Spirit Names and their Origins
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- Verdoknight
- Awakened
Not so long ago, somebody wondered on my newsfeed where the spirit names came from. Being something of a mythology buff and an individual with far too much free time on my hands, I decided to answer that question.
Behold! The spirits in their spirit-iary order, along with the origins of their names!
Note: All information, unless otherwise specified, has been taken from Wikipedia.
Note Secundus: I’m no mythology expert. I dabble. If you think you know better, and can site sources, please let me know, and I’ll fix it. Same with any other kind of errors. Let me know.
Edits - Fazerina provided the name Aarnikotka, and several other Maras. There's a lot of Maras. Thank you Fazerina!
Tiermes – Norse Mythology
The Nordic Sami God of thunder.
Huldra – Scandinavian Folklore
Stunningly beautiful from the front, hollow like an old tree from behind. Has an animal's tail, usually either that of a cow or a fox.
Aarni – Finnish Folklore
Likely a shortening of Aarnikotka, the Finnish word for Griffin. As I'm not sure if the Aarnikotka is any different from the Roman Griffin, I'm leaving it under Finnish Folklore because of the language. Also an avant-garde metal band from Finland.
Jotunn – Norse Mythology
A giant from Jotunheimr. You might know them better as Frost Giants. Often depicted in opposition to the Norse gods.
Eksitaja – Estonian Mythology
Evil spirits that guide people the wrong way in bogs or forests.
Einherjar – Norse Mythology
The warriors who have died in battle and been brought to Valhalla by valkyries. They fight and die and are reborn every day in preparation for Ragnarok.
Hiid – Estonian Mythology
The only thing I could find is a small note in Wikipedia that calls it “a giant.” So we’re gonna go with it’s an Estonian giant.
Ajatar – Finnish Folklore
Spirit known as the Devil of the Woods. Evil female spirit that manifests as a snake or Dragon. Said to be the mother of the devil.
Peikko – Finnish Folklore
A badly google translated Wikipedia page has it that Peikko is a kind of mountain troll. The picture on the page seems to indicate that it either is, or can become a mountain.
Staalo – Finnish Folklore
Not much on this one. One site (thuleia.com) seems to have it that it’s some kind of human shaped supernatural being, often accompanied by a dog.
Vittra - Scandinavian Folklore
A type of invisible wight from Northern Sweden. Mostly they’re distant and don’t bother humans, but if we manage to get them angry, they can be quite fierce.
Fenrir – Norse Mythology
A monstrous wolf and the son of Loki. Foretold to kill Odin during Ragnarok. Not a nice dude.
Valkyrie – Norse Mythology
Member of a host of female supernatural beings who decide who will die in battle. They bring their chosen warriors to Valhalla, where they become einherjar. Valkyries also appear as lovers of heroes on occasion.
Vanr – Norse Mythology
One of the Vanir, a group of Norse gods associated with wisdom, fertility and the ability to see the future.
Baldr’s Bonfire – Norse Mythology
One of the Ӕsir, and a son of Odin. Loki killed Baldr with a spear or arrow made from mistletoe, the only object on earth which had not vowed to hurt him. His body was ceremonially burned on his ship Hringhorni, which is where I suppose the Bonfire part comes from.
Drioma – Slavic Mythology
Spirit of the evening and the night, often a kindly old woman or man.
Domovoi – Slavic Mythology
A house spirit of Slavic folklore. Protects a house from the evil eye. Sometimes described as a small, hairy, old person, other times as a doppelganger of the master of the household, Domovoi are not generally harmful.
Beregenia – Ukranian Folklore(?)
Not sure about this one. I’ve found references to a Beregenia as a protector of Ukraine, but there’s also a central Asian flower genus called Bergenia.
Bagiennik – Slavic Mythology
Water demons, subjects to the lady of the lakes and the shallow streams. Capable of emitting an oily substance from their nostrils, which caused burns but could be used for healing rheumas, deep wounds, indigestion, heart illness, and infertility.
Mara – Germanic Folklore
While there are several Mara in different mythologies around the world, the originator of the word nightmare is most likely the inspiration here. These Mara are spirits or goblins which ride on the chests of sleeping people, producing bad dreams.
