Fictional stories and universes created by science fiction are famous for their details. Races of mythical creatures have their own history, place where they live, and unique traditions. These are distinct cultures with precise rationales and habits that are unique to characters created within one or more stories.
Origin of mythical creatures
Mythology is a separate art form. It describes the life of the characters to the smallest detail: they exist within the same social group. Peoples wander, settle in one place, fight and create their own history. Their origin and behavior may differ. Depending on the variety of the legend, they grow and develop. Mythological races exist in one or more eras. Their uniqueness stems from the fact that the world created in their likeness. Characters from the popular fantasy genre can interact with people. Their contacts generate new stories and create mutants.
Features of the life of peoples are taken into account in the narrative. Races of mythical creatures must exist, provide for themselves, settle down and continue the race. Collectively, all the details are collected in a single story. Not all stories are made up for the sake of a literary genre.
Ancient legends are based on human fears: people were afraid of what they did not understand. And fictional monsters saved from the fear of the unknown. They explained the horrors of the era. The description of monsters was passed on from one generation to another, so there were entire mythical races.
The division of magical creatures into nations
Peoples exist separately from other creatures or interact with other social groups. The more characters involved, the stronger the love lines, confrontations, and issues of inequality. The differences between these groups explains the behavior and motives of the main characters or antagonists.
What is the difference between an individual character and a fictional cohesive group:
- in a group, the characters must interact - on this contact, the features of everyday life, moral principles and habits are built;
- a single character cannot connect many stories - his life path can be interesting, but not develop into something larger;
- characters are better revealed when they have support or an opposing side;
- with the help of a description of peoples, the history of individual heroes, their sufferings and motives are easier to explain.
The list of groups is expanding and in modern world. In cinema and literature, old heroes get new life: they go through rebirth, gain skills and lose old skills that do not fit into the era given by history. The most popular peoples are used in folklore or new sayings.
Werewolves
This race has many nicknames. Creatures are called werewolves or werewolves. A well-known belief different times terrible monsters were operating in the settlements near the forest. They attacked people, ate livestock and harmed everyone who got in their way.
A distinctive feature is their attachment to the lunar cycle. Only at night, when the full moon appears in the sky, does the terrible beast go hunting.
Wolfdogs look like a big dog or a wolf with a huge mouth. They are covered with dark hair, and large and sharp claws are noticeable on their paws. In the mouths of the werewolves are fangs, with which the monsters tear their prey. Their eyes are red, filled with anger and hatred. Werewolves are very cruel. They spare no one, and as soon as they see the victim, she has no mercy.
According to legend, the face of the beast reflects the true nature of man. During the day and on ordinary nights, when the moon is waxing or waning, werewolves hide among people. They have a casual, casual look. Wolfdogs themselves do not remember everything that happens to them after reincarnation. They know about the curse, but they hear the details of the murders from other people.
They cannot control the animal part of themselves. Werewolves are both female and male. The curse passes by kind - the child is doomed to constant reincarnations. The first experience occurs during adolescence. Then the young werewolf becomes more aggressive: the closer the full moon, the stronger the inner anxiety.
At the head of the clan are the first werewolves. They are almost immortal, and live for at least 200 years.
Magic shifters
Known races of changelings can not only transform, but also get along well in the role of other people. From birth, creatures have their own appearance, but the older the child becomes, the more he tries to imitate others. Gradually, he learns to change his physical shell and thinking. Changelings do not depict other living flesh, but play the image to the smallest detail.
What are they doing:
- transform into any creature of flesh and blood - the stories describe shapeshifters who can transform into magical creatures and acquire their powers;
- change appearances as needed - if they smell danger, the changes do not bring any pain and occur in a few hours;
- for plausibility, the shapeshifter can kill his victim and take his place.
Calculating the creature is very difficult. He becomes an exact copy of a person. Adopts his habits, character and even temperament. Mythical creatures can stay in one shell for years: they get along in a role in which they are safe. Changelings live no more than 300 years.
Hobbits
The race of mythical shorties is known for incredible stories. Creatures owe their birth to John Tolkien, who described an enterprising people in his books The Lord of the Rings. They are also called halflings - their distinguishing feature is short stature and thick legs. Thin hobbits are rare. The more successful and richer they are, the thicker their body. Halflings curly hair and round faces.
The people are very attached to the area, they honor their culture and have a well-developed family connection. Hobbit homes are passed down from generation to generation. It is born to halflings with 4-5 children. By nature, they are calm and too cautious. They are never drawn to adventure. The best thing that can happen to a hobbit is a calm and measured life. The main occupation is agriculture. Halflings get it delicious cheese and various salts.
They are very thrifty: every self-respecting hobbit has a pantry full of food just in case. Creatures are not endowed with dexterity or cunning, but they can be relied upon in a difficult moment. If they make a promise, they will do everything possible to keep it.
