The human imagination, especially in nightmares, can generate images of terrible monsters. They come from the darkness and inspire inexplicable fear. Over the entire multi-thousand-year history of existence, humanity believed in a fairly large number of such monsters, whose names they tried not to even pronounce, since they personified universal evil.
Yowie is often compared to the more famous Bigfoot, but he is credited with Australian origin. According to legend, Yowie lived exclusively in Blue Mountain, a mountainous region located west of Sydney. The image of this monster appeared in Aboriginal folklore to scare away European immigrants and settlers, although there is evidence that the myth has a longer history. There have been people who have spoken of encountering this creature, which is considered an "evil spirit", although there is no official confirmation of Yowie attacking people. It is said that when meeting a person, Yowie stops and stares, and then disappears into the dense forest.
During the era of colonial wars, many myths appeared or found new life in different parts of the world. For example, in regions of South America they began to talk about the existence of giant anacondas. These snakes reach a length of up to 5 m, and their body, in comparison with ordinary anacondas, is much more massive. Fortunately, no one has ever encountered such a snake, either alive or dead.
If you delve into the mythology of the Slavs, you can believe in the existence of such a creature as a brownie. This is a small, bearded man who can live in a pet or even inhabit a person. They say that in every house there lives a brownie, who is responsible for the atmosphere in it: if there is order and harmony in the house, then the brownie is good, if there is often swearing in the house, then the brownie is evil. An evil brownie is capable of causing constant accidents that make life unbearable.
With the head of a crocodile and the snout of a dog, with a ponytail and fins, and large fangs, the Bunyip is a fairly large monster that is said to live in the swamps and other parts of Australia. His name comes from the word "devil", but many other qualities are also attributed to him. This monster was most often talked about in the 19th century, and today it is believed that the creature still exists and lives on parity with the locals. The Aborigines believe this most of all.
Everyone knows the Bigfoot creature. This is a large creature that lives in different parts of the United States. He is very tall, his body is covered with black or brown fur. They say that when meeting him, a person becomes numb in the literal sense of the word, being under the influence of hypnosis. There were people who testified to cases when Bigfoot took people with him into the forest and kept them in his den for a long time. Whether this is true or not, the image of Bigfoot inspires fear in many.
Jikininki is a special creature born from Japanese folklore. In the past, this was a man who, after death, transformed into a terrible monster. Many believe that this is a ghost that feeds on human flesh, so people who believe in this deliberately avoid visiting cemeteries. In Japan, they believe that if a person is very greedy during life, after death he turns into a jikininki as punishment and experiences an eternal hunger for carrion. Outwardly, the jikininki is similar to a person, but with a disproportionate body and large glowing eyes.
This creature has Tibetan roots. Researchers believe that the Yeti crossed into Nepal following the footsteps of the Sherpa migrants, emigrants from Tibet. They say that he wanders around the surrounding area, sometimes throwing huge stones and whistling terribly. The Yeti walks on two legs, its body is covered with light fur, and its mouth has dog fangs. Both ordinary people and researchers claim that they have encountered this creature in reality. They say that it penetrates into our world from the other world.
The Chupacabra is a fairly small creature, but capable of causing a lot of problems. This monster was first talked about in Puerto Rico, and later in other parts of South and North America. "Chupacabra" means "goat blood sucker." The creature received this name as a result of a large number of unexplained deaths of livestock of the local population. The animals died from blood loss through bites on the neck. The Chupacabra has also been spotted in Chile. Basically, all evidence of the existence of the monster is oral; there is no body or photograph of it. No one managed to catch the monster alive either, but it is very popular all over the world.
Between 1764 and 1767, France lived in great fear because of a werewolf, either a wolf or a dog. They say that during the period of its existence the monster made 210 attacks on people, of which it killed 113. No one wanted to meet him. The monster was even officially hunted by King Louis XV. Many professional hunters tracked the animal with the aim of killing, but their attempts were in vain. As a result, a local hunter killed him with a charmed bullet. Human remains were found in the belly of the beast.
In American Indian mythology, there was a bloodthirsty creature called the Wendigo, the product of curses. The fact is that in the myths of the Algonquian tribes it was stated that if during life a person was a cannibal and ate human flesh, then after death he turns into a Wendigo. They also said that he could inhabit any person, taking possession of his soul. The Wendigo is three times taller than a human, its skin is decaying and its bones are protruding. This creature is constantly hungry and craves human flesh.
