Maori Mythology

Hi everybody. Today I'll be introducing 10 Mythological Creatures from Maori Mythology. Also today it is my last blog post so I am hoping to make a vlog channel for Raisa's Mythological Creature Blog. Anyways, let's start the Maori Mythology.



The last blog post starts with Hakawai, a mythological bird. It is heard occasionally by the Maoris, but not usually seen in New Zealand, the place where they live. According to myth, it was one of the eleven most sacred birds to the Maori people.

Manaia is a creature that is a hybrid of a bird and a fish. It appears on many motifs and emblems. According to Maoris, it is a messenger creature that sends messages between two worlds: the world were the Maori mortals live and the world where spirits roam free.

Patupaiarehe are spirits that live in forests and the summits of mountains in New Zealand. They are sometimes very unfriendly to us humans. Some people believe that when these creatures are present in the area, they hear flute music and singing.

Poukai is a monster bird. In some Maori myths, it kills and eats humans. This bird has similar characteristics to the now extinct Haast's Eagle, which is a very massive and strong bird. It was believed to hunt moas and was not extinct until 100 years when the Maoris arrived. 

Taniwha are beings that live in rivers, dark caves and places where there are lots of massive waves. They are sometimes considered guardians of people or places, or as dangerous predators that sometimes kidnap women to be their wives. At sea, Taniwha are believed to be seen as a shark or a whale.

Te Wheke a Muturangi is an octopus monster that has similar features to the Kraken. He was kept as a pet by Muturangi, a Maori priest. According to a story, when an explorer called Kupe reached New Zealand, he chased the octopus and when he caught it, Kupe cut all of his arms off and killed it.

Tipua is a demon that could morph into everyday objects like trees and rocks. Sometimes if the creature is in these forms, it could be found inhabiting them. According to some Maoris, many stone Tipua can move from place to place.

Ika-Roa is a fish that gave birth to every star in the Milky Way galaxy. Her name translates into 'Hard Rock' or 'Long Fish'. The Maoris believed that her name is also the Maori way of saying 'Milky Way'.

Today's (and the blog's, sadly :-() last creature is Ikatere, the god of all sea creatures, including mermaids. He is the son of Punga and his brother is Tu-te-wehiwehi. When Tawhiri, the god of storms, declared war on his brothers, they fled. Tu-te-wehiwehi fled to the forest while Ikatere took refuge in the sea. Maoris believe that fish are his children.

That's it for the blog. I'm very sorry everyone, but in the holidays I hope to rise again with a Mythological Creature Vlog Channel!! See you then!

Slavic Mythology

Hi everybody and welcome back to Raisa's Mythological Creature Blog. Today I will be introducing 10 Mythological Creatures from Slavic Mythology.




Today's first creature is Baba Yaga, a very fearsome looking witch. She has a nose so long that when she sleeps, her chicken legged hut shakes and rattles! According to Russian and Slavic Stories, whenever she appears, a wind seems to blow and trees begin to creak slowly.

Bagiennik was the Slavic name for water demons. They were loyal subjects to Wąda, the Queen of the Underwater Lawns. They lived in rivers and lakes and according to myths, they are able to produce a very oily substance from their nostrils, and the substance was so hot that it burned any victim, but it could cure many serious illnesses.

Bannik is the bathroom/bathhouse spirit in Slavic Mythology. The bathroom is a very scary place to be if you make this spirit angry! For example, if you have made Bannik angry, he could suffocate you or make your home burn down to the ground!

Blud is one of the many Slavic fairies. She is evil and she causes much disorientation. Her name and herself are said to come from the devil and from forbidden sexualism between two people that aren't married to one another.

Bozalosc is a death messenger spirit in Slavic Mythology. No one knows exactly how she looks like. Some people describe her as a woman in white with long braided hair and red eyes. One Slav described her as a little woman with long hair, about to cry because someone has just died.

Bukavac is a demonic creature that was sometimes imagined as being six legged, with very fearsome horns. According to myths, he lives in lakes and waits for someone in the night. He then jumps out, makes very loud noises and strangles the unsuspecting person/animal.

Cikavac is a bird with a long beak and a pelican like huge gape. It could be obtained by oneself by stealing a black hen's egg, which would be carried by a woman under her armpit for 40 days, and at this time the woman must not confess, cut nails, wash her face or pray.

Cuma is a Slavic creature that brings plague across. It was imagined as an old woman dressed completely in white, and very rarely was she imagined as young. She were believed to live far away from people, and when the time is right, come out into the Slavic world and spread plague.

Indrik is a beast believed to be the king of all animals. He is also believed to live on the 'Holy Mountain'. Some people described Indrik as being a rhinoceros and sometimes referred to as a Slavic 'unicorn'.

Today's final creature is Likho, a creature of evil fate and misfortune in the Slavic world. It has one eye and is depicted as an old woman in black, but it can also be as a male goblin who lives in a forest. There are many stories about Likho and one of the stories contains this ending/moral: A person cheats Likho and he/she chases him, sees something valuable, grabs it in greed and having it stuck to it, and the consequence is cutting it off.

