This list includes 32 Mythological creatures that start with N, from “Nachtkrapp” to “Nøkk (Nokk, Näcken, Nix)”. They cover spirits, monsters, and legendary animals from many cultures, useful for writers, researchers, and teachers.
Mythological creatures that start with N are non-human beings from folklore and legend, including monsters, spirits, and fantastic animals. Notably, the Nøkk appears across Northern Europe as a shapeshifting water spirit often linked to music and danger.
Below you’ll find the table with Origin, Description, and Famous stories.
Origin: The culture or region where each creature comes from, so you can place it in proper cultural context.
Description: A concise 20–40 word summary of appearance, behavior, and role, so you can quickly grasp each creature.
Famous stories: Named myths, sagas, or works where the creature appears, helping you find primary stories or well-known references.
Mythological creatures that start with N
| Name | Origin | Type | Famous stories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naga (Nāga) | Indian, Southeast Asian | serpent/dragon spirit | Mahabharata, Ramayana |
| Nagini (Nāginī) | Indian, Southeast Asian | female serpent | Ramayana; regional folktales |
| Nagaraja | Indian, Buddhist Southeast Asian | serpent king/divine serpent | Various Hindu and Buddhist texts |
| Nagual (Nahual) | Mesoamerican | shapeshifter/spirit | Aztec and Mixtec shamanic tales |
| Nian | Chinese | monster | Chinese New Year legends |
| Nuckelavee | Orkney (Scotland) | sea demon/horse | Orcadian folktales |
| Nøkk (Nokk, Näcken, Nix) | Scandinavian, Germanic | water spirit | Scandinavian folktales |
| Naiad | Greek | freshwater nymph | Ovid’s Metamorphoses; various myths |
| Nereid | Greek | sea nymph | Iliad; Argonautica |
| Nymph | Greek | nature spirit | Daphne; Echo myths |
| Noppera-bō (Nopperabo) | Japanese | faceless ghost | Lafcadio Hearn tales; Japanese folktales |
| Nue | Japanese | chimera monster | Heike Monogatari; folktales |
| Nure-onna | Japanese | snake-woman yokai | Japanese folktales |
| Nekomata | Japanese | cat yokai | Japanese folktales; kabuki tales |
| Nurarihyon | Japanese | household yokai | Edo-period folktales |
| Namazu | Japanese | earthquake catfish | Edo earthquake myths; ukiyo-e legends |
| Ningyo | Japanese | fish-human creature/mermaid | Japanese fisherfolk tales |
| Nguruvilu | Mapuche (Chile) | river fox-serpent | Mapuche folktales |
| Nandi bear | East African | cryptid/monster | Kenyan and Tanzanian folktales |
| Nat (Nats) | Burmese (Myanmar) | spirits | Burmese nat pantheon and chronicles |
| Namtar | Mesopotamian | demon/underworld attendant | Descent of Inanna/Ereshkigal |
| Nephilim (Nefilim) | Hebrew/Biblical | giants/semidivine beings | Genesis; Book of Enoch |
| Nachtkrapp | German | bogeyman/bird demon | German folktales |
| Night hag (Old Hag) | Cross-cultural | sleep-paralysis spirit | Worldwide sleep-paralysis folklore |
| Ninki Nanka | West African | river dragon/serpent | Gambian and West African tales |
| Nunda | East African (Swahili) | monstrous beast | Swahili folktales |
| Nisse (Tomte) | Scandinavian | household spirit | Scandinavian folktales; Christmas traditions |
| Nain Rouge | French North American/Detroit | mischievous spirit | Detroit local legends and chronicles |
| Nyami Nyami | Zambezi Tonga (Zimbabwe) | river serpent/river god | Tonga river legends; Kariba Dam stories |
| Nosferatu | Romanian, Balkan | vampiric spirit | 19th-century Romanian accounts; folklore |
| Nosoi | Greek | disease spirits | Greek mythic references; classical hymns |
| Nommo | Dogon (Mali) | ancestral/ancestral amphibious beings | Dogon cosmogony and myths |
Descriptions
Naga (Nāga)
Serpentine beings guarding water and treasure, often wise or wrathful; widely attested across Hindu, Buddhist, and Southeast Asian legends.
