Types of various mythical monsters. Mythical creatures of the peoples of the world - kind and not so good

Today, movie screens are filled with zombies, ghouls, vampires and other monsters. But in fact, terrible creatures are not always the product of the imagination of modern screenwriters and directors. There are more terrible entities in ancient myths and folklore, although many of them are not as publicized as those that appeared on the screens.

1. Blemmia

Blemmyas are quite ancient creatures. Mention of them first appeared among the ancient Greeks and Romans. Physically, they are very similar to ordinary people with one significant difference - Blemmyas do not have a head. Their mouths, eyes and noses are on their chests. According to ancient sources (for example, Pliny wrote about blemmyas), these creatures were quite widespread throughout North Africa and the Middle East. In later literature, Blemmyas were also described as cannibals.

2. Sphene

Sthena is a monster from Greek mythology. Many more people know her sister Medusa. The famous gorgon was the youngest of the family; she had 2 older sisters - Euryale and Sthena.

Like her sisters, Sthena had long, sharp fangs and red snakes instead of hair. Stories tell that Sthena was the most ferocious and bloodthirsty of the family, killing more men than both of her sisters combined.

3. Hitotsume-kozo

Japanese myths tell of many supernatural monsters, usually called Yokai. One type of Yokai is the hitotsume-kozo, which is something like a Cyclops: it only has one giant eye in the middle of its face. However, the Hitotsume Kozo is even creepier than the Cyclops because it looks like a small bald child.

4. Mananangal

This disgusting creature comes from the Philippines. It shares some similarities with the vampire, although the mananangal is more repulsive, both in appearance and behavior. Mananangal is usually depicted as a very ugly woman who is capable of tearing off her lower body, sprouting giant wings, and flying at night. Mananangals have a long proboscis instead of a tongue, which they use to suck blood from sleeping people. Most of all they love pregnant women, and more specifically, sucking out the heart of their fetus.

Those who encounter a mananangal should avoid the flying torso and try sprinkling garlic and salt on the separated lower part of the creature's body - this will kill it.

5. Kelpie

One of the most famous monsters in Celtic mythology, the kelpie is a creature that looks like a horse and is found in the lochs of Scotland. Kelpies love to lure people, drown them in lakes, drag them into their lair and eat them.

One of the distinguishing characteristics of kelpies is their ability to transform from horse to human. Most often, they take the form of an attractive man who lures victims into their den. Much less often, the kelpie appears in the form of a beautiful woman. According to legend, one way to identify kelpies in human form is their hair, which is constantly damp and full of algae. Some stories also say that kelpies retain their hooves even in human form.

6. Strigoi

Strigoi, which are similar to the more famous poltergeists, are among the most ancient creatures on this list. They belong to Dacian mythology and were later adopted by Romanian culture. These are evil spirits that have risen from the dead and are trying to resume the normal life they once led. But in this existence, Strigoi drink the very essence of life from their relatives. They are somewhat similar in their actions to vampires.

There is no doubt that people throughout Eastern Europe were mortally afraid of Strigoi. Remarkably, this belief continues to this day, especially in rural areas of Romania. Just 10 years ago, relatives of a recently deceased person dug up his corpse and burned his heart because they believed that the deceased had turned into a strigoi.

7. Yogorumo

Surely no one would refuse if the most beautiful woman in the world seduced him, and then took him to her home. At first, such a man would feel like the happiest person, but this opinion would probably soon change when this beautiful woman showed her true identity - a giant man-eating spider. Another Japanese monster from the Yokai family is Yogorumo. This is a giant spider that can transform into a beautiful woman to lure prey. After Yogorumo possesses a person, it wraps him in a silken web, injects him with poison, and then devours his prey.

8. Black Annis

Also known as Black Agnes, this witch is a traditional character in English folklore. Some believe its roots can be traced much further back to Celtic or Germanic mythology. Black Annis has a disgusting blue face and iron claws, and also loves to feed on people, especially small children. Her favorite pastime is wandering through ravines at night, looking for unsuspecting children, kidnapping them, dragging them into her cave, and then preparing the children for dinner. After Annis finishes the children, she uses their skin to make clothes.

9. Leshy

Leshy is the spirit of forests and parks in many Slavic cultures. In essence, he is the protector of the forest. The goblin is friends with animals that he can call to help him and does not like people, although, in some cases, farmers manage to make friends with the goblin. In this case, they protect people's crops and can even teach them magic.

Physically, goblin are described as tall people with hair and beards made of vines and grass. However, they are also shapeshifters, able to change in size from the tallest tree in the forest to the smallest blade of grass. They can even turn into ordinary people. At the same time, goblin can be given away by glowing eyes and shoes worn backwards.

Leshi are not evil creatures at all; rather, they are deceivers and love mischief. For example, they like to confuse people in the forest, and sometimes lure people into their caves by imitating the voices of their loved ones (after which, the lost ones can be tickled to death).

10. Brownie

In Slavic mythology, it is believed that every house has its own brownie. He is usually described as a small, bearded man covered in hair. He considers himself the keeper of the house and is not necessarily evil. His actions depend entirely on the behavior of the residents. The brownie gets angry at people who neglect their home and who swear. And for those who behave well and take care of the house, the brownie quietly helps with household chores. He also likes to watch people sleeping.

You should not anger the brownie, because he begins to take revenge on people. First, otherworldly groans will begin to be heard in the house, plates will break and things will disappear. And if the brownie is finally driven home, he can kill people in their own beds.

For lovers of history and the unknown. Read it yourself, tell it to your children.

Based on materials from dawdlez.com

Throughout history, people have created countless tales of mythical creatures, legendary monsters, and supernatural monsters. Despite their unclear origins, these mythical creatures are described in the folklore of various peoples and in many cases are part of the culture. It's amazing that there are people all over the world who are still convinced that these monsters exist, despite the lack of any meaningful evidence. So today we will look at a list of 25 legendary and mythical creatures that never existed.

