S
-
Sal’awa/Salawa/Al-Salaawa/Al-Salawwa/Silawa
The Sal’awa is a mysterious creature from Egypt. Their name means “she-wolf” in Arabic. Sometimes they are related to Djinn, while others view them as a cryptid. They’re described as nocturnal dog-like animals sometimes resembling a cross between a jackal and an anteater. They have square ears, a drooping nose, a hyena-like muzzle, big canine teeth with prominent fangs, and a poofy forked tail. They are roughly the size of dogs with beige or black fur, and back legs longer than the front. They are thought to live in the desert and are often related to depictions of the Egyptian god Set. They are known to attack and kill humans,…
-
Peluda/La Velue/Shaggy Beast/The Shaggy Beast Of La Ferte-Bernard/Peallaidh/Pehuda
The Peluda is a large dragon thought to have lived near the Huisine River in the village of La Ferte-Bernard, France. This creature was spoken of in Medieval times, and it was thought that it refused a ride on Noah’s ark but still survived the great flood. It was thought to have had four stubby legs, quills covering its back, a scaly tail, shaggy green fur, turtle claws, and the ability to breath fire. It was so large that it flooded nearby farms when it entered the river. One day, it ate a young maiden, whose fiancé sought out a wise woman to find the creature’s weakness. He was told…
-
Sizzerbill
The Sizzerbill is a creature from Lumberjack folklore from Minnesota and Wisconsin. They have the scientific name Fortesrostrum coxi. They’re rare creatures becoming even rarer, and they’re thought to be half bird and half some other animal. They hang around reeds and marshy riverbanks, keeping themselves hidden from sight. When they see a fish struggling on a line they use their scissor-like beaks to cut the line and free the fish. Citations: Yarns of the Big Woods, Written and Illustrated by Art Childs
-
Kōjin/Samebito
The Kōjin is a creature from Japanese myth referred to as a yokai. The live in the ocean, especially around the South China Sea. They are thought to resemble mermaid-like creatures with inky black shark skin and ugly human-like faces with emerald green eyes. They are known for weaving and can frequently be found using looms with special silk that doesn’t get wet. They are carnivorous creatures, but they aren’t known to be particularly hostile towards humans. When Kōjin cry, their tears are pearls and jewels. Citations: Meyer, Matthew. The Book of the Hakutaku: A Bestiary of Japanese Monsters. United States, Matthew Meyer, 2019.
-
Kalmykian Exploding Snake/Kalmykia’s Exploding Worm/Short Grey Snake/Exploding Enigma
The Kalmykian Exploding Snake is an extremely obscure cryptid. This creature is briefly mentioned in the book The Beasts That Hide From Man by Karl Shuker in a section talking about the Mongolian Death Worm. The account of this creature comes from a letter written to a cryptozoologist named Michel Raynal, from another cryptozoologist named Dr. Marie-Jeanne Koffmann on January 6, 1997. The accounts themselves were lost when Dr. Koffmann’s office was robbed. It’s described as a short grey snake, roughly 50 centimeters (20 inches) long and 15-20 centimeters (6-8 inches) in diameter. It has smooth skin, is rounded at the front of its body, and has a very short…
-
Jokao/Stonecoats
The Jokao are creatures from the myths of the Iroquois and Seneca people. They are a form of cannibal giant, whose bodies are covered in stone plates. They are often created in a very harsh winter, most often during famine when people were forced to eat their neighbors to survive. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Giants and Humanoids in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016.
-
Sugar Bundle
The Sugar Bundle is an alien sighted in Jicotea Las Villas, Cuba 1915. Two men patrolled a sugarcane field on horses when the horses suddenly refused to move and seemed afraid. They saw something resembling a small white sack, or bundle, on the ground near a trail. They determined this was a living creature, and their horses panicked as it approached. One man fired on it with a pistol, but the creature grew larger with every bullet that hit it, seemingly absorbing the mass. When it grew to the size of the horses, the men fled on foot, finding their horses later the next day completely unharmed. Citations: Rosales, Albert.…
-
Jackalope/Antelabbit/Aunt Benny/Horny Bunny/Jack-A-Lope/Jack-Pine Jackalope/Stag Bunny
Jackalopes are from the Southwestern region of the United States. They are thought to resemble jack rabbits with either deer antlers or antelope horns in proportion to their bodies. They ar extremely shy, but will fight ferociously if they or their families are threatened. They are thought to be capable of running over sixty-five miles per hour. While running at high speeds, they are incredibly dangerous as they can gore people to death. When in this state of anger, the Jackalope can only be killed with a buffalo gun. They are thought to only mate during flashes of lightning. Jackalope milk is supposedly capable of curing any number of ailments.…
-
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…
-
Aripa Satanai/Samca
The Aripa Satanai is from Romanian Folklore. Her name translates to “Satan’s Wing.” She’s incredibly bloodthirsty, and thought to be half bear and half old woman. She is often called “Queen of the Forest” because she controls everything in the woods. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Vampire Mythology. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2017.