Thanks for reading today's blog! See you tomorrow for my final post! Bye! :-(

Mesopotamian Mythology

Hey everybody and welcome to Raisa's Mythological Creature Blog. Today I will be introducing 10 Creatures from Mesopotamian Mythology.



Today's first creature is Akhkhazu, a demonic spirit. She is part of a trio of female demons that include Labasu, Labartu and herself. According to myth, the name 'Akhkhazu' is male, but the demon that brings diseases and fever across Mesopotamia is female.

Kusarikku is another demon, this time a demon with wings. This demon is a hybrid,  it has a human's upper body and a bull's lower body. A myth about Kusarikku tells that it is often portrayed as being able to walk upright even when it has the bottom half of a bull.

Labbu is a creature that lives under the water. His name means 'lion', and it is very ironic because he is a fish-lion hybrid. According to ancient Mesopotamian Myths, the creature was created from a prototype that came from Tiamat (the goddess of the salty sea) and from the battle between Baal and Yamm.

Lamassu is a bull with a human's head. This creature is usually female, but it can also be male, and its name is Sedu. According to many myths, Lamassu is believed to introduce guests to another superior god, and because of this, she is often represented as a servant.

Basmu is a snake with horns, forelegs and wings. According to myths, it too is the name of a Babylonian constellation that also resembles the Hydra from Greek Mythology.

Rabisu is is a demon that hides in dark corners to scare and attack people. It is said that salt lures him away because salt is used to preserve life and Rabisu used to be alive. According to mythology, the creature attacks newly arrived souls in the underworld.

Alu is a spirit that scares people while they sleep. It is believed that if you are possessed by Alu, you lose consciousness. According to Mesopotamian myths, the demon is said to have no mouth, lips or ears.

Kullulu is a 'fish man'. He was a guardian and a dweller of Absu, the fresh water in Mesopotamia. His image was to be carved out on buildings as good luck charms and protection.

Ugallu is a creature that interferes with weather and causes storms. He is believed to have a lion's head and bird feet. According to Mesopotamia legends, its first origins came from around the 2nd Millennium and him changing over time.

And today's final creature is a dog with a human's head or a lion with a human's head, Urdimmu. In many Mesopotamian stories, he is pictured standing upright. According to one of them, he can also appear with another character, Kusarikku. 

Thanks for reading today's blog and see you tomorrow! Bye!

Inuit Mythology

Hey everybody and welcome back to Raisa's Mythological Creature Blog! Today I will be introducing 10 Mythological Creatures from Inuit Mythology.

Today's first creature is Amarok, a giant wolf. It is said to devour any person that is idiotic enough to hunt at night, but they are quite different to real wolves. These imaginary wolves hunt alone. A person reported that Greenland Inuits reserved the name Amarok (or Amaroq) for this particular wolf, whereas other Inuit countries use it for any wolf.

The Great Worm, because that is his name, is a big worm, a caterpillar, to be exact. A figure that Eskimos from Alaska are not only afraid of, but also feel great dislike towards him. He can transform into a human being and usually appears in this form.



Ijiraq is a shape shifting creature that kidnaps children and abandons them. The inukszuk, which is a stone sculpture made to look like a person, tries to help them by allowing them to convince the ijiraq to let the innocent children go. In Inuit Myths, Ijiraq actually means 'shape shifter'.

Qalupalik is a creature that lives in the sea. It is a very evil mermaid and it scares children. She is described as having long crazy hair, green skin and fingernails that look like claws because they are very long. A myth about her is that it is said that she carries little kids using an item of clothing called an amautik.

Mahaha was a demon that attacked certain parts of Alaska. His skin was blue and his eyes were white due to the freezing conditions. A myth about Mahaha says that it tickles its victims to death using very long fingernails attached to his numb fingers.

Akhlut is an orca spirit. It can walk on land, and instead of being a regular orca, it is a wolf-orca hybrid. It goes on land for one reason: For food. According to various myths, his tracks are very well recognised because he has wolf tracks leading from and to the ocean.

Qiqirn is a dog spirit that scares Inuits. He's frightening, but he's also very skittish (scared easily). Men and dogs run away from it, but he also runs from dogs and men. A myth about Qiqirn tells that he has hair on his feet, ears, mouth and tail and that this may be the reason that men and dogs are scared of him.

Tariasuq is a humanoid creature. He is associated with many things, including shadows and invisibility. It is believed to be just like any other human being because it has everything we need to survive, but the difference is that they are only visible when they are dead. A myth about Tariasuq tells that they only hunt while on foot.


Today's final creature is Tizheruk, an Inuit snake like creature. It is said to have a head that is 7 feet long and a tail that had a flipper. A myth about Tizheruk says that it has snatched people off piers and balconies without them noticing anything.

Thanks for reading today's blog! See you next time! Bye!

