Animals with names from world legends. Mythical creatures (40 photos). Demon, in Greek religion and mythology, the embodiment of a generalized idea of ​​​​an indefinite formless divine force, evil or benign, determining the fate of a person

Fairytale deities and mythical creatures of the ancient world

Amazons are female warriors descended from the god of war Ares and the naiad Harmony. Bellerophon, Hercules and Theseus took part in the battles with the Amazons. During the Trojan War, the Amazons fought on the side of the Trojans.

The Boreads are the winged sons of the god of the north wind Boreas and Orithia, the daughter of the Athenian king Erechtheus. Like their father, the Boreads personified the winds, their actions were fast and swift. Participants in the Argonauts' campaign. During the campaign, they freed Phineus, Cleopatra’s husband, from the harpies who were tormenting him.

Briareus is the son of the sky god Uranus and the earth goddess Gaia. A monstrous creature with fifty heads and a hundred arms, one of the three hundred-armed brothers - participants in the Titanomachy.

Hamadryads are tree nymphs who, unlike dryads, were born with the tree and died with it. Hamadryads sometimes lived for a very long time, but they were not immortal.

The Hesperides are the daughters of Atlas and Hesperides, who lived on the happy islands, next to the Gorgons. In the garden where they lived and which was guarded by the dragon Ladon, golden apples grew.

The Hyades - nymphs, were considered the daughters of Atlas and the oceanids Efra, or Pleione. When their brother, Giant, died while hunting, five of them took their own lives out of grief and were turned by the gods into stars, under the name Hyades.

Giants are wild, gigantic and related to the gods creatures. They are 150 deities, the sons of Gaia - the Earth, which was fertilized by drops of blood that fell from the severed genitals of Uranus - Heaven.

The hippogriff is a mythical creature representing the union of a horse and a griffin. Fairytale winged horse-lion-bird of ancient Greek myths.

Gorgons are female monsters. According to Hesiod, these are the three sisters Feno, Euryale and Medusa, winged female monsters covered with scales, with fangs, with snakes instead of hair, emitting a terrifying roar; their gaze turns all living things into stone.

Grays are old women, or women who personified old age. They lived not far from the Gorgons, whose sisters they were considered and whom they guarded. The Grays have copper hands and between them they have one tooth and one eye, which they use alternately.

The griffin is half-eagle, half-lion, with a long snake tail. The image of a griffin combines the symbolism of an eagle (speed) and a lion (strength, courage). The combination of the two most important solar animals indicates the overall favorable character of the creature - the griffin personifies the Sun, strength, vigilance, and retribution.

Dryads are deities of trees, inhabitants of forests and groves. According to the beliefs of the Greeks, dryads, the daughters of Zeus and trees, lived and died with the tree.

Kerkops are the sons of Ocean and Theia, dwarf brothers, ugly creatures, cunning deceivers, lying in wait for wanderers and robbing them.

Centaurs are 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. They lived in Thessaly, ate meat, drank and were famous for their violent temper.

Corybantes is the name of the mythical predecessors of the priests of Cybele or Rhea in Phrygia. Companions and servants of the goddess, who, in wild enthusiasm, with music and dancing, served the Great Mother of the gods.

Laylap – copper live dog, made by the blacksmith god Hephaestus for the hunting pleasures of Zeus. Not a single animal could escape from Lailap. Zeus gave Lailap to his beloved Europa.

The Lapiths are a semi-mythical, semi-historical tribe. The connection of this tribe with place names indicates that the Lapiths were not just giants produced by popular imagination, but partly a historical tribe.

Moiras are goddesses of fate. In the ideas of the Greeks, moira, the destiny of everyone, is embodied in a certain material object - a fetish, a carrier of vital forces. The Moirai are associated with Zeus - sometimes he is called Morius.

Muses are goddesses and patroness of the arts and sciences. The Muses were considered the daughters of Zeus and the goddess of memory Mnemosyne. Their names are associated with singing and dancing. These goddesses were worshiped by scholars and artists Ancient Greece.

Nymphs are deities of nature, its life-giving and fruitful forces in the image beautiful girls. There are nymphs of water (nereids, naiads), lakes and swamps (limnads), mountains (restiads), groves (alseids), trees (dryads, hamadryads), etc. Nymphs, owners of ancient wisdom, the secrets of life and death, healers and prophetesses, from marriages with gods gave birth to heroes and soothsayers.

Oceanids are nymphs, daughters of Ocean and Tethys. The ancient titan Ocean gave birth to three thousand daughters - oceanids and the same number of sons - river streams. They communicated with the human race and were educators of the younger generation.

Oras are goddesses of the seasons, favoring vegetation. They unlock and lock the gates of Olympus, gather or disperse the clouds, feed and harness the horses of Hera.

Pegasus (translated from Greek source) is a winged horse, the son of Poseidon, brother of the giant Chrysaor. Pegasus, together with his brother Chrysaor, as the fruit of the relationship between the gorgon Medusa and Poseidon, emerged from the blood of Medusa when she was beheaded by Perseus.

Pygmies are a fabulous people of dwarfs living in Libya or Asia Minor. Pygmies ranged in size from an ant to a monkey. Strabo lists them together with half-dogs, big-headed, nest-eared, whiskered, noseless, one-eyed and hook-fingered.

The Pleiades are the seven daughters of the titan Atlas and the oceanids Pleione. The most striking of them bear the names of Atlantis, friends of Artemis: Alcyone, Keleno, Maya, Merope, Sterope, Taygeta, Electra.

Polyphemus is the son of Poseidon and the sea nymph Toosa. The one-eyed giant Cyclops lived in Sicily. There is a well-known myth about Polyphemus’s love for the nymph Galatea, as well as a myth about the misadventures of Odysseus’s companions visiting Polyphemus.