The Sumerians, representatives of an ancient but quite developed civilization, created their own epic, in which they talked about gods, goddesses and their everyday life. One of the most popular epics was the Epic of Gilgamesh and the stories of the creature Gugalanna. This creature, in search of the king, killed a large number of people and destroyed cities. Gugalanna is a bull-shaped monster that the gods used as an instrument of revenge on people.
Like vampires, this creature has a constant thirst for blood. It also devours human hearts and has the ability to detach the upper part of its body and enter people's houses, especially houses where pregnant women live, to drink their blood and steal the child using its long tongue. But this creature is mortal and can be killed by sprinkling salt on it.
Black Annis, as the embodiment of evil, is known to everyone in Britain, especially in rural areas. She is the main character of local folklore of the 19th century. Annis has blue skin and a scary smile. Children had to avoid meeting her, as she fed on children and sheep, which she took from houses and yards by deception or force. Annis made belts from the skins of children and sheep, which she then wore on herself in dozens.
The most terrible of the worst, the Dybbuk, is the main character of Jewish mythology. This evil spirit is considered the most cruel. He is capable of destroying the life of anyone and destroying the soul, while the person will not be aware of what is happening to him and will gradually die.
“The Tale of Koshchei the Immortal” belongs to the mythology and folklore of the Slavs and tells about a creature that cannot be killed, but which ruins everyone’s life. But he has a weak point - his soul, which is at the end of a needle, which is hidden in an egg that is inside a duck, which is sitting inside a hare. The hare sits in a strong chest on the top of the tallest oak tree growing on a fabulous island. In a word, it’s difficult to call a trip to this island pleasant.
World folklore is populated by a huge number of amazing fantastic animals. In different cultures, incredible properties or skills were attributed to them. 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 were 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 a rich harvest, a successful hunt, and a successful outcome of any business. They were afraid to anger and offend mythical creatures.
But there is another theory for their appearance. The possibility of the coexistence of several parallel worlds is recognized by some scientists, based 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?
"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 of Greece also lived in the waters of 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. Trouble was 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.
The phoenix was a mixture of different types of 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 an independent creature from gravity, a horse and life force. 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. Anchutka does not possess any useful information; hypocrisy and the ability to deceive are inherent in him at the genetic level. His main entertainment is making various sounds, which can drive a person with a weak psyche 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 with the ability to influence the 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, and 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.
Incredible facts
From the very beginning of its history, humanity has been drawn to legends and myths, many of which had very real reasons. The heroes of these myths often became prototypes of real-life creatures.
In 1799, the English zoologist George Shaw wrote that the platypus looks as if “the beak of a duck had been attached to the head of some quadruped.” However, for a long time the platypus baffled scientists not only with its appearance, but also with other oddities.
Naturalists around the world for a long period of time could not decide whether this creature was a mammal. Did it lay eggs or was it viviparous? In fact, it took scientists a hundred years to get answers to these and other questions regarding the platypus (which, by the way, happens to be one of the few egg-laying mammals).
Myths of Ancient Greece
Sirens
The legends about sirens are almost as old as the history of human navigation. One of the earliest mentions of sirens is associated with the era when the first mentions of the half-sister of Alexander the Great, Thessalonica, appeared.
Legend has it that after Alexander returned from his a journey filled with dangers connected with the search for the source of eternal youth, he washed his sister’s hair in living water.
After Alexander died, his sister (and some sources claim that his mistress) decided to drown herself in the sea. However, Thessalonica could not drown in it. But she was able to turn into a siren.
According to legend, she called out to the sailors with the question: "Is King Alexander Alive?" If they answered that, they say, "he's alive, lives, reigns and continues to conquer the world" , then Thessalonica allowed sea travelers to sail past calmly.
If the unfortunate people dared to tell Thessalonica that the king was dead, she immediately turned into a terrible monster (perhaps the same Kraken?), which grabbed the ship and dragged it into the depths of the sea along with the entire crew.
The only possible explanation for the fact that sailors regularly reported sightings of sirens (that is, demonic creatures with the body of a woman and the tail of a fish) was that men confused them with herbivorous mammals living in sea water (for example, with dugongs or sea cows).
This explanation looks rather strange, since the same sea cows are far from being able to be called at all attractive and seductive creatures on Earth. How could the sailors make such a cruel mistake? Perhaps they had been swimming too long without women...
