Under-used supernatural creatures

Neat. I learned about the creature from Scribblenauts.

I don't know if hiisi ever was a god, but nowadays its basically what they use when they want to translate "goblin" into finnish

Also, is "syoja" supposed to be written like "syöjä"? Because that would be coincidentally finnish for "eater" :P Also, according to internet dictionary, norwegian word for cancer is kreft.*shrugs* So are you sure that old norse word for cancer is "syoja"?

edited 4th May '13 9:03:08 AM by SpookyMask

I don't speak the language, all I know is that the syoja is a creature that was believed to cause cancer. And I don't know how to do those fancy marks - if SHIFT doesn't make it happen, I can't do it

Loni: neat! :D

Spooky & Nekomoon: I managed to find an entry on the Mythical Creatures list, the information from which led me to find a Wikipedia page!

Well, that just noted that they aren't actually norse mythology as much as it was Finnish mythology :P Different things!

So comment on literal translations(None of their names are names of modern names of diseases they cause): Luuvalo = Bonelight(Weird name, I don't know much if etymology of that means anything xD), Riisi = Rice(probably a coincidence, isn't rice asian thing? So did we even have rice back then?) Paise = (Those◊ things on skins, like pimples and stuff), Rupi = (What do you call non permanent version of scars? I guess its scar as well *shrugs*), Pistos = sting, Rutto = plague. And like I said, its written with umlauts(sp?) so its Syöjä = Eater.

No clue whether Ähky actually means anything, its something used as descripting feeling. I checked wiktionary and this is how I've seen it used in real life: "(colloquial) The state of being stuffed (overeaten)." So yeaaaaaaaaah.

Just to note, if they are Finnish mythology then mythical creature list is wrong because Finland isn't considered officially to be part of Scandinavia...

edited 4th May '13 10:59:01 PM by SpookyMask

So 'stomachache', then? Colic is 'a pain that starts or stops abruptly', so given a bit of etymological drift there probably is a connection there.

Also, the Finns were on both the Varangian and the Volga trade routes, which connected to the Silk Road, so...

Nah, stomachache is vatsakipu. Ähky is more like description of feeling of being stuffed. So saying you are ähky is basically saying "I'm stuffed". In modern Finnish at least, according to wiktionary it can also be medical condition on animals.*shrugs*

Like I said, they probably had slightly different meanings back on old days since I doubt we had rice. I have no clue about their original meaning (hence why Bonelight sounds weird xD Maybe its name for disease*shrugs*).

edited 4th May '13 11:02:43 PM by SpookyMask

I've been playing the IOS point and click adventure game Year Walk. That has a lot interesting Swedish mythology in it.

edited 4th May '13 11:17:18 PM by joeyjojo

Not sure if it's been mentioned already, but most celtic mythical creatures are interesting and underused. if this is urban fantasy, then the sidhe, who live in hills underground, could live in Absurdly Spacious Sewers or something. there's a list of them on wikipedia (i recommend you avoid leprechauns like the plague) and the majority of them can be used in a dark fantasy and a lighter one, they're rather flexible. I'm using them in my underworld.. Another creature that i feel is often criticized of overuse but really is rarely used is the unicorn. if they're portrayed at all, they're just pretty ponies with a magical sacred horn on their head and unquestionable virtue, but in most mythology (nearly every one has a version of the unicorn) they're ferocious beasts who can't be tamed (except by virgin maiden) and will gore you to death if you get near them. their appearance is often hyped up as well, i see great potential for ugly unicorns of the rhino-like variety. (non-traditional unicorn creatures include; Anggitay, Camahueto, Indrik, Monocerus (some nice ugly unicorns), Qilin, Shadhavar (nice and ferocious ones), Sin-you)

edited 5th May '13 1:08:50 AM by VincentQuill

You forgot the karkadan! Arabian legends about Alexander the Great claim that his untameable steed Bucephalous was one.

Wait, isn't the Karkadann a carnivorous unicorn? I have one of these in my current work.

I believe that the Hecatonchires and the catoblepas were already mentioned, and I wouldn't be surprised if Nidhogg was, too (the Big Bad Dragon of Norse Mythology deserves more love).

Another beautiful creature that doesn't get enough love is the Cartazonon, a horse/lion hybrid that would make one of the most badass mount ever. Just imagine a large stallion with a lion's mane and tail, either two or four lion paws with large claws, and finally big sharp fangs. Bad. Ass.

Lady Midday is a treacherous spirit, swooping in on hot days to agonize toiling field workers in eastern europe. She often arrives at noon to chat her victims up, asking difficult questions to determine each target’s fate. If the workers improperly respond to her inquiries, Lady Midday will chop off their heads!

edited 5th May '13 4:22:49 PM by nekomoon14

That will teach 'em for slacking

Because their jobs don't suck enough, I guess.

The Neades, island-dwelling monsters of Greek myth that split the ground with their roar. Word on the street is that they're inspired by dinosaur bones.

A creature I feel is underrepresented is the Jormagund or Midgard Serpent. According to Norse myth this creature is big enough to encircle the earth multiple times and crush it in its grip. And come Ragnarok the Serpent will kill and be killed by the thunder god Thor.

Honestly the only place I can think of where the Serpent appears is as part of the rogues gallery for TheMightyThor

Well, there's not much you can do against the thing unless you are Thor.

Has anyone mentioned the Basan yet? It's a massive, fire-breathing chicken/rooster from Japanese folklore that lives in the mountains among bamboo groves. The fire it breathes is "cold," in that it glows, but does not burn. If a human manages to hear the sound it's wings make and looks in its direction, it will vanish into thin air without a trace.

^^^Sorry for being Grammar Nazi, but its Jörmungandr.

It's okay, Spooky; not everyone has an umlaut key. :P

The SCP Foundation has Jörmungandr documented, as I recall.

The Blemmyes. That's an entire under-used fantasy race. Actually, I don't remember it being ever used.

Monstrumologist. :D

edited 7th May '13 5:38:13 PM by Noaqiyeum

Ghouls. No, not zombies.

I'm talking about the central European myth of cannibalistic grave diggers that are rotting both inside and out.

To the best of my knowledge, the name "ghoul" comes from an Arabic word ("ghūl", as in Ra's al Ghul, "Demon's Head"), which referred to a shapeshifting demon that fed on carrion and might appear as a jackal. Is your creature more recent, perhaps taking the name from the Arabic (or more recent) version?

In fact, going by Wikipedia's description, the Arabic ghūl is rather interesting itself, and not something that I recall seeing often: a shapeshifting demon that lures the unwary to lonesome places and there devours them; it also eats young children and the dead, drinks blood and steals money. It takes the form of the person that it most recently ate.

I think HP Lovecraft and Dungeons And Dragons both use the "cannibalistic grave robber" version of ghouls (albeit D&D still gives them zombie-like traits).