Forest spirits

In Greek mythology, a satyr (, ), also known as a silenus or silenos ( ), and sileni (plural), is a male nature spirit with ears and a tail resembling those of a horse, as well as a permanent, exaggerated erection. Early artistic representations sometimes include horse-like legs, but, by the sixth century BC, they were more often represented with human legs. Comically hideous, they have mane-like hair, bestial faces, and snub noses and they always are shown naked. Satyrs were characterized by their ribaldry and were known as lovers of wine, music, dancing, and women. They were companions of th

The Yakshas (, , ) are a broad class of nature spirits, usually benevolent, but sometimes mischievous or capricious, connected with water, fertility, trees, the forest, treasure and wilderness. They appear in Hindu, Jain and Buddhist texts, as well as ancient and medieval era temples of South Asia and Southeast Asia as guardian deities. The feminine form of the word is or Yakshini (, ; ).

thumb|A faun, as painted by Hungary|Hungarian painter [[Pál Szinyei Merse in 1867]] thumb|upright|A drawing of a Faun. The faun (, ; , ) is a half-human and half-goat mythological creature appearing in Greek and Roman mythology.

Humbaba (Ḫumbaba; , Ḫumbāba, with an optional determinative ), originally known as Ḫuwawa in Sumerian (, Ḫuwāwa), was a figure in Mesopotamian mythology. The origin and meaning of his name are unknown. He was portrayed as an anthropomorphic figure comparable to an ogre or giant. He is best known from Sumerian and Akkadian narratives focused on the hero Gilgamesh, including short compositions belonging to the curriculum of scribal schools, various versions of the Epic of Gilgamesh, and several Hurrian and Hittite adaptations. He is invariably portrayed as the inhabitant or guardian of the cedar

Leshy or Leshi is a tutelary deity of the forest in pagan Slavic mythology. As Leshy rules over the forest and hunting, he may be related to the Slavic god Porewit.

feminine spirit in Southern Slavic folklore

thumb|The Bhutesvara Yakshis, [[Mathura, 2nd century CE.]]

thumb|"Yamauba" (山うば) from the Hyakkai Zukan by Sawaki Suushi thumb|Yamamuba (山むば) from Bakemono no e (化物之繪, c. 1700), Harry F. Bruning Collection of Japanese Books and Manuscripts, L. Tom Perry Special Collections, [[Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University.|alt=]] thumb|"Yamauba" (山姥) from the Gazu Hyakki Yagyō by [[Toriyama Sekien]] thumb|right|A depiction of Yama-uba by Totoya Hokkei (1780–1850), yamamba, and yamanba are variations on the name of a yōkai found in Japanese folklore. Mostly said to resemble women, yamauba may be depicted as predatory monsters or benevolent beings.

spirit in Japanese folklore that inhabit trees

Mavka ( ) or Nyavka ( ) is a type of female spirit in Ukrainian folklore and mythology. The Mavka is a long-haired "Soul of the Forest", typically depicted as a temptress figure who lures men to their deaths.

right|thumb|upright=1.35| Titular inscription at the entrance to the "Yeren Cave" in Shennongjia

thumb|Rama and Vanara chiefs|300x300px

thumb|225px|Artwork depicting an appearance of the Mapinguari The Mapinguari or mapinguary is a mythological creature from Brazilian folklore. Referred to as the 'Brazilian Bigfoot' in popular media, the Mapinguari is described as extremely foul-smelling and hairy. Other accounts of the creature reference it having hook-shaped nails, a bipedal gait, a gaping mouth in its belly, and a single eye like a cyclops.

Hiisi (; plural hiidet ) is a term in Finnic mythologies, originally denoting sacred localities and later on various types of mythological entities.

220px|thumb|Artistic representation of the curupira The Curupira, Currupira or Korupira () is a forest spirit in the myth of the Tupí-Guaraní speaking areas in the Brazilian and Paraguaian Amazon and Guyanas. It is a guardian of the rainforest that punishes humans for overcutting.

ghost in Thai folklore

thumb|upright|Artist's depiction of a basajaun and his female companion, a basandere. In Basque mythology, ' (, "Lord of the forest", plural: , female ') is a huge, hairy hominid dwelling in the woods. They were thought to protect flocks of livestock and teach skills such as agriculture and ironworking to humans.