However, perhaps the reason was that manatees (that is, sea cows) have a habit of sticking their heads out of the water, shaking them in such a way that it looks like a man bobbing in water. When viewed from the back, their rough skin below the head may appear to have hair flowing down from the head.
Another reason could be the fact that the first navigators, who spent a long time at sea, often suffered from hallucinations. It is possible that, from a distance, with only the light of the moon, they could confuse the manatee with women. By the way, a group of animals was named after the mythical sirens, which included manatees and dugongs.
Vampires
Modern man's view of vampires was formed largely thanks to the famous (one might say cult) Irish writer Bram Stoker's Dracula, which was first published back in 1897.
Since then, the appearance of the “average” vampire has remained virtually unchanged - they were a stranger with pale, thin skin, speaking with an unbearable accent (apparently Romanian), sleeping in a coffin during the daytime. Plus, he was more or less immortal.
It is well known that the prototype of Bram Stoker's main vampire was a real historical character - Vlad III Tepes, Prince of Wallachia. It is also quite possible that Stoker was inspired by numerous rumors and superstitions regarding death and burial itself. These rumors were caused by the ignorance of people who did not particularly understand the processes of decomposition of the human body at that time.
After death, a person’s skin dries out in such a way that teeth and nails look more prominent and prominent against its background. It feels like they have grown up. In addition, internal organs disintegrate, various fluids leave the human body through the mouth and nose, leaving dark stains. People often interpreted these stains as if a dead man drank the blood of living people.
In addition to the above, there were other signs of vampirism that fueled superstition, associated, for example, with coffins. The thing is that sometimes scratches were found on the inner surface of the coffin lids after exhumation, which were perceived as a direct indication that the dead had ceased to be such and were trying to rise from the grave.
Such cases are explained by the terrible mistakes that were common in those days; sometimes they buried a seemingly dead person who was, in fact, in a short-term coma, for example. The unfortunate man, waking up and finding himself in pitch darkness, of course, frantically scratched the lid of the coffin from the inside, trying to get out...
It is also believed that the famous Scottish monk and philosopher, Blessed John Duns Scotus, died in this way. An exhumation was carried out, as a result of which it was discovered that his body in the coffin was curved in an unnatural way. The fingers were torn, and there was dried blood everywhere. Another person buried alive tried unsuccessfully to get out...
Greek mythology
Giants
Giants have remained a constant part of folklore for thousands of years. In Greek mythology, we encounter a whole tribe of giants who were born into the world by the goddess Gaia after she was fertilized with blood collected during the castration of the sky god and her husband Uranus by Kronos.
Germanic-Scandinavian mythology speaks of creation the largest giant of Aurgelmir from drops of water formed at the moment of contact between the land of ice and mists (Niflheim) and the land of heat and flame (Muspellsheim).
It must have been really big! After Aurgelmir was killed by the gods, our Earth appeared. A stronghold was formed from the giant’s flesh, seas and oceans from his blood, mountains from his bones, stones from his teeth, the sky from his skull, and clouds from his brain. Even his eyebrows came in handy: they began to encircle Midgard, inhabited by people (that’s what the Vikings called the Earth).
The strengthened belief in giants can be partly explained by the phenomenon of hereditary gigantism (however, not in all countries). Scientists are confident that they managed to isolate a gene that leads to familial gigantism. According to the results of various studies, people suffering from gigantism often suffer from pituitary gland cancer, which stimulates uncontrolled body growth.
The height of the biblical giant Goliath, according to legend, reached 274 centimeters. In the modern world there is no clear rule or definition that would allow us to unambiguously say that a giant is a person of such and such height. The reason for this is that different peoples have different average heights (the difference can reach 30 centimeters or more).
One study published in the international medical journal Ulster Medical Journal suggested that Goliath (killed, as we know, by David with a stone thrown from a sling), whose family tree is easily identifiable, suffered from autosomal dominant inheritance of diseases.
They say that the stone that David used hit Goliath in the forehead. And if Goliath suffered from a tumor of the pituitary gland, which put pressure on his optic chiasm, then this could certainly lead to visual impairment, which did not allow the giant to see the stone flying at him.
