568
Kelliwig
It takes eight men above and eight
below to pull his eyelids apart so that
he can see.
Ke Akua (see Akua)
Keagyihl Depguesk North American
a whirlpool
This whirlpool had claimed the lives
of many young men so the tree-spirit,
Hanging Hair, called a meeting in
Festival House of all the river-spirits
who agreed to curb its power. The
storm-spirit blew part of a cliff into
the river, so diverting the flow of
water and reducing the whirlpool to a
gentle eddy.
Keats, John English
(1795–1821)
a poet
He was author of several works
on mythological themes including
Endymion, Lamia and Hyperion.
Keb (see Geb)
Kebechet Egyptian
a snake-goddess
daughter of Anubis
Kebechsenef (see Qebsehsenuf)
Kebeh (see Qebsehsenuf)
Kebehsenuf (see Qebsehsenuf)
Keckamanetowa

(see Ketchimanetowa)
Kecrops (see Cecrops)
Kedalion (see Cedalion)
Kedemel
a demon of the planet Venus
Kedesh (see Kades)
Kedeshet (see Kades)
Keelta mac Ronan (see Cailte)
Keen Kings Australian
a race of men with wings
These evil beings, built like tall
humans with bat-like wings attached
to their arms and with only two fingers
and a thumb on each hand, lived in a
huge cage where, in a hole in the floor,
the Flame God lived. They captured
humans and sacrificed them to this
god but all of them fell into the hole
and were consumed by the flames
when the Winjarning Brothers led
them in a frenzied dance.
Keeper of the Medicine of
the Deer North American
a priest who looks after the fetishes of
the Prey Brothers when they are not
being used
Keeper of the Forest
(see Keeper of the Wood)
Keeper of the Wood British
[Keeper of the Forest]

a giant black man
In the story of the Lady of the Fountain,
this black warrior, with one leg
and one eye in the middle of his
forehead, guarded the property of the
Black Knight and put those seeking
adventure on the road to meeting the
Black Knight in combat.
Keevan (see Ciabhan)
Keh Egyptian
a primordial god portrayed as having
the head of a frog
Kehama Hindu
a prince
He drank some amrita but failed to
achieve immortality. Instead, he found
himself acting as one of the four
supporting the throne of Yama, the
god of the dead.
Kehtahn North American
an offering to the gods of the Navajo,
a reed filled with tobacco etc.
Kehydius (see Kaherdin)
Kei
1
Japanese
sister of Hasu-ko
When Hasu-ko died, her soul took
over Kei’s body and, for a whole year,
lived with a lover. At the end of that

time, Hasu-ko’s soul left and Kei was
returned to life and married Hasu-ko’s
former lover.
Kei
2
(see Kai.Kay)
Keidomos Greek
a demon
This being, who accompanied Ares in
battle, controlled the noise of the battle.
Keikeyi (see Kaikeya)
Keiko Japanese
an emperor
father of O-Uso-no-Mikito and Oho-usu
He sent his son Oho-usu to escort
two beautiful maidens to the court to
become wives of the emperor.
Instead, Oho-usu married the girls,
Ye-hime and Oto-hime, and sent two
others to his father’s court. Keiko
refused to accept them and they died
of grief.
Kek (see Kekui)
Kekeko East Indian
a fabulous bird
This bird can talk and also provides
food for orphans.
Keket (see Kekuit)
Kekewage Pacific Islands
the keeper of the Melanesian

afterworld, Bevebweso
husband of Sinebomatu
He and his wife care for the spirits of
dead children until their parents also
die and can look after them.
Kekri
1
Baltic
an ancient Finnish god of cattle
Kekri
2
Baltic
a Finnish festival in honour of the
god Kekri
kekri
3
Baltic
a Finnish ghost or spirit
kekritar Baltic
masks, or the people wearing them, in
the Kekri festival
Kekrops (see Cecrops)
Keku (see Kekui)
Kekui Egyptian
[Emen.Kek(u).Kuk]
a primaeval god
consort of Kekuit
With Kekuit he represented the
darkness of the primordial chaos.
He is depicted sometimes with a

frog’s head, sometimes as a baboon.
Kekuit Egyptian
[Ahat.Emenet.Kakuet.Kakwet.
Kauket.Keket.Kekut]
a primaeval goddess
consort of Kekui
One of a pair of gods, with Kekui,
created from Chaos by Thoth.
Kekut (see Kekuit)
Kekuwawkqu’ (see Kewawkqu’)
kekyon Greek
a drink of Demeter used in the
ceremonies at Eleusis
Kelaino (see Celaeno)
kelby (see kelpie)
Kele Pacific Islands
a Tongan primaeval deity
consort of Limu
parent of Touia Fatuna
Kelea Pacific Islands
a princess
sister of Kawao
wife of Kalamakua and Lo-hale
Kalamakua was sent on a voyage to
find a bride for his cousin’s son, Lo-
hale, and came back with Kelea whom
he had found swimming in the sea. She
married Lo-hale and bore three
children but later left her husband and
married Kalamakua.

Kelemon (see Celamon)
Keleos (see Celeus)
Kelets Siberian
a demon of death in the lore of
the Chukchee
He is said to have a pack of dogs with
which he hunts and kills men.
Kelikila Hindu
a name of Rati as ‘the shameless one’
Kelliwic Celtic
[Kelliwig]
one of King Arthur’s castles,
in Cornwall
Kelliwig (see Kelliwic)
Ke Akua
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Kelok
Kelok North American
a monster
In the lore of the tribes of the south-
west, this winged giant was killed by
Coyote and his body ignited a fire that
destroyed the world.
kelpie Scottish
[kelby.kelpy:=Irish each uisge:
=Manx Cabyll-Ushtey.Glaistyn:
=Orkneys tang(ie):=Scotland
shoopiltie:=Shetlands shoopiltee:
=Welsh ceffyn dwr]

a spirit in the form of a water-horse
He lures people to ride on his back,
runs into the water to drown them and
then eats them.
kelpy (see kelpie)
Keltchair (see Celtchair)
Keltchar (see Celtchair)
Kelyddon (see Caledon Wood)
Kematef (see Knef)
Kembal Pacific Islands
a semi-divine hero of Keraki
kemea Hebrew
[kemia(h)]
an amulet used to ward off the evil eye
kemia (see kemea)
kemiah (see kemea)
kemoit Malay
a ghost
A soul allowed to reach Belet, the home
of the dead, is turned into a kemoit
when the earlier inhabitants meet under
the Mapik tree and break its arms and
legs and turn its eyes inwards.
Kemos (see Chemosh)
Kemosh (see Chemosh)
Kemur (see Kemwer)
Kemush North American
[=Modoc Kumush]
the Klamath name for Kumush
Kemwer Egyptian

[Kemur]
a black bull worshipped in Athribis
Ken Chinese
one of the Eight Diagrams,
representing mountains and dog
Ken-ro-ri-jin Japanese
[Kenro-jijin]
an earth god
Ken Tamboehan Malay
[Kin Tambuhan.Lady Unknown]
a princess
She was left in the forest by an eagle
which had carried her off and was found
there by a king who married her to his
son. The queen had her killed and her
body was thrown into the river.
Kenaima West Indian
a Carib Indian with the power of
death: an avenger
Kenarey (see Kenor)
Kendatsuba Japanese
a guardian deity
one of the 28 Nijuhachi-Bushu
Kenet Egyptian
a goddess originating from Syria
Keneu North American
an eagle
The companion, with Oshadagea, of
the thunder-god Hino.
(see also Keneun)

Keneun North American
[Chief Thunderbird.Golden Eagle]
an Indian totem figure
He is regarded as the guardian of fire,
originally stolen by Manabush.
(see also Keneu)
Keng San Ku-niang Chinese
[(Three) Lavatory Ladies]
3 sisters of Chao Kung-ming
Their brother was killed in the Battle
of Mu and they tried to avenge his
death by throwing their red buckets
(water-closets) at the enemy forces.
Two of them, Ch’iung Hsiao and Pi
Hsiao, were killed. For their efforts in
the great battle, they were appointed
guardians of childbirth.
Another version says that the
interpretation as three goddesses is
mistaken and has Keng San Ku as the
Third Lady of the Privy, a goddess
who was the mortal, Lady Ch’i, second
wife of an official. His first wife, Lady
Ts’ao, killed Ch’i by throwing her into
the privy. She is alternatively known as
Third Lady (San Ku), Purple Lady or
Seventh Lady (Ch’i Ku).
Kengida Mesopotamian
a Sumerian deity, messenger
for Enlil

Kengiu (see Hikoboshi)
Kengoi Japanese
an aspect of Jizo as ‘strong
determination’
Kengyu (see Hikoboshi)
Kengyu-sei (see Hikoboshi)
Kenimbleni African
a Subagi
He stole magic powders which made
him immortal and enabled him to fly
and to talk the language of the birds.
Kennaquhair Scottish
an imaginary place
kenne South American
a stone which the Incas said
formed in the eye of
a stag
This stone was used as an antidote
to poison.
Kenneth (see Cainneach)
kenningar Norse
the metaphorical language of the
skalds used to describe gods etc.
Kenny (see Cainneach)
Kenor Cambodian
[Kenary:=Hindu Gandharva]
a being with a female head and thorax
but the wings and feet of a bird
Kenos (see Keros)
Kenro-jijin (see Ken-ro-ri-jin)

Kentaur (see Centaur)
Kentauroi (see Centaur)
Kentauros (see Centaur)
Kenverchyn (see Cenferchyn)
Kenzoku Japanese
minor deities
Kephalos (see Cephalus)
Kepheus (see Cepheus)
Kephissos (see Cephisus)
Ker
1
Greek
a goddess of death
daughter of Erebus and Nyx
sister of Hypnos, Moros and Thanatos
Her function was to drag the dead and
dying to the entrance to the under-
world. She is depicted as wearing a
long cloak stained with blood.
(see also keres
1.2
)
Ker
2
Mesopotamian
a name for Q’re
ker
3
(see keres)
Ker-Is (see Ys)

Ker-Ys (see Ys)
Kerala (see Issaki)
Kerastes (see Cerastes
3
)
Keraunia Greek
a name for Semele reflecting her
death from the lightning of Zeus
Keraunos Greek
a thunder-god
a name of Zeus as ‘lightning’
Kerberos (see Cerberus.Naberius)
kere Mongolian
[=Chinese ch’i-lin:=Japanese kirin:
=Tibetan serou]
the unicorn
Kerema Apo East Indian
the first man, in Papuan lore
He was hatched from the egg of a
huge turtle and mated with Ivi Apo,
the first woman, who was born from
another egg.
keremat Pacific Islands
the power of miracle-working
of saints
keremet
1
Baltic
in Finnish lore, the place where
a hero was killed

Bonfires are made on this spot in
tribute to the hero who, it is said, will
continue to serve his country.
keremet
1
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Keshini
1
keremet
2
Russian
sacred groves
These places are said to be the home
of dead heroes.
Keremet
3
Russian
a devil
brother of god
Kere Nyaga (see Mount Kenya)
Kereberus (see Cerberus.Naberius)
keres
1
Greek
[sing=ker]
female underworld spirits: winged
creatures controlling destiny:
souls of the dead

These beings are said to cause disease
among the living and to carry off the
bodies of the dead. Some say that they
escaped from Pandora’s box.
They are envisaged as tiny human
figures rather like gnats.
Keres
2
Greek
violent death personified
(see also Ker
1
)
Keresaspa Persian
[Garshasp.Krsaspa]
a semi-divine hero
son of Thrita Athwiya
brother of Urvakhshaya
husband of Khnathati
He was the son of one of the first four
men to press the divine drink, Haoma,
from the fruit of the Gaokerena tree.
He fought the monster Ganda-rewa
for nine days and nights and killed the
monsters Arazoshamana, Hitaspa,
Kamak, Kaput, Pitaona, Srvara and
Vareshava.
He was once captured and seduced
by the sorceress Khnathati but he
managed to escape. He later married her.

He is destined to kill Angra Mainya
and the demon Dahak in the final
battle when good triumphs over evil.
(see also Nariman.Thraetona)
Keresavazdah Persian
a demon of drought
brother of Afrasiyab
He falsely accused Siyawush who was
killed by Afrasiyab.
Keret Canaanite
king of Sidon
son of El
consort of Hurriya
father of Ellil and Yasib
He fought and defeated the moon-god,
Etrah, who tried to take his kingdom.
After Hurriya, his first wife, died
(or, some say, after the death of his first
seven wives) he was still childless so he
went to war with a neighbouring king
and took his daughter, or wife in some
accounts, by whom he had seven sons,
one of whom, Yasib, suckled by Anat,
wanted his father’s throne and led an
unsuccessful rebellion when his father
fell ill. Keret was cured by Sha’taqat,
sent by El.
Kereth Egyptian
a snake-god
Kere’tkun Siberian

[Peruten]
the supreme sea-spirit
husband of Cinei’nen
He is said to devour the bodies of
the drowned.
Kerh (see Qeh)
Kerhet (see Qerhit)
Keri South American
a culture-hero of the Bakairi Indians
the sun personified
son of Oka
brother of Kame
The mother of Keri and Kame
conceived them by swallowing two
bones. Her mother-in-law killed her
but the two children were saved. The
brothers pushed the sky up to allow
room for men to live and invented fire
and water. They also produced all the
animals of the earth from a hollow tree
and set the sun and moon on their
present courses through the sky.
Keridwen (see Ceridwen)
Keridwin (see Ceridwen)
kerimas Tibetan
[keyuri]
a group of 8 Buddhist goddesses
These beings form part of the Bardo
group of goddesses. Each one is a
different part of the human body.

Kerkio (see Cercios)
Kerkopes (see Cercopes)
Kerkuon (see Cercyon)
Kerlaug Norse
[Kerlaung.Kerlogar]
a meeting-place of the gods near
Urda’s well
In some accounts, two rivers of
the dead. (see Kormt)
Kerlaung (see Kerlaug)
Kerlogar (see Kerlaug)
Kernababy (see Cornbaby)
kernos Greek
a jar or drinking-vessel used in the
Eleusinian rites
Keros South American
[Kenos]
the first man, in the lore of the Ona
tribe of Tierra del Fuego
Keros produced more people by
forming sexual organs from peat which
united to make the ancestors of the tribe.
Kerres Italian
[=Roman Ceres]
an early mother-goddess
kerrighed French
devilish spirits in France
(see also Coranieid.Corrigan)
kerub (see cherub)
keruk North American

a ceremony of the Yuma tribe,
designed to make the dead happy
and send them on their way
Kerwan North American
a Pueblo maize-spirit
(see also Kachina Mana)
kerykeion Greek
[=Roman caduceus]
the wand of Hermes (see caduceus)
Keryneian Hind
(see Ceryneian Hind)
Kesa
1
Hindu
[‘lord of the waters’]
a name of Varuna in his role as a
sea-god
Kesa
2
Japanese
a faithful wife
Under duress she agreed to help Endo
Morito kill her husband so that she
could become his wife. She gave him
access to her husband’s room and he
cut off the head of the sleeping figure
which turned out to be Kesa wearing
her husband’s night-shirt.
Kesair (see Cessair)
kesakten East Indian

[=Indian shakti]
in Java, the vital principle permeating
the universe
Kesar (see Gesar)
Kesar Saga (see Gesar Saga)
Kesava Hindu
a name for Vishnu, in the form of a
boar, as ‘hairy’
Keshi (see Keshin)
Keshin
1
Hindu
[Keshi.Kesin]
a Vedic ascetic and mystic
Keshin
2
Hindu
[Keshi.Kesin]
a horse-demon
He once tried to rape the maiden
Devasena but Indra arrived in time to
save her and, when the god threatened
Keshin with his thunderbolt, the
demon fled.
Kamsa posted this demon to kill
Krishna but the god killed both the
demon and Kamsa.
Keshini
1
Buddhist

[Kesini]
an attendant on the
goddess Arapancana
keremet
2
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Keshini
2
Keshini
2
Hindu
[Kesini]
a maid-servant of Damayanti
Keshvar Persian
one of the 6 sections into which the
outer part of the world is divided
Kesil Semitic
a giant: the constellation Orion
He tried to reach the heavens but god
tied him up and put him in the sky as
Orion. When he disappears below the
horizon, he is said to be spending part
of the year in She’ol.
In some accounts, he is equated with
Gibbor or Nimrod.
Kesin (see Keshin)
Kesini (see Keshini)
Kesna
1

East Indian
[=Hindu Krishna]
the Javanese form of Krishna
Kesna
2
Malay
[=Hindu Krishna]
the Malay form of Krishna
Ket (see Cet)
Ketanto’wit North American
[‘great power’]
a creator-god of the Delaware Indians
Ketchkatch North American
in the lore of the tribes of the
north-west, the grey fox created
by Kumush
Ketchimanetowa North American
[Great Spirit.Keckamanetowa]
the creator-god of the Fox tribe
(see also Great Spirit)
Ketil (see Ketill)
Ketill
1
Norse
[Ketil]
a legendary hero
He was with the Njalssons when
they were attacked by a force led by
Frosi and died with the rest of Njal’s
family when the attackers burnt the

house down.
Ketill
2
Norse
[Ketil]
a would-be assassin
He was hired by Helgi to kill the
merchant Thorleif but the two became
good friends.
Ketill
3
Norse
[Ketil]
a farmer
He went through a form of marriage
with his niece, Ketilrid, to protect her
until Viglund, the man she loved,
returned from overseas.
Ketilrid Norse
daughter of Holmkell and Thorbjorg
She fell in love with Viglund but her
parents wanted her to marry the rich
Hakon. When Hakon, aided by
Ketilrid’s two brothers, ambushed and
wounded both Viglund and his brother
Trausti, who then left the country,
Ketilrid went through a form of
marriage with her uncle, Ketil, to
protect her until Viglund returned and
married her.