Budak is present in many Czech fairy tales and legends. This monster is usually described as a creepy creature, reminiscent of a scarecrow. It can cry like an innocent child, thus luring its victims. On the night of the full moon, Budak allegedly weaves fabric from the souls of those people whom he killed. Budak is sometimes described as an evil version of Father Christmas who travels on Christmas Day in a cart pulled by black cats.

24. Ghoul

The ghoul is one of the most famous creatures in Arabian folklore and appears in the collection of tales One Thousand and One Nights. The ghoul is described as an undead creature that can also take the form of an immaterial spirit. He often visits cemeteries to eat the flesh of recently deceased people. This is perhaps the main reason why the word ghoul in Arab countries is often used when referring to gravediggers or representatives of any profession directly related to death.

23. Yorogumo.

Loosely translated from Japanese, Yorogumo means “seductress spider,” and in our humble opinion, the name perfectly describes this monster. According to Japanese folklore, Yorogumo was a bloodthirsty monster. But in most tales it is described as a huge spider that takes the form of a very attractive and sexy woman who seduces its male victims, captures them in a web and then happily devours them.

22. Cerberus.

In Greek mythology, Cerberus is the guardian of Hades and is usually described as a bizarre-looking monster that looks like a dog with three heads and a tail whose end is the head of a dragon. Cerberus was born from the union of two monsters, the giant Typhon and Echidna, and is himself the brother of the Lernaean Hydra. Cerberus is often described in myth as one of the most loyal guards in history and is often mentioned in Homer's epic.

21. Kraken

The legend of the Kraken came from the Northern Seas and its presence was initially limited to the shores of Norway and Iceland. Over time, however, its fame grew, thanks to the wild imagination of storytellers, which led subsequent generations to believe that it also lives in all the seas of the world.

Norwegian fishermen initially described the sea monster as a gigantic animal that was as large as an island and posed a danger to passing ships not from direct attack, but from giant waves and tsunamis caused by the movements of its body. However, later people began to spread stories about the monster's violent attacks on ships. Modern historians believe that the Kraken was nothing more than a giant squid and the rest of the stories are nothing more than the wild imagination of sailors.

20. Minotaur

The Minotaur is one of the first epic creatures we meet in human history, and takes us back to the heyday of the Minoan civilization. The Minotaur had the head of a bull on the body of a very large, muscular man and settled in the center of the Cretan labyrinth, which was built by Daedalus and his son Icarus at the request of King Minos. Anyone who entered the labyrinth became a victim of the Minotaur. The exception was the Athenian king Theseus, who killed the beast and came out of the labyrinth alive with the help of the thread of Ariadne, the daughter of Minos.

If Theseus were hunting the Minotaur these days, then a rifle with a collimator sight would be very useful to him, a huge and high-quality selection of which is on the portal http://www.meteomaster.com.ua/meteoitems_R473/.

19. Wendigo

Those familiar with psychology have probably heard the term “Wendigo psychopathy,” which describes the psychosis that compels a person to eat human flesh. The medical term takes its name from a mythical creature called the Wendigo, which, according to the myths of the Algonquin Indians. The Wendigo was an evil creature that looked like a cross between a human and a monster, something similar to a zombie. According to legend, only people who ate human flesh were able to become Wendigos themselves.

Of course, this creature never existed and was invented by Algonquin elders who were trying to stop people from engaging in cannibalism.

In ancient Japanese folklore, Kappa is a water demon who lives in rivers and lakes and devours naughty children. Kappa means "child of the river" in Japanese and has the body of a turtle, the limbs of a frog, and a head with a beak. In addition, there is a cavity with water on the top of the head. According to legend, Kappa's head must always be kept moist, otherwise he will lose his strength. Oddly enough, many Japanese consider the existence of Kappa to be a reality. Some lakes in Japan have posters and signs warning visitors that there is a serious risk of being attacked by this creature.

Greek mythology gave the world some of its most epic heroes, gods, and creatures, and Talos is one of them. A huge bronze giant supposedly lived in Crete, where he protected a woman named Europa (from whom the European continent took its name) from pirates and invaders. For this reason, Talos patrolled the shores of the island three times a day.

16. Menehune.

According to legend, the Menehune were an ancient race of gnomes who lived in the forests of Hawaii before the arrival of the Polynesians. Many scientists explain the existence of ancient statues on the Hawaiian Islands due to the presence of Menehune here. Others argue that the legends of the Menehune began with the arrival of Europeans in these areas and were created by human imagination. The myth goes back to the roots of Polynesian history. When the first Polynesians arrived in Hawaii, they found dams, roads, and even temples that had been built by the Menehune.

However, no one found the skeletons. Therefore, it still remains a big mystery what kind of race built all these amazing ancient structures in Hawaii before the arrival of the Polynesians.

15. Griffin.

The griffin was a legendary creature with the head and wings of an eagle and the body and tail of a lion. The griffin is the king of the animal kingdom, a symbol of power and dominance. Griffins can be found in many depictions of Minoan Crete and later in the art and mythology of Ancient Greece. However, some believe that the creature symbolizes the fight against evil and witchcraft.

14. Medusa

According to one version, Medusa was a beautiful maiden destined for the goddess Athena, who was raped by Poseidon. Athena, furious that she could not confront Poseidon directly, turned Medusa into an unsightly, evil monster with a head full of snakes for hair. Medusa's ugliness was so disgusting that anyone who looked at her face turned to stone. Perseus eventually killed Medusa with the help of Athena.

Pihiu is another legendary monster hybrid native to China. Even though no part of its body resembled human organs, the mythological creature is often described as having the body of a lion with the wings, long legs and head of a Chinese dragon. Pihiu is considered the guardian and protector of those who practice Feng Shui. Another version of the pihiu, the Tian Lu, is also sometimes considered a sacred being that attracts and protects wealth. This is the reason why small statues of Tian Lu are often seen in Chinese homes or offices, as it is believed that this creature can help accumulate wealth.

