What's Your Favourite Myth Creature

[Hoplite]

What is the myhtological creature that fascinates you most?? Is it a Minotaur or a Griffin?? How about Werewolves?? Do you like them?? And who here likes a Dragon or a Wyvern??

Send posts about all the creatures you like. Why do you like them. how did you know anout em and what do you know bout them. Myth ones of course. ;)

[53048337439craig]

Dragons and Kraken---tied :D

[Kitty-Kat-Kay]

Succubus, Fauns, Unicorns, Phoenix, Siren, Satyr, Dragons are on my top. But overall, I think my most favored is the Hippogryph.

I like the Hippogryph's design. It just screams "draw me!" And that's usually something that captures me into a creature. I know it's an extremely swift creature, bred from a gryphon and filly.

[WareW-Believer]

Friggin' WERWOLVES dude. I like others too, but werewolves are at the top. Why? I dunno, I never thought about it. I just do (there's a reason hiding somewhere in my brain). What do I know about em? That's already discussed by myself in another thread.

[NizGarouPrincess]

Vampires are so bloodlusty!
...The male ones, that is...

[Hoplite]

Well I like Dragons, Griffins :confused: , Werewolves, Minotaurs and lots others......But Dragons are on the top of the list..specially the European ones ;)

Well dragons have fascinated me much from childhood...these fire breatihg, flying huge lizards r just elegant..

I also like the myths from the greek mythology i.e. minotaur, gorgons, pegasus, kraken, cyclops, chimera, scylla, hydra, cerberus..... (known about them sequentially) ;)


By the way what is a gargoyle?????

[Shield_Wulf]

My would have to be Dragons then Werewolves.
Dragon are 1st because they remind me of my dad.

I don't know were Gargoyes come from totaly but they were around long before European Gothic Art. And was used as a protector, they were known to take away ones negative energy and turn it in to good energy and release it.

[DoubleStar3]

Phoenix and Dragons. The Pheonix because it's a symbol of change (or so I use it as)-it's a bird made of fire and can be depicted many different ways. Every 500 years it burns itself to ashes and gives birth to itself again. It has it's ties in Egyptian times, and is most commonly found in the asian community now. The symbol of a dragon and pheonix together is a symbol of true love.

As for the dragon... Depends which type I suppose. I like them all and have useless knowledge on most of them. I've always been fascinated with them, and they're fun to draw.

[biteakashka]

Gargoyles in the strict sense are carving on the outside of buildings designed to direct water from the roof away from the base off the walls, some are undecorated but many are zoomophic or anthropomorphic - often very imaginative or grotesque.
As for their origins,
- Warding off evil - "a kiss my arse" keep away deterent to demons.
- Decoration (but why so ugly?)
- A juxtaposition or balance of ugliness agaisnt the beauty inside the building.
- A warning to parishoners.
P/M me if you want more info having grown up right next to a castle i have been interested in gargoyles since i was little. :p

[53048337439craig]

To your question about Gargoyles,this is the answer.

Etymology
"Gargoyle", the dictionary definition: a spout usually in the form of a grotesquely carved face or figure, projecting from a roof gutter. From the Old French "gargouille" and the Late Latin "gurgulio", both meaning throat. (from Chambers Concise dictionary)

"Gargoyles (in the strict sense) are carvings on the outside of buildings designed to direct water from the roof away from the base of the walls... ...Some gargoyles are undecorated but many are zoomorphic or anthropomorphic - often very imaginative and/or grotesque. This has led to the term 'gargoyle' being applied more widely to any grotesque carving in medieval buildings." (from Bob Trubshaw, posting in BritArch archives, 23Feb1999)

Over the last few years, gargoyles have become cartoon characters, a "animal" in Neo-Gothic circles, particularly popular in internet fantasy literature where they appear more than truly evil, and even as a way of defining ones ic self ("I'm a gargoyle". "Oh really, I'm a vampire, but we could still go out together"). None of these have much to do with plumbing, but the meaning of words do change over the years, and "gargoyle" now seems to mean to many people to be any ugly or grotesque creature particularly if it lives on buildings or rocks.


Possible Origins and Reasons for gargoyles
When asking "why are there gargoyles and what are they for", in my experience most people seem to mean the Medieval ones. So, this is what a distingushed Frenchman Emile Male and most critics after him said:

No symbolism can explain the monstrous fauna of the cathedrals...
If ever works are exempt of meaning surely these are...
All attempts at explanation must be foredoomed to failure.

E. Male, _L'art religieux du XIIIe siecle en France_ 8e edition p. 121, 124
So, studiously ignoring those words of wisdom, here are some possible explanations I've come across:

rainwater plumbing (this is certain but does not explain why so many are carved creatures, nor the various forms)
warding off evil - a "kiss my ass" keep away deterrent to s
warding off evil - a "don't bother, we're here already doing ic stuff" deterrent to s
a reminder to parishioners of the perils of evil - bad guys are marginalised to the outside of the church (but why so high up and hard to see?)
as symbols to encourage believers in pre-Christian ways to come to church (make them feel welcomed or at home, as it were)
decoration (but why so ugly? why so hard to see)
a juxtaposition or balance of ugliness against the beauty inside the building (a very medieval concept which we find hard to understand these days)
insurance policy against building collapse, related to warding off evil (this one's obscure and I think it says more out modern interpretation of the medieval mind than architectural principles)
For some of the more interesting ones (mooning or nose picking or caricatures), they may possibly be:
symbolic object lessons on the perils of unconventionality
carved out of mischief (e.g. there are defecating gargoyles, these are generally difficult to see, being high up or in obscure parts of the building)
as retribution for not paying the stone carver (see Freiburg defecator)
fun (who knows what the medieval sense of humour was? see also a modern nose picker from Ely Cathedral
caricatures of people maybe local clergy, which may be mischief or fun or possibly honour. Here are some modern ones: imploring man and man wearing glasses, both at Ely.


Religious History
During the 1200's when gargoyles first appeared (and at many other times), the Roman Catholic Church was actively involved in converting people of other faiths to the Catholic, often very keenly indeed (as the Christian but non-Catholic Cathars could testify). The argument for decorated gargoyles runs as follows. Since literacy was generally not an option for most people, images were very important. Since the religious images (if any) that non-Christians were accustomed to were of animals or mixtures of animals and humans (e.g. the horned god, the Green Man), then putting similar images on churches and cathedrals would encourage non-Catholics to join the religion and go to church, or at least make them feel more comfortable about it, or at least ease the transition.

This argument has reasonable grounds if you think about some of the other accomodations the Christian (not just Catholic) church has made, such as fixing the birth of Christ at around the winter solstice to fit in with existing celebrations. Even the Romans made similar adaptations, e.g. in Britain the Celtic Suli worshipped at modern day Bath bore a remarkable resemblance to the Roman Minerva. Rather than replace Suli and upset the locals, both were incorporated into and revered in the Roman baths there. It's amazing how flexible an established church can be if it needs to be - images? no problem if it puts bums on seats.


Mythical and Spiritual Connections
Facts:
Religion and superstition (not entirely incompatible) were both very important indeed to people of medieval times, much more so than to most "westerners" today. People looked to God or gods and other supernatural beings for answers to fundamental questions and for help and especially protection.

Suppositions & Logical steps:
What could be better protection for your place of worship than to put images of supernatural beings on it, although ones on your side naturally. Images of God or the Holy Spirit, perhaps, but these were frowned upon and anyway who knew what God really looked like?. Images of Christ might be better, but then Christ was also a man and he was already inside the house of God. Images of the old gods might work, but of course that would be heresy. It's a small logical step to the use of gargoyles as protectors and the myths about their abilities.

