Best Folklore Figures
A folklore is a story that is passed down from generation-to-generation. Most tend to include characters and/or tropes that have proved endearing enough to make a large impact in popular media.Choose which folklore figure you think stands out the most.
The most personal favourite of mine. It also helps in that the Grim Reaper is a figure of a very complex morality and governs one of the most tragic and inevitable aspects of life; Death.
In addition, the amount of religions and beliefs that share the ode of the Reaper is large. Also, the amount of media references and appearances really says a lot about the Reaper's influences.
Beowulf is the main protagonist of what appears to be among the oldest stories written in the English Language and one of the earliest examples of Fantasy fiction. His story is one of struggle and inspiration, one that would give birth to a lot of fantasy cliches.
A werewolf or lycanthrope is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or a therianthropic hybrid wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse or affliction. The concept of the werewolf can be predated to Greek Mythology via Lycaon.
Snow White was a prominent fantasy character before the Disney adaptation. Thoughthe original adaptation was a bit more darker and mature.
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that features in the myths of many cultures. Dragons have been referenced and featured several times throughout historical stories, the earliest example probably coinciding with its antagonism towards Beowulf. One of the three leading evils in Christianity, "The Beast" is described with features that can be related to those associated with dragons.
Dragon mythology exists across broad cultural and geographical areas with remarkable consistency. Good chance that occasional discoveries of dinosaur fossils, and unclear concepts of "millions of years" led to these legends. Or, dragons are real.
Baba Yaga is one of the most infamous examples of a supernatural predator or witch, and her story is not one for the feint of heart. She remains a popular figure for ancient horror stories.
The most classical example of making a deal with the devil, and an eventual descent to insanity. You can also say Faust is a prototypical example of a tragic character.
A mermaid is a legendary aquatic creature with the head and upper body of a female human and the tail of a fish.
There's also a high school in New York that has the Headless Horseman as their mascot (it's often referred to as America's scariest high school mascot).
A centaur, or occasionally hippocentaur, is a mythological creature with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a horse.
In West Virginia folklore, the Mothman is a legendary creature reportedly seen in the Point Pleasant area from November 12, 1966, to December 15, 1967 . The first newspaper report was published in the Point Pleasant Register dated November 16, 1966, titled "Couples See Man-Sized Bird ... Creature ..... read more