This list includes 37 Mythical creatures that start with P, from “Pakhangba” to “Python (Delphic Python)”. These beings range from benevolent spirits and dragons to serpents, hybrids, and tricksters, useful for storytelling, worldbuilding, gaming, and education.
Mythical creatures that start with P are legendary beings, animals, or hybrids rooted in global folklore and myth. For example, “Pakhangba” is a revered serpent-deity in Meitei tradition, blending history and sacred myth.
Below you’ll find the table with Name, Origin, Description, Famous stories, and Alternate names.
Name: The creature’s common name, helping you quickly locate and reference entries when researching or planning stories.
Origin: The cultural origin gives context so you understand the creature’s mythic background and regional significance.
Description: A concise one- to two-sentence summary that highlights appearance, abilities, and key traits for quick comparison.
Famous stories: Notable myths or texts list where the creature appears, so you can follow sources and examples.
Alternate names: Variant names, epithets, or translations that help you find cross-references across traditions and languages.
Mythical creatures that start with P
| Name | Alternate names | Origin | Notable sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix | Bennu, Firebird | Greek/Egyptian | Ovid’s Metamorphoses; Herodotus |
| Pegasus | Pegasos | Greek | Hesiod; Ovid’s Metamorphoses |
| Pooka | Púca, Phouka | Irish | Irish folktales; W.B. Yeats |
| Pixie | Piskie | Cornish/British | Cornish folktales; English folklore collections |
| Puck | Robin Goodfellow | English/Celtic | Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream; English folktales |
| Poltergeist | Poltergeister | German | German folklore; modern case accounts |
| Pontianak | Kuntilanak | Malay/Indonesian | Malay folktales; Indonesian legends |
| Penanggalan | Penyanggal | Malay | Malay folklore; oral tales |
| Pishacha | Piśāc | Hindu | Mahabharata; Puranas |
| Preta | Hungry ghost | Hindu/Buddhist | Pali Tipitaka; Jataka tales |
| Pishtaco | Pishtaku | Andean (Peru) | Andean folklore; ethnographic accounts |
| Peryton | — | Literary/Medieval | Book of Imaginary Beings (Borges); medieval bestiary allusions |
| Pukwudgie | Pukwudgie | Wampanoag/Algonquian | Algonquian folktales; American folklore collections |
| Piasa | Piasa Bird | Native American (Illini) | Illiniwek legend; Marquette accounts |
| Popobawa | — | East African (Zanzibar) | Zanzibari folktales; modern reports |
| Pincoya | — | Chilote (Chilean) | Chilote mythology; local tales |
| Peuchen | Peuchén (variants) | Chilote/Mapuche | Chilote mythology; oral tradition |
| Pelesit | — | Malay | Malay folklore; traditional belief |
| Polong | — | Malay | Malay folktales; spirit possession tales |
| Panotti | Panotii, Panotii | Classical/Medieval | Pliny’s Natural History; medieval bestiaries |
| Peng (great bird) | — | Chinese | Zhuangzi; Classic Chinese texts |
| Penghou | — | Chinese | Baopuzi; Bencao Gangmu |
| Python (Delphic Python) | — | Greek | Hesiod; Apollodorus |
| Polyphemus | — | Greek | Homer’s Odyssey; Hesiod |
| Pan | — | Greek | Homeric Hymns; pastoral myths |
| Peri | Pari | Persian | Shahnameh; Persian folktales |
| Pesta | — | Norwegian | Norwegian folktales; folk ballads |
| Papinijuwari | Papinijuwari (variants) | Australian Aboriginal (Tiwi) | Tiwi mythology; oral tradition |
| Poroniec | — | Slavic/Polish | Polish folk tales; folk belief |
| Pakhangba | — | Meitei (Manipuri) | Cheitharol Kumbaba; Meitei legends |
| Ponaturi | — | Maori | Maori legend; oral tradition |
| Patupaiarehe | — | Maori | Maori folklore; oral tales |
| Pazuzu | — | Mesopotamian | Akkadian texts; Aramaic incantations |
| Pele | — | Hawaiian | Hawaiian chants; Kumulipo |
| Pesanta | La Pesanta | Catalan/Chilean | Catalan folk tales; Chilean folklore |
| Psoglav | — | Slavic/Balkan | Medieval travelogues; Balkan folklore |
| Perenelle? No entry | — | — | — |
Descriptions
Phoenix
A legendary immortal bird (spirit) associated with fire and rebirth; it cyclically dies in flames and is reborn from its ashes, symbolizing renewal.
Pegasus
A winged divine horse (hybrid) born from Medusa’s blood, famed for carrying heroes and symbolizing inspiration and the Muses.
