While there are tons of Halloween costumes on the market, what if you want to be something completely different from everyone else? Whether you're an avid DIYer or you want to assemble different costume pieces into a Halloween costume of epic proportions, might we suggest looking at mythology? As you'll see here, our ancestors had a wicked sense of creativity. Check out these obscure mythological creatures that we think have some serious Halloween costume potential!
1. Cernunnos
[Source: Wikipedia]
The ancient Celtic god, Cernunnos, is depicted as a man with antlers. He is believed to be benevolent and is associated with nature and its bounty. Cernunnos often wears or holds a torque, neck jewelry linked with gods and heroes in Celtic mythology.
2. Siyokoy
Hailing from the Philippines, these aquatic creatures resemble Universal's Creature from the Black Lagoon. These humanoids have scaly green skin, fins, gills, and webbed limbs. Much like other aquatic mythological creatures, they are believed to drown humans.
3. Ijiraq
These shapeshifters from the Inuit tradition are usually depicted as human and caribou hybrids. However, they can take on whatever form they like but cannot rid themselves of their telltale red eyes. (Spooky!) It is said that the ijiraq may have originally been people who got lost while hunting and now exist between the lands of the dead and the living.
4. Illuanyaka
Are normal dragons too mainstream for you? Consider Illuanyaka, a dragon of Hittite origin. Little is known about this serpentine dragon, other than the fact that the sky god killed it—but it would make a ridiculously cool costume!
5. Hieracosphinx
[Source: Wikipedia]
You're likely familiar with the Great Sphinx of Egypt. However, do you know that there are other sphinxes? The hieracosphinx is one such creature, with the body of a lion and the head of a hawk. This one's easy enough to DIY if you wear a lion costume minus the head, and pair it with a bird mask.
6. Boroboroton
Sometimes, you pick your Halloween costume because it's just as comfy as it is cool. Japan's boroboroton is a tattered sleeping mat that comes to life to haunt its owner. (We guess you could say this is why you should make sure your bedding isn't outdated!) Your costume can be a tattered blanket to represent the sleeping mat, allowing you to stay cozy all Halloween night.
7. Ghillie Dhu
A lone male fairy of Scottish origin, Ghillie Dhu inspired the ghillie suit. He looks like he's clothed in mosses and leaves, with darkly-colored hair. Ghillie Dhu is generally considered a kind fairy, especially to children. However, adults beware should you trespass in his area!
8. Budhi Pallien
This goddess roams the lands of Northern India, often in the shape of a tiger. She can change from a woman to a tiger at will, which is pretty sweet! (And sometimes she's a mixture of both.) Budhi Pallien is specifically the goddess of the jungles and forests and often travels with a tiger companion. Mommy and me costume, anyone?
9. Sarangay
These creatures from the Philippines are very minotaur-adjacent, although they resemble water buffaloes rather than bulls. They are also famous for wearing jewels on their ears. However, no matter how pretty their jewels are, you do not want to steal from a sarangay. They don't treat thieves kindly!
10. Kikimora
[Source: Wikipedia]
Kikimora are female creatures from Slavic lore who reside in peoples' homes. They usually have the facial features of goats, chickens, or dogs, but can also appear as beautiful women or old hags. (There's really no in-between options here!) When houses are in good order, they can help around the house and often take to spinning thread at night. In unkempt homes, they make scary noises and break things.
11. Drangùe
Originating from Albanian mythology, drangùe are human-born, partially mythical beings with wings. Generally male, these angelic-looking humanoids have innate super strength, lightning powers, and the ability to summon meteors. (They're basically ancient superheroes!) Drangùes are destined to fight the kulshedra, a demon of storms and fire, in legendary battles.
12. Iara
Do you love mermaids? Well, then you'll love the iara! The iara is a beautiful mermaid-like creature from Brazilian mythology that looks like a woman with the bottom half of a river dolphin. She often has green-colored hair and lovely copper skin. While some iara were thought to drown men, others lured men to live underwater with them forever, doting on them and caring for their every need.
13. Maquetaurie Guayaba
Hailing from Caribbean mythology, Maquetaurie Guayaba is a god of the dead. He is generally associated with bats, making him the perfect Halloween icon! Not only does Maquetaurie Guayaba watch over the underworld, but he preserves the balance between life and death.
