Lion with a scorpion's tail. Manticore in ancient mythology and the modern world

The bestiary of ancient mythology is rich in interesting creatures. The manticore is an image of a beast that originated in Greek mythology. Since ancient times, a lot of information has been preserved about this mysterious creature related to predatory zoomorphs.

Origin

The predator first appeared in India. There its name is slightly different - the Indians call the creature mantichora. The first records of the mythical creature belong to the Greek physician Xetius. He passed on knowledge about the animal’s appearance, voice and hunting style. He pursued prey, hiding in the thickets, and quietly attacked the victim, using not only the sting on his tail, but also powerful claws and teeth for quick execution.

For a long time, Ksetius's records were not taken seriously - zoologists believed that the Indians were afraid of an ordinary tiger and came up with a new animal. This point of view was supported by the geographer Pausanias. He wrote that the frightened Indians confused the standard tiger color with bright red in the sunset light, and invented mystical differences in appearance to justify their defeat.

The idea of ​​the artificial origin of the predator is refuted by the appearance of references to it in the chronicles of others famous personalities. Aristotle and Solinus wrote about the manticore, referring to the records of Xetius and adding new information. The description of the creature differs slightly among different authors, but they always contain the most striking features inherent in the mythical animal.

Appearance of the beast

Mentions of what a manticore looks like can be found, but each of them necessarily contains the main characteristics of appearance

• body size comparable to that of a large horse;
• the creature’s body resembles that of a lion, and its face resembles that of a human;
• rich monochromatic color, blood red;
• strong teeth, arranged in three rows and particularly sharp;
• scorpions have a tail with a sharp sting at the tip, 30 cm long.

Authors involved in research on the beast note the piercing gaze of blue eyes, which fascinated with their depth and humanity. IN ancient painting the mythical creature was depicted with some part human body in his teeth, which emphasized his hunting abilities and terrified him. Pliny described it as follows:

“Ctesias tells us that among the same Ethiopians there is a beast, which he calls a manticore; he has a triple row of teeth that go into each other like combs, a face and ears like a person’s, blue eyes, himself the color of blood; he has the body of a lion, and a tail ending in a sting, like a scorpion. His voice resembles a mixture of the sound of a flute and a trumpet; he is amazingly fast, and has a particular fondness for human flesh.

Yuba tells us that the manticore in Ethiopia can also imitate the human voice.”

The work of Claudius Aelianus from Rome describes the ancient creature more accurately, taking into account the smallest details. The author noted the creature's hairy ears, similar to human ones. He also clarified the action of the sting - it was released both point-blank and over a long distance in different directions.

Mythologists noted the special hairiness of the beast and the incredible speed of movement, comparing it with the speed of a wild deer. The voice was considered to be similar to a cross between the sounds made by a pipe and a trumpet.

Modern researchers and science fiction writers attribute to it large leathery and membranous wings, with the help of which the manticore quickly disappears from the hunting site and becomes inaccessible.

Manticore and chimera

Chimera is an entity from Greek mythology. According to one version, she. The creature lived in Lycia and was neutralized by Bellerophon.

The appearance of the chimera is somewhat similar to a manticore. The chimera is distinguished by a goat's body, a lion's head and a snake's tail. Mythologists have conducted a lot of research on the similarities between the two mythical creatures, and have found differences not only in appearance, but also in special abilities. The chimera had the ability to fight not only with the help of fangs, claws and tail, she knew how to spit fire, which made her no less a terrible beast than a manticore.

Manticore in the Middle Ages

The medieval bestiary could not do without the manticore. During this mysterious time, the beast was endowed with a special snake hiss, which was used to lure potential victims - both animals and humans. At the same time, the mythical creature was replaced with rows of sharp teeth with a palisade emanating from the animal’s throat.

The hunt of the beast amazed the imagination with its bloodiness and cruelty. The animal tore the victim with powerful claws, tore the body with sharp teeth and stung those who resisted with the help of a formidable tail. The sting reached the target even at long distances, which excluded any chance of salvation.

