This list includes 35 Mythological creatures that start with L, from “La Llorona” to “Lynx (Bestiary)”. They include spirits, monsters, legendary animals, and hybrids from global folklore. Use them for research, storytelling, game design, or classroom resources.
Mythological creatures are nonhuman beings from folklore and legend, often embodying natural forces or moral lessons. For example, La Llorona appears across Latin American tales as a mourning spirit warning about rivers and loss.
Below you’ll find the table with Origin, Description, and Famous stories.
Origin: Shows the culture or region where the creature appears, so you can trace historical and geographic context quickly.
Description: Provides a concise 20–40 word summary of appearance, powers, and behavior to help you identify and compare entries.
Famous stories: Lists one or two notable myths or works where the creature appears, guiding your further reading or research.
Mythological creatures that start with L
| Name | Origin | Alternate spellings | Famous stories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ladon | Greek | Lādōn | The Twelve Labors of Heracles |
| Laelaps | Greek | Lailaps | Myth of the Teumessian fox |
| Laestrygonians | Greek | Laistrygones, Laestrygones | Homer’s Odyssey |
| Lagahoo | Trinidadian, Tobagonian | Loup-garou | Trinidadian folklore |
| La Llorona | Latin American | The Weeping Woman | The legend of La Llorona |
| Lamassu | Mesopotamian | Šēdu, Alad | Art and architecture of ancient Assyria |
| Lambton Worm | English | The Lambton Wyrm | The Legend of the Lambton Worm |
| Lamia | Greek | Lamiai | Myth of Lamia |
| Lampades | Greek | Lampas | Greek underworld myths |
| Lange Wapper | Belgian, Flemish | N/A | Folklore of Antwerp |
| Langsuir | Malay | Lang Suyang | Southeast Asian folklore |
| La Tunda | Colombian, Ecuadorian | N/A | Afro-Colombian folktales |
| Leanan Sídhe | Irish, Manx | Leanan sí | Celtic folklore |
| Lechuza | Mexican, Texan | N/A | Folktales of the Rio Grande Valley |
| Lempo | Finnish | N/A | The Kalevala |
| Leontophone | Medieval European | Leontophonos | Medieval bestiaries |
| Leprechaun | Irish | Leipreachán, Luchorpán | General Irish folklore |
| Lernaean Hydra | Greek | Hydra | The Twelve Labors of Heracles |
| Leshy | Slavic | Leshiy, Lesovik | Slavic folktales |
| Leucrotta | Ethiopian, Indian (via Greek/Roman) | Leucrocotta, Corocotta | Pliny the Elder’s Natural History |
| Leviathan | Jewish, Christian | Livyatan | Book of Job, Book of Isaiah |
| Leyak | Balinese | Leák | Balinese folklore |
| Lidérc | Hungarian | Lidércfény, Ludvérc | Hungarian folklore |
| Lindworm | Germanic, Norse | Lindorm, Linnorm | The Tale of Prince Lindworm |
| Lilin | Jewish | Līlīn | Alphabet of Ben Sira |
| Loch Ness Monster | Scottish | Nessie | Folklore of Loch Ness |
| Longma | Chinese | Lóng mǎ | The myth of Fu Xi |
| Loogaroo | Caribbean | Loup-garou | Caribbean folklore |
| Loup-garou | French, French-Canadian | Rougarou | Folklore of France and Quebec |
| Lubber fiend | English | Lob, Lubberkin, Lob Lie-by-the-fire | English folklore |
| Luduan | Chinese | N/A | Chinese imperial legends |
| Luison | Guaraní | Luisõ, Lobisón | Legends of the Guaraní people |
| Lusca | Caribbean, Bahamian | N/A | Folklore of Andros Island |
| Lutin | French | N/A | French folklore |
| Lynx (Bestiary) | Medieval European | Luchs, Lyncis | Medieval bestiaries |
Descriptions
Ladon
A serpentine dragon with one hundred heads that guarded the golden apples in the Garden of the Hesperides.
Laelaps
A legendary Greek dog that was destined to always catch what it hunted, a gift from Zeus.