Devana – Slavic Mythology
The Slavic equivalent of the Roman goddess Diana.
Vytiaz – Russian
Seems to be a corruption of Vityaz, a Russian term for a valiant warrior who has proven himself in battle.
Skrzak – Slavic Mythology
A small flying imp
Leshii – Slavic Mythology
A male woodland spirit that protects wild animals and forests. Seems to be equivalent to woodwose.
Bogatyr – Russian
A term from an ancient Turkic term for hero or warrior. Similar to a knight errant.
Vodianoi – Slavic Mythology
A male water spirit who seems to exist exclusively to drown swimmers who have angered him. Millers and fisherman are generally safe from his wrath.
Rusalka – Slavic Mythology
Female water based demon or ghost that lives in a waterway. Not always malevolent, but usually a woman who dies before her time.
Ovinnik – Slavic Mythology
Malevolent spirit prone to burning down threshing houses. What a jerk.
Likho – Slavic Mythology
A creature with one eye. The embodiment of evil fate and misfortune.
Inrik – No clue
Rarog – Slavic Mythology
A hawk, falcon, or fiery dwarf who turns himself into a whirlwind.
Cikavac – Slavic Mythology
A winged animal with a long beak and a sack. Bred from an from a black hen carried by a woman under her armpit for 40 days, during which time she could not confess, cut her nails, wash her face, or pray. Anyone wanna test it?
Vesna – Slavic Mythology
Female mythological characters associated with springtime and youth.
Psotnik – Polish Mythology
An elf or mischief maker.
Alkonost – Slavic Mythology
A creature with the body of a bird but the head of a beautiful woman. They make sounds that cause forgetfulness in those that hear them. Sounds like a Siren. Get it? Sounds!
Irod – Romanian Orthodox minstel shows, played in the Christmas Season
That’s all I could find.
Veela – Slavic Mythology
Slavic nymphs who have power over storms. Can appear as swans, horses, wolves, or beautiful women. Say it with me now. They are not from Harry Potter. They are just in Harry Potter.*
Bannik – Slavic Mythology
Bathhouse spirit. Possessed of precognition.
Marzanna – Slavic Mythology
Goddess associated with death, winter, and nightmares. Often burned or drowned in effigy at the end of winter. Yeah. Let’s make her angry. Good idea.
Kikimora – Slavic Mythology
A female house spirit, sometimes said to be married to the Domovoi. She lives behind stoves or in cellars. Not always malevolent, but not always nice either.
Samodiva – Slavic Mythology
Woodland fairies with the appearance of ethereal maidens with long loose hair and occasionally wings. They can bring about drought, but they are not inevitably hostile to people.
Zmey – Slavic Mythology
Word used to describe a giant Slavic dragon. They often have heads in multiples of threes. Usually bad guys.
Koschei – Slavic Mythology
Properly titled Koschei the Deathless, usually an antagonist who kidnaps a hero’s wife. He cannot die, because his soul is hidden inside a needle, which is in an egg, which is inside a duck, which is inside a hare, which is inside an iron chest, buried under a green oak tree on the island of Buyan in the middle of the ocean. Safe enough? Probably not.
Dannan – Celtic Mythology
A corrupted spelling of Danann. Refers to the Tuatha Dé Danann, a race of people who were the fifth group to settle Ireland, conquering the land from the Fir Bolg.
Kelpie – Celtic Mythology
Supernatural water horse that haunts the rivers and lochs of Scotland and Ireland. A shapeshifter, the Kelpie often lures people under the water to drown them.
Ellylldan – Celtic Mythology
A Welsh spirit similar to the English Will o’ the Wisp, it lures travelers off their paths in boggy areas. (Information from mysteriousbritain.co.uk)
Urisk – Celtic Mythology
A brownie of Scotland and England, similar to domovoi. They do household tasks and do not like to be seen.
Bucca – Cornish Folklore
Spirit that inhabits mines and coastal communities as a hobgoblin of storms.
Phouka – Celtic Mythology
A fairy shapeshifter, dark of fur and mischievous. If it can lure a person onto its back, it will give them a wild ride, but cause them no real harm. Associated with Samhain. Also called a Pooka.
Cu Sith – Celtic Mythology
Literally means barrow hound. Often fear as a harbinger of death. Appears to bear away souls to the afterlife.
