This list includes 33 Mythical creatures that start with M, from “Maenad” to “Myrmidons”. They range from nature spirits and legendary warriors to hybrid beasts and shadowy apparitions, drawn from many cultures. You can use this list for research, creative writing, game design, or classroom reference.
Mythical creatures that start with M are legendary beings and monsters whose names begin with the letter M. Many entries trace to Greek and Near Eastern myths, while others come from global folklore and literary invention.
Below you’ll find the table with Name, Origin, Description, Famous stories, Alternate names
Name: The creature’s common name as used in English, so you can find and cite each entry quickly.
Origin: The culture or region where the creature appears, helping you place it within a mythic tradition.
Description: A concise one- to two-sentence summary of traits and appearance, so you grasp each creature at a glance.
Famous stories: One to three well-known tales, epics, or literary sources that feature the creature for further reading.
Alternate names: Variant names, epithets, or related terms that help you cross-reference different traditions or translations.
Mythical creatures that start with M
| Name | Alternate names / spellings | Origin (culture/region) | Famous stories / sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maenad | Bacchante, Bassarid | Greek mythology | Euripides’ ‘The Bacchae’ |
| Makara | — | Hindu mythology | Vahana of Ganga and Varuna |
| Mami Wata | Maman de l’Eau | West & Central African folklore | Oral traditions across Africa and the Americas |
| Manananggal | Tik-tik, Wak-Wak | Philippine folklore | Visayan, Tagalog, and Bicolano oral traditions |
| Mandrake | Mandragora | European folklore | Medieval herbals, biblical references |
| Manticore | Manticora, Martikhora | Persian & Greek mythology | Pliny the Elder’s ‘Natural History’ |
| Mapinguari | Isnashi, Juma | Amazonian folklore | Oral traditions of Brazil and Bolivia |
| Mara | Mare, Mora | Germanic & Slavic folklore | Ynglinga saga, Scandinavian folklore |
| Mares of Diomedes | Mares of Thrace | Greek mythology | The Labors of Heracles |
| Matagot | Mandragot, Magot | French folklore | Occitan and Catalan oral traditions |
| Mazikeen | Mazikin, Shedim | Jewish mythology | The Talmud |
| Medusa | The Gorgon | Greek mythology | Ovid’s ‘Metamorphoses’, Myth of Perseus |
| Melusine | Melusina | European folklore | Jean d’Arras’ ‘Le Roman de Melusine’ |
| Menehune | — | Hawaiian folklore | Oral traditions of Hawaii |
| Mermaid | Siren, Merrow, Nereid | Global folklore | Hans Christian Andersen’s ‘The Little Mermaid’ |
| Merman | Triton, Mer-man | Global folklore | Greek myths of Triton |
| Minotaur | Asterion | Greek mythology | Myth of Theseus and the Minotaur |
| Mishipeshu | Underwater Panther, Great Lynx | Anishinaabe folklore | Great Lakes oral traditions |
| Mngwa | Nunda | East African folklore | Oral traditions of Tanzania |
| Mogwai | Mo-gwai | Chinese folklore | Cantonese oral traditions |
| Mokèlé-mbèmbé | — | Congolese folklore | Congo River Basin oral traditions |
| Monoceros | — | Medieval European bestiaries | Pliny the Elder’s ‘Natural History’ |
| Monopod | Sciapod, Skiapod | Greek & Medieval folklore | Pliny the Elder’s ‘Natural History’ |
| Mooinjer Veggey | The Little People | Manx folklore | Oral traditions of the Isle of Man |
| Morgawr | Cornish Sea Serpent | Cornish folklore | Modern sightings and folklore |
| Moroi | — | Romanian folklore | Oral traditions of Romania |
| Mothman | — | West Virginian folklore (modern) | Point Pleasant sightings (1966-1967) |
| Muldjewangk | — | Ngarrindjeri (Aboriginal Australian) folklore | Murray River oral traditions |
| Mummy | — | Egyptian & Global folklore | ‘The Book of the Dead’ |
| Muma Pădurii | Forest Mother | Romanian folklore | Oral traditions of Romania |
| Muse | Mousai | Greek mythology | Hesiod’s ‘Theogony’ |
| Myling | Utburd | Scandinavian folklore | Oral traditions of Sweden and Norway |
| Myrmidons | Myrmidones | Greek mythology | Homer’s ‘Iliad’ |
Descriptions
Maenad
Wild, ecstatic female followers of Dionysus, the god of wine. They would dance into a frenzy, possessing superhuman strength to rip animals or people apart.
