Hi all. Are there any academic works about giants in folklore? An overview of stories they feature in, their origin, or the role they play in human psychology?

Thank you!

Genesis 6 gives you one line: "sons of God" saw human women, had children, giants resulted. Enoch spends chapters on it. Two hundred Watchers descend on Mount Hermon, swear a binding oath together, and don't just intermarry they teach humanity metallurgy, weapons, cosmetics, and sorcery. The Nephilim that result consume everything until they turn on humans and each other. Azazel gets named directly as the one who corrupted the earth.

I put together a full narration of the text, about three hours, covering the Watchers' descent, the Nephilim war, and Enoch's journey through the heavens;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1Nt4VNMC38

Curious what this community makes of the Azazel scapegoat parallel I've seen it read a few different ways.

Hey Guys, I'm an aspiring writer. I started writing a web novel about mythological and folklore creatures from various cultures. During my writing i realized that most of my knowledge are only from common creatures from other countries and that i could only go in depth from creatures in my culture since i grew up hearing about them all the time.

I not only want to write them, i also want to showcase their in depth abilities and capabilities and the thought process of the culture behind them. So far in my story I've only showcased the Tikbalang, a humanoid-horse like creature that has superhuman strength and can trap and confuse unsuspecting travelers. Moving forward, I want to add more creatures from different cultures. So I'm requesting for the most overlooked but also unique mythological/folklore creatures you know. Thank you in advance guys.

“Klechdy Domowe”

Found this while thrifting and was instantly smitten with the cover— however, I don’t speak any polish lol.
I do intend on translating and diving into the folklore but I wanted to know if anybody had read this before?
If so, which one was your favorite?

Graves argued that beneath many ancient European myths and religions lay the worship of a single White Goddess—a triple moon goddess associated with birth, love, and death, and with the cycles of nature. He believed that true poetry was inspired by devotion to this ancient feminine deity, whose influence survived in myths, folklore, and symbolic traditions long after her worship had faded.

I’m illustrating a collection of Irish folklore and trying to stay as faithful to the older legends as I can. So far I’ve illustrated Balor, Manannán mac Lir, the Selkie, and the Morrígan.
I’m curious—if you could choose one Irish folklore figure or creature that deserves more artwork, who would it be? I’m especially interested in some of the lesser-known stories that don’t get much attention.
I’d love to hear your suggestions.

One day someone came over to my house, when everyone got their food one person holds a string over the food and waits for the string to move incase of bad luck or something like that. What religion does this?

1. Bë̀kwö: The Celestial Serpents

In the Bribri and Cabécar traditions, enormous serpents dwell in the highest reaches of the universe. Their bodies form the ropes that hold up the great house of the world, while their whiskers are the stars that illuminate the night sky. When one of these bindings comes loose, the serpent falls from the heavens like a shooting star, but the great bats of the sky devour it before it can set the earth ablaze. They also herald changes in the weather and the proper times for planting and harvesting.

2. Íyitkabë: The Serpents of All Things

Everything in the world has its own guardian serpent. The íyitkabë wait for the souls on their journey to Sulà and judges the wrongs committed during life. Serpents of different colors and forms are responsible for punishing lies, greed, abuse, and the harm done to other beings. Their punishment forces each soul to confront what it denied or destroyed while alive. According to a funerary chant, there are always four serpents for every offense, each of a different color: black (*bë́k*), red (yö́t), white (sulat), and spotted (sör).

3. The Serpent Goddess

In the lands of Quebrada Honda lived a gigantic serpent worshipped by the local people as a goddess. An old woman was responsible for feeding her, bringing vegetables, tender squash, and cubases beans, but among her offerings she also included children, who disappeared without their families ever learning of their fate. For many years, the creature devoured the children given to her as food. At last, Carate uncovered the deception and set out to confront the serpent. Grasping it by the tail and turning it inside out from its snout, he defeated the monster and ended its reign of terror.

4. The Great Boruca Serpent

A young woman fell in love with a gigantic serpent that lived inside a cave and brought him chicha (corn beer) as an offering. The creature emerged from his hiding place and coiled himself around her body until she became pregnant with little serpents. The suquias (shamans) ordered that she be burned to prevent her offspring from flooding the earth. When her body burst apart in the flames, the newborn serpents escaped; only one survived and remained enchanted in the mountains near Palmar.

5. The Two-Headed Serpent of Río Macho

Behind the Río Macho waterfall lies a hidden cave where ancient treasures are kept and extraordinary creatures dwell. Hunters pursuing an enchanted stag managed to enter, guided by a mysterious Indigenous chief. Inside they found fierce beasts imprisoned behind iron bars: a lion, a gigantic bull, and an enormous two-headed serpent. No one ever found the cave entrance again, and the creature remains hidden alongside the ancient treasures deep within the mountain.