The Middle Ages endowed beast of prey special bloodthirstiness, the creature became a kind of symbol of evil and war. At this time, the predator was especially popular; it could be found in the bestiaries of various nations. In some of them, the mythical creature was endowed with new abilities, special details of appearance and sophisticated methods of luring victims into its lair.

In the Middle Ages, the animal was considered to exist in real world, and the lack of documented meetings with him was explained by the creatures’ commitment to a solitary life in uninhabited places.

Legends of the Manticore

The mysterious creature is hardly mentioned in the world famous legends ah, but many countries put forward their own versions about his origin and skills. The absence of known legends is explained by the impossibility of escaping from an angry beast - there was simply no one to describe the encounters and create legends.

So, in Persia the manticore is considered scary monster, which releases potential victims only if they manage to solve the riddle.

Another option is the origin of the mythical creature from the god Vishnu, who was endowed with the ability to transform into any unusual beast. Choosing the image of a lion with a human face, Vishnu defeated the demon Hiranyakasipu in battle, after which this image of God began to be called Narasimha manticore.

Manticore in contemporary art

Mention of the mysterious animal can also be found in modern literature. JK Rowling endowed the beast with the ability to fly and added the ability to purr sweetly after defeating another victim. The manticore in Rowling's work is immune to magic and is a particularly dangerous predator according to the fictional classification.

You can read more about this type of animal in the work “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.” Olga Gromko in her book “Profession: Witch” added tufts to the creature’s ears, and Nikolai Basov endowed the animal with an important ability to regenerate.

In the cult book “Game of Thrones” and in the TV series based on it, the manticore is present in a completely unusual form. In the series, this is an insect that is found on the continent of Essos. One of the insect's body parts resembles human face. With the help of a small monster, the sorcerers of Qarth tried to kill Daenerys Targaryen.

In the book, manticores lived on the islands of the Jade Sea and had a poisonous sting that kills a person the instant the poison reaches the victim’s heart. But scientists have come up with a special antidote that allows one to delay the death of the stung person.

The series "Grimm" presents the entity in the form of a werewolf, capable of turning into a human. The point of view of the screenwriters is supported by Kirill Korolev, author of the Encyclopedia of Supernatural Creatures:

“It is believed that some people have the ability to turn into manticores: at night they run around settlements in search of victims.”

The mythical creature is mentioned in cartoons and computer games, in world literature and music. In Ukraine, a huge almanac is being created dedicated to the history and capabilities of the legendary beast.

In the real world, there is a predatory insect called the “lumpy manticore.” It looks like a large bug Brown, its body length reaches 7 cm. These insects are found in Africa and are especially active at night. They have strong jaws with teeth. This species is specifically mentioned in Jules Verne’s book “The Fifteen-Year-Old Captain.” There, an entomologist meets the manticore, who flees from her captivity in horror.

Conclusion

Ancient myths give the manticore a special frightening appearance, a tendency to bloodthirstiness and cannibalism. The mythical animal was not lost in ancient records; it is mentioned in modern works, endowing it with new skills and increasing the importance of the beast. Research on this creature continues, and scientists do not lose hope of finding new information about such a mysterious and interesting creature.

500 BC e. a young native of Sparta, Ctesias, was captured by the Persians. There it occurred to him to write historical works about different countries. The sources of information were slaves of different nationalities. Returning to his homeland, Ctesias compiled his works into several historical treatises. In a work called "Indica" he mentioned a terrible monster called the manticore.

general description

Even in ancient times, the works of Ctesias raised doubts about their reliability. Ancient Greek philosopher Plutarch openly declared the historian's distortion of facts. The works of Ctesias have survived to this day in rewritten form. Researchers have proven that the bulk of the text is fictitious. In this case, questions arise: did the manticore exist and whether Ctesias could have confused it with other mythical creatures.

Appearance

According to the descriptions, the manticore looked like this:

• human head;
• the body and paws of a lion;
• scorpion tail;
• red mane;
• blood red fur;
• 3 rows of sharp teeth;
• claw-daggers;
• Blue eyes.

The size of the monster was like a large horse. The manticore's voice was like the sounds of a pipe and a trumpet at the same time. She could hiss like a snake. The scorpion's tail, 30 cm long, was completely covered with poisonous spines the size of reed stems.