Orcs
Among the magical creatures there are mutants who frighten with their appearance. are described in the same story as the hobbits. They are a product of evil, pure black power. The orcs of Middle-earth are born not from their mother, but appear from the foot of the mountains. They are born as adults and ready to fight. Mutants have no emotional attachments. They are ready to kill and always fight to the death. Sauron commands the horde - with their help, he tries to suppress the peoples that oppose him.
Another type of orc is found in games and modern films. This is another social group. Unlike their relatives, such mutants live in tribes - they have children, build families and obey a just leader. These orcs are born and bred, so they are distinguished by their individuality. The tribal inhabitants feed on magical power. It gives them the power to crush any enemy. Barbarians attack only according to a well-thought-out plan: no one commands them, they follow their leader.
Gnomes
The list of magical races always includes them. They are also called dwarfs or underground people. They are distinguished by great industriousness and rarely get out: they live in mines and specially created underground passages under the mountains, they extract metal or diamonds. They are greedy, which explains their diligence.
Description of the appearance of the gnome:
- undersized;
- overweight;
- strong;
- outwardly resembling a human.
The inhabitants of the underground passages are distinguished by a bad character. The gnome always has a beard - by this feature he can always be distinguished from a dwarf or other creature. Karls are very proud of their facial hair. By the beard, you can determine the status and age of the gnome.
There are legends about the women of the people. They are rarely mentioned, but their appearance is almost always intimidating. According to popular beliefs, women of the underground people are similar to men. They are hairy, masculine and rough. According to other stories, women are cheerful and very peaceful. They hide, and even when the enemy attacks, only males are engaged in protecting the home.
trolls
Creatures of great stature have a special role in mythology - they serve to intimidate. Therefore, giants, as trolls are also called, live in the forest and remote areas. Terrible cannibals have a massive body, and when they walk on the ground, the roar disperses for several kilometers. Trolls are good at tracking down their prey. They have a good sense of smell and great physical strength. Giants love fresh meat with blood. In this case, people are the fastest and most delicious prey for them. The skin color is green and darkens with age.
Creatures do not shine with mental abilities. But they are distinguished by some cunning: if necessary, they can deceive the enemy or pretend to be dead. Giants survive due to good physical data.
Their character is difficult: trolls can get angry in a few minutes. When they are furious, they destroy everything around and spare no one.
The people are wild or socialized. Trolls live in a group in which it is easier to hunt, or alone - such creatures are less dangerous, they kill only in extreme cases.
elves
Alva, they are famous for their sophisticated appearance. They don't have a single flaw. They are pure, like the brightest energy. The elves have their own kingdom. They live near the forest or in its very thick. Beautiful and noble, they always lead a peaceful life. Nothing can anger mystical beings. They have good manners and impeccable taste. According to popular beliefs, no man can compare with an elf in beauty. Alf hair comes in only two colors - white and black. The eyes in most cases are light, sky blue.
Elves have pale skin that never tans. Males are feminine, distinguished by refined features and delicate skin. From a distance, it is impossible to distinguish a male from a female. If necessary, elves can fight, but they do it only as a last resort. Almost immortal creatures do not harbor malice, this explains their peaceful and measured life.
fairies
Known to every child have magical powers. These are small creatures that can fly and conjure. Sometimes they are called or fairies. They move quickly and can go unnoticed.
Fairies live in the forest or near the mountains. They are beautiful, but very harmful. The older the creature, the more disgusting it is in character. They love to play pranks and do a lot of dirty tricks. Fairy wings are multi-colored, and at night they glow.
Fairies have a lot in common with fairies. Creatures live long and do not age. They are always young and in full bloom. Grow up to the height of a ten-year-old child. Such fairies are cunning and very strong. Adults do not have wings, but they appear when necessary. The favorite color of creatures is green. Faeries can be powerful sorcerers: they separate themselves from the rest of the inhabitants of the forest. They can be dangerous, harm a person or an enemy. Wizards with wings live in underground halls, far from everyone.
Dryads
Spirits are . They see to it that all creatures live in peace and do not oppose each other. According to beliefs, they appeared from the earth: in this regard, dryads have the purest and most divine nature.
They have a special mind. According to the legends, the spirit of trees lives in dryads. If the forest is harmed, the creatures become dangerous and vicious. Outwardly, they look like plants. They can be a tree or a bush, and if necessary, move around their possessions. The creatures have thick bark for protection and green branches that wither as the spirit baboon dies. He cannot die completely. The spirit is reborn and reincarnated, like everything else in nature.
Small individuals become people - they are guides for those who are lost or in trouble. Dukhobab children appear in order to convey a certain idea to other peoples. They warn or even threaten. By nature, the defenders of the forest are peaceful, but they can also fight.
Undines
Sea peoples are no less popular in mythology. They are patrons of all bodies of water around mountains, forests and settlements. The sea people are also called mermaids. They are half people, half fish. They can swim, but move on land if necessary.
