After the Greek god Poseidon forced Caenis to have sex with him he offered her a wish. She wished to be turned into a man so that nothing like this would ever happen again. Poseidon granted her wish and even made her invulnerable to all weapons. Ceanis then changed his name to Caeneus and became a warrior that traveled all over Thessaly.

In Greek mythology, Echo was a mountain nymph that lived on Mount Cithaeron. Often times the god Zeus would visit Echo and the other nymphs because he found them very attractive. His wife Hera would sometimes follow him and try to catch him in the act, however, Echo would stall Hera by having a conversation with her while Zeus fled. When Hera realized what Echo was doing she punished her by cursing her to only repeat the last words that someone says.

Sleipnir is an eight-legged horse that is the son of Loki and and the stallion Svadilfari, who is owned by the giant that helped build the wall that now surrounds Asgard. Sleipnir is owned by the god Odin who he rides as he travels through the nine realms. 

In Greek mythology, Cerberus is the three-headed dog that guards the entrance to the underworld and prevents spirits from leaving. He is the son of Typhon and Echidna. Cerberus comes from the Greek word Kerberos which means spotted (so essentially Hades named his dog spot). Cerberus was the 12th and final labor that Heracles had to complete for King Eurystheus. In order to be done with his labors Heracles had to go to the underworld, capture Cerberus without any weapons, and bring him back to Eurystheus.

Originating from Persian mythology, Jawzahr is a large dragon that was believed to be the reason behind solar eclipses. He was said to be large enough to swallow both the sun and the moon. 

In Greek mythology, Prometheus is a Titan and is the creator of mankind that he formed from mud. One day Prometheus decided to steal fire from Mount Olympus and give it to man. When Zeus found out he punished Prometheus by chaining him to a rock and had an eagle come down and eat his liver everyday and by night his liver would grow back.

In Greek mythology, Antaeus is the half-giant son of Poseidon and Gaea. He was invincible because he drew his strength from the earth and anyone that passes through his land he would stop them and make them battle him in a wrestling match. When Heracles encountered Antaeus on his journey the goddess Athena advised him to lift Antaeus off of the ground so he wouldn't be invincible. So Heracles lifted him up off the ground and crushed him to death.

Definition: In both Bashkir and Tatar mythology, the Şüräle (Sharale) is a forest spirit that lures victims to a thicket and tickles them to death.

Characteristics: Şüräle have long fingernails, a horn on their forehead, a woolly body, and wear their shoes on opposite feet.

A unicorn is a mythological creature that resembles a horse with a single horn on its head.

There are no real “myths” revolving around unicorns. The unicorn is also one of the only “mythical” creatures that is not depicted in a fearful way, they are often written about with much respect and seen as solitary animals that seek to do good.

It is thought that the idea of a unicorn came from ancient carvings that depicted goats, even though goats have 2 horns their carvings were a side view of the animal so it made it appear to only have one horn; and that may explain why some earlier depictions of unicorns gave them goat-like hooves.

Definition: A Hellhound (sometimes call the bearer of death) is a supernatural dog found in folklore.

Characteristics: Glowing red eyes, black fur, super strength and speed, ghostly. Some cultures say that it has fire-based abilities as well.

In both West African and Caribbean folklore Anansi is a spider-god and trickster. He is the son of Nyame (sky god).

Definition: Raijū is a thunder-beast from Japanese mythology. They are servants of Raijin, the Shinto god of thunder.

Characteristics: The Raijū can take on different forms such as that of a dog, squirrel or badger.

Definition: In Greek mythology, Amphitrite is the goddess of the sea and the wife of Poseidon. She is the daughter of Nereus and Doris. Salacia is her Roman counterpart.

In Greek mythology, Iris is the goddess of the rainbow, the sea and sky as well as the messenger of the gods. She is the daughter of Thaumas and Electra. Iris has four sisters: Arke, Aello, Celaeno and Ocypete. Arcus is her Roman counterpart.

An Incubus is a male Lilin-demon from Mesopotamian mythology that has sex with sleeping women. Succubus is its female counterpart. Sometimes Incubi can impregnate the women they have sexual intercourse with. In some legends, it is said that Merlin was the child of an Incubus. The child birthed between these Lilin-demons and humans are called a cambion. If a woman in a nunnery was pregnant they would be burned because they believed she had been impregnated by an Incubus.

In Greek mythology, Nyx (Night) is the primordial goddess of night born from Chaos itself at the dawn of creation. Nyx has given birth to many children, with Erebus (darkness) she birthed Aether (Light) and Hemera (Day). On her own she gave birth to: Thanatos (Death), Hypnos (Sleep), Oneiroi (Dreams), Fates, and many others. She even invokes fear into the god Zeus, “He was looking more particularly for myself, and would have flung me me down through space into the sea where I should never have been heard of any more, had not Night who cows both men and gods protected me… for he did not dare do anything to displease Night” (Iliad book 14). That quote is from the perspective of Hypnos fleeing the wrath of Zeus and seeking the protection from his mother Nyx. 

La Llorona (The Crying Woman) is a ghost from Mexican folklore. It tells of a woman named María threw her children in the river as a form of revenge against her husband who left her for someone else. Once she realized what she had done she tried to save them but they were out of her reach and floated away. After her children floated away and drowned, she then drowned herself in the river. Once she dies she appears at the gates of heaven but is not allowed in until she finds her children. So she is left on earth wandering around in search of them while and is constantly crying. It has been said that La Llorona will sometimes kidnap children that look like her own, ask them for their forgiveness and then drown those kids to take the place of hers. Parents will often tell the story of her to their kids to prevent children from going outside at night. Some say that they have seen her wandering around lakes or rivers and that her wails are signs of those marked to die but escaped.

