Almost every one of us has heard of certain magical and mythical creatures that inhabit our world. However, there are many more such creatures, the existence of which we know little or do not remember. In mythology and folklore, many magical entities are mentioned, some are described in more detail, others less.
Homunculus, according to the ideas of medieval alchemists, a creature similar to a small person, which can be obtained artificially (in a test tube). To create such a man, the use of a mandrake was required. The root had to be plucked at dawn, then it had to be washed and "nourished" with milk and honey. Some prescriptions said that blood should be used instead of milk. After that, this root will fully develop into a miniature person who can guard and protect its owner.
Brownie- the Slavic peoples have a domestic spirit, a mythological master and patron of the house, ensuring a normal family life, fertility, health of people and animals. They try to feed the brownie, they leave him a separate saucer on the kitchen floor with food and water (or milk). Otherwise (which happens more often), he begins to dirty things, breaks and hides things, encroaches on light bulbs in the bathroom, creates an incomprehensible noise. It can "choke" the owner at night by sitting on the owner's chest and paralyzing him. The brownie can change its appearance and pursue its owner when moving.
Babay in Slavic folklore, a night spirit, a creature mentioned by parents to intimidate naughty children. Babai does not have a specific description, but most often he was presented as a lame old man with a bag over his shoulders, into which he takes naughty children. Usually, parents remembered Babai when their child did not want to fall asleep.
Nephilim (observers - "sons of God") described in the book of Enoch. They are fallen angels. The Nifilim were physical beings, they taught people the forbidden arts and by taking human wives as wives, they gave birth to a new generation of people. In the Torah and several non-canonical Hebrew and early Christian letters, nephilim means "who make others fall." The Nephilim were gigantic in stature, and their strength was enormous, as was their appetite. They began to eat up all human resources, and when they ran out, they could attack people. The Nephilim began to fight and oppress people, which was a huge destruction on earth.
Abaasy- in the folklore of the Yakut peoples, a huge stone monster with iron teeth. Lives in forest thickets away from human eyes or underground. It is born from a black stone, similar to a child. The older he gets, the more the stone looks like a child. At first, the stone child eats everything that people eat, but when he grows up he begins to eat the people themselves. Sometimes referred to as anthropomorphic one-eyed, one-armed, one-legged monsters as tall as a tree. Abaasy feed on the souls of people and animals, tempt people, send misfortunes and diseases, and can deprive them of their minds. Often the relatives of the sick or the deceased sacrificed an animal to Abaasy, as if exchanging his soul for the soul of a person whom they threaten.
Abraxas- Abrasax is the name of a cosmological being in the minds of the Gnostics. In the early era of Christianity, in the 1st-2nd centuries, many heretical sects arose, trying to combine the new religion with paganism and Judaism. According to the teachings of one of them, everything that exists is born in a certain higher Kingdom of light, from which 365 discharges of spirits emanate. At the head of the spirits is Abraxas. His name and image are often found on gems and amulets: a creature with a human body and a cock's head, instead of legs there are two snakes. Abraxas holds a sword and shield in his hands.
Baavan shi- in Scottish folklore, vicious, bloodthirsty fairies. If a raven flew up to a person and suddenly turned into a golden-haired beauty in a long green dress, it means that in front of him is a baavan shi. They wear long dresses for a reason, hiding under them the deer hooves, which the baavan shi have instead of feet. These fairies lure men into their homes and drink their blood.
Baku- "Eater of dreams" in Japanese mythology is a kind spirit that eats bad dreams. He can be called by writing his name on a piece of paper and placing it under the pillow. At one time, images of Baku were hung in Japanese houses, and his name was written on pillows. They believed that if Baku was forced to eat a bad dream, then it had the power to turn the dream into a good one.
There are stories where Baku looks not very kind. Eating all dreams and dreams, he deprived sleeping people of favorable influences, or even completely deprived them of sleep.
Kikimora- a character of Slavic-Ugric mythology, as well as one of the types of brownies, causing harm, damage and minor troubles to the economy and people. Kikimors, as a rule, settle indoors if a child died in the house. Kikimors may appear in the form of a runaway left on the way The swamp or forest kikimora was accused of kidnapping children, leaving an enchanted log instead. Her presence in the house could be easily identified by the wet footprints. The caught kikimora could be turned into a human.
Basilisk- a monster with the head of a rooster, the eyes of a toad, the wings of a bat and the body of a dragon that exists in the mythologies of many peoples. All living things turn to stone from his gaze. According to legend, if the Basilisk sees his reflection in the mirror, he will die. The habitat of the Basilisks are caves, they are also its source of food, since the Basilisk eats only stones. He can leave his shelter only at night, because he cannot stand the crow of a rooster. And he is also afraid of unicorns because they are too "clean" animals.
Baggain- in the folklore of the inhabitants of the Isle of Man, an evil werewolf. He hates people and harasses them in every possible way. Baggain is able to grow to gigantic proportions and take on any form. He can pretend to be human, but if you look closely, you can see pointed ears and horse hooves, which will still give away the buggein.