In some beliefs, mermaids are beautiful and cute creatures, they swim on the seabed and enjoy life. According to other legends, they are insidious seductresses, luring strangers to them. They feed on their life force.
If you meet one underwater, you won't be able to escape. They are very fast, and if they drag someone under water, they can hide it at the very bottom. Mermaids come out only when necessary or when they need food. In other cases, they live under water and build their own dwelling there. Male specimens of the marine world are rarely on the surface. They guard their possessions.
Undines rarely make contact, they are closed and closed. The more attention people show to them, the further they hide. Undines do not like to live in groups: they choose a lonely life at the bottom.
Vampires
One of the most popular images - - often used in modern fiction. Beautiful seductive bloodsuckers can live for centuries and hide among people. According to legend, they are not much different from ordinary women and men. In the past, they were humans bitten by other vampires. Immediately after the bite, a person dies and gradually turns into a bloodsucker.
What is the peculiarity of the life of night creatures:
- according to legend, they do not tolerate daylight - as soon as a ray of sun hits the skin, they begin to burn;
- they bite a person and can drink all his blood;
- to turn into this creature, you need to drink the blood of a vampire or be bitten;
- Vampires do not eat ordinary food - it makes them feel very bad;
- in different sources, creatures do not tolerate garlic, holy water, and they can be killed with the help of an aspen stake.
Vampires live among people. They sleep during the day and go hunting at night. The fangs with which they drink blood are not always visible. Monsters have an attractive appearance to lure new victims. Vampires don't age. Eternal youth is their gift and curse at the same time. You can kill a creature with a stake or by burning the whole body. Previously, the vampire's head is coarsened.
Today, movie screens are filled with zombies, ghouls, vampires and other monsters. But in fact, terrible creatures are far from always the product of the imagination of modern screenwriters and directors. In ancient myths and folklore, there are more terrible entities, however, many of them are not as publicized as those that hit the screens.
1. Blemmia
Blemmies are fairly ancient creatures. For the first time, mention of them appeared among the ancient Greeks and Romans. Physically, they are very similar to ordinary people with one significant difference - blemmias do not have a head. Mouths, eyes and noses are on their chests. According to ancient sources (for example, Pliny wrote about blemmia), these creatures were quite widespread throughout North Africa and the Middle East. In later literature, the blemmies were also described as cannibals.
2. Sthene
Sthene is a monster from Greek mythology. A lot more people know her sister Medusa. The famous gorgon was the youngest of the family, she had 2 older sisters - Euryale and Sfena.
Like her sisters, Sthene had long sharp fangs and red snakes for hair. Stories tell that Sthena was the most ferocious and bloodthirsty of the family, she killed more men than both of her sisters combined.
3. Hitotsume-kozo
There are many supernatural monsters in Japanese mythology that are commonly referred to as Yokai. One type of yōkai is the hitotsume kozō, which is something like a Cyclops: it only has one giant eye in the middle of its face. However, the hitotsume kozo is even creepier than the cyclops, as it looks like a small, bald child.
4. Mananangal
This disgusting creature comes from the Philippines. It shares some similarities with the vampire, although the mananangal is more repulsive, as appearance as well as behavior. Mananangal is usually depicted as a very ugly woman who is able to tear off her lower body, grow giant wings, and fly at night. Mananangals have a long proboscis in place of the tongue, which they use to suck blood from sleeping people. Most of all, they love pregnant women, and more specifically, they suck out the heart of their fetus.
Those who encounter a mananangal should avoid the flying torso and try sprinkling garlic and salt on the creature's severed lower body - this will kill it.
5. Kelpie
One of the most famous monsters in Celtic mythology, the kelpie is a creature that looks like a horse and is found in the lakes of Scotland. Kelpies like to lure people, drown them in lakes, drag them to their lair and eat them.
One of distinguishing features Kelpie is their ability to transform from a horse into a human. Most often, they take the form of an attractive man who lures victims to his lair. Much less often, the kelpie appears as a beautiful woman. According to legend, one way to identify kelpies in human form is their hair, which is constantly damp and full of algae. Some stories also say that kelpies retain hooves even in human form.
6. Strigoi
Strigoi, which are similar to the more famous poltergeists, are among the most ancient creatures on this list. They belong to Dacian mythology and were later adopted by Romanian culture. These are evil spirits that have risen from the dead and are trying to resume the normal life they once led. But in this existence, the strigoi drink the very essence of life from their relatives. They are somewhat similar in their actions to vampires.
There is no doubt that people throughout Eastern Europe were deathly afraid of strigoi. Remarkably, this belief has survived to this day, especially in rural areas Romania. Just 10 years ago, the relatives of the recently deceased dug up his corpse and burned his heart, because they believed that the deceased had turned into a strigoi.
