Some of the fairies, monsters, elves, demons, and other paranormal entities of Spain & the surrounding countries

The Brujas/Bruxas are the witches of Iberian folklore. Tradtionally, a witch is someone who, by means of a pact with the Devil/other entity, has supernatural power, which she uses for herself. They are often described as vampiric, sucking the blood/energy from their victims

The legend of the Lagarto de la Malena is the most famous from Jaén, Andalucia. According to legend, a large lizard (Great Serpent or Dragon) appeared in a cave next to the Magdalena fountain, and ate whoever went to fetch some water from the fountain.

A shepherd, fed up with the lizard eating his sheep, devised a ruse to kill it. He took a sheep and killed it, removing some of the meat and filling the hide with burning tinder. The reptile, smelling the bloodied lamb, swallowed it up and died as the tinder burned its insides.

The Xana is found in Asturian legend. Always female, she is very beautiful, & is believed to live in fountains, rivers, waterfalls. Xanas have children called xaninos, but because they cant take care of them, they usually take a human baby from his cradle & put their own instead.

In Catalan folklore, Dip is an evil, black, hairy, vampiric dog, an emissary of the Devil, who sucks people's blood. Like other figures associated with demons in Catalan myth, he is lame in one leg. He is said to wander the village of Pratdip.

In Spanish and Portuguese folklore, Duendes are described as beings of a small stature wearing big hats, whistling a mystical song, while walking in the forest (and rendered in English by "goblins", "pixies", "brownies", “elves”)

More info in this thread: https://twitter.com/gjrt888/status/1272269990754828288?s=20

Aicha Kandicha (عيشة قنديشة) is a female figure in northern Moroccan folklore. She is typically depicted as a beautiful young woman who has the legs of a hoofed animal such as a goat or camel, she lives near water sources, & is said to seduce local men and then madden/kill them.

The Santa Compaña is a deep-rooted folkloric belief in rural northwest of Iberia: Galicia, Asturias, & Northern Portugal. The common belief is that of a procession of the dead that wander through the village paths of a parish beginning at midnight wearing white, hooded cloaks.

The Bú is a gigantic anthropomorphic owl from Spanish folklore. (He is first cousin of the owl who drinks the oils of the churches). It has red eyes, large as soup plates; that paralyze their victims with terror. Its beak is sharp as blades and its claws are like wolf traps.

The Ojáncano is a cyclopean giant from Cantabrian folklore that embodies all evil, the most negative and the wild. It's beard is like a boar's bristles, and long. His only eye, in the middle of his forehead, glows like a candle, and is surrounded by pale wrinkles with blue dots.

The Basajaun is an entity from Basque & Aragonese folklore. Characterized as "Lord and Protector of the forest", he is of great stature and strength, and inhabits the most remote mountains and forests. His partner is called Basandere.
He is protective of the flocks of sheep.

The daughter of a Moorish king in Andalucia, la Tragantia had to hide in the basement when the Castilians conquered the city. Over the years, due to the small space, and the damp walls, her lower extremities merged together and acquired an elongated and shape, with scales.

At midnight, the Tragantia is said to yell into the night:

"Yo soy la Tragantía,
hija del rey moro;
el que me oiga cantar,
no verá la luz del día
ni la noche de San Juan."

If a child listens to this song, the monster devours him. So kids try to go to bed and be asleep early!

The Mouros and Mouras encantadas are present in the folklore of Portugal, Galicia, and Asturias. The Mouros work with gold, silver and gem stones with which they make up enormous treasures that are protected by cuélebres.

More info in this thread below: https://twitter.com/gjrt888/status/1277044211989098496?s=20

The Algerian H’awouahoua is a boogeyman-like figure made of chimeric animal parts and flaming spittle for eyes, Algerian parents warned children to behave or the h’awouahoua would steal them away, eat them and use their skin to mend his coat.

The Martinico is a duende widely spread throughout the Spain, in Castille, Aragon, La Mancha, Andalucia...

Known for their mischievous and disorderly personality. They are not evil, they simply love to play tricks and pranks on the tenants of the house where they reside.

La Muerte or La Parca is Death in Spanish folklore. Their skeletal figure is commonly seen in several parts of Spain, such as in the Holy Week (Semana Santa) in Sevilla.

A matagot is, according to oral traditions of southern France, a spirit under the form of an animal, mostly undetermined, frequently a black cat. Matagots are generally evil, but some may prove helpful, like the "magician cat" said to bring wealth into a home if it is well fed.

The Mono Caretos are a race of small ape-like beings (defined by some as "monkeys-duendes"), small in stature & ugly looking. They live in Sierra Nevada (Granada, Andalucia) and are characterized by having a cruel personality as they kill mountaineers, as they cause avalanches.

The Butoni is a kind of minor demon/ghost in Valencian folklore. It is dedicated to committing crimes, and scaring young children. He is a very ugly character sometimes depicted with two faces and hands and feet with claws. He is said to have a horn that lit up at night.

María Cuchilla is said to be a condemned spirit of a young woman of a humble class who lived in Oviedo in the 18th or 19th century. She is bloodthirsty and appears at night brandishing a huge bloody knife. Some consider her the Patron saint of unsolved crimes.

A Tibicena/Guacanchas, are creatures from Guanches folklore, pre-Hispanic inhabitants of the Canary Islands. Tibicenas were imagined to be demon or jinn who had the bodies of big wild dogs with red eyes, covered by long, black fur. They lived in deep caves inside the mountains.

The Anjana are fairies of Cantabrian folklore. In most stories, they are good fairies, generous & protective of all people. Traditions state that at night during the spring equinox, they gather in the fells and dance until dawn holding hands and scattering roses.

The Escornau is a monster from the folklore of Extremadura. According to some legends, the creature was created by God as a punishment for the sins committed by the residents of Ahigal. After the citizens prayed, God paralyzed the Escornau & inflated it until the animal exploded