Keto (see Ceto)
Ketqskwaye North American
a creator-goddess of the Huron
Ketse-awa Russian
a tutelary spirit, guardian
of the sun
Ketsi Niousak North American
goodness personified, in the lore of
the Abnaki
Kettu (see Kittu)
Ketu Hindu
[=Chinese Chi-tu]
the lunar node known as the Dragon’s
Tail, the part of Rahu which the
amrita did not reach
(see also Rahu)
Ketua African
a god of fortune in Zaire
Ketumala Hindu
one of the 4 island-continents
mentioned in the Mahabharata
(see also Dvipa)
Keu (see Kay)
Keu Woo Chinese
in Hainan, a deity controlling typhoons
Keux (see Ceyx)
Keva (see Cebha)
Kevalin Jain
a sage
Kevin (see Caoimhghin)

Kewanambo East Indian
a man-eating ogre of Papua
This demon often appears in the guise
of a kindly woman who lures children
from their homes.
Kewawkqu’ North American
[Kekuwawkqu’]
a tribe of giant magicians
These demon followers of Malsum
were defeated by Gluskap.
Keyeme South American
lord of the animals in the lore
of the Taulipang people
He is envisaged as a man who can
change into a snake.
Keyuri (see Kerimas)
Kezer-Tshingis-Kaira-Khan Russian
a hero of the flood
He is said to have taught men how to
prepare strong drink.
Khadaga (see Khadga)
Khadau Siberian
with Mamaldi, the first pair of beings
Khadga Hindu
[Khadaga]
a sword, one of the weapons of Durga
Khadir Arab
[Al-Khidr.El Khadir.(El) Hidr.
Hadir.Khidu.(El) K(h)idir.Khizr.(El)
Kidr.Kilir.Matun.Nabi.Nabu.The

Green Man.The Green One]
an early vegetation-god and sea-god
The original Khadir was born in
Persia in 1077 and died in 1166.
He was a prophet who became
immortal after drinking from the Well
of Life, the only mortal allowed to do
so. He accompanied Alexander the
Great into a cave in search of the well.
He used a jewel to guide them but they
became separated and Khadir
stumbled in the darkness and fell into
the well. As a result of drinking from
the well, he turned a bluish-green
colour. He managed to find his way
out of the cave and is said to be still
alive, wandering the face of the earth,
returning once every 500 years to the
same place.
It is said that he can speak every
language. When he was captured, his
chains turned to dust. On another
occasion, King Abud ordered his men to
kill the prophet but their swords turned
against the soldiers and killed them.
When the king, Jantam, gave his
daughter to Alexander as a wife,
Khadir used his magic to fill the king’s
storehouse with treasure.
In another version, Khadir was cook

to Alexander the Great on his
expedition into the desert. As he
washed a dried fish in a pool, prior to
cooking it for his master’s supper, the
fish came to life and swam away.
Khadir drank some of the water and, as
in other versions, turned green and
became immortal. Alexander wanted
to achieve immortality himself but the
pool could no longer be found and he
would have killed the cook had he not
been invulnerable. He finally threw
the unfortunate Khadir, weighted with
stones, into the sea, whereupon Khadir
turned into a sea-god, still immortal.
One story tells how a king had been
duped by a dervish but the king
pardoned him on the advice of Khadir.
His judgment was demonstrated
when, having smashed a boat, killed a
youth and rebuilt a wall, he explained
that the boat was destined to be
captured by pirates, the youth to
become an evil man and the wall
Khadir
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Khenti-irti
contained much treasure that would
now go to two orphans and not to the

greedy tenant.
Khadir is depicted as a young
man but nevertheless with white hair
and beard.
Khadriyani-Tara Buddhist
a goddess
Khagarbha (see Akasagarbha)
khaib (see khaibit)
khaibit Egyptian
[khaib.khaybet]
a personal ‘shadow’, part of the
individual’s make-up
It was said that this shadow could leave
the body and exist on its own.
Khakaba African
a name of Wele as ‘the sharer’
Khakadi Egyptian
the red-coloured beer that Ra
used to flood the earth when
Sakhmet was killing the people
Khalbin Mongolian
one of the 11 sons of Khori Tumed
and a swan-maiden
Khaldi Mesopotamian
[=Persian Bag-Mashtu]
a supreme god of the pre-Armenian
Urartians
He is regarded as the precursor of
the Chaldaeans.
Khaldis Mesopotamian

an Assyrian god
Khaleel Arab
[Sheik Khaleel]
a man who owned a cat which could
talk in Arabic
kham Arab
[kam]
a charm in the form of a hand
Kham Daeng Thai
[Golden Prince]
a king
On a hunting trip, he was lured into a
wonderful palace inside a mountain,
by a hind that turned into In Lao, a
beautiful maiden. He stayed with her
and was never seen again.
Khambaba Persian
an ancient sun-god, in some accounts
Khambageu African
a culture-hero of the Sonjo people
of Tanzania
He came among the Sonjo working
miracles, moving from village to
village until he died. He was buried
but the grave was later found to be
empty. Some say that he had risen
from the dead and flown up to heaven.
khamsa Arab
a mystic number; the number 5
This number is so powerful that it is

never used in speech.
Khamseh Persian
a 12th C book of legends
Khan-iki Siberian
an earth-watching deity
son of Overgod
Khandas Cambodian
[=Hindu Gandharvas]
the white tevodas
Khandava Hindu
[Khandavaprastha]
the country given to the Pandavas
by Dhartarashtha
Khandavaprastha (see Kandava)
Khandoba Hindu
an aspect of Shiva
consort of Mhalsa
Khantaka (see Kanthaka)
Khar (see Khara)
Khara Persian
[Khar]
a huge ass
This beast, described as having only
three legs but six eyes (two are on top
of its head and two in its hump) stands
in the sea called Vourukasha and is said
to be able to overcome all forms of
evil.
In some accounts, Khara is described
as a primaeval fish.

Kharasvara Jain
gods of the underworld
These beings torture the wicked dead
by forcing their bodies into thorn-
bushes.
Khariteis (see Graces)
Kharmaheruka (see Amoghasiddhi)
Kharon (see Charon)
Kharubdis (see Carybdis)
Khasa Hindu
a goddess of forest spirits
daughter of Daksha
a consort of Kasyapa
Khasarpana Buddhist
a form of Hayagriva as an assistant
to Avalokiteshvara
an aspect of Avalokiteshvara, some say
He is depicted as white and sitting on
the moon.
Khasm Persian
[Khism]
a later name for Aeshma
Khat Egyptian
the physical body, as distinct from
Sahu the spiritual body, one of the
5 elements comprising the complete
being
Khatib Malay
a man who discovered the
Bamboo Princess

He went into the jungle to look for the
Bamboo Princess. While he slept, she
cooked a meal for him and then
disappeared. He then cut open the
bamboo under which he had been
sleeping and the princess emerged.
They both went to Bukit Peraja and
disappeared and, although still alive, are
never seen. They will, however, help
anybody who invokes their aid.
khatvanga Buddhist
a word used in rituals incorporating
the vajra, a skull, etc.
khaybet (see khaibit)
Khebe (see Khipa)
Khebieso (see Xewioso)
khecaratva Hindu
levitation: astral travel: the sensation
of leaving the physical body
Kheiron (see Chiron)
Khen-Ma Tibetan
[Khon-Ma]
a Buddhist goddess controlling earthly
demons
She is depicted with eight wrinkles in
her face and riding a ram.
Khen-Pa Tibetan
a Buddhist god controlling heavenly
demons
He is depicted with white hair and

riding a white dog.
Khenemu (see Khnum)
Khens (see Khons)
Khensit Egyptian
a goddess of the Lower Kingdom
She is depicted in the form of the uraeus.
Khensu (see Khons)
Khentamenti (see Khenti Amentiu)
Khenti Amentiu Egyptian
[Chenti Amentiu.Chontamenti.
Chonti-amentiu.First of the Westerners.
Khentamenti.Khenty-imentiu.
King of the Dead.Wepwawet]
a funerary god, god of the underworld
This jackal-headed deity was later
assimilated with Osiris who ruled the
underworld under that name.
Other versions give Khenty-imentiu
as a name for Anubis and later for Osiris.
Khenti-cheti Egyptian
[Chenti-cheti:=Greek Chentechtoi]
a god
Originally envisaged as a crocodile, he
developed into a falcon-god and
merged with Osiris.
Khenti-irti Egyptian
[Chenti-irti.Machenti-irti]
a falcon-god
an aspect of Horus
He was responsible for law and order

and was depicted as blind.
Khadriyani-Tara
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Khenty-imentiu
Khenty-imentiu
(see Khenti Amentiu)
Khenty-seh-netjer (see Anubis)
Khepera (see Khepra)
Kheperi (see Khepra)
Khepra Egyptian
[Chepre.Chepera.Khepera.Khep(e)ri.
Kheprer.Khepry.Khopri]
a scarab-headed sun-god
a manifestation of Ra as the
morning sun
He was regarded as a self-created
creator-god, rising out of Nun, who,
merely by saying his name, created a
solid place on which he could stand,
and created Shu and Tefnut. He was
later assimilated with Ra, the sun-god.
In some accounts, he was the son of
Nut who swallowed her son each
evening only for him to be born again
each morning.
In another version, one of his eyes
wandered across the sky each day as
the sun and was brought back to him
by Shu and Tefnut.

In the form of a scarab, he fought
the demons of the abyss from which he
had emerged.
He was said to have created the
world by rolling his own spittle into
a ball.
(see also Menthu
2
)
Kheprer (see Khepra)
Khepri (see Khepra)
Khepry (see Khepra)
Kherebu Mesopotamian
Assyrian spirits
Kherneter (see Field of Reeds)
Kherty Egyptian
[Cherti]
a ram-god protecting the tombs
of kings
In some accounts he was the ferryman
of the dead.
Khery-bakef Egyptian
a name of Ptah as ‘he who sits under
a tree’
Kheti (see Akhthoes)
Khetrpal Indian
a guardian deity in Bengal
Khi-dimme-azaga Mesopotamian
a Babylonian mother-goddess
daughter of Ea

In some accounts, she is thought of
as Belet-Seri.
Khidi Arab
[El Khidi.The Great One]
a benevolent water-spirit
Khidir (see Khadir)
Khidu (see Khadir)
Khimaira (see Chimaera)
Khin-ort Siberian
an Ostiak demon of sickness
He is said to be the pilot of the boat of
the dead.
Khione (see Chione)
Khipa Mesopotamian
[Khebe]
a tutelary god of the Hurrians
Khism (see Khasm)
khitaka Hindu
a club, one of the weapons of Durga
(see also gada)
Khizr (see Khadir)
Khlenonoai (see Tlehanoai)
Khnathati Persian
a sorceress
She once captured and seduced the hero
Keresaspa but he escaped.
khmoc pray Cambodian
an evil spirit
This particular form of pray is the
spirit of a woman who died in

childbirth. They are said to live in
trees and throw stones at passers-by,
sometimes killing them. Even worse
are the spirits of those women who
died during pregnancy; they are
accompanied by the spirit of the
unborn foetus. (see also kon pray)
Khnemu (see Khnum)
Khnoum (see Khnum)
Khnoumis (see Khnum)
Khnum
1
Egyptian
[Ba.Chnoumis.Chnemu.Divine Potter.
Doudoon.E(e)f. Kh(e)nemu.
Khnoum(is).Khnumu.Kneph.
Knum.Lord of the Afterworld:
=Nubian Dodonu]
a ram-headed creator-god, god of
the cataracts
one of the 3 Lords of Destiny
consort of Anuket and Sati
consort of Heket, Neith and Menhyt,
some say
He is said to have made gods and
humans from mud from the Nile or
from clay on a potter’s wheel and was
guardian of the grotto where Hapi
lived on the island of Bigeh.
In some accounts, he was later

merged with Min.
He is sometimes depicted as ram-
headed or as a serpent.
(see also Knef)
Khnum
2
Egyptian
7, 8 or 9 earth-gnomes, assistants of
the creator-god, Khnum
It was said that they could reconstruct
the rotting bodies of the dead.
Khnumu (see Khnum
1
)
Kho (see Kaang)
Kho Thora (see Kaang)
Khobilkhan (see Hutukhtu)
Khoda Persian
a supreme deity
Khodumodumo (see Kholumulumo)
Kholumulumo African
[Kammapa.Khodumodumo]
a monster of the Sotho tribe
He ate all humans except one woman
whose son, Moshanyana, killed the
monster when it got jammed in a
narrow pass, slit open its belly and
released the imprisoned people.
Khons Egyptian
[Chons.Chunsu.Khens(u).Khonsu.Khuns.

Lord of Air.Lord of All.Lord of Time.
The Traveller:=Greek Heracles]
a moon-god, wind-god, war-god and
god of healing
son of Amon and Mut or of Sebek
and Hathor
He was Thoth as ‘Lord of Time’ and
Shu as ‘Lord of All’.
In some accounts, he grew out of
the leg of Osiris after he had been cut
to pieces by Set.
As Khensu-Hor or Khensu-Ra he
was a sun-god.
He is sometimes depicted as a child,
as falcon-headed, or as a dog-headed
baboon and may be shown standing on
a crocodile. (see also Ah)
Khonsu (see Khons)
Khonsu-Hor Egyptian
[Khonsu-Ra]
the god Khons as spring rain
personified
Khonsu-Ra (see Khonsu-Hor)
Khonvum African
the supreme god of the Pygmies
He made the first pygmies in the
sky and lowered them down to earth
on ropes.
Khopri (see Khepra)
Khori Tumed Siberian

a man who married a swan-maiden
father of Galzuut, Khalbin,
Khovduud, etc.
Like Volund, he seized the wings of a
swan-maiden who came, with eight
others, to bathe in a lake, and made her
his wife by whom he had eleven sons. She
later recovered her wings and flew away.
Khors Slav
god of good health and hunting
He is depicted as a stallion.
Khoser-et-Hasis Phoenician
[Bn-Ym]
a sea-god
He fought Baal with the aid of
Leviathan, Suffete and Zabel.
Khoser-et-Hasis
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Kian
Khosodam Siberian
a cannibalistic female ruler of
the dead
She was said to have created mosquitoes.
Khosrou (see Kay Khusraw)
Khotun (see Ajysyt)
Khovduud Mongolian
one of the 11 sons of Khori Tumed and
a swan-maiden
Khruseis (see Chryseis)

Khrusippos (see Chrysippus)
Khrut Thai
[Galon.Gallus.Garuda]
the Thai version of Garuda
Khshathra Vairya
(see Kshathra Varya)
khu
1
Egyptian
the immortal essence of the individual,
one of the 5 elements comprising
the complete being
This entity is sometimes depicted as a
bird with a crest.
Khu
2
Egyptian
a god of light
Khubilgan Siberian
[=Golde Bucu]
in the lore of the Buriats, the soul
This being, in the form of an animal or
a bird, acts as the protector of a shaman.
Khubur Mesopotamian
[=Greek Styx]
the river of death in Aralu, the
Babylonian underworld
This river was crossed by a ferry
operated by Arad-Ea who carried souls
across to the underworld.

Khudjana African
a creator-god in the Transvaal
son of Ribimbi
He is said to have created the earth.
Khuhi (see Hu
6
)
Khuluppu Mesopotamian
the Babylonian world-tree
This tree on the banks of the Euphrates
was the site of Ishtar’s lovemaking
sessions. The timber of the tree was
said to have medicinal properties.
Khumbala Mesopotamian
a tyrant killed by Gisdhubar
Khumbanda Hindu
[=Cambodian Kampean]
one of a group of 8 demons led
by Virudhaka
Khumbu’i Yulha Tibetan
[Home God of the Khumbu]
patron deity of the sherpas
This deity lives on the Himalayan
peak Khumbila.
Khun Hsang L’rong Burmese
husband of Nang-pyek-kha Yeh-khi
He was the only man able to split the
two gourds given to Nana by her
parents. When he did so, all the
animals of the world emerged.