The Gargoyle Myth and how gargoyles drive off evil:
I've put comments in brackets().

They can stand guard and ward off unwanted spirits and other creatures.
If they're hideous and frightening they can scare off all sorts of things.
They come alive at night when everyone's asleep (and you can't see them to prove that they don't) so they can protect you when you're vulnerable.
Better still, the ones with wings can fly round the whole area and cover the village or town as well as the church. (And if someone does see something, who's to say whether it was just a bat or one of the gargoyles on the wing?)
They return to their places when the sun comes up (and no-one can prove that they weren't out and about, and no-one respectable who rises and sets with the sun is going to be mistaken by them for an enemy and be dealt with).
If you want to see an example of the kind of gargoyle that fits the myth, look at the ones on Woburn church.

A comment on the tame ones:
This doesn't really explain the rather tame looking ones. These could possibly be explained by the architectural trend towards more ornamentation and decoration. I think many of the slightly grotesque ones can be explained by the myth if you note that some concepts were simpler for most people in medieval times, for example, pulling your lips wide apart in a grimace using your hands and trying to look scary ("gurning") was a terrific joke. Presumably it was also more scary than now, given that any kind of deformity could be worryingly reminiscent of deformity from incurable diseases or unexplained acts of God or , both things to be feared. Some of them have just got to be jokes though.

Other possibilities - a warning to the populace:
An appealing idea for explaining medieval gargoyles, is as a reminder or warning to the populace of the evil all around outside and the safe sanctuary inside the church. Evil takes many forms, from women carrying the on their backs (very symbolic, very unenlightened and non-PC) to bug eyed human faces twisted into monstrocities, to s, dangerous beasts, hideous human horrors, and hairy men who have descended terribly into the brutal and frightening level of the beast. Better the beauty and serenity inside, come on in and forget the trials of the world outside for a while and pray for your soul and your salvation from the horrors shown outside.

Of course it could be as much a case of the gargoyles saying (metaphorically) "Hey you Jimmy! Yes you! Who do you think I mean? Watch yer step, laddie, we've got our eye on you. One step out of line and you've had it, you're meat, with our teeth in it."

Other possibilities - insurance policy against building collapse:
This bizarre proposed explanation is really protection against evil. Here's a snippet from the soc.history.medieval newsgroup postings from 1997, quoting a book "Structures (or why things don't fall down)", Author: J.E.Gordon.

---Quote---
My copy is an old pelican edition in paperback published in 1978 & has no ISBN on what's left of it. I thorougly recommend this book as a minimal maths exploration of architecture which is full of fascinating anecdotes.
As for the gargoyles, apparently the builders believed that they scared away the s who would otherwide push the walls down. If they built one without gargoyles it fell over. There you are! It actually is all to do with how the forces act within the structure, & keeping the direction of the thrust within the wall by loading the top.
---UnQuote---

[53048337439craig]

And here's the Architectural History of Gargoyles


Architectural History
Gargoyles in the strict plumbing sense of the word (see Etymology) have been around since the time of the Ancient Greeks or before. They became very popular on architecture in Medieval times, with a resurgence in the Victorian era, and to some extent more recently. Other periods have none or few carved ones. Saxon churches (a little before Medieval times) that I've seen usually have troughs but whether these are original or later additions is hard to say. Large buildings of the Elizabethan period (a little after Medieval times) did use channels or troughs but I've never seen or heard of carved ones.

Their first usage in the last thousand years or more seems to have been in the early 1200's as channels or tubes to shed rainwater from buildings, to keep the rainwater off the buildings themselves and away from the foundations. Strong evidence for this purely plumbing interpretation is that initially most were made of wood, some made of the more expensive stone, and were generally undecorated.

As time progressed, more stone ones appeared as did lining some with lead and decoration in the form of carvings of people or animals or grotesque representations of these (grotesque in the sense of being extravagantly formed, bizarre, ludicrous, absurd, fantastic and also in the sense of being ugly and frightening). Often these carvings are so imaginative as to bear little or no resemblance to any conventional creature and are the products of fertile imaginations and skilled hands.

They are common on the more expensive buildings from medieval times, particularly cathedrals and churches, and particularly France, and particularly the ic style. A few plain ones survive on non-religious buildings like the odd castle but rarely compared with relligious buildings. Presumably, as today, the average wage did not run as far as paying for ornate stone guttering for your own humble dwelling.

It seems that this increasingly ornate carving extended to non-functional architectural features resembling them, so that "gargoyles" appear on the sides of towers and walls, and to stretch the term even further, inside the buildings (though these are more correctly called "grotesques" and "chimeras", of which gargoyles are only one kind).

Hope you're satisfied :o

[Lord Vulcan]

wow....anyway, my favorite is Kraken, Werewolves, very large fat and strong minotaurs, and what ever this (http://death-hawk.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/sleipnir.jpg) is.

[Kayne]

Hydra because it was so hard to kill.

And a little bit of info to go with the monster.

The Hydra which lived in the swamps near to the ancient city of Lerna in Argolis, was a terrifying monster which like the Nemean lion was the offspring of Echidna (half maiden - half serpent), and Typhon (had 100 heads), other versions think that the Hydra was the offspring of Styx and the Titan Pallas. The Hydra had the body of a serpent and many heads (the number of heads deviates from five up to one hundred there are many versions but generally nine is accepted as standard), of which one could never be harmed by any weapon, and if any of the other heads were severed another would grow in its place (in some versions two would grow). Also the stench from the Hydra's breath was enough to kill man or beast (in other versions it was a deadly venom). When it emerged from the swamp it would attack herds of cattle and local villagers, devouring them with its numerous heads. It totally terrorized the vicinity for many years.

[Baast-Hathor]

I like the BAKU .
Baku come from Japanese legends. It has the face of a lion, the body of a horse, the feet of a tiger, and the tail of a cow. It is called the 'eater of dreams', as it will devour a person's evil dreams either making them harmless or changing them into good luck. A huge scary monster that protects us as we sleep -- aaah.

I also like the Centaur , representing strength and wisdom. They are great archers so much like me :D I do a lot of horseback Archery and often feel more at home with my horse than anywhere else.

[chalice of hate]

Hydra because it was so hard to kill.

And a little bit of info to go with the monster.

The Hydra which lived in the swamps near to the ancient city of Lerna in Argolis, was a terrifying monster which like the Nemean lion was the offspring of Echidna (half maiden - half serpent), and Typhon (had 100 heads), other versions think that the Hydra was the offspring of Styx and the Titan Pallas. The Hydra had the body of a serpent and many heads (the number of heads deviates from five up to one hundred there are many versions but generally nine is accepted as standard), of which one could never be harmed by any weapon, and if any of the other heads were severed another would grow in its place (in some versions two would grow). Also the stench from the Hydra's breath was enough to kill man or beast (in other versions it was a deadly venom). When it emerged from the swamp it would attack herds of cattle and local villagers, devouring them with its numerous heads. It totally terrorized the vicinity for many years.
i dont reealy have any perticular favourites but seeing anything folo their path is allways good.