Banshee
In Irish folklore, a banshee (that is, a woman from Shea, if translated from the language of the Scottish Celts) is a beautiful young woman, fairy, with flowing white hair and eyes red from continuous tears. He cries, thereby warning the person who hears it that someone in his family will soon die.
Her crying and lamentations are perceived more as a kind of help to a person, rather than a threat. Hearing the howls of a banshee, a person understands that he will soon have to say goodbye forever to someone close to him; and, thanks to the banshee, he has a little time for this.
It is not entirely clear when this legend first began. There are certain references to banshees, dateableXIV century. More precisely, in the year 1350, when a large-scale clash took place near the village of Torlaug between representatives of the Irish and English noble families.
After this, the banshee was almost never forgotten, until the middle of the 19th century. In fact, mourning the dead with lamentations has always been part of the tradition of Irish women, thus expressing bitterness, pain and the severity of loss.
Representatives of the fairer sex stood on the edge of the grave and began to scream at the top of their voices, mourning their loss. This tradition gradually died out during the 19th century because has become a kind of “attraction” for tourists, who came to look at the mourners from a “real Irish funeral.”
In fact, it is not difficult to accept the fact that the impressionable Irish, who were always ready to believe in something supernatural, mixed their women wailing in grief and fairy tales to end up with a beautiful story about banshees warning under the windows of the house his owners about the approaching grief...
Hydra
According to Greek mythology, Hydra is a gigantic snake with nine (or more) heads, one of which is immortal. If Hydra had one head cut off, then instead, two new heads grew from a fresh wound(or three - different data can be found in different mythological sources).
The killing of the Hydra is one of the 12 glorious labors of the great Hercules. To defeat this monstrously dangerous creature, Hercules enlisted the support of his nephew Iolaus, who helped the hero by cauterizing the heads severed by the strongman.
The confrontation was difficult, but all the animals were also on Hercules’ side. The battle continued until until Hercules cut off all of Hydra's heads, except for one – immortal. The strong man eventually chopped her off too, and then buried her in the ground near the road, covering her with a heavy boulder on top.
The myth of the many-headed hydra was probably inspired to the ancient Greeks by Mother Nature herself. Since ancient times, there have been numerous references to snakes with several heads (although no one has yet mentioned nine heads!). In fact, cases of polycephaly (being born with multiple heads) are much more common among reptiles than among any other animal.
Moreover: thanks to the study of Siamese twins, scientists themselves learned to create polycephalic animals. Known experiments of the German embryologist Hans Spemann, who at the beginning of the 20th century attached slamander embryos together using a child's human hair. As a result, a creature with two heads was born.
Mythical animals
dire wolves
These days, the so-called dire wolves are very well known to those who watch the TV series Game of Thrones. After all, these were the wolves that were given to the young Starks. In fact, dire wolves are not a figment of the imagination of the writers and authors of the famous series.
Dire wolves are huge wolves that actually existed in North America, extinct more than ten thousand years ago. These formidable creatures were larger, but stockier (due to shorter legs) than modern wolves.
About four thousand fossilized remains of dire wolves (in addition to many more remains of other animals) have been discovered in the area of tar lakes called Rancho La Brea, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Researchers believe they became trapped in these tar pits when they arrived there to profit from the remains of numerous other animals, trapped in underground bitumen coming to the surface.
The dire wolf had a huge skull, but its brain was smaller than the brain of a modern wolf. Perhaps if the brains of these ferocious creatures were a little larger, they would realize that the remains of various animals did not end up in these tar pits by chance...
If you remember, there was an albino wolf in Game of Thrones. In fact, it is unknown whether there were albinos among dire wolves, although Among the population of modern wolves, albinos are far from uncommon. It is also noteworthy that dire wolves were not as agile as modern wolves.
Basilisk
According to the famous Greek myths and films about Harry Potter (choose for yourself which source is more authoritative for you), the basilisk was a snake with a deadly look and a deadly breath. Legends say that the basilisk hatched from the egg of an ibis bird, which was hatched by a snake.
It is assumed that the basilisk was afraid only of the cock's crow and caress, who was immune to his poisonous bites. Yes, they almost forgot about Harry Potter’s sword, with which he killed this snake - his basilisk, too, as it turned out, was afraid...
In Greek mythology, the basilisk was a normal-sized snake, but by the time this creature ended up at Hogwarts (the school of wizards where Harry Potter studied), it unexpectedly increased to the size of a mammoth (not to mention the length). This creature has had many other reincarnations over these past centuries...