Khun Kan Thai
one of the Three Great Men
Khun Ket Thai
one of the Three Great Men
khuna Thai
paradise
Khuno South American
a Bolivian god of snow-storms
Khuns (see Khons)
Khuran-Nojon Siberian
a Buriat rain-deity
He stores rain in barrels each of which,
when opened, causes rain to fall for
three days.
Khurdad (see Haurvatat)
Khurdhid Persian
[=Greeek Helius]
an ancient sun-god, forerunner
of Hvarekhshaeta
Khuri Edzhin Siberian
a Buriat spirit who teaches men the
art of music
Khurs (see Chors)
Khuswame (see Khuzwame)
Khuzwane African
[Khuswane]
a creator-god of the Luvedu tribe
Khvarenah
1
Persian

[Farro]
a god of divine grace
khvarenah
2
Persian
[Farro]
a divine substance
This substance confers power on kings
and the souls of the dead, creates gods,
gives the stars and planets their power
to influence human affairs and endows
men with the strength to fight evil.
Originally vested in Yima, it passed,
when he spoke false words, to Mithra,
then to Thraetona and finally to
Keresaspa, ending up in the ocean.
It is variously said to be found in the
ocean, reeds or space.
khwan Thai
[=Indonesian badi]
the soul which, it is said, can leave
the body and return
(see also windjan)
Khyati Hindu
mother of Lakshmi by Brighu, some say
Khyung Tibetan
[=Hindu Garuda]
winged deities of the Bon
Khyung-Gai mGo-Can Tibetan
[=Hindu Garuda]

a local Buddhist god, leader of
the Khyung
ki
1
Japanese
[=Chinese ch’i]
spirit: spiritual energy
Ki
2
Mesopotamian
[=Babylonian Antu]
a Sumerian earth-goddess
daughter of Nammu
wife of An
mother of Enlil and Enki
Some say that she was the daughter of
Ansar and Kisar, others that she was
generated by Nammu.
Originally, An and Ki were joined
together but Enlil separated them and
mated with Ki to produce all living
things on earth. (see also Ninmah)
ki-apod South American
celestial spirits of the Tupari
people of Brazil
ki-apoga-pod South American
a soul, in the lore of the Tupari
people of Brazil
Some say that, after the pabid leaves,
the body is buried. Its heart then starts

to get bigger and eventually bursts
open to reveal a new being, the ki-
apoga-pod. A shaman pulls this new
being, made of clay, out of the ground,
shapes it into human form and, after
giving it food and drink, releases it
into the upper air where it lives.
(see also pabid)
Ki-gulla Mesopotamian
[Destroyer of the World]
son of Ea
ki-mon Japanese
garden shrines said to protect
the home
ki-mu Chinese
a bag said to contain the essence
of life
Ki-no-o-baké Japanese
a tree-spirit
This spirit was said to be able to leave
the tree it inhabits and assume a
number of different guises.
ki-pi Chinese
a diviner’s wand made of
red-lacquered peachwood
ki-rin (see kirin)
Ki Sin Chinese
a god of Chekiang
He was originally a 2nd CBCgeneral
who took the place of the emperor

during a siege, so allowing his master
to escape at the cost of his own life.
Kiaklo North American
in Zuni lore, a hero of the Askiwi
who visited Pautiwal in the
underworld
Kian (see Cian)
Khosodam
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Kianda
Kianda African
a sea-god of the Kimbundu of Angola
He proposed, in the form of a skull, to
a girl who rejected him. Her sister
accepted him and they went to his
palace where he revealed himself as
a god.
Kiara (see Mbomba
1
)
kiavari East Indian
spirits of the dead, in Javanese lore
kibaba African
a Swahili charm used against thieves
kibla (see keblah)
Kibu Pacific Islands
the Melanesian land of the dead
This land is envisaged as an island in
the west. When the soul (mari) reaches

Kibu it is turned into a proper ghost of
the dead when it is struck on the head
with a stone club. It is then a markai
and can learn about life in Kibu.
Kibuka African
[Kibuki Kyobe]
a war-god and storm-god of
the Baganda
son of Manema Mairwa and Nagadya
or Nambubu
brother of Mukasa
He helped the tribe in the form of a
cloud from which missiles rained down
on their enemies in battle.
He lost his immortality by sleeping
with a mortal woman and was killed in
the next battle.
Kibuki Kyobe (see Kibuka)
Kibunwasi African
a trickster-deity in Zanzibar
Kibwebanduka African
a tribal-hero in Tanzania
He led his people to their present
homeland.
Kichaka Hindu
a general
He tried to seduce Draupadi when she
was serving as a maid at court and was
beaten to death by Bhima.
Kichigonai South American

a spirit of light, maker of the day,
in Guatemala
Kichijoten Japanese
the goddess of fortune
Kici Manitou North American
[Kici Manitu]
the supreme god of the Algonquin
Indians
He created the world from mud
collected by birds and dried in his
sacred pipe. His staff forms the central
support for the world.
Kici Manitu (see Kici Manitou)
Kicva (see Cigfa)
kicklesnifter North American
a fabulous animal
Kida (see Kaidu)
Kidilli Australian
[Kulu]
a moon-man of the Aborigines
When he tried to rape the first woman
he was killed by Kurukadi and Mumba,
the lizard-men of the Dreamtime.
Kidir (see Khadir)
Kidul East Indian
[Belerong.(Nyai) Belorong.
(Nyai) Gedé Segoro.(Nyai) Lara.
Kidul.Ratu Kidul.Ratu Lara Kidul.
Ratu Loro]
a sea-goddess, goddess of storms

She met Senapati when he was
swimming and took him to her under-
water palace where he became her
lover. He later returned to his home
and became king of Java.
Kidr (see Khadir)
Kiehtan North American
a beneficent god in the lore of the
New England tribes
Kieran (see Ciaran)
Kiet African
in the lore of the Nandi, the world
order created by Asis
Kigare African
a cattle-god of the Banyoro
Kigva (see Cigfa)
Kigwa African
an ancestral hero of Rwanda
The wife of Nkuba had no children so
she killed a cow and took its heart
which she tended for nine months to
produce the boy, Kigwa. He descended
to earth and his son, Gihanga, became
the first king.
(see also Nkuba)
Kihanga African
the first man in the lore of
the Burundi
father of Kanyarundi, Katwa
and Kinyarwanda

He was made by Imana and descended
to earth on a rope. He was black and
white like a zebra.
Kiho Tumu (see Te Tumu)
Kihunai North American
the people who preceded the Hupa tribe
These people are believed to exist all
round the Hupa, even above them.
Ki’i Pacific Islands
the Hawaiian name for Tiki
Kiir African
a Nuer god, guardian of the Nile
Kijo Japanese
an ogre of the woods
Kika (see Na Kika)
Kika-saru (see Kikazaru)
Kikanga (see Chikanga)
Kikazaru Japanese
[Kika-saru]
one of the Three Mystic Apes
He is depicted with his hands covering
his ears as ‘he who hears no evil’.
Kikimora (see Domovikha)
Kikore African
daughter of Ruhaga
She was the daughter of the king’s
concubine and was sent as a bride to
King Intare who had asked for the
hand of her half-sister, Jaru. Intare, in
disguise, entered Ruhaga’s court and

eloped with Jaru.
Kiku Japanese
a farmer’s daughter
wife of Sawara
Kimi, the girl whom Sawara loved, ran
away and Sawara, despairing of ever
seeing her again, married Kiku. He
later found Kimi who killed herself
and he then sent Kiku back to her own
family.
Kiku-jido Japanese
[Chrysanthemum Boy]
an immortal youth said to live in the
fountain of youth
Kikuo Japanese
a servant of Tsugaru
He and his master escaped when
enemies seized Tsugaru’s land and
castle and, when Tsugaru died, Kikuo
planted hosts of chrysanthemums
round his grave. When Kikuo
himself fell ill, the spirits of the
chrysanthemums appeared, in the
form of children, to tend him as he
had tended them but he was fated
to die within thirty days. The
chrysanthemums he had planted
disappeared and when others were
planted round his own grave they died.
Kikuyu (see Gikuyu)

Kilattas Mesopotamian
a Hurrian deity attendant on
Shaushkas
Kilcoed (see Cil Coed)
kilcrop
the child of a woman and an incubus
These children are said to have a
voracious appetite but rarely live
longer than seven years.
Kildisin Baltic
wife of the Finnish sky-god,
Ilmarinen
(see also Kildisin-mumy)
Kildisin-mumy Russian
[Kugo-shotshen-Ava]
a birth-goddess
Kildisin-mumy
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Kindawuss
mother or wife of the Votyak
sky-god, Inmar
(see also Kildisin)
Kilembe African
[Tree of Life]
a magical tree
This tree arrived on earth carried by
the hero Sudika-mbambi when he
was born.
Kilhwch (see Culhwch)

Kilhwych (see Culhwch)
kili Norse
one of the dwarfs
kiliakai (see kilyakai)
Kilibob East Indian
a local god in New Guinea
Kilili Mesopotamian
an aspect of Ishtar as ‘harlot’
Kilima African
a type of spirit which takes possession
of humans, causing illness
(see also Kinyamkera)
Kilioa Pacific Islands
a lizard-woman, in Polynesian lore
She and Kalamainu act as guardians of
the souls of the dead.
Kilir (see Khadir)
Killaraus (see Hill of Aisneach)
Killer-of-Enemies North American
a culture-hero or minor deity of the
Apache and Navaho
son of Changing Woman
brother of Child-of-the-Water
and Wise One
He and his brothers killed monsters
and all the enemies of mankind.
He is credited with the creation of
the horse in which he used the wing of
a bat to form the diaphragm.
Kilot Pacific Islands

the underworld, in some parts of
the Philippines
This place is regarded as the home of
the left-hand kalaloa (soul); the right-
hand one goes to a heaven in the sky.
kilu Pacific Islands
a Hawaiian song-festival and recital
of legends
Kilwydd (see Cilydd)
Kilya South American
an Inca moon-goddess
kilyakai East Indian
[kiliakai]
malevolent forest spirits of
New Guinea
These spirits are said to shoot arrows
which cause malaria.
Kilydd (see Cilydd)
Kima Japanese
the first maiden to be abducted by the
spirit of Yenoki
Kimat Pacific Islands
a dog of lightning in the Philippines,
owned by Tadaklan
Kimata-no-kami Japanese
[Tree-trunk god]
son of Okuni-Nushi and Ya-gami-hime
When this child was born, Ya-gami-
hime left it in a tree outside the palace
where Okuni-Nushi now lived with

Suseri-hime. The child was found by
the palace servants and Suseri-hime
reared him as her own.
kimbanda African
a sorcerer in Angola
Kimbay Irish
[Cambaeth.Cimbaeth.Ci(o)mbaoth.
Combaoth.Cumbaeth]
a prince of Ulster
brother of Aedh and Dithorba
On the death of his brother, Aedh, he was
due to share the throne of Ulster with his
other brother, Dithorba, but he was killed
by Aedh’s daughter, Macha, who forcibly
wed Kimbay and took the throne.
In some accounts, Macha is the
sister of Dithorba and Kimbay, rather
than their niece.
Kimbeline (see Cunobelinus)
Kimbugwe African
a guardian of the afterbirth of a king,
among the Buganda
Kimbuji African
[Kimiji]
in the lore of Angola, a huge fish
or crocodile
This underworld inhabitant swallowed
Sudika-mbambi but was killed by his
brother Kabundungulu.
Kimera African

an ancestral king of the Baganda
grandson of Kintu
He was killed by his own grandson,
Tembo, who had been led to believe
that Kimera had killed his own son,
Tembo’s father.
Kimi Japanese
daughter of Tenko
She fell in love with Sawara, a pupil of
her father, but he left to further his
education under the painter Myokei.
When Kimi heard that Sawara was to
marry Myokei’s daughter, she ran
away. Sawara could not find her when
he returned to her father’s home so he
married Kiku. When Kimi later met
Sawara and learned of his marriage to
Kiku, she stabbed herself to death and
the painting that Sawara made of her
body came alive to reproach him.
Kimidinis Hindu
hostile goblins travelling in pairs
Kimiji (see Kimbuji)
Kimitaka Japanese
daughter of the emperor Ichijo
She was captured by the demon
Shutendoji but her father sent the
warrior Raiko to kill the demon and
she was rescued.
Kimmerians (see Cimmerians)

Kimmeroi (see Cimmerians)
kimpasi African
a ritual of the Bakongo
This ritual is performed when many
deaths have occurred in a village.
Young members of each family are
housed in a specially-built enclosure
and then taken to a burial-ground
where they are beaten to death with
twigs. In reality, they are merely
frightened out of their wits and, when
they recover, they are sent back to
their families.
Kimpen-jigoku Japanese
subsidiary hells at the cardinal points
of the 8 major hells of Jigoku, each
divided into 4 parts
(see also Koduku-jigoku)
Kimpurusha Hindu
a spirit serving Kubera
These beings are said to have the body
of a horse with a human head.
(see also Kinnava)
Kin Tambuhan (see Ken Tamboehan)
kina South American
in Tierra del Fuego, a masked religious
dance-ritual for men only
Originally used by women, who were
the superior sex, the sun discovered
the secret from the moon and killed all

the women except young girls and
adopted the dance for men to ensure
that they became superior to women.
(see also kloketan)
Kincaled British
the Welsh name for Gringolet
kinchaku Japanese
a bag containing a charm said to
protect children from accident or
being lost
kinchiltun Central American
in the Mayan time-scale, a period of
some 3,200,000 years
Kindawuss North American
a Haida maiden
mother of Cunwhat and Soogaot
She ran off with her lover
Quissankweedas when they were not
allowed to marry but she was carried
off by a bear while her lover was away.
She bore two sons to the bear but was
later found and returned to live with
Quissankweedas.
Kilembe
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Kinderbrunnen
Kinderbrunnen German
wells in which, it is said, Frau Holle
guards the souls of children

(see also Kinderseen)
Kinderseen German
lakes in which, it is said, Frau Holle
guards the souls of children
(see also Kinderbrunnen)
Kindly Ones (see Eumenides.Furies)
kindoki
1
African
the secret lore of the sorcerers
Kindoki
2
African
an evil spirit of the Bakongo
Kindred Gods North American
[Related Ones]
4 gods of the Sioux
These deities are given as Buffalo, Four
Winds, Two-legged and Whirlwind, all
aspects of Wakan Tanka.
Kine (see Ganis)
Kina-kine-boro East Indian
an ogre who used his long hair to lasso
his victims
Kinebahan (see Hunab)
King Arthur
1
English
a 17th C opera by Dryden (music by
Purcell) in which the king is in love

with a blind girl, Emmeline
King Arthur
2
English
a long poem by Edward Bulwer-Lytton
King Arthur
3
(see Arthur)
King Arthur and King Cornwall
British
a 16th C poem about the king and
the sorcerer
King Asoka (see Ashoka)
King Brown (see Lud)
King Bruin (see Lud)
King Cole (see Coel)
King Cornwall British
a sorcerer appearing in a 16th C poem
King Daniel (see Daniel
2
)
King Fox British
the name Lancelot used for King Mark
whom he distrusted
King Goldemar (see Goldemar)
King Herla (see Herla.Herlethimgi)
King Hor Tibetan
a king who abducted Brug Ma
She was rescued from his clutches by
Gesai whom she married.