In Greek mythology, Calypso is a nymph/minor goddess who lives on the island of Ogygia. She is the daughter of Atlas and Tethys.

Definition: The Yeti, also known as the Abominable Snowman, is a creature closely resembling Bigfoot. It lived in areas like the Himalayas, Tibet, Nepal, and Bhutan.

Characteristics: It is an ape-like bipedal creature standing anywhere around 8-10 feet tall with either brown, red or black fur.

Another time while he and someone else were in the Himalayas, they spotted what appeared to be several primate-like animals living there. He even claimed at one point to find the scalp of a Yeti.

Definition:  In Tagalog mythology, Mayari is the goddess of the moon. She is the daughter of Bathala (supreme god) and a mortal woman. She has a sister named Tala (goddess of the stars) and her Bisayan equivalent is Bulan.

Definition: A Kappa is a water sprite or demon in Japanese folklore that are said to live in lakes, rivers and swampy areas.

Characteristics: Kappa are said to look like a frog or monkey around the size of a child, they have a shell on their back, they can either have an ape-like face or the beak of a tortoise. On top of their head is a bowl shaped impression which is said to be the source of their powers.

Background: Kappa are mischievous creatures and are known to prank people in innocent ways but can also be very dangerous. They have been known to drown children and animals, kidnap children, force women to have sex with them and sometimes even eat human flesh. They also drink people's and animal's blood, eat their livers or take their shirikodama as a source of power. A shirikodama is a ball that contains the soul and it's located inside the anus.

Weaknesses: Kappa, as ironic as it may seem, is big on politeness; So if a person is confronted by a Kappa and bows to them the Kappa has to bow back and by doing so it empties the water in its head and is stuck like that until someone refills it with the water from where it lived. If or when someone does refill their head with that water the Kappa will then serve that person for eternity.

Another weakness of the Kappa is its arms which can easily be pulled off. In order to get it back it will do favors for you or share its knowledge with you.

Definition: In Greek mythology, a satyr is a fertility spirit that is half man half goat. Their Roman counterparts are called Fauns.

Characteristics: The top half of a Satyr is that of a human with pointy ears, horns on their heads, and hair that covers a lot of their upper body, their bottom half is goat legs with hooves and a got tail.

Background: Satyrs are a common companion to Dionysus (god of wine) and they enjoy drinking and dancing. They are also attracted to nymphs and will often try to seduce them. Satyrs also like playing instruments such as a flute or pipes.

Definition: A phoenix is a bird from Greek mythology that can rebirth itself.

Characteristics: It is a bird that is said to be red and yellow and is roughly the size of an eagle but some sources claim it can be larger than that.

Definition: In Greek mythology, Thanatos is the god of non-violent death. He is the son of Nyx and Erebos.

Characteristics: A winged old man with a beard, or sometimes a young beardless man.

Definition: In Hindu mythology, Durga (also known as Devi or Shakti and many other names) is the destroyer of evil and symbolizes freedom of evil.

Characteristics: wears red clothes, has 10 arms, usually has a lotus flower and rides a lion or tiger.

Background: In Sanskrit, the name Durga means Invincible. Durga was created by the gods Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and others to help stop a demon named Mahisasura that was causing terror in mortals and gods alike. The gods could not stop the demon themselves, so they came together and created Durga who was more powerful than any of them, when she was created she stopped the demon and became known as the destroyer of evil.

The lion (or tiger) that Durga rides is a representation of power and determination she has to be victorious over all evils. The lotus that she holds in one hand is called pankaja. In another one of her hands she holds a conch which produces the sound of Om, which is essentially the sound of God.

Definition: Originating in Babylonian mythology, an Aqrabuamelu is a creature that is half scorpion and half man.

Characteristics: their top half is the head arms and torso of a man and the bottom half of their body is a scorpion. They were said to be so large that their heads touched the sky.

Origin: They were created by Tiamat (primordial goddess of the sea) to war against the younger gods for betraying her mate Apsu.

In Zanzibar, there is a creature called the Popobawa or Popo Bawa, that is a shapeshifter that sexually assaults men and women while they are sleeping (very similar to the creature Succubus or Incubus). 

It can take on the form of either a bat or a human. It is said that the smell of sulfur will be present prior to an attack from the Popobawa. Also, after the attack, it will tell its victim to talk about what happened to them with others and if they don't then they will be attacked again. The victims report feeling it while they're sleeping. The cause behind these attacks is said to be the cause of sleep paralysis or ‘waking dream’.

Definition: In Greek mythology, Hypnos is the god of sleep. He is the son of Nyx (Night).

Characteristics: A young man with wings on his shoulders or brow. He also carries a horn with opium, a branch dripping water from the river Lethe (Forgetfulness) and an inverted torch.

Definition: In Egyptian mythology, Khepri is the god of the movement of the sun/morning sun, resurrection and creation.

Characteristics: He has the body of a man and the head of a scarab beetle.

Definition: A Succubus is a female Lilin-demon that has sex with men while they are sleeping (Similar to an Incubus).

The Nian is a creature from Chinese mythology. It has the body of a bull and the head of a lion. At the beginning of every year, the Nian, who usually lived in the mountains, would attack villages because the winter provided less food for it to eat. When it would come across a village it would eat any livestock, crops and even villagers (it liked to eat children the most). To avoid this, villagers would put food outside their doors so that Nian would eat that instead of them. They eventually found out what Nian was afraid of: noise, the color red and fire. So at the beginning of every new year, people in villages would put out red lanterns and on doors and windows; on top of that, they also lit fireworks to scare the beast away.