Satyrs are spirits of the forests, demons of fertility, who, 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.

The Encyclopedia of Mythology website contains about a hundred articles about fabulous tribes, legendary animals and mythical creatures of the ancient world, which can be found in our mythological dictionary.

There are a huge number of myths in the world in which various creatures play an important role. They do not have scientific confirmation, but new reports regularly appear that entities that do not look like ordinary animals and people have been spotted in different parts of the world.

Mythical creatures of the peoples of the world

There are a huge number of legends that tell about mythical monsters, animals and mysterious entities. Some of them have common features with real animals and even people, while others personify the fears of people living in different times. Every continent has legends that involve unique mythical animals and creatures associated with local folklore.

Slavic mythical creatures

Legends that arose during the times of the ancient Slavs are familiar to many, since they formed the basis of various fairy tales. The creatures of Slavic mythology hide important signs of that time. Many of them were held in high esteem by our ancestors.

Mythical creatures of ancient Greece

The most famous and interesting are the myths of Ancient Greece, which are filled with gods, various heroes and entities, both good and bad. Many Greek mythical creatures have become characters in various modern stories.

Mythical animals in Scandinavian mythology

The mythology of the ancient Scandinavians is part of ancient Germanic history. Many entities stand out for their enormous size and bloodthirstiness. The most famous mythical animals:

English mythical creatures

Various entities that, according to legends, lived in England in ancient times are among the most famous in the modern world. They became heroes of various cartoons and films.

Mythical creatures of Japan

Asian countries are unique, even if we consider their mythology. This is due to geographical location, unpredictable elements and national color. The ancient mythical creatures of Japan are unique.

Mythical creatures of South America

This territory is a mixture of ancient Indian traditions, Spanish and Portuguese culture. Over the years they have lived here different people who prayed to their gods and told stories. The most famous creatures from myths and legends in South America:

Mythical creatures of Africa

Considering the presence of a large number of nationalities living on the territory of this continent, it is understandable that the legends telling about the entities can be listed for a long time. Good mythical creatures are little known in Africa.

Mythical creatures from the Bible

While reading the main holy book, one may encounter different entities that are unknown. Some of them are similar to dinosaurs and mammoths.

World folklore is populated by a huge number of amazing fantastic animals. IN different cultures oh they were credited incredible properties or skills. Despite their diversity and dissimilarity, all mythical creatures have an undeniable commonality - there is no scientific confirmation of their existence in real life.

This did not stop the writers of treatises telling about the animal world of the planet, where real facts intertwined with fiction, fables and legends. Most of them are described in a collection of articles on zoology, also called “Bestiary of Mythical Creatures.”

Causes

The surrounding nature with its cataclysms, often not always understandable phenomena, inspired horror. Unable to find an explanation or somehow logically understand the chain of events, the person interpreted this or that incident in his own way. Mythical creatures, who, according to people, were guilty of what was happening, were called to help.

In the old days, the forces of nature stood on the highest pedestal. Faith in them was unconditional. Ancient mythical creatures served as gods. They were worshiped, sacrifices were made in gratitude for the rich harvest, happy hunting, a successful outcome of any matter. They were afraid to anger and offend mythical creatures.

But there is another theory for their appearance. Probability of coexistence of several parallel worlds some scientists admit, relying on Einstein's theory of probability. There is an assumption that all these amazing individuals actually exist, just not in our reality.

What were they like?

The "Bestiary of Mythical Creatures" was among the main sources of information. There were not many publications systematizing the animal world of the planet. It is difficult to talk about its reliability. Completely mythical creatures were listed there and described in great detail. The illustrations made in pencil were amazing; the smallest details of the monsters were drawn so carefully and in detail.

Usually these individuals combined the features of several, sometimes logically incompatible, representatives of the animal world. These were basically the mythical creatures of Ancient Greece. But they could also combine human traits.

Many mythical creatures' skills are borrowed from their environment. The ability to grow new heads echoes the ability of lizards to restore a severed tail. The ability to spew fire can be compared to how some snakes can spit venom at a distance of up to 3 meters.

Serpentine and dragon-like monsters stand out as a separate group. Perhaps ancient people lived at the same time as the last extinct dinosaurs. The remains of huge animals could also provide food and freedom for the imagination to imagine what mythical creatures looked like. Different nationalities have pictures with their images.

Demi-humans

The fictional images also contained human traits. They were used in different versions: an animal with human body parts, or vice versa - a person with the characteristics of an animal. A separate group in many cultures is represented by demihumans (mythical creatures). The list is headed by perhaps the most famous character - the centaur. The human torso on the body of a horse - this is how the ancient Greeks depicted it. Strong individuals were distinguished by a very violent disposition. They lived in the mountains and forest thickets.

In all likelihood, his close relatives are an onocentaur, half-man, half-donkey. He had a mean character and was considered a rare hypocrite, often compared to Satan.

The famous minotaur is directly related to the “mythical creatures” group. Pictures with his image are found on household items from the times of Ancient Greece. A terrible creature with a bull's head, according to myth, kept Athens in fear, demanding an annual sacrifice in the form of seven young men and women. The monster devoured the unfortunate in his labyrinth on the island of Crete.

An individual of enormous strength with the torso of a man, with powerful horns and the body of a bull was called a bocentaur (bull-man). He had the ability to cause hatred between representatives of different sexes based on jealousy.

Harpies were considered wind spirits. Colorful half-women, half-birds, wild, predatory, with a disgusting, unbearable smell. The gods sent them to punish guilty people. It consisted in the fact that these swift creatures took food from a person, dooming him to starvation. They were credited with stealing children and human souls.