12. Sukuyant

The soucouillant, according to Caribbean legends (especially in the Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Guadeloupe), is an exotic black version of the European vampire. By word of mouth, from generation to generation, Sukuyant has become part of local folklore. He is described as a hideous-looking old woman by day, who at night transforms into a magnificent-looking young black woman resembling a goddess. She seduces her victims in order to later suck their blood or make them her eternal slaves. She was also believed to practice black magic and voodoo, and could transform herself into ball lightning or enter the homes of her victims through any opening in the house, including cracks and keyholes.

11. Lamassu.

According to the mythology and legends of Mesopotamia, Lamassu was a protective deity, depicted with the body and wings of a bull, or with the body of a lion, the wings of an eagle and the head of a man. Some described him as a menacing-looking man, while others described him as a female deity with good intentions.

10. Tarasca

The tale of the Tarasca is reported in the history of Martha, which is included in Jacob's biography of the Christian saints. Tarasca was a dragon with a very scary appearance and bad intentions. According to legend, it had the head of a lion, six short legs like a bear, the body of a bull, was covered with the shell of a turtle and a scaly tail that ended with a scorpion sting. Tarasca terrorized the Nerluc region of France.

It all ended when a young devoted Christian named Martha arrived in the city to spread the gospel of Jesus and discovered that the people had been afraid of a fierce dragon for years. Then he found the dragon in the forest and sprinkled it with holy water. This action tamed the wild nature of the dragon. After this, Martha led the dragon back to the city of Nerluk, where the enraged locals stoned Tarascus to death.

On November 25, 2005, UNESCO included Tarasca in the list of masterpieces of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity.

9. Draugr.

The draugr, according to Scandinavian folklore and mythology, is a zombie that emits a surprisingly powerful putrid odor of the dead. It was believed that the Draugr eats people, drinks blood, and has power over the minds of people, driving them crazy at will. A typical Draugr was somewhat similar to Freddy Krueger, who, apparently, was created under the influence of fairy tales about the Scandinavian monster.

8. Lernaean Hydra.

The Lernaean Hydra was a mythical water monster with many heads that resembled large snakes. A ferocious monster lived in Lerna, a small village near Argos. According to legend, Hercules decided to kill the Hydra and when he cut off one head, two appeared. For this reason, Hercules' nephew Iolaus burned each head as soon as his uncle cut it off, only then did they stop reproducing.

7. Broxa.

According to Jewish legend, the Broxa is an aggressive monster, like a giant bird, that would attack goats or, in rare cases, drink human blood at night. The legend of Broxa spread in the Middle Ages in Europe, where it was believed that witches took the form of Broxa.

6. Baba Yaga

Baba Yaga is perhaps one of the most popular paranormal creatures in the folklore of the Eastern Slavs and, according to legend, had the appearance of a fierce and scary old woman. However, Baba Yaga is a multifaceted figure capable of inspiring researchers, capable of turning into a cloud, snake, bird, black cat and symbolizing the Moon, death, winter or the Goddess of Mother Earth, the totemic ancestor of matriarchy.

Antaeus was a giant with enormous strength, which he inherited from his father, Poseidon (god of the sea), and mother Gaia (Earth). He was a hooligan who lived in the Libyan Desert and challenged any traveler in his lands to a fight. After defeating the stranger in a deadly wrestling match, he killed him. He collected the skulls of the people he defeated in order to one day build a temple dedicated to Poseidon from these “trophies.”

But one day one of the passersby turned out to be Hercules, who was making his way to the Garden of the Hesperides to complete his eleventh labor. Antaeus made a fatal mistake by challenging Hercules. The hero lifted Antaeus off the ground and crushed him in a bear hug.

4. Dullahan.

The fierce and powerful Dullahan is a headless horseman in Irish folklore and mythology. For centuries, the Irish described him as a harbinger of doom who traveled on a black, terrifying-looking horse.

According to Japanese legend, Kodama is a peaceful spirit that lives inside certain types of trees. Kodama is described as a small, white and peaceful ghost that is perfectly in sync with nature. However, according to legend, when someone tries to cut down the tree where Kodama lives, bad things and a series of misfortunes begin to happen to him.

2. Corrigan

The strange creatures called Corrigan come from Brittany, a cultural region in northwestern France with a very rich literary tradition and folklore. Some say Corrigan was a beautiful, kind fairy, while other sources describe him as an evil spirit who looked like a dwarf and danced around fountains. He seduced people with his charm to kill them or steal their children.

1. Fish-man Lyrgans.

The fish-man Lyrgans existed in the mythology of Cantabria, an autonomous community located in northern Spain.

According to legend, this is an amphibious creature that looks like a sullen man who was lost at sea. Many people believe that the fish-man was one of the four sons of Francisco de la Vega and Maria del Casar, a couple who lived in the area. It was believed that they drowned in the waters of the sea while swimming with their friends at the mouth of Bilbao.

If someone looks like a human, talks like a human, and even smells like a human, it may not be human at all.

Who are they?

Many of the creatures look human or wear a mask. Many of them, including vampires, ghosts and werewolves, have fascinated and frightened us for centuries. For good reason, we are all very afraid of them, because we simply do not know who or what is hiding in the dark. Have you ever seen your colleague eat garlic? Or can you say that you were near him during the full moon? How do you know your closest friends aren't something else entirely? Are you sure that the people you communicate with are people and not the creatures described?

Changelings

Stories about switched children are popular in European folklore. These are creatures that are planted by evil spirits in place of stolen children. The children who were replaced rarely lived a normal human life. When they grew up, they looked and behaved completely differently from ordinary people. Why did fairies or other creatures do this? According to some, just for fun. But other stories argue that it is more respectable to be raised by humans than by other creatures, so switching was a way to increase the child's social status.

Medieval literature was rife with stories of changelings as society struggled to come to terms with such horrors as infant mortality, disability, childhood illnesses, and the like. It was difficult for parents to understand why some children suffered while others enjoyed life, because everyone was under the protection of God. And it all ended with people starting to come up with different stories about kidnapped children and substitutions in order to try to understand the tragic reality.

But this is not just medieval fear. The 2008 film “Switching,” starring Angelina Jolie, reveals a real-life case of child switching. In 1928, in Los Angeles, a mother discovered that her son had been kidnapped. The police managed to find the child a few days later, but the mother does not believe that the boy returned to her, it was not her son.

