Mythical creatures from around the world

Giants, vampires, werewolves, unicorns, and dragons are all well-known figures in popular culture. They are seen in cartoons, on cereal boxes, in fairytales, on flags, and sometimes in children's nightmares.

However, they all started long before Disney took over. Each one has its roots in a different country and culture, and there are a lot more than people may realize. From feathered snakes, child-snatching ghosts, and cat-faced dragons, mythical creatures around the world take on many forms.

Each country has hundreds of fantastical legends, but click on to find out which are the most popular in each.

Krampus, Austria

Krampus is a mythical half-goat, half-demon. Complete with huge horns, hooves, and chains, he acts as a scary counterpart to Santa Claus. So, as Santa hands out gifts to the good children at Christmas, Krampus punishes the ones who misbehave. 

Roman dragon, Italy

The Roman dragon, also known as draco, is a winged serpent that played a significant role in Roman mythology. It's linked with the king of gods, Jupiter, and symbolizes strength and protection. For this reason, it was also the emblem on the Roman cavalry flag. 

Korean dragon, South Korea

Also referred to as yong or mireu, this dragon has a long serpentine body but no wings. Instead, it possesses horns, whiskers, and a beard. It has become a symbol of rain, rivers, and lakes, and unlike the western dragons, it protects rather than harms those around it. 

Baba Yaga, Poland

Baba Yaga is a strong figure in Slavic folklore. She is a hunched, bony old woman with iron teeth and long nails. She rides in a mortar, steers with a pestle, and lives in a hut that stands on chicken legs. She is seen as both nurturing and destructive, as she eats children but also offers magical wisdom. 

Aswang, Philippines

Aswang is an evil, shape-shifting spirit in Filipino folklore. It can take the form of a vampire, ghoul, witch, viscera sucker, or werebeast. It also happens to feast on children and corpses, and targets pregnant women and funerals (in case it wasn’t already scary enough).

The Loch Ness Monster, UK

Known affectionately as Nessie, this monster is believed to inhabit Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. With a long neck and body that appears in humps, there have been so many sightings of her that there was even a study conducted on her as recently as 2025. 

Coco, Spain and Portugal

Coco is a mythical spirit found in Spain and Portugal. The Cucuy is the male version, while the Cuca is the female version of the mythical monster. Both are said to come to the houses of disobedient children at night and take them away.

Sasquatch, US

Sasquatch, or Bigfoot, as it is sometimes known, is a huge, hairy, bipedal humanoid. It is also said to have enormous feet and smell terrible. It is thought that Bigfoot lives deep within forests, and there have been many alleged sightings. In fact, there is even a Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization that tracks sightings across the states. 

Yeti, Bhutan

The Yeti, also known as the migoi or gredpo, is a large, ape-like creature with light fur and a hollow back. Much like Bigfoot, it resides in the mountains, where belief in the existence of this mythical being is very strong. 

Chinese Dragon, China

There are a number of dragons on this list, but the Chinese dragon is probably the most well-known. It serves as a powerful symbol of prosperity and good fortune, and is often depicted in bright colors. They have become a symbol of Chinatown around the world and are seen on decorations for Chinese New Year. 

Griffin, Egypt

The griffin is a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. As the lion was traditionally considered the king of beasts and the eagle the king of birds, the griffin was thought to be especially powerful and, for that reason, would guard treasures. In popular culture, it is also the symbol for Gryffindor in ‘Harry Potter.’

Livonian werewolf, Latvia

The story of the Livonian werewolf, also known as Thiess, began with a man in his eighties who was put on trial for heresy in 1692. He then proclaimed himself to be a werewolf and said that he ventured into Hell to battle the Devil and witches. His legend has lived on ever since.

Giant, Malta

Giants are monstrous, savage creatures that can appear in many different forms. Some are depicted with serpentine legs, while others are huge, monstrous beings. However, both are described as forces of nature and are always to be feared. 

The Heinzelmännchen, Germany

While they look like elves or gnomes, Heinzelmännche are actually household spirits. The legend goes that they used to live in the city of Cologne and do all the housework while people slept at night, so that they’d awake to no chores. However, one day, someone set a trap to catch them, and they never returned. Now the people of Cologne have to clean their own homes. 

Gnomes, Belgium

Gnomes are small, magical beings who guard treasure deep in the forest or at the bottom of mines. For this reason, they are often seen outside and are depicted as either grumpy old men or mischievous little beings. 

Leprechaun, Ireland

The leprechaun has become synonymous with Ireland and St Patrick's Day celebrations around the world. The red-haired and bearded fairy-like creature takes the form of a small, old man. He wears a green coat, and legend says that if you catch him, he can grant you three wishes. 

Swedish elf, Sweden

The Swedish elf, or Tomte, is a small spirit who guards the house. They have long beards and big, pointed hats. It is said that they demand to eat porridge on Christmas Eve, and for this reason, they have become a popular Christmas decoration.