Mythical / Legendary creature

Intro
A legendary creature is an animal or part-human being described in non-historical stories that
sometimes involve the supernatural. In the classical era, monstrous creatures such as the Cyclops and
the Minotaur appear in heroic tales for the protagonist to destroy. Other creatures, such as the unicorn,
were claimed in accounts of natural history by various scholars of antiquity. Some legendary creatures
have their origin in traditional mythology and were believed to be real creatures, for
example dragons, griffins, and unicorns. Others were based on real encounters, originating in garbled
accounts of travelers' tales, such as the Vegetable Lamb of Tartary, which supposedly grew tethered to
the earth.

Mermaid
A mermaid is a legendary aquatic creature with the head and
upper body of a female human and the tail of a fish.
Mermaids appear in the folklore of many cultures worldwide,
including the Near East, Europe, Africa and Asia. The first
stories appeared in ancient Assyria, in which the
goddess Atargatis transformed herself into a mermaid out of
shame for accidentally killing her human lover. Mermaids are
sometimes associated with perilous events such as floods,
storms, shipwrecks and drownings. In other folk traditions (or
sometimes within the same tradition), they can be benevolent
or beneficent, bestowing boons or falling in love with
humans.
The male equivalent of the mermaid is the merman, also a familiar figure in folklore and heraldry.
Although traditions about and sightings of mermen are less common than those of mermaids, they are
generally assumed to co-exist with their female counterparts.
Some of the attributes of mermaids may have been influenced by the Sirens of Greek mythology.
Historical accounts of mermaids, such as those reported by Christopher Columbus during his
exploration of the Caribbean, may have been inspired by manatees and similar aquatic mammals.
While there is no evidence that mermaids exist outside of folklore, reports of mermaid sightings
continue to the present day, including 21st century examples from Israel and Zimbabwe.
Mermaids have been a popular subject of art and literature in recent centuries, such as in Hans
Christian Andersen's well-known fairy tale "The Little Mermaid" (1836). They have subsequently
been depicted in operas, paintings, books, films and comics.

Griffin
The griffin is a legendary creature with the body, tail, and back legs of a lion; the head and wings of
an eagle; and an eagle's talons as its front feet. Because the lion was traditionally considered the king
of the beasts and the eagle the king of birds, the griffin was thought to be an especially powerful and
majestic creature. The griffin was also thought of as king of all creatures. Griffins are known for
guarding treasure and priceless possessions. Adrienne Mayor, a classical folklorist, proposes that the
griffin was an ancient misconception derived from the fossilized remains of the Protoceratops found
in gold mines in the Altai mountains of Scythia, in present-day southeastern Kazakhstan, or
in Mongolia, though this hypothesis has been strongly contested as it ignores pre-
Mycenaean accounts. In antiquity it was
a symbol of divine power and a guardian of the
divine.

History

There is
evidence of representations of griffins in Ancient
Iranian and Ancient Egyptian art dating back to before 3000
BC. In Egypt, a griffin can be seen in a cosmetic palette from
Hierakonpolis, known as the "Two Dog Palette", which is
dated to ca. 3300-3100 BC. In Iran, griffins appeared
on cylinder seals from Susa as early as 3000 BC. Griffin
depictions appear in the Levant, Syria, and Anatolia in the
Middle Bronze Age,[11][12] dated at about 1950-1550 BC. Early
depictions of griffins in Ancient Greek art are found in the 15th century BC frescoes in the Throne
Room of the Bronze Age Palace of Knossos, as restored by Sir Arthur Evans. It continued being a
favored decorative theme in Archaic and Classical Greek art.

In Central Asia, the griffin appears about a thousand years after Bronze Age Crete, in the 5th4th
centuries BC, probably originating from the Achaemenid Persian Empire. The Achaemenids
considered the griffin "a protector from evil, witchcraft and secret slander". The modern generalist
calls it the lion-griffin, as for example, Robin Lane Fox, in Alexander the Great, 1973:31 and notes
p. 506, who remarks a lion-griffin attacking a stag in a pebble mosaic Dartmouth College
expedition at Pella, perhaps as an emblem of the kingdom of Macedon or a personal one of
Alexander's successor Antipater.

