This list includes 40 Mythological creatures that start with C, from “Cabbyl-ushtey” to “Cynocephali”. Many entries are hybrids, spirits, or legendary animals from global folklore. You can use this list for writing, teaching, or worldbuilding.
Mythological creatures that start with C are non-human beings from folklore and legend, including monsters, spirits, and hybrid animals. For example, the “Cù Sìth” and “Cynocephali” show how cultures personify fear and otherness.
Below you’ll find the table with Origin, Description, and Famous stories.
Origin: Tells the culture or region where the creature appears, helping you place it in historical or cultural context.
Description: Summarizes appearance, behavior, and key traits in 20–40 words, so you quickly grasp each creature’s essence.
Famous stories: Lists one or two myths, texts, or works where the creature appears, so you can find primary examples.
Mythological creatures that start with C
| Name | Alternate spellings | Origin (culture/region) | Famous stories or works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cerberus | Kerberos | Greek | Odyssey, Aeneid |
| Chimera | Chimaera | Greek | Iliad, Bellerophon myths |
| Cyclops | Cyclopes | Greek | Odyssey, Hesiod |
| Centaur | Centaurs | Greek | Jason and the Argonauts, Various myths |
| Charybdis | — | Greek | Odyssey |
| Chupacabra | Chupacabras | Puerto Rico / Latin America | Modern reports, Urban legends |
| Cockatrice | — | Medieval Europe | Medieval bestiaries, Legends |
| Cailleach | Cailleach Bheur | Scotland / Ireland | Gaelic myths, Seasonal tales |
| Cu Sith | Cù Sìth, Cu-Sith | Scotland (Celtic) | Scottish folktales |
| Cat Sidhe | Cat Sìth, Cat-sìth | Scotland / Ireland | Scottish folktales |
| Ceffyl Dŵr | Ceffyl Dwr, Ceffyl-dwr | Wales | Welsh folktales |
| Cuelebre | Cuélebre | Asturias (Spain) | Asturian folktales |
| Caladrius | Caladrus | Roman / Medieval | Medieval bestiaries |
| Camahueto | — | Mapuche (Chile/Argentina) | Mapuche myths |
| Cipactli | — | Aztec (Nahua) | Aztec creation myth, Codices |
| Caipora | Caipora | Brazil (Tupi) | Brazilian folktales |
| Curupira | — | Brazil | Brazilian folktales |
| Ciguapa | — | Dominican Republic | Dominican folktales |
| Catoblepas | — | Ethiopian / Classical | Pliny, Medieval bestiaries |
| Chaneque | — | Mexico (Veracruz) | Veracruz folktales |
| Cherufe | — | Mapuche (Chile) | Mapuche myths |
| Chonchon | Chonchón | Mapuche / Chilote | Southern Andean legends |
| Chullachaqui | — | Amazon (Peru/Brazil) | Amazonian folktales |
| Cirein-cròin | Cirein croin | Scottish Gaelic | Hebridean legends |
| Cwn Annwn | Cŵn Annwn | Wales | Mabinogion, Welsh myth |
| Carbuncle | — | Andean (South America) | Andean folktales |
| Cretan Bull | — | Greek | Labors of Heracles |
| Calydonian Boar | — | Greek | Calydonian Boar Hunt |
| Cynocephali | Cynocephalous | Various (Classical/Medieval) | Medieval travel tales, Marco Polo |
| Cadborosaurus | Caddy | Pacific Northwest (cryptid) | Modern reports, Sea monster lore |
| Camazotz | — | Maya | Popol Vuh |
| Cabbyl-ushtey | Cabbyl-ushtey | Isle of Man (Manx) | Manx folktales |
| Ceryneian Hind | — | Greek | Labours of Heracles |
| Churel | Chudail, Chudail | South Asia (India/Pakistan) | South Asian folktales |
| Ceasg | — | Scotland (Gaelic) | Scottish folktales |
| Capelobo | — | Brazil (Amazon) | Amazonian folktales |
| Cuca | Cuca-tuci | Portugal / Brazil | Brazilian folktales |
| Cadejo | El Cadejo | Central America | Central American folktales |
| Clurichaun | Cluracan | Ireland | Irish folktales |
| Carcolh | — | France (Basque border) | Gascon folktales |
Descriptions
Cerberus
Three-headed dog guarding the entrance to Hades; prevents dead leaving the underworld, often depicted with a serpent’s tail and as an obstacle for heroes entering or leaving the realm.
Chimera
Fire-breathing hybrid with lion foreparts, goat midsection and serpent tail; a monstrous offspring of Typhon and Echidna that terrorized Lycia until slain by Bellerophon.
Cyclops
One-eyed giant known for immense strength; Polyphemus famously blinds Odysseus, while other Cyclopes are smiths forging thunderbolts for gods in ancient Greek stories.
Centaur
Half-human, half-horse beings: some are wild and warlike, others like Chiron are wise teachers and healers in Greek mythology.
Charybdis
Enormous sea monster forming deadly whirlpools opposite Scylla; threatens ships and nearly drowns Odysseus, embodying perilous maritime currents in Greek lore.
Chupacabra
Contemporary cryptid blamed for livestock blood-loss; described variably as reptilian or canine, part of modern folklore since the 1990s.
