This list includes 32 Mythical creatures that start with N, from “Nachzehrer” to “Nøkken / Nokken”. They range from vampire-like revenants to cunning water spirits and tricksters, useful for writers, gamers, educators, and curious readers.
Mythical creatures that start with N are legendary beings from global folklore, often embodying moral lessons or natural forces. Notable examples include the Nachzehrer, a Germanic corpse-vampire, and the Nøkken, a Scandinavian water spirit.
Below you’ll find the table with [COLUMN_NAMES]
Name: The creature’s common name and any widely used English variants, helping you identify entries quickly.
Origin: Short origin label (culture, region) so you can place each creature in its cultural context.
Description: A concise 1–2 sentence description summarizing appearance and behavior for easy comparison and use.
Famous stories: Key myths or source titles that mention the creature, guiding your further reading or inspiration.
Alternate names: Common variants, spellings, or synonyms that help you cross-reference other texts and traditions.
Mythical creatures that start with N
| Name | Origin (culture/region) | Alternate names | Famous stories / sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naga | South/Southeast Asian | Nāga, Nagin, Naag | Mahabharata, Ramayana, Jataka tales |
| Nagual | Mesoamerican | Nagual, Nahual | Nahuatl folklore, Bernardino de Sahagún accounts |
| Naiad | Greek | Naiads | Homeric hymns, Ovid’s Metamorphoses |
| Nereid | Greek | Nereids | Homer’s Iliad, Hesiod’s Theogony |
| Nymph | Greek | Nymphs | Homeric epics, Theogony |
| Nixie | Germanic | Nix, Nixe, Nixy | German folklore collections, Grimm |
| Nix | Germanic | Nixe, Näck, Neck | Swedish folktales, German lore |
| Nøkken / Nokken | Scandinavian | Nøkk, Näcken, Nøkk | Scandinavian folklore, folk songs |
| Neck | Germanic | Näck, Nix, Nixe | Germanic folktales, Grimm |
| Nekomata | Japanese | Nekomata, Bakeneko variant | Japanese folklore, Toriyama Sekien |
| Noppera-bo | Japanese | Noppera-bō, Faceless Ghost | Japanese ghost stories, Lafcadio Hearn collections |
| Nue | Japanese | Nue | The Tale of Heike, Japanese folklore |
| Nuckelavee | Scottish (Orkney) | Nuckelavee | Orkney folklore, regional accounts |
| Nain Rouge | Detroit | Nain Rouge, Red Dwarf | Detroit folklore, French colonial legends |
| Nian | Chinese | Nian Shou | Chinese New Year folklore, regional tales |
| Ningyo | Japanese | Ningyo | Japanese folklore, regional tales |
| Nogitsune | Japanese | Nogitsune | Japanese folk tales, regional legends |
| Nurarihyon | Japanese | Nurarihyon | Heian-era tales, yokai collections |
| Nurikabe | Japanese | Nurikabe | Japanese folklore, Lafcadio Hearn |
| Namahage | Japanese | Namahage | Oga Peninsula rituals, folk customs |
| Namazu | Japanese | Namazu | Edo-period prints, folktales |
| Nachzehrer | German | Nachzehrer | German folklore, regional tales |
| Ninki Nanka | West African | Ninki Nanka | Gambian folk accounts, oral tradition |
| Ndendeule | East African | Ndendeule | Tanzanian folklore, oral tales |
| Nguruvilu | Mapuche | Nguruvilu | Mapuche folklore, Chilean indigenous tales |
| Night Hag | European | Night Hag, Old Hag | European folklore, sleep-paralysis studies |
| Nightmarchers | Hawaiian | Huaka‘i po | Hawaiian folklore, oral traditions |
| Nosferatu | Balkan/Romanian | Nosferatu | 19th-century Romanian accounts, folklore debates |
| Nunnehi | Cherokee | Nunnehi | Cherokee folklore, tribal stories |
| Nephilim | Hebrew/Biblical | Nephilim | Book of Genesis, Book of Enoch |
| Nagini | South/Southeast Asian | Nāginī, Nagin | Ramayana, regional folktales |
| Nang Tani | Thai | Nang Tani | Thai folklore, regional tales |
Descriptions
Naga
Serpent or serpent-human beings tied to water and earth; guardians, fertility symbols, sometimes divine and sometimes monstrous in Hindu and Buddhist myth.