[Hoplite]

And here's the Architectural History of Gargoyles


Architectural History
Gargoyles in the strict plumbing sense of the word (see Etymology) have been around since the time of the Ancient Greeks or before. They became very popular on architecture in Medieval times, with a resurgence in the Victorian era, and to some extent more recently. Other periods have none or few carved ones. Saxon churches (a little before Medieval times) that I've seen usually have troughs but whether these are original or later additions is hard to say. Large buildings of the Elizabethan period (a little after Medieval times) did use channels or troughs but I've never seen or heard of carved ones.

Their first usage in the last thousand years or more seems to have been in the early 1200's as channels or tubes to shed rainwater from buildings, to keep the rainwater off the buildings themselves and away from the foundations. Strong evidence for this purely plumbing interpretation is that initially most were made of wood, some made of the more expensive stone, and were generally undecorated.

As time progressed, more stone ones appeared as did lining some with lead and decoration in the form of carvings of people or animals or grotesque representations of these (grotesque in the sense of being extravagantly formed, bizarre, ludicrous, absurd, fantastic and also in the sense of being ugly and frightening). Often these carvings are so imaginative as to bear little or no resemblance to any conventional creature and are the products of fertile imaginations and skilled hands.

They are common on the more expensive buildings from medieval times, particularly cathedrals and churches, and particularly France, and particularly the ic style. A few plain ones survive on non-religious buildings like the odd castle but rarely compared with relligious buildings. Presumably, as today, the average wage did not run as far as paying for ornate stone guttering for your own humble dwelling.

It seems that this increasingly ornate carving extended to non-functional architectural features resembling them, so that "gargoyles" appear on the sides of towers and walls, and to stretch the term even further, inside the buildings (though these are more correctly called "grotesques" and "chimeras", of which gargoyles are only one kind).

Hope you're satisfied :o




Dude u can write :eek: ..and where'd u get all these info..nEway keep it up :buttrock:

[53048337439craig]

wow....anyway, my favorite is Kraken, Werewolves, very large fat and strong minotaurs, and what ever this (http://death-hawk.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/sleipnir.jpg) is.
yay for the Kraken! BTW that thing is a Sleipnir :p
Oh yeah thanks ( I guess ) Hoplite Greyback

[biteakashka]

Dude u can write :eek: ..and where'd u get all these info..nEway keep it up :buttrock:
The same place i did, on a Gargoyle History website, i didnt have the time to copy it all out so i only took afew bits.
There is alot of info out there just put it in the google search and see what comes up. :p

[53048337439craig]

The same place i did, on a Gargoyle History website, i didnt have the time to copy it all out so i only took afew bits.
There is alot of info out there just put it in the google search and see what comes up. :p
yep,what she said :p

[brighteyed]

I quite like Unicorns and Gryphons, they just seem really appealing to try and draw.

[shadowscream]

:cool: werewolfs i mine dude come on why would you not like them :buttrock:

[Hoplite]

two thumbs up for the hydra people..it definitely is one venomous nasty serpent..

and krakens rock too.. :D (though dunno much about it's history :confused: hes got something to do wid posiedon..perseus slayed him that's as much i know)

another of my favourites r the gorgons..they were basically three sisters. they were kinda beautiful and boasted that they were even more beautiful than the nymphs..so the sea god Posiedon punished them and and turned them into hideous creatures with serpents for hair, huge fangs and wicked stuff...and anyonw who looked into their eyes would immediately turn into stone...

the hero Perseus slayed one of them, Medusa..with the help from Atena and Hermes..and from the blood of Medusa the winged horse "Pegasus" emerged. that's about what i know about the gorgons.

[Hoplite]

Another of my favs r the MINOTAUR


what i know about them is that there was a minotaur in the laybernth ( :confused: dunno if the spelling is right) of Crete..it was like a puzzle with a lot of columns where one could easily get lost..the minotaur wdaited there for the victims and devoured them there..

Athens had to pay a tribute of some young men and women to them yearly ( :confused: again ..man i read about this ages ago) as they Athens lost ot Crete in a battle..Theseus, the son of the ruler of Athens grew up away from his father..when he was young, he came to Athens to visit his father..and then he came to know about this tribute thing..so he went with others as a tribute despite his fathers forbidding..

When king Minos, the ruler of Crete came to know about this he called upon Theseus..Theseusclai med he would slay the minotaur..the king challenged him to give his best effort..the princess of Crete {:confused: dont remember the name} helped Theseus to do so..she secretly gave him a large ball of wool and a sword, and Theseus figured out what to do..

Theseus kept one end of the ends of the wool ball with the ppl he came with and carried the ball with him...this way he didn't get lost..and inside he killed the minotaur (i doubt was it due to his skills or just pure luck)..

duh hell of a story..i usually dont write that much so it's kinda messed up :o ..but nEway nJOY :D

[TheBlueWolfW.W.]

I guess for me it is the Werebeast, the Dragon, and the Minotaur. I dunno why I like them.

[leopardwing]

Lycanthropes are top for me...:>

Though gryphons and dragons are tied for a close second.

[perpetual sorrow]

My Favorite mythological creature has to be the Nahual. Having an animal protector sounds amazing.



In Aztec mythology and Mayan mythology, a Nahual was a spirit being, similar to a guardian angel, that manifested itself in the form of an animal. Each person had a nahual who watched over and protected them.

Depending on the day of birth in the ancient divinatory calendar, each person receives a different nahual. Parents may keep this from the child until the he matures enough to use the knowledge in a responsible way. This may be from a concern that the person may resemble their nahual animal or develop related characteristics. For example, a bull is mean, so if a child's nahual is a bull then he would use it to gain advantage, acting mean to everyone to get what he wants. In addition, a child may blame his own inappropriate behavior on his nahual. In general, individuals do not tell people about their nahual, unless they have a really close relationship.

[53048337439craig]

two thumbs up for the hydra people..it definitely is one venomous nasty serpent..

and krakens rock too.. :D (though dunno much about it's history :confused: hes got something to do wid posiedon..perseus slayed him that's as much i know)

another of my favourites r the gorgons..they were basically three sisters. they were kinda beautiful and boasted that they were even more beautiful than the nymphs..so the sea god Posiedon punished them and and turned them into hideous creatures with serpents for hair, huge fangs and wicked stuff...and anyonw who looked into their eyes would immediately turn into stone...

the hero Perseus slayed one of them, Medusa..with the help from Atena and Hermes..and from the blood of Medusa the winged horse "Pegasus" emerged. that's about what i know about the gorgons.
The kraken may be well dead,poisoned by marine pollution. Those who have studied its history claim that it lives yet in a state of hibernation,sleeping ,in the words of Tennyson,"far,far beneath the abysmal sea"

The kraken was described by renowned naturalist Eric Pontoppidan , Bishop of Bergen, as 'the largest and most surprising of all animal creation'. This was definately not an exaggeration,for this immense beast was,or is,the largest animal of all time.Where there is more than one Kraken,what is its gender,how long it lives and many other questions remain unanswered,for this creature has not been sighted for more than a century.

Descriptions are sketchy,probably because the creature is way too massive to make a proper observation. (except from maybe the air.) or because sailors who come across the Kraken are badly traumatized--and rightly so! Although some accounts describe it as an enormous whale or turtle-like creature,the general consesus is that the Kraken is a tentacled,slimy monster up to 1 mile (1.6km) in circumference.

On the very rare occasions that the Kraken makes its way from the ocean depths,it can be easily mistaken for an island. Sailors of old would weigh anchor, 'go ashore' and light fires,which in turn would wake the slumbering titan at which point it would promptly submerge,creating on its wake an enormous whirlpool which sucked ship and crew down with it. Occasionally the Kraken would drag down entire ships with its tentacles. The arms of the Kraken were said to reach as high as the top of a sailing ship's mast.