King Lir (see Lir)
King Love British
a king who dismissed his wife
When his wife oppressed his people,
he banished and gave jurisdiction to
her sister who was later attacked by the
banished woman. Bors came to her aid
and defeated the attacking forces led
by Priadan.
King Mark (see Mark)
King Mathias (see Kralj Matjaz)
King Noble (see Nobel)
King of Cows Chinese
an ugly ogre, protector of cattle
King of Horses Chinese
an ugly ogre
This being is depicted with four
hands and three eyes and is revered
by horse-breeders.
King of Lidskialf Norse
a title of Odin
King of Men (see Agamemnon.Zeus)
King of Military Pacification
(see Wu-an wang)
King of Saturnalia Roman
[Abbot of Unreason]
a man impersonating the god Saturn
After five days in office, the incumbent
was killed.
King of Suffering Welsh

[King of Tortines]
His sons were killed each day by the
Addanc of the lake and restored to
life each evening when bathed by
their wives.
King of the City (see Melkarth)
King of the Dead
(see Khenti Amentiu)
King of the Desert Land
(see Claudas)
King of the Golden Pillars
(see Easal)
King of the Isles British
father of Biautei
King of the Land (see Wurukatti)
King of the Lions (see Shishi-wo)
King of the May European
a mediaeval spirit of vegetation
In a festival in honour of this spirit, the
main participant, dressed in bark and
flowers, is chased by the others and, if
caught, decapitated in a mock
ceremony and carried on a bier to the
next village where he is revived.
King of the Tangled Wood
(see Valerin)
King of the Wood Roman
[Priest of Nemi.Rex Nemorensis]
a priest of Diana in Aricia
The first of these was Virbius and the

succession went to a runaway slave or
gladiator who fought the incumbent
with a branch of a tree in the
surrounding grove.
King of the World (see Daire Donn.
Mandhatri.Sinsar)
King of Tortines
(see King of Suffering)
King of Worms (see Gunther)
King Pêcheur (see Fisher King)
King Pelles (see Pelles)
King Priam English
an opera by Michael Tippett based on
the story of the Trojan king
King Suddohodama
(see Shuddohodhana)
King Sweeney (see Suibhne Geilt)
King with a Hundred Knights
(see Aguysans)
King Vollmar (see Goldemar)
King Wonderful (see Isokalakal)
Kingdom of the Faylinn Irish
the land where the Faylinn lived, ruled
by Iubdan and Bebo
Kingaludda Mesopotamian
a Sumerian deity, messenger of Enlil
kingfisher Greek
the bird of Thetis
Some say that this bird’s beak always
indicates the direction of the wind

and that its dead body can be used to
divert thunderbolts.
It was originally grey in colour and
acquired its brilliant colouring when it
flew near the sun while surveying the
waters after the flood.
Kingly Castle (see Caer Feddwid)
King’s Castle (see Caer Feddwid)
King’s Cycle Irish
the corpus of literature dealing with
the exploits of the many kings of
Ireland and its provinces
Kings of Hell (see Ten Yama Kings)
Kings of the Island of
the Torrent Irish
leaders of the forces which, under
Sinsar, sailed to Ireland to help Midac
All three of these kings were killed in
the fighting that ensued at the ford
when they tried to attack Finn mac
Cool and his Fianna party trapped in
the Quicken Trees Hostel.
Kingsley, Charles British
(1819–1875)
a writer
He was the author of The Heroes, tales
of Greek mythology.
Kingu Mesopotamian
[Kingugu.Qingu]
an Akkadian earth-god

son of Abzu and Tiamat
husband of Tiamat
He was the leader of the evil primal
forces and the Eleven Mighty Helpers
in the struggle with the gods and acted
as holder of the Tablets of Destiny.
He was the son and second husband
of Tiamat and was killed with her in
the fight with Marduk. In some
accounts, his blood was mixed with
sand to make mankind. Some equate
him with Tammuz.
Kingu
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Kirata-n-te-rerei
Kingugu (see Kingu)
Kinh Duong Vuong Vietnamese
an ancestral hero
father of Lac Long Quan
He married the daughter of a water-
dragon and they produced a son who
taught the people the arts of
agriculture etc.
Kinharigan (see Kinharingan)
Kinharingan East Indian
[Kinharigan]
a creator-god in Borneo
husband of Munsumundok
It is said that Kinharingan and his wife

appeared out of a rock in the sea,
walking on the water to the home of
Bisagit who gave them some soil with
which they made the earth. They then
made the sky, the heavenly bodies and
human beings.
Kinharingan killed his first son and
cut his body into pieces which he
planted in various places. From these
pieces came all the plants and animals.
One version says that Bisagit gave
them the soil on condition that he
could have half of the people that
Kinharingan made. He achieved this
by spreading small-pox through the
population at forty year intervals.
Kinich Ahau (see Ah Kin)
Kinich Kakmo Central American
a name for Ah Kin, the sun-god,
in the form of a macaw
Kini’je Siberian
[Ki’njen]
the spirit which controls time
Ki’njen (see Kini’je)
Kinjikitire Ngwale (see Bokero)
Kinkara (see Konkara)
Kinma Mesopotamian
a name of Marduk as ‘leader of
gods’
Kinnar Phoenician

[Kinnur]
a god of music
Kinnara
1
Hindu
one of a mythical race of horse-
headed people, servants of
Kubera
These beings acted as musicians at
Kubera’s court.
Some say that these beings sprang
from Brahma’s toe, others that they
were the offspring of Kashyapa.
(see also Kimpurusha)
Kinnara
2
Japanese
a guardian deity
one of the 28 Nijuhachi-Bushu
Kinnara
3
Thai
a monster, half man, half bird
kinno South American
in the lore of the Tupari of Brazil,
the people who failed to reach the
upper world
Aroteh and Tovapod dug into the earth
to find the people who had stolen their
food and, in so doing, created an

opening through which some humans,
living under the earth, escaped to the
upper world. The kinno were those that
were trapped when the hole was sealed.
It is said that they will emerge to
repopulate the earth when the present
races have all died.
Kinnur (see Kinnar)
Kino Momoye Japanese
[Momoye]
the man who ridiculed Kobo Daishi
While he was asleep, he was assaulted
by a wrestler who, when Momoye
awoke, turned into a written character,
the very one that Momoye had scoffed
at when Kobo Daishi wrote it.
kinocetus
a stone said to have the power to
repel demons
Kinship of the Three
(see Ts’an T’ung Ch’i)
Kintaro Japanese
[Golden Boy.(Sakata) Kintoki]
a hero
servant of Yorimitsu
son of Sakata Kurando and Yaégiri
He was born of a warrior and a
mountain-spirit and, after his father
had killed himself, was raised by his
mother in the wilds where, as a youth,

he made friends with the wild animals
and developed enormous strength.
One day he was seen by a noble,
Yorimitsu, in the act of pushing over a
tree to form a bridge so that he could
cross a river. Yorimitsu took him as his
retainer, called him Sakata Kintoki and
he grew up to be a warrior-hero.
Kintoki (see Kintaro)
Kintu African
a king-god of the Buganda
the first man
husband of Nambi
He went up to heaven to ask for a wife
and was given Mambi, daughter of the
supreme god, Gulu, but only after he
had passed a number of tests. One was
to eat enough food for a hundred
people, another to fill a bottomless pot
with dew. He also had to identify his
own cow in three large herds. He
passed all the tests and took Nambi
back to earth. Her brother, Walumbe,
the god of death, followed them.
Kinyamkera African
a type of evil spirit which takes
possession of humans, causing illness
They are described as having one eye,
one arm and one leg. (see also Kilima)
Kinyarwanda African

a child of the first man, Kihanga
brother of Kanyarundi and Katwa
Kinyoka African
a serpent in the underworld
This five-headed monster was killed
by Sudika-mbambi when he went
down to the underworld.
Kinyras (see Cinyras)
kiolu African
a very small animal generated by a
sorcerer from his own soul
A sorcerer can cause this animal to
enter the body of another person and
kill him.
Kiore Ta New Zealand
a servant of Ngarara
She helped Ruru to escape the clutches
of her mistress when he landed on
their island.
Kiore Ti New Zealand
a servant of Ngarara
She helped Ruru to escape the clutches
of her mistress when he landed on
their island.
Kiousa
1
North American
in the lore of the tribes of the
south-eastern states, an idol
guarding the dead

Kiousa
2
(see Oki)
Kipalende African
the 4 servants of Sudika-Mbamba
kipriano Armenian
a charm
This device, in the form of a roll of
prayers and magic formulae, is said to
protect the bearer from such things as
the evil eye and snake-bite.
Kipu-Tytto Finnish
a goddess of sickness
daughter of Tuoni and Tuonetar
sister of Kivutar, Loviatar and
Vammatar
She enticed mortals to the underworld
by singing.
Kirabira African
a war-god of the Baganda
son of Mukasa
brother of Nende and Mirimu
Kirata-n-te-rerei Pacific Islands
a founding ancestor of the Gilbertese
son of Te-ariki-n-Tarawa and
Nei Te-reere
He was said to be so handsome that
he could produce children without
a woman.
Kingugu

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Kiratas
Kiratas Hindu
a mythical race in the mountains
These people were said to live in water
while others say they were huge, man-
eating tigers. The female version
appears as a seductive maiden.
Kirati Hindu
a name for Durga and Kali
as ‘mountain woman’
Kirava Tibetan
a king
a Lamaist sorcerer
Kiriel
[Ciriel]
a moon-demon
kirimu African
a spirit or soul of the Nande
kirin Japanese
[ki-rin.sin-you:=Chinese ch’i-lin:
=Mongolian kere:=Tibetan serou]
a single-horned animal, counterpart of
the Chinese ch’i-lin: a unicorn
Kirinh Mongolian
one of the burkhan
kirka Hindu
a sign of the Zodiac, Cancer the crab
Kirke (see Circe)

Kirnababy (see Cornbaby)
Kirom Irish
a chieftain fighting with the forces of
Sinsar, King of the World
When Midac trapped Finn mac Cool
and a party of the Fianna in the
Quicken Trees Hostel, Kirom led
the second wave of attackers against
Fiachna who held the ford against
them and killed all except one man.
Kiron (see Chiron)
Kirti Hindu
a goddess
the sakti of Kesava
Kirtimukha (see Kirttimukha)
Kirttimukha Hindu
[Banaspati.Kirtimukha]
a lion-headed monster
This being was created by Shiva to fight
the demon Rahu which had been sent
by Jalandhara to seize Shiva’s wife, Sakti.
When Rahu fled, the voracious monster
ate its own body leaving only the face.
(see also Face of Glory.Kala
2
)
Kis Egyptian
a god of Kusae
He is depicted in the form of a man
strangling two long-necked creatures,

perhaps giraffes.
Kisani North American
[Mirage People]
the inhabitants of the fourth world
through which the Navaho passed on
their way to the upper world
Kisangan-Tengri Siberian
[=Altaic Kysan-Tengere]
a Mongol war god
Kisar Mesopotamian
[Kishar.Kissare]
an early Sumerian goddess
daughter of Lahmu and Lahamu
consort of Ansar
mother of Antu
mother of Anu and Ea, some say
Kisboldogasszony
(see Boldogasszony)
Kisha Manido North American
[Masha Manido]
the Menominee name for the creator-
god, the Great Spirit
(see also Great Spirit)
Kishar (see Kisar)
kishi
1
African
a Kimbundu evil spirit
This being has a two-faced head, one
human, one hyena.

kishi
2
(see nkisi)
Kishi Bojin Japanese
[Karitei-mo.Kishimo-jin.Kishimojin:
=Chinese Ho-li Ti:=Indian Hariti]
a Buddhist goddess, guardian
of children
It is said that she was originally the
demon-woman, Karitei-mo, who ate
children. When she converted to
Buddhism she became the protector of
children and women in labour.
Kishijoten Japanese
a Shinto goddess of fortune
sister of Bishamon
Kishimo-jin (see Kishi Bojin)
kisi (see nkisi)
kisimbi African
[Water Girl.Water Nymph:
plur=bisimbi]
a Bakongo spirit which causes illness
These beings cannot be seen because
they are made of water.
Kisin Central American
a Mayan earthquake spirit
kisirani African
in the lore of the Swahili, one who
brings bad luck
kiskanu Mesopotamian

a sacred tree in Sumerian myths
Kisbil-lilla Mesopotamian
[=Babylonian Lilith]
a Sumerian female demon of the
night
Kiskilussa Mesopotamian
the site of the battle between Teshub
and Illuyankas
Kismaras Mesopotamian
a Hittite god
kismat (see kismet)
kismet Turkish
[kismat:=Muslim quisma]
fate as decreed by god
Kisra Arab
the Arab name for Kay Khusraw
Kissare Mesopotamian
an alternative version of Kisar
consort of Assoros
Kisseus (see Cisseus)
Kissos Greek
Dionysus as the god of ivy
Kistna (see Krishna)
Kitamba African
[Kitambe]
king of the Mbundu
husband of Muhongo
He placed a ban of total silence on his
people when his wife died. They then
dug a pit and sent a sorcerer down to

the underworld to find his wife who
gave him an armlet which made the
king lift the ban.
Kitambe (see Kitamba)
Kitanitowit North American
[Great Spirit.Kittanitowit]
a creator god of the Algonquin Indians
a name for the Great Spirit
Kitap Ngelmu East Indian
a Javanese book of magic
Kitche Manitou
(see Gitchi Manitou)
Kitchen God Chinese
[Stove God]
a deity of the household
Each house has its own spirit which
reports to heaven on the family each year.
(see also Chang Tao-ling.Tsao Chün)
Kitimil Pacific Islands
in Pelew Island flood myths, one of the
2 survivors
The other survivor was Magigi.
Kitkaositiyiqa North American
father of Yetl, some say
Kitsawitsak North American
one of the 5 houses of the Pawnee
animal-spirits known as the Nahurak
Kitshi Manitou North American
the Chippewa name for the Great Spirit
(see also Gitchi Manitou)

Kitsuki Japanese
a shrine to Susanowa
It is said that the gods assemble here
once a year to arrange all marriages for
the next year.
Kitsune Japanese
a shape-changing fox: a fox-spirit
acting as a messenger for Inari
kitsune-tsuki Japanese
possession by demons due to foxes
It is said that a fox-spirit can enter a
woman via her breasts or her fingernails.
kitsune-tsuki
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klu
2
Kittanitowit (see Kitanitowit)
Kittu Mesopotamian
[Kettu.Kittum]
a Babylonian god, truth personified
son of Samas and A-a
brother of Giru, Mesharu and Nusku
(see also Sydyk)
Kittum (see Kittu)
Kium (see Chium)
Kiva North American
a Hopi ceremonial chamber
This circular room is built under-
ground and is entered through the

roof. It is here that the tribe’s secret
rites are performed.
Kivati North American
[Kwatee.Kwati]
a trickster-god of the Quinault
Indians
He changed the original giant animals
into normal animals and made men
from balls of dust mixed with his own
sweat.
When his brother was swallowed by
a monster in the lake, Kivati threw hot
rocks into the lake until the scalding
water killed the monster, whereupon
Kivati slit open its belly and released
his brother.
At the end of his world-forming
labours he turned into stone.
Kivutar Finnish
a goddess of suffering
daughter of Tuoni and Tuonetar
sister of Kipu-Tytto, Loviatar and
Vammatar
Kiwa Pacific Islands
the precursor of all shell-fish, in
Polynesian lore
kiwi New Zealand
a flightless bird
The Maori say that this bird was made
from a calabash by Tane.

