Mythical creatures. The most unusual mythical creatures in the world

Vampires

Witches

dragons

Demons

Here are almost all mythical creatures about which we know something.

It's no secret that in ancient times, to explain this or that natural phenomenon, people referred to the will of the Gods. Thus, the peals of thunder and lightning were an indicator of Odin's rage. While the storm and the death of the sailors was an expression of the wrath of Poseidon. The Egyptians believed that the god Ra controlled the sun. In addition to explaining certain phenomena associated with the favor of the pantheon of the Gods of a certain nationality, people often described their assistants as mythical creatures.

Myths and legends

Many epics, tales, legends and myths have survived to this day, which describe amazing creatures. They can be good and evil, help and harm people. the only common feature each of the mythical characters has magical abilities.

Regardless of their size or the habitat of mythical creatures, in various legends, a person could turn to them for help. On the other hand, there are many stories about how people fight against "creatures" that intimidate the inhabitants of villages, cities and even countries. Interestingly, the presence of mythical creatures is described in the treatises of almost all nationalities inhabiting planet Earth.

Truth or fiction?

Each of us in childhood heard fairy tales about Baba Yaga, the Serpent Gorynych or Koshchei the Immortal. These characters are typical of the legends that arose in Russia. At the same time, stories about gnomes, trolls, elves and mermaids will be closer for Europeans. However, almost anywhere in the world at least once heard the legends of vampires, werewolves and witches.

Can it be argued that all these fables are the fruit of a person’s imagination or reliable confirmation that mythical creatures also lived on our planet earlier? It is impossible to answer this question with certainty. However, many legends or events described in them are confirmed by the facts that scientists discover.

What is the section about?

The mysteries of the existence of fairies, unicorns, griffins, harpies have been attracting people for many centuries. In this section of the site you can find information that will open the curtain on the mystery of the origin of magic and answer the most popular questions about mythical creatures.

Here are historical facts and various versions of the legends are described. After reading the articles, for himself personally, everyone will be able to answer the question of whether these races really existed or they are the fruit of the imagination of people who were afraid of every rustle.

Throughout history, people have invented countless tales of mythical creatures, legendary monsters, and supernatural monsters. Despite their obscure origins, these mythical creatures are described in folklore. different peoples and in many cases are part of the culture. It's amazing that there are people around the world who are still convinced that these monsters exist, despite the lack of any meaningful evidence. So, today we are going to look at a list of 25 legendary and mythical creatures that never existed.

Budak is present in many Czech fairy tales and legends. This monster is described, as a rule, as a creepy creature resembling a scarecrow. It can cry like an innocent child, thus luring its victims. On the night of the full moon, Budak allegedly weaves a fabric from the souls of those people whom he ruined. Budak is sometimes described as an evil version of Santa Claus who travels around Christmas in a cart pulled by black cats.

24. Ghoul

The ghoul is one of the most famous creatures in Arabian folklore and appears in the Thousand and One Nights. The ghoul is described as an undead creature that can also take the form of an intangible spirit. He often visits cemeteries to eat the flesh of recently deceased people. This is perhaps main reason why the word ghoul in Arab countries is often used when referring to gravediggers or representatives of any profession directly related to death.

23. Yorogumo.

Loosely translated from Japanese, Yorogumo means "spider temptress", and in our humble opinion, the name perfectly describes this monster. According to Japanese folklore, Yorogumo was a bloodthirsty monster. But in most tales, he is described as a huge spider that takes the form of a very attractive and sexy woman, which seduces its male victims, captures them in a net, and then devours them with pleasure.

22. Cerberus.

IN Greek mythology, Cerberus is the guardian of Hades and is usually described as a bizarre-looking monster that looks like a dog with three heads and a tail ending in a dragon's head. Cerberus was born from the union of two monsters, the giant Typhon and Echidna, and is himself the brother of the Lernaean Hydra. Cerberus is often described in myth as one of the most dedicated guards in history and is often mentioned in the Homeric epic.

21. Kraken

The legend of the Kraken came from North seas and its presence was initially limited to the coasts of Norway and Iceland. Over time, however, his fame grew, thanks to the wild imagination of storytellers, which led subsequent generations to believe that he also lives in all the seas of the world.

Norwegian fishermen originally described the sea monster as a gigantic animal that was as big as an island and posed a danger to passing ships not from direct attack, but from giant waves and tsunamis caused by its body movements. However, later people began to spread stories about the monster's violent attacks on ships. Modern historians believe that the Kraken was nothing more than a giant squid and the rest of the stories are nothing but the wild imagination of sailors.

20. Minotaur

The Minotaur is one of the first epic creatures that we meet in the history of mankind, and takes us back to the heyday of the Minoan civilization. The Minotaur had the head of a bull on the body of a very large, muscular man and settled in the center of the Cretan labyrinth, which was built by Daedalus and his son Icarus at the request of King Minos. Everyone who fell into the labyrinth became a victim of the Minotaur. The exception was the Athenian king Theseus, who killed the beast and left the labyrinth alive with the help of the thread of Ariadne, the daughter of Minos.

