]

I'm fond of the Grootslang - an ancient species that was accidentally made too powerful, cunning and cruel, so the gods had to nerf it by splitting it into multiple animals (creating the first elephants and snakes). Except one escaped...

[Palanan]

I am Grootslang?

:smalltongue:

[moonfly7]

I am Grootslang?

:smalltongue:

No no. Grootslang is slang teenage groot uses so:
IAG
Which means I am Groot

[Illogictree]

Where did you find the reference to burrowing? I’m familiar with this one, but in the sources I’ve read the buggane is known mainly for its shapeshifting, involving a calf and many other forms.

...You know, now I'm not sure. It must have been an article with spurious information. All I remember is I drew it after reading the description years ago, and for some reason I gave it burrowing animal characteristics.

EDIT: Here's one monster I forgot that's kind of neat.

Enfield - OK, so this isn't really a mythological monster, more a heraldic creature. It's a combination of a fox's head, the chest of an eagle (and the front feet are an eagle's talons), and the hindquarters and tail of a wolf. Sometimes it has eagle wings but not always.