Korrigan – Celtic Mythology
Sometimes dwarf like creatures, other times siren-like figures that lure men to a watery death.
Far Darrig – Celtic Mythology
A fairy who busies himself with practical joking.
Ellyllon – Celtic Mythology
Pigmy elves that haunt groves and valleys. (Information from sacred-texts.com)
Gwyllgi – Celtic Mythology
Mythical dog from Wales that looks like a mastiff with red eyes.
Nuggie – Celtic Mythology
A water horse similar to the Kelpie. (Information from mythbeasts.com)
Gwyllion – Welsh
A word with a wide range of possible meanings, including ghosts, spirits, and night wanderers up to no good.
Sidhe – Celtic Mythology
A supernatural race of fairies or elves. They live in the fairy mounds, in a parallel universe. Their proper name, aos sí means people of the mounds. And people, it’s pronounced like she.
Theena Shee – Celtic Mythology
Another name for the daoine sidhe.
Behold! The spirits in their spirit-iary order, along with the origins of their names!
Note: All information, unless otherwise specified, has been taken from Wikipedia.
Note Secundus: I’m no mythology expert. I dabble. If you think you know better, and can site sources, please let me know, and I’ll fix it. Same with any other kind of errors. Let me know.
Edits - Fazerina provided the name Aarnikotka, and several other Maras. There's a lot of Maras. Thank you Fazerina!
Tiermes – Norse Mythology
The Nordic Sami God of thunder.
Huldra – Scandinavian Folklore
Stunningly beautiful from the front, hollow like an old tree from behind. Has an animal's tail, usually either that of a cow or a fox.
Aarni – Finnish Folklore
Likely a shortening of Aarnikotka, the Finnish word for Griffin. As I'm not sure if the Aarnikotka is any different from the Roman Griffin, I'm leaving it under Finnish Folklore because of the language. Also an avant-garde metal band from Finland.
Jotunn – Norse Mythology
A giant from Jotunheimr. You might know them better as Frost Giants. Often depicted in opposition to the Norse gods.
Eksitaja – Estonian Mythology
Evil spirits that guide people the wrong way in bogs or forests.
Einherjar – Norse Mythology
The warriors who have died in battle and been brought to Valhalla by valkyries. They fight and die and are reborn every day in preparation for Ragnarok.
Hiid – Estonian Mythology
The only thing I could find is a small note in Wikipedia that calls it “a giant.” So we’re gonna go with it’s an Estonian giant.
Ajatar – Finnish Folklore
Spirit known as the Devil of the Woods. Evil female spirit that manifests as a snake or Dragon. Said to be the mother of the devil.
Peikko – Finnish Folklore
A badly google translated Wikipedia page has it that Peikko is a kind of mountain troll. The picture on the page seems to indicate that it either is, or can become a mountain.
Staalo – Finnish Folklore
Not much on this one. One site (thuleia.com) seems to have it that it’s some kind of human shaped supernatural being, often accompanied by a dog.
Vittra - Scandinavian Folklore
A type of invisible wight from Northern Sweden. Mostly they’re distant and don’t bother humans, but if we manage to get them angry, they can be quite fierce.
Fenrir – Norse Mythology
A monstrous wolf and the son of Loki. Foretold to kill Odin during Ragnarok. Not a nice dude.
Valkyrie – Norse Mythology
Member of a host of female supernatural beings who decide who will die in battle. They bring their chosen warriors to Valhalla, where they become einherjar. Valkyries also appear as lovers of heroes on occasion.
Vanr – Norse Mythology
One of the Vanir, a group of Norse gods associated with wisdom, fertility and the ability to see the future.
Baldr’s Bonfire – Norse Mythology
One of the Ӕsir, and a son of Odin. Loki killed Baldr with a spear or arrow made from mistletoe, the only object on earth which had not vowed to hurt him. His body was ceremonially burned on his ship Hringhorni, which is where I suppose the Bonfire part comes from.
Drioma – Slavic Mythology
Spirit of the evening and the night, often a kindly old woman or man.
Domovoi – Slavic Mythology
A house spirit of Slavic folklore. Protects a house from the evil eye. Sometimes described as a small, hairy, old person, other times as a doppelganger of the master of the household, Domovoi are not generally harmful.