Alkonost (alkonst)- in Russian art and legends, a bird of paradise with a virgin's head. Often mentioned and depicted with the other bird of paradise, Sirin. The image of Alkonost goes back to the Greek myth of the girl Alcyone, turned by the gods into a kingfisher. The earliest depiction of Alkonost is found in a miniature book of the 12th century. Alkonst is a safe and rare creature living closer to the sea. According to folk legend, in the morning on the Apple Spas, the Sirin bird arrives in the apple orchard, which is sad and crying. And in the afternoon, the Alkonost bird flies into the apple orchard, which rejoices and laughs. The bird brushes off the living dew from its wings and the fruits are transformed, an amazing power appears in them - all the fruits on the apple trees from this moment become healing
Water- the master of waters in Slavic mythology. Waterworms graze their cows at the bottom of rivers and lakes - catfish, carp, bream and other fish. Commands mermaids, undines, drowned men, aquatic inhabitants. More often he is kind, but sometimes he drags a gape of a person to the bottom so that he entertains him. It dwells more often in pools, likes to settle under a water mill.
Abnawayu- in Abkhaz mythology ("forest man"). A gigantic, ferocious creature with extraordinary physical strength and fury. The whole body of Abnauayu is covered with long hair, similar to stubble, he has huge claws; eyes and nose - like those of people. It lives in dense forests (there was a belief that one Abnauayu lives in each forest gorge). Meeting with Abnauay is dangerous, the adult Abnauay has an ax-shaped steel protrusion on his chest: pressing the victim to his chest, he cuts it in half. Abnawayu knows in advance the name of the hunter or shepherd he will meet.
Cerberus (Spirit of the Underworld)- in Greek mythology, a huge dog of the Underworld, guarding the entrance to the afterlife. In order for the souls of the dead to enter the underworld, they must bring gifts to Cerberus - honey and barley biscuits. The task of Cerberus is not to allow living people into the kingdom of the dead, who want to free their beloved from there. One of the few living people who managed to enter the underworld and leave it unharmed was Orpheus, who played beautiful music on the lyre. One of the feats of Hercules, which the gods ordered him to do, was to bring Cerberus to the city of Tiryns.
Griffin- winged monsters with a lion's body and an eagle's head, guardians of gold in different mythologies. Griffins, vultures, in Greek mythology, monstrous birds with an eagle's beak and the body of a lion; they. - "Zeus's dogs" - guard gold in the country of Hyperboreans, guarding it from the one-eyed Arimasps (Aeschyl. Prom. 803 next). Among the fabulous inhabitants of the north - the Issedons, Arimasps, Hyperboreans, Herodotus also mentions the Griffins (Herodot. IV 13).
There are also griffins in Slavic mythology. In particular, they are known to guard the treasures of the Ripean Mountains.
Gaki... in Japanese mythology - eternally hungry demons. Those who, during their lifetime on Earth, gobbled or threw out completely edible food, are reborn in them. The gaki's hunger is insatiable, but they cannot die from it. They eat anything, even their children, but they cannot get enough. Sometimes they get into the Human World, and then they become cannibals.
Vuivre, Vuivra... France. King or queen of snakes; in the forehead - a sparkling stone, a bright red ruby; the form of a fiery serpent; keeper of underground treasures; can be seen flying across the sky on summer nights; dwellings - abandoned castles, fortresses, dungeons, etc .; his images - in sculptural compositions of Romanesque monuments; when he bathes, the stone is left on the shore, and whoever manages to take possession of the ruby will become fabulously rich - he will receive part of the underground treasures that are guarded by the snake.
Dressing- a Bulgarian vampire who feeds on dung and carrion, because he is too much of a coward to attack people. It has a bad temper, which is not surprising with such a diet.
Ayami, in the Tungus-Manchu mythology (among the Nanai) the spirits-ancestors of shamans. Each shaman has his own Ayami, he instructed, indicated what costume a shaman (shaman) should have, how to heal. Ayami appeared to the shaman in a dream in the form of a woman (a shaman - in the form of a man), as well as a wolf, a tiger and other animals, and possessed shamans during prayers. Ayami could also have spirits - the owners of various animals, it was they who sent Ayami to steal the souls of people and cause them diseases.
Duboviki- in Celtic mythology, evil magical creatures living in the crowns and trunks of oak trees.
They offer delicious food and gifts to every person passing by their home.
In no case should you take food from them, let alone taste it, since food prepared by oak trees is very poisonous. At night, Duboviks often go in search of prey.
You should know that passing by a recently felled oak tree is especially dangerous: the oak trees that lived in it are angry and can do a lot of misfortunes.
Damn (old spelling "damn")- an evil, playful and lustful spirit in Slavic mythology. In the book tradition, according to the Great Soviet Encyclopedia, the word devil is a synonym for the concept of demon. The devil is social and most often goes hunting with groups of devils. The trait is attracted to drinking people. When the devil finds such a person, he tries to do everything so that the person drinks even more, driving him to a state of complete madness. The very process of their materialization, popularly known as "getting drunk to hell", is colorfully and in detail described in one of Vladimir Nabokov's stories. "Through prolonged, stubborn, lonely drunkenness," the famous prose writer reported, "I brought myself to the most vulgar visions, namely: I began to see devils." If a person stops drinking, the devil begins to waste away without receiving the expected recharge.
Vampal, in the mythology of the Ingush and Chechens, a huge shaggy monster with supernatural strength: sometimes Vampal has several heads. Vampalas come in both male and female genders. In fairy tales, Vampal is a positive character, distinguished by nobility and helping the heroes in their battles.
Hyanas- in Italian folklore, mostly female perfumes. Tall and beautiful, they lived in the forests, were engaged in handicrafts. They could also predict the future and knew where the treasures were hidden. Despite their beauty, the hyanas, among whom the majority were women, found it difficult to find a mate. There were very few hyana men; the dwarfs were not good husbands, and the giants were real rude ones. Therefore, the gians could only do their work and sing sad songs.
