In Nheegatu, the language commonly known as Língua Geral Amazônica, tapirê-iauara can be translated as  Tapir Water-Lady, or as Tapir Nymph.”  This creature enjoys a wide distribution in the Amazonian Region, from the Orinoco in Venezuela down the Amazon River up to Pará.

Habitat-wise, the tapirê-iauara prefers slower-moving waters, near mangrove or palm trees, and avoids human settlements. 

In the past, fear of this creature forced locals out of many nutrient-rich floodplain systems (várzea...

The Island of the Jinn (or genie, as these supernatural beings are commonly called in western literature) appears in the ancient Arabic story of Zein Ul Asnam and the King of the Jinn, in which the main character travels “days and nights in the foulest of deserts” before encountering a monstrous boatman, who brings him to an island that is covered with incense trees and ruled by a magical King of the Jinn.

This Island, which most experts think is in fact the archipelago of Socotra in the Arabian...

The Xuangui, also called the twisting-turtles, are found along the Strange River that runs east of the Niu-Trees Mountain.The Xuangui are often described as black turtles (sometimes with some red stripes along their bodies) with a bird’s head and a viper’s tail. When swimming, they make sounds as if splitting wood with their beaks.

The shell of this legendary creature mentioned in many ancient Chinese bestiaries was said to have healing and protective properties.

Ancient tradition dictates that we...

Nundá, is a gigantic and ferocious nocturnal feline, said to live in Tanzania.

Legend has it that Nundá was once the cat of Sultan Majnún. Old tales say that as a cub, Majnún’s cat was unusually fierce and strong. The cat liked to roam the fields, and despite being well fed, one day it killed a calf. The Sultan was not worried, for it loved his cat, and dismissed the event saying, “The cat is mine, and the calf is also mine,” hence the beast had committed no crime. Soon enough, however, the cat k...

According to tales and legends, in ancient times, every year on the eve of Chinese New Year (the end of the lunar year) there was a fight against a mythical beast called Nian. This beast had the body of a bull, the head of a lion, sharp teeth and horns, and it was said it hunted for a living.

The ferocious Nian secluded itself in the dark sea for most of the year, however, towards the end of winter, when there was nothing to eat the beast would go onshore and hunt people and other creatures, eati...

The skoffín is the fierce, dreaded offspring of an Arctic Fox and a cat, and resembles both of them. But attention, because the skoffín is born from a male Arctic fox mating with a female tabby cat, the other way around (male cat, and vixen) would produce a Skuggabaldur; a different creature altogether.

Skoffíns could be partially hairless, are all covered in fur, with formidable teeth and claws. However, its exact appearance varies; for it may even change color with the seasons like the Arctic f...

The Ahuizotl is a legendary creature in Aztec mythology. Translated from Nahuatl (the language spoken by the Aztecs) the name means “Thorny One of the Water” (see note below).

The Florentine Codex, a manuscript both written and compiled by Nahuas during the sixteenth century, still provides us with a vast amount of first hand information concerning the ancient customs of the Aztecs before the conquest of Mexico. In this codex, ahuizotl are described as dog-like creatures, with hands capable of ma...

A horse-like amphibian, the Nykur is a sinister beast whose sole purpose is to drag those who dare wander carelessly through the Icelandic wilderness into a watery grave. As you read it, nothing pleases a Nykur more than drawing people.

Although the Nykur looks almost exactly like a horse, it’s easily identified by its grey color and backwards hooves.

This horse-like being lives underwater but will occasionally surface to try and lure passing humans to mount it. Once mounted by the unsuspecting wa...

The Piasa is a modern mythological beast that unhappy with its lack of historical pedigree, stole that of the Manitou of the waters -the fundamental life force or spirit that inhabits the waters of a river or lake- a common figure among the legends of the Algoquian groups.

The Piasa was first describe by French missionary priest Jacques Marquette in 1673 as being “large as a calf, with horns like a roebuck, red eyes, a beard like a tiger and a frightful countenance. The face was something like th...

Aatxe, also referred to as Aatxegorri—which translates as young red bull—is a shape-shifting spirit that most commonly appears in the form of a fiery red bull.

This spirit from Basque mythology is associated with the goddess Mari (who controls weather and seasons, and reigns over nature) and it’s sometimes believed to be a manifestation of her will or an enforcer of her dictates. Mari is said to be quick to punish those who lie or cheat, and the Aatxe is sent out against those people who have lie...