-----Craig-----

[sabrina_lycaulf]

Werewolves because I like the inner beast that lies inside them.

[sabrina_lycaulf]

Werewolves, Chinese dragons, centaurs and Pegasus seem to be the top of MY list... Because they're so awesome! Who wouldn't want to meet them?

According to Greek myth, Pegasus the winged horse of the Gods, came from the evil monster woman called Medusa (who had her head chopped off) and at her funeral, the drops of blood gave Pegasus his form! He's so awesome because he can fly (unlike most horses)!

Centaurs also came from Greek myth because the Greeks were afraid of invaders who brought horses with them. They thought that the riders and the horses were combined together.

Werewolves (and other were-animals) are so awesome... I like the way that the humans transform into their animal forms! And I also like the inner beast that lies inside them, that is released into the outside world...

[DoubleStar3]

I'm only going to say this once, and I will not repeat myself because this thread WILL end up closed if I have to. We are not taking tallies on who likes what more. That is what Polls are for. We also are not going to be posting anymore bs crap like 'that's kewl dude.' If I find one more post where there are tallies, or anymore BS stuff in here that I have to delete, This thread will be gone.

[Fire_Lupa]

Deffinetly werewolves, there are alot of others like griffins, gargoyles, vampires, nahuals,dragons,don' t quite know about unicorns uhh, fairies, krakens & soo many more but werewolves are my fave!!

[53048337439craig]

Unicorns.


Though the popular image of the unicorn is that of a white horse differing only in the horn, the traditional unicorn has a billy-goat beard, a lion's tail, and cloven hoofs, which distinguish him from a horse. Interestingly, these modifications make the horned ungulate more realistic, since only cloven-hoofed animals have horns. Marianna Mayer has observed (The Unicorn and the Lake), "The unicorn is the only fabulous beast that does not seem to have been conceived out of human fears. In even the earliest references he is fierce yet good, selfless yet solitary, but always mysteriously beautiful. The Unicorn is the uncatchable creature, and his single horn was said to neutralize poison." The unicorn can always fly.

In medieval lore, the alicorn is the spiraled horn of the unicorn and is said to be able to heal and neutralize poisons. This is derived from Ctesias's reports on the unicorn in India, where it was used by the rulers of that place for anti-toxin purposes so as to avoid assassination.

Though the qilin (麒麟, Chinese), a creature in Chinese myth, is sometimes called "the Chinese unicorn", it is a hybrid animal that is less unicorn than chimera, with the body of a deer, the head of a lion, green scales and a long forwardly-curved horn. The Japanese "Kirin", though based on the Chinese animal, is usually portrayed as more closely resembling the Western unicorn than the Chinese qilin.

Unicorns in prehistory

The 'unicorn' in the cave paintings of Lascaux, FranceA prehistoric cave painting in Lascaux, France depicts an animal with two straight horns emerging from its forehead. The simple perspective of the painting makes these two horns appear to be a single straight horn; since the species of the figure is otherwise unknown, it has received the moniker "the Unicorn". Richard Leakey suggests that it, like the Sorcerer found at Trois-Frères, is a therianthrope, a blend of animal and human; its head, in his interpretation, is that of a bearded man.[1]

There have been unconfirmed reports of aboriginal paintings of unicorns at Namaqualand in southern Africa. [2]. A passage of Bruce Chatwin's travel journal In Patagonia (1977) relates Chatwin's meeting a South American scientist who believed that unicorns were among South America's extinct megafauna of the Late Pleistocene, and that they were hunted out of existence by man in the 5th or 6th millennium BC. He told Chatwin, who later sought them out, about two aboriginal cave paintings of "unicorns" at Lago Posadas (Cerro de los Indios).

[edit]
Unicorns in antiquity
According to an interpretation of seals carved with an animal which resembles a bull (and which may in fact be a way of depicting bulls in profile), it has been claimed that the unicorn was a common symbol during the Indus Valley civilization, appearing on many seals. It may have symbolized a powerful group.

An animal called the re'em is mentioned in several places in the Bible, often as a metaphor representing strength; in the King James translation (and some other translations), this word is translated as "unicorn", producing phrases such as "His strength is as the strength of a unicorn". "The allusions to the re'em as a wild, untamable animal of great strength and agility, with mighty horns (Job xxxix. 9-12; Ps. xxii. 21, xxix. 6; Num. xxiii. 22, xxiv. 8; Deut. xxxiii. 17; comp. Ps. xcii. 11), best fit the aurochs (Bos primigenius). This view is supported by the Assyrian rimu, which is often used as a metaphor of strength, and is depicted as a powerful, fierce, wild, or mountain bull with large horns." (Jewish Encyclopedia: "unicorn") This animal was often depicted with only one horn visible in ancient Mesopotamian art.


Statue of unicornThe unicorn does not appear in early Greek mythology, but in Greek natural history, for Greek writers on natural history were convinced of the reality of the unicorn, which they located in India, a distant and fabulous realm for them. The Encyclopædia Britannica collects classical references to unicorns: the earliest description is from Ctesias, who described in Indica white wild asses, fleet of foot, having on the forehead a horn a cubit and a half in length, colored white, red and black; from the horn were made drinking cups which were a preventive of poisoning. Aristotle must be following Ctesias when he mentions two one-horned animals, the oryx, a kind of antelope, and the so-called "Indian ass" (in Historia anim. ii. I and De part. anim. iii. 2). In Roman times Pliny the Elder's Natural History (viii: 30 and xl: 106) mentions the oryx and an Indian ox (the rhinoceros, perhaps) as one-horned beasts, as well as the Indian ass, "a very ferocious beast, similar in the rest of its body to a horse, with the head of a deer, the feet of an elephant, the tail of a boar, a deep, bellowing voice, and a single black horn, two cubits in length, standing out in the middle of its forehead." Pliny adds that "it cannot be taken alive." Aelian (De natura. anim. iii. 41; iv. 52), quoting Ctesias, adds that India produces also a one-horned horse, and says (xvi. 20) that the "monoceros" was sometimes called carcazonon, which may be a form of the Arabic "carcadn", meaning "rhinoceros". Strabo (book xv) says that in India there were one-horned horses with stag-like heads.

[edit]
Medieval unicorns

Tapestry, Maiden with Unicorn, Musée de Cluny, ParisMedieval knowledge of the fabulous beast stems from biblical and ancient sources, and the creature was variously represented as a kind of wild ass, goat, or horse. By A.D. 200, Tertullian had called the unicorn a small fierce kidlike animal, a symbol of Christ. Ambrose, Jerome, and Basil agreed.

The predecessor of the medieval bestiary, compiled in Late Antiquity and known as Physiologus popularized an elaborate allegory in which a unicorn, trapped by a maiden (representing the Virgin Mary) stood for the Incarnation. As soon as the unicorn sees her it lays its head on her lap and falls asleep. This became a basic emblematic tag that underlies medieval notions of the unicorn, justifying its appearance in every form of religious art.

The unicorn was also found in courtly terms: for some 13th century French authors such as Thibaut of Champagne and Richard of Fournival, the lover is as attracted to his lady as the unicorn is to the virgin. This version of salvation provided an alternative to God's love and was called heretical.