Yrka in Slavic mythology- an evil night spirit with eyes on a dark face, glowing like a cat's, is especially dangerous on the night of Ivan Kupala and only in the field, because the goblin do not let him into the forest. It becomes a suicide. Attacks lonely travelers, drinks their blood. Ukrut, his assistant, brings him rascals in a sack, from whom Yrka drank life. He is very afraid of the fire, does not approach the fire. To save yourself from him, you cannot look around, even if they call out in a familiar voice, do not answer anything, say “mind me” three times or read the prayer “Our Father”.
Div- Demonic character of East Slavic mythology. Mentioned in medieval teachings against pagans. There are echoes of the latter meaning in the episodes of The Lay of Igor's Campaign, where the expression “the divas rushing to the ground” is perceived as a harbinger of misfortune. Div turned people away from dangerous affairs, appearing in the form of never seen. Seeing him and being surprised, people forgot about the unrighteous deed that they wanted to do. The Poles called him esiznik ("There is also a znik", there is and was lost), that is, the God-vision.
Ayustal, in Abkhaz mythology, devil; brings harm to people, animals. According to popular beliefs, if Ayustal possesses a person, he falls ill, and sometimes dies in agony. When a person suffers greatly before death, they say that Ayustal took possession of him, but often a person wins a victory over Ayustal by cunning.
Sulde "vitality", in the mythology of the Mongolian peoples, one of the souls of a person, with which his vital and spiritual strength is connected. Sulde of the ruler is the spirit - the guardian of the people; its material embodiment is the ruler's banner, which in itself becomes the object of a cult, is guarded by the ruler's subjects. During wars, human sacrifices were made to raise the military spirit of the Sulde banners. The Suldi banners of Genghis Khan and some other khans were especially revered. The character of the shamanic pantheon of the Mongols Sulde-tengri, the patron saint of people, is apparently genetically related to the Sulde of Genghis Khan.
Shikome in Japanese mythology, a warlike race of creatures vaguely similar to European goblins. Bloodthirsty sadists, slightly taller than humans and much stronger, with developed muscles. Sharp teeth and burning eyes. Do not do anything other than wars. They often set up ambushes in the mountains.
Buka - scarecrow... Small evil creature that lives in the closet of the children's room or under the bed. Only children see him, and children suffer from him, since Buka loves to attack them at night - to grab their legs and drag them under the bed or into the closet (his den). He is afraid of the light, from which the faith of adults may also perish. Afraid that adults will believe in him.
Beregini in Slavic mythology, spirits in the guise of women with tails, living along the banks of rivers. Mentioned in ancient Russian historical and literary monuments. They protect people from evil spirits, predict the future, and also save small children left unattended and falling into the water.
Anzud- in Sumerian-Akkadian mythology, a divine bird, an eagle with a lion's head. Anzud is an intermediary between gods and people, at the same time embodying good and evil principles. When the god Enlil took off his insignias while washing, Anzud stole the tablets of fate and flew with them to the mountains. Anzud wanted to become more powerful than all the gods, but by his act he violated the course of things and divine laws. The god of war, Ninurta, set off in pursuit of the bird. He shot Anzud with a bow, but Enlil's tablets healed the wound. Ninurta managed to hit the bird only on the second attempt or even on the third attempt (in different versions of the myth in different ways).
Bug- in English mythology and spirits. According to legends, the bug is a "childish" monster, even nowadays Englishwomen scare their children with it.
Usually these creatures have the appearance of shaggy monsters with matted tufted hair. Many English children believe that bugs can enter rooms using open chimneys. However, despite their rather frightening appearance, these creatures are not at all aggressive and practically harmless, since they have neither sharp teeth nor long claws. They can frighten in only one way - by twisting a terrible ugly face, spreading their paws and raising the hair on the back of the neck.
Alraune- in the folklore of European peoples, tiny creatures living in the roots of the mandrake, the outlines of which resemble human figures. The Alrauns are friendly to people, but they are not averse to playing a joke, sometimes very cruel. They are werewolves that can turn into cats, worms and even small children. Later, the Alrauns changed their way of life: they liked the warmth and comfort in human houses so much that they began to move there. Before moving to a new place, the Alrauns, as a rule, test people: they scatter any garbage on the floor, throw clods of earth or pieces of cow dung into the milk. If people do not sweep the garbage and drink milk, Alraun understands that it is quite possible to settle here. It's almost impossible to drive him away. Even if the house burns down and people move somewhere, the alraun follows them. Alraun had to be treated with great care due to its magical properties. It was necessary to wrap or dress him in white robes with a gold belt, bathe every Friday, and keep him in a box, otherwise Alraun would start screaming for attention. Alrauns were used in magical rituals. It was supposed so that they bring great luck, in the likeness of a talisman - four-leafed. But possession of them carried the risk of prosecution for witchcraft, and in 1630 three women were executed in Hamburg on this charge. Due to the high demand for the Alrauns, they were often cut from the roots of bryony, as genuine mandrakes were difficult to find. They were exported from Germany to various countries, including England, during the reign of Henry VIII.
