A supernatural folklore creature or a phenomenon from popular culture which scares people with its presence or actions.
A popular character in Czech fairy tales, with horns, a tail and a hoof, also often appearing in human form. Devils live in hell and try to obtain human souls. The tradition involving the devil, Saint Nicholas and the angel is still alive.
Folklore and mythical creature, reptilian in appearance, nowadays mostly known as the adversary of a brave hero, who saves the princess from dragon’s claws. It flies in the air, carries treasure and breathes fire.
A fairy-tale character representing a small man with moustache. In legends, one of the names for the spirit of the mines. The term is also commonly used for a human of short stature.
A female creature that appears in folk stories. Nowadays, the term is associated with an attractive and fragile female character and is figuratively used for people as well (i.e. women and girls).
Creature of superhuman size and great, brute strength, known from legends, myths and fairy tales all over the world. He is usually feared by people, although he is not always hostile. Large people are also sometimes called giants.
A legendary creature, the spirit of forests, whose name is derived from the words hejkání (shouting) and houkání (hooting). He lives in the forest, where people may hear him hoot, but answering him may cost them their health at the least.
A fairy-tale character, a prototype of a youth who sets off into the world and, in spite of the fact that he is generally thought to be stupid, often returns with riches.
A creature from folklore traditions, appearing in human homes or near them. The original purpose of household deities was to bring benefit to their masters. The ways that the now popular šotek, skřítek or rarášek are imagined have changed and they usually represent crafty anthropomorphic (resembling humans) creatures.
A creature from superstitious beliefs, which visits fields and buildings at noon and punishes those that do not leave the fields and continue working. It is also a bogeyman that parents use to scare children when they misbehave.
A character nowadays known primarily as an auditory phenomenon created by the passage of wind in the chimney. In Czech folklore, there is a dramatic version of the story in which Melusine is half woman, half fish or snake.
A character from Czech superstitions which prevents people from sleeping peacefully. It has the form of a small object or insect and it sits on a sleeping person, suffocates him or her and causes bad dreams.
Folklore character, originally from German countries, which allegedly appeared in December and until Epiphany. Her Czech name was mixed with the name for the White Lady, i.e. for an apparition with origins in the legend about a noble woman from the House of Rožmberk.
A creature of short stature appearing in different forms of folk literature. According to tradition, it was the spirit of mines and met miners there.
A term for a small man who appears in mining legends and different fairy-tales. He can help people, e.g. by bringing the hero treasures that are difficult to reach or by helping him in other ways using spells. Sometimes he is called the pest of fairy tales.
Female demonic character with long hair, pale and beautiful. The name for this creature was probably integrated into Czech folklore as secondary.
Female folklore creatures that usually appear in groups of three, approach a new-born baby and determine his or her fate. They not only tell fortune, but they weave every person’s life as a thread.
A boy as tall as a thumb, a fairy-tale character who always finds a way to protect himself from danger in spite of his size. The motif, taken from folklore, was used in literary works and became a commonly used term.
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