With the rise of humanism, the unicorn also acquired positive secular meanings, including chaste love and faithful marriage. It plays this role in Petrarch's Triumph of Chastity. It was a heraldic motif, appearing on the national arms and coins of Scotland. The royal throne of Denmark was made of "unicorn horns" (actually narwhal tusks). The same material was used for ceremonial cups because the unicorn's horn was believed to neutralize poison.

The translators of the King James Version of the Bible (1611) employed unicorn to translate re'em in Book of Job 39:9–12, providing an animal that was proverbial for its untamable nature for the unanswerable rhetorical questions:

"Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib? Canst thou bind the unicorn with band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee? Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? or wilt thou leave thy labour to him? Wilt thou believe him, that he will bring home thy seed, and gather it into thy barn?"

The unicorn, tamable only by a virgin woman, was well established in medieval lore by the time Marco Polo described them as:

"scarcely smaller than elephants. They have the hair of a buffalo and feet like an elephant's. They have a single large black horn in the middle of the forehead... They have a head like a wild boar's… They spend their time by preference wallowing in mud and slime. They are very ugly brutes to look at. They are not at all such as we describe them when we relate that they let themselves be captured by virgins, but clean contrary to our notions."

It is clear that Polo was describing a rhinoceros.

In German, since the 16th century, the name unicorn ("Einhorn") has become attached to the various rhinoceros.

In popular belief, examined wittily and at length by Sir Thomas Browne in his Pseudodoxia Epidemica unicorn horns could neutralize poisons (book III, ch. xxiii). Therefore, people who feared poisoning sometimes drank from goblets made of "unicorn horn". Alleged aphrodisiac qualities and other purported medicinal virtues also drove up the cost of "unicorn" products such as milk, hide, and offal. Unicorns were also said to be able to determine whether or not a woman was a virgin; in some tales, they could only be mounted by virgins.

One traditional method of hunting unicorns involved entrapment by a virgin. Another involved angering a unicorn, fleeing from it toward a tree when it charged, and diving out of the way just before the tree, causing the unicorn to strike the tree, rendering it dead, unconscious, or stuck, held by its horn in the wood.

found in: wikipedia-the free encyclopedia

[DL Lycan]

So much choice, but I'll say either The Phoenix, or European dragons.

[Hoplite]

Centaurs are kinda great....though they are usually considered as bandits creating a lot of trouble to the townfolks....few of them are considered wise too...such as Chiron..Jason, Theseus, Achilles (my fvourite :D ) and some other heroes were taught by him...and they r also considered to be good archers..

in J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" (read 3 of 'em will start the 4th soon :D ) centaurs are represented as brute but wise creatures..they consider themselves above wizards..they have better knowledge about astronomy, divination and those stuff..and also have a pretty BIG ego.... ;)

[strablonde]

I have always been fasinated by werewolves. Because for 1. You could be dating one and never know it. Since they are day walkers and night prowlers. :eek: 2. They shape shift and come back to manly form. 3. They live forever 4. There the best howlers lol. Okey Well I find them mysteriouse. And I also fear them so much as I would a bear. Although I like the Vamps too. Good topic! :)

[Hoplite]

Hydra
by Ron Leadbetter
The Hydra which lived in the swamps near to the ancient city of Lerna in Argolis, was a terrifying monster which like the Nemean lion was the offspring of Echidna (half maiden - half serpent), and Typhon (had 100 heads), other versions think that the Hydra was the offspring of Styx and the Titan Pallas. The Hydra had the body of a serpent and many heads (the number of heads deviates from five up to one hundred there are many versions but generally nine is accepted as standard), of which one could never be harmed by any weapon, and if any of the other heads were severed another would grow in its place (in some versions two would grow). Also the stench from the Hydra's breath was enough to kill man or beast (in other versions it was a deadly venom). When it emerged from the swamp it would attack herds of cattle and local villagers, devouring them with its numerous heads. It totally terrorized the vicinity for many years.

Heracles journeyed to Lake Lerna in a speedy chariot, and with him he took his nephew and charioteer Iolaus, in search of the dreaded Hydra. When they finally reached the Hydras' hiding place, Heracles told Iolaus to stay with the horses while he drew the monster from its hole with flaming arrows. This brought out the hideous beast. Heracles courageously attacked the beast, flaying at each head with his sword, (in some versions a scythe) but he soon realized that as one head was severed another grew in its place. Heracles called for help from Iolaus, telling him to bring a flaming torch, and as Heracles cut off the heads one by one from the Hydra, Iolaus cauterized the open wounds with the torch preventing them from growing again. As Heracles fought the writhing monster he was almost stifled by its obnoxious breath, but eventually, with the help of Iolaus, Heracles removed all but one of the Hydras' heads. The one remaining could not be harmed by any weapon, so, picking up his hefty club Heracles crushed it with one mighty blow, he then tore off the head with his bare hands and quickly buried it deep in the ground, placing a huge boulder on the top. After he had killed the Hydra, Heracles dipped the tips of his arrows into the Hydras' blood, which was extremely poisonous, making them deadly.

Other versions say that while Heracles fought the Hydra the goddess Hera sent down a giant crab which attacked his feet). This legend comes from a marble relief dating from the 2nd century BCE found at ancient Lerna, showing Heracles attacking the Hydra, and near his feet is a huge crab. Also other legends say that a stray arrow set alight the forest, and it was the burning trunks which Heracles ripped up and used to cauterize the open wounds.

[Omerai Kodisho]

The flying spaghetti monster! There was seriously a cult of people who worshiped a huge flying spaghetti monster. I laughed my ass off when I figured out.

[53048337439craig]

Flying Spaghetti Monster:
Overview
The Flying Spaghetti Monster is an amalgamated deity composed of two separate, and distinct parts. It is the central point of worship in the religion commonly known as Flying Spaghetti Monsterism or Pastafarianism, according to which it is The Creator and Overseer, watching our lives and our world, changing them as it sees fit. Bobby Henderson is the guru of this religion. He too, has huge, spicy meatballs.

Flying Spaghetti Monsterism is the world's most edible and fastest-growing religion.

The One True Monster
Though he is called Monster, he really is not one, he is the love of all lives, hence "Flying Spaghetti Lover" (yes with BIG BIG Noodly Appendages, so non-gays BEWARE). As previously noted, the Flying Spaghetti Monster is composed of two separate, and distinct parts (three if it happens to be covered in parmesan cheese):

The Major Pastaer
The Flying: This part of the Flying Spaghetti Monster gives it flight, allowing it to span infinite distances in infinitesimal spans of time. This part is irreducibly complex, hyper-real (see Weird Calculus), and cannot be broken down into components. Doing so – if it were even possible, and it isn't – would incur the wrath of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. It is proven by this series of math-like squiggles:





The original formula revealed to Pastafarian scholars did not include the butter and toast element, which is necessary to relate kittens to antigravity. The Flying Spaghetti Monster inspired this revision one day He skipped breakfast.

The Spaghetti Monster: This is commonly recognized as the "body" of the Flying Spaghetti Monster and, unlike its other major counterpart, is composed of several smaller sections. These are called the Minor Pastaer.
The Minor Pastaer
The Meatera:It is a symbol of strength and fortitude. This is the source of the Flying Spaghetti Monster's power.
The Spaghettien: Proceeds from the Meatera. Also known as the "Noodly Appendage," this allows for the Flying Spaghetti Monster to extend its grasp across the reaches of the universe, affecting everything and anything.
The Saucon: Issues forth from the Meatara and the Spaghettien. This is the veil of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Through this, it is unseen and intangible, but allows it to affect anything and everything at will. There is a great deal more documentation on this phenomenon, but I wish to keep this section from being too lengthy. It also allows the Flying Spaghetti Monster to cloak itself as different images, such as Dinosaurs.

