This list includes 31 mythological creatures that start with D, ranging from “Dactyl (Dactyls)” to “Dzunukwa (Dzunuk’wa)”. These entries cover monsters, spirits, hybrids, and legendary animals, useful for writers, teachers, game designers, and researchers.
Mythological creatures that start with D are non-human beings from myths and folklore, often mixing animal and supernatural traits. Many appear across cultures, from the Dactyls of Greek smithing lore to Pacific Northwest Dzunukwa storytelling.
Below you’ll find the table with origin, description, and famous stories.
Origin (culture/region): Tells you the cultural or geographic source so you can place the creature within its mythic context and compare traditions.
Description (concise): Gives a 20–40 word summary of appearance, powers, and behavior so you can quickly assess relevance for research or stories.
Famous stories (1–2 named myths/works): Lists one or two notable myths or works where the creature appears, helping you find primary tales or cultural references quickly.
Mythological creatures that start with D
| Name | Origin (Culture/Region) | Type/Class | Famous stories/appearances |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dragon (Draco, Drakon) | Global (European, Asian) | Legendary animal/serpent | Beowulf; Chinese dragon myths |
| Drakon (Drakon) | Greek | Serpent/monster | Ladon; Python |
| Drake | European folklore | Small dragon/dragon-variant | Medieval bestiaries |
| Dwarf (Dvergr) | Norse/European | Legendary humanoid | Prose Edda; Norse sagas |
| Dullahan | Irish | Undead/Headless rider | Irish folktales |
| Draugr | Norse/Icelandic | Undead/giant | Grettir’s Saga; Norse sagas |
| Dybbuk (Dibuk) | Jewish (Ashkenazi) | Possessing spirit | S. Ansky’s “The Dybbuk”; Jewish folktales |
| Djinn (Djinni, Jinn) | Arabian/Islamic | Spirit/genie | One Thousand and One Nights; Quranic stories |
| Dokkaebi (Dokkebi) | Korean | Goblin/trickster | Korean folktales |
| Domovoi (Domovoy) | Slavic (Russian) | House spirit/guardian | Russian folktales |
| Dobhar-chú (Dobhar-chu) | Irish | Water-hound/monster | Irish folktales (County Leitrim) |
| Dahu | French/Alpine | Legendary animal | Alpine tall tales |
| Duende | Iberian/Latin American | Spirit/elf | Spanish folklore; Latin American tales |
| Dryad | Greek | Tree nymph/guardian | Greek myths; Ovid |
| Dhampir (Dhampyr) | Balkans | Vampire hybrid | Balkan folktales |
| Drekavac | Slavic (Balkans) | Undead/ghost-child | South Slavic folktales |
| Drakaina | Greek | Female dragon/serpent | Various Greek myths |
| Daidarabotchi | Japanese | Giant yokai/giant | Japanese folktales |
| Douen | Trinidadian/Caribbean | Child-like spirit | Caribbean folktales |
| Doppelgänger | Germanic | Ghost/double | German folktales; Romantic literature |
| Deer Woman | Native American (Plains, Southeast) | Shape-shifter/spirit | Native American legends |
| Dzunukwa (Dzunuk’wa) | Kwakwaka’wakw (NW Coast) | Cannibal giant/grandmother | Northwest Coast Indigenous stories |
| Div (Dīv) | Persian/Indian | Demon/giant | Shahnameh; Persian folklore |
| Daeva (Daiva) | Iranian/Persian | Evil spirit/demon | Zoroastrian texts; Persian myth |
| Drude | Germanic | Night spirit | German folktales; nightmare lore |
| Diwata | Philippines | Nature spirit/deity | Philippine epics and folktales |
| Dragon turtle | Chinese | Legendary hybrid/symbolic | Chinese folklore; feng shui traditions |
| Dactyl (Dactyls) | Greek | Minor smith/earth spirit | Hesiod; Greek myth fragments |
| Diablesse | Caribbean (Trinidad, Louisiana) | Shape-shifting female spirit | Caribbean folktales |
| Dziwożona | Polish/Slavic | Bogey/child-stealing spirit | Polish folktales |
| Drac (El Drac) | Catalan (Iberian) | Water dragon | Catalan folklore; correfocs |
Descriptions
Dragon (Draco, Drakon)
Large serpent-like or reptilian beings across cultures, guardians or destroyers, often associated with hoards, storms, or imperial power; wildly varying forms from winged fire-breathers to benevolent river spirits.