In Norse mythology, Skoll (One Who Mocks) and Hati (One Who Hates) are two wolves who are chasing Sol and Mani (Sol is the sun and Mani is the moon). They are considered to be children of Fenrir. It is not entirely clear which wolf chases the sun or moon, however, there is an eddic poem called Grímnismál that in one part says:

“Skoll is the name of the wolf
Who follows the shining priest
Into the desolate forest,
And the other is Hati,
Hróðvitnir’s son,
Who chases the bright bride of the sky.”

From this poem, it can be determined that Skoll chases the moon while Hati chases the sun because the word priest is masculine while bride is feminine; also Mani (Moon) is male and Sol (Sun) is female. The wolves will catch Sol and Hati on Ragnarok, covering the earth in darkness.

Definition: In Greek mythology, Selene is the Titan goddess of the moon. She is the daughter of Hyperion and Theia (or Euryphaessa depending on the source). Her Roman counterpart is Luna.

Pronunciation: seh-lee-nee

Characteristics: On her head she wears the symbol of the crescent moon, and she has a chariot drawn by two horses. Others say that she has a chariot drawn by oxen instead and the crown is bull horns.

Background: Along with Selene, Hyperion and Theia also gave birth to Helios (Sun) and Eos (Dawn). Selene had many children: Ersa (Dew) with the god Zeus, the four Horai (four seasons) and the Menae (Months). She once fell in love with a mortal shepard named Endymion, who was granted a wish by the king of the Gods Zeus, and he wished for immortality and to sleep forever. Each night, Selene visits Endymion while he sleeps and she has even had 50 children with him.

In Greek mythology, the Nosoi are the personifications of plague, disease and sickness that escaped from Pandora’s (first human female) jar. They are the children of Nyx and Eris. Their Roman counterparts are Pestis, Tabes, Morbus, Lues and Macies.

Definition: In Egyptian mythology, Isis is the goddess of fertility, marriage, motherhood, and magic. She is the daughter of Geb and Nut. Her Greek counterpart is Persephone (or even Tethys and Athena).

Pronunciation: eye-sis

Characteristics: often depicted with wings, wears a headdress which is a pair of horns surrounding a sun disc.

Background: Isis is married to her brother Osiris (god of the underworld). Osiris was tricked by Set to get into a coffin that was specifically built for him and when he got into it Set locked him in and tossed him into the Nile. When Isis found out she went in search for him and found that he had become lodged into a tamarisk bush that was on the side of the Nile river. Once she returned home with Osiris, she turned herself into a Kite (small bird), and flew around Osiris while performing a magic ritual that allowed her to produce a child with Osiris named Horus. Later on, Set found out about Osiris’ return, took Osiris, chopped his body into 14 pieces, and scattered them throughout Egypt. With the help of Nephthys and Anubis, Isis was able to recover the dismembered pieces and return his spirit back to his body. Spirits who pass through the land of the dead are no longer allowed to go back to the land of the living though, so before he returned to the Underworld Osiris was granted the role as king of the Underworld by Ra. Isis then raised Horus and kept him hidden from Set until he was old enough to battle for the throne.

Symbols: her sacred animals are cows, snakes, doves, and scorpions.

Kukulkan is the god of the sun, and wind, and ruler of the gods in Mayan mythology. Quetzalcoatl is his Aztec equivalent. He is depicted as a winged serpent with fangs. There was also a historical figure who had the same name as Kukulkan who was mentioned in writings during the 16th century, however, texts from Chichen Itza during the 9th century describe him as a serpent.

Disclaimer: This is super confusing for me cause I looked through a few different sources and they said that there were two Khione’s: one that's a nymph and one that's a goddess.

In Greek mythology, Khione (Chione) is a snow nymph (and there is also Khione who is the goddess of snow (somehow they're two different beings with the same name and realm)). The goddess Khione is the daughter of Boreas (god of the north-wind) and Oreithyia and lived on Mount Haimos in Thrake. The nymph Khione is the daughter of Daedalion. Poseidon was in love with Khione (the goddess) and had a child with her. However, when she had the child (named Eumolpus) she cast him out to sea in fear of Boreas where he was rescued by Poseidon and taken away to live with one of his daughters.

In Norse mythology, Huginn and Muninn (Thought and Memory) are two ravens who assist the god Odin. Every day they fly away and collect all the news they can find and return to Odin to recite what they've heard. It is said that Huginn and Muninn are Odin’s intellectual or spiritual abilities in the form of ravens because the Norse believed that a person is composed of many different parts that can detach from one another. The reason as to why Ravens are associated with Odin is because they were often at the scene of a battle to scavenge for food. It was thought that if you killed someone on the battlefield it would essentially be like giving the Ravens a gift.

In Greek mythology, Blemmyae, also known as Sternophthalmoi (Chest-Eyes) are creatures that have no heads and their facial features are on their chest. They are first mentioned in The Histories by Herodotus where he calls them akephaloi (without a head). However, they were first called Blemmyae by a Roman geographer named Pomponius Mela.

In Greek mythology Phobos and Deimos are the gods of fear and terror. They are the sons of Ares (War) and Aphrodite (Love). Their Roman counterparts are Metus and Pavor. They accompanied Ares as he went to war, drove his chariot and spread fear across the battlefield. Sometimes Phobos is depicted as having the head of a lion.

Briareus is one of the three Hekantonkheires and the god of sea-storms in the Greek myths (Briareus in Greek means stout or strong). They all had 100 hands and 50 heads and they are the children of Uranus (Sky) and Gaea (Earth). He was called Aegaeon by mortals while the gods called him Briareus. He and his brothers (Gyges and Cottus) assisted the Olympians during the Titanomachy after Zeus freed them from Tartarus. After the war, he married one of Poseidon’s daughters named Kymopoleia (wave-raging) and they lived together in the sea. His brothers were assigned the role of guarding the gates Tartarus.