Beregenia – Ukranian Folklore(?)
Not sure about this one. I’ve found references to a Beregenia as a protector of Ukraine, but there’s also a central Asian flower genus called Bergenia.
Bagiennik – Slavic Mythology
Water demons, subjects to the lady of the lakes and the shallow streams. Capable of emitting an oily substance from their nostrils, which caused burns but could be used for healing rheumas, deep wounds, indigestion, heart illness, and infertility.
Mara – Germanic Folklore
While there are several Mara in different mythologies around the world, the originator of the word nightmare is most likely the inspiration here. These Mara are spirits or goblins which ride on the chests of sleeping people, producing bad dreams.
Devana – Slavic Mythology
The Slavic equivalent of the Roman goddess Diana.
Vytiaz – Russian
Seems to be a corruption of Vityaz, a Russian term for a valiant warrior who has proven himself in battle.
Skrzak – Slavic Mythology
A small flying imp
Leshii – Slavic Mythology
A male woodland spirit that protects wild animals and forests. Seems to be equivalent to woodwose.
Bogatyr – Russian
A term from an ancient Turkic term for hero or warrior. Similar to a knight errant.
Vodianoi – Slavic Mythology
A male water spirit who seems to exist exclusively to drown swimmers who have angered him. Millers and fisherman are generally safe from his wrath.
Rusalka – Slavic Mythology
Female water based demon or ghost that lives in a waterway. Not always malevolent, but usually a woman who dies before her time.
Ovinnik – Slavic Mythology
Malevolent spirit prone to burning down threshing houses. What a jerk.
Likho – Slavic Mythology
A creature with one eye. The embodiment of evil fate and misfortune.
Inrik – No clue
Rarog – Slavic Mythology
A hawk, falcon, or fiery dwarf who turns himself into a whirlwind.
Cikavac – Slavic Mythology
A winged animal with a long beak and a sack. Bred from an from a black hen carried by a woman under her armpit for 40 days, during which time she could not confess, cut her nails, wash her face, or pray. Anyone wanna test it?
Vesna – Slavic Mythology
Female mythological characters associated with springtime and youth.
Psotnik – Polish Mythology
An elf or mischief maker.
Alkonost – Slavic Mythology
A creature with the body of a bird but the head of a beautiful woman. They make sounds that cause forgetfulness in those that hear them. Sounds like a Siren. Get it? Sounds!
Irod – Romanian Orthodox minstel shows, played in the Christmas Season
That’s all I could find.
Veela – Slavic Mythology
Slavic nymphs who have power over storms. Can appear as swans, horses, wolves, or beautiful women. Say it with me now. They are not from Harry Potter. They are just in Harry Potter.*
Bannik – Slavic Mythology
Bathhouse spirit. Possessed of precognition.
Marzanna – Slavic Mythology
Goddess associated with death, winter, and nightmares. Often burned or drowned in effigy at the end of winter. Yeah. Let’s make her angry. Good idea.
Kikimora – Slavic Mythology
A female house spirit, sometimes said to be married to the Domovoi. She lives behind stoves or in cellars. Not always malevolent, but not always nice either.
Samodiva – Slavic Mythology
Woodland fairies with the appearance of ethereal maidens with long loose hair and occasionally wings. They can bring about drought, but they are not inevitably hostile to people.
Zmey – Slavic Mythology
Word used to describe a giant Slavic dragon. They often have heads in multiples of threes. Usually bad guys.
Koschei – Slavic Mythology
Properly titled Koschei the Deathless, usually an antagonist who kidnaps a hero’s wife. He cannot die, because his soul is hidden inside a needle, which is in an egg, which is inside a duck, which is inside a hare, which is inside an iron chest, buried under a green oak tree on the island of Buyan in the middle of the ocean. Safe enough? Probably not.
Dannan – Celtic Mythology
A corrupted spelling of Danann. Refers to the Tuatha Dé Danann, a race of people who were the fifth group to settle Ireland, conquering the land from the Fir Bolg.
Kelpie – Celtic Mythology
Supernatural water horse that haunts the rivers and lochs of Scotland and Ireland. A shapeshifter, the Kelpie often lures people under the water to drown them.