Later, the monster acquired wings and skin that reflected magic spells. Blue eyes turned red, and the teeth moved from the mouth to the throat. The manticore began to be depicted with a part of the human body in its teeth in confirmation of its cannibalistic tendencies.

Interpretation of the role of the manticore in myths

There are several versions of the interpretation of the role of such a creature as the manticore.

1. Man-eating beast.
2. Avatar of the god Vishnu.
3. Sphinx.
4. Chimera.

Due to the fact that the sources in which this creature is described are definitely questionable, each version has the right to exist.

Manticore beast

Based on this version, it can be argued that the manticore is an ancient creature, a fiend of hell. The animal's favorite delicacy was fresh human flesh. The monster could only be tamed with the help of magic. Black magicians used her as a guard. But the manticore guard was not very good: having caught a person, she did not give him to the sorcerers, but immediately devoured him. The monster had the following qualities:

• high speed of movement in space;
• mastery of hypnosis;
• throwing poisonous spikes at a distance;
• instant regeneration of lost thorns;
• silent movement;
• so much strength that you can rip a person's body with claws;
• cunning and deceit.

In the Middle Ages, the beast was considered a real creature living in India. It was believed that the monster lives in crowded places. At night, the insidious beast tracked down a lonely victim and devoured him, not leaving even a scrap of clothing. All those missing were attributed to the tricks of the manticore.

According to legend, the monster was afraid only of lions, and willingly entered into battle with all other animals. A medieval source describes a case of a manticore killing a basilisk. People believed that if you cut off a monster’s poisonous tail, it would die, so the most brave men India hunted manticores.

The fourth avatar of the god Vishnu

Hindus believed that before the creation of the world 3 strong god united into the Trimurti (Hindu trinity). Brahma created the Universe, Shiva brought evil there, and Vishnu brought good. The duty of the god Vishnu was to maintain the balance of good and evil in the Universe. Each time, descending to earth to restore justice, he took on a new appearance (avatar). There are 9 avatars of the god Vishnu:

• Matsya fish;
• Kurma turtle;
• boar Vasaha;
• manticore Narasimha;
• dwarf Vamana;
• common man Parashurama;
• Prince Rama;
• warrior Krishna;
• Buddha.

Hindus believe that there will be a tenth reincarnation. God Vishnu in his usual appearance will descend to earth on a white horse with the sword of justice in his hands. With the help of this sword he will restore order on earth forever. In Indian legends there is a legend about the Fourth Avatar. According to her, Vishnu took the form of a lion man. This reincarnation was called Narasimha manticore.

When Hiranyakasipu satisfied Brahma, he endowed him with unlimited power: with the exception of the Trimurti trio, all the gods were subordinate to Hiranyakasipu. The demon reveled in power, bathed in luxury, and committed lawlessness and debauchery.

The last straw of his lawlessness was the attempt to kill his own son, a devotee of the god Vishnu. A moment before the massacre, Vishnu appeared from the column in the form of a manticore. He attacked Hiranyakasipu with lightning speed and absorbed him. Manticore restored justice.

Image of the Sphinx

In the myths of Persia, the manticore is described as a creature that loved to ask riddles to lonely wanderers. If the traveler guessed the riddle, the monster let him go; if not, he devoured him. This description is very reminiscent of the Greek Sphinx - a relative of the popular Egyptian watchman of the same name.

According to ancient Greek myths, the Theban king Laius brought down the wrath of the goddess Hera, the patroness of family and marriage, for sodomy. As punishment, Hera sent the Sphinx to Thebes to guard the only road leading to the city. The inhabitants of Thebes found themselves cut off from other places, and very soon famine began in the city.

The only opportunity to pass by the Sphinx was given to the one who guessed it a tricky riddle: “Who walks on 4 legs in the morning, 2 legs at lunchtime, and 3 legs in the evening?” Nine muses, the goddesses of art and reason, came up with such a riddle for the Sphinx, but none of the Thebeans could find it. the right decision, and they were strangled by the monster. When the wise Oedipus answered the Sphinx that the answer was man, the proud creature threw itself off the cliff, freeing the city.