Hebrew Mythology

Hey everybody and welcome back to Raisa's Mythological Creature Blog. Today I will be introducing 10 Mythological Creatures from Hebrew Mythology. 



We start off today with Ziz. This is a mythological griffin like bird that is believed to be able to block the sun out. A myth about the bird tells that Ziz was created to protect the birds that lived in Israel and it was a good hearted creature, but if he didn't protect them, the small birds will die because they made an easy prey to hunters.

A golem is an animated creature created from clay or mud. It can be a man or a woman, but in Hebrew Myths, it is mostly both genders. A myth about the mud man says that over the years, he was used to represent war, community, isolation, hope and despair. One way to bring it to life is walk or dance around it saying a combination of letters from the alphabet.

Broxa is another famous Israeli creature. It is believed to drink the milk of goats, which left nothing for them to feed their babies. According to many superstitions, Broxa was able to shape shift and was unable to be killed by a bullet.

Dybbuk is an evil Hebrew demonic spirit. It is able to enter a living human, cause mental illnesses, talk through his/her mouth and represent a seperate personality. A myth about Dybbuk says that his name came from the fact that he can go inside of people, and it means 'a separation of an evil spirit'.

In Hebrew, there are many demons everywhere. Another one of them is Mazikeen. He is an invisible demon that causes trouble around Israel. A myth about Mazikeen tells that he is the one disturbing everyone with minor annoyances. When they are in danger, he also causes more danger.

Lilith is a spirit who is very dangerous during the night. She can be showing sexual behaviour around men and steals and strangles babies in the darkness. A myth about her says that that she was created from the same dirt as Adam, another Hebrew character. Lilith and another spirit, Naamah, are very similar and have alike features.

Re'em is a giant creature, one is male and one is female. They live opposite one another, one in the east, the other in the west. A myth about Re'em tells that no one knows exactly how they look like, and some people describe them as fierce, fast and impossible to defeat.

Bar Juchne is a massive bird which, like Ziz, is able to block the sun out with its wings. He was mentioned in the Talmud. The story is about a Bar Juchne egg that fell out of its nest, it flooded 60 villages and it said that the egg will be roasted and eaten.

Leviathan is a sea monster. It can accept the fact that it caused tsunamis. A myth about it tells that it can blow flames so hot that the ocean boils when Leviathan swims on top of it.

Shedim is the Hebrew name for spirits and demons. It deals with child and animal sacrifices to faux gods. A myth about this creature says that they are descendants of serpents or demons in the form of serpents.

That's it for today! See you tomorrow! Bye!

African Mythology

Hey everybody and welcome back to Raisa's Mythological Creature Blog. Today I will be introducing 10 Mythological Creatures from African Mythology.

Today's first two creatures will be Bakulu and Bankita, two African demons. The ancestors usually help their relatives and stay with them, taking on the incorporeal, spiritual form. In the Congo it is called Bakulu. If the ancestor died a tragic, sudden death, then his spirit is called Bankita.

Impundulu is a mythological bird that brings lightning to its world using its talons. It has origins in many different African Mythologies. Some people describe it has having black and white feathers and being as tall as a human. A myth about this creature tells that a village girl claimed to say that it looked like a rooster. Impundulu scratched the girl with her own hoe and flew off.

Jengu is an African water spirit that the people of Cameroon believe exist. The people describe the creature as a beautiful mermaid like character, and they live in rivers and seas to bring good luck to the people of Cameroon. A myth about Jengu says that it also cures diseases.

Ninki Nanka is an African dragon like creature that lives in swamps. It is said to be very dangerous and giant. A tale about Ninki Nanka is that sometimes children disobey their parents' instructions and go into the swamp. The Ninki Nanka will then kidnap the child and the parents will be very worried.

Aziza are African fairies. They live in the forest and they make good wishes to hunters nearby. They are said to live in trees with silk cotton and anthills. A myth about them tells that they have very good spiritual knowledge and they provide some of that to humans.

Tikoloshe is a water sprite that lives in West Africa. Some people call them over to cause trouble for others. It can be used to scare children, but sometimes things go a little too far and he causes illnesses and even kills people! A myth about Tikoloshe tells that the mischievous and evil spirit can become invisible, just by drinking water. 

A werehyena is a creature that is a human, but underneath it is a hyena. The people of Africa believe that some one or two villages were entirely populated by these creatures. A myth about them tells that they were witches they could turn into hyenas, which were cleverly disguised as humans.

Eloko are creatures that are like dwarves, and they live in the forest. I found two interesting myths about them: One of them is that they were the ancestral spirits of the people that live there. The other is that they are vicious and they haunt them because they sometimes quarrel about were to settle. 

Lastly, Nyami Nyami is a very important god to the Tonga people. He is described as having snake's body and the body of a fish. The Tongas believe that Nyami Nyami protects them from danger, he is the god of the Zambezi Valley, where Zambia and Zimbabwe meet, which is where the Tongas live. A myth about the creature tells that it lives in the water and controls the living things in and on it.

Thank you for reading today's blog! See you tomorrow! Bye!