The Flying Spaghetti Monster is the sole deity in the monotheistic religion known as Flying Spaghetti Monsterism (FSMism pronounced 'effessmisum'). It has widely been accepted as fact that this, and only this is the true religion, just as the Flying Spaghetti Monster is the true Creator and Overseer.


Modern separatists (mostly European youth) worship a simpler and hipper icon and spread the word via the rear chrome of their VespasLike the Bible, much of Flying Spaghetti Monsterist lore was passed from generation to generation, much like The Odyssey, The Iliad, and The Simpsons. This was, of course, until it was codified in 1492. There are numerous records of this event as well. The foremost expert on this matter, Bobby Henderson (pasta be upon him), is a descendent of the original codifier.

Flying Spaghetti Monsterism is the true religion. Much like the trickster, God, of Christianity, the Flying Spaghetti Monster also deceives the scientific world. This is possible only because the Flying Spaghetti Monster is the only all-powerful being, and only all-powerful beings can change laboratory results unbeknownst to their finders, showing that the Flying Spaghetti Monster must, in fact, exist. Bear in mind that His ways are mysterious, and there are numerous texts that explain why.

There are at least 18,000 Flying Spaghetti Monsterists in the world today, but due to persecution, they often remain in hiding. However, a recent movement by Bobby Henderson, the foremost expert on Flying Spaghetti Monsterism and descendant of The Codifier shows promise in bringing them into the spotlight.


WWFSMD?
Flying Spaghetti Monsterism operates on several core principles, most of which can be summed up by the ever-present abbreviation, WWFSMD? (What Would Flying Spaghetti Monster Do?)

This conduct code centers around the Flying Spaghetti Monster and its parts.

Meatitude
Represents power and strength. In order to please the Flying Spaghetti Monster, men must spread their meaty good-ness about the land.
Sauceredness
Represents richness, both in color and wit. The Flying Spaghetti Monster is pleased by highly oxygenated blood. This not only allows His followers to be of sharp mind, but also of sharp hue.
Noodlyness
Represents flexibility and energy. In order to please the Flying Spaghetti Monster, members must be quick-witted and enthusiastic about spreading the word about Him, often to the point of contortionism to convert non-believers.
Piracy & Smuggling
Represents ARRRRRRRRRRRR. The Flying Spaghetti Monster is pleased by displays of piracy and smuggling. Dressing appropriately shows respect and loyalty.
His Monsterness also encourages scurvy, to a small degree, amongst his followers. If a follower is capable of such control and sacrifice (not to be confused with saucrifice) demonstrated by maintaining a c-free lifestyle, it really shows dedication to His Noodleness

[biteakashka]

Hale to the spaghetti monster, no please how could anyone believe in this?
I usually keep an open mind but for some strange reason i seem to have acquired a pad lock on my mind and cant let this one in.
If he/she does exist then i shall challenge it to a fight with my lord the Baked Bean King, Master of Uranus. :p

[hrkljus___]

well i have heard of krakens before but never with so much detail. my personal favorite are still werewolfs.

[53048337439craig]

Okay.
I'm just here to inform on beasts that not so many know of.
Biteakashka the cults that worship the Giant Spaghetti Monster must be nuts to worship flying pasta.

[Pickle Tickler]

I have not one, but six.

The Dragon of Fire
The Wyvern of Ice
The Griffin of Wind
The Golem of Earth
The Black Dog of Shadow
and The Thunderbird of Lightning

I know, most of them are elementals, but that's the way I like it.

[Hoplite]

Nemean Lion
by Ron Leadbetter
The first labor for the hero Heracles, was to rid the Nemean plain of the wild, enormous and extremely ferocious beast known as the Nemean Lion. This huge creature was the son of the monsters Typhon (who had 100 heads) and Echidna (half maiden - half serpent), and brother of the Theban Sphinx, in some legends it is said that the Nemean lion was suckled by Selene the goddess of the moon, other versions say that it was nursed by the goddess Hera.
Heracles set out to find the monster, which roamed the land of Argolis. Armed with his bow and arrows, (in some versions usually the Classical period he also had a bronze sword) and his club (made from an olive tree which he tore up from the roots). Hunting through the Nemean forest trying to find the lions lair, he suddenly stopped in his tracks when he heard a fearsome roar. Heracles turned and saw the huge lion rushing toward him. Quick as a flash Heracles drew his bow and released an arrow, but it failed to harm the lion. As the monster bore down on Heracles he quickly fired another arrow, and again it did no harm, the bronze heads bending as if hitting solid rock; the skin of this creature could not be penetrated by the sharpest of points. The lion pounced, but Heracles smashed his heavy club into the on coming monster, stunning it.

Realizing no weapon could kill this monster he rid himself of them, and fought the monster with his bare hands, with incredible strength, Heracles wrapped his great arms around the lions neck and strangled it to death. Once the huge monster was dead Heracles set about skinning the beast, but the skin was so tough he could neither tear or cut it. Then he tried the enormous claws which were very sharp, this time it penetrated the hide and Heracles removed his trophy. Realizing how impenetrable it was he threw it over himself as a cloak, and pulling the head over his own as a helmet making the pelt into armor which would make him even more powerful. From this time on the skin of the Nemean Lion became one of the attributes of Heracles, and so did the olive-wood club.

In art the hero is usually depicted wearing the Nemean lion skin, its jaws forming the peak of the helmet while its great clawed paws are knotted at his chest forming a hooded cloak, and he is usually leaning on his club, or hanging it on his shoulder.

[sai-fujiwara]

(is it any surprise that most people/everyone on here would like werewolfs/lyncanthrops?)

And I can't believe that no one said this!

My favorites are dragons, goblins, angels, demons, minotaurs, dryads, nymphs, griffins, unicorn, pegasus, pheonix, sphinx, salamander, kappa, oni, pixie, fairie, mermaid, giant, tree people (any translation and description including dryad), golem, elves, dwarves, valkyrie, sylph, dopplegangers, chimera, chinese fox, baginis, roc, harpie, black dog, abatwa, al, adaro (kind of like mermaids, except for the part about shooting fish at humans), ahuizotl, alan, aspares, bunyip, bottle imp, bogie, boggart (not the Harry Potter version), changeling, kelpie, gytrash, Kraken, yama-uba, and yuki onna.

I know that that is a looong list of things. If you don't know any of them, either look it up or ask 53048337439craig. He seems to know about a lot of myths that others don't know of.

And would you believe that this is only half of my favorites? I have sooo much more.

PS. I like werewolfs too.

[sai-fujiwara]

I have not one, but six.

The Dragon of Fire
The Wyvern of Ice
The Griffin of Wind
The Golem of Earth
The Black Dog of Shadow
and The Thunderbird of Lightning

I know, most of them are elementals, but that's the way I like it.
I know that I'm being a braty know-it-all, but look up elementals. You might be surprised at what you see.

[Pickle Tickler]

I know that I'm being a braty know-it-all, but look up elementals. You might be surprised at what you see.
Note: Not the real elementals, just my own. I took some of the elements and associated them with mythical creatures. Is that so bad? :P

[sai-fujiwara]

Note: Not the real elementals, just my own. I took some of the elements and associated them with mythical creatures. Is that so bad? :P
Sorry, if I might have insulted you. Look up elementals anyway though. They are fun creatures :p

And it is not so bad to connect mythical creatures with elements. I was just being a bratty know-it-all.

