Below is a list of commonly-known mythical creatures, their definitions, origins & links. Please see the links near the bottom of the page to find more info on other mythical creatures.   angel -- spiritual being which assists and serves God(s); derived from Greek "angelos"meaning messenger; Reference Library Article | All About Angels | Beliefnet: Angels banshee -- female spirit who wails to warn of impending death; derived from Gaelic "bean-sidhe" meaning spirit woman; Irish Fairies: Banshee basilisk -- king of the serpents; East Indian (?); The Basilisk centaur -- human head & torso, horse body; Greece; Centaurs in Myth and Art  cyclops -- giant with a single eye in the middle of the forehead; Greece; About.com: Cyclops demon -- supernatural evil or malicious spirit; from the Greek "daemon"; Demonology: A Gallery of Demons djinni (genie) -- believed to be the equivalent of a spirit or demon; can be good or evil; said to live side by side with humans, not perceivable by them, sometimes said to grant wishes; Arabia; Encyclopedia article doppleganger -- human double; German; FreeDictionary encyclopeia article dragon -- huge flying reptile, sometimes fire-breathing; many ancient cultures; The Dragon in Folklore and Legend | The Dragon Bestiary | Chinese Dragons versus Japanese Dragons elemental -- a being composed of one of the fundamental elements possessing powers with regards to the element; some say invented by 16th century Swiss alchemist Paracelsus; Elements and Elementals fae -- umbrella term for otherworldly little people inluding elves, faeries, gnomes, etc.; most cultures; Faerie Central | Fae Art | Lavendise: vale of the fae gargoyle -- hideous creature originally carved on Gothic buildings as water spouts and to ward off evil; from Latin root "gar" meaning to swallow; Gargoyles and Cathedrals ghost -- disembodied spirit; most cultures; The Shadowlands | Ghostweb ghoul -- evil spirit that feeds on corpses; Arabia; The East End Ghoul giant -- humanoid creatures of prodigious size and strength; many cultures; BrainyEncyclopedia: Giants  gorgon -- female with snakes for hair; Greece; Medusa & Gorgones gremlin -- mechanically oriented mischievious creature;WW II; Toonpedia: Gremlins griffin -- lion's body, an eagle's head, long ears, and an eagle's claws; several ancient cultures; Crystallinks: Griffins  harpy -- winged female monster with sharp talons; Greece; Greek Mythology: Harpyiai hydra -- many-headed water serpent; Greece; Greek Mythology: Hydra Lernaia kraken - giant squid; Scandinavia; In Search of the Giant Squid minotaur -- half man, half bull; Greece; Minotaur Mythology mummy -- dead, embalmed body; Persia; Mummy List ogre -- man-eating giant; Scandinavia; Legendary Quest Folklore pegasus -- winged horse; Greece; Mythography: Pegasus phoenix -- brilliant-plumed, large bird that sprang from ashes of fire set by previous phoenix; Arabia; Phoenix Rising sea serpent -- umbrella term for many large sea monsters; most cultures; Occultpedia: Sea Serpent sphinx -- human head, lion's body; Egypt; Occultpedia: Sphinx unicorn -- animal generally depicted as having the head and body of a horse, the hind legs of a stag, the tail of a lion, and having a long tapering horn growing from the middle of its forehead; India; Occultpedia: Unicorn vampire -- undead, blood-sucking creature; ancient Mesopotamia; Occultpedia: Vampire werewolf -- human that transforms to wolf at night; many cultures; Occultpedia: Werewolf  wraith -- specter seen before death; many cultures; Roget's Thesaurus yeti -- creature usually described as a shaggy man-beast that is only ever briefly seen moving across snow swept landscapes, leaving behind very large footprints; prehistory (?); Bigfoot Origin zombie -- living dead; Africa; Skeptics Dictionary article   Links Gareth Long's Encylopedia of Monsters, Mythical Creatures and Fabulous Beasts | Mythical & Fantasy Creatures | Lady Gryphon's Mystical Realm | Mythical WWW | Folklore and Legend