If Theseus were hunting the Minotaur today, then a rifle with collimator sight, a huge and high-quality selection of which is on the portal http://www.meteomaster.com.ua/meteoitems_R473/.

19. Wendigo

Those familiar with psychology have probably heard the term "Wendigo psychopathy" which describes a psychosis that causes a person to eat human flesh. The medical term takes its name from the mythical creature called the Wendigo, which, according to the myths of the Algonquian Indians. The Wendigo was an evil creature that looked like a cross between a human and a monster, somewhat like a zombie. According to legend, only people who ate human flesh were able to become Wendigo themselves.

Of course, this creature never existed and was invented by Algonquian elders who were trying to stop people from engaging in cannibalism.

In ancient Japanese folklore, Kappa is a water demon that lives in rivers and lakes and devours naughty children. Kappa means "river child" in Japanese and has the body of a turtle, limbs of a frog, and a head with a beak. In addition, on the top of the head there is a cavity with water. According to legend, Kappa's head should always be moistened, otherwise it will lose its power. Oddly enough, many Japanese consider the existence of Kappa to be a reality. Some lakes in Japan have posters and signs warning visitors that there is a serious danger of being attacked by this creature.

Greek mythology gave the world the most epic heroes, gods, and creatures, and Talos is one of them. The huge bronze giant allegedly lived in Crete, where he protected a woman named Europa (from whom the European continent takes its name) from pirates and invaders. For this reason, Talos patrolled the island's shores three times a day.

16. Menehune.

According to legend, the Menehune were an ancient race of gnomes who lived in the forests of Hawaii before the arrival of the Polynesians. Many scientists explain the existence of ancient statues in the Hawaiian Islands by the presence of Menehune here. Others argue that the legends of Menehune appeared with the arrival of Europeans in these areas and were created by the human imagination. The myth goes back to the roots of Polynesian history. When the first Polynesians arrived in Hawaii, they found dams, roads, and even temples that were built by the Menehune.

However, no one has found the skeletons. Therefore, it still remains a big mystery what kind of race built all these amazing ancient structures in Hawaii before the arrival of the Polynesians.

15. Griffin.

The griffin was a legendary creature with the head and wings of an eagle and the body and tail of a lion. The griffin is the king of the animal kingdom, which was a symbol of power and dominance. Griffins can be found in many depictions of Minoan Crete and later in art and mythology. Ancient Greece. However, some believe that the creature symbolizes the fight against evil and witchcraft.

14. Medusa

According to one version, Medusa was a beautiful maiden destined for the goddess Athena, who was raped by Poseidon. Athena, furious that she couldn't stand up to Poseidon directly, turned Medusa into an unsightly, evil monster with a head full of snakes for hair. The ugliness of Medusa was so disgusting that the one who looked at her face turned to stone. Eventually Perseus killed Medusa with the help of Athena.

Pihiu is another legendary monster hybrid native to China. Even though no part of his body resembled human organs, the mythological creature is often described as having the body of a lion with wings, long legs and a head. Chinese dragon. Pihiu is considered the guardian and protector of those who practice feng shui. Another version of pihiu, Tian Lu is also sometimes considered a sacred being that attracts and protects wealth. This is the reason why small statues of Tian Lu are often seen in Chinese homes or offices, as it is believed that this creature can contribute to the accumulation of wealth.

12. Sukuyant

Sukuyant, according to Caribbean legends (especially in the Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Guadeloupe), is an exotic black version of the European vampire. From mouth to mouth, from generation to generation, Sukuyant has become part of the local folklore. He is described as a hideous-looking old woman by day, turning into a gorgeous-looking young black woman resembling a goddess at night. She seduces her victims to suck their blood or make them her eternal slaves. It was also believed that she practiced black magic and voodoo, and could turn into fireball or enter the homes of her victims through any opening in the home, including through cracks and keyholes.

11. Lamassu.

According to the mythology and legends of Mesopotamia, Lamassu was a protective deity, depicted with the body and wings of a bull, or with the body of a lion, wings of an eagle and the head of a man. Some have described him as a menacing male, while others have described him as a female deity with good intentions.

10. Tarasca

The tale of Tarascus is reported in the story of Martha, which is included in the biography of the Christian saints Jacob. Tarasca was a dragon with a very intimidating appearance and bad intentions. According to legend, he had the head of a lion, six short legs like a bear, the body of a bull, was covered with a turtle shell and a scaly tail that ended with a sting of a scorpion. Tarasca terrorized the region of Nerluk in France.

It all ended when a young devoted Christian named Martha arrived in the city to spread the gospel of Jesus and discovered that people had been afraid of the ferocious dragon for years. Then he found a dragon in the forest and sprinkled it with holy water. This action tamed wildlife dragon. After that, Marfa led the dragon back to the city of Nerluk, where the enraged locals stoned Tarasque to death.

On November 25, 2005, UNESCO included Tarasque in the list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

9. Draugr.

Draugr, according to Scandinavian folklore and mythology, is a zombie that spreads a surprisingly powerful putrid smell of the dead. It was believed that Draugr eats people, drinks blood, and has power over the minds of people, driving them crazy at will. The typical Draugr was somewhat similar to Freddy Krueger, which, apparently, was created under the influence of fairy tales about the Scandinavian monster.