In addition to the passion for asking deadly riddles, the Sphinx and the manticore have similarities in appearance. The ancient Greeks depicted a mythical creature with the body of a lion, which symbolized the extraordinary physical strength, and the head of a woman, as a symbol of intelligence and cunning.

Manticore and Chimera

Still the same Ancient Greece knew another creature that could be confused with a manticore. Daughter of Typhon and Echidna, sister of Cerberus, Hydra and Sphinx, Chimera is the most ridiculous mythical creature from ancient Greek mythology. The evil creature spent his whole life doing harm to people, destroying fields, gardens and livestock.

The Chimera had the body of a goat and the head of a lion. Like the manticore, she had a red hair lion's mane and a poisonous tail. True, in the description of the ancient Greek mythical monster the tail is similar to that of a snake, but given the length of the manticore’s tail, they can be safely identified.

The chimera could spew flames from its mouth, which it used to destroy the human economy. When the king got tired of her latest trick, he sent the hero Bellerophon to destroy the monster. To help the noble husband, the king gave a winged Pegasus. According to legend, Bellerophon soared into the sky so high that the fiery breath of the Chimera could not reach him. Then the hero began to shoot arrows at the monster and every single one of them pierced the Chimera’s body. In terrible agony, the monster fell onto a rock and died.

In the description of the death of the Chimera, analogies can also be drawn with the manticore. At the beginning of the fight, she growled menacingly, then hissed furiously, and, struck by Bellerophon’s arrows, she squealed like a goat. The manticore could make trumpet sounds similar to a growl and pipe sounds similar to the bleating of a goat. The hiss of a manticore is similar to that of a snake. In the myth, the Chimera, studded with arrows, from a height of flight appears to the hero as a creature bristling with black needles.

The image of a creature in art

Indian mythology is still considered an underexplored area. This is due to its unsystematic nature. Similar new ones are added to the old mythical creatures, but under different names. One gets the feeling that Indians themselves do not remember their myths.

The image of the manticore is still a mystery. One can only imagine what a manticore looks like, but it is impossible to understand what kind of animal it is. On the one hand, this is a cruel, bloodthirsty monster, on the other, an irreconcilable fighter for justice.

Nowadays, the image of the manticore is actively used in literature and cinema in the genre of mysticism and fantasy. The popular English writer J. K. Rowling used this image in her latest book, and in the acclaimed series “Game of Thrones,” the dragon lord Daenerys Stormborn in one of the episodes talks about manticores as sacred magical creatures.

Manticore (monster)

Manticore

Manticore

It was believed that the manticore is a predator and can hunt people. Therefore, in medieval miniatures you can often see an image of a manticore with a human hand or foot in its teeth.

The first mention of the manticore is found in the books of the Greek physician Ctesias, thanks to whom many Persian myths became known to the Greeks. Aristotle and Pliny the Elder directly refer to Ctesias in their writings.

He (Ctesias) assures that the Indian beast “martichora” has a triple row of teeth on both lower and upper jaws, and it is the size of a lion and just as hairy, its legs resemble the legs of a lion; his face and ears resemble those of a human; his eyes are blue, and he himself is bright red; its tail is the same as that of an earthen scorpion - it has a sting in its tail and it has the ability to shoot needles attached to its tail like arrows; his voice is a cross between the sound of a pipe and a trumpet; he can run as fast as a deer and he is also wild and a cannibal.

(Aristotle's History of Animals)

However, the most complete of the ancient descriptions of the manticore was made in the 2nd century AD. e. Elian. He gives several interesting details: “She strikes anyone who approaches her with her sting... The poisonous spines on her tail are comparable in thickness to the stem of a reed, and are about 30 centimeters long... She is capable of defeating any animal, with the exception of a lion.” . In the 2nd century AD e. Flavius ​​Philostratus the Elder mentions the manticore as one of the miracles about which Apollonius of Tyana questions Iarchus on the Hill of the Sages.

