Monster Encyclopedia - D

Back

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Next

dagon

The ancient Philistines and later the Phoenicians considered this half-man half-fish to be their main deity. In the Bible it tells that on conquering the Israelites, the Philistines stole the Ark of the Covenant and placed it before the statue of Dagon. Yahweh in the Ark wrestled with Dagon and broke the statue. This shape-shifting marine Deity may once have been the Sumerian Oannes who emerged from the ocean to educate mankind.

dendan

In Arabian legend, the dendan is a fabulous sea creature. It is said that the dendan are gigantic black fish that will die if they come into any contact with humans, be it touch, or even the sound of a human voice.

doppelganger

Meaning "double walker" a doppelganger is a shadow-self that accompanies every human. Only the owner of a doppelganger can see it, otherwise it is invisible to human eyes. Dogs and cats have been known to see doppelgangers. Providing sympathetic company, a doppelganger almost always stands behind a person, and they cast no reflection in a mirror. They are prepared to listen and give advice to humans, either implanting ideas in their heads, or a sort of osmosis. It is said to be bad luck if it is seen, and rarely a doppelganger will make itself visible to friends or family, often causing great confusion. Doppelgangers can be mischievous and malicious.

dracae

Dracae are traditional English water spirits. According to legend, these shape-shifting spirts float down rivers in the form of wooden dishes. In this way they tempt women into the water to try and recover the dishes. The dracae then change to their human shape to drag the women down to the river bed. The captured human women are required to nurse Dracae children.

dziwozony

The Dziwozony are a race of tall, athletic women from Poland. These wild women live in the forests and will attack lone humans, and will sometimes force young men to be their lovers. They are also known to throw their breasts over their shoulders, so as to move quickly and comfortably. Like færies, they will sometimes steal human babis and leave changelings behind. In Joseph Campbell's The Hero With a Thousand Faces, this race of women is described as Russian and not Polish.

E-mail Us to report a broken link!