Authorities- in Christian mythological concepts, angelic beings. Authorities can be both good forces and minions of evil. Among the nine angelic ranks, the authorities close the second triad, which, in addition to them, also includes dominions and powers. As Pseudo-Dionysius says, “the name of the holy Powers signifies the Rite equal to the Divine Dominions and Powers, slender and capable of receiving Divine insights, and the device of premium spiritual dominion, which does not use autocratic powers for evil granted sovereign powers, but freely and respectfully to the Divine as itself ascending and others sacred to Him leading and, as much as possible, likening to the Source and Giver of all power and depicting Him ... in a completely true use of his sovereign power. "
Gargoyle- the fruit of medieval mythology. The word "gargoyle" comes from the old French gargouille - a throat, and its sound imitates the gurgling sound that occurs when gargling. Gargoyles sitting on the facades of Catholic cathedrals were presented in two ways. On the one hand, they were like ancient sphinxes as guardian statues, capable of reviving and protecting a temple or a mansion in a moment of danger, on the other hand, when they were placed on temples, it showed that all evil spirits were fleeing from this holy place, since they could not bear the temple purity.
Make-up- according to medieval European beliefs, they lived throughout Europe. Most often they can be seen in old cemeteries located near churches. Therefore, scary creatures are also called church make-up.
These monsters can take on a variety of guises, but most often they turn into huge dogs with coal-black fur and eyes that glow in the dark. You can see the monsters only in rainy or cloudy weather, they usually appear in the cemetery in the late afternoon, as well as during the day during the funeral. They often howl under the windows of sick people, foreshadowing their imminent demise. Often, some make-up, not afraid of heights, climbs into the church bell tower at night and starts ringing all the bells, which is considered a very bad omen among the people.
Ahti- a water demon among the peoples of the north. Neither evil nor kind. Although he loves to joke and with jokes can go too far, so that the person will be dying. Of course, if you make him angry, then he can kill.
Attsys"Without a name", in the mythology of the West Siberian Tatars, an evil demon, which unexpectedly at night appears in front of travelers in the form of a shock, a cart, a tree, a fireball and strangles them. Attsys also called various evil spirits (matskai, oryak, uyr, etc.), the names of which were feared to be pronounced aloud, fearing to attract a demon.
Shoggoths- creatures mentioned in the famous mystical book "Al Azif" better known as "Necronomicon", written by the crazy poet Abdul Alhazred. About a third of the book deals with the management of Shoggoths, which are presented as shapeless "eels" of protoplasmic bubbles. The ancient gods created them as servants, but the Shoggoths, possessing intelligence, quickly got out of control and since then have acted of their own free will and for their strange incomprehensible goals. It is said that these entities often appear in narcotic visions, but there they are not subject to human control.
Yuvha, in the mythology of the Turkmens and Uzbeks of Khorezm, the Bashkirs and Kazan Tatars (Yukha), a demonic character associated with the water element. Yuvkha is a beautiful girl, whom she turns into after living for many (for the Tatars - 100 or 1000) years.According to the myths of the Turkmens and Uzbeks of Khorezm, Yuvkha marries a man, setting a number of conditions to him in advance, for example, not to watch her comb her hair, not stroking the back, bathing after intimacy. Having violated the conditions, the husband discovers snake scales on her back, sees how, combing her hair, she removes her head. If you do not destroy Juvha, she will eat her husband.
Ghouls - (Russian; Ukrainian upir, Belarusian ynip, Old Russian Upir), in Slavic mythology, a dead man attacking people and animals. At night, the Ghoul rises from the grave and, in the guise of a bloodshot corpse or a zoomorphic creature, kills people and animals, sucks blood, after which the victim either dies or can become a Ghoul itself. According to popular beliefs, ghouls were people who died "an unnatural death" - forcibly murdered, drunken drunkards, suicides and also sorcerers. It was believed that the earth does not accept such dead people and therefore they are forced to wander around the world and harm the living. Such deceased were buried outside the cemetery and away from their homes.
Chusrym in Mongolian mythology - the King of fishes. He freely swallows ships, and when he protrudes out of the water, he looks like a huge mountain.
Shuffle, in Hungarian mythology, a dragon with a serpentine body and wings. You can distinguish between the two layers of Shuffle concepts. One of them, associated with the European tradition, is presented mainly in fairy tales, where Sharkan is a fierce monster with a large number (three, seven, nine, twelve) heads, the hero's opponent in battle, often an inhabitant of a magic castle. On the other hand, there are popular beliefs about the one-headed Shuffle as one of the assistants of the sorcerer (shaman) taltosh.
Shilikun, Shilihan- in Slavic mythology - hooligan petty spirits that appear on Christmas Eve and before Epiphany run through the streets with burning coals in pans. Drunk people can be pushed into the hole. At night they will make noise and chatter, and turning into black cats, they will crawl under their feet.
They grow from a sparrow, legs like a horse - with hooves, fire breathes from the mouth. In Baptism, they go to the underworld.
Faun (Pan) - spirit or deity of forests and groves, god of shepherds and fishermen in Greek mythology. This is a cheerful god and companion of Dionysus, always surrounded by forest nymphs, dancing with them and playing the flute for them. It is believed that Pan possessed a prophetic gift and endowed Apollo with this gift. Faun was considered a crafty spirit who stole children.
Kumo- in Japanese mythology - spiders who know how to turn into people. Very rare creatures. In normal form, they look like huge spiders, the size of a person, with glowing red eyes and sharp stings on their paws. In human form - beautiful women with cold beauty, luring men into a trap and devouring them.