The half-maiden, half-snake is vicious, attractive in appearance, but terrible in its serpentine essence. She specialized in kidnapping travelers. She was the mother of a number of monsters.

Sirens appeared to travelers in the form of predatory beauties, with the head and body of an elegant woman. Instead of hands, they had terrible bird paws with huge claws. The beautiful melodic voice they inherited from their mother served as a lure for people. Sailing towards the mesmerizing singing, the ships crashed on the rocks, and the sailors died, torn to pieces by the sirens.

The Sphinx was a rare monster - the breasts and face of a woman, the body of a lion with sweeping wings. His craving for riddles caused the death of masses of people. He killed everyone who could not give the correct answer to his question. According to the Greeks, the sphinx was the personification of wisdom.

Water creatures

Mythical creatures The Greeks also lived in the waters of the oceans, seas, rivers, and swamps. They were inhabited by naiads. The springs in which they lived were almost always healing. For disrespectful attitude towards nature, for example, polluting a source, a person could be punished with insanity.

Scylla and Charybdis were once attractive nymphs. The wrath of the gods made them terrible monsters. Charybdis knew how to create a powerful whirlpool that appeared three times a day. It sucked in all the ships passing by. Scylla lay in wait for sailors near a cave in the rock of the Strait of Sicily. There was trouble on both sides of the narrow strip of water. And today the expression “falling between Charybdis and Scylla” means a threat from two sides.

Another colorful representative of the deep sea is the hippocamus, or water horse. According to the description, he really looked like a horse, but his body ended with a fish tail. It served as a means of transportation for sea gods - Nereids and Tritons.

Flying creatures

Some mythical creatures could fly. Only a person with a rich imagination could dream of a griffin. It is described as a bird with the body of a lion, the front legs replacing bird feet with huge claws, and the head resembling that of an eagle. Every living thing died from his scream. People believed that griffins guarded the treasures of the Scythians. They were also used by the goddess Nemesis as draft animals for her cart, which symbolized the inevitability and speed of punishment for sins committed.

Phoenix was a mixture of different types birds. In his appearance one could detect features of a crane, peacock, and eagle. The ancient Greeks considered him immortal. And the phoenix’s ability to be reborn symbolized man’s desire for self-improvement.

There is no more noble creature in mythology capable of self-sacrifice. Once every five hundred years, in the Temple of the Sun, a phoenix voluntarily throws itself into the flames. His death returns harmony and happiness to the human world. Three days later, a renewed bird is reborn from the ashes, ready to repeat its fate for the well-being of the human race.

Stymphalian birds, covered with bronze feathers, with copper claws and beaks, inspired fear in everyone who saw them. Their rapid reproduction did not give a chance for the surrounding area to survive. Like locusts, they ate everything they came across, turning flowering valleys into deserts. Their feathers were formidable weapons. The birds hit them like arrows.

The winged horse Pegasus, although born from the head of a dying gorgon, became a symbol of a reliable friend, talent and boundless intelligence. He combined the power of a creature independent of gravity, a horse and vitality. The graceful, swift, free, beautiful winged horse still serves people of art.

Female mythical creatures

In Slavic culture, female mythical creatures served to destroy people. A whole army of kikimoras, mermaids, and witches tried to drive people away from the world at the first opportunity.

No less scary and evil female mythical creatures of Ancient Greece. Not everyone was originally born as a monster. Many became such by the will of the gods, taking on a terrible image as punishment for any misdeeds. They differ in their “place of residence” and way of life. They are united by the desire to destroy man, and this is how evil mythical creatures live. The list is long:

• chimera;
• Gorgon;
• siren;
• salamander;
• puma;
• nymph;
• harpy;
• Valkyrie and other “nice” ladies.

Slavic mythology

Unlike other cultures, Slavic mythical creatures carry the experience and wisdom of all generations of ancestors. Traditions and legends were passed down orally. The lack of writing did not affect the description of the unusual creatures that, according to the ancient Slavs, inhabited their world.

Mostly Slavic mythical creatures have a human appearance. All of them are endowed with supernatural abilities and are clearly divided by habitat.

A semi-mythical creature - a werewolf (werewolf) - lived among people. He was credited with the ability to transform into a wolf. Moreover, unlike the legends of other peoples, this did not necessarily happen on a full moon. It was believed that the Cossack army was invincible precisely because Cossack warriors could take the form of a wolf at any time and attack their enemies.

"Domestic" creatures

The brownie, the spirit of a human home, protected the house from all sorts of troubles and troubles, including thieves and fires. He had the power of invisibility, but cats noticed him. When a family moved to another place, the brownie was always invited with them, carrying out the appropriate rituals. The custom of letting a cat into the house first has a simple explanation - the brownie rides in on it.

He always treats his household well, but does not tolerate lazy and grumpy people. Broken dishes or scattered cereals make it clear that he is dissatisfied. If the family does not listen to him and does not correct himself, the brownie may leave. Then the house is doomed to destruction; a fire or other misfortune will not keep you waiting.

The yard servant is directly subordinate to the brownie. His responsibilities include looking after the household outside the house: the barn, barns, and yard. He is rather indifferent to people, but it is not recommended to anger him.

Another spirit - anchutka - is divided according to place of residence: field, water and home. A little dirty trickster, not recommended for communication. No useful information Anchutka does not possess it; hypocrisy and the ability to deceive are inherent in him at the genetic level. His main entertainment is to make various sounds, a person with weak psyche can lead to madness. It is impossible to drive the spirit out of the house, but it is completely harmless to a balanced person.