Although the manticore is rarely mentioned in ancient scientific books, medieval bestiaries abound in its descriptions. From there, the manticore migrated into folklore. Thus, in the 13th century, Bartholomew of England wrote about it, and in the 14th century, William Caxton wrote about it in his book “The Mirror of the World.” For Caxton, the manticore's three rows of teeth became "a palisade of huge teeth in her throat," and her voice, like the melody of a pipe, became "the sweet hiss of a snake, with which she attracts people to herself in order to then devour them."

In the 20th century, ideas about the manticore continued to evolve. For example, in the bestiary of the Polish science fiction writer Andrzej Sapkowski, the manticore acquired wings and learned to shoot in any direction with its poisoned spines. And in the novel by the English writer J. Rowling “Magical Beasts and Where to Find Them,” the manticore “after absorbing its next victim begins to purr quietly.” Also, according to Rowling, “the skin of a manticore reflects almost every known spell.” In the story “Demon Hunter” by Russian science fiction writer Nikolai Basov, the manticore has the ability to heal its wounds almost instantly. The image of the Manticore is also found in modern animation. For example, in the animated American series “The Amazing Misadventures of Flapjack”, in one of the episodes the manticore is presented in the form of a lion with the face of a man and small wings, which becomes docile if tickled. The manticore was found in the computer games of the "Might and Magic" series - in "Heroes of Might and Magic III" and "Might and Magic 7" it looked like a lion with a scorpion tail and wings (it looks similar in the latest animated series "My Little Pony"), in “Heroes of Might and Magic V” a human face has been added to the image, and is also a non-player monster in the game “Allods Online” (also a lion with a scorpion tail and wings). The manticore is one of the key characters in the novel of the same name by Canadian writer Robertson Davis.

Notes

Categories:

• Non-heraldic figures
• Mythical animals
• Mythical cannibals
• Medieval mythology
• Persian mythology
• Characters from Borges's Book of Fictional Creatures

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Manticore (lat. Manticora) is a polysemantic term. The manticore is a fictional creature, a horse-sized monster with the head of a man, the body of a lion and the tail of a scorpion. Manticore (lat. Manticora) is a genus of beetles from the ground beetle family... ... Wikipedia

Manticore: (Latin: Manticora) The manticore is a fictional creature, a monster the size of a horse, with the head of a man, the body of a lion and the tail of a scorpion. Manticores (lat. Manticora) a genus of beetles from the ground beetle family (Carabidae), subfamily ... ... Wikipedia

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Manticore

Boris Vallejo - Manticore
(Mythical monster (Manticore)

Material from Wikipedia

Manticore(Mythical monster (Manticore)
Manticore- a fictional creature, a monster the size of a horse, with the head of a man, the body of a lion and the tail of a scorpion.

Manticore(lat. Manticora, Epibouleus Oxisor) - a fictional creature - a monster with the body of a red lion, the head of a man and the tail of a scorpion. The creature has a red mane, three rows of teeth and bloodshot eyes. The manticore's tail ends in spikes, the poison of which kills instantly.
The Indians called the man-eating tiger manticore (translated from Farsi as cannibal). The sharp edges of the teeth of many carnivores can create the feeling that there are several rows of teeth in the mouth. The black, keratinized tip of the tail resembles a claw. In addition, according to ancient beliefs, tiger whiskers were considered poisonous. The Persians saw a human face in the image of a tiger-deity and passed on the resulting description of the manticore to the Greeks.
It was believed that the manticore is a predator and can hunt people. Therefore, in medieval miniatures you can often see an image of a manticore with a human hand or foot in its teeth.
The first mention of the manticore is found in the books of the Greek physician Ctesias, thanks to whom many Persian myths became known to the Greeks. Aristotle and Pliny the Elder directly refer to Ctesias in their writings.

He (Ctesias) assures that the Indian beast “martichora” has a triple row of teeth on both lower and upper jaws, and it is the size of a lion and just as hairy, its legs resemble the legs of a lion; his face and ears resemble those of a human; his eyes are blue, and he himself is bright red; its tail is the same as that of an earthen scorpion - it has a sting in its tail and it has the ability to shoot needles attached to its tail like arrows; his voice is a cross between the sound of a pipe and a trumpet; he can run as fast as a deer and he is also wild and a cannibal.

