11 Mythical Creatures From Around the World (and Where To “Find” Them)
Delve deep into the myth, legend, and monsters of 11 distinct cultures and countries.
Cultures the world over have a roster of supernatural creatures, myths, and monstrosities to explore, whether you find yourself in the English woodland or the Japanese cityscape. The veracity of these beings — from fairies and witches to cunning women and monstrous men — is of course up for debate. But if you really want to hunt down mythical creatures from around the world, here’s what to look for and where to do so.
Buckriders
Belgium and the Netherlands
Known alternately as Bokkenrijders and Les Chevaliers du Bouc, Buckriders are fearsome flighted creatures of folklore in both Belgium and the neighboring Netherlands. Riding through the sky atop flying goats, these demons were said to steal souls for Satan. And wine, naturally. In fact, 18th-century thieves even co-opted the Buckrider myth and began to besiege peaceful Catholic farmers in the name of the Bokkenrijders, although nowadays the Buckrider reputation has softened to a Robin Hood–level of steal-from-the-rich goodliness.
Valkyries
Norway
Although you might recognize the figure of the Valkyrie from blockbusting Marvel movies — thank you, Tessa Thompson! — these mythical women (plural) originated in Old Norse mythology and were ultimately in charge of choosing who lived and died on the battlefield. Often depicted on horseback, Valkyries would carry the dead to Valhalla where they would train to fight alongside the Norse god Odin at Ragnarök, aka the end of the world.
Loch Ness Monster
Scotland
It’s essentially impossible to talk about mythical creatures and not mention ol’ Nessie, aka the Loch Ness Monster. A fine figure of Scottish folklore, this underwater creature is said to have lurked in the depths of Loch Ness since as early as the 6th century. However, the creature’s popularity really soared in 1934, when the now-famed “Surgeon’s Photo” came to light and depicted the humped figure of Nessie (allegedly) rippling from below the surface. Naturally, Nessie-spotting tours abound in the Scottish Highlands, so you can always try and catch a glimpse for yourself.
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Author: Lauren Cocking
Lauren is a Mexico City–based writer, editor, and translator from Yorkshire with bylines at CNN, BBC Travel, and Al Jazeera. She’s currently working on her first full-length literary translation in between harassing her cat, drinking smuggled Yorkshire Tea, and blogging about Latin American literature at leyendolatam.com.