Kiyamat-saus Baltic
an assistant of the Finnish underworld
god Tuoni
Kiyamat-tora (see Tuoni)
Kiya’rnarak Inuit
a creator-god
Kiyo Japanese
[Kiyohime.Kujo]
a serving-maid in a tea-house
She fell in love with the monk, Anchin,
who so far forgot his vows as to fall in
love with her. When he renounced the
temptations of the flesh, she sought
the aid of the fire-god, Fudo, and the
magician-god, Kompira, and learned
how to turn herself into a dragon.
When Anchin left her for the last time,
she became a huge dragon and, when
he hid under a bell, she coiled round
it, crushing it and melting it with her
hot breath, killing both the monk
and herself.
Kiyohime (see Kiyo)
Kiyomori Japanese
a hero, leader of the Taira
He killed Yoshitomo and would have
killed all his family but Yoshitomo’s
wife, Tokiwa, agreed to marry him to
save her children.
kla (see akra)

klaboterman Baltic
the spirit of the phantom ship
Carmilhan
This spirit helps the sailors but
thrashes those who are idle.
When a tree was felled for a mast,
an ill child was passed through it. If the
child died, its caul remained in the
mast as a klaboterman.
klaft Egyptian
a headdress worn by Isis
This headdress was said to impart
divine wisdom to the one who wore it.
Klaus German
[Peter Klaus:=North American Rip
van Winkle]
a goat-herd
He followed a goat into a valley where
twelve men were playing skittles.
Overcome by wine, he fell asleep and,
when he awoke, found that he had
slept for twenty years.
Kle-klati-e’il (see Lalaia’il)
Kleanthes (see Cleanthes)
Kleesto North American
in the lore of the Navaho, the
Great Snake
Klehanoia (see Tlehanoia)
kleinevolk (see Dwarfs)
Kleng (see Kling)

Kleo (see Cleo)
Kleobis (see Cleobis)
Kleio (see Clio)
Kletrpal (see Bhumiya)
Kliarin-Kliara (see Kunapipi)
Klieng (see Kling)
Kling East Indian
[Kl(i)eng]
a war-god of the Iban tribe of
Borneo
a mythical hero
This being was said to have been
found in the knot of a tree and could
assume any shape he chose.
Klingshor (see Klingsor)
Klingsor European
[Clinschor.Klingshor]
a magician
duke of Terre Labur
He was castrated by Ibert and became
a wizard. Some say he was a bishop.
In some versions, he imprisoned
several queens, including King
Arthur’s mother, Arnive, but they were
rescued by Gawain.
In the Wagnerian version of
Parsifal’s (Percival’s) quest for the
Holy Grail, Klingsor was refused
admission to the Temple of the Grail
so he built a garden of delight nearby

where many knights seeking the grail
were seduced from their honourable
path. He took the sacred spear from
Amfortas and wounded him with it.
When he tried to kill Parsifal with the
spear, it miraculously stopped in its
flight and floated round Parsifal’s
head. Parsifal used the spear as a
means to destroy the garden and
banish Klingsor from the earth.
In some accounts, his home is called
Schastel Marveil.
Klio (see Clio)
Kliwa North American
a wind-spirit of the Pueblo tribes
Klodan Pacific Islands
a Balinese girl
She and Klontjing were locked in a
chest by a giantess but were saved by
mice which gnawed a hole through
which they escaped.
Kloketen South American
in Tierra del Fuego, a male initiation
rite
Youths gathered in a hut are subjected
to frightening ordeals by masked men
who instill the secrets of the tribe and
the superiority of men.
Klontjing Pacific Islands
a Balinese girl

She and Klodan were locked in a chest
by a giantess but were saved by mice
which gnawed a hole through which
they escaped.
Kloskurbeh North American
a creator-god of the Hopi
A being (‘youth’) was created from this
god’s breath and another (‘lore’) from
one of his tears. These two mated to
produce the first humans.
Klotho (see Clotho)
Klothon (see Clotho)
Klu
1
Buddhist
[Khe-rgyal]
the Tibetan name for Virupaksha
as king of the nagas
klu
2
Tibetan
ancestors of the race
miracle-workers (see also ’gong-po.
rgyal-po)
Kittanitowit
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Klu-dban
Klu-dban Tibetan
[Lu Vang]

king of speech
one of the 5 Mahapancharajas
He is depicted as red, holding an
elephant-goad or a mace and riding a
blue crocodile or a blue mule.
(see also Sun-gi-rgyal-po)
Kludd British
the English version of Kludde
Kludde European
[=British Kludd]
a Belgian or Flemish spirit
This being could turn itself into a
variety of animals such as a dog, horse
or toad, or, alternatively, into a tree.
Klumene (see Clymene)
Klumenes (see Clymenus)
Klust (see Clust)
Klutaimnestra (see Clytemnestra)
Klymenos (see Clymenus)
Klytaimnestra (see Clytemnestra)
kmoch Cambodian
ghosts
kmoch pray Cambodian
ghosts of women or children
who died in childbirth
Some say these spirits can enter living
relatives and make them ill.
K’makamtch (see Kmukamtch)
Kmukamch (see Kmukamtch)
Kmukamtch North American

[Ancient Old Man.K’makamtch.
Kumukamch]
a demon: a creator-spirit
In the lore of the Klamath, he tried to
set the world on fire but the Medoc
regard him as a creator-spirit.
Knaninjar Australian
ancestors living as spirits in
the sky
Kne
a demon
Knecht Ruprecht German
[Servant Rupert]
a domestic fairy
Knef Egyptian
[Kematef:=Greek Kneph]
an early god
In some accounts, he and Athor were
engendered by the supreme god,
Amon, and were the parents of Isis and
Osiris. In others, he is a manifestation
of Khnum as a god of winds, depicted
as blue, holding a sceptre and a plume
of feathers.
Knefrud Norse
[Wingi]
a servant of Atli
He was killed in the fight that ensued
when Atli ambushed Gunnar’s party.
Kneph Greek

[Cnuphis.Knephis.Knepth]
the Greek version of Knef
Knephis (see Kneph)
Knepth (see Kneph)
Knife-wing North American
a spirit of the Pueblo tribes
Knight of Friendship
(see Triamond)
Knight of La Mancha
(see Don Quixote)
Knight of Song (see Tannhauser)
Knight of the Cart British
[Knight of the Chariot]
a name given to Lancelot
Lancelot had his horse shot from
under him when he was riding to the
rescue of Guinevere who had been
abducted by Meliagaunt and was
compelled to complete the journey in
the back of a woodman’s cart.
Knight of the Chariot
(see Knight of the Cart)
Knight of the DolefulCountenance
(see Don Quixote)
Knight of the Dragon
(see Segurant)
Knight of the Dwarf
(see Amadis of Gaul)
Knight of the Ebon Spear
(see Britomart)

Knight of the Fair Country British
brother of King Arthur
father of the Great Fool
Knight of the Fountain British
[Black Knight.Esclados]
husband of Laudine
He defeated Cynon but was killed
by Owain who took his estate and
his wife.
Knight of the Goddess
(see Gawain)
Knight of the Green Sword
(see Amadis of Gaul)
Knight of the Invincible Sword
(see Amadis of Gaul)
Knight of the Lantern
1
British
a knight who killed the Black
Knight
Knight of the Lantern
2
British
son of Libearn
Knight of the Lion (see Owain)
Knight of the Mill (see Peredur)
Knight of the Old Table
(see Segurant)
Knight of the Red Launds
(see Ironside)

Knight of the Red Lawns
(see Ironside)
Knight of the Silver Keys
(see Pierre)
Knight of the Sleeve British
a knight who won Clarette as a wife in
a tournament
Knight of the Sparrowhawk
(see Edern)
Knight of the Swan (see Lohengrin.
Swan Knight)
Knight of the Well Irish
a knight who fought with Dermot on
the island where he had gone in
search of the men carried off by
Gilla Dacar
Knight of the White Moon
(see Samson Carrasco)
Knight of Two Swords
(see Balin.Meriadeuc)
Knights Eagle Central American
a higher grade of Knights Tiger,
warriors of the sun
Knights of Battle British
3 famous warriors of King Arthur’s
court
They were Cadeu, Lancelot and Owain.
Knights of the Franc Palais British
an order set up by Perceforest which
was annihilated by the Romans

Knights of the Round Table British
the chosen knights of King Arthur’s
court
The Round Table provided places for
150 knights and 100 were sent by
Leodegrance with the table as
Guinevere’s dowry on her marriage to
Arthur. Merlin, authorised to find fifty
more, found only twenty-eight
suitable knights. Each knight took a
yearly oath to fight only in just causes
and not for personal gain, to protect
women and respect their persons, to
use force only when necessary, never
to commit murder or treason and to
grant mercy when it was asked for.
Among these knights, the most
honoured were Galahad, Gareth,
Gawain, Kay, Lamerock, Lancelot,
Percival, Tristram, Mark, Mordred,
Palamedes and Torre. Others included
were Accolon, Bleoberis, Bedivere,
Bors, Dornar, Ector, Gaheris,
Galahaut, Lionel, Marhaus, Owain,
Pelleas, Pellimore, Sagramore, Turkin
and Vanoc.
Knights Tiger Central American
initiates of an Aztec religious order
(see also Knights Eagle)
knocker British

[=German kobold:=Welsh coblyn]
a Cornish spirit of the tin-mines,
said to indicate the presence of
valuable ore: a form of bucca
Knum (see Khnum)
Knum
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Koh-i-Noor
knupa Pacific Islands
the Hawaiian demi-gods, as opposed
to the gods, the akua
Ko
1
Korean
[Go]
the name taken by Chumong when he
set up his own kingdom
Ko
2
Korean
an ancestral hero
Ko, together with Pu and Yang,
emerged from the earth and survived
by hunting.
A box which they found on the
shore contained three princesses and a
number of domestic animals. The
three men each married a princess and,
determining the site of their future

homes by shooting arrows, settled
down and founded three clans.
ko
3
Pacific Islands
in New Caledonia, the human
spirit
The priest keeping a vigil beside the
body of some dead person may capture
the ko in the form of a small animal
which he then drowns in the river,
producing in its place a stone, a bao,
said to hold the departed soul.
K’o-chu Chinese
the realm of Fa-no-p’o-ssu
Ko-dama Japanese
an echo-god: an echo regarded as
the soul of a tree answering the
original call
Ko Hung
1
Chinese
[Pao-p’u-tzu]
a Taoist alchemist
He is said to have made a drug that
conferred immortality. Both he and a
dog took the pills and died but both
came back to life.
(see Ko Hung
2

)
Ko Hung
2
Chinese
a patron-god of dyers
Originally he was a 4th C writer of
books on alchemy and ancient legends
including Biographies of the Gods.
(see Ko Hung
1
)
Ko-lung Chinese
an emperor who was deified as god
of the soil
one of the T’u-ti Shen
Ko-no-hana (see Sengen)
Ko-no-ka Po-li-to-she
(see Pindola
2
)
Ko Pala Burmese
a legendary king
He was banished by his people and left
to die on an island but was reborn as a
crab and sent floods to avenge his
earlier ill-treatment.
Kobal
a demon in charge of entertainment
in hell as stage manager
Kobath (see Mount Baker)

Kobe-no-kami (see Oki-tsu Hime)
Kobetsu Japanese
imperial clans who claimed to be
descended from Amaterasu
(see also Shinbetsu)
Kobine Pacific Islands
daughter of Naredu
She helped her father create the earth.
Kobo Daishi Japanese
[Gohitsu-Osoh.Hensho Kong.
Kukai.Totomono]
(c. 774–835)
a Buddhist saint
founder of True Word Buddhism
The priest Kukai, who as a boy was
called Totomono, travelled to China,
learned the principles of the Chen Yen
sect and returned to Japan to found the
Shingon (True Word) movement.
Before leaving the mainland, he threw
his vajra which landed in Japan. He
was credited with the invention of a
form of cursive script and was a famous
preacher and painter.
He could produce water by
pushing his staff into the earth or, if
he needed shelter from the sun, the
staff would take root and grow into a
shady tree.
In one story, he gave a handkerchief

to a servant who had brought him
water. When she used it, she became
very beautiful and attracted a rich
husband, whereas the girl’s mistress,
who had refused to give him water, was
turned into a horse.
Another story says that he
straightened the leaning tower of a
temple merely by prayer.
When he once tried to kill himself
for the benefit of humanity, angels
prevented him so that he might fulfil
his destiny. It was said that a star
entered his mouth and he killed a
dragon merely by spitting on it.
Asked by a boy to demonstrate his
powers, he wrote letters in the sky
and on the surface of water. The boy
then drew a dragon on the water and,
when the saint added a dot, the
dragon came to life and ascended
to heaven.
He was said to be able to raise the
dead and to purify polluted water as
well as communicating with the gods.
At his own request he was buried alive
and it is said that his body never rots
but awaits the coming of the Buddha
Mahavairocana. After his death he was
deified as Kobo Daishi.

One story says that he rose from his
grave to conduct the funeral of one
emperor and to baptise his successor.
kobold German
[=British brownie.knocker:
=Welsh coblyn]
a dwarf mine-spirit:
a domestic brownie
(see also dwarfs.elves.
Heinzelmannchen)
Kodinhaltia Baltic
a Finnish house-fairy
Kodo-yanpe North American
[Earth Maker.Earth Namer]
a name of Wonomi as ‘namer of
the world’
Kodo-yapeu North American
a name of Wonomi as ‘creator of
the world’
Kodo-yaponi North American
a name of Wonomi as ‘chief of
the world’
Kodojeza Baltic
an Estonian household god
Part of the garden was kept as sacred
to this deity. A woman was allowed to
enter it once, just after she was
married, but never thereafter.
Kodomo-no-Inari Japanese
a fox-god

Kodros (see Codrus)
Koduku-jigoku Japanese
subsidiary hells which appear
randomly anywhere on
earth (see also Kimpen-jigoku)
Koen Australian
an evil spirit
husband of Mailkun
Koeus (see Coeus)
Koevasi Pacific Islands
a creator-deity of the Solomon
Islands (see Agunua)
Koftarim Egyptian
a mythical king
It is said that he built the Pharos
lighthouse and a gateway which, by
staring with mechanical eyes, could
put animals to sleep; and was the
owner of a magical mirror in which he
could see what each of his subjects was
doing and a statue made of glass which
could turn into clay any person who
tried to gain entry to the king’s
treasury.
Kogoshui Japanese
a 9th C book of myths written by
Imbe-no-Hironari
Koh-i-Noor (see Castle of Light
2
)

knupa
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Kohai
Kohai Pacific Islands
the first man, in the lore of Tonga
grandfather of Ahoeitu
In some accounts, Kohai was a
primaeval serpent.
Kohaku Jo Japanese
daughter of Kamatari
She married Koso, the emperor of
China, and sent back to her home in
Japan three marvellous treasures
given to her by her husband. These
were a musical instrument that could
play for ever, an inkwell which never
ran dry and a crystal in which an
image of the Buddha could be seen.
Kohara Pacific Islands
the female progenitor of all tuna
fish
Kohi Tumu (see Te Tumu)
Kohin Australian
[Koin]
a thunder-god who lives in the
Milky Way
a culture-hero of the
Aborigines
Kohkang Wuhti (see Kokyanwuti)

Kohmba Sri Lankan
a god
Kohu Pacific Islands
a god of mists
Koiakutu Pacific Islands
the hill of lice, part of the Melanesian
afterworld
Koil North American
the sheep, created by Kumush
Koin (see Kohin)
Koiti Pacific Islands
son of Auahi-Turoa and Mahuika
brother of Konui, Koroa, Manawa
and Mapere
Koito African
an Ethiopian feast to propitiate the
spirit of lightning
Koji-Ki (see Kojiki)
Kojiki Japanese
[Book of Ancient Matters.Koji-Ki]
sacred Shinto texts relating the story
of the Creation, written by Ono
Yasuman in AD 712
Kojin Japanese
[Kojin-sama.Sambo-Ko-Jin]
a kitchen-goddess whose spirit
inhabits the enoki tree
She was originally a demon who ate
children but later became their
guardian deity. Old and discarded dolls

are dedicated to her.
In some accounts, Kojin is male and
equated with Kamado-no-kami, Jigami
or Oyamakui.
Kojin-sama (see Kojin)
Kokalika Buddhist
an adherent of Devadatta
He was consigned to hell with his
master when they tried to kill the
Buddha.
Koki African
in the lore of the Hausa, a praying mantis
wife of Gizo
wife of Spider, some say
Kokili Tibetan
a king
a Lamaist sorcerer
Kokko (see Koko
2
)
Koko
1
African
in Bantu lore, an old woman who
knew the name of the tree
bearing forbidden fruit
When she finds that animals to whom
she has told the name of this tree have
eaten some of its fruit, she punishes
them. Tortoise, who had been buried in

an anthill, escaped without punishment.
Koko
2
North American
[Kokko]
mask-gods: rain-making gods of the
Zuni: the entire pantheon of the
Zuni deities
Kokomaht (see Tuchaipai.Yokomatis)
Kokomat (see Tuchaipai.Yokomatis)
Kokomikeis North American
[Kokomikis]
moon-goddess of the Blackfoot
Indians
wife of Natos
mother of Apisuahts
Kokomikis (see Kokomikeis)
Kokopelli North American
[Kokopolo;=Tewa Nepokwa’i]
a Hopi fertility deity, one of the Kachinas
Kokopolo (see Kokopelli)
Kokozu Japanese
[Kokuzo:=Tibetan Akasagarbha]
a Buddhist sky-god
He is sometimes depicted holding a
flaming sword.
(see also Kanro Gundari)
Kokumthena North American
[Cloud.Our Grandmother.
Snaggletooth Woman]

a creator-goddess of the Shawnee
This deity is said to be an old, grey-
haired woman living with her grand-
son and her dog near the land of the
dead. The shadows on the moon are
said to be Kokumthena bending over
her cooking-pot.
Kokutos (see Cocytus)
Kokuzo (see Kokozu)
Kokyangwuti North American
[Kahyangwuti.Kokyangwuqti.
Spider Woman]
a creator-goddess of the Hopi
daughter of Sotuknang
She made men and women from clay
and brought them to life but they were
rougher characters than those fashioned
by the Huruing Wuhti sisters.
Others say that she made the first
humans from spittle and dust in a kind
of underworld. When her father
flooded their world because they had
become wicked, she led them to the
upper world. Here she created two
more beings, Palongwhoya and
Poquanghoya, who protected men
from evil demons.
(see also Hahai Wugti)
Kokyangwuqti (see Kokyangwuti)
Kokytos (see Cocytus)