The likelihood that a snake will actually hatch an ibis egg is almost zero (not to mention the fact that an ibis, in principle, is not able to lay an egg with a snake inside). Nevertheless, the legend of the basilisk has a very real basis. Researchers are convinced that the prototype of the mythical basilisk is an ordinary Egyptian cobra.
However, the Egyptian cobra is not so ordinary - it is an extremely dangerous reptile that constantly hisses, and even spits venom at a distance of up to two and a half meters. Moreover, he aims directly between the eyes of his potential enemy or victim.
It's no secret that people are always interested in what is unknown. The most mysterious creatures arouse genuine interest, and also influence the legends and folklore of different countries and peoples.
In this article, we invite you to familiarize yourself with the least known creatures, however, no less scary and frightening. Whether they are mythical is up to you to decide.
There are two alternative versions of the appearance of the Wendigo.
- Based on the first, it is believed that the brave warrior sold his soul in order to protect his tribe from an impending threat. After the tribe was saved, he went into the forest and was never seen again.
- Another version says that the Wendigo began to lose his human appearance due to the use of black magic, and was also a cannibal. Either way, this monster eventually appeared.
Many compare it with, but outwardly it is completely different from. And the behavior of the Wendigo has significant distinctive features.
The growth exceeds the statistical average, but it cannot be called huge. However, he is very thin. According to some descriptions, it is clear that sometimes some parts of the body may be missing due to frostbite: toes, the tip of the ear or nose. The body is covered with matted hair, or may be completely bald.
Wendigos love to stalk their prey. When they overtake a lonely traveler, they begin to scare him by making sounds. When the person begins to look around in search of the source of the sound, the wendigo attacks.
You won't be able to escape because wendigos are very fast and resilient. As a rule, no one manages to survive an encounter with this monster.
The only way to kill this monster is to stick an iron or silver blade into the heart.
The folklore of every country is filled with stories of reborn people who received new abilities. One of these creatures was the shtriga, or strix.
Being human from birth, they turned into human beings due to the harmful habit of eating human flesh.
In the Middle Ages, shtriga referred to witches. It is possible that they could be a type of vampire of Ancient Rome.
Ultimately, shtriga are dead mythical creatures, but by using the life force of slain families, they prolong their existence.
You can kill a monster only with a hot iron while eating.
Draugs or Draugr
Like the shtriga, they were originally human. But after death they turned into the living dead. 
The draugs live in the cemetery, next to the Viking graves. Approaching any settlement, they sow fear and death, destroying everything in their path.
Surprisingly, draugs are mentioned in some books. For example, "The Saga of the Men of the Sandy Shore" tells the story of Thorolf.
Being a draugr, he killed people, after which the valley was empty. Draug are also mentioned in The Saga of the Sand Valley People.
These monsters love to inhabit the tombs of rich people, thus protecting their property from thieves.
Draugs are strong, have pale skin, and are also capable of increasing in size. Having killed a person, the monster first drinks his blood and then begins to eat him.
It is believed that draugs appear in the form of smoke, freeing themselves from their graves.
Icelandic legends say that the only way to kill a draugr is to cut off its head, then burn it and scatter its ashes over sea water.
These mythical creatures prefer to live near sea coasts. Freeing themselves from their graves, they look for victims among the sailors.
They can take on different guises, scaring people to death. For example, algae grows instead of a head.
Sea legends say that draugs can take the form of stone or seaweed. Before you step on something like this, you need to spit on it.
If a draugr gets onto a ship in the form of a stone, then the ship is doomed to destruction along with the entire crew. And sometimes draugs can be harbingers of death.
Guli
The word "ghouls" comes from Arabic myths and refers to demons. They lived in cemeteries, and according to legend they are the descendants of the Iblis.
Iblis are genies who have an analogue in Christianity - Satan. Iblis harass women, and if they succeed, then ghouls appear.
Iblis could wander the earth, since Allah was testing people in this way: whether Iblis could sow immorality and vice in their heads.
According to some reports, ghouls are living in the desert, capable of taking the form of hyenas or other animals.
Luring the wanderers deeper, the ghouls ate them. They gave preference to children, but sometimes they did not disdain the dead.
They most often take the form of werewolves, but can take the form of any creature they kill, including humans and animals.
In order to renew their appearance, they, like snakes, shed their old skin.
