T

  • Lumberjack Folklore,  T,  The United States

    Three Tailed Bavalorous

    The Three Tailed Bavalorous is a creature from Lumberjack Folklore. It has the scientific name “Theriornis tricauda unicornus.” It’s described as half animal and half bird. Its front half was covered in feathers and the back half was covered in hair. It had legs like a cow or a buffalo, a horn like a corkscrew coming from its forehead, and three tails. The end of one tail was a barb as sharp as a spear, which it used for fighting. The end of the second tail was broad and flat and was used as a chair. The end of the third tail was fanned out like a peacock tail and…

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  • Myanmar(Burma),  T

    Thaman-Chah/θamá̃ ʤá

    The Thaman-Chah is a mythical creature from Burma depicted in a watercolor painting from a Christian missionary. They are known to live in caves in the deepest forests. The story of their origin is that there were medicine men searching for a poisonous plant that could be used to create medicine. They found the plants but failed to say the proper mantras before collecting them, and were turned into tigers as punishment. Similar to this origin, it is sometimes believed that attempting to make a specific rejuvenating medicine (likely the same as the original) would cause a person to become a Thaman-Chah. Citations: Tantra, Magic, and Vernacular Religions in Monsoon…

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  • Demonic,  Shapeshifters,  T,  Tibet

    Thags Yang

    The Tags Yang is a demonic creature from Tibetan myth. They attack travelers, wrestle them to the ground, and then drain their life’s breath. They can take the form of humans, tigers, or human tiger hybrids. They can be stopped from attacking if you are strongly religious, and they seek out those who don’t say prayers of protection. Citations: 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. Steiger, Brad. The Werewolf Book: The Encyclopedia of Shape-Shifting Beings. United Kingdom, Visible Ink Press, 2011.

  • Bosnia,  Shapeshifters,  T,  Undead,  Vampires

    Tenatz

    The Tenatz are from Bosnian legends. They are undead shapeshifters. They can turn into mice or other small burrowing creatures to escape from their graves. They return to the form of a walking corpse once above ground. They consume blood. Cutting the hamstrings of a corpse is thought to prevent them from rising as a Tenatz. If they have already risen, they can be stopped with fire or exorcism. Citations: 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.

  • Ghosts,  H,  Japan,  K,  P,  S,  T,  Urban Legends,  Yokai

    Teke Teke/Shaka Shaka/ Pata Pata/ Kata Kata/Koto Koto/ Hijikake Babā

    The Teke Teke is a form of ghost from Japanese urban legends. The name is an onomatopoeia meant to reference the sound of them dragging themselves with their hands. They are almost always women and look like people cut in half at the waist. Despite the fact that they crawl, they are thought to be capable of keeping up with cars when in pursuit, sometimes reaching 150km per hour. They commonly carry scythes or sickles. Teke Teke can be found in urban areas, commonly along dark roads. Getting attacked by a Teke Teke is horrific, but stories are often unclear about the specifics of these attacks. Commonly victims are cut…

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  • Anaye,  Navajo,  T

    Teelget

    Teelget was a quadruped with antlers on his head. He was predatory and round shaped with few features. The hero Nayenezgani killed it by using a gopher to burrow into its chest and he shot its heart with an arrow made of chain lightning. Teelget got angry and ripped apart his own body trying to get to Nayenezgani. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016.

  • T,  Undead

    Taxim

    Taxim are creatures from Eastern Europe. They are focused on revenge. They spread plagues and sometimes attack cattle. They are animated corpses. They can be detected by their terrible smell. They only hurt their intended target. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016. Larousse Dictionary Of World Folklore: An Unparalleled View Of Folktales And Heritage by Alison Jones Melton, J. Gordon. The Vampire Book: The Encyclopedia of the Undead. United Kingdom, Visible Ink Press, 2011.

  • Dragons,  Japan,  L,  R,  T

    Tatsu/Lung/Ryo/Ryu

    The Tatsu is a common term for a dragon in Japanese. They are thought to be descended from a primitive form of a three toed Chinese dragon. They are associated with the sea and rain and live in rivers or the sea. They give proper amounts of rain to those who properly appeased them, and cause droughts and whirlwinds when angered. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016. Zell-Ravenheart, Oberon, and DeKirk, Ashley. Dragonlore: From the Archives of the Grey School of Wizardry. United States, Red Wheel Weiser, 2006.

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  • Inuit,  T

    Tarriassuit/Talliqat/Talliirait

    The Tarriassuit are a form of supernatural creatures from Inuit myth. They are invisible, only being seen by their shadows, but otherwise are completely normal people. Though they could not be seen head on, they could be seen out of the peripherals. Along with invisibility they are also noted to not leave footprints. Due to their appearance (or lack thereof) they are often referred to as invisible people or shadow people. They served no specific threat and were thought of as good people. As they are unseen and refuse to attack someone who is defenseless, they never fight humans. They make their homes in the mountains and enter their homes…

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  • B,  Bogeyman Figures,  Celtic,  England,  R,  T,  The United States

    Rawhead/Tommy Rawhead/Bloody Bones

    The Rawhead is a creature known from British and US folklore, commonly the American Midwest. Stories of this creature are thought to have originated in Britain or Celtic myth. It’s used as a bogeyman figure, and often seen as a companion to Bloody-Bones with them sometimes being seen as two parts of the same entity. One is a headless skeleton that dances, and the other is a skull that bites people. It’s described as very ugly with blood constantly pouring from the mouth. Sometimes it’s described as a tall figure in a black cloak. In the Pacific Northwest it sometimes appears as a cloud of green fog. It is thought to…

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