Pooka
A shape‑shifting spirit (spirit) from Celtic folklore, often a trickster that appears as a black horse, goat, or human to both help and mislead people.
Pixie
Small mischievous fairies (fairy/folk spirit) of southwest Britain noted for pranks, dancing, and leading travelers astray.
Puck
A mischievous nature spirit (sprite) celebrated in English folklore and literature, known for pranks and for guiding or confusing humans.
Poltergeist
A noisy, mischievous household spirit (ghost) blamed for moving objects and loud disturbances, often linked to poltergeist “cases” in folklore and parapsychology.
Pontianak
A vampiric female spirit (ghost) of Southeast Asian folklore, said to be the restless ghost of a woman who died in childbirth and haunts night travelers.
Penanggalan
A detached flying female head with trailing organs (monster) that preys on pregnant women and infants at night in Malay legend.
Pishacha
Malevolent flesh‑eating spirits/demons (demon) in Hindu lore that haunt cremation grounds and possess humans.
Preta
A tormented hungry ghost (spirit) in South Asian religions, depicted as emaciated beings driven by insatiable hunger or thirst due to past karma.
Pishtaco
A boogeyman figure (monster) in Andean legend described as a slayer who harvests human fat, reflecting colonial anxieties and social fears.
Peryton
A hybrid creature (monster) with a deer’s body and bird wings, introduced in modern bestiary tradition and linked to medieval imagery.
Pukwudgie
Small, humanlike woodland beings (folk spirit) from Northeastern Native American tales known for trickery, ambidexterity, and sometimes danger to humans.
Piasa
A fearsome river monster (monster) depicted as a winged, horned beast in Illiniwek legend, associated with cliffs above the Mississippi River.
Popobawa
A shapeshifting night demon (demon) from Zanzibar folklore blamed for nocturnal attacks and social panic during reported outbreaks.
Pincoya
A joyful sea spirit (spirit) of Chiloé who controls fish and fertility of the ocean, often invoked in local seafaring lore.
Peuchen
A vampiric flying snake or shape‑shifter (monster) from southern Chilean tales that drains blood and causes misfortune.
Pelesit
A small familiar spirit (spirit) in Malay magic, often kept by shamans to serve and sometimes associated with possession.
Polong
A malignant spirit (spirit) in Malay belief created to attack and possess victims, frequently appearing in possession narratives.
Panotti
A race of human‑like beings (monster) from classical and medieval texts known for enormous ears said to be used as blankets or sails.
Peng (great bird)
A titanic mythical bird (monster/spirit) that transforms from a giant fish (Kun) in Chinese Daoist literature, symbolizing freedom and vastness.
Penghou
A tree spirit or forest creature (spirit/monster) in Chinese lore, described as a creature that lives in trees and resembles a dog or monkey.
Python (Delphic Python)
A primeval earth serpent (monster) who guarded Delphi until slain by Apollo; often depicted as a chthonic dragon or serpent.
Polyphemus
A giant one‑eyed cyclops (monster) from Greek myth, famed for his encounter with Odysseus and for brutal strength.
Pan
A rustic god with goat features (nature spirit), often described as half‑man, half‑goat and associated with wilds, music, and panic.
Peri
A class of supernatural beings (fairy) from Iranian tradition, often beautiful and ambivalent, historically evolving into benevolent fairy figures.
Pesta
Personification of plague (spirit/witch) in Scandinavian folklore, depicted as an old crone who brings disease when she visits a home.
Papinijuwari
A night‑stalking spirit (monster) in Tiwi tales that eats the hearts of sleeping infants, often used to warn and instruct communities.
Poroniec
A small demon (demon) in Slavic myth born from a stillborn fetus or unbaptized child, blamed for misfortune and illness.
Pakhangba
A primordial serpentine deity/dragon (divine creature) in Manipuri myth, associated with protection and royal lineage.
Ponaturi
Water‑dwelling hostile beings (monster) in Māori myth who live in the sea and are defeated in famous tribal tales.
Patupaiarehe
Fair, pale forest people (fairy) who live in misty hills and play music, often luring or kidnapping unwary humans in Māori tradition.
Pazuzu
A powerful demon (demon) from ancient Mesopotamia, both feared for malevolence and invoked for protection against other evil spirits.
Pele
A volcanic goddess and spirit (deity/force of nature) who personifies volcanic fire, creation and destruction in Hawaiian oral tradition.
Pesanta
A monstrous night hag (folklore creature) depicted as a heavy black dog or creature that sits on sleepers’ chests, causing nightmares.
Psoglav
A dog‑headed humanoid (monster) from Balkan legend said to eat human flesh and possess a single iron tooth or wooden spoon eye.
Perenelle? No entry