8. Lernaean Hydra.

The Lernaean Hydra was a mythical water monster with many heads that resembled big snakes. The ferocious monster lived in Lerna, a small village near Argos. According to legend, Hercules decided to kill the Hydra and when he cut off one head, two appeared. For this reason, Heracles' nephew Iolaus burned every head as soon as his uncle cut it off, only then did they stop breeding.

7. Brox.

According to Jewish legend, Broxa is an aggressive monster that looks like a giant bird that attacked goats or, in rare cases, drank human blood at night. The legend of Brox spread in the Middle Ages in Europe, where it was believed that witches took on the appearance of Brox.

6. Baba Yaga

Baba Yaga is perhaps one of the most popular paranormal creatures in the folklore of the Eastern Slavs and, according to legend, had the appearance of a ferocious and terrible old woman. Nevertheless, Baba Yaga is a multifaceted figure that can inspire researchers, can turn into a cloud, a snake, a bird, a black cat and symbolize the Moon, death, winter, or the Earth Mother Goddess, the totem progenitor of matriarchy.

Antaeus was a giant with great strength, which he inherited from his father, Poseidon (god of the sea), and mother Gaia (Earth). He was a hooligan who lived in the Libyan desert and challenged any traveler in his lands to battle. Having defeated the stranger in a deadly wrestling match, he killed him. He collected the skulls of the people he defeated in order to one day build a temple dedicated to Poseidon from these "trophies".

But one day, one of the passers-by was Hercules, who made his way to the garden of the Hesperides to complete his eleventh feat. Antaeus committed fatal error, challenging Hercules. The hero raised Antaeus above the ground and crushed him in a bear hug.

4. Dullahan.

The fierce and powerful Dullahan is a headless horseman in Irish folklore and mythology. For centuries, the Irish have described him as a harbinger of doom who traveled on a black, terrifying-looking horse.

According to Japanese legend, Kodama is a peaceful spirit that lives inside certain types trees. The kodama is described as a small white and peaceful ghost that is perfectly in sync with nature. However, according to legend, when someone tries to cut down the tree that Kodama lives in, bad things and a string of misfortunes begin to happen to him.

2. Corrigan

Strange creatures named Corrigan hail from Brittany, a cultural region in northwestern France with a very rich literary tradition and folklore. Some say Corrigan was beautiful good fairy, while other sources describe him as an evil spirit that looked like a dwarf and danced around fountains. He seduced people with his charms to kill them or steal their children.

1. Fish-man Lyrgans.

The fish-man Lyrgans existed in the mythology of Cantabria, an autonomous community located in northern Spain.

According to legend, this is an amphibious creature that looks like a sullen person who was lost at sea. Many people believe that the fish-man was one of the four sons of Francisco de la Vega and Maria del Casar, a couple who lived in the area. It was believed that they drowned in the waters of the sea while swimming with their friends at the mouth of Bilbao.

To this day, many people live in the depths of the seas and oceans. mysterious creatures. Every year, oceanologists and ichthyologists discover more and more new inhabitants. So, in the past twentieth century, lobe-finned fish that were considered extinct for a long time were discovered.

The existence of giant squid up to 30 meters long, along with tentacles, has also been confirmed. And sometimes the sea shows creatures that are incredibly similar to fairy tales. sea ​​people and mermaids.

In the second half of the 17th century, a young man named Francisco de la Vega Cassar lived in the Spanish city of Liargas. From an early age, he was very fond of water and demonstrated the ability to swim that amazed others. In 1672, when Francisco was sixteen, he went to the Biscay city of Las Arenas to study as a carpenter.

He lived there until 1674, until one ill-fated day he went swimming with other guys. The current that day was so strong that Francisco could not swim to the shore and was swept into the sea. After that, he was considered drowned, but five years later, in the bay of Cadiz, fishermen caught a creature in a net that stole fish from them.

It turned out to be a tall red-haired youth with pale, almost transparent skin and scales on his back. The fingers on his hands were connected by a thin brown film, giving the hands a resemblance to duck feet.

He was taken to a nearby monastery. The monks tried to speak to him in many languages ​​known to them, even performed an exorcism, but the young man was stubbornly silent. The only thing he uttered was the word "Liargas". The captured was taken to this town, where he was identified as Francisco de la Vega Cassara by his mother and brothers.

For some time he lived with them, but he never managed to restore the skills of meaningful speech. One day, Francisco heard someone's strange cry and rushed to the river, in the waters of which he disappeared forever. The reality of this story is confirmed by entries in the parish book of the church in the city of Liargas.

Statue of the fish-man on the banks of the river Miera, Llerganes

Much earlier, in 1403, a severe storm broke out in Holland, which destroyed many dams and flooded the lowlands. After that, several girls, residents of the city of Edam in the western part of Friesland, sailed on a boat to milk the cows.