Nagini (Nāginī)
Female form of naga—serpent-woman or snake spirit, sometimes shapeshifter, protector or deadly foe in South and Southeast Asian tales.
Nagaraja
King of serpents class appearing as royal naga rulers, guardians of springs, sometimes worshipped or appeased in local cults.
Nagual (Nahual)
Shaman or spirit-companion allowing a human to transform into an animal (jaguar, coyote); tied to sorcery and protector-spirits.
Nian
Lion- or dog-like beast that attacked villages each New Year; scared off by red, fire, and noise—origin story for New Year customs.
Nuckelavee
Skinless, horse-like sea demon with toxic breath that destroys crops and sickens people; one of Scotland’s most terrifying island legends.
Nøkk (Nokk, Näcken, Nix)
Shape-changing water spirit, often a fiddler who lures victims to drown; appears as horse, man, or fish, depending on region.
Naiad
Female freshwater nymphs of springs, rivers and wells; locally revered, often lovers or helpers in Greek tales.
Nereid
Daughters of Nereus—sea nymphs who aid sailors and personify benign aspects of the sea; fifty named in mythic lists.
Nymph
Broad class of female nature spirits linked to trees, mountains and waters; range from helpful to mischievous in classical stories.
Noppera-bō (Nopperabo)
Ghost that appears human then reveals a featureless face to frighten travelers; common in Edo-period folklore.
Nue
Chimera-like yokai—monkey head, tanuki body, tiger limbs—brings illness and misfortune until slain by heroes.
Nure-onna
Long-haired woman with a snake’s body found near water; lures or tests humans, sometimes violent, sometimes enigmatic.
Nekomata
A cat transformed into a yokai with a split tail; reputed to necromance corpses, curse households, and cause mischief.
Nurarihyon
Elder-like yokai who sneaks into homes and acts as master; mysterious leader figure among yokai in folklore.
Namazu
Giant catfish under the earth whose thrashing causes earthquakes; often depicted chained or restrained by deities.
Ningyo
Mermaid-like creature whose flesh grants longevity or misfortune; captured as curiosity and sometimes associated with bad omens.
Nguruvilu
Fox-headed, serpent-bodied river monster that hides in rapids and drags travelers under; heroes must trick it to cross.
Nandi bear
Large, aggressive, hyena- or bear-like cryptid blamed for livestock deaths; part folklore, part modern cryptozoology.
Nat (Nats)
Spirits of deceased humans and local nature spirits venerated in Myanmar; official cult of forty-two major nats and many local ones.
Namtar
Underworld demon and messenger who transmits disease and fates; servant of the goddess of the dead.
Nephilim (Nefilim)
Antediluvian offspring of “sons of God” and human women—giant warriors or mighty beings in Hebrew tradition and later apocrypha.
Nachtkrapp
Night raven or monstrous bird used to frighten children; tales warn of a creature that carries off disobedient youngsters.
Night hag (Old Hag)
Spirit or demon associated with nightmares and sleep paralysis; sits on chests, causes terror across many cultures.
Ninki Nanka
Gigantic dragon-like river creature said to dwell in swamps and rivers; devours trespassers and features in cautionary tales.
Nunda
Enormous carnivorous beast that terrorized villages; killed or appeased through magical or heroic means in coastal African lore.
Nisse (Tomte)
Small domestic spirit protecting farms and families; helpful when respected, mischievous when offended—linked to winter gift-bringers.
Nain Rouge
Red-faced impish spirit blamed for misfortune in Detroit lore; folklore figure used in local festivals and myths.
Nyami Nyami
Serpent-like river god of the Zambezi; protector of the Tonga people, linked to floods and the Kariba Dam saga.
Nosferatu
Term used historically for vampires in Balkan lore; parasitic undead that feed on the living, popularized later in literature and film.
Nosoi
Personified spirits of plague and disease in Greek myth who bring sickness upon people and armies.
Nommo
Water-dwelling ancestral beings often described as amphibious or fish-like; central to Dogon origin myths and rituals.