Demons and the devil

The best way to lead people into sin is to convince them that you are one of your own and live among them. To achieve this, demons and the devil sometimes disguise themselves as humans to carry out their evil plan. Sometimes this manifests itself as the possession of one person by another, but often demons simply take on human form. However, they are bad at disguise, especially if the people they are trying to deceive are righteous. Some neglect to hide their horns, so to speak, or their forked tongues.

When demons take human form, they can usually be easily spotted. If suddenly they are discovered, then, as a rule, they will have to disappear. However, sometimes a person who noticed a demon or devil did not renounce him and was not against the temptation. The best example of this in folklore is Faust, who sold his soul to the devil. Tom Walker in Nathaniel Hawthorne's story "The Devil and Tom Walker" does the same thing.

Angels

Demons are not the only ones who consider the human form to be a good cover. Angels also disguise themselves to deal directly with humans, although the Bible describes them as beings that cannot be seen. However, the first appearance of angels in the Bible occurs in the Book of Genesis, where they are sent to assess the moral state of Sodom and Gomorrah. In order to do this, they pretended to be ordinary travelers.

Many stories describe angels or beings believed to be angels, such creatures that visit people. If demons often prefer to take the form of influential people, businessmen or lawyers, then angels tend to turn into people with a more modest standard of living. They usually try to use words and wisdom to gently nudge people towards the right path, although they may become angry if they are treated in the wrong way.

Angels disguise themselves just like demons, they try to be invisible. Where demons are "dark", angels tend to be shining, white and pure. Their holiness outshines and outstrips their false human forms. But those who are corrupted by sin will not be able to see this, and they risk facing divine punishment.

Doubles

This is perhaps the most famous creature on this list. It is an entity that resembles someone else. It is obvious that these people are completely different, the double is not even human. They are completely impossible to distinguish. But in all actions they are the same.

Maybe each of us has our own doppleganger - an exact duplicate who lives in the next city or a few streets away, but we never meet because we have different social circles, we never come into contact with each other. But should we meet? If you see your doppelganger, this is an omen of death. It won't kill you, but something will definitely happen.

Many people believe that everyone has a double, and this is true. It's possible that we all have a doppelganger that we have yet to meet. What if you're still alive and it's because your doppleganger saw you first and not the other way around? How do you know you're not a doppelganger?

Kitsune

These are foxes in Japanese folklore and mythology. Like foxes, they use their cunning and intelligence to outwit those they encounter, but their most important ability is to disguise themselves as humans. Why do they do this? Maybe it's a game or a prank to steal something or just to attack the victim. Sometimes kitsune uses human form to have sex with sleeping people. Whatever the reason, a kitsune in disguise is always a wolf in sheep's clothing.

However, many kitsune disguises are imperfect. Some retain their shadow, despite the fact that they look human, their long red hair gives them away. However, the best way to see a kitsune in disguise is to keep it close to you until it reveals itself and says something that proves that it is not human. Can you outsmart the fox?

Werewolves, ghouls, vampires

Many different creatures try to look human, and some succeed. For example, vampires. They are almost indistinguishable from people, but you can’t hide their fangs. They have many physical limitations that clearly mark them as vampires. Werewolves have similar problems - they are usually human, but on certain days they become disgusting, carnivorous animals.

Zombies, vampires, ghouls, ghosts - they all exist, and they all can be among us. These creatures push us to consider what it means to be human. What does it say about us as humans that these creatures make us question how human we are?

But such monsters are penetrating deeper and deeper into our fears. Any woman we date could be a kitsune, or our friends could be vampires, or when our newborn babies seem a little strange, everything immediately changes for us. We feel betrayed, captured and used for evil purposes. And when we think that this creature is an individual whose life is practically no different from ours, what does this say about us? How long can we believe that it is our actions that make us human? It's scary to think that we share such an intense personal connection with the worst killers and criminals, being similar. We are all so close to monsters and don't even realize it.

Conclusion

All these evil and good beings in disguise encourage us to confront our fear and determine our own human path.

10 Mythical Creatures, Did They Really Exist? As they say, there is truth in every joke. The same can be said about myths, which are considered fiction, because they also contain a particle of reality. It is only at first glance that it seems that all mythical creatures, such as cyclops, unicorns and others, were invented in ancient times. Taking a closer look at these mysterious animals, you can understand that people only slightly embellished the creatures that existed in the past and created myths about them. Let's figure it out 10 mythical creatures, and let's see where these legends came from.

1. Unicorns (Elasmotherium)

You probably won’t meet a person who doesn’t imagine what a unicorn looks like. Even small children know very well that unicorns are horses with one horn sticking out of their foreheads. These animals have always been associated with chastity and spiritual purity. In almost all world cultures, unicorns have been described in legends and myths.

The first images of these unusual creatures were found in India more than 4 thousand years ago. Following the Indian people, unicorns began to be described in legends in western Asia, and then in Greece and Rome. In the fifth century BC, unicorns began to be described in the West. What is most surprising is that in ancient times these animals were considered quite real, and myths were passed off as stories that happened to people.

The most similar animal in the world to unicorns is Elasmotherium. These animals lived in the steppes of Eurasia and resembled our rhinoceroses. Their habitat was slightly further south than that of woolly rhinoceroses. This happened during the Ice Age, at the same time the first rock paintings of Elasmotherium were recorded.

These animals resembled our horses, only Elasmotherium had a long horn on its forehead. They disappeared during the same period of time as the rest of the megafauna of Eurasia. However, some scientists still believe that Elasmotherium managed to survive and exist for a long time. It was in their image that the Evenki created legends about bulls with a black color and a large horn on the forehead.

2. Dragons (Magalania)

In folk art there are many stories about dragons and their varieties. Depending on the culture of the people, the image of these mythical animals also changed. Thus, in Europe, dragons were described as large creatures that lived in the mountains and breathed fire. This description is classic for most people. However, in China these animals were described completely differently, and looked more like huge snakes. In most cases, in legends, dragons denoted a serious obstacle that had to be overcome in order to receive a generous reward. It was also believed that by defeating a dragon and invading its body, one could gain eternal life. That is, the dragon signified both rebirth and temporary death.