Suddenly, they saw a mermaid stuck in the mud, which, apparently, was carried out by a storm in shallow water. The girls helped her out, put her in a boat and took her to Edam with them. Mermaid dressed in women's dress, and over time they learned to spin.

She lived with the girls, but she never learned to speak. After some time, the mermaid was moved to Haarlem, where she lived for several more years. All this time, she continued to show a strong inclination towards water. It was said that people converted her to Christianity, and she even prayed before the crucifixion.

Most of the news and data from ancient chronicles about encounters with mermaids and sea people come from warm latitudes, whether it be the coast of Spain, the Caspian or Black Sea, or even the seas adjacent to Indochina.

So, Pliny the Elder, Aristotle and Plutarch did not question the existence of mermaids and described many meetings with them throughout the Mediterranean. And in 1493, off the coast of Guiana, in the logbook of Christopher Columbus, an entry was made about a meeting with a mermaid. But sometimes they are also found in temperate latitudes.

The Danish writer Henrik Pontoppidan, for example, described the man-fish as follows from the words of people who swore that they had seen this miracle with their own eyes:

About a mile from the coast of Denmark, near Landskrona, three sailors noticed what looked like a drowned man in the water, and began to row in that direction. Approaching a distance of seven or eight fathoms (otherwise - a fathom, equal to 1.83 m), they decided that they were not mistaken - the body in the water was completely motionless. And suddenly it plunged into the water and almost immediately emerged again in the same place.

The sailors, frightened, froze. They allowed the boat to get closer to the strange creature in order to get a better look at it. The monster, drawn by the current, was getting closer. He turned his head and stared at the people, and they, too, thus managed to get a good look at him. For seven or eight minutes he didn't move. His body was visible from the water approximately to the chest.

In the end, the sailors realized that they could be in danger, and began to row in the other direction. In response to these actions, the monster puffed out his cheeks, emitted something like a moo, and, having gone under the water, disappeared from view. Regarding his appearance, the sailors had to give evidence under oath: they were asked about it repeatedly and recorded what was said.

They claim that he looked like an old man, strongly built, broad-shouldered, his hands were not visible. The head was rather small compared to the body, the hair was black and curly, short, not covering the ears. The eyes are deep-set, the face is thin, exhausted, the beard is black. The outlines of his body under water resembled those of a fish.

Captain James Weddell, known for his geographical discoveries taken in Antarctic waters told the following story:

The ship's crew was busy on the shore of Hall Island. One of its members, who was left to watch some preparations, saw strange creature, which made rather melodic sounds. The sailor lay down to rest, but at about ten o'clock he heard a noise resembling human cries.

Since in those latitudes at this time of the year the sun never goes below the horizon, he got up, looked around, but saw nothing, and went back to bed. After a while, he again heard the same noise, got up again and looked around, but again he did not notice anything.

Thinking, however, that the boat could capsize near the shore, and that it was the sailors who managed to cling to the rocks protruding from the water, crying for help, he walked a little along the shore, and this time the screams reached him more distinctly, but they sounded more like a melody.

Looking carefully around the area, he saw something lying on a rock about a dozen feet from the shore, and was slightly frightened. The face and shoulders of this creature were human, the skin a slightly reddish tint, long green hair scattered over the shoulders, the tail was like a fur seal but he didn't see his hand.

He watched the incomprehensible creature for about two minutes, and it continued to make all the same musical melodious sounds. Finally, noticing the sailor, the creature instantly disappeared. As soon as the sailor met with his commander, he told this incredible story, and to confirm the truth of his words, he (being a Catholic) drew a cross on the sand and kissed it, thus swearing that he was telling the pure truth.

When I spoke to him, he told his story so confidently and convincingly, and swore so sincerely that it was true, that I could not help but believe that he really saw the animal he described, or that it was a very convincing hallucination.

However, the habitat of mermaids and sea people, apparently, is not limited to temperate latitudes. There is evidence that they have also been repeatedly seen in the North Atlantic and even the waters of the Arctic and Antarctic.

Moreover, these evidences are documented and traced throughout the Middle Ages and almost to the present day. In the 12th-century Icelandic work The Mirror of the King, historians have found the following description of a mermaid:

Off the coast of Greenland you can meet a monster that people call Margygr. Up to the waist, this creature looks like a woman: it has female breasts, long arms and soft hair, neck and head exactly like a man. The hands are quite long, and the fingers are not divided, as in humans, but connected by membranes, as in waterfowl. From the waist down, this creature looks like a fish - with a tail, scales and fins.

They say that it usually appears before violent storms. It has a habit of plunging into the water every now and then and emerging with fish in its hands. Sailors are always afraid when they see a creature playing with fish or throwing them towards the ship.

In their opinion, this portends the death of several members of the team during the storm. But if it throws the fish away or, turning away from the ship, throws it in the other direction, this is considered a good sign - it means that they will not suffer losses during the storm. This monster has a disgusting face: a large forehead, piercing eyes, a wide mouth, and a double chin.

