I like the strange and unusual. I love stories that incorporate the less common among mythical creatures. Some, to me, are so staple they seem trite. Vampire, werewolves, mermaids, unicorns…  Even elves, or Fae, though they haven’t quite reached that trite level yet.

No, I don’t put dragons in that list. Don’t be silly. Dragons will always be badass. And there are many, many different types of dragons to work with, from all over the world. I wrote a whole book about them. Granted, it would be nice to see more unusual dragons show up in stories.

Anyhoo, stories need new spice. Here are six beasties I’d love to see in a story.

 

Ahool

A gigantic bat-like creature of Javan and Vietnamese lore. The ahool stands around two feet tall, with dark grey fur, the head of a monkey, and a wingspan between 7- 10 feet. It is named for the long, eerie call it makes. The ahool is believed to mostly eat fish. In Season Two, ep 10 of Destination Truth, Josh and Team Truth go hunting for this beastie in Java.

 

Bocanach

A gigantic demon goat of Irish legend that menaced lone travelers at night.

 

Kappa

A river yokai of Japanese myth, resembling a cross between a human and a turtle, with a divet in the top of the head containing water necessary for the kappa’s survival. They like blood, and will attack humans and steal babies. They also like cucumber, and can be distracted with it. It is said if you bow to a kappa, it will bow back, spilling the water that is the source of its power, and rendering it immobile. Other stories say if you are friendly to the kappa, it will respond in kind, but if you are cruel, you’ll get eaten. Sushi cucumber rolls are called kappa rolls.

 

Sileni

Creatures of Greek lore with the upper body and head like a human, and the lower body, and ears of a horse.

 

Tatzelwurm

A dragon of European legend having a serpent tail and the forequarters of a cat. It is an aggressive cave-dwelling critter some 2-5 feet in length found in the Alps. It is said to be poisonous, and can jump up to three yards at a time.

 

Yali

Beasties of Hindu mythology with the body of a lion and head of an elephant. They are quite fierce, and incredibly fast.