Mythological animals are certainly no less fascinating than real ones, they have their stories, they also hide pieces of our culture, or that of some other country in the world, they can scare us or enchant us but they are never devoid of interesting meanings and always protagonists of myths, stories, legends that fascinate both adults and children. Let’s get to know some of these creatures, we tell 10 of them even if there would be many more to reveal.
1) Mythological Animals: Phoenix
The phoenix, the Arabian Phoenix , is a bird born from the imagination of our ancestors, it is sacred and has a naturally very “creative” appearance. We can describe it in words by saying that it is a sort of golden eagle but that it shows off a plumage with many colors. It does not end there, the wonder is that its neck is the color of gold, in strong contrast with the blue of the body and the red of the tail. It is immortal as a creature, and defends itself with its tapered beak and its claws. Precisely because it never dies, this bird has become a symbol of renewal and regeneration over the centuries, usually cited when dealing with overcoming disappointments and personal defeats.
If you are wondering where such an animal comes from, the answer is Ancient Egypt . At that time it was said that every 500 years it could be reborn after the purification granted by fire.
2) Mythological animals: Dragon
Dragon or rather dragons, because there are many and we meet them in stories, myths, legends and religions. They are usually depicted as reptiles but with wings, a little aggressive and not always in a good mood. The beauty of dragons is that there are a little everywhere, on all continents, and everyone has interpreted them in their own way. The two inevitable characteristics are that they breathe fire and can fly.
In China there is a very particular cult for these mythological animals, we often find them depicted in monuments, books and works of art. By delving deeper you can discover that this large family of creatures is divided into different species such as those of the sociable dragons capable of changing appearance, the Moo-Kuna, or the intelligent ones, such as the Sirrush, or even those capable of bringing periods of drought or heavy rain, such as the Shenlong.
3) Mythological animals: Faun
God of agriculture and shepherds, Faunus comes to us directly from Roman mythology, he was considered a prophetic deity and in many of our cities, in the North, Center and South, we can see him depicted in statues, monuments and paintings.
We find the same figure with the same characteristics also in Greek mythology and in that case it bears the name of Pan. If you want to imagine it, think of it as a mythological animal resulting from a collage of real animals. It has ram legs, a man’s body and goat horns, it roamed the woods and plains, hunting its prey.
4) Mythological animals: Goblins
We also find them in fantasy books and films but Goblins are mythological animals that are also a bit evil and have the appearance of men. They are short and stocky, and not at all good or nice. In popular legends we find them indicated as the authors of nocturnal kidnappings of women and children. They replaced them with their own monstrous children. They are also accused of raping women to improve their species.
They are able to assert themselves on the man because even if they are short they are really a bundle of muscles. In Italy they are not very present in artistic representations, we find one in Sicily, it is said that they lived around Etna
5) Mythological animals: Griffin
The Griffin is quite easy to imagine because you have to merge together only two creatures that we know well. The lion and the eagle. To be precise, these mythological animals have taken the lower part of the lion, which is why they have the yellow ochre coat, the tail and the powerful legs. And from the eagle they have taken the upper part, therefore covered with golden feathers, ferocious claws and sharp beak. It is considered a feline, one of the strongest in the world, and we find it especially in the legends and myths of the Middle East, between Babylon, Persia and Assyria. It also appears in Greek mythology, Apollo uses some specimens to defend his treasures.
6) Mythological animals: Manticore
If you may have heard of these mythological animals before, this one maybe never. Yet it exists and enters into several European legends even though it lives in ancient Persia. Even in this case the lion is involved, the Manticore has the body but the head is human, then it has the wings of a bat or dragon and a tail that resembles that of a scorpion. The result, although monstrous, can recall an Egyptian sphinx. However, it is a rather negative figure, it feeds on human flesh first of all, and kills the two preys by throwing poisonous thorns . Not for nothing during the Middle Ages it was a symbol of tyranny, envy, oppression.
7) Mythological animals: Minotaur
Let’s move on to the Minotaur , which is certainly one of the most famous mythological animals in the world. With the body of a man and the head of a bull, in the myth that sees him as the protagonist we find him as a prisoner in a labyrinth in a palace on the island of Crete. He also ate men, however, and to be precise 7 men and 7 women every year. We have to wait for Theseus to arrive to destroy him.
8) Mythological animals: Pegasus
Pegasus is also a rather well-known fantasy animal, and has the shape of a winged horse. We find it depicted as a white or black creature, with two wings, that flies and at the same time runs in the sky, galloping. It is an animal often used both in the world of cinema and literature. It is said that Zeus himself used it – God of the sky and the earth – and that it was born from the blood of Medusa, when she was beheaded by Perseus.
9) Mythological Animals: Mermaid
Fascinating Greek mythological figures, sirens are quite well-known and have sometimes negative and sometimes positive connotations. They are women with fish tails instead of legs. In the Odyssey, they are described as enchanting and deceitful creatures who want to divert our hero Ulysses from the goal of his journey home. Homer describes them as sea singers who live on an island near Scylla and Charybdis and tempt Ulysses with the invitation “to know more things”. Only with the help of the sorceress Circe, Ulysses manages to save himself. In the history of cartoons, however, we find the Little Mermaid, inspired by a tale by Andersen, a good and sweet creature.
10) Mythological Animals: Unicorn
Very fashionable in recent times, in fact gadgets depicting them are popping up, unicorns are legendary creatures with a horse’s body and a single horn in the middle of the forehead. We find them used in heraldry, but with the forked hooves of deer and ox, the tail of a lion and a goat’s beard under the throat. It should also be remembered that the unicorn is one of the emblems of Scotland and in fact appears as a support in the coats of arms of the United Kingdom, of Nova Scotia in Canada, and of Canada itself. But Lithuania also has it in its coat of arms.