The famous English navigator of the late 16th - early 17th centuries, Henry Hudson (Hudson) wrote in his report about the incident that took place during the failed passage to North Pole at a latitude of 75° near the Arctic archipelago of Novaya Zemlya:

This (June 15) morning, one of the crew members, looking overboard, noticed a mermaid and called the others to look at her, another sailor came up. By this time she had swum close to the side of the ship, gazing at the people intently. A little later, a wave rolled up and overturned her. From the navel upwards, her body, chest and back looked like a woman's, according to those who saw her.

She was the size of any of us, skin very white. The hair is long and drooping, the color of black. When she dived, they saw her tail, similar to the tail of a dolphin in shape, but in coloring like a mackerel. The names of the crew members who watched this spectacle are Thomas Hilles and Robert Reiner.

During recent years in Japan, rumors circulate about the existence of giant humanoids in the icy waters of Antarctica, called ningen. They were allegedly met by whalers in the critical southern latitudes. And although these rumors are sometimes referred only to the genre of urban legends, the information about these giant "mermaids" in itself looks very curious.

The Ningen issue was officially recognized in November 2007, when an article appeared in the Japanese supernatural magazine MU magazine, which speculated about the possibility of living in south seas unknown giant creatures.

The word ningen means "man" in Japanese. These creatures are described as huge, up to 20-30 meters long, fat, cetacean, anatomically similar to humans. In the descriptions there is always a face, instead of legs they have a tail, either whale or similar to that of walruses and seals, and in some reports there are also hands and even hands with five fingers.

The skin of these creatures is devoid of pigmentation, and therefore they are white in color. The appearances of giants for the most part occur at night, when they are extremely difficult to photograph, however, on the Internet you can find several of their photographs, some of which are reconstructions of their appearance made by artists from descriptions of eyewitnesses, perhaps not always successful.

One of the most convincing photographs of Ningen was obtained by multiplying the image from the resource. Google Maps. The photograph was taken off the coast of Namibia, to which the cold Benguela current reaches from Antarctica, and it really shows the silhouette of a huge mermaid-like creature swimming under water at shallow depths. At the same time, his hands are clearly visible.

However, experts assess the published images as unconvincing. It is possible that high-quality photographs either do not exist at all, or, as they sometimes say, the government keeps them, as they say, behind seven seals.

Conspiracy theorists claim that not only is the Japanese government unwilling to release information about the ningen, but it ordered eyewitnesses to keep quiet by forcing them to sign non-disclosure statements.

Materials of the article by Viktor Bumagin, magazine "Steps", No. 18, 2015

Bigfoot, centaur, mermaid... Is it fiction or reality? There is no definitive answer yet. The search is still carried out by loners and entire expeditions are equipped.

Monster "Nessie"

The first records of the Loch Ness miracle date back to the 5th century BC. No one saw it in person. But in 1880, locals describe what looks like a tail emerging from the surface of the water and breaking the boat in half.

For the first time in 1933, photographs vaguely resembling an animal were published. More recently, at the end of the 80s, a new boom of news from Scotland about “Nessie” flew around the newspapers, as the residents affectionately call the inhabitant of Loch Ness Lake. And now, in our time, the news is again: something is seething in the lake.

Rumors about the existence of the monster began to spread widely after 1933, when the Evening Couriers newspaper published a detailed account of an "eyewitness" who noticed an unknown creature in the lake.

In September 2016, amateur photographer Ian Bremner managed to take a picture of a 2-meter snake-like creature slicing through the expanse of Loch Ness. The photo is quite convincing, but the press accused Bremner of a hoax, and someone decided that the photo depicts three frolicking seals.

Mermaids

It is widely believed that mermaids are girls living at the bottom of a river or sea, and instead of legs they have a fish tail. However, in the myths of different peoples, mermaids are the guardians of forests, fields and reservoirs, and they walk on two legs. In Western cultures, mermaids are called Nymphs, Naiads or Undines.

In Slavic folklore, the souls of drowned women turned into mermaids. Some ancient Slavic peoples also believed that a mermaid is the spirit of a deceased child, whom death overtook on the Rusal (preceding the holiday of the Trinity) week. It was believed that during these 7 days, mermaids walk the Earth, emerging from the water after the Ascension of the Lord.

Mermaids are classified as evil spirits that can harm a person, for example, drown him. It was customary to portray these creatures naked and without a headdress, less often in a torn sundress.

Sirens

According to legend, sirens are winged maidens with enchanting voices. They received their wings from the gods when they instructed them to find the fertility goddess Persephone kidnapped by Hades.

According to another version, they became winged because they could not fulfill the order of the gods. As punishment, the Thunderer Zeus left them a beautiful girlish body, but turned his hands into wings, because of which they could no longer remain in the world of people.

The meeting of people with sirens is described in Homer's poem "The Odyssey". The mythical maidens enchanted the sailors with their singing, and their ships crashed on the reefs. Captain Odysseus ordered his crew to plug their ears with beeswax to counter the sweet-voiced half-woman half-birds, and his ship escaped destruction.

kraken

Kraken is a Scandinavian monster that sinks ships. A half-dragon with huge octopus tentacles inspired fear in Icelandic navigators of the 18th century. In the 1710s, the Danish naturalist Erik Pontoppidan first described the kraken in his diaries. According to legend, an animal the size of a floating island darkened the sea surface and dragged ships to the bottom with huge tentacles.