In Inuit mythology, Nanook (Nanuk) is a polar bear and the god of bears and hunting. Nanook is the one who decides if a hunter is to be successful in hunting bears and punishes those who violated taboos. The Inuit people believe that the polar bears allow themselves to be killed so they could obtain the souls of the tools to take into the afterlife with them. It is also believed that if a polar bear was killed by a good hunter and was treated properly then it would tell other bears and they in turn would want to be killed by that same hunter. To treat the bear properly, after killing it they would hang the skin for several days and give it offerings. If it was a male bear it would be offered tools and weapons and if it was a female bear it would be offered needle cases.

In Gaelic mythology, the Brownie (ùruisg) is a household spirit/fairy. It’s Scandinavian counterpart is the Tomte. They live in houses and help out with tasks but only work at night so they are not seen and they work in exchange for food. In some places by the fire people would leave a small seat that was for the Brownie to sit in.

In Romanian mythology, Strigoi are spirits of the dead that rise from the grave. Some are even humans who have magical properties such as invisibility, being able to transform into an animal, and sucking victim’s blood. Its name is from the Latin word Striga which could either mean witch or ill-omened flying creature. To prevent a Strigoi from rising from the grave you have to:

-Exhume the Strigoi

-Take out its heart and cut it in two

-Put a nail into its forehead

-Put a garlic clove under its tongue

-Turn the body face down so if it ever wakes up it will go straight to the afterlife.

In Miccosukee mythology, Fastachee (pronounced fah-stuh-chee), also known as "Little Giver", is a dwarf that goes around giving people corn and medicine.

Tantalus is a mythological figure in Greek mythology. He is the son of Zeus and a nymph Pluto. He was once invited to dine in Olympus and after he left he stole nectar and ambrosia (food of the gods) to take back with him to make his people immortal. He has three sons named Pelops, Niobe, and Broteas. He made a sacrifice to the gods by killing his son Pelops, chopping him up and burning him. When the gods found out, they all refused to eat it; except for Demeter who ate a piece of his shoulder. Zeus then told Clotho to bring him back to life and the missing piece on his shoulder was replaced by a piece of ivory forged by Hephaestus. As punishment for what he did, Tantalus was forced to stand in water with food above his head. Every time he would go to reach for the fruits above his head they would be blown out of reach and every time he goes for a drink of water it drains away, so he is forever starving and thirsty. His story influenced the word Tantalise, which means desirable and out of reach.

In Roman mythology, Lupa is the she-wolf that raised Romulus and Remus who would later grow up and found the city Rome. Lupa found Romulus and Remus along side the Tiber river after they were rejected and sentenced to death by King Amulius, but the servant who was ordered to get rid of them took pity on them by putting them in a basket and floating them down the river. After Lupa took care of them for awhile they were discovered and taken in by a farmer named Faustulus.

In Sumerian mythology, the Anunnaki are the judges of the underworld who sit before the throne of Ereshkigal. They are also sometimes considered the gods of fate. They are the children of the sky god An. Some of the members of the Anunnaki are:

An, Enlil, Enki, Ninhursag, Nanna, Utu, Inanna, and Marduk. Texts talking about Anunnaki vary and there is no concrete number for how many there are. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, it says that there is only seven while in another text it is said that there was at least 50 Anunnaki that were associated with the city Eridu.

In Abenaki (Native American tribe) mythology, the Giwakwa (Kee-wakw) is a giant half-animal half-human that eats people. They were at one point human, they can be turned if the person is possessed by an evil spirit, if they commit cannibalism, or they withhold food from a starving person which will cause their heart to turn to ice.

In Choctaw mythology, the Impa Shilup (A.K.A. Nalusa Chito) is a shadow being and is also called a soul eater or great black being. It gets inside the minds of people who have evil or depressing thoughts and eats their souls.

In Greek mythology, Oreads are mountain nymphs. One of the better well known Oreads was Echo, who lived on Mount Cithaeron and helped Zeus escape by distracting Hera. Oreads go by different names depending on where the dwell. There are the Idaeae of Mount Ida, Peliades of Mount Pelion, Othreis of Mount Othrys (home of the Titans). Some Oreads would also sometimes accompany the goddess Artemis while hunting.

In Greek mythology, Ichthyocentaur is a fish centaur. It has the top half of a man, the bottom half of a fish, the front legs of a horse, and lobster claw horns on their head. Two of them were called Bythos (Sea-Depths) and Aphros (Sea-Foam) and they were brothers of the famous centaur Chiron. They are the children of Kronos and Philyra.

In Japanese mythology, the Yūrei are a type of ghost whose name means "faint spirit". They tend to reside in the place where they died or were buried. They can haunt the person who killed them or a loved one. Yūrei stay in this world until they are put to rest by either finding the person who killed them, having their lost body found, or maybe even passing a message on to their loved ones. A person will become a Yūrei if the proper burial rights are not performed to allow them to fully pass into the afterlife.

In Chinese mythology, Tiangou is a giant black dog that eats the sun and is the origin of the eclipse. Hou Yi's wife Chang'E ate a pill that was meant for Hou Yi to give him immortality. When Chang'E ate the pill, she became lighter and lighter and floated up to the moon. Then Hou Yi's dog ate the remains of the pill and chased after Chang'E while also becoming bigger in size. When Chang'E landed on the moon, Tiangou devoured it. The heavenly king and queen sent the heavenly guards to retrieve the dog. When they found out it was Hou Yi's dog they gave it the title of Heavenly Dog and made it protect the Southern Heavenly Door. After that, Tiangou spit out the mion and Chang'e and Chang'e made the moon her permanent home.