[Pickle Tickler]

No harm done. I was also in reference to Castlevania on some of them. (Griffin, Black Dog, Thunderbird, Golem)

[LittleCoyote]

My faves are as follows, and not necessarily in order:

1. The Sirens of Capri. I love music, and I love danger. So chicks whose beautiful singing lures sailors to their doom is alright with me.

2. Cerberus. A three-headed guard dog. What more can I say?

3. Skinwalkers. Native-American shamans who donned the skin of a coyote or other animal to transform, then spread death and disease all over. Very cool.

4. Werewolves. I suppose we all long to release the beast within.

5. Yuki-onna. An ice woman from Japanese lore who froze lost travelers, but would sometimes save them instead.

[Hoplite]

The Griffin.... :D

The Griffin is a legendary creature with the head, beak and wings of an eagle, the body of a lion and occasionally the tail of a serpent or scorpion. Its origin lies somewhere in the Middle East where it is found in the paintings and sculptures of the ancient Babylonians, Assyrians and Persians. In Greek mythology, they took gold from the stream Arimaspias and, neighbors of the Hyperboreans, they belonged to Zeus. The later Romans used them for decoration and even in Christian times the Griffin motif often appears. Griffins were frequently used as gargoyles on medieval churches and buildings.

In more recent times, the Griffin only appears in literature and heraldry.

[Dog of Heaven]

Favorite Myth creature? I have five:

Werewolf-I think this was obvious!
Pheonix-A giant bird of fire that can be reborn after death=cool
Cerberus-A giant tree headed dog needs no explanation
Feneris-A giant wolf of the Norse Mythology
Leviathan-A giant monster mentioned in the Bible (see Job)

That's all!

[Lady Macbeth]

Faeries, sprites, nymphs, and pretty much everything in that category.
Pheonix
Mermaids, sirens, lorelei, etc.

[alexei karamazov]

It would be the majestic griffin..Too bad tweety bird does not fit the category. hmph.

[KnightleyLove]

Werewolves, deffinatly.

Other than demons and ghosts. I've always been fascinated by them.

[Fox Protector]

Well...Werewolves (obviously), Dragons, Vampires, Yowies etc :D

[Draconic_Inferno]

I like dragons just a wee bit. I lilke the ferocity and strength of the European dragon as well as the ageless wisdom and strength associated with the Eastern Dragons.

[Moon-Lit Forest]

i dont have a favorite i have 5 :D

1: Werewolf- beauty, wonder, strength, mystery and moon what more can you ask for?
2: Phoenix- because they represent immortality, virtue, grace and symbolized in some myths as the union of ying and yang dont ask to me thats cool
3:Fenris-in the norse mythology he was the monsterous wolf of the god Loki, who swallowed the sky.....awsome
4:Cerberus- the giant 3-headed dog that guarded the underworld in greek mythology.....whats cooler than a 3-headed dog?
and lastly
5: Dragons- i favor dragons mostly because they represent strength, power, and wisdom though it was said that if you found a dragon you would find riches beyond your wildest dreams.....AWSOME :buttrock:

[Shinobi_Kamashi]

My favorite mythical creatures. hmmmm.

1)-Werewolf
*Strength
*Beauty
2)-The little people
*They excist I know
3)-Witches
*I only know good ones though
4)-Vampire
*Charm
*Abilites
5)-Angel
*God's divine messengers and servants.

[DarkWolf]

Phoenix- because they represent immortalityNo, they represent resurrection. Immortality means without death - never dying. A Phoenix is a creature that in hollywood and Ancient Egypt regularly DIES and is REBORN from the ashes - thus resurrection (dying and returning) not immortality (beyond death, untouched by death). It should be noted that the original Arabian myth went that the phoenix died permanently when it let itself burn in fire every 500 years. However, it's child (not the same one) emerged from the ashes.

As for people misconstruing that it is a symbol of immortality you can blame Christianity for that. They adopted the phoenix as a symbol for immortality without taking note of what the word means. It's not the first time, either. Look at what they did to the word "demon". It originally meant any wonderful being that was higher than mortal animals but lesser than god - such as a nymph, fairy, mermaid, or lower divine beings (such as angels). Christianity, however, chose to pervert the word into referring to that evil/spawn of hell definition which is so common these days.

Further proof that Christianity at that time (not saying it is NOW, before any of you jump on me) was full of idiots.

[sno raven]

Hm. not sure if I replied to this thread yet. But whee.

1. Werewolf/(coyote)and vampire come close - Both symbolize a conflict between human mind/concious and the wild 'beast' if you will. Or the wild part, the animal, the thirst. Etc. The Uncontrolled. Such dance is beautiful to me. Magical. (Okay, maybe I'm just a tad bit looney).
2. Kelpie/Phooka - Kelpies see beauty and art in drowning, or in the water. They can also represent shapechanging, since they are shifters in a way.
3. Does the Bray Rd Beast count? - I feel sadness from him, being lost, confused, another conflict, between the wild and domestic.
4. Piskies - Ancient children, trickery and folly, and sometimes rude and down right hillarious.
5. Dragons - Nobility, strength, soldiers, and long lasting friendships.

[Moon-Lit Forest]

No, they represent resurrection. Immortality means without death - never dying. A Phoenix is a creature that in hollywood and Ancient Egypt regularly DIES and is REBORN from the ashes - thus resurrection (dying and returning) not immortality (beyond death, untouched by death). It should be noted that the original Arabian myth went that the phoenix died permanently when it let itself burn in fire every 500 years. However, it's child (not the same one) emerged from the ashes.

As for people misconstruing that it is a symbol of immortality you can blame Christianity for that. They adopted the phoenix as a symbol for immortality without taking note of what the word means. It's not the first time, either. Look at what they did to the word "demon". It originally meant any wonderful being that was higher than mortal animals but lesser than god - such as a nymph, fairy, mermaid, or lower divine beings (such as angels). Christianity, however, chose to pervert the word into referring to that evil/spawn of hell definition which is so common these days.

Further proof that Christianity at that time (not saying it is NOW, before any of you jump on me) was full of idiots.


i meant immortality as in knowledge and spirt

[DarkWolf]

i meant immortality as in knowledge and spirt
That's an odd use of a word while completely forgetting it's definition, metaphoric use, or any interpretation of the word at all.

*extends slang dictionary*

[DoubleStar3]

Ok you two... (looks at DW and Moon-Lit) This topic is about your favorite myth creatures, not the definition and history of the phoenix. You want to continue this discussion -take it to PM.

[Clockwork_Chaos]

Vampires, dragons, phoenixes, and the Chupacabra....

[Thunderstrike]

Dragons are my favorite. Reptiles are so fascinating.

They ARE reptiles, right?

Love and Hisses,

Thunderstrike

[master_druid]

Elves, just flat out elves.





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...ELVES ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Hoplite]

from pantheon.org

Cronus, the son of Uranus and Gaia and the youngest of the twelve Titans. His wife was also one of the Titans, since he married his sister Rhea. Their offspring were Demeter, Hestia, Hera, Hades, Poseidon and Zeus.