Phoenix- an immortal bird that personifies the cyclical nature of the world. Phoenix is the patron saint of anniversaries, or large time cycles. Herodotus expounds with emphasized skepticism the original version of the legend:
“There is another sacred bird there, its name is Phoenix. I myself have never seen it, except as drawn, for in Egypt it rarely appears, once every 500 years, as the inhabitants of Heliopolis say. According to them, she flies when her father (that is, herself) dies. If the images correctly show her size and size and appearance, her plumage is partly golden, partly red. Its shape and size are reminiscent of an eagle. " This bird does not multiply, but is reborn after death from its own ashes.
Werewolf- Werewolf is a monster that exists in many mythological systems. It means a person who knows how to turn into animals or vice versa. An animal that knows how to turn into people. This skill is often possessed by demons, deities and spirits. The wolf is considered a classic werewolf. It is with him that all the associations born of the word werewolf are associated. This change can occur both at the wish of a werewolf, and involuntarily, caused, for example, by certain lunar cycles.
Viryava- the mistress and spirit of the grove among the peoples of the north. Presented as a beautiful girl. The birds and animals obeyed her. She helped the lost travelers.
Wendigo- a man-eating spirit in the myths of the Ojibwe and some other Algonquian tribes. Served as a warning against any excesses of human behavior. The Inuit tribe calls this creature by various names, including Windigo, Vitigo, Vitiko. Wendigos enjoy hunting and love to attack hunters. A lone traveler who finds himself in the forest begins to hear strange sounds. He looks around for the source, but sees nothing but the flicker of something moving too fast for the human eye to detect. When the traveler begins to run away in fear, the Wendigo attacks. He is powerful and strong like no other. Can imitate people's voices. In addition, the Wendigo never stops hunting after eating.
Shikigami... in Japanese mythology Spirits summoned by the magician, expert Onmyo-do. They usually look like they are small, but can take the form of birds and beasts. Many shikigami can take over and control the bodies of animals, and the shikigami of the most powerful magicians can take over people. It is very difficult and dangerous to control shikigami, as they can break out of the magician's control and attack him. An expert Onmyo-do can direct the power of alien shikigami against their master.
Hydra monster, described by the ancient Greek poet Hesiod (VIII-VII centuries BC) in his legend about Hercules ("Theogony"): a multi-headed snake (Lernaean hydra), in which two new ones grew instead of each severed head. And it was impossible to kill her. The hydra's lair was at Lake Lerna near Argolis. Under the water was the entrance to the underground kingdom of Hades, which was guarded by a hydra. The hydra hid in a rocky cave on the shore near the source of Amimona, from where she came out only to attack the surrounding settlements.
Fights- in English folklore, water fairies who lure mortal women by posing as wooden dishes floating on water. As soon as a woman grabs onto such a dish, the drag immediately takes on its true, ugly appearance and drags the unfortunate woman to the bottom so that she can look after his children there.
Sinister- pagan evil spirits of the ancient Slavs, the personification of Nedoli, navi servants. They are also called kriks or hmyri - swamp spirits, which are dangerous to those who can stick to a person, even move into him, especially in old age, if in life a person did not love anyone and he did not have children. Sinister can turn into a beggar old man. In the Christmas-time game, evil person personifies poverty, misery, winter gloom.
Incubus- in medieval European mythology, male demons coveting female love. The word incubus comes from the Latin "incubare", which means "recline". According to ancient books, incubus are fallen angels, demons, carried away by sleeping women. Incubuses showed such an enviable energy in intimate affairs that whole nations were born. For example, the Huns, who, according to medieval beliefs, were the descendants of "outcast women" of the Goths and evil spirits.
Goblin- the owner of the forest, a forest spirit, in the mythology of the Eastern Slavs. This is the main owner of the forest, he makes sure that no one in his household does any harm. He treats good people well, helps to get out of the forest, and not too good people - badly: he confuses, makes them walk in circles. He sings in a voice without words, claps his hands, whistles, auk, laughs, cries. The goblin can appear in various plant, animal, human and mixed images, it can be invisible. Most often appears to be a lonely creature. Leaves the forest for the winter, sinking into the ground.
Baba Yaga- a character of Slavic mythology and folklore, mistress of the forest, mistress of animals and birds, guardian of the borders of the kingdom of Death. In a number of fairy tales, it is likened to a witch, a sorceress. Most often - a negative character, but sometimes acts as an assistant to the hero. Baba Yaga has several stable attributes: she knows how to conjure, fly in a mortar, lives on the border of the forest, in a hut on chicken legs surrounded by a fence of human bones with skulls. She lures good fellows and small children to her, ostensibly in order to eat them.
Shishiga, an unclean spirit, in Slavic mythology. If he lives in the forest, then he attacks randomly wandering people, in order to gnaw their bones later. At night they like to make noise and chatter. According to another belief, shishimora or shishigi are mischievous restless house spirits mocking a person who does things without praying. We can say that these are very instructive spirits, correct, accustoming to a pious routine of life.
The human imagination, especially in nightmares, is capable of giving rise to images of terrible monsters. They emerge from the darkness and inspire inexplicable fear. Over the entire multi-thousand-year history of existence, mankind believed in a fairly large number of such monsters, whose names they tried not to even pronounce, since they personified universal evil.
Yovi is often compared to the more famous Bigfoot, but he is credited with Australian origin. Legend has it that Yovi lived exclusively in Blue Mountain, a mountainous region west of Sydney. The image of this monster appeared in Aboriginal folklore to scare off European immigrants and settlers, although there is evidence that the myth has a longer history. There were people who talked about meeting this creature, who is considered an "evil spirit", although there is no official confirmation of Yovi's attack on people. They say that when he meets a person, Yovi stops and stares, and then disappears into a dense forest.