200 years later, in 1897, researchers discovered the giant squid Architeutis in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, reaching 16.5 meters in length. It has been suggested that this creature was mistaken for the kraken two centuries earlier.

It is not so easy to see the kraken in the vastness of the ocean: when its body protrudes above the water, it is easy to mistake it for a small island, of which there are thousands in the ocean.

Phoenix

The Phoenix is ​​an immortal bird with fiery wings that can burn itself and be reborn. When the phoenix senses the approach of death, it burns, and in its place a chick appears in the nest. Phoenix life cycle: about 500 years.

Mentions of the phoenix are found in the myths of Ancient Greece in the mythology of the ancient Egyptian Heliopolis, in which the phoenix is ​​described as the patron of large time cycles.

This fabulous bird with bright red plumage represents renewal and immortality, and in contemporary culture. So, the phoenix rising from the flame, accompanied by the inscription "The only Phoenix of the whole world" is depicted on the medals of the English Queen Elizabeth II.

Pegasus

A snow-white horse with eagle wings is named Pegasus. This fabulous creature is the fruit of the love of Medusa Gorgon and Poseidon. According to legend, Pegasus came out of the neck of Medusa when Poseidon cut off her head. There is another legend that says that Pegasus appeared from the drops of Gorgon's blood.

In honor of this fictional winged horse, the constellation Pegasus is named, which is located southwest near Andromeda and consists of 166 stars.

Zmey Gorynych

Serpent Gorynych is an evil character in Slavic fairy tales and epics. His characteristic- three fire-breathing heads. The body, covered with shiny scales, ends with an arrow-shaped tail, and on its paws it has sharp claws. He guards the gate that separates world of the dead and the world of the living. This place is located on Kalinov bridge, which is above the Smorodina River, or the fiery river.

The first mention of the Serpent dates back to the 11th century. On the harp, made by the settlers of the Novgorod lands, you can find images of a three-headed lizard, which was originally considered the king of the underwater world.

In some legends, Gorynych lives in the mountains (therefore, it is believed that his name comes from the word "mountain"). In others, he sleeps on a stone in the sea and combines the ability to control two elements at once - fire and water.

wyvern

A wyvern is a mythical dragon-like creature with one pair of legs and wings. It is not capable of spewing fire, but its fangs are saturated with deadly poison. In other myths, the poison was contained at the end of the sting, with which the lizard pierced its victim. Some legends say that it was wyvern venom that caused the first plague.

It is known that the first legends about wyverns appeared in the Stone Age: this creature personified ferocity. Subsequently, his image was used by the leaders of the troops to instill fear in the enemy.

A wyvern-like creature can be found on Orthodox icons, depicting the struggle of St. Michael (or George) with the dragon.

Unicorns

Unicorns are stately noble creatures, symbolizing chastity. According to legend, they live in forest thickets and only innocent maidens are able to catch them.

The earliest evidence for the existence of unicorns dates back to the 5th century BC. The ancient Greek historian Ctesias was the first to describe "Indian wild donkeys with one horn on their foreheads, blue eyes and a red head," and whoever drinks wine or water from the horn of this donkey will be cured of all diseases and never get sick again.

No one except Ctesias saw this animal, but his story was widely disseminated thanks to Aristotle, who included a description of the unicorn in his History of Animals.

Bigfoot/Yeti

Bigfoot, or Yeti, is a huge humanoid creature that has similar features to a monkey and lives in deserted highlands.

The first mention of Bigfoot was recorded from the words of Chinese peasants: in 1820 they met a tall, shaggy monster with large paws. In the 1880s European countries began to equip expeditions to search for traces Bigfoot.

The possible existence of this humanoid beast is evidenced by the footprints found, half a meter long, similar to human ones. Also in the monastery of the village of Kumjung in Nepal, an object is kept that is passed off as the scalp of a Bigfoot.

Valkyries

Valkyries are called warrior maidens from the Scandinavian pantheon of gods, who unnoticed by people watch the battlefield. After the battle, they pick up the fallen brave on a winged horse and carry them off to Valhalla, the castle in the abode of the gods, where feasts are arranged for them, praising their courage.

On rare occasions, the maidens are allowed to decide the outcome of a battle, but more often than not, they carry out the will of their father, Odin, who decides who will be victorious in a bloody battle.

Valkyries are most often depicted in armor and helmets with horns, and shining light emanates from their swords. The story goes that the god Odin endowed his daughters with the capacity for compassion so that they would accompany the dead in battle to the “hall of the slain.”

Sphinx

The name of the mythical creature sphinx comes from the ancient Greek word "sphingo", which means "strangle". The earliest images of this creature were created 10 thousand years BC in the territory of modern Turkey. However, the image of the sphinx with the body of a lion and the head of a woman is known to us from the myths of ancient Greece.