Kol
1
Norse
[Kolr]
one of the men with Flosi when they
killed the Njalssons and burnt their
house
Kol
2
Norse
[Kolr]
a slave at the court of King Visivald
The king’s daughter, Soley, promised
to marry Kol if he would kill an
unwanted suitor. This he did but Soley
reneged on her promise, changing
places with a servant girl who married
the unwitting Kol. He later became an
outlaw and was killed by Vilmund who
found the real Soley and her half-
brother, Hiarandi.
Kol
3
Norse
[Kolr]
an ugly giant
father of Biorn and Harek
Some say that he was the first owner of
the sword Angurvadel.
Kola African

son of the Sacred White Cow
His grandson, Ukwa, is regarded as the
ancestor of the Shilluk people of the
Sudan.
Kolantes (see Colanthes)
Koleo African
a Tanzanian snake-god
Kolelo African
a cave
In the lore of Tanzania this is the site
to which Kyumbe carries the spirits of
the dead. Women who wish to
conceive bathe in a pool in this cave.
Kolio African
a Ewe war-god
Kolita (see Moggallana)
Koll Norse
[Koll the Thrall]
owner of the sword Grey-steel
Koll
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kongo
1
kollawalla (see collhualla)
Kollapura-Mahalakshmi Hindu
a six-armed goddess
kollo African
[qollo]
Ethiopian spirits of the mountains,

trees and springs
These spirits appear in the form of
four-horned cockerels or as tall, one-
legged beings.
Koloowise Central American
[Koloowisi.Kolowissi.Serpent of the
Sea:=Aztec Quetzalcoatl:=Hopi
Palulukon]
a Zuni plumed serpent-god of plenty
a god of lightning
In one story he was upset when a
young maiden polluted the water he
lived in by washing her clothes there
and turned himself into a baby which
she found and took home with her.
There he resumed his former shape as
a serpent and slept with her. Now
committed to his power, she was
forced to leave her family and go with
Koloowise who, en route, changed
into a handsome young man.
Koloowisi (see Koloowise)
Kolowissi (see Koloowise)
Kolpia Mesopotamian
a Phoenician wind-god
son of Aer and Chaos
consort of Baau
father of Aion and Protogonos
Kolyvan Russian
a hero

father of Kolyvanovitch
Kolyvanovitch Russian
a hero
son of Kolyvan
Kom African
a stool or throne
In the lore of the Alur this is one of the
four attributes of the king.
koma African
Swahili spirits which live on
after death
(see also nkoma)
Komagawa Japanese
a servant of a daimyo
He fell in love with Asagao and gave
her a fan with a poem about a
convolvulus inscribed upon it. When
her parents tried to force her into a
marriage with a man she did not love,
she ran away but failed to find her
beloved.
Years later, Komagawa came across
her singing for her living in a tea-
garden. She could not see him because
she was blind as a result of shedding so
many tears at losing him. She later
recovered her sight and they were
reunited.
k’omanti (see kromanti)
Komashtam’ho North American

son of Kakomaht
Komba (see Mbomba)
Komba Ralingki East Indian
[Spirit of the Stranger]
a powerful Papuan ghost
kombu Japanese
a sacred rope, said to bring happiness
Komdei-mirgan Russian
a Tartar hero
brother of Kubaiko
The monster Yebegen bit off Komdei-
mirgan’s head and his sister, Kubaiko,
went down to the underworld to plead
with the ruler, Erlik Khan, for its
return. The god set her a number of
tasks and gave her the head and some
water of life when she completed the
tasks successfully.
Komfo South American
in Surinam, a person possessed
by a spirit (see also okomfo)
Komfo Anotchi (see Anochi)
Komokoa (see Komokwa)
Komoku Japanese
[=Chinese Tseng Chang:=Hindu
Virudka:=Buddhist Virudhaka:=Taoist
Mo-li Hung]
a guardian-god, one of the Shi Tenno
He was responsible for guarding the
south.

In some accounts, he was one of the
twenty-eight Nijuhachi-Bushu and
was originally a demon who converted
to Buddhism.
Komokwa North American
[Komokoa.The Rich One]
a sea-god of the Haida people
He is regarded as the guardian of
seals and the receiver of the souls of
the dead.
Komokyatsiky North American
[Old Woman]
a woman who slept with her
brother and woke up as an
old woman
It is said that the offspring of this
union are the koyemshi dancing
clowns of the Pueblo Indians.
Komorkis North American
a moon-goddess of the Blackfoot
Indians
Komos (see Comus)
Kompera (see Kompira)
Kompira Japanese
[Kompera.Konpira.Kubira.Lord of
Demons:=Buddhist Kubera:=Hindu
Kubera:=Indonesian Kuwera:
=Thai Kupera]
a god, guardian of sailors
He is depicted as black in colour,

with a fat belly, seated and holding
a purse.
In some accounts, he was one of the
twenty-eight Nijuhachi-Bushu.
(see also Susanowa)
kon pray Cambodian
a foetus used by a sorcerer
When a woman suffers a miscarriage,
a sorcerer is called and he takes the
foetus, deceiving the woman into
thinking it has been disposed of in a
jar thrown into a river. In fact, the
foetus is retained, cooked and
coloured black and varnished. There-
after, it is the sorcerer’s constant
familiar and source of power, said to
make its owner invulnerable.
Kon-Tiki South American
[Illa-Tiki]
an early name of Viracocha
Kona Pacific Islands
[=Marshal Islands Rimogaio]
a fabulous race of giants in
Ponape
(see also Liat)
Konakadset North American
[=Haida Wasco]
a hero of the Tlingit people
He was envisaged as an aquatic beast,
a kind of wolf-whale.

Konda Japanese
a guardian deity
one of the 28 Nijuhachi-Bushu
Konde African
son of Nkuba and Chinawezi
brother and husband of Nawezi
Kondos Baltic
a Finnish god of agriculture
Kong Thai
a king
It was prophesied that a son of his
would kill him so he abandoned the
baby in the forest where it was found
by the old woman Phrom and reared
by her younger sister, Hom. When the
boy, who they called Phan, grew to
man-hood, he killed Kong and
seduced his own mother who, too late,
recognised her own son.
Kongara-doji Japanese
an attendant of Fudo-myoo
kongo
1
Japanese
[=Sanskrit vajra]
a three-pointed staff
This staff, owned by Koya-no-Myoin,
imparts wisdom to its owner and
radiates light in darkness.
kollawalla

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Kongo
2
Kongo
2
Japanese
[=Hindu Vajrasattva]
a Buddha
(see also Renge Gundari)
Kongo Gundari Japanese
a name for Gundari-myoo regarded
as a manifestation of
Kwanjizai
Kongo-yasha-myoo Japanese
[Vajrayaksha]
a terrible god, a manifestation
of Fukujoju
He is depicted either with one head
and four arms or with three heads and
six arms. One of his faces has five eyes
and he is surrounded by flames.
Kongoho (see Sho-Kwannon)
Kongorikishi Japanese
a guardian god
From this deity came the two guardian
gods Fukaotsu and Soko.
Konshiki Japanese
a guardian deity
one of the 28 Nijuhachi-Bushu

Konjin (see Ushitoro-no-Konjin}
Konkara Japanese
[Kinkara]
a manifestation of Fudo as a
youth
Kono-hana-sakuya-hime
(see Sengen)
Konohana (see Sengen)
Kononatoo South American
a creator-god of the
Arawak Indians
He made man to live in the sky but
Okonorote made a hole and they
all came down to earth. When a
fat woman got stuck in the hole, they
found themselves unable to return.
Konpira (see Kompira)
Konui Pacific Islands
son of Auahi-Turoa and Mahuika
brother of Koiti, Koroa, Manawa and
Mayere
Konur Norse
son of Jarl and Erna
grandson of Heimdall
He became the first king of Denmark.
Koori (see Bucu)
Kootamoinen (see Kun
1
)
Kopala Russian

a guardian god of mountaineers
in Georgia
He carries a club and can transform
himself into this weapon.
Koph (see Qoph)
Kopilitara South American
a woman who taught the Chaco the
art of pottery
wife of Kosodot
koppatengu Japanese
small demons attendant on the tengu
Kopu East Indian
[Malara]
a goddess of the morning-star, Venus
In some accounts, Kopu is male and
the consort of Eau and Hovoa.
Kor-wa-ji Tibetan
the Tibetan name for Krakucchanda
Kora (see Core)
koradji Australian
an Aborigine shaman
Kore (see Core)
Kore-Arethusa (see Core)
Kore-te-rawea Pacific Islands
[=New Zealand Te-kore-rawea]
a Polynesian deity
offspring of Kore-te-whiwhia
Kore-te-tamaua Pacific Islands
[=New Zealand Te-kore-tamaua]
a Polynesian deity

offspring of Kore-te-rawea
Kore-te-whiwhia Pacific Islands
[=New Zealand Kore-whiwhia]
a Polynesian deity: the primaeval void
Kore-whiwhia
(see Kore-te-whiwhia)
Korero Pacific Islands
wife of Tangaroa
Ko’rgina (see Kavra’nna)
Korinchi East Indian
[Korinci.Korintji]
a Sumatran tribe, members of which,
it is said, can change into tigers
Korinci (see Korinchi)
Korintji (see Korinchi)
Koriro New Zealand
a name for Maui as ‘cheerful’
Koriyama Japanese
a noble
When he, his wife and his child were
sticken with disease, an old recluse
asked permission to plant lotus in his
moat. As soon as the plants had grown,
the noble and his family all recovered.
Korka-guzo (see Domovik)
Korka-murt (see Domovik)
Kormak Norse
a 9th C poet and warrior
He was the owner of a sword which
had a little snake living under the hilt.

Kormet (see Kormt)
Kormos Siberian
an evil spirit
This spirit follows a man throughout
his lifetime, recording all his deeds.
Kormt Norse
[Kormet]
a river in Asgard
In some accounts, one of the twelve
rivers of the dead. (see Kerlaug)
Kornmutter German
[‘corn mother’]
a field spirit, the spirit of growing corn
(see also field spirit)
Kornwolf German
a spirit of the cornfields invoked to
frighten children(see also field spirit)
Koro Pacific Islands
[Koro-mau-Ariki]
son of Tinirau and Ina
brother of Aroture
Koro-mau-Ariki (see Koro)
Koroa Pacific Islands
son of Auahi-Turoa and Mahuika
brother of Koiti, Konui, Manawa
and Mayere
Korobona South American
mother of the first Carib, fathered by
a demon
Korongo African

a Mali sorcerer from whom Kenimbleni
stole magic powders
Koronis (see Coronis)
Koronus (see Coronus)
Koropanga (see Tu-te-Koropanga)
Korotango New Zealand
a pigeon made of greenstone
The korotango is placed in a shrine
and used as an oracle by the Maori.
Korowas East Indian
[Kurus]
the Javanese version of the Kauravas
Korraval Hindu
[Katukilal.Korrawi]
a Tamil war-goddess
wife of Silappadikaram
mother of Seyon
Korrawi (see Korraval)
korrigan (see corrigan)
korriganed (see corrigan)
Korshid Persian
the modern version of the old sun-
god, Hvarekhshaeta
Korubantes (see Corybantes)
korupira (see urupira)
korwar East Indian
a wooden image of an ancestor, used
as an oracle
Korybantes (see Corybantes)
Koryphasia (see Athena)

Korythalia Greek
a name of Artemis as ‘laurel maiden’
Kosa (see Tripitaka
2
)
Kosankiya North American
in the lore of the Sioux
a dark planet or one of the 7
forms of mankind developed
from We-Ota-Winchasha
Kosar (see Kothar)
Kosensei Japanese
[Gama-Sennin.Sage of the Toad]
Kosensei
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koyemshi
a sennin who could turn himself into a
reptile or a young man
In some accounts, he owned a magic
toad.
Koshare North American
[Delight Makers.Kashale.Kashare.
Koshari.Kossa]
the first men, according to the Keres
and Tewa Indians
These beings were made from the skin
of a goddess. In other versions they are
the sacred clowns. (see also Kurema)
Koshari (see Koshare)

Kosharot Hebrew
[=Canaanite Sasuratum]
a midwife-goddess
Koshchay Bessmertny Russian
[Koshchei.Old Bones.The Immortal]
a storm ogre
He was said to carry off young maidens.
It was said that he was virtually
immortal and could be killed only if a
hero would throw a magic egg at him.
Koshchei (see Koshchay Bessmertny)
Koshi (see Yamato-no-Orochi)
Koshin
1
Japanese
a god of roads
On the fifty-seventh day of the sixty-
day cycle, monkey-day, the three
worms which live in all people ascend
to heaven when the individual is
asleep, to report on that person’s
behaviour. On this day, Koshin acts as
guardian to the individual.
(see also Sanshi-taisho)
Koshin
2
Japanese
a name for the Three Mystic Apes
koshpik South American
spirits of the dead, in the lore of the

Yaghan of Tierra del Fuego
Kosla-kuguza Baltic
a guardian deity of the forests
husband of Kosla-kuva
Kosla-kuva Baltic
wife of Kosla-kuguza
Koso Chinese
an emperor of China
husband of Kohaku Jo
Kosodate-Jizo Japanese
an aspect of Jizo as bearer of children
Kosodot South American
a little man who taught the Chaco
to hunt
husband of Kopilitara
Kossa (see Koshare)
Kostey Slav
an ogre
He cast a spell which put the princess
Sudolisa into a long sleep from which
she was rescued by the prince Junak.
kosti (see sacred thread
2
)
Kotan-shorai Japanese
[Kyotan]
a wealthy man
brother of Sennin-shorai
He refused to give shelter from a storm
to Susanowa, who was dressed in rags as

Buto, so the god cut him into five pieces
and offered them in sacrifice.
Kotar (see Kothar)
Kotari Hindu
a name for Devi, Kali and Uma
as ‘naked’
Kothar Canaanite
[Chusor.Divine Artificer.Kathar-Wa-
Hassis.Kautar.Kothar-u-Khasis.Hayyin.
Kosar.Kotar]
the god of smiths
He made the wonderful bow for Aqhat
and built Baal’s palace. He also made
Baal’s maces, Ayamur and Yagrush.
In some accounts, there were two
such craftsmen, Kothar-u-Khasis.
(see also Kusor)
Kothar-u-Khasis (see Kothar)
Kothluwalawa North American
a celestial palace, in the lore of the
Zuni, mountain home of the gods
This palace is a council chamber of the
gods and a temporary abode for the
spirits of the dead. It also contains the
dance-house of the gods.
Koti North American
a frog-spirit of the Creek Indians
Kotikili North American
Zuni priests who take on the role of
a Kachina

Kotisri Buddhist
a mother-goddess
Koto-shiro-nushi Japanese
[Sign Master.Yae-koto-shiro-nushi]
a Shinto god of fortune
one of the Eight Imperial Deities
son of Susanowa
son of Okuni-nushi, some say
In some accounts he is identified
with Ebisu.
Kotoamatsukami
(see Separate Heavenly Deities)
Kotodama Japanese
a spirit inherent in words
Kotre Baltic
[More]
a Lithuanian fertility-spirit
Kottche Australian
[Cuchi]
a demon in the form of a bird or
a snake
He goes about at night causing
illness. His voice is the thunder, his
breath the whirlwind.
Kottos (see Cottus)
Kotutto (see Cotytto)
Kotys (see Cotytto)
Kotytto (see Cotytto)
Kou-mang Chinese
a messenger of the sky-god

He is said to bring good fortune and is
associated with springtime and the
eastern region. (see also Ju Shou)
Kouantun Chinese
a sacred mountain at the centre of
the world
Koulash Serbian
a horse of Petroshin Voinovitch
This animal was ridden by Milosh the
Shepherd at the wedding of Doushan.
Three others in the procession tried to
steal Koulash but Milosh defeated
them all.
Koupai South American
evil spirits in the lore of Peru
Koura-abi Pacific Islands
[Kourabi]
a Beru warrior who invaded the
Gilbert Islands
He was the man who broke the sacred
tree, Kai-n-tiku-aba.
Kourabi (see Koura-abi)
Koure (see Core)
Kouretes (see Curetes)
Kourotrophos Greek
[Karpophoros]
Hera as the goddess of
wet-nurses
kov-ava Russian
[=Cheremis teleze-awa]

a Mordvin tutelary spirit, guardian
of the moon
Kovero Cambodian
[=Buddhist Kubera:=Hindu Vaishravana]
a Lukabal
ruler of the north
ruler of the yeaks
In some versions, this role is played
by Peysrap.
Kowwituma North American
a Zuni war-god
twin brother of Watsusii
He and his brother found the Corn
Maidens and later persuaded them to
return to the tribe after they fled to
escape Patayami.
Koya-no-Myoin Japanese
a mountain-god
He is depicted as a red-faced hunter,
often accompanied by two hunting
dogs.
koyemshi North American
[mudheads]
Kachinas who act as clowns, wearing
fearsome masks smeared with mud
It is said that the koyemshi were
Koshare
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Koyorowen

originally the offspring of Komokyatsiky
who slept with her brother and woke
up an old woman.
Koyorowen Australian
[Yaho]
a cannabalistic monster
husband of Kurriwilban
He lives on mountain tops and kills
women while his wife kills men. Her
feet point to the rear.
Koyote (see Coyote)
Koyuri Japanese
son of Yurine
Wandering in search of sake for his
dying father, he came upon two Shojo
who gave him some of their sacred
white sake which restored Yurine’s
youth and vigour. A neighbour,
Mamikiko, demanded some of the sake
but, because he was a greedy man,
found the drink so unpleasant that he
spit it out. Koyuri took him to the
Shojo who cured him of his greediness
and selfishness and he was then able to
enjoy the sake.
Kozma Slav
the goat personified
kra
1
South American