Makara
A mythical sea-creature, often depicted as a hybrid with the front of an animal like an elephant or crocodile and the tail of a fish.
Mami Wata
A powerful water spirit, often depicted as a mermaid-like figure. She can bring good fortune but is also known for her dangerous, seductive nature.
Manananggal
A terrifying vampire-like creature that can sever its upper torso to fly at night, preying on sleeping pregnant women with its long tongue.
Mandrake
A magical plant whose root resembles a human figure. When pulled from the ground, it was said to let out a fatal scream.
Manticore
A monstrous hybrid with the body of a lion, a human-like face, and a tail of venomous spines which it can shoot like arrows.
Mapinguari
A giant, foul-smelling, sloth-like creature of the Amazon rainforest. It is said to have a single eye and a mouth on its stomach.
Mara
A malicious spirit that sits on a sleeper’s chest, causing suffocation and bad dreams, from which we get the word “nightmare”.
Mares of Diomedes
Four ferocious, man-eating horses owned by the giant Diomedes. Capturing them was the eighth labor of Heracles.
Matagot
A spirit, often in the form of a black cat, that brings wealth to its owner if well-fed. It can be a source of good or evil.
Mazikeen
A class of invisible demons or mischievous spirits in Jewish folklore. They can be either helpful or harmful to humans.
Medusa
One of the three Gorgon sisters, a monster with venomous snakes for hair. Anyone who looked directly into her eyes would turn to stone.
Melusine
A female spirit of fresh water with the tail of a serpent or fish. She would marry a mortal if he promised never to see her on a Saturday.
Menehune
A legendary race of small, nocturnal people who were master builders. They are credited with building temples and fishponds overnight.
Mermaid
A legendary aquatic creature with the head and upper body of a female human and the tail of a fish. Often associated with beauty, music, and shipwrecks.
Merman
The male counterpart of the mermaid, an aquatic creature with the upper body of a man and the tail of a fish.
Minotaur
A creature with the head of a bull and the body of a man. It was imprisoned in the Labyrinth on Crete and fed on human tributes.
Mishipeshu
A powerful underwater dragon-like creature. It has the head of a cat, horns, a scaly body, and is said to control the waters.
Mngwa
A giant, ferocious, and deadly feline cryptid. Its name means “the strange one,” and it is described as being larger and more fearsome than a leopard.
Mogwai
A type of demon or gremlin that seeks to cause harm to humans. They are said to reproduce in the rain and thrive on negativity.
Mokèlé-mbèmbé
A large, dinosaur-like cryptid said to inhabit the Congo River. Often described as a sauropod, it is said to be herbivorous but highly territorial.
Monoceros
A mythical beast similar to a unicorn but more ferocious. It had the head of a stag, the body of a horse, and a single black horn.
Monopod
A race of dwarf-like people with a single, large foot. They were said to move by hopping and used their foot to shade themselves from the sun.
Mooinjer Veggey
The native fairies of the Isle of Man. They are generally benevolent but can be mischievous if offended or disrespected.
Morgawr
A large sea serpent said to inhabit the waters off the coast of Cornwall, England. Its name means “sea giant” in Cornish.
Moroi
A type of vampire or ghost. Unlike the Strigoi, a Moroi is typically a living person with vampiric tendencies, which can persist after death.
Mothman
A large, winged humanoid with glowing red eyes reported in West Virginia. It is often seen as an omen of disaster.
Muldjewangk
A water monster or tribe of monsters said to inhabit the Murray River, used as a cautionary tale to keep children away from the water’s edge.
Mummy
A preserved deceased human. In folklore and fiction, they are often reanimated as malevolent, cursed undead creatures seeking vengeance.
Muma Pădurii
A malevolent and ugly spirit of the forest. She is a protector of the woods who kidnaps children and torments lost travelers.
Muse
Nine sister goddesses who preside over the arts and sciences. They were believed to provide inspiration to artists, musicians, and poets.
Myling
The restless phantoms of unbaptized children. They haunt their place of death and try to leap onto a traveler’s back, demanding to be carried to a graveyard.
Myrmidons
A legendary tribe of fierce warriors commanded by Achilles in the Trojan War. They were said to have been created from ants by Zeus.