Q

  • Djinn,  Ghouls,  Q,  Werewolves

    Qutrub

    The Qutrub is a Ghoul-like creature from Pre-Islamic beliefs. It was later identified as a form of djinn, and often considered the male counterpart to the Ghul. Sometimes they are described as being similar to a werewolf. They are born from eggs, and are thought to be the children of Iblis and a wife made for him from the fire of Samūn. They are known to wander graveyards and consume corpses. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Fairies in World Folklore and Mythology. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2013. Fee, Christopher R.. Mythology in the Middle Ages: Heroic Tales of Monsters, Magic, and Might. United States, Praeger, 2011. Hughes, Thomas Patrick.…

  • Inuit,  K,  Q

    Qupqugiaq/Kokogiak

    The Qupqugiaq is a creature from the myths of the Inupait Inuit people. They are described as resembling large polar bears with ten legs, sometimes the size of a whale. They’re thought to hunt and kill like a regular polar bear, and walk with their feet in unison so their tracks resemble those of a typical polar bear. Catching a Qupgugiaq was often seen as good luck. They are often seen as spirit animal helpers, typically only serving shamans who ride on their backs. Some believe normal polar bears turn into Qupqugiaq when they become the spirit animals to shamans. Citations: Iñupiatun Uqaluit Taniktun Sivuninit/Iñupiaq to English Dictionary. United States,…

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  • Dragons,  France,  Q

    Quinotaur

    The Quinotaur is a creature from French myth. Its name means “bull with five horns.” It is described as part bull, part dragon, and part fish, and possesses intelligence. Supposedly it originated from the Merovingian bloodline and was thought to be the father to King Merovee, having possibly raped his mother when she went to swim in the sea. In some versions, she was already pregnant and the Quinotaur’s DNA fused with the unborn baby, giving it magic powers. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016. Fanthorpe, Patricia. The Big Book of Mysteries. United States, Dundurn Press, 2010.

  • B,  G,  Medieval Heraldry,  Psychopomps,  Q

    Questing Beast/Beast Glatisant/Glatsaunt

    The Questing Beast is a creature known from Arthurian legend. It had the body of a leopard, deer hooves, a serpent neck, and the back legs of a lion. It was named after its cry which sounded like forty dogs barking. It was thought to have been born through the incest of a brother and sister. It was also sometimes referred to as a psychopomp. Several knights attempted to kill the Questing Beast, but it was ultimately killed by the knight Percival. The body of this creature was tossed into a lake, and the water boiled as it sank. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend…

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  • Devil Dogs,  Inuit,  Q

    Qiqirn/Qiqion

    Qiqirn is a dog like creature from Inuit mythology. It is seen in the area of Baffin Island in Hudson Bay. Its presence causes epilepsy in humans and dogs. It is hairless except for tufts of hair on its feet, mouth, ears, and tail tip. Although it is large and intimidating, it runs away when chased. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016. Maberry, Jonathan. Vampire Universe: The Dark World of Supernatural Beings That Haunt Us, Hunt Us, and Hunger for Us. United States, Kensington Publishing Corporation, 2006.

  • Cryptids,  Egypt,  Q

    Qattara Cheetah

    The Qattara Cheetah is a mysterious big cat from Northern Africa, specifically the Qattara Depression in Egypt. They resemble pale cheetahs with thick coats and are thought to be a morph population of cheetahs. Reports of this creature go back to the 1960’s and a specimen was captured in 1967 by a Bedouin tribesman, but this wasn’t viewed by any scientists. Cheetah-like tracks have been photographed twice in the 1960’s. Citations: Eberhart, George M.. Mysterious Creatures: A Guide to Cryptozoology. United Kingdom, ABC-CLIO, 2002. Newton, Michael. Encyclopedia of Cryptozoology: A Global Guide to Hidden Animals and Their Pursuers. United Kingdom, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016. Shuker, Karl. The Beasts That Hide…

  • Bela Bela,  Q

    Quanekelak/Qanekelak

    Qanekelak is a mythical figure from the Bela Bela Native Americans. He is a cosmic being bearing features of an orca and a human. He lived in an earlier version of the world consisting solely of water and ice. Some versions of this myth describe him as a human with an orca head. Others describe him as an orca with a human torso, or a creature with the upper body of a man and the lower half of an orca. Whatever the variation, it is thought that he became fully human and is thought to be the ancestor to all of the Killer-Whale Clan. He is credited with creating dogs…

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  • Bogeyman Figures,  Inuit,  Q

    Qallupilluit/Qalupalik

    The Qallupilluit are bogeyman figures from Inuit mythology. They scared children away from sea ice and lurked near patches of broken ice. Steam rising from the water were signs of a Qalupaliik. They hunt on shorelines and near ice flows. They have human forms, green skin, scales, long heads, and long sharp fingernails. They typically wear an amautik (a parka specifically for women with a pouch to carry children in the back.) They are known to hum eerily and knock on the ice underneath people to lure them to more dangerous areas. They specifically target children separated from any adults. Children caught would be put in a sack (or the…

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  • A,  China,  Dragons,  G,  Japan,  M,  Q,  S

    Azure Dragon/Green Dragon/Qinglong/Seiryu/Seryu/Shōryū/Meng Chang

    The Azure Dragon 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, White Tiger, and the Black Tortoise. It is connected to the East, the colors blue and green (because there wasn’t always a clear distinction between the two), wood and spring. It was thought to represent new life and was connected to the Kamo-Gawa River. It was depicted as a long serpentine dragon with no wings, that was blue, green, or turquoise color, occasionally with a red or black mane. It has the associated mansions (these being associated with the phases…

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