Laestrygonians
A tribe of giant, man-eating cannibals who threw boulders to destroy Odysseus’s fleet, sinking all but his own ship.
Lagahoo
A shapeshifting monster, often a man who can turn into a headless beast at night, dragging a heavy chain.
La Llorona
A vengeful ghost of a woman who drowned her children. She weeps while searching for them by the water’s edge.
Lamassu
A protective deity with a human head, the body of a bull or lion, and eagle’s wings, often placed at palace entrances.
Lambton Worm
A giant, dragon-like worm that terrorized a village in North East England until it was slain by John Lambton.
Lamia
A beautiful queen turned into a child-eating monster by Hera. She is often depicted as a woman with a serpentine lower body.
Lampades
Underworld nymphs and torch-bearers for the goddess Hecate. Their torchlight could drive mortals to madness.
Lange Wapper
A mischievous, shapeshifting giant or spirit who haunted the city of Antwerp, tormenting drunkards and playing pranks.
Langsuir
The ghost of a woman who died during childbirth, she appears as a beautiful woman who preys on pregnant women and infants.
La Tunda
A monstrous hag with a wooden leg who shapeshifts to lure people, especially children and unfaithful men, into the jungle.
Leanan Sídhe
A beautiful but dangerous fairy muse who offers artistic inspiration to mortals in exchange for their love and, ultimately, their life force.
Lechuza
A witch who can transform into a monstrous owl, often the size of a human. They are considered harbingers of ill-fortune.
Lempo
A fiend or spirit from Finnish mythology associated with love, passion, and fertility, often portrayed as an unpredictable and chaotic force.
Leontophone
A small, mythical beast whose flesh was so poisonous to lions that they would avoid it at all costs.
Leprechaun
A small, solitary fairy, typically a cobbler by trade, who has a hidden pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
Lernaean Hydra
A monstrous, multi-headed water serpent. When one of its heads was cut off, two more would grow in its place.
Leshy
A guardian spirit of the forest who can change his size and shape. He protects the animals and can lead travelers astray.
Leucrotta
A swift, hyena-like creature with a lion’s neck, stag’s hindquarters, and a single, sharp bony ridge instead of teeth.
Leviathan
A colossal, primordial sea monster, often described as a giant serpent or crocodile, representing the untamable power of the sea.
Leyak
A mythological being, often the transformed spirit of a living person, that appears as a flying head with its entrails dangling below.
Lidérc
A supernatural creature, often a magical chicken or a fiery incubus, that brings its owner wealth but drains their life force.
Lindworm
A giant serpentine dragon, often wingless but with two clawed arms, known for its venomous bite and love of treasure.
Lilin
The demonic children of the arch-demoness Lilith. They are often depicted as dangerous night spirits or succubi.
Loch Ness Monster
A large, long-necked aquatic creature said to inhabit Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands, a famous example of modern cryptozoology.
Longma
A fabled winged horse with dragon scales and a dragon’s head, considered a wise and benevolent creature of good omen.
Loogaroo
A shapeshifting witch who sheds her skin at night, transforms into a ball of light, and sucks the blood of her victims.
Loup-garou
The French name for a werewolf, a human who transforms into a wolf, either by curse or by choice, on the full moon.
Lubber fiend
A hairy, clumsy household spirit or goblin who performs chores at night in exchange for a bowl of cream left by the fireplace.
Luduan
A righteous beast that can detect the truth and speak all languages. It only appears during the reign of a wise and benevolent ruler.
Luison
The seventh son of Tau and Kerana, a werewolf-like lord of death and cemeteries whose stench causes disease and decay.
Lusca
A colossal sea monster said to inhabit the “blue holes” of the Bahamas, often described as a giant, aggressive octopus or shark-octopus hybrid.
Lutin
A mischievous hobgoblin or household sprite from France, known for tangling horse manes into “elf-locks” and playing pranks.
Lynx (Bestiary)
A mythical cat with supernatural sight that could see through walls. Its urine was believed to harden into a precious gem.