Cockatrice
Two-legged dragon-like beast hatched from a cock’s egg by a toad; its gaze or breath is deadly, often killed with mirrors or weasels in folklore.
Cailleach
Ancient hag figure who controls winter and shapes the land; depicted as a giant crone, sometimes acting more like a monstrous being than a god in local tales.
Cu Sith
Giant spectral hound with shaggy green fur; its three barks warn of death, and it sometimes hunts souls or guides spirits to the Otherworld.
Cat Sidhe
Large fairy cat, black with a white spot, said to steal souls or act as a fae familiar; appears in Highland tales and seasonal customs.
Ceffyl Dŵr
Shape-shifting water horse that appears at lakes and rivers, lures riders to drown; sometimes helpful or deadly depending on the regional tale.
Cuelebre
Winged serpent or dragon guarding treasure or enchanted maidens; appears in Cantabrian and Asturian legends, often outwitted or wounded by heroes.
Caladrius
White healing bird that absorbs illness from the sick and flies away, symbolizing recovery; used as Christian allegory in medieval texts.
Camahueto
Youthful golden-horned bull living in lakes; its horn grants healing or wealth, hunted or sought in Mapuche creation and trickster tales.
Cipactli
Primeval crocodilian earth-monster whose body the gods dismembered to make the world; central figure in Nahua creation narratives.
Caipora
Forest spirit often depicted as a small, dark-skinned being riding a peccary; protector of wildlife who misleads hunters to safeguard animals.
Curupira
Forest guardian with backward-facing feet and flaming hair; creates illusions, whistles and misleading paths to punish hunters and protect the forest.
Ciguapa
Nocturnal female spirit with backward-facing feet and long dark hair; lures men into mountains or mysteriously vanishes, alternately dangerous or alluring.
Catoblepas
Slow-moving ox- or boar-like beast with a heavy head whose gaze or breath was said to cause death or disease in classical and medieval lore.
Chaneque
Small mischievous forest sprites that steal belongings and lead travelers astray; sometimes guardians of nature, placated with offerings in Gulf coastal traditions.
Cherufe
Volcano-dwelling monster of molten rock and fire; blamed for eruptions and earthquakes, appeased in myth by offerings or sacrifices in Andean tales.
Chonchon
Sorcerers’ detached flying head with enormous ears used like wings; a nocturnal omen of death and mischief in southern Chilean folklore.
Chullachaqui
Shape-shifting forest spirit often taking familiar appearances to mislead hunters; identified by one twisted foot, leading victims deep into the jungle.
Cirein-cròin
Gigantic sea-serpent said to devour whales; appears in Hebridean fishermen’s tales as a terrifying deep-sea monster encountered by sailors.
Cwn Annwn
Otherworldly pack of spectral hounds associated with Annwn; they hunt souls and foretell death, led by Arawn or Gwyn ap Nudd in Welsh myth.
Carbuncle
Small luminous creature sometimes described as a jewel-like animal on a beast’s forehead; hunters seek its treasure but face trickery in Andean lore.
Cretan Bull
Savage, magnificent bull captured by Heracles as one labor; later sires the Minotaur with Pasiphaë, central to Cretan myth cycles.
Calydonian Boar
Gigantic monstrous boar sent by Artemis to ravage Calydon; hunted by famed heroes like Meleager in a celebrated Greek hunting episode.
Cynocephali
Legendary dog-headed people reported in classical and medieval sources across distant lands; depicted as savage or exotic humanoids in many travelogues.
Cadborosaurus
Long-necked sea-serpent cryptid reported along Pacific Northwest coasts; part of modern maritime folklore and eyewitness accounts.
Camazotz
Bat-like death spirit or monster appearing in Maya myth; associated with night, caves and sacrifice, featured in the Popol Vuh as a menacing figure.
Cabbyl-ushtey
Manx water-horse similar to a kelpie; a malevolent shapeshifter that lures riders into water to drown in Isle of Man coastal stories.
Ceryneian Hind
Sacred deer of Artemis with golden antlers and bronze hooves; Heracles’ third labor was to capture it alive, famous for its speed and elusiveness.
Churel
Vengeful female revenant of a woman who died in childbirth or wronged; appears hideous, lures or harms men, drains life force in village tales.
Ceasg
Mermaid-like water spirit with human and fish traits; helpful or dangerous to sailors and fishermen, often linked to rivers and sea-lore.
Capelobo
Hybrid cryptid with features of a tapir, dog or human and a large head; blamed for attacks on humans and livestock in Amazonian folklore.
Cuca
Bogeywoman or witch often depicted as a crocodile-headed hag who kidnaps children; used as a cautionary figure in Portuguese and Brazilian tales.
Cadejo
Supernatural dog—white or black—walking the countryside at night; white protects travelers while black tempts or harms, common in Salvadoran and Guatemalan lore.
Clurichaun
Solitary, drunken fairy related to the leprechaun; enjoys drinking and mischief, protects household riches or torments those who enter a cellar at night.
Carcolh
Giant snail-like serpent with a hairy body and long tentacles dwelling in caves; drags victims into its lair in southwestern French legend.