There are so many mythical animals or creatures that kept us interested since our early days. The stories of peoples or animals with amazing powers and different roles keep us more and more of this old world charm. Animals along with birds are part of mythical and legendary creatures. There are animals and birds with supernatural powers or they appear along with a combination of animal and human with a special purpose in life. Here is the list of 10 mythical animals that exist in mythical stories,
Mythical Animals
1.Centaur
Centaur is one of the popular mythical animals that exist in Greek mythology creatures which is part human and part-horse. They have a human’s head, arms, torso along with the body and legs of a horse. It is believed to inhabit Mount Pelion and Magnesia in Thessaly, the Malean peninsula of southern Laconia, and the Folio forest in Elis. It is characterized as lawless, wild, and inhospitable. There are various theories that state that centaurs came from ancient people who saw nomads riding horses for the first time. Centaur is most famous for its battle with the Lapiths. This battle is called Centauromachy.
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Image Source: Wikimedia
2.Phoenix
Phoenix originated from the religious and naturalistic symbolism in ancient Egypt. It is a bird that has a colourful plumage corresponding to fire which is red, orange, yellow, and gold. There are theories that say when a Phoenix dies in its own fire, it will soon rise again from the ashes. Phoenix lives in paradise and known to have a good life. It is characterised by its beauty and symbolizes the fire element. One of the mythical animals symbolizes eternal life, transformation, death, and rebirth in its fire. It is one of the most powerful mystical creatures with supernatural Combustion powers.
3.Pegasus
Pegasus is also one of the most popular mythical creatures in Greek mythology. Talking about the appearance, it is pure white with wings. Pegasus is the son of Poseidon and Medusa and was born from her blood when the hero Perseus cut her head off. This is an immortal winged horse along with his brother the golden-sworded Chrysaor, Pegasus sprang forth most miraculously from his pregnant mother’s neck after Perseus had beheaded her. There was also a brief interval of time when Pegasus belonged to a mortal, Bellerophon, the celebrated hero and slayer of monsters.
4.Leviathan
Leviathan knew as Hebrew Livyatan was a primordial sea serpent in Jewish mythology. The creature has been referenced in the Hebrew Bible in the psalms, Book of Job, the Book of Amos and the Book of Isaiah. It has appeared in the Psalms 74:14 as a multi-headed sea serpent that is killed by God and given as food to the Hebrews in the wilderness. Coming to Isaiah 27:1, the Leviathan is a serpent and a symbol of Israel’s enemies, who will be slain by God. Then in Job 41, where it is a sea monster and a symbol of God’s power of creation. Talking about the Christian views, Leviathan said to be the Demon of Envy or the embodiment of Satan and said would devour most of the sinners.
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Image Source: Wikimedia
5.Griffin
Griffin also spelt as griffon or gryphon is one of teh majestic mythical creatures with a lion’s body (winged or wingless) and a bird’s head that resembles an eagle. This is also one of the most decorative motifs in the ancient Middle Eastern and Mediterranean lands. Talking about the appearance, Griffin has a crested head, whereas the Minoan and Greek gryphon usually had a mane of spiral curls. During the iron age, the gryphon was again prominent in both Asia and Greece. The lion was traditionally considered the king of the beasts, and the eagle the king of the birds and by the middle ages gryphon was an exceptionally powerful and majestic creature and it is known for guarding treasures and priceless possessions.
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6.Dragon
The dragon was a legendary monster and one of the powerful mythical animals equipped with huge, bat-winged, fire-breathing, scaly lizard or snake with a barbed tail. The name was derived from the word drakōn from which the English word Dragon was derived and was used originally for any large serpent especially sea serpent but whatever shape it later assumed it will remain like a snake. During the Middle Eastern world where the snake was described by large and deadly bodies is also the principle of evil.
7.Minotaur
Minotaur, according to Greek mythology is a mythical creature that was portrayed in Classical times with the head and tail of a bull and the body of a man. The Minotaur was eventually killed by the Athenian hero Theseus. The word Minotaur was derived from the Ancient Greek Μῑνώταυρος that means a compound of the name Μίνως (Minos) and the noun ταύρος “bull”, translated as “(the) Bull of Minos”. It is a Prisoner of the Labyrinth and the body constitutes half man and half bull. It was imprisoned there by his stepfather, King Minos of Crete, he dined on human flesh supplied by the city of Athens.
