This collection presents 38 Mythological creatures that start with S, spanning from “Saci Pererê” to “Sylph”. They include spirits, hybrids, legendary animals, and monsters used by writers, game designers, teachers, and researchers.
Mythological creatures that start with S are beings from global folklore and legend whose names begin with S. Notably, “Saci Pererê” is a Brazilian trickster while “Sylph” reflects Renaissance elemental theory.
Below you’ll find the table with name, origin, description, and famous stories.
Name: The creature’s common name and alternate spellings so you can quickly identify entries and match them to other sources.
Origin: Regional or cultural origin indicating where the creature appears and helping you place it in historical or folkloric context.
Description: A concise 20–40 word snapshot of appearance, powers, or behavior so you can assess its role quickly.
Famous stories: One or two named myths, epics, or literary works where the creature appears, useful for deeper reading or citation.
Mythological creatures that start with S
| Name | Origin | Alternate spellings/Aliases | Famous stories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Satyr | Greek | Fauns (Roman) | Tales of Dionysus |
| Siren | Greek | Seirenes | Homer’s Odyssey |
| Sphinx | Greek, Egyptian | Phix | The Riddle of the Sphinx (Oedipus myth) |
| Scylla | Greek | Skylla | Homer’s Odyssey |
| Selkie | Scottish, Irish, Norse | Selchie, Silkies | The Great Silkie of Sule Skerry |
| Sleipnir | Norse | Sleipner | The Prose Edda |
| Simurgh | Persian | Senmurv, Simorgh | Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh (The Book of Kings) |
| Sasquatch | North American folklore | Bigfoot, Sesquac | Indigenous legends of the Pacific Northwest |
| Salamander | European folklore | Pliny’s Natural History, alchemical texts | |
| Stymphalian Birds | Greek | The Sixth Labor of Heracles | |
| Skin-walker | Navajo (Diné) | yee naaldlooshii | Navajo religious traditions |
| Succubus | Medieval European | Malleus Maleficarum | |
| Shishi | Chinese, Japanese | Fu Dog, Komainu | Buddhist temple iconography |
| Saci Pererê | Brazilian | Saci | |
| Sarimanok | Philippine (Maranao) | Papanok | Tales of the Maranao people |
| Sirin | Slavic folklore | The Legend of the Sweet-Voiced Bird Sirin | |
| Skoll | Norse | Sköll | The Poetic Edda |
| Sluagh | Scottish, Irish | The Host, The Wild Hunt | Scottish and Irish folktales |
| Spriggan | Cornish folklore | ||
| Strix | Roman | Ovid’s Fasti | |
| Strigoi | Romanian | ||
| Sun Wukong | Chinese | Monkey King, Great Sage Equal to Heaven | Journey to the West |
| Suzaku | Japanese, Chinese | Vermilion Bird of the South, Zhū Què | The Four Symbols |
| Surtr | Norse | Surt | The Prose Edda, the Poetic Edda |
| Sylph | European Renaissance | Sylphid | Paracelsus’s alchemical writings |
| Swan Maiden | Global folklore | ||
| Serpopard | Egyptian, Mesopotamian | Narmer Palette | |
| Samebito | Japanese | Shark Man | The Gratitude of the Samebito |
| Sazae-oni | Japanese | ||
| Set animal | Egyptian | Sha, Typhonian animal | The Contendings of Horus and Set |
| Shachihoko | Japanese | Shachi | |
| Shadhavar | Persian, Islamic | Medieval Islamic bestiaries | |
| Shellycoat | Scottish, English | ||
| Sigbin | Philippine | ||
| Siyokoy | Philippine | ||
| Specter | European folklore | Spectre, Ghost, Phantom | |
| Sprite | European folklore | ||
| Svyatogor | Slavic folklore | Kievan Cycle of byliny |
Descriptions
Satyr
Half-man, half-goat companions of the wine god Dionysus. They are known for their love of music, dance, wine, and revelry, embodying wild, untamed nature and rustic fertility.
Siren
Dangerous bird-women, or later mermaids, who lured sailors to their deaths with their enchanting music. Odysseus famously had his crew plug their ears to pass them safely.
Sphinx
A mythical creature with the head of a human and the body of a lion. The Greek Sphinx terrorized Thebes by asking a riddle and devouring those who could not answer it.
Scylla
A terrifying sea monster who lived on one side of a narrow strait opposite Charybdis. She had multiple dog-like heads on long necks and snatched sailors from passing ships.
Selkie
Mythological beings who live as seals in the sea but can shed their skin to become human on land. Stories often involve a human stealing their sealskin to force them into marriage.
Sleipnir
Odin’s legendary eight-legged horse, known as the best of all horses. A child of the trickster god Loki, Sleipnir could travel over land, sea, and through the air.
Simurgh
A benevolent, mythical bird, so ancient it has seen the destruction of the world three times over. It is a symbol of wisdom, fertility, and divine guidance.
Sasquatch
A large, hairy, ape-like creature said to roam the forests of North America. Though a modern icon, its roots lie in older indigenous stories of “wild men” of the woods.
