5. 🎨 Creativity & Media

Cultural Protocols and Permissions

Protocols and permissions are not optional add-ons to Australian Aboriginal know

Songlines as Maps

Songlines are living maps that encode routes, rights, resources, and responsibil

Initiation and Law Stories

Initiation and Law stories sit at the heart of cultural transmission across Abor

Dance, Song, and Storytelling

Dance, song, and storytelling form an integrated system of knowledge transmissio

Bark Painting and Body Designs

Bark painting and body designs are interlinked knowledge systems that encode law

Rock Art and Iconography

Rock art and iconography across the Australian continent constitute a primary ar

Art, Ceremony, and Transmission

Art, ceremony, and narrative interlock to carry Aboriginal Law, Country, and Anc

Tasmania: Palawa Traditions

Tasmania’s Aboriginal people, collectively known as palawa and pakana, maintain

Southeast: Kulin, Yuin, and Dharug

The southeast of the Australian continent hosts long-standing cultural landscape

Cape York and Rainforest Peoples

Cape York and the adjoining Wet Tropics rainforests hold some of Australia’s mos

Western and Central Desert: Pintupi and Arrernte

The Western and Central Desert region holds some of the most influential sources

Kimberley: Worrorra, Ngarinyin, and Wunambal

Across the rugged coasts and sandstone plateaus of the north-west Kimberley, the

Arnhem Land: Yolngu and Bininj

Arnhem Land, in Australia’s Northern Territory, is home to two closely connected

Regional Traditions and Peoples

Across Australia, Aboriginal peoples sustain regional laws, kinship, and Ancesto

Papinjuwari of the Tiwi

Papinjuwari, in Tiwi oral traditions from Bathurst and Melville Islands in the A

Baiame and Daramulum

Baiame and Daramulum occupy central positions in a constellation of southeastern

Yara-ma-yha-who of the Fig Trees

The Yara-ma-yha-who is a small, red-skinned, humanlike being associated with fig

Hairy Man of the Southeast

The Hairy Man of the Southeast is a multifaceted figure within Aboriginal tradit

Quinkan Spirits of Cape York

Quinkan are spirit beings associated with the sandstone plateaus and rock shelte

Mimi Spirits of Arnhem Land

Mimi spirits, often rendered as Mimih in Kunwinjku and related dialects, are sle

Land Spirits, Guardians, and Tricksters

Across Australia, land spirits and tricksters anchor law, story, and responsibil

Rain, Rainbow, and Weather Lore

Rain, rainbow, and weather lore in Aboriginal Australia integrates cosmology, la

Banumbirr, the Morning Star

Banumbirr refers to the Morning Star as understood in the knowledge systems of n

Namarrkon, the Lightning Man

Namarrkon (also spelled Namarrgon) is the Lightning Man of western Arnhem Land,

Emu in the Sky

The Emu in the Sky is a pan-continental, dark-cloud constellation recognized by

Seven Sisters Songlines

The Seven Sisters Songlines are among the most widely shared and enduring conste

Sun Woman and Moon Man

Across many Australian Aboriginal traditions, the Sun and the Moon are not passi

Sky, Sun, and Weather Beings

Aboriginal sky knowledge reads stars, planets, weather, and dark constellations

Whowie and River Monstrosities

Across many southeast Australian traditions, the Whowie is remembered as a peril

Nargun of the Rock Pools

The Nargun is a powerful being associated with rock pools, caves, and waterfalls

Yawk Yawk Water Spirits

Yawk Yawk are freshwater female water spirits known across Western Arnhem Land i

Muldjewangk of the Lower Murray

The Muldjewangk is a prominent water being in the oral traditions of the Lower M

Bunyip in Oral and Colonial Records

The bunyip occupies a complex place in Australian cultural history. In Aborigina

Rainbow Serpent as Water Sovereign

The figure often rendered in English as the Rainbow Serpent refers to a constell

Water Beings and Waterways

Across Aboriginal Australia, water beings embody sovereign, living waterways tha

Tiddalik the Frog

Tiddalik the Frog is a widely known Aboriginal Australian teaching story from so

Dingo and Human Origins Stories

Dingoes occupy a distinctive place in Australian Aboriginal creation narratives,

Djang and Kunapipi in Arnhem Land

Djang and Kunapipi are central concepts in the ceremonial and cosmological life

Wandjina and Ungud in the Kimberley

In the Kimberley region of northwestern Australia, the Wandjina and Ungud stand

Tingari Ancestors of the Desert

The Tingari are ancestral traveling parties whose journeys across the Western De

Rainbow Serpent Lineages

The Rainbow Serpent is not a single universal being but a family of ancestral po

Creation Narratives and Ancestral Journeys

Ancestral journeys shape Australian Aboriginal Law and Country, mapping responsi

Regional Diversity of Traditions

Across the Australian continent, the knowledge often called the Dreaming is inse

Sacred Sites and Story Places

Sacred sites and story places are the living anchor points of the Dreaming: loca

Kinship, Totems, and Obligation

Kinship, totems, and obligation form the operating system of Australian Aborigin

Ancestor Beings and Creation Tracks

Ancestor Beings and their creation tracks sit at the core of Aboriginal cosmolog

Country and Songlines

Country and Songlines are foundational to Aboriginal cosmology and practice. Cou

The Dreaming as Law and Time