In Greek mythology, Eileithyia is the goddess of childbirth and labor pains. She is the daughter of Zeus and Hera. Her Roman counterpart is Lucina. She was born in a cave near Knossos which later became her main source of worship. Sometimes if a god doesn't want someone they dislike to have a child they will have Eileithyia prevent the child from being born. One time when Hera learned of Zeus' affair (suprise suprise) with Alkmene and found out she was pregnant, she told Eileithyia to go and prevent her from giving birth to who would later become Heracles. While Eileithyia was putting a spell on Alkmene, Galinthias (handmaiden of Alkmene) shouted "a son is born" behind her, scaring her and causing her to lose the spell which allowed Heracles to be born. In her fury at Galinthias, Eileithyia turned her into a polecat.

Were-hyenas are a type of therianthrope (person who can turn into an animal or hybrid animal) found in multiple parts of Africa (There is a similar creature in Persia called Kaftar that kills children, but that's for another post). Even though they can change their form at will, they prefer to change at night and typically hunt in packs. They can either be humans that change into a hyena or a hyena that can change into a human. If a were-hyena wants to draw someone to them they will call out their name, luring them away from a group, and kill them. In the Bornu Empire (territory that surrounded Lake Chad) they were called Bultungin which means "I change myself into a Hyena". It is thought that some villages in this area were completely occupied by groups of Were-hyena.

In Ehtiopia, people believed that all blacksmiths were witches or wizards known as Bouda and could transform into a hyena at will. Also there are three types of were-hyena transformations: human, human/hyena hybrid, and a full on hyena.

In Phrygian mythology, Cybele (Kybele) is the mother of the gods and mountain goddess who was worshipped in western Anatolia. She is the daughter of the sky god and earth goddess and her Greek counterpart is Rhea. She is often depicted sitting on a throne with lions on either side of her. She was worshipped on mount Sipylus, Mount Coddinus, and Mount Pessinus, as well as being adopted into Roman and Greek mythologies.

Definition: In Aztec mythology, Mictecacihuatl Lady of the Dead) is the queen of Mictlan (underworld) and wife of Mictlantecuhtli.

Pronunciation: Meek-tay-cah-see-wah-tl

Characteristics: flayed body with an open jaw to swallow the stars during the day.

Background: Mictecacihuatl's role is to watch over the bones of the dead and the festivals of the dead. These festivals from the Aztec people later turned into the Day of the Dead in Spanish tradition. It is believed that when she was still an infant she was sacrificed, which is how she became the Lady of the Dead.  

In Norse mythology, Ymir is the first being in creation. He is the ancestor of all giants and gods. He was born in the space where Muspelheim and Niflheim meet in what was called Ginnungagap. He was suckled by the giant cow called Audhumla for his nourishment. Ymir's body was hermaphroditic, which means he had both male and female organs. As Ymir slept, other giants were born asexually from both his legs and the sweat in his armpits. Audhumla got her nourishment from the salts, and as she licked, she formed Buri, who would become the first of the Aesir gods. His son Borr mated with Bestla who was born from Ymir, and they had a child named Odin who would become the chief of the Aesir and his brothers Vili and Ve.

Together, the brothers slew Ymir and used his corpse to create the cosmos as explained in the Poetic Edda:

From Ymir’s flesh the earth was created,
And from his sweat [or, in some versions, blood] the sea,
Mountains from bone,
Trees from hair,
And from his skull the sky.

And from his eyebrows the blithe gods made
Midgard, home of the sons of men
And from his brains
They sculpted the grim clouds.[3]

In Greek mythology, Epione is the goddess of soothing pain. She is the wife of Asclepius (god of medicine) and had five children with him: Hygeia (good health), Panakeia (Cure all), Iaso (Healing), Aigle (Radiance), and Akeso (Curing). Very little is known about her due to the fact that her temple and town of worship (Epidaurus) were destroyed.

In Rapa Nui mythology (located on Easter Island), Makemake is the god of fertility and chief of the Tangata Manu (bird-man) cult. He is also the creator of humanity.

Definition: In Babylonian mythology, Tiamat is the primordial goddess of salt sea. She mated with Abzu, the god of fresh water and gave birth Lahmu and Lahamu.

Characteristics: Tiamat is often depicted in the form of a dragon.

Background: A few generations of gods later would start to become a nusance to Tiamat and Anzu; they  disturbed Tiamat and stirred up her belly. Eventually, Abzu planned to destroy the younger gods but Tiamat was against it and enraged that he would try and destroy them but she suppressed the evil inside her. However, the gods found out about his plan to destroy them so the god Ea put a spell on Abzu that made him fall asleep and they killed him.

After the death of Abzu, a god named Marduk was born and was gifted the four winds to play with. Over time this started to annoy the gods so they complained to Tiamat who became tired of these gods so she decided to finally avenge Abzu's death. To do this she created an army of monsters and made Qingu the leader of them. Marduk offered to battle Tiamat on the condition that he would become king of the gods if he came out victorious. The gods agreed and he went to battle Tiamat, he used the four winds to incapacitate her, then he shot an arrow into her stomach and split her down the middle.