During the era of colonial wars, many myths appeared or found new life in different parts of the world. For example, in the 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 yet met such a snake, neither alive nor 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 short, bearded man who can live in a pet or even move into a person. They say that in every house there is a brownie who is responsible for the atmosphere in it: if there is order and harmony in the house, then the brownie is kind, if they often swear in the house, then the brownie is evil. The 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 tusks, Bunyip is a fairly large monster that is said to live in swamps and other parts of Australia. His name comes from the word "devil", but many other qualities are attributed to him. Most often, this monster was talked about in the 19th century, and today it is believed that the creature still exists and lives on parity with the locals. Aborigines believe in this most of all.
The Bigfoot creature is known to everyone. It 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 hair. They say that when meeting with him, a person becomes numb in the literal sense of the word, being under the influence of hypnosis. There were people who testified about cases when Bigfoot took people with him to the forest and kept them in his den for a long time. True or not, the image of Bigfoot instills fear in many.
The jikininki is a special creature born of Japanese folklore. In the past, it was a person 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, it is believed that if a person is very greedy during life, after death he turns into jikininki as a punishment and experiences an eternal hunger for carrion. Outwardly, the jikininki looks like a person, but with a disproportionate body, with large luminous eyes.
This creature has Tibetan roots. Researchers believe that the Yeti crossed over to Nepal in the footsteps of the Sherpa migrants, emigrants from Tibet. They say that he wanders around the neighborhood, sometimes throws huge stones and whistles terribly. The Yeti walks on two legs, its body is covered with light hair, and in its mouth there are dog fangs. Both ordinary people and researchers claim that they met with this creature in reality. Rumor has it that it penetrates into our world from the other world.
Chupacabra is a small enough creature, but capable of causing a lot of problems. For the first time, this monster was talked about in Puerto Rico, and later in other parts of South and North America. "Chupacabra" in translation means "sucking the blood of goats." The creature received this name as a result of a large number of unexplained deaths of livestock of the local population. Animals died from blood loss through bites on the neck. Chupacabra has also been spotted in Chile. Basically, all evidence of the existence of the monster is oral, neither a body, nor a 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 over a werewolf, or a wolf, or a dog. They say that during its existence, the monster made 210 attacks on people, of which 113 killed. Nobody wanted to meet him. The monster was even officially hunted by King Louis XV. Many professional hunters hunted down the beast with the aim of killing, but their attempts were in vain. As a result, a local hunter killed him with a conspiratorial bullet. Human remains were found in the belly of the beast.
In American Indian mythology, there was a bloodthirsty creature, the Wendigo, a product of curses. The fact is that in the myths of the Algonquian tribes it was argued that if a person was a cannibal during his lifetime and ate human flesh, then after death he turns into a Wendigo. They also said that he can move into any person, taking possession of his soul. A wendigo is three times taller than a human, its skin decays, and its bones bulge outward. This creature is constantly hungry and thirsty for human flesh.
The Sumerians, representatives of an ancient but rather developed civilization, created their own epic, in which they talked about the gods, goddesses and their daily life. One of the most popular epics was the Epic of Gilgamesh and the stories of the creature Gugalanna. This creature, in search of a king, killed a large number of people, destroyed cities. Gugalanna is a bull-shaped monster that the gods used as an instrument of revenge on humans.
Like vampires, this creature has a constant lust for blood. It also devours human hearts and has the ability to detach the upper part of its body and infiltrate people's homes, especially homes where pregnant women live, to drink their blood and kidnap the baby with its long tongue. But this creature is mortal and can be killed by sprinkling with salt.
Black Annis, as the embodiment of evil, is known to everyone in Britain, especially in rural areas. She is the main heroine of the local folklore of the 19th century. Annis has blue skin and a terrible smile. Children had to avoid meeting her, as she ate children and sheep, which she took away from houses and yards by deception or force. Annis made belts from the skins of children and sheep, which she then wore on her in dozens.
The scariest of the most terrifying, Dybbuk, is the protagonist of Jewish mythology. This evil spirit is considered the most violent. He is able to destroy the life of anyone and destroy the soul, while the person will not be aware of what is happening to him and gradually perish.
"The Tale of Koschey the Immortal" belongs to the mythology and folklore of the Slavs and tells about a creature that cannot be killed, but which spoils 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, which is inside a duck, which sits inside a hare. The hare sits in a sturdy chest on top of the tallest oak tree growing on the fabulous island. In short, it is difficult to call a trip to this island pleasant.
A huge number of myths are known in the world in which different creatures play an important role. They do not have scientific confirmation, but new reports regularly appear that entities that do not look like ordinary animals and people have been seen in different parts of the world.
Mythical creatures of the peoples of the world
There are a huge number of legends that tell about mythical monsters, animals and mysterious entities. Some of them have in common with real animals and even people, while others personify the fears of people living at different times. There are legends on every continent featuring unique mythical animals and creatures associated with local folklore.
Slavic mythical creatures
The legends that arose during the time of the ancient Slavs are familiar to many, since they formed the basis of various fairy tales. Creatures of Slavic mythology hide important signs of that time. Many of them were held in high esteem by our ancestors.
Mythical creatures of ancient Greece
The most famous and interesting are the myths of Ancient Greece, which are filled with gods, different heroes and entities, both good and bad. Many Greek mythical creatures have become characters in various modern stories.
