Classification: Mythical Beasts & Cryptids

Temporal Range: 11th to 12th Century approx.

Geographic Range: Cave of Cruachan, Ireland

Diet: Everything in its path

In old Celtic tales, warrior poet Amergin mac Eccit fought a great creature with three heads that breathed fire. That creature was Ellén Trechend. Roughly translated as a “swarm of three-headed creatures,” the beast is described as being something like a dragon with three avian heads. Many tales have been even more specific, describing those heads as vulture-like.

The appearance of Ellén Trechend is often preceded by a flock of red birds, so if scarlet feathers fall from the sky, clear the way, for a monster is on its way. A horde of goblins has also been reported to accompany the creature, with one goblin even riding it. If you can manage to dismount the rider, the reins are all yours. The beast is said to have destroyed full villages in a single breath, making it a formidable foe.