Kikimora lives in the right corner from the entrance, where, according to custom, all the garbage was swept away. This is an energy creation, devoid of flesh, but having the ability to influence physical world. It is believed that she can see very far, run fast and become invisible. The versions of the appearance of kikimoras are also curious; there are several of them and all are considered correct:

• a deceased baby can become a kikimora; this group includes all stillborn, premature babies or miscarriages;
• children born from the sinful relationship of a fiery serpent and an ordinary woman;
• children cursed by their parents, the reason can be very different.

Kikimors use nightmares for children as their weapons, and give adults terrible hallucinations. Thus, they can deprive a person of reason or drive him to suicide. But there are special conspiracies against them, which were used by witches and magicians. A simpler method will also work: a buried silver object under the threshold will not allow the kikimora into the house.

It should be noted that, despite the widely used expression “swamp kikimora,” this does not apply to real representatives of this kind of entity. Apparently, we are talking about mermaids or dashing creatures, who live in the swamps.

Mythical creatures of nature

One of the most famous mythical forest-dwelling creatures in Slavic mythology is the goblin. He, as the owner, owns everything - from a blade of grass with berries and mushrooms to trees and animals.

As a rule, the goblin is friendly towards people. But such an attitude will only be towards people with a pure and bright soul. He will point out mushroom and berry places and lead you on a shortcut. And if a traveler shows respect to the devil and pampers him with a gift, an egg or a piece of cheese, he can count on protection from fierce animals or dark forces.

By the appearance of the forest itself, one could determine whether the light goblin was in charge, or whether he had switched to Chernobog’s side. In this case, the property is unkempt, overgrown, dense and impassable. Such careless “owners” are punished by God Veles himself. He expels them from the forest and transfers possession to another goblin.

Dashing, oddly enough, lives in a swamp. In essence, it is a complex allegory of an unfavorable combination of circumstances associated with specific human actions. From this we can conclude that everyone himself provokes the appearance of dashing. It never attacks first; its appearance is an adequate reaction to human actions.

As they describe, this is a strong, vindictive and ferocious creature in different guises - sometimes in the form of a giant, sometimes in the form of a tall, stooped undead woman. They are similar in one thing - the dashing man has only one eye, but despite this, no one managed to escape from him.

Meeting with a dashing person is dangerous. His curses and ability to send trouble to a person can ultimately lead to death.

A whole group of aquatic mythical creatures are represented by mermaids. There are:

• Vodyanitsa. They live only in water, never come to land, serve the merman, are absolutely harmless, and can only scare with their tickling. They look like ordinary naked girls, but can briefly turn into fish or swans.
• Loskotukhi. A special type of mermaid. Their time is at night, they can go to the banks of rivers and lakes. Naked beauties lure careless travelers and drown them. For their own amusement, they can tickle a person to death. Through their transparent backs you can see their internal organs.
• Mavki. This type of mermaid is the most common and has a specific reason for its appearance. Legend has it that Kostroma found out that her husband Kupala was her brother. Realizing that they could not be together, the girl threw herself off a cliff into the river and drowned. Since then he has been wandering along the river bank, looking for his husband. Every handsome guy gets sucked into the pool. There, having looked closely and realized that she had pulled the wrong person into the pool, she lets go. True, this no longer helps the young man; by that time he manages to drown. This is the only type of mermaid that “specializes” exclusively in young men.
• Lobasta. The most terrible type of mermaids. They sell their soul to Chernobog. They look creepy, like monsters with some female body parts. Strong and evil creatures that can attack individually or in groups. The best means of salvation is to run away from them.

Despite such diversity, all mermaids are related to the female gender. It is generally accepted that girls whose death is somehow connected with water turn to them.

All bodies of water, be it a river or a lake, needed their own caretaker. This was the merman. He was responsible for order on the shore and the cleanliness of the water. He led all the mermaids, and if necessary, he could assemble a fairly powerful army from them. This was required to protect the reservoir from waterlogging (this is how the onset of dark forces manifested itself).

The merman was revered as a wise keeper of knowledge. People often turned to him for advice. The power of the merman is great - he could both give life (water is its main source) and take it away, sending terrible natural disasters: floods and floods. But the water man did not show his anger without reason and always treated people kindly.

Mythical creatures and cinema

Modern computer graphics allows you to make films on the theme of mythical creatures without any restrictions. The fertile, inexhaustible theme inspires an entire army of filmmakers.

Scenarios are written based on famous epics, myths, legends with an admixture of mysticism and superstition. Films about mythical creatures are also made in the genres of fantasy, horror, and mysticism.

But it’s not only feature films that attract viewers. Scientists are still trying to unravel the nature of the entities. There are documentaries about mythical creatures that are very interesting in content, assumptions, and scientific conclusions.

Mythical creatures in the modern world

A person's delving into himself, trying to find out as much as possible about his personality led to the creation of a lot of different tests. The “What mythical creature are you?” test has been developed and is widely popular. After answering a number of questions, the test taker receives his characteristics. It also indicates the mythical creature to which it most closely corresponds.

Attempts to explain the incredible phenomena associated with brownies, barabashkas and other “neighbors” push researchers into desperate attempts to take photos of mythical creatures. Modern sensitive technology gives researchers hope to capture the desired objects. Sometimes some light spots or shadows appear in photographs. No expert can say anything for sure. It is difficult to say with certainty that the photo of the mythical creatures is clearly visible, and confirms their undeniable presence.

Today these creatures seem to be a figment of the imagination, but many centuries ago people believed in their real existence. There is no reliable evidence that they really existed, so it was decided to treat them as mythical creatures. We invite you to get acquainted with the ten most popular creatures, whose image is glorified in the myths of different cultures for their beauty, cruelty or magical power.