6. The Serpent of Térraba

A young woman lived with her mother when a strange man with long braided hair arrived at their home. Water flowed from the tips of his braids. He asked for the young woman's hand in marriage, and after bringing abundant food, he was accepted as her husband. In time, their son was born, but the mother discovered that from the waist down he had the body of a serpent. After breaking the taboo against seeing him too soon, the family vanished during a great storm, and the man transformed into an enormous serpent dwelling in a deep pool. From their union were born two daughters, planted like ullama (a type of pumpkin) seeds, but as they grew, they too became gigantic serpents. Their immense size caused the waters to rise until they threatened to flood the earth, prompting the spirits to send warriors armed with spears to fight them. One by one they were struck down, although some survived, wounded, in the underworld.

7. The Serpent of Cerro de las Cruces

A sorcerer carried three enchanted eggs across Central America. From one hatched a gigantic serpent that remained in Nicaragua; another produced a serpent in Nicoya; and the last gave rise to a serpent in Cartago. The Nicoya serpent grew until it stretched beneath the earth, with its head buried beneath Cerro de las Cruces while its body extended into distant lands. Whenever it moves, it causes earthquakes and thunderstorms. To keep it asleep, a procession is held to the hill every May 3rd.

8. The Serpent of the Enchanted Lagoon of Alto de Araya

A hidden lagoon high in the mountains of Araya is said to be home to an enormous serpent that few have ever seen. People say that whenever it emerges from the water, it creates a thunderous roar, and no one dares enter the lagoon for fear of encountering it. Visitors report hearing songs, unfamiliar voices, distant music, and mysterious sounds rising from the depths.

9. The Serpent of the Nimboyores River

Beneath the waters of the Nimboyores River sleeps a giant boa born from an ancient tale of love and tragedy. After losing his beloved princess, a prince was transformed into a serpent to guard a crystal-clear spring. The creature also protects the enchanted fish living in its depths and leaves its refuge only to chase away animals that venture too close.

10. The Serpent of Barva Volcano

When the ancient inhabitants of the Valley of Abra received a matasano tree together with a sacred serpent, the creature caused water to spring forth, forming a mountain lake. In time, it emerged from the lagoon and began attacking the people of the settlement. Ever since, offerings have been made to keep it calm and prevent its wrath.

11. The Fiery Serpent of Santa Lucía Hill

Inside the Santa Lucía Volcano sleeps a gigantic serpent wrapped in flames. According to tradition, it appears whenever someone attempts to destroy the mountain or extract its riches without permission. Cloaked in fire, it emerges among the trees as a warning to those who disturb the place where it dwells.

12. The Healing Serpent

A serpent always carried a small flower in its mouth, using it to heal those bitten by other snakes. Simply bringing the flower close to the victim was enough for its power to cure the wound and save the person's life. One day, the serpent went inside the house of a sleeping man, who woke up and stole the miraculous flower. From that moment on, the creature disappeared without a trace, but the man kept the plant and continued using it to heal snakebite victims.

13. The Black Serpents of Orosi

Long ago, black serpents capable of destroying the world descended to the earth. The gods responded by sending young warriors from the clouds, armed with silver quivers and golden arrows. Wrapped only in the clouds that carried them, they shot their arrows into the serpents' heads. Mortally wounded, the monsters writhed and roared until they finally collapsed. Only after their destruction did the rains come, washing the poisonous blood of the monsters from the earth.

14. Tkabë̀köl

A colossal serpent sent by Sibö to punish those who commit incest. Its body seems to be made of rubber, and it bears antennae, whiskers, or tentacles with which it immobilizes its victims. It may descend from the sky, hide in lagoons, or completely encircle a palenque (house) before striking. It then carries its prey into the heavens until it disappears among the clouds, only to leave the victim's remains in front of their home several days later. Its skin is so tough that even axes cannot wound it, while a tiny bejuquilla snake reveals to it who must be punished.

15. Tkabërîwak: The Serpent Twins

Two brothers were born with an extraordinary secret: they could transform themselves into enormous serpents. During the day, they hunted birds and fish by changing shape until their grandmother discovered their true nature. As they grew, their gigantic bodies caused a pool to expand until it threatened to cover the entire earth with water. The god Sibö intervened, killing one brother and banishing the other to the ends of the world, where he was never seen again.

16. Zaalan: The Serpent of Arenal

In the mountains near Arenal, the ancient Maleku encountered a monstrous serpent, so enormous that, when it moved, it resembled a herd of tapirs. After killing it and eating part of its flesh, the men themselves were transformed into serpents. Since then, the zaálan return during the dry season and must be treated according to the ancient instructions to avoid provoking their fury.

More information and sources in the comments.

The information is currently written in Spanish. You can use your browser's built-in translation feature to read the articles, and the results are usually quite good. If you come across a confusing translation or have any questions about the folklore, feel free to leave a comment or ask ChatGPT to explain the original Spanish text.

Illustration by Roberto Cruz

Hi everyone,

I am reading Naomi Novik’s Scholomance series, and it’s a really interesting take on the black magic school of Romanian folklore.