Legend has it that a sphinx woman guarded the entrance to the city of Thebes. Everyone who met her on their way had to guess the riddle: “Who walks on four legs in the morning, on two in the afternoon, and on three in the evening?” Unguessed people died from clawed paws, and only Oedipus could name the correct answer: man.

The essence of the clue is that when a person is born, he crawls on all fours, in adulthood- walks on two legs, and in old age is forced to rely on a cane. Then the monster dropped from the top of the mountain into the abyss, and the entrance to Thebes became free.

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Most peoples in the world have their own legends about water creatures - mermaids and their number is simply enormous. The reason is that the mystery and inaccessibility of the water element, complex and sometimes strange natural phenomena associated with lakes and seas, left full scope for the play of the imagination. That's why mermaids different origin' both are similar to each other and noticeably different. In their appearance and habits are reflected national character, lifestyle and relationships that existed in the past between people of different tribes.

Azrai

This beautiful water fairy from Scottish folklore is one of the closest "relatives" of our mermaids. Azrai live at the bottom of the sea and in deep lakes, they are unusually shy and timid, and appear on the surface only once a century. But even then they can only be seen at night, because in the sun the azra simply evaporate, leaving behind a small puddle.
These fairies don't wear clothes, have long green hair and webbing between their toes. The growth of these creatures is slightly more than a meter. The main enemy of the Azrai is humans: these creatures are so fragile and beautiful that few people are able to resist the temptation and do not try to grab them.

Babylonian mermaid

The ancient Greek writer Lucian in the 2nd century. in the treatise "On the Syrian Goddess" described the temple erected in the city of Hierapolis by the wife of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II Semiramis. The queen dedicated this magnificent sanctuary to her mother Derketo, whom, Lucian wonders, the Babylonians for some reason depicted with fish tail instead of legs.
Here one can only be surprised: Lucian, a Greek who lived in Asia Minor, could not help but know that Derketo is nothing more than the name of the great Syrian goddess Atargata, distorted by Greek transcription, whom the Babylonians called Astarte and revered throughout Mesopotamia.
According to the myth, Atargata accidentally offended the goddess Aphrodite, and she inspired her love for a mortal. It was from this union that Semiramis was born, and her mother, unable to bear the shame (the goddess was not supposed to have relations with mortals), threw herself into the lake and became a fish.
At the same time, a similar deity was worshiped in Phenicia - Dagon, whose lower body was also fish. Dagon was the deity of moisture, which gives fertility to the soil.

Guaragedd annon

These lake maidens, whose name is not so easy to pronounce, come from Welsh folklore. Guaragedd annon are strikingly beautiful creatures that live in luxurious palaces at the bottom of mountain lakes, surrounded by their male relatives. Lake maidens are quite peaceful and are always ready to receive guests. Magic gardens are laid out around their palaces, and here the guests have to be very careful - if one of them accidentally or intentionally picks at least one leaf or breaks a blade of grass, he will immediately find himself on the shore and will never be able to get into the palace of the lake maidens.
Guaragedd annon sometimes go out to land to hunt, dance and just frolic. They emerge from the water a minute before midnight and return to the lake again only after the first cock crow.
It is said that sometimes lake maidens marry mere mortals. At the same time, they bring various magical animals to the husband's house. By agreeing to live on land, the guaragedd annon, in turn, places certain conditions on her husband. If the spouse violates them three times, the beauty returns to the lake. A curious feature - the Welsh "water maidens", although endowed with unearthly beauty, can only count up to five!

Jenny Green Teeth

This creature, a species of water faerie, has long, wet hair, imposing green fangs, and sharp, glittering claws. Jenny watches for small children who are playing unattended near the water, and happens to drown them. In addition, she likes to scare the kids, unexpectedly leaning out of the water up to her waist and gnashing her teeth. The approach of this creature is indicated by the sudden appearance of greenish foam on the smooth surface of a pond or lake.
The most famous of all Jenny lives in the River Tees. She steals children playing on the shore who do not obey their parents, and is especially dangerous on Sundays.

Iary

The Iars are the mistresses of the waters in the mythology of the Brazilian Indians. These beauties with luxurious manes dark hair and, as expected, they lured and drowned fishermen and bathers with fish tails. The Indians were so confident in the existence of the Iara that they convinced even European missionaries of their reality, who in their reports mention these creatures as a matter of course.
The Indians believed that the Iars drag their victims to the bottom not out of malice, but because they feel special sympathy for people. That is, they are literally strangled in an embrace.

pussy

This name bears the maiden of the waves, references to which are often found in the folklore of the inhabitants of the English Isle of Man. This monster looks like a real woman from head to waist, but instead of legs she has a salmon tail. Pussy hair is dark green, but in the air they look golden.
Kiss - dangerous creature: if she is hungry, she is able to swallow a person whole. It is believed that if caught, she will grant any three wishes in exchange for her freedom. However, it should be remembered that pussy is extremely vindictive and will not miss the opportunity to take cruel revenge on the offender. It is almost impossible to kill the maiden of the waves, since she does not “carry her soul with her”, but hides it in an inaccessible place.
In the past, the islanders had a belief that the most wonderful pilots and helmsmen are born from the union of an ordinary man and one of the pussies.

