Monsters

thumb|The Vampire, by Philip Burne-Jones, 1897|alt=A black and white painting of a man lying on a table, while a woman is kneeling over him.

In folklore, a werewolf (), or occasionally lycanthrope (from Ancient Greek ), is an individual who can shapeshift into a wolf or therianthropic hybrid wolf–humanlike creature, either voluntarily or involuntarily due to a curse or other affliction. In modern fiction, especially film, transformations are often depicted as triggered by the full moon and transmitted by a bite or scratch from another werewolf. Early sources for belief in this ability or affliction, called lycanthropy, are Petronius (27–66) and Gervase of Tilbury (1150–1228).

thumb|A polemical allegory represented as a five-headed monster, 1618 A monster is a type of imaginary or fictional creature found in literature, folklore, mythology, horror, fantasy, fiction and religion. They are very often depicted as dangerous and aggressive, with a strange or grotesque appearance that causes terror and fear, often in humans. Monsters usually resemble bizarre, deformed, otherworldly and/or mutated animals or entirely unique creatures of varying sizes, but may also take a human form, such as mutants, ghosts, spirits, vampires or zombies, among other things. They may or may

In European bestiaries and legends, a basilisk ( or ) is a legendary reptile reputed to be a serpent king, who causes death to those who look into its eyes. According to the Naturalis Historia of Pliny the Elder, the basilisk of Cyrene is a small snake, "being not more than twelve inches in length", that is so venomous, it leaves a wide trail of deadly venom in its path, and its gaze is likewise lethal.

thumb|300px|Fenrir and Naglfar on the [[Tullstorp Runestone. The inscription mentions the name Ulfr ("wolf"), and the name Kleppir/Glippir. The last name is not fully understood, but may have represented Glæipiʀ which is similar to Gleipnir which was the rope with which the Fenrir wolf was bound. The two male names may have inspired the theme depicted on the runestone.]] thumb|right|An illustration of an image on a bracteate found in Trollhättan, [[Västergötland, Sweden. The image is considered a depiction of Týr tricking Fenrir. Drawing by Gunnar Creutz.]] alt=|thumb|Odin and Fenris (1909) by

The chupacabra or chupacabras (, literally 'goat-sucker', from , 'sucks', and , 'goats') is a legendary creature, or cryptid, in the folklore of parts of the Americas. The name comes from the animal's purported vampirism the chupacabra is said to attack and drink the blood of livestock, including goats.

The simurgh (; ; also spelled senmurv, simorgh, simorg, simurg, simoorg, simorq or simourv) is a benevolent bird in Persian mythology and literature. It bears some similarities with mythological birds from different origins, such as the phoenix ( quqnūs) and the humā (). The figure can be found in all periods of Iranian art and literature and is also evident in the iconography of Georgia, medieval Armenia, the Eastern Roman Empire, and other regions that were within the realm of Persian cultural influence.

thumb|Behemoth as depicted in the Dictionnaire Infernal by Collin de Plancy Behemoth (; , bəhēmōṯ) is a beast from the biblical Book of Job, and is a form of the primeval chaos-monster created by God at the beginning of creation. Metaphorically, the name has come to be used for any extremely large or powerful entity.

thumb|330px|An oni menaces the monk Kūkai, who wards it off by chanting the [[Buddhist tantras. Painting by Hokusai (1760–1849).]]

thumb|upright=1.15|Giovanni Lanfranco: Norandino and Lucina Discovered by the Ogre, [[oil on canvas, c. 1624]] An ogre (feminine: ogress) is a legendary monster depicted as a large, hideous, humanoid being that eats ordinary human beings, especially infants and children. Ogres frequently feature in mythology, folklore, and fiction throughout the world. They appear in many classic works of literature, and are most often associated in fairy tales and legend.

thumb|Vodyanoy by Ivan Bilibin, 1934

Wendigo () is a mythological creature or evil spirit originating from Algonquian folklore. The concept of the wendigo has been widely used in literature and other works of art, such as social commentary and horror fiction.

legendary deadly cryptid of the Gobi desert

A jiāngshī (), also known as a Chinese hopping vampire, is a type of undead creature or reanimated corpse in Chinese legends and folklore. Due to the influence of Hong Kong cinema, it is typically depicted in modern popular culture as a stiff corpse dressed in official garments from the Qing dynasty. Although the pronunciation of jiangshi varies in different East Asian countries, all of them refer to the Chinese version of vampire.

thumb|300px|An image of humans battling a Namazu

In Japanese folklore, tsukumogami (付喪神 or つくも神, lit. "tool kami") are tools that have acquired a kami or spirit. According to an annotated version of The Tales of Ise titled Ise Monogatari Shō, there is a theory originally from the Onmyōki (陰陽記) that foxes and tanuki, among other beings, that have lived for at least a hundred years and changed forms are considered tsukumogami. In modern times, the term can also be written 九十九神 (literally ninety-nine kami), to emphasize the agedness.

Indonesian lion-like creature and character in the mythology of Java and Bali

Folklore creature

In Navajo culture, a skin-walker () or skinwalker is a type of harmful witch who has the ability to turn into, possess, or disguise themselves as an animal. The term is never used for healers.

huge cat in Icelandic folklore

Supposed paranormal phenomenon

thumb|260x260px|Shiva as Sharabha subduing Narasimha, panel view from Munneswaram temple in [[Sri Lanka]]

thumb|A carved representation of a tupilak, Greenland A ' ( or in Inuktitut syllabics, plural ') is a monster or carving of a monster.

Aztec mythological creature

popular topic for ghost stories in Central and South Asia

200px|thumb|right|Vouivre. Liber Floridus, 1448.

thumb|Navagunjara|260x260px

Indonesian Boar Demon

thumb|280x280px|Statue depicting the Bahkauv in Aachen The Bahkauv is a mythical monster said to reside in Aachen, Germany. The creature has been featured in the folklore of both Aachen and the Rhineland. Often depicted as a deformed calf with fangs, the Bahkauv is commonly associated with drunken men.

Sheshe () in Persian mythology is a jinni-like creature that strangles newborn babies on 6th day of their lives.

name given to a supernatural creature, used to explain the phenomenon of sleep paralysis

The Manaul bird is a creature of Philippine folklore. There are at least four existing stories regarding Manaul. "Manaul" (also spelled "Manaol") is also the native common name of two species of large eagles in the Philippines, the Philippine eagle and the white-bellied sea eagle.

or (rain trout) is a giant whale- or fish-like creature from Ainu folklore. Some of the largest amemasu are said to live in Lake Mashū and Lake Shikotsu in Hokkaidō, with smaller ones inhabiting lakes throughout northern areas of Honshu. The amemasu are known for capsizing boats, creating earthquakes, and causing other natural disasters.

is an abridged version of a Swahili fairy tale titled "Sultan Majnun" (Sultani Majinuni), collected by Edward Steere (1828–1882)

thumb|300px|Ngúrúvilu of the Mapuche