[=Ashanti okra]
the soul, in the lore of some black
tribes of the north
kra
2
(see akra)
krabben (see kraken)
Kradoc (see Caradoc)
Krailasa (see Kailasa)
Krakama Norse
the death-song of Sigurd
Krake Norse
[‘crow’]
the name given to Aslaug when she
was working as a slave to the couple
who raised her
kraken Norwegian
[krabben.Sykraken]
a sea-monster which pulled ships to
the sea-bottom
It was said to be one and a half miles
in circumference.
Krakucchanda Buddhist
[=Tibetan Kor-wa-ji]
one of the 7 manushibuddhas
Kralj Matjaz Slovene
[King Mathias]
king of the Slovenes
brother and husband of Alencica
He is said to have rescued Alencica

from the Turks or, in other accounts,
from the underworld.
In death, he is said to be sleeping in
a cave on Mount Petra, awaiting a
call in his country’s hour of need.
When that day arrives, he will emerge
from his cave and hang his shield on
a lime tree which, they say, grew
on Christmas night, flowered at
midnight and then died. It will flower
again only when this hero emerges
from his long sleep.
Krantor (see Crantor)
krasnoludi European
[Hungarian lutki:=Serbian ludki]
dwarfs of the Polish underworld
Kratos (see Cratus)
Kratti Baltic
a Finnish spirit, guardian of property
Kratu Hindu
a sage, one of the Ten Rishis
Krauncha Hindu
one of the 7 island continents
(see also Dvipa)
Kravyad Hindu
the sacrificial fire lit by the gods
Kravyad is envisaged as a terrible
goblin which consumes human flesh.
Kreimhild (see Krimhild)
Kremara Polish

a god of pigs
He protected pigs from birth to death,
taking over from Priparchis who
ensured that they were safely born.
Krenouchos Greek
a name for Poseidon as god of
fresh water
Kreon (see Creon)
Kreos (see Crius)
Kresna East Indian
the Javanese version of Krishna
brother of Baladewa and Subadra
Kresna Dwipayana (see Abiasa)
Kresnik Slav
[K(a)rsnik].
a Slovene culture-hero
a god of agriculture and cattle
son of Svarog, some say
He slew many monsters and was given
the role of king of the Slovenes by
Svarog. He was succeeded in this role
by Kralj Matjaz.
In some accounts Kresnik is a good
spirit guarding the family from the
vil Vlkodlak.
Kreutzneald, F R Baltic
the Estonian compiler of the epic
Kalevipoea, published 1857–61
Kriemhild (see Krimhild)
kriksy (see nocnitsa)

Krimen South American
a survivor of the flood in the lore
of the Tupi
He and his brothers Coem and
Hermitten saved themselves by climbing
trees or hiding in caves.
Krimhild German
[Chreimhild.Grimhild.Kreimhild.
Kriemhild.Krimhilt:=Norse Gudrun]
a princess of Burgundy
daughter of Dankrat and Ute
sister of Gernot, Giselher and Gunther
wife of Siegfried
mother of Gunther
mother of Hagen by Alberich, some say
She is the Nibelungenlied version
of Grimhild.
She fell in love with Siegfried when
he came to the court of her brother,
Gunther, to help him defeat the
invading armies of Ludegar the Saxon
and Ludegast of Denmark. When
Gunther married Brunhild, Krimhild
married Siegfried and later Gunther
invited the young couple to his court
where the two ladies had a furious
quarrel. Krimhild foolishly told
Hagen, who was angry at the perceived
insult to Brunhild, that the only
vulnerable spot on Siegfried’s body

was just between his shoulder-blades
and, when Siegfried made a further
visit to the court to help Gunther repel
a purported invasion, he was killed by
Hagen who speared him in the back.
When the dead body of Siegfried
bled where Hagen touched it at the
funeral, she knew that he was her
husband’s murderer and plotted
revenge. She persuaded Gunther to
claim the Nibelung treasure that
Siegfried had won when he killed the
dragon Fafnir, but the hoard was
seized by Hagen who sank it in the
Rhine for safety.
Krimhild later married Etzel, king
of the Huns, and bore a son, Ortlieb,
but kept alive her loathing for Hagen.
She persuaded Etzel to invite Gunther
and his nobles to his court and then
bribed Brodelin, Etzel’s brother, to kill
all the Burgundians. When the first
attack left some of the visitors alive,
she burned down the hall where they
still held out. She forced Rudiger to
attack them and many were
slaughtered on each side, including
Gernot and Rudiger. In the end, only
Gunther and Hagen remained alive
and they were captured. She had

Gunther beheaded and used his
severed head to try to force Hagen to
disclose where in the Rhine he had
hidden the Nibelung treasure. When
he refused, she killed him. Her wanton
cruelty so enraged Hildebrand who
was present at the murder that he drew
Krimhild
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Krttikas
his sword and killed her.
In Thidrekssaga, it was Thidrek
(Dietrich von Bern) who killed her by
cutting her in half with his sword.
(see also Grimhild)
Krimhilt (see Krimhild)
Krimibhoja Hindu
a realm of hell
This region is reserved for the selfish
who are turned into worms which eat
one another.
kriobolion (see criobolium)
kriocamp (see criocamp)
kriosphinx (see criosphinx)
Krios (see Crius)
Kripa Hindu
wife of Drona
mother of Ashvatthaman
Krisa Greek

a shore on which Apollo brought
Cretan sailors to safety
In honour of the god, his chief shrine
was established here.
Krishna Hindu
[Bhagavan.Damodara.Dark One.Gopal(a).
Gopinath.Govinda.Hari Krishna.
Kaliyadamana.Kannan.Kistna.Kr(i)sna.
Kristna.Madhava.Marishiten.Mathuranath
Narayana.‘puller’.Punyasloka.
Vasudeva:=East Indies K(r)esna:
=Greek Heracles:=Malay Kesna:
=Tamil Mayon]
earth-god and preserver
an incarnation of Vishnu – the eighth
son of Vasudeva and Devaki
brother of Jara, some say
husband of Rukmini, an incarnation of
Lakshmi, and many others
father of Samba and Charumati
father of Bhadracharu and Pradyumna
by Rukmini
He was born from a black hair of
Vishnu with a mission to destroy the
evil tyrant Kansa. When Kansa
ordered the slaughter of all new-born
males, Krishna escaped by being
secretly hidden with the cowherds,
Nanda and Yasoda.
He was constantly harried by

demons sent by Kansa but overcame
them all. He and his half-brother
Balarama did battle with Kansa and
killed not only him and his eight
brothers but the huge wrestler
Chanura, the demons Arishta and
Keshin, the wind-demon Trinavarta,
Sakta-Sura who tried to crush him, the
demoness Putana who tried to poison
him with milk from her breasts, the
cow-demon Vatsasura, the huge raven
Bakasura, Ugrasura the snake-demon
who swallowed him whole, the demon
Dhenuka as a huge donkey and
Kuvalayapida, the elephant posted to
kill them. He also subdued the snake-
demon Kaliya. On one occasion, a fire-
demon started a forest fire that
surrounded Krishna and some of his
friends. The god merely swallowed the
flames. Other demons killed by
Krishna include Jarasandha, Kalayavana
and Shankha-Sura.
In the battle between the Pandavas
and the Kauravas he acted as
charioteer to Prince Arjuna.
When Indra sent a flood, Krishna
used Mount Govardhana as a canopy
to save the people and their cattle
and he rescued his grandson,

Aniruddha, when he was seized by the
demon, Bana.
He was said to have had affairs with,
or married, over 16,000 women but his
greatest love was the shepherdess
Radha and, later, his wife Rukmini.
Some of his other wives were
Jambavati, Kalindi and Satyabhama.
When he was accidentally wounded
in the only vulnerable part of his body,
his heel, by an arrow fired by his
brother Jara the Hunter, he died and
returned to heaven.
He is sometimes envisaged as the
personification of the universe with his
navel encompassing the heavens in
which his chest represents the stars.
It is said that he had 16,000 wives.
(see also Jagannath)
Krishna Dvaipayana (see Vyasa)
Krishna Janamashtama Hindu
Krishna’s birthday: a feast to celebrate
Krishna’s birth in 3,227 BC
(see also Krishna Jayanti)
Krishna Jayanti Hindu
a festival honouring Krishna, Aug/Sep
(see also Krishna Janamashtama)
Krishnaa (see Draupadi)
Krishnachari Buddhist
a disciple of the Buddha who

converted a number of Lamaist
sorcerers
(see also Kukkuri)
Krisky Russian
a hag of the night who harries
children
Krisna (see Krishna)
Kristna (see Krishna)
krita-yuga Hindu
[Brahma-yuga.kritayuga.satya-yuga]
the first age of the world
This was the golden age in which all
men were virtuous. The destruction of
the present age by Kalki will herald a
new age. (see also yuga)
Kritanta Hindu
fate personified: a name of Yama as
‘the one who finishes’
Kritarajasa East Indian
a king
husband of Rukmini and Satya-bhama
He was sometimes identified with
Harihara.
kritayuga (see krita-yuga)
Krittikas Hindu
[Krttikas]
the Pleiades
They were said to have suckled the
infant Skanda and, because each of
them wanted the child, he developed

six faces.
Kriya Sakti Hindu
a manifestation of space and time
Krodha Hindu
[‘anger’]
daughter of Daksha
wife of Kasyapa
She was opposed by Maheshvari, one
of the Matrikas and is regarded as the
progenitor of all birds and animals that
have sharp teeth or beaks.
Khrodadevatas Buddhist
a group of fearsome gods
These beings are depicted as red or
black, with three eyes and with skulls
and snakes adorning their bodies.
Krohn, Julius Baltic
(1835–1888)
the Finnish author of works on folklore
and mythology, especially on the
Kalevala
Krohn, Kaarle Baltic
(1863–1933)
a Finnish scholar who wrote extensively
on folklore and mythology
kromanti South American
[k’omanti]
in Surinam, a force said to make warriors
invulnerable to bullets and swords
Kronia Greek

a festival in honour of Cronus
Kronos (see Cronus)
Kronus (see Cronus)
Krsanu Hindu
an archer
He shot Gayatri (or Garuda) when the
latter stole the soma.
(see also Gandharva)
Krsaspa (see Keresaspa)
Krsna (see Krishna)
Krsnik (see Kresnik)
Krsodari Hindu
a form of Camunda representing famine
Krttikas (see Krittikas)
Krimhilt
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kru
kru Cambodian
a shaman
This type of shaman is said to be
able to exorcise the demons that cause
illness.
k’rubh (see cherub)
Krut (see Khrut)
Kruth Cambodian
[=Hindu Garuda:=Thai Khrut]
a fabulous bird
Kruthreach Cambodian
king of the garudas

kruvnik (see upir)
Ksama Hindu
a minor goddess
an aspect of Lakshmi as an
earth-goddess
daughter of Daksha
Ksantiparamita (see Kshanti)
Ksetrapala Hindu
a form of Bhairava as god of
doors
Ksetrasya Hindu
a field god
Kshanti Buddhist
[Kshantiparamita]
one of the 12 Paramita goddesses,
patience personified
Kshantiparamita (see Kshanti)
Kshathra Varya Persian
[‘chosen’.’dominion’.Khshatthra
Vairya.Shahrevar.Shathra.Shihri-var]
one of the 7 Amesha Spentas
an aspect of Ahura Mazda as ‘the
desired kingdom’
guardian of metals
He is assisted in his work by Aniran,
Asman and Mithra and is opposed by
the demon Saura.
Kshetia Buddhist
a heaven reserved for past Buddhas
(see Pure Land)

Ksirabdhitanya (see Lakshmi)
Kshitigarbha
1
Buddhist
[Ksitigarbha.=Chinese Ti-ts’ang:
=Japanese Jizo:=Tibetan Sahi snin-po.
Sai nying-po]
an Indian bodhisattva
He tours the underworld bringing
comfort to condemned souls.
Kshitigarbha
2
Hindu
[=Japanese Jizo]
a guardian deity of children and
travellers
Kshumai Afghan
a Kafir fertility-goddess
She appears in the form of a goat and is
regarded as the mother or grandmother
of Mon.
Ksitigarbha (see Kshisitigarbha)
kteis (see cteis)
Ktesios Greek
a name for Zeus as the guardian
of storerooms
Ku
1
Chinese
a provincial governor

He explored a pothole and claimed to
have found the site of hell from
which the cries of the damned could
be heard.
Ku
2
Pacific Islands
[Ku-Ka-Pau.Ku-Kau-Akahi.
Ku-matuenga:Kumatauenga:
=New Zealand Tu:=Tahitian Oro]
an ancestral god of Hawaii, a war-god
and god of agriculture
He helped Kane or Tane and Lono to
make the world and mankind.
Ku
3
Pacific Islands
a monster in the form of a
huge dog
He could turn himself into a man
whenever he wished. In the guise of a
small dog, he formed an attachment to
Na-pihe-nui, the daughter of a chief
but ran off when her father tried to kill
him. He then changed into a
handsome prince to woo the maiden
but her father refused to sanction the
marriage. He next turned himself into
a huge fierce dog and ate many of the
chief’s tribesmen. The warriors of the

tribe finally killed him and cut him in
half. Each half was turned into a large
stone by the priests.
K’u
4
Chinese
one of the Five Emperors
Ku
5
(see Kun)
K’u-ch’u ch’iao Chinese
[Bridge of Pain]
a bridge in the underworld
Souls who are to be reborn cross this
bridge after receiving a drink of Mi
Hung Tang from Lady Meng and are
thrown off into the river which will
carry them to their new life.
Ku-e-hiko Japanese
a lame deity
Ku-Ka-Pau Pacific Islands
a name for Ku as ‘constructor’
Ku-Kau-Akahi Pacific Islands
a name for Ku as ‘master of the
universe’
Ku-matuenga (see Ku
1
)
Ku-nga-gyal-po
(see Mahapancharaja)

Ku Shen Chinese
spirits which live in the void from
which the universe emerged
Ku-t’em-ba (see Lha-K’a)
Ku t’ung Ching Chinese
[Old Brass Mirror]
a mirror said to cure madness induced
by a demon
Ku-yu North American
a deified culture-hero of the Mohave
brother of Cathena
He was envisaged in the shape of a shark.
Kua Fu Chinese
a primaeval giant
He died from exhaustion after chasing
the sun in a vain effort to capture it.
His body turned into a mountain and
his stick became the tree which
produces the peaches of immortality.
kuala Russian
[=Cherimissian kudo]
a Votyak shrine to an ancestral
god or house-spirit
kuan (see Kw’en)
Kuan Di Buddhist
a dragon-god in Cambodia and
Vietnam, architect of the universe
Kuan Hsing Chinese
[Star of Officials]
an alternative name for the