In mythological stories, references to dragons most likely arose from the discovery of dinosaur remains that were mistaken for the bones of mythical animals. Of course, legends about dragons did not appear without basis, and in reality there were animals that gave rise to myths.

The largest land lizards known in the scientific field were called Magalanians. They lived in the Pleistocene era in Australia. It has been proven that they existed from 1.6 million to 40,000 years ago. Magalanians fed exclusively on mammals, and the size of the prey did not matter. Their habitat was sparse forests and grassy savannas.

It is believed that some varieties of magalania managed to survive until the time when ancient people appeared. From there, images of huge lizards appeared, the length of which could reach up to 9 meters and weight up to 2200 kilograms.

3. Krakens (Huge squids)

Since ancient times, Icelandic sailors have described terrible monsters that resembled cephalopods. It was from the sailors of those times that stories came about about a monster called the kraken. The first mention of this animal was recorded by a naturalist from Denmark. According to his descriptions, this animal was the size of a floating island, and had such strength that it could pull the most cumbersome warship to the bottom with its tentacles. Also, the conquerors of the seas were afraid of the whirlpools that arose when the kraken suddenly plunged under water.

Many scientists these days are convinced that krakens still exist. They just call them big squids and don’t find anything mythical in them. There is also evidence of the life activity of these animals from a large number of fishermen. The debate is only about the size of the mollusk. So, quite recently, in the southern seas, scientists managed to discover a huge squid, the size of which was approximately 14 meters. They also claim that this mollusk, in addition to the usual suckers, had pointed claws at the ends of the tentacles. Meeting such a monster, even a person of our time could feel frightened. What can we say about medieval fishermen, who in any case would have considered the huge squid to be a mythical creature.

4. Basilisks (Poisonous snakes)

There are many legends and stories about basilisks. In them, these monsters were most often described as snakes of unimaginable size. Basilisk venom was fatal to any living creature. There were stories about this animal back in the first century BC. However, at that time, a basilisk was a small, thirty-centimeter snake with a white spot on its head. A little later, in the 3rd century, the basilisk acquired a new image and was described as a fifteen-centimeter snake. Half a century later, numerous authors of legends began to add more and more details to the basilisks, making a monster out of an ordinary snake. So, he had black scales that were located all over his body, large wings, claws like tigers, an eagle beak, emerald eyes and a lizard tail. In some cases, basilisks were even “dressed” with a red crown. It was about such a creature that legends were made in Europe in the thirteenth century.

Modern scientists put forward a logical version that the basilisk is a prototype of some type of snake. For example, it could be a well-known cobra. The rather ferocious behavior of this snake, as well as the ability to inflate its hood and spit venom, could well have aroused wild imagination in the minds of ancient writers.

In ancient Egypt, the basilisk was considered a viper with horns. This is exactly how he was depicted in hieroglyphs. Many believe that this was the reason for talking about the crown on the head of the snake.

5. Centaurs (Riders on Horses)

Talk about centaurs has come to us from ancient Greece. They were described as beings with the body of a horse, but with a human torso and head. It was also mentioned that centaurs were mortals, just like ordinary people. It was possible to meet them only in the thicket of the forest or high in the mountains. Ordinary people feared these creatures, as it was believed that centaurs were violent and unrestrained. In mythology, centaurs were described in various ways, claiming that some of them shared their wisdom and experience with people, teaching and instructing them. Other centaurs were hostile and constantly fought with ordinary people.

It is believed that these creatures were invented by people from nomadic tribes living in the north. Despite the fact that civilization already existed at that time, and people learned to ride horses, in some places they were not aware of this. Thus, the first mentions of centaurs are attributed to the Scythians, Taurians and Kassites. These tribes lived off cattle breeding; in particular, they raised fierce and huge bulls, from which the centaur’s character was taken.

6. Griffins (Protoceratops)

Griffins were described as creatures with the bodies of lions and heads like those of eagles. In addition, these creatures had huge and sweeping wings, large claws, and lion-like tails. In some cases, the wings of griffins were golden in color, while in other stories they were snow-white. The character of griffins was described ambiguously: sometimes they were the embodiment of evil, which could not be restrained by anything, and they could also be wise and kind patrons responsible for justice.

The first mentions of these mythical animals also appeared in ancient Greece. It is believed that the inhabitants of this country were told about the strange animals by the Scythians from Altai, who were looking for gold in the Gobi Desert. Wandering through the sandy expanses, these people accidentally found the remains of a protoceratops and mistook it for an unprecedented creature.

Nowadays, scientists have found that the description of the griffin is almost identical to the dinosaurs of this species. For example, the size of the fossil and the presence of a beak coincided. In addition, protoceratops had a horny growth on the back of the head, which could eventually disintegrate and become similar to ears and wings. This was the reason for the appearance of griffins in all kinds of myths and legends.

7. Bigfoot (Gigantopithecus)

Bigfoot has a huge number of different names. In some places he is known as Yeti, in others Bigfoot or Sascotch. However, according to the descriptions, Bigfoot is almost the same everywhere. He is represented as a creature similar to a person, but large in size. It is completely covered with wool and lives only in the mountains or thickets of forests. There is no scientific proof of the existence of this creature, although legends that it roams the forests still exist today.

People who talk about their encounters with Yeti claim that these monsters have a muscular body, a pointed skull, disproportionately long arms, a short neck and a weighty, protruding lower jaw. Everyone describes the color of the coat differently, some thought it was red, others thought it was white or black. There were even individuals with gray hair.

There is still debate among scientists about what species Bigfoot can be classified as. Among the plausible assumptions is that this creature is a mammal, which is related to humans and primates. It was born in the prehistoric period and somehow managed to survive. There is also an opinion that Bigfoot is from another planet, that is, an extraterrestrial life form.

Today, most opinions agree that the Yeti is nothing other than a species of Gigantopithecus. These animals were anthropoid apes whose height could reach up to 4 meters.