It is impossible to distinguish by appearance whether it is a real person or a shapeshifter.
The only thing that gives them away is the glow in their eyes, which can only be seen in video footage or photographs.
Familiars. Black Dogs
Witches with black magical abilities have peculiar animals - familiars.
These mythical creatures are connected to the owner by demonic bonds or magic.
European witches prefer cats, weasels, toads or owls. Shamans use a totem as a familiar.
Black dogs can also be familiars to black witches.
An old English legend tells of the Black Shack, who foreshadowed death by his appearance. In 1577, A. Fleming described its appearance in the book “A Strange and Terrible Miracle.”
The dogs appear in bright flashes of light and disappear, but the place chosen is exclusively magical.
Japanese legends also mention black dogs that were sacrificed to bring rain. In Asia, the blood of black dogs was considered a powerful talisman.
Reaper
To summon this creature, you need an altar, as well as a number of magical objects for the ritual: human blood and a special cross.
Once the Reaper appears, he takes the life of the one who summoned him to restore balance.
The Reaper is not a demon, it is simply the appearance of death, which was called a psychopomp.
They served as a kind of guide to the afterlife. Charon in Greece, Valkyries in Norway, Anubis in Egypt and so on. Some shamans, for example, are themselves psychopomps.
Reapers have power over time and people's consciousness. It can change the vision of the world, of the person himself.
The appearance of the Reaper is different for each individual case, but it is generally accepted that he appears in rags or burial clothes.
There is an assumption that Peter Pan was a kind of guide to the afterlife, since the book describes how he accompanied children on their journey after death.
Lycanthropy
In the Middle Ages, this phenomenon was associated with sorcerers who wore magic clothes or a belt.
As they are also called, they covered their body with a potion, put on a special belt and turned into a wolf with enormous strength and endurance. Later, the myth of the magic belt gradually disappeared.
It is now read that werewolves can turn themselves during the full moon. It is unknown how much of this is fiction, but a Roman writer left one story that told real events involving a werewolf.
In many folklore stories of different nations, there is an opinion that werewolves are exiles, vicious people.
In Armenian folklore there is a mention of women who were possessed by a spirit for their sins. They could turn into wolves and were forced to kill their own children.
In North America there is a legend about loup-garou, who arrived from France. After conversion, this creature turned into a monster for 101 nights in a row, and during the day experienced torment and suffering. Most often, they were expelled by people, which angered the lou-garou, contributing to bitterness and murder.
You can kill them with silver: a bullet or a blade. But it is also possible to cure lycanthropy. If you kill the progenitor, the one who turned the werewolf, then all those infected by him will be freed.
In Slavic mythology there was Volkolak. You could become one of your own free will. Most often, sorcerers turned into werewolves to enhance their abilities.
An evil spirit from old Russian mythology. He was several centimeters tall, his body was covered with black fur, and his head was bald. Anchutka had no heels.
There is an opinion that you cannot say his name out loud, otherwise Anchutka will instantly appear in front of you.
The place of residence is usually a field, a bathhouse or a body of water. The main condition is proximity to people, but away from other supernatural beings.
Field anchutki are the most peaceful. Baths and swamps have a perky disposition, they joke evilly, putting a person’s life in danger.
Swamp anchutki grab swimmers by the legs and try to drown them, and bath anchuts scare people with strange sounds or appear in scary images.
Anchutki can be invisible. They move quickly and are afraid of iron and salt.
Shakers and Navya
Shakers - causing diseases. Most often mentioned in conspiracies.
They appear as 12 ugly women. They are associated with evil spirits, and when a person is sick, they appear next to him in the guise of a devil.
Navya are the spirits of death. Old Russian creatures that send diseases to both people and livestock. Their involvement in disasters was not ruled out.
At night they wander through the dark streets, killing all travelers. The only way to escape from Navya was not to leave the house, protecting it with amulets.
An endless variety of creatures and monsters are present in various myths and religions. Differing in appearance and abilities, they always created problems for people, and most often killed them.
Of course, the existence of each has not been proven, so whether to believe in them or not is entirely your choice.
Are you familiar with Greek mythology? This list will help you test your knowledge or even enrich it. It was not without reason that the legendary creatures from ancient Greek folklore became famous throughout the world, because they had simply extraordinary qualities. These mythical monsters are some of the most bizarre, terrifying and incredible creatures, including not only amazing animals, but also the strangest humanoids imaginable. Are you ready for an educational program?