From her body Marduk created the world:

He divided the monstrous shape and created marvels (from it) / He sliced her in half like a fish for drying: / Half of her he put up to roof the sky / Drew a bolt across and made a guard hold it / Her waters he arranged so that they could not escape. / … He opened the Euphrates and Tigris from her eyes, / … He piled clear-cut mountains from her udder, / Bored waterholes to drain off the catchwater. / He laid her tail across, tied it fast as the cosmic bond,

-Excerpt from Enuma Elish

In Indonesian folklore, Pocong is a ghost that is wrapped in a shroud (burial cloth) and tied on the head, neck, and around the feet. It is believed that the soul will stay on Earth for 40 days after its death. If the ties on the shroud are not released after 40 days then the Pocong will rise from the grave to warn people to unwrap it. However, since its feet are tied it can only move around by hopping. They also believe you can become wealthy if you hug a Pocong. 

In Cantabrian mythology (located in northern Spain), the Trenti is a goblin that lived in forests. It resembles mushrooms and moss making it very hard to see. They are described as having a completely black face with green eyes. They usually stay away from humans but will sometimes jump out of bushes to scare people walking by. 

In Slavic mythology, the Zoryas (A.K.A. Auroras) are two or in some sources three sisters who are goddess of the dawn. Some also believe that Zorya is one single goddess. They guard the doomsday dog Simargl. If the dog gets loose it will devour the constellation Ursa Minor and end the universe. They are the daughters of the sun god Dažbog. 

The three goddesses are:

Zorya Utrennyaya - Morning Star - she is the one who opens Dažbog's gates each morning so the sun can begin the journey across the sky.

Zorya Vechernyaya - Evening Star - she is the one who closes the gates at dusk after Dažbog returns. 

Zorya Polunochnaya - Midnight Star - she is left out in most sources of the Zorya sisters but is believed to hold the sun in her arms each night as it dies and is restored back to life.

In Aztec mythology, Cihuateteo (Divine Women) are evil spirits of women who died during childbirth. The Aztecs considered giving birth equal to battle and considered them warriors for surviving it. The Aztecs believed that when a woman was in labor she would capture the spirit of her child in the way a warrior catches his opponent in battle.

The Cihuateteo live in a place called Cihuatlampa "place of women" along with male warriors. Both the women and warriors guide the sun west across the sky each day from noon until sunset. It is believed that this practice was only done by these specific deceased men and women.

Cihuateteo would often steal women's children, induce seizures, and cause men to commit adultery.

In Inuit mythology, Pinga is the goddess of the hunt, medicine, and fertility. She is also a Psychopomp (deity who guides souls to the afterlife) and takes souls to Adlivun after they die. Adlivun is the name of the Inuit underworld where souls go through purification to go to Qudlivun (Land of the moon, place of eternal happiness).

Definition:

In Egyptian mythology, Sobek is the god of the Nile and crocodiles and a protector god of Pharaohs, the army, and the people. He is said to be the son of Set in some sources while others say that he was born of the primeval waters of Nun and made the Nile river from his sweat. 

Characteristics:

Sobek is depicted as either a crocodile or a man wuth the head of a crocodile. He is also depicted wearing the horned sun disk or Atef crown and holding in his hands an Ankh (represents breath of life) and the Was scepter (represents power).

Background:

One creation story says that Sobek laid eggs on the bank of Nun which created the world. In the underworld he can restore sight to the dead and revive their senses.

In Crocodilopolis and other places, crocodiles were worshipped as the embodiment of Sobek and were taken care of and fed good food. When they died they were mummified and they would also mummify crocodile eggs in honor of Sobek. In other places however, crocodiles were seen as evil and were often hunted and killed.

Sobek first appeared in the Old kingdom (2686-2181 B.C.) in the Pyramid Texts as the son of Neith (goddess of war and weaving) and Set (god of thunder and chaos). He has been fused with different gods over time such as Horus and Ra/Amun-Ra.

Definition: In Hindu mythology, Yama is the god of death, the underworld, judge of the dead and the direction south. His name mean Twin in Vedic Sanskrit and he has a sister named Yami in some myths. 

Characteristics: He is sometimes depicted holding either a noose or mace, dressed in red or yellow garments, two or four arms, surrounded by a Garland of flames.

Background: Yama was the first mortal to die and then became the ruler over the dead. He has others that assist him in his work which are Vyadhi (disease), Kala (time), Jara (Old age), Asuya (jealousy) and Krodha (anger). He wields a noose and uses it to capture souls (Pitris) of people who are about to die.

In Greek mythology, Aletheia is the personification of truth and sincerity. She is the daughter of Zeus in some sources while others say she was crafted by Prometheus. Her Roman counterpart is Veritas.

In European folklore, Sandman is a creature that puts people to sleep and brings them good dreams by sprinkling magic sand onto their eyes (this is called Rheum which occurs naturally while sleeping in places such as eyes, nose, and mouth). 

In Greek mythology, Catoblepas (Katobleps), is a bull-like creature that was said to be able to kill a person with just its glance or with its toxic breath. It was said to have its head always looking down and had a mane of hair that fell over its face. It also eats poisonous roots.

In Hawaiian mythology, 'Aumakua is a family God. They are said to be ancestors that come back as animals to help and protect their family. They can take the form of either people, animals, or rocks. As long as the family doesn't hurt the animal that the 'Aumakua takes the form of then they can help them in other ways such as visions or dreams.

Here is a small list of animals 'Aumakua can appear as:

- Shark

- Octopus

- Sea Turtle

- Crow

- Hawk

-Gecko or Lizard

In Yanomami mythology (located in the Amazon rainforest), Makoaue (Pronounced: mah-koh-ah-weh) is the creator god. He created the sun, moon, earth, and sky. This was the first earth. After he made this earth he left to live in the sky world. Eventually this earth was crushed by a new earth that was made by Omamë and his brother Yaosi and the old earth became the underworld.

