3 folklore creatures the Souzaverse hopes to meet in Hungary

The suitcase is (mostly) packed.

The playlist is dreamy.

And the only real expectation for this upcoming trip? A casual run-in with a folkloric witch in the woods.

As the Souzaverse drifts toward Budapest for six days of wandering, inspo gathering and zine scribbling, it got the brain wondering. What folklore exists in Hungary and how has it shaped cultural history?

So first, a little context...

Hungarian folklore is ancient, layered, and wildly evocative. Many of its earliest mythic roots trace back to the Magyar tribes, who migrated into the Carpathian Basin in the 9th century, bringing with them an oral tradition rich in animism, shamanism, and spirit lore. These tales were shaped by a mix of Central Asian, Uralic, and Turkic influences, merging with Christian motifs over centuries to create a truly unique mythological landscape.

Before written history, these stories were sung and shared by regősök—wandering bards who preserved myth through memory. Over time, these legends were collected in folktale anthologies like “Magyar Népmesék” (Hungarian Folk Tales) and persisted through rural traditions, festivals, embroidery, and lullabies.

Even today, you’ll see traces of this mythic heritage in Hungarian art, architecture, poetry, and pop culture. From woodcut tapestries to bus stop graffiti, the folklore hasn’t faded—it’s just shape-shifted. These tales still serve as symbols of resilience, transformation, and connection to the land.

So as Souza floats off into the Hungarian summer, here are three dream-creatures we hope to encounter in the wild:

Markoláb

A creature of fog, of sleep, of something-not-quite-there.

Markoláb is known in Hungarian legend as the beast that walks in sleep—sometimes stealing the moon, sometimes lurking just outside your open window. Said to crawl through villages during eclipses, it's part shadow, part wolf, and entirely a warning. A folkloric embodiment of sleep paralysis and forgotten nightmares.

Sárkány

Forget fire. Sárkány is smoke and sky.

Believed to evolve from swamp-dwelling fish or snakes after seven long years, this dragon isn’t here to guard gold. Instead, it hoards weather. With seven heads and a thundercloud temper, Sárkány eats the sun and births chaos. A symbol of transformation, tempests, and the messiness of becoming.

Csodaszarvas

The original divine guide.

Known as the “Miraculous Deer,” Csodaszarvas is said to have led wandering hunters into new beginnings, shaping the very roots of Hungarian identity. With antlers like twisted branches and a presence that feels more like a vision than a creature, this being carries the energy of destiny, movement, and mythic arrival.

Whether encountered in a book, a dream, or the corner of a museum diorama, these are the kind of legends that live rent-free in the Souzaverse.