25. Python or Python
Usually depicted as a serpent guarding the entrance to the Delphic Oracle. According to legend, the cruel Python was killed by Apollo himself, one of the famous Olympian gods. After the death of the serpent, Apollo founded his own oracle on the site of the Delphic oracle.
24. Orff, Orth, Ortr, Orthros, Orfre
Photo: wikimedia commons
A two-headed dog whose task was to guard a huge herd of magical red bulls. This monster was killed by the Greek hero Hercules, who took the entire herd for himself as proof of his victory over Orff. According to rumors, Orff was the father of several other monsters, including the Sphinx and the Chimera, and his brother was the legendary Cerberus.
23. Ichthyocentaurs
Photo: Dr Murali Mohan Gurram
These were sea gods, centaurs-tritons, whose upper body looked like a human, the lower pair of limbs were like a horse, and behind them was a fish tail. They were often depicted next to Aphrodite during her birth. Perhaps you could also meet these ichthyocentaurs in paintings dedicated to the zodiac constellation Pisces.
22. Skilla
Photo: wikimedia commons
The six-headed Skilla was a sea monster that lived on one side of a narrow strait under a rock, while on the other side the no less dangerous Charybdis awaited the sailors (13th point). The distance between the shores of this narrow strait and the shelters of evil mythical creatures was equal to the flight of a launched arrow, so travelers very often sailed too close to one of the monsters and died.
21. Typhon
Photo: wikimedia commons
Typhon was the personification of the volcanic forces of the Earth and at the same time was considered the most deadly demon in all of Greece. His upper body was human, and this character was so huge that he supported the starry sky, and his arms reached to the eastern and western ends of the world. Instead of an ordinary human head, a hundred dragon heads erupted from Typhon's neck and shoulders.
20. Ophiotaurus
Photo: shutterstock
Ophiotaurus was another Greek hybrid monster that was more feared than death. According to legend, the killing and ritual burning of the entrails of this half-bull, half-snake gave strength with which one could defeat any gods. For the same reason, the Titans killed the monster in order to overthrow the Olympian gods, but Zeus managed to send the Eagle to peck the offal of the defeated creature before they were burned on the altar, and Olympus was saved.
19. Lamia
Photo: wikimedia commons
They say that Lamia was once a beautiful ruler of the Libyan kingdom, but later became a cruel child eater and a most dangerous demon. According to myth, Zeus fell in love with the charming Lamia so much that his wife Hera, out of jealousy, killed all of Lamia’s children (except for the cursed Skilla) and transformed the Libyan queen into a monster who hunts other people’s children.
18. Graia or Forkiades
Photo: wikimedia commons
The Grays were three sisters who shared one eye and one tooth. It is not surprising that they were famous not for their beauty at all, but rather for their gray hair and ugliness, instilling fear in everyone. In addition, their names were very eloquent: Deino (trembling or death), Enyo (terror) and Pemphredo (anxiety).
17. Echidna
Photo: shutterstock
Half woman, half snake. The echidna was called the mother of all monsters, since most of the monsters from ancient Greek myths were considered her offspring. According to legend, Echidna and Typhon passionately loved each other, and it was their union that gave birth to many insidious creatures. The Greeks believed that it produced a poison that caused madness.
16. Nemean Lion
Photo: Yelkrokoyade
The Nemean Lion was a vicious monster that lived in the Nemea region. As a result, he was killed by the famous ancient Greek hero Hercules. It was impossible to kill this mythical creature with a simple weapon because of its extraordinary golden fur, which was impossible to pierce with ordinary swords, arrows or stakes, and therefore Hercules had to strangle the Nemean Lion with his bare hands. The strongman managed to tear the skin off the beast only with the help of the claws and teeth of the defeated lion itself.
15. Sphinx
Photo: Tilemahos Efthimiadis / Athens, Greece
The Sphinx was a zoomorphic creature with the body of a lion, the wings of an eagle, the tail of a bull and the head of a woman. According to legend, this character was a ruthless and treacherous monster. Those who could not solve the riddles, according to the tradition of all myths, died a painful death in the mouth of the furious Sphinx. The monster itself died only after the brave King Oedipus solved its riddle.