The Pisa Griffin is a large bronze sculpture that

has been in Pisa in Italy since the Middle Ages,
though it is of Islamic origin. It is the largest
bronze medieval Islamic sculpture known, at
over three feet tall (42.5 inches, or 1.08 m.), and
was probably created in the 11th century in Al-
Andaluz (Islamic Spain). From about 1100 it
was placed on a column on the roof of Pisa
Cathedral until replaced by a replica in 1832; the
original is now in the Museo dell' Opera del
Duomo (Cathedral Museum), Pisa.

Phoenix (mythology)
In Greek mythology, a phoenix is a long-lived bird that is cyclically regenerated or reborn.
 Associated with the Sun, a phoenix obtains new life by arising
from the ashes of its predecessor. According to some sources, the
phoenix dies in a show of flames and combustion, although there
are other sources that claim that the legendary bird dies and
simply decomposes before being born again. According to some
texts, the phoenix could live over 1,400 years before rebirth.
Herodotus, Lucan, Pliny the Elder, Pope Clement
I, Lactantius, Ovid, and Isidore of Seville are among those who
have contributed to the retelling and transmission of the phoenix
motif.
In the historical record, the phoenix "could symbolize renewal in general as well as the sun, time, the
Empire, metempsychosis, consecration, resurrection, life in the
heavenly Paradise, Christ, Mary, virginity, the exceptional man, and certain aspects of Christian life".

Appearance
The phoenix is sometimes pictured in ancient and medieval literature and medieval art as endowed
with a nimbus, which emphasizes the bird's connection with the Sun. In the oldest images of
phoenixes on record these nimbuses often have seven
rays, like Helios (the personified sun of Greek
mythology). Pliny the Elder also describes the bird as
having a crest of feathers on its head, and Ezekiel the
Dramatist compared it to a rooster.
Although the phoenix was generally believed to be
colorful and vibrant, there is no clear consensus about
its coloration. Tacitus claims that its color made it
stand out from all other birds. Some thought that the
bird had peacock-like coloring, and Herodotus' claim
of red and yellow is popular in many versions of the
story on record. Ezekiel the Dramatist declared that the
phoenix had red legs and striking yellow
eyes, but Lactantius said that its eyes were blue like sapphires and that its legs were covered in scales
of yellow-gold with rose-colored talons.
Herodotus, Pliny, Solinus, and Philostratus describe the phoenix as similar in size to an eagle, but
Lactantius and Ezekiel the Dramatist both claim that the phoenix was larger, with Lactantius declaring
that it was even larger than an ostrich.

Pegasus
Pegasus is one of the best known creatures in Greek
mythology. He is a winged divine stallion also known as a
horse usually depicted as pure white in color. He was sired
by Poseidon, in his role as horse-god, and foaled by
the Gorgon Medusa. He was the brother of Chrysaor, born
at a single birthing when his mother was decapitated
by Perseus. Greco-Roman poets write about his ascent to
heaven after his birth and his obeisance to Zeus, king of
the gods, who instructed him to bring lightning and
thunder from Olympus. Friend of the Muses, Pegasus is
the creator of Hippocrene, the fountain on Mt. Helicon.
He was captured by the Greek hero Bellerophon near the fountain Peirene with the help of Athena and
Poseidon. Pegasus allows the hero to ride him to defeat a monster, the Chimera, before realizing many
other exploits. His rider, however, falls off his back trying to reach Mount Olympus. Zeus transformed
him into the constellation Pegasus and placed him up in the sky.
Hypotheses have been proposed regarding its relationship with the Muses, the
gods Athena, Poseidon, Zeus, Apollo, and the hero Perseus.
The symbolism of Pegasus varies with time. Symbol of wisdom and especially of fame from the
Middle Ages until the Renaissance, he became one symbol of the poetry and the creator of sources in
which the poets come to draw inspiration, particularly in the 19th century. Pegasus is the subject of a
very rich iconography, especially through the ancient Greek pottery and paintings and sculptures of
the Renaissance.

