The sources do not give a mythological origin for a supernatural bear-being. Linguistically, the English word 'bear' comes from Old English bera and the Germanic term arose as a taboo-avoidance euphemism replacing an older word (arkto) — a cultural-linguistic development recorded in etymological sources rather than a mythic creation narrative.
Bears are large-bodied mammals with stocky legs, long snouts, small rounded ears, shaggy hair, plantigrade paws with five nonretractile claws, and short tails. Species vary in size, coat color, and diet (for example, the polar bear is primarily carnivorous and the giant panda is mostly herbivorous).
As animals, bears possess keen senses (notably an excellent sense of smell) and physical capabilities including running, climbing, and swimming. Many species are solitary except during mating or when mothers rear young. Several species use sheltered dens and undergo long winter torpor or hibernation periods, in some cases up to about 100 days.
Drífa
No folkloric or mythological account of a supernatural entity named Drífa is present in the provided sources. The string Drífa/Drifa appears in the materials as a modern Icelandic personal name, a fictional princess in a novel, and as a biological genus name; no indigenous cosmology, appearance, abilities, or rituals for a spirit called Drífa are documented in the source set.
Menemachus
Menemachus is not a mythological being in the supplied sources but a personal name with two distinct attestations: (1) a historical Greek physician (Greek: Μενέμαχος) of the Methodic school, active in the 2nd century CE and cited by later medical authors; and (2) a taxonomic usage recorded on Wikidata as a genus of insects. Neither source treats Menemachus as supernatural.
Metis (name / label; disambiguation of uses)
The string 'Metis' (variants Métis, Metiş) appears across many domains — as an Indigenous ethnonym (Métis), place names (Metis Shoal, Metiş village, Metis Island), astronomical and biological names (9 Metis asteroid, Metis moon, genus names), a brief Wikipedia mention of a mythological Metis (Oceanid and wife of Zeus), and multiple modern institutional and cultural uses. The supplied sources do not document a single, coherent supernatural entity named 'Metis' with folkloric appearance, powers, or rituals.
Ba‑Pef
Ba‑Pef is an obscure, malevolent underworld deity attested in Old Kingdom Egyptian sources and referenced in later summaries; the name literally means "that Ba". The priesthood of Ba‑Pef was held by queens in the Old and Middle Kingdoms, and the deity appears in at least one funerary inscriptional context naming a priestess.
Beaduhild (Böðvildr)
Beaduhild (Old Norse Böðvildr; Old English Beaduhild/Beadohild; also Bodil, Badhild) is a legendary human princess in Germanic heroic tradition whose life is entangled with the smith Wayland (Weland/Vǫlundr). In earlier sources she appears as a tragic victim in the Weland cycle; in later Scandinavian recensions she is recast as Wayland's wife and the mother of a heroic descendant (Viðga).
Beaivi
Beaivi is the Sámi Sun and sun-being: the same term names both the celestial body and the personified solar deity. Central to seasonal rites in Sápmi, Beaivi is petitioned for the return of spring, warmth, fertility (especially of reindeer), and for recovery from mental illness and sun-related ailments.
Beaivi-nieida
Beaivi-nieida (also given as Biejjenniejte) is identified in the cited source as a female solar figure in Sámi shamanism, translated as 'Daughter of the Sun' or 'Sun Maiden'. The available entry provides only a name, literal translation, and one-line identification within Sámi religious context.
Bean-nighe
A female spirit in Scottish Gaelic folklore who haunts desolate streams and fords, washing the clothing of those who are about to die; regarded as an omen of death and a messenger from the Otherworld.
Bear Lake Monster
A lake‑monster legend associated with Bear Lake on the Utah–Idaho border, attested in 19th‑century settler newspapers and later local reports. Descriptions and reports vary widely; the creature functions in sources as a local legendary animal, a subject of publicity and tourism, and an element of regional identity rather than a codified supernatural being.
Bearers of the Throne (ḥamlat al‑arsh)
The ḥamlat al‑arsh are a class of angels in Islamic textual tradition whose primary role is to carry or support God’s Throne (al‑ʿArsh). Descriptions vary across transmissions, emphasizing their cosmic scale, proximity to the divine Throne, and symbolic features drawn from a range of hadith and exegetical reports.
Beast Boy (Garfield Mark "Gar" Logan)
Beast Boy is a fictional superhero from DC Comics (first appearance Doom Patrol #99, November 1965), a human named Garfield Mark "Gar" Logan who acquired the ability to transform into any animal after an experimental medical procedure. He is portrayed as a youthful team member of Doom Patrol and Teen Titans, often providing comic relief while coping with deep personal trauma.
Beast of Bodmin
A modern British cryptid associated with reports of a non-native large cat prowling Bodmin Moor, Cornwall. Treated variously as an escaped or released large felid blamed for livestock damage and as a piece of contemporary folklore amplified by media, books and popular culture.
Community Record
- [1]Bear — Wikipedia. Wikipedia contributors, 'Bear', Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.wiki
- [2]Bear — Wikidata. Wikidata entry Q16479893 for Bear.wiki
- [3]Bear Stearns — Wikipedia. Wikipedia contributors, 'Bear Stearns', Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.wiki
- [4]Bear Mountain — German Wikipedia. de.wikipedia.org, 'Bear Mountain' disambiguation.wiki
- [5]Bear Lake — German Wikipedia. de.wikipedia.org, 'Bear Lake' disambiguation.wiki
- [6]Bear Report Podcast [2022-56]. Archive.org, 'Bear Report Podcast [2022-56] - Recapping Packers game plus the bye week'.other
- [7]Bear Markdown Reference | Markdown Guide. Markdown Guide, 'Bear — reference to software/tool name'.other