7. Yogorumo
Surely no one would refuse if he was seduced by the most beautiful woman in the world, after which she took him to her home. At first, such a man would feel himself the most happy man, but this opinion would surely soon change when this beautiful woman showed her true nature - a giant man-eating spider. Another Japanese monster from the Yokai clan is Yogorumo. This is giant spider, capable of transforming into beautiful woman to lure prey. After a yogorumo possesses a person, it wraps the person in a silk web, injects poison, and then devours the prey.
8. Black Annis
Also known as Black Agnes, this witch is a traditional character in English folklore. Some believe that its roots can be traced much further - to Celtic or Germanic mythology. Black Annis has a disgusting blue face and iron claws and loves to feed on people, especially small children. Her favorite pastime is to roam the ravines at night, looking for unsuspecting children, kidnap them, drag them to her cave, and then cook the children for dinner. After Annis finishes eating the children, she makes clothes out of their skin.
9. Goblin
Leshy is the spirit of forests and parks in many Slavic cultures. In fact, he is the protector of the forest. The goblin is friendly with animals that he can call for help and dislikes people, although, in some cases, farmers manage to make friends with the goblin. In this case, they protect people's crops and can even teach them magic.
Physically, goblin are described as tall people with hair and a beard of vines and grass. However, they are also werewolves, able to change in size from the tallest tree in the forest to the tiniest blade of grass. They can even turn into ordinary people. At the same time, goblin can give out luminous eyes and shoes, dressed backwards.
Goblin are not evil creatures at all, rather they are deceivers and love mischief. For example, they like to confuse people in the forest, and sometimes lure people into their caves by imitating the voices of their loved ones (after that, those who get lost can be tickled to death).
10. Brownie
In Slavic mythology, it is believed that every house has its own brownie. He is usually described as a small bearded man covered in hair. He considers himself the guardian of the house and not necessarily evil. His actions are completely dependent on the behavior of the inhabitants. Brownie gets angry at people who neglect their home and who swear. And for those who behave well and take care of the house, the brownie quietly helps with household chores. He also likes to watch sleeping people.
Do not anger the brownie, because he begins to take revenge on people. First, otherworldly moans will begin to be heard in the house, plates will beat and things will disappear. And if the brownie is finally finished, then he can kill people in their own bed.
For lovers of history and the unknown. Read for yourself, tell the children.
The world is not as simple as it might seem at first glance. And many scientists today repeat that there are parallel worlds in which they live various entities, previously unseen. And fairy tales and myths are not fiction at all, but rather, even epics. That is why this article will present a list of mythical creatures that may have once lived, or maybe they live somewhere else at the moment.
Unicorn
In this list, both positive and negative representatives will be studied. If a good list is considered, the unicorn should definitely open. What is it? So, most often it is a beautiful white horse, in the forehead of which there is a sharp horn. It is a symbol of chastity and the struggle for justice. However, according to the esotericists, the unicorn must be a creature with a red head and a white body. Previously, he could be depicted with the body of a bull or a goat, and only later - a horse. Legends also say that unicorns by nature have an inexhaustible supply of energy. It is very difficult to tame them, but they obediently lie down on the ground if a virgin approaches them. If you want to ride a unicorn, you will have to stock up on a golden bridle.
The life of unicorns is also very difficult. They feed exclusively on flowers, drink only morning dew, and bathe in the cleanest forest lakes (in which the water becomes healing after that). Moreover, all the power of these creatures is contained in a single horn (healing powers are also attributed to him). Today they say: to meet a unicorn - to great happiness.
Pegasus
The list of mythical creatures similar to horses can also be replenished by a winged horse, the son of the Medusa Gorgon and Poseidon. His main function is to be on Olympus and give lightning and thunder to his father. However, being on earth, Pegasus knocked out Hippocrene with his hoof - the source of muses, which should inspire everyone creative people for useful deeds.
Valkyries
Separately, you can also consider female mythical creatures. The list will be added to without fail Valkyries. These are warrior maidens who are companions and executors of the will of Odin (the supreme god in These are some symbols of an honorable death in hostilities. After the warrior has fallen, the Valkyries on their winged horses take him to the heavenly castle of Valhalla, where they serve him at the table. In addition, Valkyries can predict the future.
Other mythical female creatures
- Norns. These are spinning women who determine the birth, life and death of people.
- Parks, or moira. These are the three sisters, daughters of the night. They also predetermined the life of each person. Clota (first daughter) spins the thread of life, Lachesis (second daughter) keeps it, Atropos (third daughter) cuts it.
- Erinyes. These are the goddesses of revenge, who are depicted with torches and whips in their hands. They push a person to avenge insults.
- We continue to consider female names mythical creatures. Dryads can add to the list. These are the women guardians of the trees. They live in them and die with them. And those who planted and helped the tree grow were the wards of the dryads. They tried their best to help them.
- Graces. These are mythical creatures that personify youthful charm and beauty. Their main goal was to arouse in the young hearts of girls such a feeling as love. In addition, they brought joy to everyone who met on their way.
Birds
The list of mythical creatures must be replenished with various birds. After all, they also occupied leading places in folk beliefs.