Salamander
A legendary lizard-like creature believed to be born from fire and able to withstand flames. It was a key symbol in alchemy, representing the element of fire and enduring purity.
Stymphalian Birds
A flock of man-eating birds with beaks of bronze and sharp metallic feathers they could launch at victims. Heracles was tasked with driving them away from Lake Stymphalia.
Skin-walker
A type of harmful witch who has the ability to turn into, possess, or disguise themselves as an animal. They are feared figures associated with black magic and malevolence.
Succubus
A female demon that appears in dreams to seduce men, usually through sexual intercourse. They were said to steal life force or soul from their victims, often leaving them exhausted or dead.
Shishi
Guardian creatures resembling lions that are believed to protect against harmful spirits. They are often found in pairs at the entrances of temples, one with its mouth open and one closed.
Saci Pererê
A mischievous, one-legged Black boy who wears a magical red cap and smokes a pipe. A famous trickster spirit from Brazilian folklore, he can create dust devils and loves to play pranks.
Sarimanok
A legendary bird of the Maranao people, depicted as a colorful fowl with a fish in its beak or talons. It is a symbol of good fortune, wealth, and prosperity.
Sirin
A creature from Slavic myths with the head and chest of a beautiful woman and the body of a bird. Its song is so enchanting it can make mortals forget everything and follow it to their death.
Skoll
A monstrous wolf that chases the sun across the sky every day. According to prophecy, Skoll will finally catch and devour the sun during the events of Ragnarök, plunging the world into darkness.
Sluagh
Flocks of the restless spirits of the unforgiven dead. They were said to fly through the air, snatching up the souls of the dying or trying to enter the homes of the sick.
Spriggan
Grotesque, ugly fairies from Cornwall, often depicted as the ghosts of giants. They were known for being ill-tempered thieves who guarded ancient ruins and treasure, capable of swelling to enormous sizes.
Strix
A nocturnal bird of ill omen, believed to feed on human flesh and blood, particularly that of infants. Its name gave rise to the Romanian term for vampire, “strigoi.”
Strigoi
The troubled spirits of the dead who rise from the grave. These creatures can be living witches or reanimated corpses that share traits with vampires and drain the vitality of the living.
Sun Wukong
A legendary figure born from a stone who acquires immense supernatural powers. A skilled fighter and trickster, he rebels against heaven before accompanying a monk on a great quest.
Suzaku
One of the four celestial guardians of the constellations. It represents the south, the element of fire, and the summer season, often taking the form of a beautiful crimson phoenix.
Surtr
A fire giant from Múspellsheimr, the realm of fire. He is prophesied to lead the forces of chaos during Ragnarök, wielding a flaming sword that will set the world ablaze.
Sylph
An elemental being of the air, first described by the alchemist Paracelsus. Sylphs are typically imagined as invisible or ethereal beings, often depicted as small, fairy-like humanoids with wings.
Swan Maiden
A common folklore motif about a supernatural woman who can transform from a swan into a human. A mortal man often captures her by stealing her feathered cloak, forcing her to become his wife.
Serpopard
An ancient mythical animal with the body of a leopard or lion and a long, serpentine neck. It is a common motif in ancient art, often depicted in pairs with their necks intertwined.
Samebito
A creature from Japanese folklore depicted as a green-skinned “shark man.” Despite its fearsome appearance, it is a sensitive being known for crying tears of precious jewels when moved by kindness.
Sazae-oni
A monstrous yokai that originates from a turban snail. When these snails reach a great age, they can transform into beautiful women to lure and devour sailors or unsuspecting men.
Set animal
A mysterious, composite creature that served as the symbol of the god Set. It had a curved snout, long rectangular ears, and a forked tail, with no clear real-world counterpart.
Shachihoko
A mythical animal with the head of a tiger and the body of a carp. Believed to bring rain, these creatures were often placed on the roofs of temples and castles as guardians against fire.
Shadhavar
A unicorn-like creature from medieval Persian lore with a single, hollow horn containing 42 branches. When the wind blew through it, it produced a beautiful, enchanting melody.
Shellycoat
A type of bogeyman or freshwater spirit that haunts rivers and streams. It is named for the coat of shells it wears, which rattle to frighten away travelers who come too close to the water’s edge.
Sigbin
A creature from Filipino folklore said to suck the blood of its victims from their shadows. It resembles a hornless goat and walks backwards with its head lowered between its hind legs.
Siyokoy
Mermen-like creatures from the Philippines, often described as having green, scaled bodies, webbed hands and feet, and sometimes fins on their heads. They are said to drown mortals who venture into their territory.
Specter
A ghostly apparition, often one that inspires terror or dread. Unlike a simple ghost, a specter is typically a malevolent or vengeful spirit that haunts a specific person or place.
Sprite
A general term for a category of supernatural beings, including elves, fairies, or pixies. They are often associated with the elements of water or air and can be either benevolent or mischievous.
Svyatogor
A giant bogatyr (knight-hero) so immense that the earth itself could barely support his weight. His stories often emphasize his colossal strength and the impossibility of his existence in the mortal world.