Questions tagged [mythical-creatures]
For questions about animals or non-human beings described in folklore and legends, which may or may not be based on actual creatures.
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Why is the crow of a rooster fatal to a basilisk?
There are a lot of mythological references, which states that the crow of a rooster is fatal to a Basilisk.
From CHAPTER XXXVI of the Bulfinch's mythology, MODERN MONSTERS- THE PHOENIX- BASILISK- ...
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Is there a word for the type of creatures that feeds off human energy, such as emotions?
Is there a common, categorical name for creatures that become stronger and more powerful by feeding off living beings' emotions, such as fear, anger, greed?
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What is the origin of the Hippogriff?
The Hippogriff is said to be the symbol of the Greek god Apollo. A Hippogriff is a mixture of a horse and an eagle/griffin. There are some practices that consider the Hippogriff a symbol of love. ...
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Are vampires called anything else in European folklore?
Does there exist alternative names for vampires? Perhaps an euphemism; for example, in Harry Potter, those who feared Voldemort called him "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named" in lieu of his real name. Or ...
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What are some examples of "Mothers of Monsters"?
I'm looking for other "Mother of Monsters" examples to supplement a post I wrote involving Lilith and Angrboda and their status as "Mother of Monsters." Over time, I'd like to add more examples to the ...
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What demons/fabulous creatures did the Sumerians mention?
I'm looking into fabulous creatures and demons specifically in Sumerian texts, or in Akkadian texts but where the creature/demon still had a Sumerian origin. I can't seem to find a complete list, if ...
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Are there any creatures based on breath or air, and specifically stealing these if possible?
I'm sure we've all heard of the myth of cats stealing babies' breath, but I'm looking for more than that. I've heard of two other myths as well, the Boo Hag off Gullah culture and mice in some ...
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Prevalence of Underwater Panther
I was researching my tribe's clan history and came across something interesting. Osages, like most American Indian tribes, name their clans after either mythological creatures, or common animals (...
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What is sásq'ets, from Halkomelem myths?
The modern term Sasquatch is a loan word (first used by Indian Agent J.W. Burns) based on the Halkomelem First Nations people's word sásq'ets.
In the myths of the Halkomelem people, what was sásq'ets?...
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What are the origins of the mythic Shachihoko?
A shachihoko (鯱鉾) is an animal in Japanese folklore with the head of a tiger and the body of a carp. It is said to bring rain so is often used on roofs, most notably on Nagoya Castle:
Since tigers ...
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What is the story of the Chimera?
The Neo-Hittite Chimera (850–750 BC) from Karkemish is housed in the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara, Turkey:
"Museum of Anatolian Civilizations080" by Georges Jansoone (JoJan) - Self-...
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Hephaestus and Medusa had a son named Cacus. How was Hephaestus shielded from being turned to stone?
Hephaestus and Medusa had a son named Cacus.
Cacus was the son of Hephaestus and Medusa. Inheriting the properties of fire from his father and monstrousness from his mother, Cacus was a fire-...
user28
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Is there a creature in mythology that is a frost bird or a frost phoenix?
I searched a lot but I couldn't find a creature that is similar to a frost phoenix or a frost bird, or a giant creature similar to a frost bird for example.
It's for a project (I like to keep real ...
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What is the difference between giants, Jotuns and trolls in Norse mythology?
I am a little bit confused by the way the terms giant, frost giant, jotun (or jötunn), ettin and troll seem to overlap in Norse mythology.
I don't understand if they refer to a single race or ...
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Why was Medusa's hair made of snakes?
Medusa was a mythical creature that could turn all living beings into stone. However why was her hair made into snakes? Was it Medusa's eyes that turned people or the snakes'?
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Why does looking at Medusa with a mirror work?
Medusa is known for being so ugly that if men even look at her face, they would immediately be turned into stone statues. Perseus was somehow able to overcome this challenge of killing her by looking ...
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What is the earliest known dragon myth?
The myth of dragons can be found in many different traditions, with the major two being the European dragon and the Chinese dragon.
"There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the ...
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How and why was Talos killed?
In Greek mythology there was this ancient robot like (or god like) creature named Talos who was responsible for protecting Crete.
In the Image above we can see depicted the death of Talos. But who ...
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Are Kitsune and Huli jing the same?
Both the kitsune and huli jing are "fox spirits" with 9 tails, tricksters that can shapeshift into, or possess, young women.
One famous kitsune appears in the true story of Hideyoshi writing a letter ...
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What species is the Lady of the Lake?
In Arthurian legend, the Lady of the Lake is usually depicted as a beautiful woman. However, she is clearly not human (as she seems to spend most of her time hanging out underwater). One might think ...
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Were Sirens humans or Monsters?
I can't seem to figure out if the Sirens were, like, half human-half bird monsters, attracting men with their magical song...
or if they were also very beautiful women.
Were they humans with magical ...
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Is the Kraken a single being or a species?
In Norse mythology, the Kraken is said to be a gigantic octopus (or sometimes a squid) that attack sailing ships. It is said that the Kraken would surface at Ragnarök.
So far, I haven't found any ...
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What happened to Medusa's sisters?
It is fairly well known that Medusa, the snake-headed Gorgon, had two sisters, Stheno and Euryale.
While the story of Medusa is concluded when Perseus beheads her, in modern retellings and versions, ...
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Greek/Roman Mermaids
The Greeks and Romans had stories about mermaids and various other half man half fish beings. What creatures are they referring to? If it isn't a creature but more of a "fishing tale" then when was ...
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What is the meaning of not giving clothes to supernatural helpers?
There is a theme that I found in several folk tales from Ireland to Russia - although mostly in Irish/Celtic stories. It is where a house has supernatural helpers, who do work overnight. However, the ...
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Was the Minotaur a single being, or a race?
In the legend of Theseus and the Minotaur, we know that the Minotaur dwelled at the center of the maze built by Daedalus. However, the creature itself (part man, part bull) doesn't appear to show up ...
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