Even Dads' Freak Out When They Hear About These Mythical Folklore Creatures

When it comes to stories, your dad will have a lot of them. What's more, these stories aren't just any other story. Most of the time, dads will have a treasure trove of folktales full of lessons and mystery. Folklores are traditional beliefs that often center around stories. These stories have valuable lessons and are often origin stories.

Most of the time, folktales are full of supernatural beings and events. A folktale aims to explain the origin of something or tell a valuable lesson. It could be a place, a person, a thing, etc. Even though these stories are full of mystery and unusual creatures, folktales don't necessarily have to be scary. 

All over the world, every country has its fair share of folktales. Some folktales even share minor details and similarities with other stories from other countries. For example, mermaids in most European settings are beautiful sirens. In the southern parts of Asia, mermaids are almost fishlike in appearance. 

Again, folktales are full of beings that are out of this world. Chances are, your dad even freaked out the moment he heard about these creatures. Curious about what these mythical beings are? Here's a list of the weirdest, most interesting, mythical creatures from all over the world.

Fairy

Also spelled as faerie or faery, these small, winged human beings are often found in forests living normal lives. They usually fly around and are responsible for the health of the woods and the other creatures living inside it. You could say that these beings are the guardians of a forest. 

In most iterations, especially those you see in Disney movies, fairies are often depicted as these cute humanoid, winged beings. These beings regularly interact with human beings with caution. By nature, fairies aren't aggressive towards people. They even reward human beings appropriately.

However, fairies in other versions such as in Western Europe, these creatures are more fearsome-looking. They don't even have to be small, as most people know. In these parts of the world, fairies can be the same size as a human being. Fairies are also known to be wicked, moody, and unforgiving when you anger them. 

Sirenssuopernatural

Sirens are humanoids that have half their body as a fish. If you look closely, sirens closely resemble mermaids. Although there's little difference between a mermaid and a siren, their behaviors are totally opposite. Mermaids aren't aggressive and rarely harm a human being. You can go to mysteriousheartland.com to find out more about sirens and other folklore creatures.

Sirens, on the other hand, are predatory and quite territorial. Sailors are especially of both sirens and mermaids because of their glaring similarities. In most legends, sirens will often lure sailors to the depths where they drown them. They also have an alluring voice that can seduce any man to their doom. Sirens are known to eat human beings they trap.

Knockers

The Cornish describes knockers as small humanoid beings, standing about two feet long. They have a big head, wrinkles all over their faces, and their signature white whiskers. They have incredibly long arms and often wear a miner's garb complete with their own small tools. 

Knockers are mischievous creatures, often responsible for stealing unattended food and other tools. If something broke inside a mine shaft, miners would often blame the Knockers for the damage. Depending on who you ask, Knockers can be evil or well-meaning jokers. They can even be helpful to miners.

In the evil version, Knockers are often responsible for cave-ins. When a miner hears a loud knoc k(which is actually the creaking of the earth and wooden supports), it's usually a sign that the mine is dangerous and about to give in. The knock is attributed to these creatures, knocking down the supporting structures inside the tunnel.

For some, knockers can be practical jokers who steal items and often play tricks on unsuspecting miners. In the benevolent version, knockers are kind beings that often warn miners about potential cave-ins. As thanks, most miners leave pieces of food for the knockers to eat.

Tikbalang

The Philippines is one of the countries in the world that have a lot of folktales. One mythical creature that's common in the country is the Tikbalang. Tikbalangs are the Philippine counterparts of Centaurs. However, there is one significant difference between them. Instead of having an upper human body and the lower body of a horse, the Tikbalang has a human body with the head of a horse!

These creatures can often be found resting on top of ancient trees. A tikbalang can be both malevolent and benevolent. In most cases, if a tikbalang befriends a person, that tikbalang can grant them success and riches in their life. On the bad side, tikbalangs can be responsible for the famine, curses, and illnesses in a person's life. 

These creatures are also rumored to court young women and can be aggressive towards the latter if rejected. In popular Filipino belief, a tikbalang is usually getting married if it rains during a bright sunny day.

Other Mythological Creatures from all over the world:

Kappa - A cryptid humanoid with a beak on its face, green skin, and flippers for hands and feet. They also have a turtle shell on their backs. They are found in Japan, in streams, rivers, or ponds. 

Bunyip - Australia's version of a chimera or a creature with different animal parts. They live in swamps and bogs. They are aggressive and eat people who wander carelessly near them.

Jörmungandr - The world serpent. Jörmungandr is a massive snake in Norse mythology. He frequently clashes with the god of thunder, Thor.