Murrow

Irish water fairies merrow are another type of mermaid. They have beautiful pale faces, fish tails and webbed fingers. The Irish believed that the appearance of these creatures on the surface of the sea portends a serious storm, so you should stay away from them. However, the character of the merrow is much more benevolent and even than that of their "sisters" from other parts. These water spirits sometimes fall in love and form alliances with ordinary mortals. But the children born from such marriages have skin covered with fish scales.
Merrow women are beautiful in their own way, but merrow men with their green skin, pig eyes and purple nose are downright ugly. These creatures can live under water only thanks to magical red caps decorated with feathers. Without them, the merrow cannot return to the sea.

Nucky

Nakki - Finnish mermaids, "cousins" of the ancient Germanic nyxes. Nakki are distinguished by their ferocious disposition, ruthlessness and malevolence. They take pleasure in causing harm to people, especially small children. The Finns believed that children could provoke the Nakka's wrath by playing under bridges, near wharfs, or by touching their own reflection in the water.
Tradition says that these creatures are handsome from the front and extremely ugly from the back, moreover, they have three, not two, breasts.

Nare

This is how the Lithuanians call "their" mermaids. These inhabitants of numerous Lithuanian lakes and rivers look like beautiful women, and below, as was the custom with the spirits of the waters, there is an impressive fish tail. Nare rise to the surface on clear moonlit nights to have fun, dance and sing in chorus. At such moments, water maidens are especially beautiful - they sparkle and shimmer with all the colors of the rainbow.
It is not surprising that there were enough people who wanted to look at such a miracle, but only for some time now they have disappeared: unlike the mermaids of the South and Western Europe, Nare have a nasty character, sophisticated cruelty and hate people. Those who wanted to admire the games and dances of beautiful creatures and accidentally caught their eye, they drown without delay.

nixes

Nix nymphs are characters of ancient German legends, a race of magical creatures with a fish tail that live in ponds and lakes among water lilies. They are beautiful, friendly, always smiling, but behind this charm lies something else. With their amazing voices and magical violin music, the nyxes lure people into the water and then drown them. These creatures are especially dangerous on moonlit nights. And those who dare to pick a water lily will have to get away from the water as soon as possible: such blasphemy will never be forgiven by the Nyxes.
Nyxes do not ruin all careless lovers of aquatic plants and swimming in the lake. Those who they liked, they carry away into their underwater kingdom. True, there is nothing enviable in such a fate - the victim of the nyxa will never again be able to return to normal life, and if he tries to leave undersea world, then soon dies of longing.
The ancient Germans believed that a nyxa woman could take the form ordinary girl(although the edges of her clothes will always be wet), and male nixes are able to turn into various animals, most often horses.
Another belief says that if you make a sacrifice where the nyxes live, then they can teach you to play the violin so well that the waterfalls will stop and the trees will dance. Any black animal was sacrificed for this purpose (it was supposed to be drowned with one's own hand) or tobacco was thrown into the water.

Lake Mummelsee in the German Black Forest is considered the traditional habitat of many nix. Tiny elves coexist with nyxes, for whom water lily flowers serve as ships

Ninge

Ninge - mysterious sea ​​creatures. Japanese folklore ascribes immortality to them. There are many stories when people who wanted to prolong their own lives spent long years to find ninge and taste its meat, supposedly bringing longevity.
Creatures like ninga are mentioned not only in Japanese, but also in Chinese mythology. The Chinese believed that these creatures did not have not only a soul, but also a mind, which means they could be equated with ordinary cattle that are bred for food. Ninge meat supposedly is also healing and can cure almost all known diseases.

Su-kyzlar

These beauties - half virgin, half fish - supposedly live in Central Asia in the lake Oinar-gel, located near the city of Kara-Hisar. Unlike most mermaids, su-kyzlar are very fond of the sun and willingly get out on a rock in the middle of the lake to warm themselves and put their golden braids in order (for Central Asia, this hair color is as exotic as green for us). These inhabitants of the waters are quite peaceful and do not cause any harm unless absolutely necessary.
Su-kyzlar suffer from the attention of young people who, hiding, hunt down beauties all day long. But if anyone is destined to see them, then only for how many seconds. Because the su-kyzlar, noticing that they are being watched, throw themselves into the water and do not show up anymore.

Undines

The alchemists of medieval Europe called undines the elemental spirits that control the water element in all its manifestations. However, in the myths and legends of the Germans and Scandinavians, the undines have a very specific appearance. These are the inhabitants of streams, rivers and lakes, beauties with the thickest long hair. Undines are sometimes described as long-legged girls, sometimes as half women, half fish. With their bewitching singing and beauty, the undines lure travelers into their kingdom and destroy them. Those who were especially lucky became lovers of insidious water creatures, and then time stopped for them, and whole centuries flew by on land. The ancient Scandinavians believed that for a man who once landed with the Undines, there was no way back to land.
An old legend says that an undine can gain human soul if she loves an ordinary mortal and gives birth to a child on earth.