# Non-overused fantasy creatures (a resource for every fantasy writer)



## Art3mis (Aug 2, 2018)

Do you know any fantastic creature, which isn’t overused? Don’t get me wrong! But if I read the next fantasy book with cute mermaids or glittering unicorns I’d drove crazy. First, at all, it sucks if you always use the same creatures. And secondly, not every creature is so nice as you imagine. For example, mermaids were – at least because the original mythology said it – imagined as a beautiful woman. But when they are underwatering they turn into monsters. Maybe you have seen _Pirates of the Caribbean 4_. Those mermaids are more original than Ariel. So, back to the topic: Do you know any creatures, which isn’t overused? …


----------



## QuixoteDelMar (Aug 2, 2018)

Almost anything that isn't ultimately derived from Greco-Roman or Norse mythology, really. All the really common ones are, thanks to the prolific nature of those myths.

My favorites - I am obsessed with pirates, so thanks for mentioning them - are drawn from Caribbean or South American legends, but there are plenty of options out there. Here's a few of my favorites:

Lusca - A giant octopus that grows up to between 75 and 200 feet long, with the ability to change colors. It hunts by balancing on a single tentacle on the sea floor, and feeds mostly on crustaceans. A good alternative to the infamous kraken.

Chickcharney - said to stand about three feet tall, and to resemble an ugly, furry owl. They live in forests, making their nests by bending pine trees together. If treated well they grant good luck, but curse those who treat it poorly with bad luck.

Soucouyant - a blood-drinking hag whose true form is a fireball that can change size to fit trough any opening. By day, she looks like an old woman, but at night she assumes her true form by removing her own skin and putting it in a mortar. To get rid of one, you must put coarse salt in the mortar that holds her skin, to prevent her from putting it back on. Alternative to the classic Dracula-style vampire.

Cipactli - part crocodile, part fish, part frog, the always hungry Cipactli has an extra mouth on each of it's joints.

Kirin - also spelled Qilin, the kirin is a creature that heralds the arrival or passing of a sage or emperor. The have the body of a horse, ox, or stag, are partially scaled and cloven hoofed. They have long lashes, manes that flow upward, and beards, as well as magnificent antlers. One legend says they won't walk upon the grass for fear of harming a single blade - thus, they walk on clouds or water. They only appear in the domains of benevolent rulers, and punish the wicked by breathing fire. Unicorn alternative.

Selkie - seals capable of changing into beautiful women by shedding their skin. Tales abound of men tricking them into marriage by stealing thier skin and trapping them in human form. Alternative mermaid.

And those are just a few. World myths are replete with them.


----------



## aj47 (Aug 2, 2018)

Maybe I read the wrong things but I'm tired of selkies, too.  As for over-used, that's not necessarily true.  In the book _Ariel _ by Steven R. Boyett several standard magical creatures are used, but with a new spin.  If you tell a good story, it can feature anything.


----------



## bdcharles (Aug 2, 2018)

Good question. I don't often see hydras in fantasy. So I included some in mine...

But there are loads. In the west we tend to focus on Nordic or European myths or Greco-Roman stuff, which is completely understandable because it's culturally "nearby". But for every culture there's half a hundred mythical creatures or more. Neil Gaiman digs pretty deep into these other myths though he tends to bring them to familiar landscapes. Hindu has absolutely shedloads, some of which, like the unicorn, or less well-known like the naga and its female counterpart, the nagini, have transitioned from the Indus Valley to New World consciousnesses. I think it'd be cool to have some fantasy based on the Upanishads. An army of high born Brahmin riding to heavenly battle on the backs of giant flesh-eating pishacha-demons, bringing with them insanity and worse. Yes please.  

Personally I rather like the boo-hag from the Gullah subgroup of African Americans in the Carolinas. I like the name.


----------



## Jack of all trades (Aug 2, 2018)

Art3mis said:


> Do you know any fantastic creature, which isn’t overused? Don’t get me wrong! But if I read the next fantasy book with cute mermaids or glittering unicorns I’d drove crazy. First, at all, it sucks if you always use the same creatures. And secondly, not every creature is so nice as you imagine. For example, mermaids were – at least because the original mythology said it – imagined as a beautiful woman. But when they are underwatering they turn into monsters. Maybe you have seen _Pirates of the Caribbean 4_. Those mermaids are more original than Ariel. So, back to the topic: Do you know any creatures, which isn’t overused? …



Try making a creature or two up. If it's new and original, it hasn't been overdone.


----------