(Aristotle's History of Animals)

However, the most complete of the ancient descriptions of the manticore was made in the 2nd century AD. e. Elian. He gives several interesting details: “She strikes anyone who approaches her with her sting... The poisonous spines on her tail are comparable in thickness to the stem of a reed, and are about 30 centimeters long... She is capable of defeating any animal, with the exception of a lion.” . In the 2nd century AD e. Flavius ​​Philostratus the Elder mentions the manticore as one of the miracles about which Apollonius of Tyana questions Iarchus on the Hill of the Sages.
Although the manticore is rarely mentioned in ancient scientific books, medieval bestiaries abound in its descriptions. From there, the manticore migrated into folklore. Thus, in the 13th century, Bartholomew of England wrote about it, and in the 14th century, William Caxton wrote about it in his book “The Mirror of the World.” For Caxton, the manticore's three rows of teeth became "a palisade of huge teeth in her throat," and her voice, like the melody of a pipe, became "the sweet hiss of a snake, with which she attracts people to herself in order to then devour them."

In the 20th century, ideas about the manticore continued to evolve. For example, in the bestiary of the Polish science fiction writer Andrzej Sapkowski, the manticore acquired wings and learned to shoot in any direction with its poisoned spines. And in the novel by the English writer J. Rowling “Magical Beasts and Where to Find Them,” the manticore “after absorbing its next victim begins to purr quietly.” Also, according to Rowling, “the skin of a manticore reflects almost every known spell.” In the story “Demon Hunter” by Russian science fiction writer Nikolai Basov, the manticore has the ability to heal its wounds almost instantly. The image of the Manticore is also found in modern animation. For example, in the American animated series “The Amazing Misadventures of Flapjack,” in one of the episodes the manticore is presented in the form of a lion with the face of a man and small wings, which becomes docile if tickled. The manticore was seen in the computer games of the Might series. and Magic" - in "Heroes of Might and Magic III" and "Might and Magic 7" looked like a lion with a scorpion tail and wings (looks similar in the latest animated series "My Little Pony"), in "Heroes of Might and Magic V" to the image a human face has been added, and is also a non-player monster in the game “Allods Online” (also a lion with a scorpion tail and wings). The manticore is one of the key characters in the novel of the same name by Canadian writer Robertson Davis.

Manticore - Manticore - The story of this terrible creature can be found in Aristotle (IV century BC) and Pliny the Elder (1st century AD). The manticore is the size of a horse, has a human face, three rows of teeth, a lion's body and a scorpion's tail, and red, bloodshot eyes. The manticore runs so fast that it covers any distance in the blink of an eye. This makes it extremely dangerous - after all, it is almost impossible to escape from it, and the monster feeds only on fresh human meat. Therefore, in medieval miniatures you can often see an image of a manticore with a human hand or foot in its teeth.
In medieval works on natural history, the manticore was considered to be real, but living in deserted places.
The proof that the manticore exists was the disappearance of people. Moreover, if they disappeared without a trace, this was considered the presence of a monster, because it ate its victims without a hundred dollars, along with their clothes.
Manticore
India and Indonesia are most often called the habitat of the manticore, since quite a lot of people disappear in the jungle there.
The earliest legends are considered to be Persian. The name itself comes from the old Persian martikhoras meaning “ogre.” This word went into European mythology.

Pausanias, in his Description of Greece, recalled in his pages the strange animals he saw in Rome:

"The animal described by Ctesias in his Indian History is called martichoras, which means man-eater. I am inclined to think it is a lion, but it has three rows of teeth along each jaw and spines at the tip of its tail, which it can throw like arrows at their enemies; all this, I think, is a false story invented by the Indians due to their excessive fear of this animal."
During the Middle Ages, the Manticore was an extremely popular animal and was often illustrated in bestiaries with body parts in its teeth.
Manticore - illustration of a medieval bestiary
The thirteenth-century novel about Alexander the Great, King Alexander, states that he lost 30,000 men to animals such as snakes, lions, bears, dragons, unicorns, and manticores. However, already in the second century AD, authors began to think that the mythical monster was nothing more than a man-eating Indian tiger.
The last manifestation of the munticore was in 16th century heraldry. This often influenced Mannierist artists, who included this animal in their works. But more often in decorative paintings called grotesques. The manticore signified the sin of fraud - a chimera with the face of a beauty. Then this image passed on to the 17th-18th centuries as a sphinx
In the Middle Ages, the mythical monster was an emblem for the prophet Jeremiah. At the same time, the mythical monster became a symbol of tyranny, envy, and ultimately the embodiment of evil.

