Explore how the collection is distributed by category and primary location, and how its stories connect. (138)
I. DISTRIBUTION BY ORDER (KIND)
≈Lake & Sea Monsters26 Enrolled
⚲Humanoid Cryptids10 Enrolled
⚙Shapeshifters & Lycanthropes15 Enrolled
♦Vampires & Blood-Drinkers13 Enrolled
✝Spirits, Ghosts & Demons31 Enrolled
⚜Dragons & Sea Serpents21 Enrolled
☘Fae & Little Folk22 Enrolled
Each entry appears once in an editorial browsing category; this is not a universal taxonomy.
II. THE GEOGRAPHICAL DISPERSION
Asia40 Plotted
North America34 Plotted
Europe30 Plotted
South America16 Plotted
Africa10 Plotted
Oceania7 Plotted
Open waters1 Plotted
Each folio is counted once by its primary mapped location. These regions organize the collection, rather than cultural territories or biological ranges.
Dates and limits of the record
Oral traditions do not have a single origin date. Dated encounters without a verifiable citation have been withdrawn. We do not assign “Traditional” to the Middle Ages or use invented dates to compare cultures.
138 folios without a documented chronology in this edition.
Narrative connections by category
☘Fae & Little Folk3.2 links per folio
✝Spirits, Ghosts & Demons3.2 links per folio
⚙Shapeshifters & Lycanthropes3.0 links per folio
≈Lake & Sea Monsters2.8 links per folio
⚜Dragons & Sea Serpents2.7 links per folio
♦Vampires & Blood-Drinkers2.7 links per folio
⚲Humanoid Cryptids2.5 links per folio
Average editorial links to other entries; this does not measure danger, age, or cultural ancestry.
Narrative connections
Explore editorial links between stories with recurring motifs. Select a legend to reveal connections, then open its folio. Similarity does not establish borrowing, common ancestry, or equivalence between beliefs.
THE CONCORDIA PRINCIPLE
These comparisons are reading paths, rather than historical or biological classifications:
Wild-person stories: Bigfoot, Yeti, Yowie, and Orang Pendek share a modern wild-person comparison. Their local names and contexts remain distinct.
Severed Vampires: Manananggal, Penanggalan, and Soucouyant offer different stories of bodily separation and nocturnal harm. The link does not imply direct transmission.
Serpentine imagery: Quetzalcoatl, nagas, and Chinese dragons all use serpentine imagery. Their divine roles, communities, and histories are distinct.
Lake-monster stories: Nessie, Champ, and Ogopogo invite comparison as modern lake-monster identities. Indigenous water-being traditions require their own cultural context.
Use the legend selector or focus a map node to explore its narrative links.