10. Kraken/Leviathan

The Kraken is a giant octopus with uncontrollable aggression, while the Leviathan is a seven-headed monster known for its enormous size. In any case, the presence of these monsters in the world's oceans would threaten the safety of navigation. No one knows whether these monsters really exist or are a figment of human imagination. Only one thing is known that these are the most aggressive ocean creatures, based on the plots of myths about them.

A human body on horse legs, a buffalo head on a human body, or a lion with a human head – these mutants can be listed endlessly, as they are replete with myths of different cultures around the world. A chimera with the head of a lion, wings of a dragon and the body of a goat is also on this list. Many of these creatures have basically positive characteristics, like Pegasus or a centaur, but there were also such cruel creatures as the Chimera.

Phoenix, beautiful colorful bird, comes from Greek mythology and is a symbol of early Christianity. He lived long life and died, incinerating himself, to be reborn from the ashes again and start a new eternal life. Some myths say that the Phoenix could live up to 1400 years, then die and be reborn again. This is one of the most famous mythical creatures, which often became the hero of literary works, including the Harry Potter novels.

7. Unicorn

A creature with the body and head of a horse with a sharp horn on its forehead is the legendary unicorn, a mythical animal that is a symbol of purity of thoughts and grace, associated with innocence. Many believe that the unicorn existed, but was exterminated because of its horn, which had healing properties.

The only similarity between a mermaid and a siren is that they top part was similar to the human body of a woman, and the lower one was presented in the form of a fish tail. Sirens were a product of Greek mythology and were considered the nightmare of any sailor. They could make any man fall in love with them, luring him with their beauty and bewitching singing. Mermaids are generally very popular in works of art, they were often depicted by artists, films were made about them. Despite numerous oral historical accounts of their existence, even provided by Christopher Columbus during his voyage to the Caribbean, there is no physical evidence. Only fairy tales and epics.

5. Werewolf

In folklore there are stories about people who can turn into wolves or wolf-like creatures. If someone is bitten or scratched by such an animal, he will turn into a werewolf.

Bigfoot is a giant-sized man whose body is covered with thick fur. They are said to live primarily in forests in the Pacific region. Despite the fact that photographs were taken of Bigfoot himself and his footprint, scientists do not believe in his real existence. They are sure that these photographs are fake, and the Bigfoot himself is a figment of human imagination.

3. Vampires / Chupacabra

Vampires appear in the tales and myths of many cultures, but under different names. These are immortal creatures that terrorize the surrounding area in search of their victims, whose blood is their only source of nutrition. Vampires are experts in transformation and seduction.

These legendary creatures with a reptilian body are the heroes of fairy tales, epics and epics of almost all peoples of the world, from Europe to Asia. In Asia, dragons are represented as a giant lizard or snake with two pairs of legs and a head spitting fire from its mouth, while European dragons had many heads and wings. In Asia, dragons were revered for their wisdom and courage, while in Europe, dragons were described as bloodthirsty creatures.

This is not just a legendary lake creature, it is also the most famous monster living in Loch Ness in Scotland. There are thousands of studies and reports about Nessie dating back to the 6th century. In the 30s of the last century, a real stir began among researchers, everyone tried to see the monster with their own eyes. Scientists persistently reject any evidence of its existence, considering it a figment of fantasy and fraud.

I already told you once in a section about this and even provided comprehensive evidence in the form of photographs in this article. Why did I talk about mermaids, yes because mermaid is a mythical creature found in many stories and fairy tales. And this time I want to talk about mythical creatures that existed at one time according to legends: Grants, Dryads, Kraken, Griffins, Mandrake, Hippogriff, Pegasus, Lernaean Hydra, Sphinx, Chimera, Cerberus, Phoenix, Basilisk, Unicorn, Wyvern. Let's get to know these creatures better.

Video from the channel " Interesting Facts"

1. Wyvern

Wyvern-This creature is considered a "relative" of the dragon, but it only has two legs. instead of the front one there are bat wings. It is characterized by a long snake-like neck and a very long, movable tail, ending with a sting in the form of a heart-shaped arrow or spear tip. With this sting, the wyvern manages to cut or stab the victim, and under the right conditions, even pierce it right through. In addition, the sting is poisonous.
The wyvern is often found in alchemical iconography, in which (like most dragons) it personifies primordial, raw, unprocessed matter or metal. In religious iconography, it can be seen in paintings depicting the struggle of Saints Michael or George. The wyvern can also be found on heraldic coats of arms, for example, on the Polish coat of arms of the Latskys, the coat of arms of the Drake family or the Enmity of Kunvald.

2. Asp

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Aspid- In the ancient Alphabet Books there is a mention of the asp - this is a serpent (or snake, asp) “winged, with a bird’s nose and two trunks, and in the land in which it is committed, that land will be devastated.” That is, everything around will be destroyed and devastated. The famous scientist M. Zabylin says that the asp, according to popular belief, can be found in the gloomy northern mountains and that he never sits on the ground, but only on a stone. The only way to speak and exterminate the destroyer serpent is with a “trumpet voice” that makes the mountains shake. Then the sorcerer or healer grabbed the stunned asp with red-hot pincers and held it “until the snake died.”

