HA, this is an awesome thread; one which I'll be responding to for a long time!!
For my campaign, i am researching and eventually stating up a whole bunch of monsters. Surprizingly, i found quite a few from one of my main research areas > celtic mythology. Heres a few of them (with some others from different regions thrown in)
Athach > large creature with one leg, hand and eye with rough, spiky ahir. AKA Direach, Fachan (Celtic)
Angels > Middle-eastern religions (judaism, christianity, other cultures, etc)
Golem > comes from a Jewish legend and made of clay. (Jewish)
Banshee > female wraith that foretell but doesn't necessarily cause death. Terrible wail. AKA Bean Sidhe (Celtic)
Cu Sith > the elven fairy dog from Races of the Wild - a large, shaggy, green furred fairy-dog with massive paws (Celtic)
Elf > comtemporary version is Tolkiens invention, but its mainly from Nordic myths with a bit of celtic influence (nordic)
Gnome > A treasue-guarding fairy. AKA Goric (celtic)
Pixie > fairy who haunts rivers, hills and groves
Nymphs > a race of beautiful fey women who symbolized the grace and beauty of nature (Greek)
Satyrs > male counterparts to Nymphs. Sexual figures in general.
Fomorian > demonic and giant pirates. Never settle; alwasy raid from the sea. (Celtic)
Cyclopes > one-eyed Greek Monsters. Greater Cylclopes lived in Olympia, lesser ones on islands adn were very barbaric (Greek)
Frost Giants > Called "Thursar" by nordic peoples (Nordic)
Fire Giants > called "Muspelar" by nordic peopels (Nordic)
Mountain Giants called "Bergbui" by nordic peoples (Nordic)
Air Giants (AKA Storm Giants) > called "Hrim-Thursar" by Nordic peoples (Nordic)
Water Giants > haven't found specific naem yet (Nordic)
Goblin > grotesque, malevolent, diminutive sprite (Celtic)
Behir > properly called "Beithir", these were long-tailed, spectral bears that shot lightning-bolts from their mouths and haunted caves
Barghest > a black dog with horns, fangs, firey eyes, drags a chain, inflicts never-healing wounds
Basilisk > names emasn "Kings of Snakes" and was a large (Huge Size, at least) snake with a crown enblazoned on its forehead. Its gaze, bite and smell were all poisonous. (various origins, this description is Greek, i beleive)
Cockatrice > head, neck, legs of a rooster, serpents tail, and a dragons tail and wings. Poisons like a Basilisk (middle-age corruption of the Basilisk legend)
Annis Hag (Black Hag) > humanoid monster with claws of iron, and yellow fangs. Can claw through rock and is a terror-inspiring cannibal that skins her victims alive. (can't remeber the origin; i beleive its a Victorian Nursery-boogie)
Mermaid > half-fish half-women (various origins)
Treants > Tolkiens Ents.
those are just a few of the ones on my list. probably have more to come