8. Sea Serpent (Herring King)

Mentions of encounters with the sea serpent are found all over the world. According to eyewitnesses, this mythical creature resembled a snake and was large in size. The serpent's head looked like a dragon's mouth, but in other sources it resembled a horse's.

The image of a sea serpent could have arisen among people not only of the ancient, but also of the modern world, after meetings with the herring king or the belt fish. Due to its belonging to the strap-bodied fish, the herring king has a ribbon-like shape. However, only the length of the body is striking; it can reach up to 4 meters. The height of the body usually does not exceed 30 cm. Of course, there are also larger individuals whose weight reaches 250 kilograms, but this is very rare.

9. Korean dragons (Titanoboa)

Even by the name of the dragon you can understand that it was invented in Korea. At the same time, the creature was endowed with features that are characteristic of this country. The Korean dragon was a serpentine creature without wings, but with a large and long beard. Despite the fact that in most countries of the world these animals were described as fire-breathing creatures that destroy everything in their path, the Korean dragon was a peace-loving creature. They were protectors of rice fields and ponds. Also in Korea they believed that their mythical dragon could cause rain.

The appearance of such an amazing creature is confirmed by science. In the not so distant past, scientists were able to discover the remains of a huge snake. It was this creature that lived on earth from 61.7 to 58.7 million years BC that was given the name Titanoboa. The size of this snake was simply colossal - an adult was about 13 meters long and weighed more than 1 ton.

10. Cyclops (Dwarf elephants)

Beliefs about Cyclops come from ancient Greece. There they were described as humanoid creatures, large in stature and with only one eye. Cyclops were mentioned in many myths, where they were described as aggressive creatures with superhuman powers. In those days, the Cyclopes were considered an entire people living separately from all of humanity.

From a scientific point of view, the legends of the Cyclops originated from dwarf elephants. Finding the remains of these animals, people could mistake the central hole on the elephant's head for the eye socket of a Cyclops.

Now we know the fundamental principle and understand what mythical creatures were meant when talking about unicorns, dragons and cyclops. Perhaps for other myths you can find a very real justification?

Mythological genre(from the Greek word mythos - legend) is a genre of art dedicated to events and heroes about which the myths of ancient peoples tell. All peoples of the world have myths, legends and traditions; they constitute an important source of artistic creativity.

The mythological genre was formed during the Renaissance, when ancient legends provided rich subjects for the paintings of S. Botticelli, A. Mantegna, Giorgione, and frescoes by Raphael.
In the 17th - early 19th centuries, the idea of ​​paintings in the mythological genre expanded significantly. They serve to embody a high artistic ideal (N. Poussin, P. Rubens), bring closer to life (D. Velazquez, Rembrandt, N. Poussin, P. Batoni), create a festive spectacle (F. Boucher, G. B. Tiepolo) .

In the 19th century, the mythological genre served as the norm for high, ideal art. Along with the themes of ancient mythology, themes from Germanic, Celtic, Indian and Slavic myths became popular in the visual arts and sculpture in the 19th and 20th centuries.
At the turn of the 20th century, symbolism and Art Nouveau style revived interest in the mythological genre (G. Moreau, M. Denis, V. Vasnetsov, M. Vrubel). It received a modern rethinking in the graphics of P. Picasso. See historical genre for more details.

Mythical creatures, monsters and fairy-tale animals
Ancient man's fear of the powerful forces of nature was embodied in mythological images of gigantic or vile monsters.

Created by the fertile imagination of the ancients, they combined body parts of familiar animals, such as the head of a lion or the tail of a snake. The body, made up of different parts, only emphasized the monstrousness of these disgusting creatures. Many of them were considered inhabitants of the depths of the sea, personifying the hostile power of the water element.

In ancient mythology, monsters are represented by a rare wealth of shapes, colors and sizes; more often they are ugly, sometimes they are magically beautiful; Often these are half-humans, half-beasts, and sometimes completely fantastic creatures.

Amazons

The ancient Greeks believed that these fierce beauties would marry men from other tribes at certain times of the year. They gave the born boys to their fathers or killed them, and raised the girls in a warlike spirit. During the Trojan War, the Amazons fought on the side of the Trojans, so the brave Greek Achilles, having defeated their queen Penthisileia in battle, zealously denied rumors of a love affair with her.

Stately female warriors attracted more than one Achilles. Hercules and Theseus took part in the battles with the Amazons, who kidnapped the Amazon queen Antiope, married her and with her help repelled the invasion of warrior maidens into Attica.

One of the twelve famous labors of Hercules consisted of stealing the magic belt of the queen of the Amazons, the beautiful Hippolyta, which required considerable self-control from the hero.

Magi and Mages

Magi (wizards, magicians, sorcerers, sorcerers) are a special class of people (“wise men”) who enjoyed great influence in ancient times. The wisdom and power of the Magi lay in their knowledge of secrets inaccessible to ordinary people. Depending on the degree of cultural development of the people, their magicians or sages could represent different degrees of “wisdom” - from simple ignorant witchcraft to truly scientific knowledge.

Kedrigern and other magicians Dean Morrissey

Harpies

Harpies, in Greek mythology, the daughter of the sea deity Thaumantas and the oceanid Electra, the number of which ranges from two to five. They are usually depicted as disgusting half-birds, half-women.

Harpies Bruce Pennington

Myths speak of harpies as evil kidnappers of children and human souls. From the harpy Podarga and the god of the west wind Zephyr, the divine fleet-footed horses of Achilles were born. According to legend, harpies once lived in the caves of Crete, and later in the kingdom of the dead.

Dwarves in the mythology of the peoples of Western Europe are small people who live underground, in the mountains or in the forest. They were the size of a child or a finger, but they possessed supernatural strength; they have long beards and sometimes goat legs or crow's feet.

Dwarves lived much longer than people. In the depths of the earth, little men kept their treasures - precious stones and metals. Dwarves are skilled blacksmiths and could forge magic rings, swords, etc. They often acted as benevolent advisers to people, although black gnomes sometimes kidnapped beautiful girls.