In Slavic mythology, Czernobog (Chernobog, Chernevog) is a dark deity whose name means "black God". There are only two sources that mention him, one is a 12th-century Christian Chronicle and the other is the 10th-century Icelandic Knýtlinga Saga. He is sometimes believed to be the counterpart to Belobog (white God).

Definition: Roman mythology, Vulcan is the God of volcanoes, fire, metalworking, and the forge. He is the son of Jupiter and Juno. His Greek counterpart is Hephaestus. 

Vulcanalia: He has his own annual festival held on Augist 23 when crops are at the highest risk of being burned. People would make bonfires and sacrifice live fish or other animals. 

In Inuit mythology, Tekkeitsertok is the God of hunting and master of caribou. Considering the Inuit mostly hunt caribou he is one of the more important gods. Tekkeitsertok is also a protector over any animals that enter the northern sky and can also ban them from that area.

In Cahuilla mythology (Native American tribe), Muut is a Psychopomp (god that guides souls to the afterlife) and was given this role by the Creator god Mukat who believed that overpopulation would have dire consequences. Muut is described as an owl or the unseen hooting of owls.

In Greek mythology, Monopods are one-legged dwarf-like creatures with a giant foot. Their name means literally "one-foot". Their foot is said to be large enough that they can lay on their backs and use their foot as shade. 

In Greek mythology, Enyo is the Daimona (personified spirit) of war. She is the female counterpart of Ares and the daughter of Zeus and Hera. Her Roman counterpart is Bellona. Enyo is also identified with Eris, the goddess of strife. She is always with Ares in battle and enjoys bloodshed and destroying towns.

In Chinese mythology, Wen Shen is said to either be a group of deities or a single deity of plague, illness and disease. Wen Shen release plagues and pestilence on the world for humanity's misdeeds. As a peace offering, people give prayers and offerings to these gods. Other times, people would make a model boat to carry away the pestilence. In Tawan, there is a boat burning ceremony that takes place every three years to ward Wen Shen off (pictured above). 

Baphomet is a deity that the Knights of Templar were accused of worshipping and was later incorporated into occult and Satanic traditions. The image of a goat-headed figure didn't come about till much later in 1854 because of a man named Eliphas Levi. Eliphas was a French ceremonial magician, he reimagined Baphomet into something he called a "Sabbatic Goat". It was supposed to represent the union of opposing forces because it had both male and female parts. It was also used to represent icons from polytheistic religions such as the Egyptians and Greeks. Later on there was a man named Aleister Crowley who connected Baphomet with Satan. On top of that, he connected Baphomet with suppressed knowledge and secret worship. THEN, in 1966, when the Church of Satan was founded by Anton LaVey, their logo was known as the Sigil of Baphomet. This sigil depicts a goat's head inside a pentagram. 

In Roman mythology, Fortuna is the goddess of fortune and luck. She is the daughter of Jupiter (Zeus). Her Greek counterpart is Tyche. Fortuna is often depicted as being blindfolded and holding things like a cornucopia (because she grants prosperity) and a ship's rudder which could symbolize her control over changeable fortune.

In Greek mythology, Peitho is the goddess (or spirit) of charming speech, persuasion and seduction. She is also the handmaiden of Aphrodite. She is the daughter of Oceanus and Tethys. Her Roman counterpart is Suada.

In Greek mythology, Enyalius (Enyalios) is a minor god of war who is at the side of Ares on battle. He is the son of Ares and Enyo (another goddess of war). Enyalius is sometimes just another name for Ares. 

In Japanese mythology, Kuebiko is the Kami (god) of knowledge and agriculture. He is represented as a scarecrow and as such he cannot walk.

In Lithuanian mythology, Medeina is the goddess of forests, trees, and animals. Medeina is also a huntress, protector of the forest and is escorted by wolves on her hunts. Her sacred animal is the hare.

Definition: In Ainu (Japanese tribe) mythology, Kotankor Kamuy (Cikap Kamuy) is the God of owls and the land. He also oversees the behavior of humans and other Kamuy (gods). Kotankor Kamuy is not to be confused with Kotankar Kamuy who is the creator deity.

Characteristics: kotankor Kamuy is depicted as a great owl and his tears are said to be silver and gold.

Background: Kotankor Kamuy is also the God of plenty and is the one who ensures that rituals are performed correctly by humans. The reason for this is because one day a famine struck and people were beginning to starve. Kotankor wanted to know why this was happening so he tried to send a message to heaven and had Crow be his messenger. However, after 3 days of telling Crow his message he fell asleep. Out of anger, Kotankor ended him and asked Mountain Jay to be his new messenger. As before, Mountain Jay fell asleep on the 4th day and was also ended. At last, Kotankor recited his message to the Dipper bird. His entire message took 6 days to recite but Dipper was able to stay awake and send his message to heaven. When he came back, Dipper told Kotankor that the reason for the famine was because humans stopped showing proper respect when giving gifts to the Kamuy. Kotankor then went to the humans taught them how to properly perform rituals for killing deer and fish. After they started doing that properly, the Kamuy ended the famine.

Definition: In Arthurian legends, Lady of the Lake is an enchantress who plays pivotal roles in the story of King Arthur and others. There are different Ladies of the Lake depending on the stories that you read. 

Lady and Arthur: The Lady of the Lake (Nimue and other names) is the one who gave King Arthur his sword Excalibur after his other one (that he pulled from the stone) was broken in battle against King Pellinore.

Lady and Lancelot: Lancelot was raised by the Lady of the Lake when he was growing up after his father, King Ban died. He lived with the Lady in her enchanted realm which was disguised as a lake. She also had Lancelot's cousins Lionel and Bors with her.

Lady and Merlin: Merlin was in love with the Lady but she refused his love unless he taught her all of his secrets. After she learned all of them, she used her new powers to trap Merlin in the trunk of a hawthorn tree forever. However, she would still visit him every night.