Pegasus and springs

According to legend, everywhere the winged horse struck his

hoof to the earth, an inspiring spring burst forth. One of these
springs was upon the Muses' Mount Helicon,
the Hippocrene ("horse spring"), opened, Antoninus
Liberalis suggested, at the behest of Poseidon to prevent
the mountain swelling with rapture at the song of the Muses;
another was at Troezen. Hesiod relates how Pegasus was
peacefully drinking from a spring when the
hero Bellerophon captured him. Hesiod also says Pegasus carried thunderbolts for Zeus.

Birth

There are several versions of the birth of the winged stallion and his brother Chrysaor in the far
distant place at the edge of Earth, Hesiod's "springs of Oceanus, which encircles the inhabited earth,
where Perseus found Medusa:

One is that they sprang from the blood issuing from

Medusa's neck as Perseus was beheading her, similar to
the manner in which Athena was born from the head of
Zeus. In another version, when Perseus beheaded
Medusa, they were born of the Earth, fed by the
Gorgon's blood. A variation of this story holds that they
were formed from the mingling of Medusa's blood, pain
and sea foam, implying that Poseidon had involvement
in their making. The last version bears resemblance to Hesiod's account of the birth of Aphrodite from
the foam created when Uranus's severed genitals were cast into the sea by Cronus.

Troll
A troll is a class of being in Norse mythology and Scandinavian
folklore. In Old Norse sources, beings described as trolls dwell in
isolated rocks, mountains, or caves, live together in small family units,
and are rarely helpful to human beings.
Later, in Scandinavian folklore, trolls became beings in their own right,
where they live far from human habitation, are not Christianized, and
are considered dangerous to human beings. Depending on the source,
their appearance varies greatly; trolls may be ugly and slow-witted, or
look and behave exactly like human beings, with no particularly
grotesque characteristic about them.
Trolls are sometimes associated with particular landmarks, which at
times may be explained as formed from a troll exposed to sunlight.
Trolls are depicted in a variety of media in modern popular culture.

Origins

Some scientists, such as Spanish paleoanthropologist Juan

Luis Arsuaga, have theorized based on fossil evidence
that Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons occupied the same
area of Europe at the same time. The distinguished
Swedish-speaking Finnish paleontologist Bjrn Kurtn
has entertained and expanded this theory to determine that
trolls are a distant memory of an encounter with
Neanderthals by our Cro-Magnon ancestors some 40,000
years ago during their migration into northern Europe.
The problem with this theory is that neither Neanderthals nor Cro-Magnons existed in this part of
Europe during the ice-age. Most of Scandinavia was covered by a large glacier and the area was not
occupied until much later.

Another explanation for the troll myth is that the trolls represent the remains of the forefather-cult
which was ubiquitous in Scandinavia until the introduction of Christianity in the tenth and eleventh
centuries. In this cult the forefathers were worshiped in sacred groves, by altars, or by grave mounds.
One of the customs associated with this practice was to sit on top of a grave mound at night, possibly
in order to make contact with the deceased. With the introduction of Christianity however, the
religious elite sought to demonize the pagan cult, and denounced the forefathers as evil. For instance,
according to Magnus Hkonsen's laws from 1276, it is illegal to attempt to wake the "mound-
dwellers." It is in these laws that the word "troll" appeared for the first time, denoting something
heathen and generally unfavorable. This fits with the trolls in Norse sagas who are often the restless
dead, to be wrestled with or otherwise laid to rest.
It is possible that both of these theories
hold validity. Since there have been
assertions that legends of dragons were
based on ancient cultures
discovering dinosaur bones, then it is
possible that early man had some
knowledge of Neanderthals and
incorporated them into myth.
The physiology of trolls, outside of the
exaggerated size, does correlate to how
Neanderthals probably looked. However, the forefathers theory holds just as much validity , and as
with determining any beliefs of ancient cultures, there may be more than one source.