14. Erinyes
Photo: wikimedia commons
Erinia is translated from Greek as “wrathful.” These were avenging goddesses. According to legend, they punished anyone who uttered false oaths, committed any atrocity, or said anything against one of the gods.
13. Charybdis
Photo: shutterstock
The daughter of Poseidon and Gaia, Charybdis was a huge sea monster with a mouth all over her face and fins or flippers instead of arms and legs. Three times a day, she absorbed huge amounts of sea water and then spat it back, thus creating powerful whirlpools that easily sucked in large ships. It was she who was the neighbor of the deadly Skilla from 22 points.
12. Harpies
Photo: shutterstock
These were creatures with the bodies of birds and women's faces. They stole food from innocent victims and sent sinners straight to the vengeful Erinyes (point 14). Harpy is translated as “kidnapper” or “predator”. Zeus often turned to them so that these creatures would punish or torture someone.
11. Satires
Photo: shutterstock
Satyrs are often depicted as human-goat hybrids. They usually have goat horns and hind legs. Satyrs loved to drink, play the flute, and served the god of wine, Dionysus. These forest demons were true lazy people and led the most careless and unbridled lifestyle.
10. Sirens
Photo: shutterstock
Beautiful and very dangerous mythical characters. These fatal goddesses with fish tails lured sailors with their sweet voices, and because of their spell, ships more than once flew into rocks and crashed off the coast. These creatures tore the drowning travelers into pieces and ate them.
9. Griffin
Photo: shutterstock
The griffin is a mythical creature with the body, tail and hind legs of a lion, and its head, wings and claws on its front legs were those of an eagle. The lion was traditionally considered the king of all land monsters, and the eagle was the king of all birds, so in ancient Greek mythology the griffin was an incredibly powerful and majestic character.
8. Chimera
Photo: wikimedia commons
The chimera was a fire-breathing monster whose body consisted of 3 different animals: a lion, a snake and a goat. The monster was from Lycia (an ancient state of Asia Minor). Most often, a chimera was any mythical or fictional creature with body parts from different animals. In a figurative sense, a chimera is considered to be the personification of any unfulfilled desire or fantasy.
7. Cerberus
Photo: wikimedia commons
Cerberus is one of the most famous characters in ancient Greek mythology. According to legend, it was a three-headed dog with a snake tail that guarded the gates to the Underworld. No one who crossed the River Styx could escape from the afterlife, and this was strictly monitored by the ferocious Cerberus, until one day Hercules defeated him.
6. Cyclops
Photo: Odilon Redon
The Cyclopes were a distinct race of one-eyed giants. But these creatures were cruel and ferocious monsters who were not afraid even of the gods, but at the same time they served the god of fire and blacksmithing, Hephaestus.
5. Hydra
Photo: shutterstock
The Hydra was an ancient sea monster that resembled a huge serpent with reptilian features, with countless heads growing from its body. Instead of one severed head, she always grew 2 new heads. The hydra had poisonous breath, and even its blood was so dangerous that the slightest contact with it was fatal.
4. Gorgons
Photo: shutterstock
Probably the most famous of all the ancient Greek gorgons was Medusa. She was also the only mortal gorgon among her evil sisters. Medusa had snakes instead of hair, and one glance from her was enough to turn a person to stone. According to legend, Perseus managed to behead her, armed with a mirror instead of a shield.
3. Minotaur
Photo: shutterstock
The Minotaur was a mythical creature with the head of a bull and the body of a man who ate innocent people. He lived in the Knossos labyrinth, built by the ancient Greek engineer and artist Daedalus and his son Icarus. The monster was eventually defeated by an Attic hero named Theseus.
2. Centaur
Photo: shutterstock
The centaur was a fabulous creature with the head, arms and torso of a man, and below the waist he resembled an ordinary horse. Chiron was considered one of the most famous centaurs in Greek mythology. Most centaurs were violent and hostile creatures who loved to drink and worshiped only the god of wine, Dionysus. However, Chiron was a wise and kind creature and even a mentor to such ancient Greek heroes as Hercules and Achilles.
1. Pegasus
Photo: shutterstock
This is one of the most famous mythical creatures of the ancient world. The Greeks believed that Pegasus was a divine stallion of snow-white color, and that he had huge wings. According to legend, Pegasus was the child of Poseidon and the gorgon Medusa. According to one legend, every time this fabulous horse hit the ground with its hoof, a new source of water was born.