In Greek mythology, Zagreus is the god of Orphic Mysteries and the first-born Dionysus. He is the son of Zeus and Persephone who was "seduced" by Zeus in the form of a serpent. Zeus put Zagreus on the throne of heaven and gave him his lightning bolts (with the intent to make him the new ruler of the cosmos). By the orders of Hera, the Titans snuck into Olympus and tricked him into setting down the lightning bolts and they took him and cut him to pieces and ate him. Athena was able to recover Zagreus' heart and bring it to Zeus who made it into a potion for Semele to drink who then gave birth to Dionysus.

Also, Zagreus' testicles were recovered by the Kabeiroi (twin gods who lived on the island of Samothrake). His testicles were then put in a sacred cave and started the Samothrakian Mysteries to honor the god.

Interestingly, some sources claim that Zagreus could also be the son of Hades and Persephone or is identified as Hades himself. Another source, Alcmeonis, says that he is the highest of all gods which *could* mean that he is the highest god of the underworld.

In Scandinavian mythology, Brøndmanden (well man) is a  creature that lives in wells and will drag people into them when they try to get water out of it. They are described as having black skin and red eyes. It is believed that Brøndmanden would send out evil spirits (possibly of those that he drowned) to cause sickness.

Definition: In Greek folklore, Vrykolakas are a sort of zombie that eat the livers and flesh of people. They are also known to sit on chests on people while they're sleeping and suffocate them (similar to Mares from Germanic myths). They share a lot of commonalities with a vampire from Bulgarian folklore such as a body that swells up a lot with all the blood and organs it consumes. Bulgarian vampires also sit on their victims chest at night, among other similarities.

How To Turn: There are many different ways a person is believed to become a Vrykolaka, one way is by eating the meat of a sheep who was injured by a wolf or werewolf. Another is by one of these monsters coming to your door and knocking once, if you answer the door you will soon die and turn into one. It is also believed that people who had red hair and grey eyes were Vrykolakas. Werewolves were also thought to be able to turn into a Vrykolaka after it was killed and would keep some of its characteristics like wolflike fangs and hairy palms.

How To Kill: You can kill a Vrykolaka by destroying its body, which can only be done on a Saturday as that is the only day that it rests in its grave. You can either behead it, impale it, or cremate it.

In Celtic mythology, Ogmios is a binding God and a Psychopomp (guide to the afterlife). Ogmios can bind himself to others in order to control them, he can also bind cursed tablets (defixiones) to people. One of the curses he can put on someone is to make a women barren, which makes it so she can never have kids.

Ogmios is compared to Heracles and is described as looking like an older version of him, he also wears a lionskin and carries a club. When he takes souls to the afterlife he binds them to him. In another description of him it is said that he has chains that run from his tongue to the ears of his followers that are seemingly happy to follow him wherever he goes.

In European mythology, the Basilisk is a reptile that can cause death with just its stare. It is said to also be a serpent king because it has a crown-shaped crest on its head. Wherever it goes it leaves in its path a venomous trail which can scorch the ground around it. According to Lucan, a Roman poet, the Basilisk is so venompus that if a man on a horse were to stab it with a slear, the poison would kill both the man and the horse. The Basilisk is a very small reptile, as described by Pliny the Elder in his Natural History as being no longer than 12 fingers in length. Its weakness is the odor of a weasel and the tears of a Griffin.

In Ioway myths (Native American Tribe), the Shunka Warak'in (Ringdocus) is a monster that preys on families dogs. Its name means "carries off dogs". It is described as resembling a large wolf and has human-like cries.

In Greek mythology, Morpheus is the leader of the Oneiroi (spirits) of dreams. He appears in human form in the dreams of kings and was more than likely the one sent by Zeus to give a dream to king Agamemnon during the Trojan War. Morpheus is the son of Hypnos, the God of sleep.

In Norse mythology, Gullveig is a Völva (Seeress) who is only mentioned in 2 stanzas of the Völuspá from the Poetic Edda. She came to Asgard not too long before the first war which was the Aesir vs. Vanir. When she showed up they ran her through with spears and burned her alive in Odin's hall. However, she was reborn so they did this 2 more times. After the third time, she took on the name Heiðr and started performing Seiðr ( a type of magic). She would go around performing Seiðr for others and was said to do it in a trance-like state. It has been theorized by some that Heiðr was Freyja as she was said to be the first one to bring Seiðr to Asgard. Also, both figures have an association with gold. The exact meaning of Gullveig's name is unclear, the first part, gull means gold, and vieg is believed to be something like "intoxicating drink" or "power, strength". The name Heiðr as an adjective means "bright" and as a noun means "fame".

In Andamanese mythology (from the Andaman Islands located in Bengal), Pūluga is the creator deity who is said to be like fire but invisible. When people stopped following the commands he gave them he stopped visiting them. Without any warning, he then sent a flood and wiped nearly everything out. The only survivors were 2 men, Loralola and Poilola, and 2 women, Kalola and Rimalola. Pūluga then recreated all animals and plants but did not give them fire back.

In the mythology of the Guanches (a tribe located in the Canary Islands), the Tibicenas are demonic black dogs with red eyes and long fur. They are said to live in caves of mountains and are the offspring of Guayota. Tibicenas are known to go out at night and attack livestock and people. 

In Scandinavian mythology, Lyktgubbe, also known as Lantern Man is the soul of the dead who did not find peace in their grave. In some places, they are said to be guarding illegally buried money. You can also become a Lyktgubbe after you die if you move raw marks illegally (raw marks are big stones that are used to mark property boundaries).