250px|thumb|right|"Laumė/The Good Witch", 1980 wooden sculpture by Romas Venckus at the Hill of Witches Latvian Lauma or Lithuanian Laumė, or Yotvingian Łauma is a fairy-like woodland spirit, and guardian spirit of orphans in Eastern Baltic mythology or Yotvingian mythology. Originally a sky spirit, her compassion for human suffering brought her to earth to share our fate.

thumb|Alekoko "Menehune" fishpond. thumb|Menehune bank from 1946. Made for Bank of Hawaii as a promotional giveaway to encourage island children to save their pennies.

supernatural monsters from Japanese folklore

thumb|Shurale and the woodcutter on a Kazakh 50 tenge coin, 2013

fictional bird

The Tikbalang (/ˈtikbaˌlaŋ/) (also Tigbalang, Tigbalan, Tikbalan, Tigbolan, or Werehorse) is a creature of Philippine folklore said to lurk in the mountains and rainforests of the Philippines. It is a tall, bony humanoid (half-human and half-horse) creature with the head and hooves of a horse and disproportionately long limbs, to the point that its knees reach above its head when it squats down. In some versions, it is a transformation of an aborted fetus sent to earth from limbo.

thumb|Caipora riding a "forest hog" () or peccary Caipora () or Caapora (Kaapora) is a forest spirit or humanoid and guardian of wildlife or game in Brazilian folklore.

thumb|155px|right|The hōkō illustration by Toriyama Sekien.

thumb|Statue of Curupi. Curupi (') or Kurupi' is a figure in Guaraní mythology, known particularly for an elongated penis that can wind once or several turns around the waist or torso, or wrap around its arms, and feared as the abductor and rapist of women.

The kijimuna () are mythological creatures said to inhabit the island of Okinawa. They are described as resembling around a three or four-year-old child with wild red hair.

thumb|Patasola literal translation is Pata=foot & Sola=single, only The Patasola or "single leg" is one of many legends in Colombian folklore about female monsters from the jungle, appearing to male hunters or loggers in the middle of the wilderness when they think about women. The Patasola appears in the form of a beautiful seductive woman, often in the likeness of a loved one, who lures a man away from his companions deep into the jungle. There, the Patasola reveals her true, hideous appearance as a one-legged creature with ferocious vampire-like lust for human flesh and blood, attacking and

monster of Japanese folklore

Archura (Old Turkic: 𐰀𐰺𐰲𐰆𐰺𐰀; ) is a shapeshifting woodland spirit in Turkic mythology who protects wild animals and forests.

Woodland Fairies

thumb|150px|Statue of Pombero The Pombero () known also as Pomberito, Pyrague ("hairy feet"), Karai Pyhare ("lord of the night"), Kuarahy Jára ("master of the sun") is a mythological being typical of Paraguay's cultural heritage. Also known in the mythology of the Mbyá tribe of southern Brazil and the Argentinian province of (Misiones) and Cho Pombé ("Don Pombero"), it is a mythical humanoid creature of small stature in Guarani mythology. The legend, along with those of other mythological figures of the Guarani, is an important part of the culture of a region stretching from northeast Argentin

In the traditional Chilote mythology of Chiloé, Chile, the Trauco is a humanoid creature of small stature—similar to a dwarf or goblin—who lives deep in the forest. It has an ugly face and legs without feet.

spirit in Siberian folklore

The (literally, 'escorting dog') is a kind of yōkai. There are stories of the okuri-inu from the Tōhoku region to Kyushu, but depending on the area it can be a wolf not a dog, and there are numerous differences in its behaviour. It is sometimes also called simply the 'yama-inu' (; wild dog, wolf) or the 'ōkami' (; wolf).

supernatural beings in southeast Asian folklore

mountain god in Japanese folklore

thumb|Clay statuette from Argentina, on display at the Bern Historical Museum right|thumb|The legend of the Chullachaqui Mural (Iquitos - Peru) The Chullachaki (Quechua, "one-footed", from chulla or ''ch'ulla = single, odd, unpaired, asymmetric, chaki'' = foot; spelling sometimes also used in Spanish) or Chullachaqui (Hispanicized spelling), also known as the Shapishico, is a mythical forest creature of the Peruvian and Brazilian Amazonian jungle.