Goblins

In the mythology of Western Europe, goblins are called mischievous ugly creatures that live underground, in caves that do not tolerate sunlight, and lead an active night life. The origin of the word goblin seems to be connected with the spirit Gobelinus, which lived in the lands of Evreux and is mentioned in manuscripts of the 13th century.

Having adapted to life underground, representatives of this people became very hardy creatures. They could go without food for a whole week and still not lose strength. They also managed to significantly develop their knowledge and skills, became cunning and inventive and learned to create things that no mortal had the opportunity to do.

It is believed that goblins love to cause minor mischief to people - sending nightmares, making people nervous with noise, breaking dishes with milk, crushing chicken eggs, blowing soot from the stove into a clean house, sending flies, mosquitoes and wasps on people, blowing out candles and spoiling milk.

Gorgons

Gorgons, in Greek mythology, monsters, daughters of the sea deities Phorcys and Keto, granddaughters of the earth goddess Gaia and the sea Pontus. Their three sisters are Stheno, Euryale and Medusa; the latter, unlike the elders, is a mortal being.

The sisters lived in the far west, off the banks of the world river Ocean, near the Garden of the Hesperides. Their appearance was terrifying: winged creatures covered with scales, with snakes instead of hair, fanged mouths, with a gaze that turned all living things to stone.

Perseus, the liberator of the beautiful Andromeda, beheaded the sleeping Medusa, looking at her reflection in the shiny copper shield given to him by Athena. From the blood of Medusa appeared the winged horse Pegasus, the fruit of her relationship with the ruler of the sea, Poseidon, who, with a blow of his hoof on Mount Helicon, knocked out a source that gives inspiration to poets.

Demons and Demons

A demon, in Greek religion and mythology, is the embodiment of a generalized idea of ​​​​an indefinite formless divine force, evil or benign, determining the fate of a person.

In Orthodox Christianity, “demons” are usually denounced as “demons.”
Demons, in ancient Slavic mythology, are evil spirits. The word “Demons” is common Slavic and goes back to the Indo-European bhoi-dho-s - “causing fear.” Traces of ancient meaning survive in archaic folklore texts, especially spells. In Christian ideas, demons are the servants and spies of the devil, they are warriors of his unclean army, they oppose the Holy Trinity and the heavenly army led by the Archangel Michael. They are the enemies of the human race

In the mythology of the Eastern Slavs - Belarusians, Russians, Ukrainians - the general name for all lower demonological creatures and spirits, such as evil spirits, devils, demons etc. - evil spirits, evil spirits.

According to popular beliefs, evil spirits are created by God or Satan, and according to popular beliefs, they appear from unbaptized children or children born from intercourse with evil spirits, as well as suicides. It was believed that the devil and the devil could hatch from a cock's egg carried under the left armpit. Evil spirits are omnipresent, but their favorite places were wastelands, thickets, and swamps; intersections, bridges, holes, whirlpools, whirlpools; “unclean” trees - willow, walnut, pear; underground and attics, space under the stove, baths; The representatives of evil spirits are named accordingly: goblin, field worker, waterman, swamper, brownie, barnnik, bannik, underground etc.

DEMONS OF HELL

Fear of evil spirits forced people not to go into the forest and field during Rusal Week, not to leave the house at midnight, not to leave dishes with water and food open, to close the cradle, to cover the mirror, etc. However, people sometimes entered into an alliance with evil spirits , for example, he told fortunes by removing the cross, healed with the help of spells, and sent damage. This was done by witches, sorcerers, healers, etc..

Vanity of vanities - Everything is vanity

Vanitas still lifes emerged as an independent genre around 1550.

Dragons

The first mention of dragons dates back to the ancient Sumerian culture. In ancient legends there are descriptions of the dragon as an amazing creature, unlike any other animal and at the same time resembling many of them.

The image of the Dragon appears in almost all creation myths. The sacred texts of ancient peoples identify it with the primordial power of the earth, the primordial Chaos, which enters into battle with the Creator.

The dragon symbol is the emblem of warriors on Parthian and Roman standards, the national emblem of Wales, and the guardian depicted on the prows of ancient Viking ships. Among the Romans, the dragon was the badge of a cohort, hence the modern dragon, dragoon.

The dragon symbol is a symbol of supreme power among the Celts, a symbol of the Chinese emperor: his face was called the Face of the Dragon, and his throne was called the Dragon Throne.

In medieval alchemy, primordial matter (or otherwise the world substance) was designated by the most ancient alchemical symbol - a snake-dragon biting its own tail and called ouroboros ("tail eater"). The image of the ouroboros was accompanied by the caption “All in One or One in All.” And Creation was called circular (circulare) or wheel (rota). In the Middle Ages, when depicting a dragon, different parts of the body were “borrowed” from various animals, and, like the sphinx, the dragon was a symbol of the unity of the four elements.

One of the most common mythological plots is the battle with the dragon.

The battle with the dragon symbolizes the difficulties that a person must overcome in order to master the treasures of inner knowledge, defeat his base, dark nature and achieve self-control.

Centaurs

Centaurs, in Greek mythology, wild creatures, half-human, half-horse, inhabitants of mountains and forest thickets. They were born from Ixion, the son of Ares, and the cloud, which, by the will of Zeus, took the form of Hera, on whom Ixion attempted. They lived in Thessaly, ate meat, drank and were famous for their violent temper. The centaurs fought tirelessly with their neighbors the Lapiths, trying to kidnap the wives from this tribe for themselves. Defeated by Hercules, they settled throughout Greece. Centaurs are mortal, only Chiron was immortal

Chiron, unlike all centaurs, he was skilled in music, medicine, hunting and the art of war, and was also famous for his kindness. He was friends with Apollo and raised a number of Greek heroes, including Achilles, Hercules, Theseus and Jason, and taught healing to Asclepius himself. Chiron was accidentally wounded by Hercules with an arrow poisoned by the poison of the Lernaean hydra. Suffering from an incurable sore, the centaur longed for death and renounced immortality in exchange for Zeus freeing Prometheus. Zeus placed Chiron in the sky in the form of the constellation Centaur.