Dwarf
In Germanic mythology, a dwarf is a small humanoid that dwells in mountains and in the earth, and is
variously associated with wisdom, smithing, mining, and crafting. Dwarfs are often also described as
short and ugly, although some scholars have questioned whether this is a later development stemming
from comical portrayals of the beings. The concept of the dwarf has had influence in modern popular
culture and appears in a variety of media.

History
The Dwarves were made by Aul, whom they themselves call Mahal, meaning maker. Aul was
unwilling to wait for the coming of the Children of Ilvatar, for he was impatient and desired to have
someone to teach his lore and crafts. Therefore, he made the first Seven Fathers of the Dwarves in
secret in a hall under the mountains of Middle-earth.
It was, however, not within Aul's power to create life. After being reprimanded by Ilvatar and
realizing his error, Aul offered his creations to his
father to do with as he would, including their
destruction. Even as the offer was made, Ilvatar
accepted and gave the Dwarves a life of their own. So
when Aul picked up a great hammer to smite the
Seven Fathers and destroy his presumptuous creations,
they shrank back in fear and begged for mercy.
Ilvatar was however not willing to suffer that the
Dwarves should come before the Firstborn (Elves), and
he decreed that the Seven Fathers should sleep
underground and should not come forth until the Firstborn had awakened.

Goblin
A goblin is a monstrous creature from European folklore, first attested in stories from the Middle
Ages. They are ascribed various and conflicting abilities, temperaments and appearances depending
on the story and country of origin. They are almost always small and grotesque, mischievous or
outright evil, and greedy, especially for gold and jewelry. They often have magical abilities similar to
a fairy or demon. Similar creatures include brownies, dwarves, gnomes, imps, and kobolds.

A goblin is a mythical creature of Germanic and British folklore, often believed to be the evil, or
merely mischievous, opposite of the more benevolent faeries and spirits of lore. Like many such
creatures, there is no single version of a goblin; the term is more generic for those small creatures that
live in dark places and cause trouble, but in more recent years, the term has become more
concentrated on green-creatures that live in caves and terrorize children.

Despite local variations, goblins have almost universally been described as troublemakers. They are
either simply tricksters and mischievous, like immature children, or malevolent, evil-doers dangerous
to human beings. Like many similar creatures, they have the characteristics of spirits rather than
beings existing in the physical world.
Thus, they share similarities with
ghosts and and also with demons as
associated with some Christian
teachings and lore. While from a
folkloric perspective their origin may
not be known, there were
mythological tales that recount it:

Description

Goblins are grotesque fairies that can range from dwarf height
to human height. Various (sometimes conflicting) abilities and attributes
have been given to them. Some accounts claim they are mostly invisible to
the human eye, and thus act as phantoms. However, even in traditions
where they are invisible, it is still widely known (althoug h how remains
mysterious) what they look like underneath their invisibility. They are
usually believed to be shorter than human beings; depending upon the
source, they can either be stout or thin; their brow is fully covered with
thick hair and their mouth is filled with yellowed, crooked teeth. Goblins
are often depicted as possessing a coarse, raspy sounding, and slightly high-
pitched voice, speaking human languages along with their own, and
possessing a cunning intellect. In recent depictions, goblins have been portrayed as green in color, but
this is only a modern tradition.

Many characteristics have been attributed to the generic term of goblin. In some cultures, they are
more tricksters, who steal horses to ride at night, hide small objects, tip over pails of milk, and alter
signposts, much like the pixies of Great Britain. Some believe that goblins are more malevolent,
weaving nightmares out of gossamer and inserting them into the ear of a sleeping human, stealing
human women and children and hiding them away underground, or even stealing human babies and
replacing them with ugly goblin babies (changelings). A goblin smile is said to curdle blood and a
laugh to sour milk and cause fruit to fall from trees. Goblins are often believed to be nomadic, never
staying too long in one place.
Origin

There is no consensus on the origin of goblin myths. Since goblins

are similar to faeries and other spirits of Europe, it is possible that
they share a similar origin. Many scholars believe that such
creatures came out of an interest in Paganism and its mysticism,
especially the belief in nature spirits and magic. Goblins could
possibly come from the belief that, along with virtuous pagans,
there were evil ones that became evil spirits. Sir Walter Scott, in
his Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft, ascribed gnomes,
kobolds, and goblins, along with Scottish bogles to all correspond
with a caricature of the Sami people. One of the most popular
origin stories for Goblins states that they originated in France, in a
cleft of the Pyrenees, but left at some point in history, spreading
throughout all of Europe.

