In searching for legends, I came upon an interesting site that listed some mythical creatures that haven’t garnered as much attention as their fellow legends. These creatures differ and originate from a diverse list of countries from Greece to Africa.

1. The first creature on the list is the gnome in the Swiss mountains.  According to another site, these creatures are referred to as Barbegazi. The name is derived from French words and means “frozen beard.” Barbegazi typically have large feet that double as snowboards and have long white beards, usually adorned with icicles. According to both sources, the creatures are friendly and human-loving. When people are caught in snow, they are said to whistle over the location the person is buried until help arrives.

 2. The second creature originates from China and feeds off people’s chi. Jiang-shi are formed if a person is wronged in some form in his or her life or if dark magic is used. Jiang-shi are said to be pasty with green and white hair or moss. They have unnaturally long tongues and talon-like black nails. Ways to ward off these monsters include inserting a long stretch of wood along the lower part of an entryway.

3. The Tokoloshe, from Africa, can cause a great deal of damage, ranging from minor pranks to crimes of greater severity such as rape and the consumption of toes. In my search for additional information, I even found a post on yahoo answers where a man asked about his future wife becoming pregnant through these creatures. Tokoloshe resemble miniature zombies that resemble European brownies.

4. Orthrus, brother of Cerberus, was slain by Hercules when he sought Geryon’s cattle. If you recall, Hercules had to perform Twelve Labors, the tenth of which was to steal a giant’s cattle that were zealously guarded by Orthrus. Orthrus resembles two thirds of Cerberus , with only two dog heads.

5. Were creatures are scattered throughout cultures, though werewolves are more prevalent. The Aztecs revered the were-jaguar while Asia had the were-tiger. The inhabitants of the Sahara believed in butungin or were-hyenas. The direct translation from Kanuri to English is “I change in to a hyena.

6. In Norse mythology, there is guardian to the realm of the dead ironically named “Hel,” though her full name is Helheim. She is assisted by a dog, Gamr, and the two stand between Valhalla, the Norse version of heaven for champions, and the undeserving souls. She is described as a hag with a living upper half and the lower half of a corpse. Her facial expression isn’t exactly cheery either, reasonable considering her job description.

7. The Karzelek is similar to dwarves, it guards valuable gems and meal in the Polish mountain mines. On occasion, the creatures will assist miners in need or lead them to profitable locations. However, when incited, the creatures can become rather nasty as well. They are more than capable of flinging people to their dark deaths or causing mine tunnels to collapse. According to another source, one should avoid shielding one’s head or whistling or throwing rocks while in the mountains as these actions may offend the Karzelek.

Stay tuned for the continuation of this list in my follow up post.