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Image Source: Benny Mazur(Flickr)
8.Unicorn
The unicorn is one of the legendary mythical animals that were popular among children and adults in awe for ages. Talking about the appearance, it has a pure white magical horse with a single, pointed, spiral horn projecting from its forehead. The creature has appeared in early Mesopotamian artworks, and it also was referred to in the ancient myths of India and China. According to the early Greek literature, the animal was described by the historian Ctesias (c. 400 BCE), who related that the Indian wild ass was the size of a horse, with a white body, purple head, and blue eyes.
9.Sphinx
Sphinx is also one of the mythical creatures described in classical Greek mythology with a human’s head and a lion’s body. According to the Greek tradition, the creature has ahead of a woman the haunches of a lion, and the wings of a bird. Sphinx is mythicized as treacherous and merciless that can kill and eat those who cannot answer her riddle. The deadly version of the sphinx appears in the myth and drama of Oedipus. It is generally associated with architectural structures such as royal tombs or religious temples.
Image Source: Wikimedia
10.Kraken
Kraken is a sea monster that resembles a giant squid. The story was originated from Scandinavian folklore where the mythical creature can take the shape of a number 8 which is the symbol for infinity when drawn on its back. It resembles a life without end and it is also thought to be a sacred animal. It is believed that it haunts the seas from Norway through Iceland and Greenland, according to Nordic folklore. It can grow upto 13–15 meters (40–50 feet) in length and the fearsome appearance termed it as an ocean-dwelling monster in various fictional works.
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Image Source: Wikimedia
11.Mermaid
Mermaids are the ‘Women of the Sea’ and if we spell Mermaid it means “mer” means “sea,” and “maid” simply meant woman. It is said that in ancient Assyria, the goddess Atargatis transformed herself into a mermaid for accidentally killing her human lover. Mermaids sometimes are also known as sirens and mermen are natural beings who like magical and prophetic powers. It is believed that the earliest Mermaid legend comes from Syria dating back to 1000 bc. The four unique superpowers include Immortality, Seeing the future, Telepathy and Hypnosis.
12.Loch Ness Monster
Loch Ness Monster is also known as Nessie is one of the largest marine creatures that used to live in Loch Ness, Scotland. It is believed that the Loch Ness date back to ancient times and according to the local stone carvings by the Pict depict a mysterious beast with flippers. According to the first written account of St. Columba during 565 AD and it states that he is a swimmer and was prepared to attack another man when Columba intervened, ordering the beast to “go back.” The same has been obeyed and over the centuries there is only occasional sightings were reported.
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13.Kitsune
Kitsune is a messenger of Death and the role has reinforced the fox’s supernatural importance. Kitsune is a Japanese word for fox and there are stories that depict that he is intelligent and have magical abilities that increase with their age and wisdom. The magic tricks include the ability to assume human form. According to Ancient Japan, both foxes and human beings lived close together. Kitsune is also closely related to the Inari, a Shinto kami or spirit, and serve as his messengers. Because of his potential power and influence, there are a set of people that make offerings to them as a god.
Image Source: Wikimedia
14.Cerberus
Cerberus looks like a hound (dog) with three heads depicted in Greek mythology. It belongs to hades and used to guards the gate of the Greek underworld. It is also related to another mythical animal, the Chimer who is part goat, part lion and part snake. The prime responsibility includes that the dead stay within the gates and the living stay away from them. The best way to become a friend of Cerberus is to get in touch with Hades, the Lord of the Underworld (The labours of Hercules). He is the son of Typhon and echidna.
Image Source: Wikimedia
15.Werewolf
Werewolf is one of the mythical animals who is a monster and also a human who turns into a fearsome wolf-like creature during the full moon. The unique characteristics that make it similar to the real wolves include the eyes, shape, and tail. When he is in human form, he will act like a normal human being,howvever, he usually appears to be ill around nights when there is a full moon. During Wolf form, he dont has the mind of the human, and he cannot resist attacking humans. The name of the mystical animals has been derived from “we’re” meaning man and “Wulf” meaning wolf and sometimes even they are referred to as ‘Lycans’.
16.Hydra
Hydra is also one of the mythical animals who was a serpent-like monster in Greek mythology. The hydra is a child of Typhon and Echidna. It has many heads and even if you cut one hydra head, two more will come in its place. It is also believed that the Hydra’s teeth were able to raise skeletons from the dead. The existence dates back to the 7th century BC. Hydra was killed by Hercules as one of his labours. Hydra used to live in the lake of Lerna in the Argolis and it is older even than the Mycenaean city of Argos.
mage Source: Wikimedia
These are the mythical animals in the world. Kindly share and do post your comments.