Ellylldan – Celtic Mythology
A Welsh spirit similar to the English Will o’ the Wisp, it lures travelers off their paths in boggy areas. (Information from mysteriousbritain.co.uk)
Urisk – Celtic Mythology
A brownie of Scotland and England, similar to domovoi. They do household tasks and do not like to be seen.
Bucca – Cornish Folklore
Spirit that inhabits mines and coastal communities as a hobgoblin of storms.
Phouka – Celtic Mythology
A fairy shapeshifter, dark of fur and mischievous. If it can lure a person onto its back, it will give them a wild ride, but cause them no real harm. Associated with Samhain. Also called a Pooka.
Cu Sith – Celtic Mythology
Literally means barrow hound. Often fear as a harbinger of death. Appears to bear away souls to the afterlife.
Korrigan – Celtic Mythology
Sometimes dwarf like creatures, other times siren-like figures that lure men to a watery death.
Far Darrig – Celtic Mythology
A fairy who busies himself with practical joking.
Ellyllon – Celtic Mythology
Pigmy elves that haunt groves and valleys. (Information from sacred-texts.com)
Gwyllgi – Celtic Mythology
Mythical dog from Wales that looks like a mastiff with red eyes.
Nuggie – Celtic Mythology
A water horse similar to the Kelpie. (Information from mythbeasts.com)
Gwyllion – Welsh
A word with a wide range of possible meanings, including ghosts, spirits, and night wanderers up to no good.
Sidhe – Celtic Mythology
A supernatural race of fairies or elves. They live in the fairy mounds, in a parallel universe. Their proper name, aos sí means people of the mounds. And people, it’s pronounced like she.
Theena Shee – Celtic Mythology
Another name for the daoine sidhe.
Edited by Verdoknight (June 29, 2011 17:02:21)
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- Fazerina
- Awakened
An addendum.
Aarni from the full name of Aarnikotka (engl. Griffon)
http://www.microsofttranslator.com/bv.aspx?from=&to=en&a=http%3A%2F%2Ffi.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FAarnikotka
Aarni from the full name of Aarnikotka (engl. Griffon)
http://www.microsofttranslator.com/bv.aspx?from=&to=en&a=http%3A%2F%2Ffi.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FAarnikotka
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- Fazerina
- Awakened
An addendum
Mara
1) a Latvian goddess
2) Finnish folklore for a creature that resembles a devil
3) Martti Ahtisaari, nicknamed as Mara, the President of the Republic of Finland, during the period 1994-2000
4) mara , i.e. southern mara, i.e., the Patagonian Mara (Dolichotis patagonum), rodent species living in Argentina
Mara
1) a Latvian goddess
2) Finnish folklore for a creature that resembles a devil
3) Martti Ahtisaari, nicknamed as Mara, the President of the Republic of Finland, during the period 1994-2000
4) mara , i.e. southern mara, i.e., the Patagonian Mara (Dolichotis patagonum), rodent species living in Argentina
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- Fazerina
- Awakened
Interesting that the spirit names are from basically 3 different folklore
Nordic
Slavic
Celtic
Nordic
Slavic
Celtic
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- Verdoknight
- Awakened
Eh, considering the location of Finland, it kinda makes sense that these three mythologies are the big ones. The places they come from are relatively close on a map, the mythologies have lots of names to draw from, and I imagine they didn't want to use too many names that were too close to home. Good choices all around if I say so myself.
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- Reaper5573
- Arcanist
just thought i'd let you know, verdo... i won't be on for a while, my ipod fell in the toilet.
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- Khamos
- Staff
Good looking list 
What we so far know about the Spirits is that there are four breaches in the Seal between the Shadow plain and our plain. One of the breaches is near the British Isles, one in Northern Europe, and two in Eastern Europe.
If you haven't yet checked out the History page that reveals a bit more about the history of Shadow Cities, you can read it here: http://www.shadowcities.com/history/
What we so far know about the Spirits is that there are four breaches in the Seal between the Shadow plain and our plain. One of the breaches is near the British Isles, one in Northern Europe, and two in Eastern Europe.
If you haven't yet checked out the History page that reveals a bit more about the history of Shadow Cities, you can read it here: http://www.shadowcities.com/history/