3. Unicorn

Unicorn- Symbolizes chastity, and also serves as an emblem of the sword. Tradition usually represents him as a white horse with one horn protruding from his forehead; however, according to esoteric beliefs, it has a white body, a red head and blue eyes. In early traditions, the unicorn was depicted with the body of a bull, in later traditions with the body of a goat, and only in later legends with the body of a horse. Legend claims that he is insatiable when pursued, but obediently lies down on the ground if a virgin approaches him. In general, it is impossible to catch a unicorn, but if you do, you can only hold it with a golden bridle.
"His back was curved and his ruby ​​eyes glowed; at the withers he reached 2 meters. Just above his eyes, almost parallel to the ground, his horn grew; straight and thin. His manes and tail were scattered in small curls, and drooping and unnaturally for albinos were black eyelashes cast fluffy shadows on pink nostrils." (S. Drugal "Basilisk")
They feed on flowers, especially rosehip flowers, and honey, and drink morning dew. They also look for small lakes in the depths of the forest in which they swim and drink from there, and the water in these lakes usually becomes very clean and has the properties of living water. In Russian "alphabet books" of the 16th -17th centuries. The unicorn is described as a terrible and invincible beast, like a horse, all the strength of which lies in the horn. The horn of the unicorn was attributed healing properties(according to folklore, a unicorn uses its horn to purify water poisoned by a snake). The unicorn is a creature of another world and most often foreshadows happiness.

4. Basilisk

Basilisk- a monster with the head of a rooster, eyes of a toad, wings bat and the body of a dragon (according to some sources, a huge lizard) which exists in the mythologies of many peoples. His gaze turns all living things to stone. Basilisk - is born from an egg laid by a seven-year-old black rooster (in some sources from an egg hatched by a toad) into a warm dung heap. According to legend, if the Basilisk sees its reflection in the mirror, it will die. The Basilisk's habitat is caves, which are also its source of food, since the Basilisk only eats stones. He can only leave his shelter at night because he cannot stand the crowing of a rooster. And he is also afraid of unicorns because they are too “pure” animals.
“He moved his horns, his eyes were so green with a purple tint, his warty hood was swelling. And he himself was purple-black with a spiky tail. The triangular head with a black-pink mouth opened wide...
Its saliva is extremely poisonous and if it gets on living matter, it will immediately replace carbon with silicon. Simply put, all living things turn into stone and die, although there are disputes that the Basilisk’s gaze also petrifies, but those who wanted to check this did not return...” (“S. Drugal “Basilisk”).
5. Manticore

Manticore- The story about this creepy creature can be found in Aristotle (IV century BC) and Pliny the Elder (1st century AD). The manticore is the size of a horse, has a human face, three rows of teeth, a lion's body and a scorpion's tail, and red, bloodshot eyes. The manticore runs so fast that it covers any distance in the blink of an eye. This makes it extremely dangerous - after all, it is almost impossible to escape from it, and the monster feeds only on fresh human meat. Therefore, in medieval miniatures you can often see an image of a manticore with a human hand or foot in its teeth. In medieval works on natural history, the manticore was considered to be real, but living in deserted places.

6. Valkyries

Valkyries- beautiful warrior maidens who fulfill the will of Odin and are his companions. They invisibly take part in every battle, granting victory to those to whom the gods award it, and then take the dead warriors to Valhala, the castle of the extra-celestial Asgard, and serve them at the table there. Legends also call heavenly Valkyries, who determine the fate of each person.

7. Anka

Anka- In Muslim mythology, wonderful birds created by Allah and hostile to people. It is believed that anka exist to this day: there are simply so few of them that they are extremely rare. Anka is in many ways similar in its properties to the phoenix bird that lived in the Arabian desert (one can assume that anka is a phoenix).

8. Phoenix

Phoenix- In monumental sculptures, stone pyramids and buried mummies, the Egyptians sought to find eternity; It is quite natural that it was in their country that the myth of a cyclically reborn, immortal bird should have arisen, although the subsequent development of the myth was carried out by the Greeks and Romans. Adolv Erman writes that in the mythology of Heliopolis, the Phoenix is ​​the patron of anniversaries, or large time cycles. Herodotus, in a famous passage, expounds with marked skepticism the original version of the legend:

“There is another sacred bird there, its name is Phoenix. I myself have never seen it, except as a drawing, for in Egypt it appears rarely, once every 500 years, as the inhabitants of Heliopolis say. According to them, it flies when it dies father (that is, she herself) If the images correctly show her size and size and appearance, her plumage is partly golden, partly red. Her appearance and size resemble an eagle."

9. Echidna

Echidna- half-woman, half-snake, daughter of Tartarus and Rhea, gave birth to Typhon and many monsters (Lernaean Hydra, Cerberus, Chimera, Nemean Lion, Sphinx)

10. Sinister

Sinister- pagan evil spirits of the ancient Slavs. They are also called krixes or khmyri - swamp spirits, which are dangerous because they can stick to a person, even move into him, especially in old age, if the person has never loved anyone in his life and has not had children. Sinister has an indefinite appearance (speaks, but is invisible). She can turn into a little man, a small child, or an old beggar. In the Christmas game, the evil one personifies poverty, misery, and winter darkness. In the house, evil spirits most often settle behind the stove, but they also love to suddenly jump on a person’s back or shoulders and “ride” him. There may be several more evil ones. However, with some ingenuity, you can catch them by locking them in some kind of container.

11. Cerberus

Cerberus- one of Echidna's children. A three-headed dog, on whose neck snakes move with a menacing hiss, and instead of a tail he has a poisonous snake... Serves Hades (the god of the Kingdom of the Dead) stands on the threshold of Hell and guards its entrance. He made sure that no one left the underground kingdom of the dead, because there is no return from the kingdom of the dead. When Cerberus was on earth (This happened because of Hercules, who, on the instructions of King Eurystheus, brought him from Hades) the monstrous dog dropped drops of bloody foam from his mouth; from which the poisonous grass aconite grew.