Ogre
An ogre (feminine ogress) is a legendary monster usually depicted as a large, hideous, manlike being
that eats ordinary human beings, especially infants and children. Ogres frequently feature
in mythology, folklore, and fiction throughout the world. They appear in many classic works
of literature, and are most often associated in fairy tales and legend with a taste for infants.
In mythology, ogres are often depicted as inhumanly large and tall and having a disproportionately
large head, abundant hair, unusually colored skin, a voracious
appetite, and a strong body. Ogres are closely linked with giants and
with human cannibals in mythology. In both folklore and fiction,
giants are often given ogrish traits (such as the giants in "Jack and
the Beanstalk" and "Jack the Giant Killer", the villainous giants
in The BFG, the Giant Despair in The Pilgrim's Progress, and
the jtnar of Norse mythology); while ogres may be given giantish
traits.
Famous examples of ogres in folklore include the ogre in Puss and
Boots and the ogre in "Hop-o'-My-Thumb"; and in
fiction, Shrek and Fiona from Shrek. Other characters sometimes
described as ogres include the title character from "Bluebeard", the
Beast from "Beauty and the Beast", Grendel from
"Beowulf", Polyphemus the Cyclops from Homer's Odyssey, the
cyclops in "Sinbad the Sailor", and the oni of Japanese folklore.

An ogre (feminine: ogress) is a large and hideous humanoid monster, a mythical creature often found
in fairy tales and folklore. While commonly depicted as an unintelligent and clumsy enemy, it is
dangerous in that it feeds on its human victims. The idea of the ogre has been used as a method of
instilling good behavior in children by suggesting that bad behavior attracted and excited ogres, who
would then attack, kidnap, or even eat the perpetrator. Some authors, however, choose to show ogres
in a somewhat brighter light, saying they are both shy and reclusive. Today, variants of ogres can be
found in modern fantasy popular culture, such as in video and role-playing games, as well as in
popular fiction.

Origin

The idea of the ogre often overlaps with that of giants and trolls, so it is conceivable that all
three mythical creatures have similar origins.

Some scientists have suggested that these creatures may have been Neanderthals, an extinct species
of hominids that inhabited Europe and parts of western Asia. Spanish paleoanthropologist Juan Luis
Arsuaga, has theorized, based on fossil evidence, that Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons occupied the
same area of Europe at the same time. The distinguished Swedish-speaking Finnish
paleontologist Bjrn Kurtn has also entertained this theory, fusing knowledge and imagination to
suggest that trolls and ogres are a distant memory of an encounter with Neanderthals by Homo
sapiens' Cro-Magnon ancestors some 40,000 years ago during their migration into northern Europe.
[3]
As new fossil evidence comes to light in Asia, it is conceivable that Asian beliefs in ogres could
also be contributed to a collectively shared memory of human ancestors.

Another explanation for the ogre myth is that the ogres represent the
remains of the forefather-cult which was ubiquitous
in Scandinavia until the introduction of Christianity in the tenth and
eleventh centuries. In this cult the forefathers were worshiped in
sacred groves, by altars, or by grave mounds. They believed that
after death a person's spirit continued to live on, or near, the family
farm. This particularly applied to the "founding-father" of the estate,
over whose body a large haugr, or burial mound, was constructed.
This revered ancestor's spirit remained "living" in his mound, a
guardian over the property. This guardian was treated with an awed, if
not fearful, respect. He resented the slightest liberty that might be
taken on, or near, his resting place. Children playing nearby would
cause great outbursts, hence the idea that ogres ate children. With the
introduction of Christianity however, the religious elite sought to demonize the pagan cult, and
denounced the all worship or respect for such "mound-dwelling" spirits as evil.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griffin

http://www.gods-and-monsters.com/mythology-griffin.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minotaur