Mythical animals in Norse mythology
The mythology of the ancient Scandinavians is part of ancient Germanic history. Many entities stand out for their enormous size and bloodthirstiness. The most famous mythical animals:
English mythical creatures
Various entities that, according to legends in ancient times, lived on the territory of England, are among the most famous in the modern world. They became heroes of various cartoons and films.
Mythical creatures of Japan
Asian countries are unique, even if you consider their mythology. This is due to the geographical location, unpredictable elements and national flavor. Japan's ancient mythical creatures are unique.
Mythical creatures of South America
This area is a mixture of ancient Indian traditions, Spanish and Portuguese culture. Over the years, different people have lived here, who prayed to their gods and told stories. The most famous creatures from myths and legends in South America:
Mythical creatures of Africa
Given the presence of a large number of nationalities living on the territory of this continent, it is quite understandable that the legends telling about the entities can be enumerated for a long time. Good mythical creatures in Africa are little known.
Mythical creatures from the Bible
Reading the main sacred book, you can come across different entities that are unknown. Some of them have similarities with dinosaurs and mammoths.
Good afternoon, dear movie lovers and readers who just happened to be here. Every blogger knows to keep the blog active as often as possible. But bad luck - today is the most boring day. On July 13, 2013, nothing happens in the world of cinema. In connection with such a boring to the same rainy day, I will step aside a little from the topic. If you paid attention, there are articles on mystical films in my blog. As part of the "" section, today we will recall mythology and conduct a top of female mythical creatures.
The most interesting thing is that the word " Banshee“The translator translated me as“ a spirit whose groans portend death. ”In principle, Google's translation has already revealed the intrigue of this creature. It is better not to anger such a lady, otherwise her cry promises you a short life.
Banshees are cool because they belong to Irish myths and Irish women have a cool accent. If the banshees were in fact, they would have shouted more abruptly than Nuki from the Slot group (if anyone is in the subject).
Dryads are the souls of trees. Two news follows from this. First, trees have souls. I just remember that I said something to my teacher in the 3rd class, and she said that there were no souls in the trees and gave me two points. I hope the dryads will take revenge on my teacher ignorant of mythology, or the Banshee will shout in her ear.
Oh yes, the second news. Dryads are only women - so all trees are women? With a bit of a rush of information, I found the answer to this question. Dryads take the form of hot chicks, and the souls themselves are sexless.
The lack of relations with Dryads is that they are rooted to the ground and you can't go to the movies with this. But they are immortal as long as their tree is alive.
8. Mystical creature: centaur
I want to note right away that female centaurs are practically not mentioned in films or books - what kind of sexism in relation to these creatures? The ancient Greeks did not say that Centaurs were only men - and how would they then multiply?
Centaurs are quite famous to talk about, but anyone can read this post, therefore: centaurs are half-humans / half-horses. Centaurs in our time, it would be difficult to live. There are cars all around, and they smoke here and there. And a drop of nicotine ...
Gargon is a very ancient creature. According to the description, she looks like a woman, except for the snakes for hair ...
The most famous Gargon was Medusa-Gargon, well, the one that fell at the hands of the hero Perseus. I previously thought Gargon was the name of a jellyfish, but no - take a bite, this is the name of a creature.
The Gargons have become extinct for a long time, probably due to the fact that they turned everything into stone. Or because of the popularization of mirrors, because Gargona can turn himself into stone if he sees a reflection. One more thing about the snake hair, what's going on with these creatures in the bikini area? o.o
Closing the top five female mystical creatures is a very interesting character. Harpies are winged beauties who love to steal children like witches. I don't know why in many films the Harpies are shown as monsters with sharp teeth, when the Greeks portrayed them as graceful girls?
Harpies usually had long, luxurious hair. The harpy, in principle, could not steal the young boy, since he could gladly wish to visit such a lady himself .. The most negative thing from the relationship with the harpy is her sharp bird claws. Your back will be scratched bless you.
If we analyze their proportions of wings and body, then we can conclude that the wings of a harpy are not able to lift a woman's body. Harpies in fact turned out to be more like chickens, which is why they probably died out.
Snake? This is what my mother-in-law looked like when she was young! Just kidding, where does she care about the grace of this mystical snake ...
All Lamias are women, and they are all demonic creatures with a serpentine tail instead of legs. These evil creatures are capable of taking the form of an ordinary woman. If you've ever met real bitches in your life, maybe it was Lamia?
Like harpies, these cold girls are greedy for young guys. But they are not interested in sex (remind you of the snake's tail?), They prefer to eat a young guy in the literal sense.
These creatures are usually lured by the male population, seducing them. So, if a girl seduces you - think twice, she might be another snake. (Damn, how vital - the Greeks are great.)
We continue the snake theme. They are often confused with the creatures described above, but although both species have a serpentine tail, Nagi not demonic creatures. Another difference: Nagas are also men - this is a full-fledged biological species, and it also reproduces biologically, therefore there are both males and females. To be honest, I don’t know how snakes breed ... I’m a shitty biologist.
Nagas also have 4 arms, unlike Lamia. Although the Nagas were always friendly to people, people probably exterminated them, since they mistaken for Lamia.
Sirens for a campaign have an unrealistically wide range of voices, as they lure sailors from afar. An interesting fact is that you can easily confuse a siren woman from a siren man (oh yes, my dears, there are some). It turns out that the sirens look like Korean prostitutes ...
So the attempt to present boring mythology in a funny entertaining style has come to an end. The first place in the top goes to the Succubus.
