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White Tiger/Baihu/Byakko/Chien Ping
The White Tiger is a creature that was initially a Chinese symbol and was later adapted into Japanese myth. It is one of the Shijin along with the Vermillion Bird, Azure Dragon, and the Black Tortoise. It is connected with the West, the color white, metal and Autumn. It was thought to represent warmth, clarity, and calm and was also often connected to the Sanyo-Do/San-In-Do Trunk Road. It is often depicted as a white tiger fringed with gold, and sometimes is even depicted with serpentine features. It has the associated mansions (these being associated with the phases of the moon) Tokaki-Boshi, Tatara-Boshi, Ekie-Boshi, Subaru-Boshi, Amefuri-Boshi, Toroki-Boshi, Karasuki-Boshi. These mansions lie…
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Whirling Whimpus/Knuckledragger
The Whirling Whimpus is a strange creature from Lumberjack Folklore. It has a variety of descriptions, often with a barrel shaped body, head like a gorilla, and long hairy arms that drag the ground. They often have tangled tawny hair but are sometimes described as also having purple and green feathers. Their legs resemble those of a mule, sometimes fusing at the bottom to make one giant hoof. They are known to polish this hoof until it shines. They’re known to eat bear, elk, and moose, but could only digest things in a gelatinous form. They’re known to spin in circles so fast that they become just a blur of…
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Wendigo
The Wendigo is a creature from the Algonquin speaking Native American groups. They are created when a human resorts to cannibalism. They are found in various forms in Canada and the Northeastern United States. Some legends claim the Wendigo is an evil force present in all people waiting to be awoken. Cannibalism awakens this spirit giving them supernatural strength and ferocity. They are described as being twice as tall as a man with glowing eyes, sharp yellow teeth, and a lolling tongue. They have a muscular build covered in coarse hair. Citations: Maberry, Jonathan. Vampire Universe: The Dark World of Supernatural Beings That Haunt Us, Hunt Us, and Hunger for…
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Weetuck
The Weetuck were giant monsters from the Mohawk Native Americans. They’re thought to have been as tall as a pine tree and capable of wading into rivers 12-14 feet deep, catching multiple sturgeon at once. They hunted bears for sport by hitting them with large tree branches. They are thought to have lived ten generations or several centuries ago. Despite their ferocity, they were seen as peaceful to humans and could be placated with offerings of meat. Some think the legend can be related to the discovery of bones belonging to wooly mammoths, and there were bones found in Claverack, New York that were thought to belong to the Weetuck.…
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Wedge-Ledge Chomper
The Wedge-Ledge Chomper is a creature from Lumberjack Folklore in Maine. They’re hippo-sized creatures with massive mouths like bulldozers. They can range from the size of a car to a football. They have perfect camouflage and are rarely seen, with stony skin and sometimes even moss growing on them. They scrape up stone ledges, causing erosion and rockslides. They are thought to enjoy carving stair-like structures into the sides of mountains. After breaking the rocks, they consume the ones they can fit in their mouths. They rarely venture far and often return to the same place to eat nightly, leading to them often mistaken for boulders. They have great hearing…
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Waziya
Waziya is a mythical giant from Lakota mythology. He dresses in heavy furs and is known to blow the north winds and bring snow. He goes south during the Winter and North during the Summer. He constantly fights the South Winds and guards the Aurora Borealis. He is responsible for making snow and ice and was associated with Santa upon interacting with Christianity. Citations: Gill, Sam D., and Sullivan, Irene F.. Dictionary of Native American Mythology. United Kingdom, Oxford University Press, 1994.
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Wawkalak
The Wawkalak is a strange form of werewolf from Russian belief. They were formed when a person angered the devil and was cursed by him to become a wolf. The Wawkalak would be recognized and cared for by their family. They have no malevolence and are often quite friendly, but they are forever doomed to be driven out of the village they’re in over and over again. Citations: Guiley, Rosemary. The Encyclopedia of Vampires, Werewolves, and Other Monsters. United States, Facts On File, Incorporated, 2004.
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Wanagemeswak
The Wanagemeswak are mythical creatures from Penobscot mythology. They are dwarves with hatchet-like faces. They live in rivers and small pools of water and can only be seen from the side. They make small clay dolls and leave them behind for humans to find, bringing good luck. Citations: Gill, Sam D., and Sullivan, Irene F.. Dictionary of Native American Mythology. United Kingdom, Oxford University Press, 1994.
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Wamp
The Wamp is a creature from Lumberjack Folklore. They have the scientific name “Caudasal lakeshorekearn.” They have grey bodies shaped like salt sacks roughly the size of a raccoon. They notably have hollow tails with a structure resembling a salt shaker at the end. They sprinkle salt on tree roots for deer to lick up. Citations: Yarns of the Big Woods, Written and Illustrated by Art Childs
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Walriderske
The Walriderske is a creature from German folklore. They are spirits of nightmares much like the Mara or Alpen. They are most often female and appear as rough haired animals that are black, brown, or white. Sometimes they may appear as a girl who simply likes night walking. They are sometimes apparitions that haunt people and may even be in league with the devil. They may stick with someone for their entire life and could be kind figures as they aren’t inherently evil. They travel in a spirit form rather than physically, blending the corporeal and incorporeal. When the spirit leaves the body, they are left asleep and appear lifeless.…