- Phoenix. Today, many will say that this is a bird of happiness. However, earlier she personified the immortality of the soul and the cyclical nature of the world, as she could give rebirth and she herself was reborn, burning herself. The phoenix appears in the form of an eagle with golden and red plumage.
- Anka. This is a bird from Muslim mythology, very similar in function and presentation to the phoenix. It was created by Allah, and is inaccessible to people.
- Ruhh. This is a gigantic bird, which in its claws (huge and strong, like bull horns) can lift three elephants at once. It was believed that the meat of this bird returns lost youth. It was called Nog or Fear.
Griffins and similar creatures
The list of mythical creatures can be continued by monsters, which are the result of crossing two or more powerful animals.
- First of all, these are griffins. These are winged creatures that have the head of an eagle and the body of a lion. They are guardians of the gold and treasures of the Riphean mountains. The cry of these monsters is very dangerous: every living thing in the area, even a person, dies from it.
- Hippogriffs. This is the result of crossing a vulture bird (the front of the creature) and a horse (the body). This creation also had wings.
- Manticore. This is a creature that has a human face crowned with three rows of teeth, the body of a lion and the tail of a scorpion. His eyes are filled with blood. It moves very quickly, and feeds on human bodies.
- Sphinx. This is a creature that has the head and chest of a woman, and the body of a lion. It was called to protect Thebes. The Sphinx gave a riddle to every passer-by. Who could not guess it, he was killed by this creature.
dragons
What other mythical creatures are there? The list can be replenished with monsters, outwardly something similar to dragons.
- Basilisk. This creature has the eyes of a toad, the head of a rooster, the wings of a bat, and the body of a dragon. In other legends, this is a huge lizard. From the gaze of this creature, all living things turn to stone (if the basilisk looks at itself in the mirror, it will die). Its saliva is also poisonous, it can also petrify. Lives in a cave, eats stones, comes out only at night. The main goal of his life: the protection of unicorns, as they are "pure" creatures.
- Chimera. It is a creature with the head and neck of a lion, the tail of a dragon, and the body of a goat. This is a symbol of a breathing volcano, as this monster spewed fire. Some people believe that modern stone chimeras can come to life and do things.
- We continue to consider mythical creatures. The list can be replenished with a monster with a body of a snake and nine heads of a dragon. She lived in a swamp near the city of Lerna and ate entire herds. Saved the city from the hydra Hercules.
- Kraken. This is a kind of sea serpent, an Arabian dragon. He could capture an entire ship with his tentacles, and his back stood out in the middle of the ocean like a huge island.
Russian mythical creatures
Separately, consider the mythical creatures of Russia. This list can be opened by villains. They were also called Khmyri, or Crixes. They live in swamps, pester people. They can even move into a person if he is old and has no children. They represent darkness, poverty, poverty. In the house, the villains settle behind the stove, and then jump on the shoulders of a person and ride on him. Another mythical creature is Khukhlik. This is a mummer, water devil. This is an unclean spirit that comes out of the water and loves to play tricks on people, arranging various dirty tricks for them. Especially active during Christmas time.
Greek mythical creatures
Separately, I would also like to present a list of the mythical creatures of Greece, the cradle of human civilization.
- Typhon. This is a monster that has about 100 dragon heads with long black tongues on the back of its head. It can scream with the voices of a variety of animals. This is a special personification of the destructive forces of nature.
- Lamia is a demon with a female appearance who kills babies.
- Echidna. An immortal and ageless woman with the body of a snake who lured travelers and devoured them.
- Grai - three goddesses of old age.
- Geryon. This is a giant, a monster, on the belt of which three bodies have grown together. He owned beautiful cows that lived on the island of Erifia.
Movies about mythical creatures
Fans of everything unusual can watch films about mythical creatures. This list can be replenished by the following films:
- "Jason and the agronauts", 1963 release.
- "The Lord of the Rings", several films that were released from 2001 to 2003.
- Cartoon "How to Train Your Dragon", 2010 release.
- Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters, 2013.
- The 2001 film Horror from the Abyss.
- "My pet dinosaur" 2007 release.
Having considered complete list mythical creatures and demons, I want to say that all these monsters are fictional. And so it is necessary to consider as long as there are no facts that testify to the contrary.
World folklore is inhabited huge amount amazing fantastic animals. In different cultures, they were credited with incredible properties or skills. Despite the 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 the collection of articles on zoology, it is also called "The Bestiary of Mythical Creatures".
Causes
The surrounding nature with its cataclysms, often not always clear phenomena, inspired horror. Unable to find an explanation or somehow logically understand the chain of events, the person interpreted this or that incident in a peculiar way. Mythical creatures were called to help, guilty, according to people, of what was happening.
In the old days, the forces of nature stood on the highest pedestal. Their faith was unconditional. Ancient mythical creatures served as gods. They were worshiped, sacrificed in gratitude for a rich harvest, successful hunting, and a successful outcome of any business. To anger and offend mythical creatures were afraid.