Nagual
A human sorcerer or spirit with power to transform into animals; protector or trickster figure in Central American indigenous belief.
Naiad
Freshwater nymphs inhabiting springs, rivers, and wells; typically female nature-spirits who protect waters and nearby communities.
Nereid
Sea nymphs, daughters of Nereus; graceful marine spirits who aid sailors and appear in many Greek maritime tales.
Nymph
A broad class of nature spirits tied to landforms—forests, mountains, and waters—usually female, linked with fertility and local cults.
Nixie
Female water-spirits who lure people into rivers or teach magical arts; ambivalent beings in Germanic folk tales.
Nix
Male water spirit variant known for playing enchanting music; may drown or seduce humans and can shapeshift into animals.
Nøkken / Nokken
A Scandinavian water spirit famous for violin music that lures victims; often appears as horse, man, or beautiful youth.
Neck
A Germanic water-spirit haunting rivers and lakes; lures people with singing and can be deadly or tricksters.
Nekomata
A cat yokai that gains supernatural powers with age, splits its tail, can manipulate the dead or cause storms and mischief.
Noppera-bo
A faceless humanoid ghost that appears ordinary then removes its face to terrify travelers in Japanese folktales.
Nue
A chimera-like yokai with monkey head, raccoon dog body, tiger limbs and snake tail; portends illness and misfortune.
Nuckelavee
A skinless, horse-like sea demon from Orkney whose breath blights crops and causes disease; uniquely malevolent in Scottish tales.
Nain Rouge
A red, dwarf-like spirit said to presage misfortune and disasters in Detroit; appears in early settler and local legends.
Nian
A monstrous beast that attacked villages until scared off by fire, noise and red—origin myth for many Chinese New Year customs.
Ningyo
A fish-like humanoid; eating one can bring misfortune or long life, and its capture often foretells disaster at sea.
Nogitsune
A wild fox spirit distinct from cultured kitsune; a mischievous, sometimes malevolent trickster in rural folklore.
Nurarihyon
A strange yokai who sneaks into homes and behaves like the master of the house, confounding inhabitants.
Nurikabe
A wall-like yokai that invisibly blocks travelers at night, causing confusion and delays on journeys.
Namahage
Demon-like ogres in New Year rites who admonish lazy or misbehaving children; a living folk performance to instill order.
Namazu
A giant catfish believed to cause earthquakes when it thrashes; restrained by deities in legend and blamed for seismic disasters.
Nachzehrer
A vampiric revenant who consumes its burial clothes and harms family members; part of German corpse-eating revenant lore.
Ninki Nanka
A large, dragon-like swamp creature from Gambian folklore; used in cautionary tales and modern cryptid discussions.
Ndendeule
A monstrous, ape-like forest creature in East African stories; often a cautionary figure in regional oral tradition.
Nguruvilu
A river guardian with a fox head and snake tail that drags travelers under water; appears in Mapuche crossing stories.
Night Hag
A nocturnal witch-like spirit said to sit on sleepers’ chests causing sleep paralysis and terrifying hallucinations in folk belief.
Nightmarchers
Ghostly processions of ancient warriors who roam at night; seeing them is dangerous unless one shows proper respect.
Nosferatu
An old term for vampiric undead used in some Balkan accounts; later popularized in literature and film as a vampire label.
Nunnehi
Immortal people or spirit folk who live in hills or mounds; often helpful or neutral towards humans in Cherokee tales.
Nephilim
Giant or semi-divine beings mentioned in Hebrew scriptures and later apocryphal texts; variously portrayed as mighty or fallen offspring.
Nagini
Female form of the naga; serpent-woman often depicted as guardian or avenger in South and Southeast Asian legends.
Nang Tani
A banana-tree spirit appearing as a beautiful woman; guardian of certain trees who can be benevolent or vengeful toward humans.