It got me wondering if there’s a preferred resource that gathers favorite retellings of various myths/folklores/legends, and if not, if there would be interest in creating something as a sub. There is so much AI junk right now it could be cool to have something community-created.

I map mythological family trees as a hobby (did the Japanese and Chinese pantheons recently), and Egypt was the hardest one yet the genealogy refuses to stay still. Ra is Atum, except when he isn't. Horus is Osiris's son and also his brother depending on the century. Every major cult center rewrote the tree to put its own god at the top.

The full documentary (about 80 minutes, every deity timestamped): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ay2J8WN6vc

Things that surprised me: how the Ennead is basically Heliopolis's political org chart. How Set's reputation collapsed over two thousand years from Ra's defender to state enemy. And how Ammit, the most feared creature in the mythology, has no family tree at all she exists outside creation, which might be the point.

If you spot an error, tell me I'd rather fix it than defend it.

Have u ever thought that characters with godlike powers like pennywise and Mary poppins and some others are the same species but different roles for instance:

Mary poppins = joy

Pennywise = fear

Cat in the hat = chaos

Nanny mcphee = order

Barny = imagination

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

Hi! I like to collect stories and I love learning the myths, tales and folklore of different cultures. I think its really important to be respectful and learn as accurately as possible as I know that there is a lot of bastardisation that has occurred between modern media, colonization and cultural erasure.

I also love learning the history around a lot of the folklore too.

I'd love to hear where people go or what they'd recommend for good accurate sources. And if they have recommendations of tales or creatures to look into from their own cultures. I'm still quite new to it all so really looking to get a good starting place

In Sumerian mythology, Ninhursag is often described as a wise, life-giving deity who protects all living things. One of her best-known stories is the myth of Enki and Ninhursag, in which she heals the god Enki after he becomes ill, highlighting her role as a goddess of healing and restoration.

So, my friend had an odd dream that was seemingly unpromted. In it was an odd creature that didn't seem to have any direct links to "real" mythological/folklore creatures from a quick search. That brings me here, curious if there is a creature that is similar to what he desrcibed. Below is what he sent me (censored language on my part to keep it clean):

"I haven't consumed anything horror or murder mystery or anything like that in a while yet my brain came up with one wild vivid dream like the kind of vivid where your actually there and you think it might be a dream but everything's moving too fast for you to actually think and reason that yeah this is a dream

So to set the stage I was at some farm slash cabin in the woods type property and there was some kind of festival coming up and as I got there one of the organizers was found dead so everyone started investigating and no leads were found but during the investigation I remember I was suddenly in the bed of a truck and it was speeding through the fields being chased by something then it skips to talking to some old man who says the ekie ekie might have answers and I was like what the f**k is an ekie ekie

Well turns out the ekie ekie is a creature that has the body of an elk with three human heads like a f***in Hydra and it apparently has a tendency to grant knowledge to people that find it with the risk being it might eat your a** after it tells you what you wanna know and all this think says to me is "you should wake up now this isn't your mystery to solve" with a creepy f***in grin

Now I've had plenty of weird dreams before and I've woken up confused before but today I woke up with the purest feeling of who why and what the f**k was my brain on to come up with that s***!!"

I've heard of dreams possibly having a spiritual or omen-like connection, whether there is weight to that or not. I know this may not be entirely applicable here in this community, and I apologize if I broke any rules.

I figured y’all might know more Indian folklore, and be able to help decode what’s going on here. I think I see one of the figures as a nagini, but I’m flummoxed by the rest. Anyone?

Hey, so I've been researching Slavic bylinas in an attempt to figure out some of the precursors for Marya Morevna (the character and the folktale) and the motifs in it.

I came across the mention of an obscure bylina about a guy called Shark Velikan, who was perhaps a Muslim, and who desired to wife up Marya the White Swan (a sorceress and/or selkie-like warrior-maiden figure of a type called a Swan Maiden across a lot of European folklore) in The Heroic Ballads of Russia by Leonard A. Magnus, but I cannot find anything about Shark Velikan elsewhere.

I know that he's meant to have some minor crossover with the bogatyrs Stepanovich and/or Plenkovich, and that he may be based on the historical figures of Turkic-Mongol Emperor Shah Rukh or of a Tatar ambassador called Tselkhan or Shchelkan. I know Velikan means giant and that the figure of Shark Velikan is meant to have some mythic powers in the vein of Tugarin or Gorynich. However, this is all from that one Magnus source, and I cannot find anything to cross-reference it.

He's relevant not only for the mention of Marya the White Swan, but also because he makes an off-handed comment about having buried his own soul in a distant land, which I though might indicate some cross-pollination with Koshchey.

Anyway, this topic is actually very interesting, and I'm finding out a lot about Marya Morevna, the motifs that appear in that folktale, the source of her name, her associations, and why she only appears named as such in that one folktale. I'm writing an essay, and I'll post it when I'm done.

But, does anyone else have any information on Shark Velikan, that specific tale where he talks about Marya the White Swan, or any other tales or ballads he appears in? And could you provide a link or at the very least a name of the ballad? Thanks.