But there is another theory of their appearance. The probability 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, but not in our reality.
What were they
The "Bestiary of Mythical Creatures" was among the main sources of information. There were not many publications systematizing animal world planets. It is difficult to speak about its reliability. There were entered and described in great detail, including completely mythical creatures. The illustrations made with a pencil amazed the imagination, 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 mostly mythical creatures. Ancient Greece. But they could also combine human traits.
Many skills of mythical creatures are borrowed from environment. The ability to grow new heads echoes the ability of lizards to regenerate a severed tail. The ability to spew flames can be compared to how some snakes can spit poison 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 look like. Different nationalities have pictures with their images.
demihumans
In fictional images, there were also human features. They were used in different options: an animal with parts of a human body, or vice versa - a person with the characteristics of an animal. A separate group in many cultures is represented by demi-humans (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-human, half-donkey. He had a petty character and was considered a rare hypocrite, often compared with Satan.
The famous minotaur is directly related to the "mythical creatures" order. 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 at bay, 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 great strength with the torso of a man, with powerful horns and the body of a bull, was called a bucentaur (bull-man). He had the ability to cause hatred between members of different sexes on the basis of jealousy.
Harpies were considered spirits of the wind. Colorful half-woman half-birds, wild, predatory, with a disgusting unbearable smell. The gods sent them to punish the guilty people. It consisted in the fact that these swift creatures took away food from a person, dooming him to starvation. They were credited with stealing children and human souls.
Half-maiden-half-snake echidna, attractive in appearance, but terrible in its serpentine essence. Specialized in kidnapping travelers. She was the mother of a number of monsters.
Sirens appeared before travelers in the form of predatory beauties, with the head and torso of an elegant woman. Instead of hands, they had terrible bird paws with huge claws. A beautiful melodious voice, inherited from their mother, served as a bait for people. Sailing to the bewitching singing, the ships crashed against the stones, and the sailors died, torn to pieces by the sirens.
The Sphinx was a rare monster - the chest and face of a woman, the body of a lion with sweeping wings. His craving for riddles caused the death of a mass 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 lived in the waters of the oceans, seas, rivers, swamps. They were inhabited by naiads. The springs in which they lived were almost always healing. For a disrespectful attitude towards nature, for example, pollution of a source, a person could be punished with madness.
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 occurs 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. The trouble was on both sides of a narrow strip of water. And today the expression "fall 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 in a fish tail. He served as a means of transportation for the sea gods - nereids and newts.
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 replace the paws of a bird with huge claws, and the head resembles an eagle. All living things perished from his cry. People believed that the griffins guarded the treasures of the Scythians. They were also used by the goddess Nemesis as draft animals for her wagon, which symbolized the inevitability and speed of punishment for committed sins.
Phoenix was a mixture of different types birds. In his appearance one could detect the features of a crane, a peacock, an eagle. The ancient Greeks considered him immortal. And the ability of the phoenix to be reborn symbolized the human 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, the phoenix voluntarily throws itself into the flames. His death returns harmony and happiness to the world of people. 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 all who saw them. Their rapid reproduction did not give a chance for the survival of the surrounding area. Like locusts, they ate everything they came across, turning flowering valleys into deserts. Their feathers were formidable weapons. Birds hit them like arrows.
The winged horse Pegasus, although born from the head of a dying gorgon, has become a symbol of a reliable friend, talent and boundless intelligence. He combined the power of an independent creature from gravity, a horse and vitality. Graceful, impetuous, free, beautiful winged horse still serves for people of art.
Female mythical creatures
In Slavic culture, female mythical creatures served to kill people. A whole army of kikimors, mermaids, witches, at the first opportunity, tried to exterminate a person from the world.
No less terrible and evil female mythical creatures of Ancient Greece. Not everyone was originally born as monsters. Many became such by the will of the gods, taking on a terrible image as a punishment for any misdeeds. They differ in "place of residence" and way of life. They are united by the desire to destroy a person, and this is how evil mythical creatures live. The list is long:
- chimera;
- Gorgon;
- siren;
- salamander;
- puma;
- nymph;
- harpy;
- Valkyrie and other "pleasant" ladies.
Slavic mythology
Unlike other cultures, Slavic mythical creatures carry the experience and wisdom of all generations of ancestors. Traditions and legends were transmitted 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 powers and are clearly divided into habitats.
A semi-mythical creature - a werewolf (werewolf) - lived among people. He was credited with the ability to turn 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 the Cossack warriors could take the form of a wolf at any moment and attack enemies.
"Home" creatures
Brownie - the spirit of a human dwelling, protected the house from all sorts of troubles and troubles, including thieves and fires. He had the ability of invisibility, but the cats noticed him. When the family moved to another place, the brownie was always called with them, conducting the appropriate rituals. The custom of letting the first cat into the house has a simple explanation - a brownie enters on it.