12. Chimera

Chimera- in Greek mythology, a monster that spewed fire with the head and neck of a lion, the body of a goat and the tail of a dragon (according to another version, the Chimera had three heads - a lion, a goat and a dragon) Apparently, Chimera is the personification of a fire-breathing volcano. In a figurative sense, a chimera is a fantasy, an unfulfilled desire or action. In sculpture, chimeras are images of fantastic monsters (for example, chimeras of Notre Dame Cathedral), but it is believed that stone chimeras can come to life to terrify people.

13. Sphinx

Sphinx s or Sphinga in ancient Greek mythology, a winged monster with the face and breasts of a woman and the body of a lion. She is the offspring of the hundred-headed dragon Typhon and Echidna. The name of the Sphinx is associated with the verb "sphingo" - "to squeeze, suffocate." Sent by Hero to Thebes as punishment. The Sphinx was located on a mountain near Thebes (or in the city square) and asked everyone who passed a riddle (“Which living creature walks on four legs in the morning, on two in the afternoon, and on three in the evening?”). The Sphinx killed the one who was unable to give a solution and thus killed many noble Thebans, including the son of King Creon. The king, overcome with grief, announced that he would give the kingdom and the hand of his sister Jocasta to the one who would deliver Thebes from the Sphinx. Oedipus solved the riddle, the Sphinx in despair threw herself into the abyss and fell to her death, and Oedipus became the Theban king.

14. Lernaean Hydra

Lernaean Hydra- a monster with the body of a snake and nine heads of a dragon. The hydra lived in a swamp near the city of Lerna. She crawled out of her lair and destroyed entire herds. The victory over the hydra was one of the labors of Hercules.

15. Naiads

Naiads- Every river, every source or stream in Greek mythology had its own leader - a naiad. This cheerful tribe of water patrons, prophetesses and healers was not covered by any statistics; every Greek with a poetic streak heard the carefree chatter of the naiads in the murmur of the waters. They belong to the descendants of Oceanus and Tethys; there are up to three thousand of them.
“No one can name all their names. Only those who live nearby know the name of the stream.”

16. Rukhh

Rukhh- In the East, people have long been talking about the giant bird Rukh (or Ruk, Fear-rah, Nogoi, Nagai). Some people even met her. For example, the hero of Arabian fairy tales, Sinbad the Sailor. One day he found himself on a desert island. Looking around, he saw a huge white dome without windows or doors, so large that he could not climb onto it.
“And I,” Sinbad narrates, “walked around the dome, measuring its circumference, and counted fifty full steps. Suddenly the sun disappeared, and the air darkened, and the light was blocked from me. And I thought that a cloud had come over the sun (and it was summer time), and I was surprised, and raised my head, and saw a bird with a huge body and wide wings flying through the air - and it was she who covered the sun and blocked it over the island . And I remembered one story that was told long ago by people wandering and traveling, namely: on some islands there is a bird called Rukh, which feeds its children with elephants. And I became convinced that the dome I walked around was the Rukh egg. And I began to marvel at what the great Allah has created. And at this time the bird suddenly landed on the dome, and hugged it with its wings, and stretched out its legs on the ground behind it, and fell asleep on it, may Allah be praised, who never sleeps! And then I, untying my turban, tied myself to the feet of this bird, saying to myself: “Perhaps she will take me to countries with cities and populations. It will be better than sitting here on this island." And when the dawn rose and the day rose, the bird took off from the egg and soared into the air with me. And then it began to descend and landed on some ground, and, having reached the ground, I I quickly got rid of her legs, afraid of the bird, but the bird didn’t know about me and didn’t feel me.”

Not only the fabulous Sinbad the Sailor, but also the very real Florentine traveler Marco Polo, who visited Persia, India and China in the 13th century, heard about this bird. He said that the Mongol Khan Kublai Khan once sent a bird to catch faithful people. The messengers found her homeland: the African island of Madagascar. They did not see the bird itself, but they brought its feather: it was twelve steps long, and the diameter of the feather shaft was equal to two palm trunks. They said that the wind produced by the wings of Rukh knocks a person down, her claws are like bull horns, and her meat restores youth. But try to catch this Rukh if ​​she can carry off a unicorn along with three elephants impaled on her horn! author of the encyclopedia Alexandrova Anastasia They knew this monstrous bird in Rus', they called it Fear, Nog or Noga, and gave it even new fabulous features.
“The leg-bird is so strong that it can lift an ox, flies through the air and walks on the ground with four legs,” says the ancient Russian “Azbukovnik” of the 16th century.
I tried to explain the mystery of the winged giant again famous traveler Marco Polo: “This bird is called Ruk on the islands, but it’s not called in our language, but it’s a vulture!” Only... greatly grown in the human imagination.

17. Khukhlik

Khukhlik in Russian superstitions there is a water devil; mummer. The name hukhlyak, hukhlik, apparently comes from the Karelian huhlakka - “to weird”, tus - “ghost, ghost”, “strangely dressed” (Cherepanova 1983). The appearance of the hukhlyak is unclear, but they say that it is similar to the shilikun. This unclean spirit most often appears from water and becomes especially active during Christmas time. Likes to make fun of people.

18. Pegasus

Pegasus- V Greek mythology winged horse. Son of Poseidon and the gorgon Medusa. He was born from the body of the gorgon killed by Perseus. He received the name Pegasus because he was born at the source of the Ocean (Greek “source”). Pegasus ascended to Olympus, where he delivered thunder and lightning to Zeus. Pegasus is also called the horse of the muses, since he knocked Hippocrene out of the ground with his hoof - the source of the muses, which has the property of inspiring poets. Pegasus, like a unicorn, can only be caught with a golden bridle. According to another myth, the gods gave Pegasus. Bellerophon, and he, taking off on it, killed the winged monster chimera, which was devastating the country.