Succubi are a typical type of girl who gets anything for sex. These demonesses are completely immoral and shamelessly seducing men and making them slaves in hell. According to legend, the slaves of the Succubus mine hellish gold, working in the hellish mines (Well, at least they do not boil in a cauldron as Catholicism promises to us ...).
Succubi love to have fun and are only women. Seductress demoness usually have small horns, hooves, and wings. Their wings prevent them from flying, but rather cushion their fall as Succubi jump from stone to stone in Hell.
Do not look for logic in the distribution of seats - it does not exist, it is just a psychological technique for attracting attention. We look at more posts.
The world is not so simple as it seems at first glance. Scientists have already repeated many times that parallel worlds exist somewhere, from which various mythical creatures come, previously unknown to man. It turns out that fairy tales, legends and myths are not fiction, they can most likely be called epics.
There is a certain bestiary - a medieval collection, which provides a detailed description of various fictional mythical creatures. Below in the article will be presented a description of mythical creatures - a list with pictures and names.
Unicorns
If we talk about "good" mythical creatures, then one cannot fail to mention this like a unicorn... But what are they, unicorns? Most often, in the photo and pictures in the form of a unicorn, beautiful white horses are depicted, in whose forehead there is one sharp horn. Unicorns have always been considered a symbol of chastity and the fight for justice. Esotericists also claim that they should have blue eyes, a red head, and a white torso. Previously, unicorns were depicted with the body of a bull or a goat, and only recently their body has acquired the appearance of a horse.
If you believe the myths, then these creatures have an incredible supply of energy. It is very difficult to tame them, but they can obediently lie on the ground if a virgin approaches them. In order to ride a unicorn, you need to acquire a golden bridle.
As for the life of such a mythical creature, then it is also very complex. Unicorns only eat flowers, and only morning dew is consumed as a drink. They swim only in clean forest reservoirs, in which after that the water acquires healing properties. The main power of unicorns is concentrated in their horn, which is also credited with healing powers. Esotericists claim that a person who meets a unicorn will become insanely happy.
Pegasus
Pegasus is another mythical creature that looks like a horse. Many encyclopedias write that this winged horse is the son of Medusa Gargon and Poseidon, the God of the seas who lived in Ancient Greece. The main function of Pegasus was to be on Olympus, where he transmitted lightning and thunder to his father. When Pegasus descended to the ground, he knocked out Hippocrene with his hoof. Hippocrene is the name of the source of the muses, which served as an inspiration to all creative personalities for useful actions.
Valkyries
Special attention is paid to mythical female creatures, among which the Valkyries are definitely worth mentioning. Valkyries are called some warrior maidens who also play the role of companions and executors of the will of Odin - the supreme God in German-Scandinavian mythology. Valkyries can be called symbols of honorable death in battles. When a warrior died during the fighting, Valkyries flew to him on winged horses and took the deceased to the heavenly castle Valhalla, in which they began to serve him at the table. These creatures have another distinctive ability - they can predict the future.
Names of other mythical female creatures:
- Norns are spinning women who can determine the birth, life and death of a person;
- Parks are three sisters and daughters of the night, who also have the ability to predetermine the life of any person. The first daughter is named Clota. She spins the thread of life. The second daughter, Lachesis, is the guardian of life. Atropos is the third daughter who cuts the thread of life;
- Erinnias are goddesses of revenge. As a rule, in photos and pictures, they are always depicted with torches in their hands. Such creatures push a person to take revengeful actions for any offense;
- Dryads are women who guard the trees. They spend their entire life in trees, and also die with them. Dryads have their own wards who help them plant and grow trees;
- Graces are mythical creatures who are the personification of youthful charm and beauty. The main purpose of the Graces is to excite love in young girls' hearts. In addition, graces have always brought joy to those who come across them on the way.
Mythical birds
Talking about mythical creatures, it is imperative to mention the birds, since they also occupied leading places in various legends and legends.
Griffins and the like
Continue the list of mythical monster creatures that are the result of crossing two or more powerful animals.
- Griffins are winged creatures that have the head of an eagle and the body of a lion. Griffins guarded the gold and treasures of the Ripean Mountains. Their cry is very dangerous for all living things. From the sound that griffins make, everything in the area perishes, even a person;
- Hippogriffs are the result of crossing a vulture and a horse. Hippogryphs also had wings;
- Manticore is a creature with a human face. The manticore has three rows of teeth, a lion's body and a scorpion's tail. Her eyes are bloodshot. Manticores move with lightning speed. Only human bodies are eaten;
- The Sphinx has a female head, chest, and a lion's body. His main task was to protect Thebes. To everyone who passed by the sphinx, he asked a riddle. If a person could not guess it, then the sphinx killed him.
Dragons
The list of mythical creatures also includes monsters., which outwardly very much resemble dragons.
Russian mythical creatures
Now it is worth considering the mythical creatures that lived in Russia.
- Sinister - lived in swamps and pestered people. They had the ability to move into an old person who has no children. Sinister were the personification of darkness, misery and poverty. In the house, these creatures settled behind the stove, jumped onto the man's back and rode him;
- Khukhlik is a disguised water devil. This unclean spirit lives in reservoirs and loves to joke with people and arrange various dirty tricks on them. Khukhlik is the most active during Christmas time.
Cradle of human civilization.
Having considered such a list of mythical creatures, it should be noted that they are all fictional. And it will be considered this way until some facts are provided to prove their actual existence.