The most popular of the legends where centaurs appear is the legend of the “centauromachy” - the battle of the centaurs with the Lapiths who invited them to the wedding. Wine was new to the guests. At the feast, the drunken centaur Eurytion insulted the king of the Lapiths, Pirithous, trying to kidnap his bride Hippodamia. The “Centauromachy” was depicted by Phidias or his student in the Parthenon, Ovid sang it in book XII of “Metamorphoses”, it inspired Rubens, Piero di Cosimo, Sebastiano Ricci, Jacobo Bassano, Charles Lebrun and other artists.

Painter Giordano, Luca depicted the plot of the famous story of the battle between the Lapiths and the centaurs, who decided to kidnap the daughter of King Lapith

RENI GUIDO Deianira, kidnapped

Nymphs and Mermaids

Nymphs, in Greek mythology, are the deities of nature, its life-giving and fruitful powers in the form of beautiful girls. The most ancient ones, the Meliads, were born from drops of the blood of castrated Uranus. There are nymphs of water (oceanids, nereids, naiads), lakes and swamps (limnads), mountains (restiads), groves (alseids), trees (dryads, hamadryads), etc.

Nereid J. W. Waterhouse 1901

Nymphs, owners of ancient wisdom, the secrets of life and death, healers and prophetesses, from marriages with gods gave birth to heroes and soothsayers, for example Achille, Aeacus, Tiresias. Beauties, who usually lived far from Olympus, at the behest of Zeus were summoned to the palace of the father of gods and people.

GHEYN Jacob de II - Neptune And Amphitrite

Of the myths associated with nymphs and Nereids, the most famous is the myth of Poseidon and Amphitrite. One day, Poseidon saw, off the coast of the island of Naxos, the Nereid sisters, daughters of the prophetic sea elder Nereus, dancing in a circle. Poseidon was captivated by the beauty of one of the sisters, the beautiful Amphitrite, and wanted to take her away in his chariot. But Amphitrite took refuge with the titan Atlas, who holds the vault of heaven on his mighty shoulders. For a long time Poseidon could not find the beautiful Amphitrite, daughter of Nereus. Finally, a dolphin opened her hiding place to him. For this service, Poseidon placed the dolphin among the celestial constellations. Poseidon stole the beautiful daughter Nereus from Atlas and married her.

Herbert James Draper. Sea melodies, 1904

Satires

Satyr in Exile Bruce Pennington

Satyrs, in Greek mythology, spirits of the forests, demons of fertility, together with the Silenians, were part of the retinue of Dionysus, in whose cult they played a decisive role. These wine-loving creatures are bearded, covered with fur, long-haired, with protruding horns or horse ears, tails and hooves; however, their torso and head are human.

Cunning, cocky and lustful, satyrs frolicked in the forests, chased nymphs and maenads, and played evil tricks on people. There is a well-known myth about the satyr Marcia, who, having picked up a flute thrown by the goddess Athena, challenged Apollo himself to a musical competition. The rivalry between them ended with God not only defeating Marsyas, but also skinning the unfortunate man alive.

Trolls

Jotuns, thurs, giants in Scandinavian mythology, trolls in the later Scandinavian tradition. On the one hand, these are the ancient giants, the first inhabitants of the world, preceding the gods and people in time.

On the other hand, the Jotuns are the inhabitants of a cold, rocky country on the northern and eastern outskirts of the earth (Jotunheim, Utgard), representatives of elemental demonic natural forces

T Rollie, in German-Scandinavian mythology, evil giants who lived in the depths of the mountains, where they kept their countless treasures. It was believed that these unusually ugly creatures had enormous strength, but were very stupid. Trolls, as a rule, tried to harm people, stole their livestock, destroyed forests, trampled fields, destroyed roads and bridges, and engaged in cannibalism. Later tradition likens trolls to various demonic creatures, including gnomes.

Fairies

Fairies, according to the beliefs of the Celtic and Roman peoples, are fantastic female creatures, sorceresses. Fairies, in European mythology, are women with magical knowledge and power. Fairies are usually good sorceresses, but there are also “dark” fairies.

There are many legends, fairy tales and great works of art in which fairies do good deeds, become patrons of princes and princesses, and sometimes themselves act as wives of kings or heroes.

According to Welsh legends, fairies existed in the guise of ordinary people, sometimes beautiful, but sometimes terrible. At will, when performing magic, they could take the form of a noble animal, flower, light, or could become invisible to people.

The origin of the word fairy remains unknown, but in the mythologies of European countries it is very similar. The words for fairy in Spain and Italy are “fada” and “fata”. Obviously, they are derived from the Latin word "fatum", that is, fate, fate, which was a recognition of the ability to predict and even control human destiny. In France, the word "fee" comes from the Old French "feer", which apparently appeared on the basis of the Latin "fatare", meaning "to enchant, to bewitch". This word speaks of the ability of fairies to change the ordinary world of people. From the same word comes the English word "faerie" - "magical kingdom", which includes the art of witchcraft and the entire world of fairies.

Elves

Elves, in the mythology of the Germanic and Scandinavian peoples, are spirits, ideas about which go back to the lower natural spirits. Like elves, elves are sometimes divided into light and dark. Light elves in medieval demonology are good spirits of the air, atmosphere, beautiful little men (about an inch tall) in hats made of flowers, inhabitants of trees, which, in this case, cannot be cut down.

The myths that have survived to this day are full of dramatic stories about gods and heroes who fought dragons, giant snakes and evil demons.

In Slavic mythology, there are many myths about animals and birds, as well as creatures endowed with a bizarre appearance - half-bird, half-woman, human-horse - and extraordinary properties. First of all, this is a werewolf, a werewolf. The Slavs believed that sorcerers could turn any person into a beast with a spell. This is the frisky half-man, half-horse Polkan, reminiscent of a centaur; wonderful half-birds, half-maidens Sirin and Alkonost, Gamayun and Stratim.

An interesting belief among the southern Slavs is that at the dawn of time all animals were people, but those who committed a crime were turned into animals. In return for the gift of speech, they received the gift of foresight and understanding of what a person feels.

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