Nature 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

thumb|upright|Amaterasu, one of the central kami in the Shinto faith

thumb|A 12th-century sandstone statue of an apsara from Madhya Pradesh, India

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|Wood carving of a gandharva, Thailand A gandharva () is a member of a class of celestial beings in Indian religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, whose males are divine performers such as musicians and singers, and the females are divine dancers. In Hinduism, they are regarded to be the celestial demigods who serve as the musicians of the devas.

feminine spirit in Southern Slavic folklore

A hulder (or huldra) is a seductive forest creature found in Scandinavian folklore. Her name derives from a root meaning "covered" or "secret". In Norwegian folklore, she is known as huldra ("the [archetypal] hulder", though folklore presupposes that there is an entire Hulder race and not just a single individual). She is known as the skogsrå "forest spirit" or Tallemaja "pine tree Mary" in Swedish folklore, and '''''' in Sámi folklore. Her name suggests that she is originally the same being as the völva divine figure Huld and the German Holda.

thumb|Palahiko Mana, Water-Drinking Maiden, Hopi 1899. She wears a headdress with stepped Earth signs and corn ears. Water Drinking Woman seems to be a name for the corn itself, one of many forms of the Corn Maidens. thumb|Drawings of kachina dolls, Plate 11 from an 1894 anthropology book Dolls of the Tusayan Indians by Jesse Walter Fewkes. A kachina (; Hopi: katsina , plural katsinim ) is a spirit being in the religious beliefs of the Pueblo peoples, Native American cultures located in the southwestern part of the United States. In Pueblo cultures, kachina rites are practiced by the Hopi, Hop

thumb|Various Igorot bulul depicting [[ancestor spirits (c. 1900)]]

thumb|Wandjina rock art on the [[Barnett River, Mount Elizabeth Station]]

thumb|right|Four beings commonly identified as landvættir, as described in the Heimskringla version of [[Óláfs saga Tryggvasonar, as supporters on the coat of arms of Iceland.]] Landvættir ("land spirits" or "land wights") are spirits of the land in Old Nordic religion, later folk belief and modern Heathenry. They are closely associated with specific locations and their wellbeing is presented as being required for the land they inhabit to be fruitful. In Old Norse sources, they are depicted as being potentially harmful and capable of driving away unwanted individuals and capable of being frigh

Atua (Akua in Hawaii) are the gods and spirits of the Polynesian people such as the Māori or the Hawaiians (see also ). The literal meaning of the Polynesian word is "power" or "strength" and so the concept is similar to that of mana. Many of the atua that are known have originated from myths and legends of each Polynesian culture before Christianity was introduced. These days, the word atua is related to the monotheistic conception of God. However for Polynesian cultures, as opposed to having only one superior god, there are multiple atua.

Woodland Fairies

supernatural beings in southeast Asian folklore

Gypsy trader being blocked by Meena bandits|260px|alt=Gypsy trader being blocked by Meena bandits|thumb

REDIRECT Wight

A jengu (pl. miengu, also called bisima) is a water spirit in the traditional beliefs of the Sawabantu groups of Cameroon, like the Duala, Bakweri, Malimba, Subu, Bakoko, and Oroko people. Among the Bakweri, the term used is liengu (plural: maengu). Miengu are similar to bisimbi (singular: simbi) in the Bakongo spirituality and Mamba Muntu, who is present in many West and Central African cultures.

In Basque mythology, Odei, also known as Hodei is a spirit of thunder and the personification of storm clouds.

Engkanto (from Spanish encanto, ) are mythical environmental spirits that are said to have the ability to appear in human form. They are often associated with the spirits of ancestors and spirits of the dead called anito in the Philippines. They are also characterized as spirit sorts like sirens, dark beings, elves, and more. Belief in their existence has likely existed for centuries, and continues to this day.

thumb|200px|Sânziene (Lady's Bedstraw flowers) thumbnail|Sânzienele at Cricău Festival 2013

In Polynesian languages the word aitu refers to ghosts or spirits, often malevolent. The word is common to many languages of Western and Eastern Polynesia. In the mythology of Tonga, for example, aitu or eitu are lesser gods, many being patrons of specific villages and families. They often take the form of plants or animals, and are often more cruel than other gods. These trouble-making gods are regarded as having come from Samoa. The Tongan word tangi lauaitu means to cry from grief, to lament.

The Malay and Indonesian word for spirit or ghost

In Scandinavian folklore, a rå ( ), short for rådare ("ruler") from råda (to rule, to advise) from old Norse ráða, is a spirit who is the keeper or warden of a particular location or landform. The rå is known both in Nordic culture and in the Sami culture, where it is called radie.

The iele are feminine mythical creatures in Romanian mythology. There are several differing descriptions of their characteristics. Often they are described as faeries (zâne in Romanian), with great seductive power over men, with magic skills and attributes similar to nymphs, naiads and dryads found in Greek mythology.

Adroanzi ('Adro-children') are a group of nature and guardian spirits in Lugbara mythology.