19 Hippogriff

Hippogriff- in the mythology of the European Middle Ages, wanting to indicate the impossibility or incongruity, Virgil speaks of an attempt to cross a horse and a vulture. Four centuries later, his commentator Servius claims that vultures or griffins are animals whose front part is eagle-like and the back part lion-like. To support his statement, he adds that they hate horses. Over time, the expression “Jungentur jam grypes eguis” (“crossing vultures with horses”) became a proverb; at the beginning of the sixteenth century, Ludovico Ariosto remembered him and invented the hippogriff. Pietro Michelli notes that the hippogriff is a more harmonious creature, even than the winged Pegasus. In "Roland the Furious" a detailed description of the hippogriff is given, as if intended for a textbook of fantastic zoology:

Not a ghostly horse under the magician - a mare
Born into the world, his father was a vulture;
Like his father, he was a wide-winged bird, -
He was in front of his father: like that one, zealous;
Everything else was like the uterus,
And that horse was called a hippogriff.
The borders of the Riphean mountains are glorious for them,
Far beyond the icy seas

20 Mandrake

Mandrake. The role of Mandrake in mythopoetic ideas is explained by the presence of certain hypnotic and stimulating properties in this plant, as well as the similarity of its root with the lower part human body(Pythagoras called Mandrake a “human-like plant,” and Columella called “half-human grass”). In some folk traditions Based on the type of Mandrake root, they distinguish between male and female plants and even give them appropriate names. In old herbalists, Mandrake roots are depicted as male or female forms, with a tuft of leaves growing from the head, sometimes with a dog on a chain or a dog in agony. According to legends, anyone who hears the groan made by the Mandrake as it is dug out of the ground must die; to avoid the death of a person and at the same time satisfy the thirst for blood supposedly inherent in Mandrake. When digging Mandrake, they tied a dog, which was believed to die in agony.

21. Griffins

Griffin- winged monsters with a lion's body and an eagle's head, guardians of gold. In particular, it is known that the treasures of the Riphean Mountains are protected. From his scream the flowers wither and the grass withers, and if there is anyone alive, then everyone falls dead. The griffin's eyes have a golden tint. The head was the size of a wolf's with a huge, terrifying-looking beak a foot long. Wings with a strange second joint to make them easier to fold. In Slavic mythology, all approaches to the Irian Garden, Alatyr Mountain and an apple tree with golden apples are guarded by griffins and basilisks. Whoever tries these golden apples will receive eternal youth and power over the Universe. And the apple tree itself with golden apples is guarded by the dragon Ladon. There is no passage here for either foot or horse.

22. Kraken

Kraken is the Scandinavian version of Saratan and the Arabian dragon, or sea serpent. The Kraken's back is one and a half miles wide, its tentacles can cover the most big ship. This huge back protrudes from the sea, like a huge island. The Kraken has a habit of obscuring sea ​​water eruption of some liquid. This statement gave rise to the hypothesis that the Kraken is an octopus, only enlarged. Among Tenison's youthful works one can find a poem dedicated to this remarkable creature:

From time immemorial in the depths of the ocean
The giant Kraken sleeps soundly
He is blind and deaf, over the carcass of a giant
Only from time to time a pale ray glides.
Giant sponges sway above him,
And from deep, dark holes
Polyps innumerable choir
Extends tentacles like hands.
The Kraken will rest there for thousands of years,
So it was and so it will be in the future,
Until the last fire burns through the abyss
And the heat will scorch the living firmament.
Then he will wake up from sleep,
Will appear before angels and people
And, emerging with a howl, he will meet death.

23. Golden dog

golden dog.- This is a dog made of gold that guarded Zeus when he was pursued by Kronos. The fact that Tantalus did not want to give up this dog was his first strong offense before the gods, which the gods later took into account when choosing his punishment.

“...In Crete, the homeland of the Thunderer, there was a golden dog. She once guarded the newborn Zeus and the wonderful goat Amalthea who fed him. When Zeus grew up and took away the power over the world from Cronus, he left this dog in Crete to guard his sanctuary. The king of Ephesus, Pandareus, seduced by the beauty and strength of this dog, secretly came to Crete and took it away on his ship from Crete. But where to hide this wonderful animal? Pandarey thought about this for a long time while traveling by sea and finally decided to give golden dog deposited with Tantalus. King Sipila hid the wonderful animal from the gods. Zeus was angry. He called his son, the messenger of the gods Hermes, and sent him to Tantalus to demand the return of the golden dog. In the blink of an eye, fast Hermes rushed from Olympus to Sipylus, appeared before Tantalus and said to him:
- The king of Ephesus, Pandareus, stole a golden dog from the sanctuary of Zeus in Crete and gave it to you for safekeeping. The gods of Olympus know everything, mortals cannot hide anything from them! Return the dog to Zeus. Beware of incurring the wrath of the Thunderer!
Tantalus answered the messenger of the gods this way:
- It is in vain that you threaten me with the wrath of Zeus. I have not seen a golden dog. The gods are wrong, I don’t have it.
Tantalus swore a terrible oath that he was telling the truth. With this oath he angered Zeus even more. This was the first insult inflicted by tantalum on the gods...

24. Dryads

Dryads- in Greek mythology, female tree spirits (nymphs). they live in a tree which they protect and often die along with this tree. Dryads are the only nymphs who are mortal. Tree nymphs are inseparable from the tree in which they live. It was believed that those who plant and care for trees enjoy the special protection of dryads.

25. Grants

Grant- In English folklore, a werewolf, who most often appears as a mortal in the guise of a horse. At the same time he walks hind legs, and his eyes are full of fire. Grant is a city fairy, he can often be seen on the street, at noon or towards sunset. Meeting with a grant portends misfortune - a fire or something else in the same vein.