He always treats the household well, but he does not tolerate lazy and grumpy people. Broken dishes or spilled cereal clearly makes it clear about his discontent. If the family does not listen to him and does not correct himself, the brownie may leave. Then the house is doomed to death, a fire or other misfortune will not keep you waiting.
In direct submission to the brownie serves as a yard. His duties include looking after the household outside the house: the barn, barns, yard. He is rather indifferent to people, but it is not recommended to make him angry.
Another spirit - anchutka - is subdivided according to the place of residence: field, water and home. A small dirty trick, not recommended for communication. No useful information anchutka does not possess, hypocrisy and the ability to deceive are inherent in it at the genetic level. His main entertainment is to make various sounds, a person with a weak psyche can be driven to madness. It is impossible to drive the spirit out of the house, but to a balanced person it is completely harmless.
Kikimora lives in the right corner from the entrance, where, according to custom, all the garbage was swept away. This is an energy creature, 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 kikimor are also curious, there are several of them and all are considered correct:
- a dead baby can become a kikimora, this group includes all stillborn, premature babies or miscarriages;
- children born from the sinful connection of a fiery serpent and an ordinary woman;
- children cursed by their parents, the reason can be very different.
Kikimoras use nightmares for children as their weapon, and terrible hallucinations evoke adults. Thus, they can deprive a person of reason or lead to suicide. But there are special conspiracies against them, which were used by witches and sorcerers. An easier way is also suitable: a buried silver object under the threshold will not let the kikimora into the house.
It should be noted that, despite the widely used expression "bog kikimora", this does not apply to real representatives of this kind of entities. Apparently, we are talking about mermaids or dashing, just living in the swamps.
Mythical creatures of nature
One of the most famous mythical creatures living in the forest 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 a person. But such an attitude will only be towards people with a pure and bright soul. He will point out mushroom, berry places, and lead you to a short road. And if the traveler shows respect for the goblin and pampers him with a treat, 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, it was possible to determine whether the light goblin was in charge, or whether he had spread to the side of Chernobog. In this case, the possessions are unkempt, overgrown, dense and impassable. Such negligent "owners" are punished by the god Veles himself. He drives them out of the forest and transfers ownership to another goblin.
Famously, oddly enough, lives in a swamp. In fact, it is a complex allegory of an unfavorable set of circumstances associated with specific human actions. From this we can conclude that everyone 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 various forms - either in the form of a giant, or as a tall, stooping undead woman. They are similar in one thing - the dasher has only one eye, but despite this, no one managed to escape from him.
Meeting with dashing is dangerous. His curses and ability to send people into trouble can eventually lead to death.
A whole group of water mythical creatures are represented by mermaids. There are:
- Vodyanitsy. They live only in the water, they never go to the ground, they serve the waterman, they are absolutely harmless, they can only scare with their tickling. They look like ordinary naked girls, they can briefly turn into fish or swans.
- Patchwork. A special kind 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 the 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 rushed off the cliff into the river and drowned. Since then, wandering along the river, looking for her husband. Every handsome guy is drawn into the pool. There, looking closer and realizing that she had pulled the wrong one into the pool, she lets go. Truth, young man this does not help, by then he manages to drown. This is the only type of mermaid that "specializes" exclusively in young men.
- Lobasta. The scariest type of mermaid. They sell their soul to Chernobog. Looking creepy like monsters with some parts female body. Strong and vicious creatures, they can attack singly and in groups. The best remedy salvation - run away from them.
Despite this diversity, all mermaids are related to the female sex. It is generally accepted that girls turn to them, whose death is somehow connected with water.
All bodies of water, whether it be a river or a lake, needed their own caretaker. This was the water one. He was responsible for the order on the shore and the purity 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 swamping (this is how the onset of dark forces manifested itself).
The water man was revered as a wise keeper of knowledge. He was often approached for advice. The power of the water one is great - he could both give life (water is its main source), and take it away, sending terrible natural disasters: floods and floods. But for no reason, the merman did not show his anger and always treated people kindly.
Mythical creatures and cinema
Modern computer graphics make it possible to shoot films on the theme of mythical creatures without any restrictions. The fertile inexhaustible theme inspires a whole army of filmmakers.
Scenarios are written based on well-known epics, myths, legends with an admixture of mysticism and superstition. Films about mythical creatures are also shot in the genre of fantasy, horror, and mysticism.
But not only feature films attract viewers. Scientists have not abandoned attempts to unravel the nature of entities so far. There are very interesting in content, assumptions, scientific conclusions documentaries about mythical creatures.
Mythical creatures in the modern world
Digging a person in himself, trying to find out as much as possible about his personality led to the creation of a mass of various tests. The test “What mythical creature are you?” has been developed and is widely popular. After answering a number of questions, the test-taker receives his own characteristics. It also indicates the mythical creature to which he most corresponds.