The Ciguapa ( ; ) is a mythological creature of Dominican Republic folklore. It is commonly described as having human female form with brown or dark blue skin, backward facing feet, and a very long mane of smooth, glossy hair that covers her body. Its home is the high mountains.

A Pukwudgie, also spelled Puk-Wudjie (another spelling, Puck-wudj-ininee, translated by Henry Schoolcraft as "little wild man of the woods that vanishes"), is a human-like creature of Wampanoag folklore, found in Delaware, Prince Edward Island, and parts of Indiana and Massachusetts, sometimes said to be tall.

thumb| from the by Sawaki Sūshi thumb| from the by Toriyama Sekien thumb| from (), Harry F. Bruning Collection of Japanese Books and Manuscripts, Brigham Young University

thumb|A Skogsrå meeting a man, as portrayed by artist Per Daniel Holm in the 1882 book Svenska folksägner The ' (Swedish definite form: ; ), ' (definite: , 'the mistress of the forest'), '''''' (definite: , 'the maiden of the forest'), ', , or ' (definite: , , 'the forest nymph'), is a mythical female creature (or ) of the forest in Swedish folklore.

Zână (plural zâne; zînă and zîne, d̦ână and d̦âne in old spellings) is the Romanian equivalent of the Greek Charites or the fairy godmother. They are the opposite of monsters such as Muma Pădurii. These characters make positive appearances in fairy tales and mostly reside in the woods. They can also be considered the Romanian equivalent of fairies and the Germanic elf. They vary in size and appearance and can transform to blend into their surroundings for protection and cover. They can appear openly in the woods and coax travelers to follow them in order to help them find their way. They can a

mythical creatures from African mythology

mythological figure

In Philippine mythology, the kapre is a creature that may be described as a tree giant or ape like, being a tall (), dark-coloured, hairy, and muscular creature. Kapres are also said to have a very strong body odour and commonly sit on tree branches to smoke.

thumb|Schrat as Carnival costume. The Schrat () or Schratt, also Schraz or Waldschrat (forest Schrat), is a rather diverse German and Slavic legendary creature with aspects of either a wood sprite, domestic sprite and/or a nightmare demon. In other languages it is further known as Skrat.

The Askafroa (), also known as the Danish Askefrue is a type of legendary creature in Scandinavian folklore, similar to the Greek Hamadryads. The Askafroa is the guardian (tutelary deity) of the ash tree. The Askafroa was thought to be a malicious creature that did much damage, and to appease her, it was necessary to make a sacrifice to her on Ash Wednesday.

thumb|Apsonsi statue in Wat Phra Kaew Apsonsi () is a half-woman half-lion mythical creature from Thai mythology. Apsonsi is one of the many hybrid creatures depicted in ancient South and Southeast Asian folklore. Also called Apsonsingh, Apsonsingha, Apsarasingha or Apsarasingh, being the compound of an Apsara (Apson) and a singha (singh), that is a female nymph and a lion. The combination of a male angel and a lion is called Thepnorasi. It is comparable to the Manussiha, a half-lion half-man Burmese mythical creature.

Yosuzume (, "Night-Sparrow") are bird yōkai, the knowledge of which are handed down within the Hada District, Aichi Prefecture towns of Tanokuchi (presently Kuroshio), Tomiyama (presently Nakamura), in Kitagawa, Aki District, in Minamiuwa District, Ehime Prefecture, and in other places.

Äbädä (Cyrillic: Әбәдә) is an innocent forest spirit in Turkic mythology. It looks like an old woman. Äbädä also is represented in mythologies of Siberian peoples.

The chickcharney is a type of legendary creature in the folklore of Andros in the Bahamas. They are described as mischievous feathered creatures with red eyes, three toes on each foot, and long prehensile tails. Their heads are said to be able to turn all the way around. They are believed to live in pine forests and will either curse or bless travelers depending on how they are treated. They are described either as large owls or as feathered humanoid creatures that merely resemble owls. They allegedly build nests by tying the tops of pine trees together.

right|thumb|220px|"Yamachichi" from the "Ehon Atsumegusa" right|thumb|200px|"Yamachichi" from the Tosa Obake Zōshi Yamajijii (山爺) or Yamachichi (山父) (or, depending on the area, "yamanjii") is a type of yōkai.

spirit from Thai folklore

Mythological figure of Catalan culture

Pitsen is a forest creature in the Siberian Tatars' mythology.