Ancient mythical creature dangerous predator with a blood-red lion's body and human head. Its tail is crowned with a scorpion sting.

Origin of the manticore

This creature came to us from India, but Ctesias, a Greek physician, first described it in his writings. According to him, the manticore or “manticore” (in the Indian manner) reached the size of a lion and had an equally thick coat of fur, which shone bright red, like blood. The head of the manticore looked more like a human, its bright blue eyes hypnotized the victim so that she could not move from fear. Horror was inspired by her sharp teeth, three rows of which crowned the mouth of a terrible predator, and the tail of a scorpion, in the needle of which there was a terrible poison. Ctesias also noted that in addition to the scorpion's sting, the manticore's tail had needles with which the monster could pierce its victim from a distance, like arrows. The manticore's voice was like the sounds of a pipe and a trumpet at the same time. During the hunt, the manticore hid in the jungle and attacked large animals and people passing by. Of all the creatures on earth, she was most afraid of fighting a lion, because only he could defeat her.

Many of Ctesias’s contemporaries, and even scientists of a later time, were skeptical of his words, suggesting that the frightened Hindus mistook the most ordinary tiger for a terrible monster, because in movement the stripes of this big cat merged, which is why it seemed that the tiger’s skin turned red shade. And the creepy teeth and tail are inventions of frightened residents.

And yet the description of a predator is found in the works of such great people as Aristotle in his “History of Animals”, Pausanias in the pages of “Description of Hellas”, Pliny in “Natural History” and Solinus in “Collection of Landmarks”. Thanks to the light hand of the last two authors, the formidable predator manticore lost its tail, studded with sharp spines, with which it could hit a target at a distance. The poor predator was left to be content with a scorpion sting, but Solin immediately notes in his work that this cat (and the manticore can easily be classified as a member of the cat family), is distinguished by incredible jumping ability and its jump is so far that no distances or obstacles can stop it.

On the pages of the Middle Ages

The manticore has become firmly entrenched in many books over the centuries, especially medieval bestiaries. And although it has undergone some changes over the years, the main features of this mythical creature have remained unchanged - blood-red skin, rows of knife-sharp teeth, a scorpion tail and love for human meat. In medieval miniatures, this predator was most often depicted with some part of a person in its teeth to emphasize its cannibal nature.

But that’s where the resemblance to the ancient image ended. In the Middle Ages, the manticore was rewarded with a snake hiss, which it used to lure its prey. The triple row of teeth, according to some writings, turned into a palisade going straight into the throat.

Some scientists, inspired by the works of their ancient colleagues, added new abilities to the manticore. Thus, Honorius Augustodunsky endowed the mythical creature with the ability not only to jump long distances, as Solin wrote, but also to fly.

The place of the manticore in the modern world

Many writers, such as Andrzej Sapkowski and Joanne Rowling, could not remain indifferent to such a ferocious and formidable creature and placed the manticore on the pages of their own bestiaries.

There is no limit to human imagination, and Sapkowski returned to the manticore its tail with sharp needles, with which it can strike the enemy in absolutely any direction, and a pair of wings grew on its back. The formidable predator has become even more dangerous.

Rowling, in her book Magical Beasts and Where to Find Them, endowed the manticore's skin with immunity to magic. Now any spells are useless against this creature. Writer David Robertson gave a gift to the manticore human consciousness and the ability to talk, and the Russian science fiction writer Nikolai Basov made her capable of regeneration.

In addition to books, the manticore also appeared on television screens in the film "Manticore" and the television series "Grimm". Many are familiar with it from such famous and beloved games as “Heroes of Might and Magic III”, “ Titan Quest", "The Age of Mythology", "Artorias from the Abyss". Similar characters are found in the World of Warcraft universe.