The Dreaming is an English gloss for a constellation of Aboriginal and Torres St

Cosmology and The Dreaming

The Dreaming is a living law and time, binding Country, people, and species thro

Australian Aboriginal Mythology, Folklore, and Creatures

Australian Aboriginal law stories animate Country, binding people to kin, places

The 9 Realms of Norse Mythology

From the depths of Ginnungagap, life springs forth, anchored by the cosmic ash t

Banshee

The Banshee, derived from the Irish term 'bean sídhe', meaning “woman of the fai

Skin-Walker

The Skin-walker, a creature from Native American folklore, specifically among th

Asin

Asin, often referred to as the "Basket Woman," is a creature in Native American

El Cucuy

El Cucuy, also known as Coco or Cuca, is a legendary creature in the folklore of

La Llorona

La Llorona, known as the Weeping Woman, is a figure from Mexican folklore often

Mexico

Akaname

Beware the grime you leave behind: the Akaname, a child-sized yōkai, haunts filt

Bai Ze

The Bai Ze is a legendary beast in Chinese lore, renowned for its wisdom and kno

China

Beasts of Urban Legend

This section explores Beasts of Urban Legend, modern tales of fear and mystery c

Black-Eyed Children.

The Black-Eyed Children are supernatural beings that appear as pale, quiet child

Taniwha

Taniwha are supernatural creatures from Māori tradition often described as drago

Fae Folk Bestiary Entries

Explore The Fae: a curated gateway to folklore and myth. Meet Akaname, Banshee,

Spirit Beings

The Bestiary Spirit Beings Baku-San Banshee Batibat Hanako-San La Llorona Teke T

South America

South American cultures abound with stories of mythical creatures, deeply intert

North America

The diverse mythological landscape of North America, shaped by over 500 Indigeno

West Asia

Central Asia

East Asia

The cultures of East Asia, including China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam, have rich

South Asia

South Asia: A Tapestry of Gods, Beasts, and Spirits South Asia, a region known f

South East Asia

The Myths and Legends of Southeast Asia As we journey deeper into the heart of A

Asia

Asia's mythological landscape is a rich tapestry of divine narratives, heroic sa

The Hidebehind

The Hidebehind is a mythical creature from American lumberjack folklore, known f

Africa

Spanning over 30 million square kilometers and encompassing 54 nations, Africa i

Ponaturi.

The Ponaturi are goblin-like creatures from Māori mythology, feared as malevolen

Fae Folk

Unveiling the realms of the Fae folk reveals a captivating tapestry of mythology

Slavic Mythology: Unveiling the Shadows in the Ancient Woods

Slavic mythology, rooted in pre-Christian era, evolved organically through oral

Europe

European mythologies are not just a collection of tales, but complex frameworks

Oceania

The folklore and mythology of Oceania's islands offer a rich tapestry of narrati

Egyptian

"Whispers of the Nile" explores Egyptian mythology, its pantheon of gods and the

Fearsome Critters

The "fearsome critters" are fantastical beasts invented by 19th- and early 20th-

Jersey Devil.

The Jersey Devil is a legendary creature that has been part of the folklore of s

Urban Legends

Urban legends are contemporary folk narratives that reflect societal anxieties a

The World of Cryptids

Cryptids, mysterious creatures whose existence is unverified, are studied by cry

Hanako-San

The Hanako-san legend is a well-known urban myth in Japan, said to haunt the thi

Teke Teke

The urban legend of Teke Teke is one of the most feared in Japan. The vengeful s

Zashiki Warashi

The Zashiki Warashi, a figure in Japanese folklore, is a benevolent household sp

Baku

The Baku is a supernatural creature from Japanese folklore, known as the "dream

Yōkai

Yōkai, supernatural entities in Japanese folklore, have fascinated generations w

Japanese Mythology

Japanese mythology, originating from a primordial chaos known as "Konton," is in

Aswang

The Aswang, Philippine folklore’s shape-shifting terror, hides as kind neighbors

Ogres.

Ogres, monstrous humanoid creatures known for their immense strength, insatiable

Trolls.

Trolls, iconic creatures from Scandinavian folklore, are known for their size, g

BatiBat

The BatiBat, a demon from Philippine folklore, is a grotesque, obese hag known f

Shapeshifters & Spirits

The book, "Dark Whispers from the Veil", investigates the realm of spirits and s

Baba Yaga

Baba Yaga, a fearsome figure in Slavic folklore, is known for her chicken-legged

Jorōgumo

The Jorōgumo, or "Binding Bride," is a seductive, shape-shifting spirit from Jap

Redcap Goblin.

The Redcap, a malevolent entity from British folklore, haunts abandoned castles

Ammit The Soul Eater

From ancient Egyptian mythology comes Ammit the soul eater—the monstrous devoure

Axehandle Hound

The Axehandle Hound is a creature from North American folklore, believed to inha

Hakuturi – The Powerful Guardians of the Forest.

Hākuturi are supernatural beings from Māori folklore, often described as guardia

Agropelter

Hidden high in the treetops of North America, the Agropelter is a notorious crea

The Kappa

The Kappa is a famous creature in Japanese folklore, known for its dual nature a

The Wendigo.

The Wendigo is a malevolent spirit from Algonquian folklore, often associated wi