Attempts to explain the incredible phenomena associated with brownies, barabashkas and other "neighbors" are pushing researchers to desperate attempts to take photos of mythical creatures. Modern sensitive technology gives hope to researchers to capture the desired objects. Sometimes some light spots or blackouts appear in the photographs. Nothing can be said for certain by any expert. It is difficult to say with certainty that the photo of mythical creatures is clearly visible, and confirms their undeniable presence.
Myths and legends, any oral or written traditions tend to disappear over time, to be erased from a person's memory.
Such a fate befell many characters, both good and bad. Some images were modified under the influence of religion or the peculiarities of the folklore of nations, gradually assimilating the indigenous people that gave birth to such a fantasy.
Others remained in the memory of mankind and even became a kind of "trademark", a hot topic for books, films and computer games.
A mythical creature does not necessarily have features exaggerated by human fantasy. Monsters can be quite natural in appearance, be it an animal, a demigod, or evil spirit who took the form of a human.
All of them have one thing in common - an attempt by an ancient man to explain natural phenomena, catastrophes and misfortunes by the intervention of an extraterrestrial force, cruel and indifferent.
However, sometimes mythical animals, characters and images begin to live on their own. Once told, the legend is passed from person to person, acquiring details and new facts.
They are all related by a terrible disposition, fear of losing accumulated wealth and extremely long term life.
The nature of such a creature is peculiar. Most of the dragons are wise, but quick-tempered, cruel and proud.
The hero often speculates on the relationship of the lizard to himself in order to later kill him by deceit and cunning and take possession of the dragon's untold riches.
Later, many variations of the original image appeared. Thanks to John Tolkien, Robert Salvatore and many other authors of the fantasy genre, dragons were divided by color and even acquired a direct "kinship" with the original forces.
Horrors in the night, a gleam on the fangs of a vampire
A monster capable of drinking human blood or bending it to its will. This evil spirit should be regarded as an exceptionally malicious and cruel creature.
The villagers mercilessly drive an aspen stake into another corpse, the carpenter famously cuts a cervical vertebra with an ax, and another "vampire" goes to the Underworld.
Before Bram Stoker's novel was published, vampires weren't endowed with anthropomorphic traits. So, for example, a blood-sucking creature from South America looks like a mixture of a hellish dog with all sorts of monsters.
In the Philippines, a vampire is generally depicted as a winged torso with a proboscis similar to that of a mosquito.
Thus, the monster “drinks” a person, taking away his youth, beauty and strength.
Ancient people were not so scrupulous and believed that it was enough for a creature to cut off its head, well, or cut out its heart.
Each virgin on a personal transport
Not every mythical creature is terrible in nature, because darkness cannot exist without light, however, as well as vice versa.
Mythical animals quite often act as conductors of the protagonist, help him with both advice and deed.
The messenger of the primordial light, at least according to most legends, is. This creature is pure in nature, aggression and violence are alien to it, therefore these animals are not left in the modern world.
Most notable is the fact that the unicorn has a strange "connection" with the virgin, feels her and always comes to the call.
Interesting fact, the harsh northern peoples of Russia have their own unicorn, huge and "stale".
Sounds satirical? And yet they describe it that way. Unlike a brilliant and bright creature, Indrik belongs to the spirits of mother earth, and therefore looks appropriate.
A huge "earth mouse" is not attracted to virgins, but it can also come to the aid of a soul lost in the mountains.
I don't know what - chimeras
The last chords of life - siren
Despite the fact that a siren and a mermaid are different concepts, they have a lot in common, which eventually led to a conditional juggling of names and a little confusion.
However, this is acceptable. In the mythology of the Greeks, the Sirens are the nymphs of Persephone, who lost the will to live with the mistress when she went to Hades.
With their singing, they lured sailors to the island, where they devoured their bodies, not otherwise from longing for the patroness.
Odysseus almost got into their network, who even ordered his comrades-in-arms to tie themselves up so as not to become the prey of carnivorous fish women.
Later, the image migrated to the mythology of Europe and even became a kind of nominal personification of the temptation of the deep sea for a sailor.
There have been theories that mermaids are actually manatees, which may resemble fish with anthropomorphic features, but the image itself remains relevant to this day.
Witnesses of the past - Bigfoot, Yeti and Bigfoot
Unlike other characters, these creatures are still found all over the world.
Regardless of their veracity, the very fact of such finds is living proof that the images not only still exist, but also remain relevant.
One thing unites - similarity with various stages of the evolutionary cycle of human development.
They are huge, have a thick woolly coat, fast and strong. Despite their meager intelligence, the creatures continue to stubbornly avoid all the ingenious traps set up by all sorts of hunters of mystical secrets.
Mythical animals remain extremely hot topic, demanded not only by art workers, but also by historians.
The epic had a huge impact on the formation of mankind, and the skepticism with which the modern inhabitant of the metropolis treats such mysteries is dictated precisely by mythology and its “domestication” of the forces of nature.