Mythical Creatures - Stories of Legendary and Mythical Creatures
Tracing its origins back to a giant fish from Norse mythology called the hafgufa, the kraken first entered popular folklore as a titanic octopus or squid spotted by fishermen off the coasts of Norway and Greenland.
Top 10 Chinese myths
One 18th century account by Bishop Erik Pontoppidan described it as a squid-like beast so large that when any part of its body stuck out of the water it resembled a floating island. The legend may have been inspired by sightings of actual giant squid, and some paleontologists have argued that the prehistoric oceans were once home to foot-long cephalopods that fed on whale-sized Ichthyosaurs.
An intimidating blend of two different predators, the griffin was said to possess the body and back legs of a lion as well as the wings, beak and talons of a hawk or eagle. Tales of the flying behemoths most likely originated in the Middle East, but they later became a popular motif in ancient Greek literature. The beasts ripped flesh with their razor sharp talons, and they were also known to fly their victims to great heights before dropping them to their deaths.
According to researcher Adrienne Mayor, legends of the griffin could be inspired by early encounters with dinosaur fossils. Regardless of the description, the Aztecs considered this asexual sea monster the source of the cosmos. As the gods began the process of creation, they soon realized that their other creations would fall into the void and be devoured by the demon, so they decided to destroy Cipactli. Tezcatlipoca lured the monster in and lost a foot to its insatiable appetite before the gods were able to defeat it. Cipactli put up a fight, but in the end the gods prevailed.
The griffin is a legendary creature with the head and wings of an eagle, and the body, tail, and hind legs of a lion. During the Persian Empire, the griffin was seen as a protector from evil, witchcraft, and slander. While griffins are most common in the art and mythology of Ancient Greece, there is evidence of representations of griffins in ancient Persia and ancient Egypt dating back to as early as the 4th millennium BC.
In ancient Chinese astronomy, the sky ecliptic was divided into four sections.
Ten Mythological Creatures in Ancient Folklore
Each of these sections contained seven mansions, and together they formed the 28 Mansions. The 28 Mansions may be considered to be equivalent to the zodiacal constellations in Western astronomy, although they reflect the movement of the Moon through a sidereal month rather than the Sun in a tropical year. This enabled the ancient Chinese to mark the travelling positions of the Sun and the Moon, as well as to determine the time and seasons. Each section of the sky is assigned to a mythological creature, collectively known as the Four Symbols. Apart from their astronomical significance, each of the Four Symbols is surrounded by various mythological associations.
Finnish mythical creatures still lurk - thisisFINLAND
For privacy reasons, she has previously written on Ancient Origins under the pen name April Holloway, but is now choosing to use her real name, Joanna Gillan. Just want to point out that you have the picture of a immensly large Hydra pictured under the Naga headline.
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Lines and paragraphs break automatically. Leave this field blank. Related Articles on Ancient-Origins. The samodiva known also as samovila or vila; samodivi or samodivas in plural is a creature found in Balkan, specifically Bulgarian, folklore. In general, these beings are forest spirits or wood The Eye of Horus is one of the best-known symbols of ancient Egypt. Known also as the Wadjet, this magical symbol is believed to provide protection, health, and rejuvenation. Due to its powerful Legends, myths and folkloric systems across the western world record legendary horned creatures which have become known to us collectively as unicorns.
More recently, author Johanna Sinisalo won the coveted Finlandia Prize in with a book about a troll, published in the US as Troll: They are notoriously camera shy, and our photographers are also afraid to take the job although they refuse to admit it , so we bring you illustrations instead. Maybe our guide will inspire you to go on a creature-spotting expedition — tread carefully. Ranges in size from small to enormous. Hairy, with large nose and ears.
Slow, stupid and lazy. May turn into rocky landscape features for long periods, even centuries. Some individuals are aggressive and may kidnap children who stray too far from home. Children today fear the invisible Hammaspeikko , who secretively makes holes in their teeth. This gargantuan creature from the deep resembles a giant, fierce octopus, with long tentacles and suckers. May also sprout dragon-like wings. Beautiful creature like a small human, but with wings like those of a dragonfly or butterfly.
Usually avoids people, but friendly if encountered accidentally. Loves to dance and socialise. Lives in a parallel ideal world of peace and harmony.