Drakon (Drakon)
Ancient Greek serpent or dragon, often a monstrous guardian slain by heroes; depicted as large serpentine beasts that protect sacred sites or treasures.
Drake
Term for smaller or draconic creatures in medieval lore; often wingless or lesser dragons used in tales and heraldry, sometimes conflated with male ducks in English.
Dwarf (Dvergr)
Short, stocky craftsmen and miners living underground; skilled smiths who forge magical items, often secretive and tied to the earth and treasure.
Dullahan
A headless rider who carries their own head and heralds death; rides a black horse, uses a whip of human spines, and calls names of those about to die.
Draugr
Reanimated warrior guarding treasure, possessing superhuman strength and ability to change size; dangerous undead that haunt burial mounds and coastal reaches.
Dybbuk (Dibuk)
A restless soul that possesses the living, causing illness or misfortune until exorcised; rooted in Jewish mysticism and folklore about unsettled spirits.
Djinn (Djinni, Jinn)
Powerful supernatural beings of smokeless fire, morally ambiguous; can grant wishes or cause mischief, living in parallel worlds to humans.
Dokkaebi (Dokkebi)
Mischievous goblin-like spirits who can be helpful or harmful, famed for playing pranks, challenging humans, and possessing magical items like clubs or gifts.
Domovoi (Domovoy)
Household guardian spirit living near the stove or hearth; protective if honored, may cause trouble when offended, tied to family well-being and domestic luck.
Dobhar-chú (Dobhar-chu)
A fearsome otter-like water-hound with deadly bite, sometimes called the “king of the otters,” blamed for drownings and livestock losses near lakes and rivers.
Dahu
A humorous mountain creature with legs shorter on one side adapted to steep slopes; commonly told as a playful hunting prank in Alpine folklore.
Duende
Elusive spirit associated with art, passion, or mischief; can inspire artists or cause unexplained happenings in homes and forests.
Dryad
Tree spirits bound to a particular tree, especially oaks; protectors of forests who suffer or die if their tree is cut down.
Dhampir (Dhampyr)
Offspring of a vampire and human, often credited with vampire-hunting abilities and unusual powers; a liminal figure between human and undead worlds.
Drekavac
Shrieking undead often taking the form of a child or animal at night; associated with unbaptized babies, foretelling death or misfortune.
Drakaina
Female serpent or dragon figure, sometimes monstrous and sometimes protective, appearing as guardians or opponents for Greek heroes.
Daidarabotchi
Colossal yokai whose footsteps formed lakes and mountains; a folklore explanation for grand landscape features and seismic phenomena.
Douen
Forest spirits with backward-facing feet and blank faces who lure children away, often blamed for disappearances and eerie nighttime calls.
Doppelgänger
A mysterious double of a living person, seen as an omen or harbinger; encounters suggest soul-splitting, fate, or impending doom in many tales.
Deer Woman
A seductive shape-shifter appearing as a beautiful woman or deer-woman; lures or punishes men, embodies fertility and moral cautionary themes.
Dzunukwa (Dzunuk’wa)
A giant, often monstrous grandmother who steals children and hoards wealth; both feared and respected in tales teaching caution.
Div (Dīv)
Powerful demonic beings or giants, often enemies of heroes; depicted as chaotic, monstrous, and tied to wilderness and dark magic.
Daeva (Daiva)
In Zoroastrianism, malevolent supernatural beings opposing divine order; later Persian literature depicts them as monstrous adversaries.
Drude
A nocturnal spirit blamed for nightmares and sleep paralysis, sometimes depicted as small women who sit on sleepers’ chests and sap energy.
Diwata
Mountain and forest spirits who protect nature, grant blessings or require offerings; viewed as ancestral or guardian spirits rather than supreme deities.
Dragon turtle
Turtle with dragon features symbolizing longevity and prosperity; appears in myths and decorative art as an auspicious hybrid creature.
Dactyl (Dactyls)
Small, often magical beings associated with metallurgy, healing, and mountain mysteries, credited with teaching humans smithcraft and spells.
Diablesse
A beautiful, sometimes supernatural woman who lures men to danger; known for her backward feet and fatal seduction in regional legends.
Dziwożona
Wild forest spirit who abducts or replaces children, often described as ugly and dangerous; cautionary figure in rural Slavic stories.
Drac (El Drac)
Local river or cave dragon in Catalan tales and festivals, sometimes benevolent, sometimes a fiery monster celebrated in folk pageantry.