Magical creatures are some of my favorite things, probably because I love animals and creativity, and mythological beasts are the perfect blend of those two things. Speaking of blends, the animal I’ll be introducing you to today is the Chimera. Chimera is from Greek Mythology and is described as having the head and forelegs of a lion, the hind legs of a dragon or goat, and a snake for a tail. Chimera has three heads, the lion head, the snake head, and coming right up from the middle of Chimera’s back is the head of a goat. So sharp teeth …
Mythological Creatures: Orcs & Cyclopes
Which would you rather be: A one-eyed metalworker? Or cannibal? 😛 Today’s mythological creatures talk is on Cyclopes and Orcs. Enjoy. 😛 Cyclops In short, Cyclopes are moody giant-like creatures who have only one eye and are skilled mason-workers. Yeah, I didn’t know about the skilled mason-worker thing, either. Cyclopes tend to live in caves and the most famous cyclops was Polyphemus, who lived on an island. Cyclopes arise mostly from Greek mythology, but it’s also rumored that, because they were so great at the forges, the name arose from blacksmiths who used to wear an eyepatch over one eye to prevent getting …
Mythological Creatures: Giants & Gnomes
Ever been embarrassed by your height? (Or lack thereof?) Well, today on the mythological creatures channel, we’re going to make you feel a little shorter (or a little taller) by talking giants and gnomes. You thought you had it rough? Giants In short, if you didn’t know already, giants are humans of enormous strength and size. Giants pop up in sorts of cultures: Hindu, Native American, Greek, Roman, Norse, Bulgarian, Europe, etc. Giant folklore is thought to have originated from Greek mythology and, while they typically had the body of men, they also were said to have serpentine legs. Many …
Mythological Creatures: Dragons & Griffins
Tread carefully…there be dragons about! Today’s mythological creatures are dragons and griffins, two of the most popular mythological creatures seen in speculative fiction. Are you ready? Are you sure? Dragon The dragon is possibly the best-known mythological creature. They originated in early Greek myths and played a huge part in Greek mythology. A dragon named Ladon guarded the Garden of Hesperides, which may explain the origin behind the name dragon. Dragon originates from the Greek word drakonta, which means “to watch.” Dragons exist in almost every different culture: Greek – the guardian of the golden apples in the Garden of Hesperides (later killed …
Mythological Creatures: Chupacabras & Werewolves
Don’t ask how many times it took me to correctly spell chupacabra. Chupa-what? Yeah, I ran across this beauty a while back and couldn’t resist. You’re about to learn all about it in our mythological creatures dissection today. Chupacabra This poor creature is as ugly as its name. Okay…it’s uglier. If you break down the name into its original meaning, it means “goat-sucker.” I know you are running to christen your firstborn Chupacabra, the goat-sucker, but hold off until you know more about this creature. It’s a three-foot-tall, blue-spiked, fanged monster that hops like a kangaroo and sucks the blood of …
Mythological Creatures: Naiads & Dryads
Nymph. Not only is it a fun word, but nymphs are diverse mythological creatures that can lead to all sorts of in-depth fantasy world building. We have water nymphs and tree nymphs and cloud nymphs and wind nymphs and any other type of nymph you could think of. The two most common types of nymphs we see in fiction, however, are the naiad (water nymph) and the dryad (tree nymph.) Naiads Naiads are nymphs who preside over freshwater locations like wells, springs, waterfalls, brooks, etc. Naiads are always females and they’re known for being quite jealous. Sometimes the waters of naiads were credited with having …
Mythological Creatures: Phoenix vs. Thunderbird
Fantasy is filled with mythological creatures. But how well do we really know them? Who, off the top of their head, can define the difference between phoenix and a thunderbird? . No one? Okay, then let’s start a new blog series on . . . you guessed it. Mythological creatures! . Phoenix If you’ve read Harry Potter, then you have a good idea what a phoenix is. This mythological bird regenerates from its own ashes every time it dies. According to greek mythology, it’s associated with the sun and fire. The phoenix could be as large as an eagle and generally has scarlet …