14. Psoglav
If you love scary Halloween costume ideas, look no further than the Psoglav! This bipedal creature had the torso of a man, the legs of a horse, and a wolf or dog head—with iron teeth and one single eye. These Balkan creatures generally live in caves and are very unfriendly to humans.
15. Kinnara/Kinnari
[Source: Wikipedia]
Kinnara (male) or kinnari (female) come from Hindu and Buddhist mythology. These half-bird, half-human beings have the head, torso, and arms of a person while also having bird wings, feet, and tailfeathers. These creatures are believed to be beautiful and well-versed in song and dance, and even poetry!
16. Tzitzimitl
Do you want to spice up your skeleton costume? These Aztec monsters are female skeletons who wear skirts made of shells with skull and crossbones symbols. Their heads are adorned by crowns of paper that fan out in their hair. They are associated with fertility and the stars and are believed to attack the sun whenever there is a solar eclipse.
17. Tenko
Many people are familiar with the famous kitsune, but fewer know about the tenko—a kitsune's celestial form. As kitsune become more powerful, they gain more tails, up to nine. After gaining all nine tails and living for 1000 years, a kitsune becomes a celestial fox, turning white or golden and ascending to the heavens. An epic legendary creature like this would make an equally impressive Halloween costume!
18. Abada
Originating from Central Africa, the abada is essentially an African unicorn. Unlike its European cousin, the abada has two horns and a boar-like tail. It is also said that the horns of an abada can be used as an antidote to poison. There is some speculation that the abada originated as a misidentified antelope, but that's just how legends are made!
19. Langsuyar
Everyone loves to wear vampire costumes for Halloween, but have you considered a vampire from Malaysia? The Langsuyar is a vampire-like creature resulting from a woman who died while pregnant or in childbirth. She wears green robes and has extremely long black hair that reaches the floor. (Think Samara from The Ring, but longer!) They also have incredibly long nails for that extra-creepy effect.
20. Nuckelavee
[Source: Wikipedia]
The Orcadian nuckelavee would be perfect as one of those ride-in costumes where you wear a stuffed or inflatable costume piece around your waist! The nuckelavee looks like a skinless horse where you can see the muscular structure, with an equally skinless top half of a human rider growing out of its back. The visibly yellow veins are coursing with black-colored blood, and the horse head has a single eye in the center that appears to be burning with fire. If this isn't nightmare fuel enough for Halloween, we don't know what else would be!
21. Uktena
Horned serpents come from multiple cultures across North America, one of which is the uktena. The uktena is described as a giant serpent with horns and a diamond-shaped crest on its forehead. The body has rings of different colors, and the scales glow like sparks. The breath of the uktena is filled with disease, killing anyone who breathes it in. The uktena is nearly invulnerable, so avoiding tangling with one is best!
22. Hulder
These Scandinavian creatures appear to be beautiful women, although they have tails and backs that look to be covered in tree bark. (Usually, the tail looks similar to a cow or a fox tail.) These forest spirits were believed to treat charcoal burners well, often waking them up should their coals get out of hand as they slept. In exchange, coal burners would leave goodies for the hulders. While they would generally conceal their backs and tails, including that in your folklore costume in a fun way is part of the challenge!
23. Bunyip
Australia is already known for its wide array of unique wildlife, so you know they must have some extraordinary mythological creatures! The bunyip originates from Australian Aboriginal mythology as an amphibious hybrid animal. It has a round body like an ox or a hippopotamus, a large head, and a long neck. They were believed to attack and eat people who got close to the water, so they're usually illustrated with lots of razor-sharp teeth!
24. Jarjacha
We love werewolves and other were-creatures, and the jarjacha is somewhat similar to them. These Peruvian creatures have a few different forms depending on the story. It could look like a fox with the head and neck of a llama or a half-human, half-animal hybrid. (Usually a llama!) However, they're nothing like Kuzco from The Emperor's New Groove. (Merely looking one in the eyes will kill you.)
25. Ugallu
[Source: Wikipedia]
One of our oldest mythological creatures on the list, the Ugallu comes from ancient Mesopotamia. This storm demon has the body of a man, with the head of a lion and the feet of an eagle. However, Ugallu is not like the evil demons from other religions—instead, he would intervene in human affairs during a disaster so he might save your life!
Do you feel inspiration for your next Halloween costume? Did you learn something new? What are some of your favorite mythological beings and creatures? Let us know in the comments if you think we should turn these ideas into Halloween costumes!