It is written that Uranus, who in one version, hid his children away in the bowels of the earth (Tartarus) as he was aghast at the sight of them, in reality he was fearful of their great strength and power. Gaia found her offspring uncomfortable and also painful and when she found the discomfort too much to bear she hatched a plan, which was to end the passions of Uranus, so no more offspring could be produced and that would be the ending of her hurt. But to achieve this she required the help from one of her children. She asked them all, but only her youngest child Cronus would heed her call. To help Cronus accomplish his task Gaia gave him a adamantine sickle to serve as his weapon.

Cronus lay in wait hidden from view, and when Uranus came to lay with Gaia Cronus struck. With one mighty blow from the sickle Cronus severed the genitals from Uranus' body. From the blood which fell to the earth (Gaia) where born the Erinyes (Furies), the Giants and also the Meliae (Nymphs of the manna ash trees). In other versions Aphrodite was born from the foam created from the sex organs of Uranus, after they had been thrown into the sea by Cronus.

Once Cronus had castrated Uranus, he and his wife Rhea took the throne. Under their power a time of harmony and prosperity began, which became known as the "Golden Age"; a time when it was said that people lived without greed or violence, and without toil or the need for laws. But not all was well for Cronus, as it was fated that he would be overthrown by one of his own children. To prevent this from happening he began to swallow his newborn, taking them at birth then swallowing them whole, retaining them inside his own body where they could do him no harm.

Rhea did not like the thoughts of losing all her children, and with the help of Gaia she saved Zeus from this fate. Rhea wrapped a stone in Zeus' swaddling clothes which Cronus took and immediately swallowed thinking it was the child. Gaia and Rhea's plan worked well and the baby Zeus was taken to Crete, and there, in a cave on Mount Dicte, the divine goat Amaltheia suckled and raised the infant Zeus. When Zeus had grown into a young man he returned to his fathers domain, and with the help of Gaia, compelled Cronus to regurgitate the five children he had previously swallowed. (In some versions Zeus received help from Metis who gave Cronus an emetic potion, which made him vomit up Zeus' brothers and sisters). Zeus led the revolt against his father and the dynasty of the Titans, defeated and then banished them.

The Romans compared Cronus with their Saturn, who was to the Romans a corn god. This is from the association of the "Golden Age". In Athens on the 12th day of the month Hekatombaion a festival was held in honour of Cronus, which was known as the "Kronia". It was a celebration of the harvest. In art, Cronus was depicted carrying a sickle used to gather the harvest, but this was also the weapon he used to castrate his father.

The name may derive from the verb kreno, which means 'to exercise sway', 'to reign over', 'to govern'.

[Okamio_Toko]

my personal favs, 1 being most fav.
1. Centaurs
2. Dragons
3. The Kraken

[TheForumShade]

I like Vampires and Werewolfves very mutch, those creatures bring me to these forums. I buy a lot of books, watch hell of a lot films and collects pictures of them. But what i would really like the most. I a mutant, like in X-men mutants. A normal human-beiing, but with a special ability attached :) . I find the power of the mind the most attractive super-ability. So an telepathic ability or someting like that would be fantastic! If you know how, sign me up!! ....Shade...

[Canisdirus]

I collect dragon statues and such and have a half-man half-wolf tattoo.

Guess I like those two.

[NightClaw]

My favoururite myth creatures are Dragons Cuphacabras and Phoenix are the best to me cuz of their looks and design. They have a flaming body or their red.They have those red flaming eyes and they are big as a dragon or small as a african parrot.Their were once worshiped by the Egyptians as gods and latter they belived that the sun god Ra transforms into a phoenix druing the day.So thats why I like phoenixes.

Ooh yeah the owner of this account didnt write this his brother did and thats me:D

[Abracadabra]

Cuphacabras, man gotta love em!!!!!!

and Unicorns are fairly cool

and of course skinwalkers!
(and werewolves but who doesnt like them!)

[Hoplite]

dragons :twisted smile: ..mighty, elegant, mysterious...oversiz ed lizards ;)

[chasingmidnight]

Werewolves. What can I say, they're awesome! :D

[Transform me]

WEREWOLVES RULE OMG WEREWOLVES LIVE ON!! OH MY GOD! LONG LIVE WEREWOLVES.



If a werewolf made me his slave, I would do anything he asked. Even kill my parents for food.

[DarkWolf]

WEREWOLVES RULE OMG WEREWOLVES LIVE ON!! OH MY GOD! LONG LIVE WEREWOLVES.



If a werewolf made me his slave, I would do anything he asked. Even kill my parents for food.

You so need psychiatric help. Please, for the love of all things fluffy, seek professional mental help.

[chasingmidnight]

Sorry if I'm weird for this, but I think the last two posts are kind of funny. :p I wouldn't do that if a werewolf made me their slave. I mean, they're completely awesome and the best but I wouldn't go that far! :D But seriously, DW, if anyone needs psychiatric help it's me. I'm insane.

[Transform me]

I know your right I do need help. ...Im so obsessed with werewolves I don't know why though...

I've already been to a psyciatrist..

[chasingmidnight]

Really? You have? :p I seriously need one. I'm obsessed with werewolves, too. I can't explain why either, just I like stuff unusual, and they're not really normal. I'm just naturally drawn to that stuff.

[Aeolus]

Really? You have? :p I seriously need one. I'm obsessed with werewolves, too. I can't explain why either, just I like stuff unusual, and they're not really normal. I'm just naturally drawn to that stuff.

I love psychiatrists...

No, wait, I hate them!

Anywhos my favorite creature is uh....ah.... the siren! Who wouldn't want to be boned by a hot singing chic, eh?

[Abracadabra]

haha not really boned more ripped to pieces and arnt they half bird/half women (and the lower part is bird)


but if you wanna get boned by a bird women while getting ripped to pieces be my guest lol

[UNODRAGONE]

Werewolves of course because they match the beast within me :) and Dragons because I love their mystery (like me I am a private person) and Hellhounds :)

[Aeolus]

haha not really boned more ripped to pieces and arnt they half bird/half women (and the lower part is bird)


but if you wanna get boned by a bird women while getting ripped to pieces be my guest lol

what they appear like seemed originally to be this way, yes, but in the Odyssey they are women.

When I say boned, I mean screwed over, wasted. Although the alternate meaning may prove to be ok too eh?

[Crimson Rose]

I like werewolf's and vampire's but mostly witch's i am one:p

[Chemical]

I like wereanimals of any sort, although dragons are cool too. Almost all myth creatures are neat though.

[Lost Tranquility]

I would have to say mermaids. I grew up collecting mermaid stuff so that would be my reasoning. Plus they just look cool! ;)

Fairys, Elfs, and Dragons would also be right up there.

[BlackRosePhantom]

I like giant albino eagles; oh wait, they actually once existed in North America during the Ice Age, go science! I really prefer wyverns (though other types dragons are great as well) and werewolves. Also, wyverns are dragons without forearms, so I don't see why they have to be separated into 2 categories.

[_Grey_]

I like werewolves and the such...

But I'd have to say the phoenix is my favorite.

It represents rebirth, determination, purity, passion, power, prosperity... the union of yin and yang.

And it's fire, you've got to love fire.

_Grey_

[Hoplite]

Dragons....majestic, elegant...awesome


oversized winged reptiles ;)

[Korrek]

What is the myhtological creature that fascinates you most?? Is it a Minotaur or a Griffin?? How about Werewolves?? Do you like them?? And who here likes a Dragon or a Wyvern??

Send posts about all the creatures you like. Why do you like them. how did you know anout em and what do you know bout them. Myth ones of course. ;)

Werewolves