Star of Dignities
Kuan Lo Chinese
a physician who advised Chao Yen
Kuan Kung (see Kuan Ti)
Kuan Shih-jen Chinese
a 12th C minister of the imperial court
It was said that, as a young man, he
met a band of demons whose function
it was, at the beginning of each year, to
spread diseases. He and his family,
being virtuous, were not affected.
Kuan-shih-yin (see Kuan Yin)
Kuan Ti Chinese
[Chang.Emperor Kuan.Fo-mo Ta Ti.
Kuan Kung.Kuan Yü.P’u-sa Kuan.
Wu-an Wang.Wu Ti
]
(162–220)
a Confucian god of war
a god of wealth, in some accounts
His original name was Chang, a 2nd-
3rd C bean-curd seller, who became a
soldier, rising to the rank of general.
He was deified after being taken
prisoner and executed. He is one of the
three bean-curd gods; the others are
Chiao Kuan and Huai-nan-tzu.
He is represented as a giant, nine
feet tall, with a long beard and red eyes,
and is regarded as the patron of sellers

of bean-curd and of hotel keepers.
Kuan Yin Chinese
[Goddess of the Southern Sea.
Kuan-shih-yin.Miao Shan.Sung-tzu
Kuan-yin:=Buddhist Avalokiteshvara:
=Hindu Vishnu:
=Japanese K(w)annon:
=Sanskrit Padmapani:=Taoist Tou Mu]
Kuan Yin
EABC8972-576D-4878-8C33-C9EBD9D6F5A9
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kuei
1
a Buddhist mother-goddess, goddess
of mercy, the North Star, seamen,
women and children
daughter of Chong Wang
In one version Kuan Yin was a male
derived from Avalokiteshvara; in
another she was a mortal princess,
Maio Shan, who strangled herself but
was revivified by Buddha who put her
on an island where she stayed for nine
years before she became a deity. Some
say that she died as a result of
sacrificing her hands and her eyes to
save the life of her father.
Another story says that her father
sentenced her to death when she
refused to marry but, when the

executioner brought down the sword,
it broke, leaving her unharmed. He
later had her smothered and she went
to hell which was transformed by her
presence into a paradise. This did not
suit Yama, the ruler of that gloomy
place, so he returned her to life.
In some accounts, she was with
Tripitaka when he brought the
Buddhist culture to China and she
released Sun Hou-tzu when Buddha
imprisoned him in a mountain.
She is depicted sometimes with many
heads and arms, sometimes riding the
mythical Hou, a form of lion.
(see also Miao Shan.Tara
1
)
Kuan Yü (see Kuan-ti)
Kuang Ch’eng-tsu Chinese
a war-god, ruler of evil spirits
Kuang-hsieh Chinese
a sacred mountain, the realm
of Yin-chieh-t’o
Kuang-jun (see Ao Jun)
Kuang-li (see Ao Ch’in)
Kuang Mu Chinese
[=Hindu Virupaksha:=Japanese Zocho:
=Taoist Mo-li Hai]
a guardian spirit of the west and autumn

Kuang-she (see Ao Shun)
Kuang-te (see Ao Kuang)
Kuat South American
sun-god of the Mamaiuran Indians
of Brazil
twin brother of Iae
Having no light of his own at the
beginning, Kuat and his brother Iae
captured Urubutsin, king of the
vultures, whose wings blocked out the
light of the sky, and released him only
after the gift of light had been handed
over. They then took to the sky, Kuat
becoming the sun, Iae the moon.
Kubaba Mesopotamian
[Gubaba.Kupapa:=Hurrian Sauska:
=Phrygian Cybele]
a Syrian mother-goddess
Kubai-Khotim (see Ajysyt)
Kubaiko Russian
a Tartar heroine
sister of Komdei-Mirgan
The monster Yebegen cut off her
brother’s head and she went down to
the underworld to plead with the ruler,
Erlik Khan, for its return. He set her a
number of tasks and, when she
successfully completed them all, he
gave her the head and some water of
life.

Kube African
a name of Mulungu as ‘all-embracing’
Kubebe (see Dionysus)
Kubele (see Cybele)
Kubera
1
Buddhist
[Dhana-Pati.K(a)uvera:=Hindu
Vaishravana:=Indonesian Kuwera:
=Japanese Bishamon.Kompira:
=Thai Kupera:=Tibetan Rnam-thos-sras]
god of wealth
one of the 8 dharmapalas
son of Vishravas and Idavida
He was a Hindu god adopted into the
Buddhist pantheon as the bodyguard
of Buddha. (see also Kubera
2
)
(see Sudurmukha)
Kubera
2
Hindu
[Dhana-pati.Dhanada.K(a)uvera.
Kumbhakharna.Nara-raja.Ratnagarbha.
Vaishravana.Vibishana.Yaksha]
a god of the dead and god of wealth
king of Alaka
son of Vishravas and Idavida
half-brother of Ravana

one of the Dikpalas, some say
husband of Rambha, Riddhi or Yakshi
father of Minakshi
Born to the deserted wife of an artisan,
the boy, Duhsaha, became a wicked
youth who set out to rob a temple of
Shiva. When his own lamp failed he lit
ten others, so doing honour to the
god. He was killed by a temple guard
but was granted rebirth for the lamp
episode. Reborn as the evil king
Sudurmukha, he still looked after the
lamps and was again allowed to be
reborn when he was killed by
enemies. This time he was Kubera
and the guardian of the northern
quarter of the world, riding in his
flying chariot, Pushpaka.
He was deposed by Ravana and
helped Rama in his battle against the
demon usurper. For his help, Rama
gave him control of all the precious
metals and gems.
He is depicted as a fat dwarf with
three legs and one eye in the centre of
his forehead, all covered in gold.
(see also Kubera
1
Sudurmukha.Yaksha
2

)
Kubira (see Kompira)
Kubjika Hindu
a goddess of writing
a consort of Ganesa
Kubuddhi Hindu
a goddess
a consort of Ganesa
Kucedre (see Kulshedra)
kuchi African
in the lore of the Nupe, a spiritual
force
Kucumatz (see Kukumatz)
Kud Korean
evil personified
kud-ava Russian
[jurt-ava.kud-azerava]
a Mordvin tutelary spirit, guardian of
the home
kud-azerava (see kud-ava)
Kuda Hebrew
a demon of disorder
This being is said to attack women
in labour.
Kudai Siberian
[Bai-Ulgon.Bai-Ylgon.Kudai Bai-Ulgon]
the supreme god of the Tartars
father of Kara-khan, Pyrehak-khan,
Tos-khan and Suilap
He lives on a golden mountain in the

sixteenth heaven and receives sacrifices
of white horses.
In some accounts, Kudai refers to
the seven sons of the supreme god.
Kudai-Bakshy Siberian
the Yakut guardian god of blacksmiths
Kudai-jajutshi Siberian
an Altaic star-god
Kudari-ryo Japanese
a celestial dragon
kude-wodez Russian
an evil house-spirit
Kudippe (see Cydippe)
Kudo-no-kami (see Oki-Tsu-Hiko)
kudoa Russian
[=Voytak kuala]
a Cherimissian shrine to an ancestral
god or house-spirit
Kudrun (see Gudrun)
kuei
1
Chinese
[hsien:=Hindu preta]
a wandering demon who has lost the
chance of reincarnation: a spirit of
the dead: a natural force: a
benevolent dragon
Some say that these demons, the souls
of suicides or of those drowned, have
Kuan Yü

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kuei
2
black or green faces.
Another version has kuei as an
animal with only one eye. One story
says that the Yellow Emperor killed it
and made a drum from its skin.
In another account, kuei-lung is an
animal with one leg, a voice like
thunder and which shines like the sun,
living in the east. It causes storms
when it enters the water and is
identified by some as the crocodile.
kuei
2
Chinese
a ceremonial tablet carried by the
Jade Emperor
Kuei Chü-ching Chinese
a 14th C writer
He compiled The Twenty-four Examples
of Filial Piety.
K’uei Hsing (see Chung-k’uei)
Kuei Ku-tzu Chinese
a god of fortune-tellers
kuei-lung (see kuei
1
)

Kuei Shen Chinese
[Black Tortoise.Sombre Warrior]
the tortoise, chief of all the shell
animals
one of the Four Auspicious Animals
guardian of the north and of water
(see tortoise
2
)
Kuei-tzu-mu Chinese
[Mother of Demons:=Buddhist Hariti]
the Chinese version of the female
demon Hariti (see also Huo-li-to)
K’uei Yü-chen T’ien-tsun Chinese
in some accounts, a future deity of the
San Ch’ing
Kuen Luen (see K’un Lun)
Kuge Japanese
people claiming to be descendants of
gods and emperors
Kugo-jen Russian
an evil spirit
This being is said to require sacrifices
to be made to him to persuade him to
cure illness.
Kugo-jumo Russian
a supreme god of the Cheremis
He is envisaged as a manlike being,
carrying on many of the earthly practices
such as bee-keeping and agriculture.

Kugu-shotshen-Ara
(see Kildisin-mumy)
Kuhu Hindu
a goddess of the new moon
Kui
1
New Zealand
a Maori demon
This being takes the form of a blind
female cannibal.
Kui
2
Pacific Islands
a Polynesian earth-god
father of Ina
Kui-gyal-po (see sKui-rgyal-po)
Kuiamo (see Kwoiam)
Kuichi Heizayemon Japanese
a servant
He was carried off by a tengu and
forced to climb the roof of a temple
where he was placed on a tray which
carried him on a journey that seemed
to last for several days. When he
prayed to the Buddha, he came to and
found himself on what he thought was
a mountain-top but which was only
the roof of the temple where he was
found.
Kuila-moku Pacific Islands

a god of medicine in Hawaii
Kuinyo Australian
an evil-smelling spirit, the
personification of death
Kujaku-myoo Japanese
[=Buddhist Mahamayuri]
a bodhisattva
This guardian god is sometimes
regarded as an aspect of Shakyamuni
and is depicted riding on a peacock.
Kujo
1
(see Kiyo)
kujo
2
Japanese
a Shinto priest of medium rank
Kuju Siberian
a sky-spirit providing food for man
Kuk (see Kekui)
Kukai Japanese
the original name of the saint,
Kobo Daishi
Kukitat North American
a mischief-making deity of the
Servano people
brother of Pakrokitat
He was born from the left shoulder of
the creator, Pakrokitat, and so upset
him with his demands that people

should have webbed feet, eyes in the
back of their heads and suchlike
ridiculous ideas that Pakrokitat
departed to the Otherworld and left his
brother in charge.
He turned out to be such a
troublemaker that the people decided
to get rid of him. This they achieved
when a frog hid itself in the ocean and
swallowed his excrement.
Kukkuri Tibetan
a disciple of the Buddha who
converted a number of Lamaist
sorcerers
(see also Krishnachari)
Kuknos (see Cycnus)
Kuksu
1
North American
the first man in the lore of the
Maidu Indians
husband of Laidamlulum-kule
Kuksu
2
North American
a creator-god of the
Pomo Indians
brother of Marumda
He and his brother attempted to
destroy the world by fire and flood.

Kuku-Lau Pacific Islands
a sea-goddess
She causes mirages to delude sailors.
Kuku-no-shi Japanese
[Kukunochi]
a god of the trees
son of Izanagi and Izanami
In another version, one of the deities
formed when Toyo-uke-hime separated.
The other deity formed at this time
was Rayanu-hime.
Kuku-Toshi-No-Kami Japanese
a rice-god
Kukucan (see Kukulcan)
Kukudhi (see Kukuth)
Kukul Malay
a king
The Seven Sages at his court each
owned one of the Seven Precious
Stones with which they could predict
the outcome of the king’s battles.
Kukulcan Central American
[Cocolcan.Cucukcan.Kukucan.
Kukulkan:=Aztec Quetzalcoatl:
=Mayan Yum Caax]
a sun-god and wind-god of the
Maya and Toltecs
In some accounts he is a king who was
deified and called Cezalcouatl.
It is said that he sometimes comes to

earth and can be seen planting maize
or fishing from his canoe.
He is depicted as a plumed serpent
or with a long nose and serpent fangs.
His symbols are a fish, maize, a lizard,
torch and vulture.
Kukulkan (see Kukulcan)
Kukumatz North American
[Hokomata.Kucumatz:
=Mayan Gucamatz]
the creator-god of the Mohave
Indians
twin brother of Tochipa
In some accounts it was he who caused
the flood.
(see also Ah Kin.Gucumatz)
Kukunochi (see Kuku-no-shi)
Kukuri Japanese
a god of the underworld
Kukuth Balkan
[Kukudhi]
an Albanian female demon causing
sickness
kukwanebu East Indian
fairy stories in Papua New Guinea
kukwanebu
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Kumbhakharna
Kul Baltic

[Vasa:=Finnish Vedenhaltija:=Russian
Vodyanoi]
a Lappish evil water-spirit part human,
part fish
He is in conflict with the sky-god Jen.
In some accounts, this being is
female and was said to lure men into
the water and drown them.
(see also Cacce-haldde)
Kul-jungk (see Jengk-Tongk)
Kula Hindu
[male=akula]
in Tantric lore, divine power: the
female aspect of the Absolute
Kuladevata Hindu
gods of the household
Each family chooses one god to be the
guardian of the household.
Kuladevi Hindu
goddesses of the household
Each family chooses one goddess to be
the guardian of the household.
Kulakaras Jain
the early givers of law (see Nabhi)
Kulhwch (see Culhwch)
Kulika Hindu
a snake-god
one of 7 mahanagas
Kulili Mesopotamian
[Kulilu]

a monster fighting with Tiamat
against Marduk
Kulilu (see Kulili)
Kulimina South American
the creator of women in the lore of
the Arawak Indians
(see also Kururumany)
Kuling Australian
the Milky Way, home of the
thunder-god, Kohin
Kulisankusa Jain
a goddess of learning
one of the 16 vidyadevi
Kulisesvari Buddhist
a goddess
Kulitta (see Kulittas)
Kulittas Mesopotamian
[Kulitta]
a Hurrian goddess attendant on
Shaushkas or, in the Sumerian
version, on Ishtar
Kulla Mesopotamian
the Sumerian god of bricks and
tools
Kullervo Finnish
[=Estonian Kallevipoeg]
a hero whose exploits appear in the
epic Kalevala
son of Kalervo
His uncle, Untamo, killed his own

brother, Kalervo, and gave Kullervo to
Ilmarinen as a slave. He caused the
death of his master’s wife, the maiden
of Pohjola; she had misused him so he
turned her cattle into wild animals
which tore her to pieces. He also raped
his own sister, not knowing who she
was, and the girl drowned herself.
When he returned to his own house,
he found all his family dead so he
killed first Untamo and then himself.
He is depicted as a very strong man
who misused his strength.
Kulshan North American
husband of Clear Sky and
Fair Maiden
His wives quarrelled and Clear Sky
left, setting up her own home far to
the south. Later, Fair Maiden left to
visit her own mother and she and her
children were changed into islands.
Kulshan and his three other children,
always stretching to try to see the
missing women, became mountains
while Clear Sky became Mt Rainier.
(see also Mount Rainier)
Kulsheder Balkan
[female=Kulshedre]
an Albanian male demon
Kulshedra Balkan

[Kucedre:male=Kulsheder]
an Albanian female demon
These beings, which develop from
Bollas, take the form of loathsome
hags or fire-breathing dragons. They
are said to cause drought and demand
human sacrifices.
Kulu (see Gulu.Kidilli)
Kumado Japanese
one of the Michi-No-Kami, 3
guardians of boundaries and roads
kumakanga South American
a werewolf in Brazil
Kumang East Indian
the mother-goddess of Borneo
Kumaphari South American
a cannibal god of the Shipaya tribe
Kumara Hindu
[Kaumara]
an aspect of Kartikkeya or Skanda
In this form, no longer a war-god but
appearing as a handsome youth.
Kumaras Hindu
4 sons of Brahma, some say
These ‘mind-born’ children always
remained boys.
Kumarajiva Buddhist
[=Chinese Chiu-mo-lo-to)
a 5th C Indian sage
one of the Eighteen Lohan, some say

He translated Buddhist texts into
Chinese including the Satyasiddhi
Sastra, on which the Chinese
Satyasiddhi school is based, and the
Madhyamika texts used by the San-
Lun School.
Kumarbi Mesopotamian
[Kumarbis:=Sumerian Enlil]
the supreme god of the Hurrians,
creator-god and father of the gods
father of Hedammu and Ullikummi
son of Anu
He castrated his father by biting off his
genitals and then spat out three gods,
Teshub, Tasmisus and the river-god
Aranzakh. He married the daughter of
a sea-god and they produced the
monster Hedammu which came out of
the sea to devour animals and humans.
When he was overthrown by
Teshub, he produced, by impregnating
a stone pillar, the giant, Ullikummi, to
help him but this being was rendered
helpless by Ea. (see also Ellil
2
)
Kumarbis (see Kumarbi)
Kumari
1
Hindu

[Kaumari]
an aspect of Durga as ‘virgin’
a name for Devi
a sakti of Karttikeya or Skanda
one of the 7 mataras
one of the 8 Matrikas
She was opposed to the demon Moha.
Kumari
2
Tibetan
a Lamaist sorcerer
Kumaso Japanese
an outlaw
Prince Yamato came to his camp
disguised as a woman, got Kumaso
drunk and then killed him.
(see also Idzumo Takeru)
Kumatauenga (see Ku
2
)
Kumbha
1
Hindu
one of the signs of the Zodiac,
Aquarius the water-carrier
Kumbha
2
Jain
gods of the underworld
These beings torture the wicked dead

by rubbing chilli powder into wounds
previously inflicted by other gods.
Kumbhakharna Hindu
a demon
son of Vishravas by one of
the rakshasas
half-brother of Kubera, Ravana
and Vibhishana
This monster was said to be over
2,000 miles tall and could eat 5,000
women or 4,000 cows at one meal. He
was awake for only one day in every
six months but was awake long
enough to help Ravana in the battle
Kul
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