This list includes 39 mythical creatures that start with H, from “Haetae” to “Hyosube”. These entries span spirits, monsters, and hybrid beasts from world folklore, useful for students, writers, and game designers.
Mythical creatures that start with H are legendary beings whose names begin with H across many cultures. Many, like the Korean Haetae and Japanese Hyosube, serve as guardians or cautionary figures.
Below you’ll find the table with Name, Origin, Description, Famous stories or sources, and Alternate names / Cross-references.
Name: The creature’s common name and variants, which you use to identify and search for entries.
Origin: The culture or region where the creature appears, helping you place it in historical or mythic context.
Description: A concise summary of appearance, abilities, and behavior, giving you a quick mental image and use cases.
Famous stories or sources: Key myths, texts, or legends where the creature appears, which you can consult for narrative examples.
Alternate names / Cross-references: Variant spellings, synonyms, and related creatures listed to help you explore links and regional names.
Mythical creatures that start with H
| Name | Alternate names | Origin culture | Famous stories/sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harpy | Harpies | Greek | Hesiod; Odyssey; Aeneid |
| Hydra | Lernaean Hydra | Greek | Heracles’ Labours; Hesiod |
| Hecatoncheires | Hundred-Handers | Greek | Hesiod’s Theogony |
| Hippocampus | Sea-horse | Greek | Classical art; Pliny |
| Hamadryad | Tree nymph | Greek | Ovid; classical myth |
| Hraesvelgr | Hræsvelgr, Hresvelgr | Norse | Poetic Edda; Prose Edda |
| Harionago | — | Japanese | Regional yokai tales |
| Hashihime | Bridge Princess | Japanese | Heian tales; Noh drama |
| Hitodama | Will-o’-the-wisp | Japanese | Folktales; ghost accounts |
| Hitotsume-kozō | One-eyed boy | Japanese | Edo folklore; Sekien |
| Hyosube | Water imp | Japanese | Folktales; Sekien |
| Huli jing | Fox spirit | Chinese | Strange Tales; Journey to the West |
| Hundun | Primordial chaos being | Chinese | Zhuangzi; Classic texts |
| Hungry Ghost | Preta; Egui | Buddhist/Chinese | Buddhist sutras; Chinese festivals |
| Huay Chivo | — | Maya (Yucatán) | Regional Maya folklore |
| Hodag | — | American (Wisconsin) | Lumberjack tales; local folklore |
| Haetae | Haechi; Haet’ae | Korean | Joseon-era lore; palace statues |
| Humbaba | Huwawa | Mesopotamian | Epic of Gilgamesh |
| Homunculus | Little man | European alchemy | Paracelsus; alchemical texts |
| Hob | Household spirit | English/Northern | English folk tales; ballads |
| Hobgoblin | Hob; Robin Goodfellow type | English | British folklore; ballads |
| Helhest | Hel-horse | Danish | Danish folk belief; chronicles |
| Herne | Herne the Hunter | English | Windsor folklore; Shakespeare references |
| Hellequin | Leader of the Wild Hunt | French/European | Medieval chronicles; folklore |
| Headless Horseman | — | European/American | Sleepy Hollow; medieval lore |
| Horned Serpent | Uktena-like; water serpent | Native American | Southeastern tribal tales; Mississippian art |
| Huanglong | Yellow Dragon | Chinese | Ancient texts; imperial symbolism |
| Huldra | Hulder; Huldrekall (male) | Scandinavian | Norse folktales; sagas |
| Huldrekall | Huldrekarl | Scandinavian | Folktales; sagas |
| Hiisi | Hiidet | Finnish | Kalevala; folk tales |
| Haltija | House/guardian spirit | Finnish | Folk religion; Kalevala |
| Hellhound | Black dog; infernal hound | European | Folklore; medieval accounts |
| Huma | Humai | Persian | Shahnameh; Persian lore |
| Hesperides | Nymphs of the West | Greek | Hesiod; Heracles’ labors |
| Huginn | Odin’s raven (Thought) | Norse | Poetic Edda; Prose Edda |
| Hati | Moon-chasing wolf | Norse | Poetic Edda; Prose Edda |
| Hrimthurs | Hrímþursar; frost giants | Norse | Eddic poems; sagas |
| Hantu | Ghost; spirit | Malay/Indonesian | Malay folklore; village tales |
| Hantu Raya | Great spirit | Malay/Indonesian | Malay folktales; shaman accounts |
Descriptions
Harpy
Winged female monsters who snatch people and food, often agents of divine punishment and chaos.
Hydra
A multi-headed water-serpent; cutting one head often caused two to grow, famously slain by Heracles.
Hecatoncheires
Gigantic primordial beings with a hundred hands and fifty heads who fought the Titans for the gods.
Hippocampus
A marine hybrid with a horse’s forepart and fish tail, often shown pulling sea-god chariots.
Hamadryad
Tree-bound nymph whose life is joined to a particular tree; harming the tree harms the nymph.
Hraesvelgr
A giant eagle at the world’s edge who stirs the winds by beating its wings.
Harionago
A female yokai with razor-like, prehensile hair that ensnares and injures men; a cautionary monster tale.
Hashihime
A jealous woman transformed into a vengeful demon tied to a bridge, celebrated in classical literature.
Hitodama
Floating balls of fire said to be the souls of the dead, seen near graves and battlefields.
Hitotsume-kozō
A childish, one-eyed yokai who startles and plays pranks but rarely causes real harm.
Hyosube
An ugly river or pond spirit known for stealing crops and causing mischief near water.
Huli jing
A shapeshifting fox spirit that can seduce, deceive, or become a protective companion in Chinese tales.
Hundun
A formless, mindless entity symbolizing primordial chaos or the uncarved world in early Chinese thought.
Hungry Ghost
Tormented spirits of greed or bad karma with insatiable hunger, central to East Asian ghost lore.
Huay Chivo
A sorcerer who transforms into a burning dog-goat hybrid to steal livestock and terrorize villages.
Hodag
A fearsome horned beast from Wisconsin folklore, born as a tall-tale hoax but now a regional legend.
Haetae
Lion-like guardian creature that detects truth and wards off disasters, seen in stone guardians at palaces.
Humbaba
Terrifying guardian of the Cedar Forest with a fearsome face, overcome by Gilgamesh and Enkidu.
Homunculus
A tiny, artificially created human from alchemical lore, often imagined in jars or magical labs.
Hob
Small domestic spirit that may help with chores or play mischievous pranks if not properly honored.
Hobgoblin
Merry yet mischievous household goblin akin to Puck, capable of helpful or disruptive acts.
Helhest
A three-legged horse associated with the realm of the dead; sighting is an ill omen in Danish tales.
Herne
A ghostly huntsman tied to Windsor Forest and the Wild Hunt, appearing as a portent or protector.
Hellequin
A spectral leader of the ghostly hunt, appearing in medieval French sources and Wild Hunt traditions.
Headless Horseman
A spectral rider missing his head, a widespread motif in European and American ghost stories.
Horned Serpent
A sacred and often dangerous horned water-serpent present in multiple indigenous North American traditions.
Huanglong
A sacred dragon associated with the emperor and the center of the cosmos in Chinese tradition.
Huldra
A seductive forest spirit that appears beautiful but often has an animal tail, known to lure or help humans.
Huldrekall
Male counterpart to the huldra; an elusive forest spirit sometimes invisible and known for singing or beckoning.
Hiisi
Spirits or hill-demons of Finnish tradition, ranging from ancient sacred places to dangerous monsters in stories.
Haltija
A guardian spirit of home, place, or person; can protect or demand respect in Finnish belief.
Hellhound
Spectral dogs associated with the underworld, death, or as omens, often fierce and otherworldly.
Huma
A phoenix-like bird of fortune that grants kingship or good luck to those it blesses.
Hesperides
Nymphs who guard the golden apple tree at the world’s edge, often encountered by heroes.
Huginn
One of Odin’s ravens who flies the world to gather news and report back to the god.
Hati
A wolf destined to chase and try to devour the moon, counterpart to the wolf that chases the sun.
Hrimthurs
Frost or rime giants of Norse myth, primordial jötnar associated with cold, ice, and ancient chaos.
Hantu
Generic term for ghosts in Malay and Indonesian tradition, appearing in many named regional varieties.
Hantu Raya
A powerful ghost or familiar used by sorcerers to possess, protect, or harm according to Malay belief.