Parks are mythical creatures. Mythical creatures

From time immemorial, people have been fascinated by the beauty and power of the ocean. The bottomless waters of the seas have always kept some kind of secret and danger. Stories and legends tell of monsters living in depths of the sea.

Do you believe in them? Let's talk about the most famous of them.

Loch Ness monster

The most famous sea monster, which, by and large, is freshwater and not sea, but it is possible that it can live in salt water.

He is also often called Nessie.

This unknown creature was first discovered in 1933, and there is still no clear evidence that it existed or exists.

His photographs appear in the press from time to time, but scientific communities in all countries doubt their authenticity.

However, it remains one of the most popular legendary creatures, and many researchers are still trying to find evidence of its existence.

Although most scientists do not believe in Nessie, they admit that if it exists, it is a descendant of a “dinosaur” with a long neck and webbed feet.

They say the animal is completely harmless and prefers to eat only fish.

The name Iku-Turso is translated as “thousand-horned” or “having a thousand tentacles.” In modern Finnish, his name can be translated as “octopus”

In Finnish mythology there is a mention of the evil Iku-Turso, who is also called the eternal Thurso.

Lives in the Atlantic Ocean, wreaking havoc wherever it appears.

Its appearance is quite interesting. He is depicted as a horned and bearded monster, which, judging by his appearance, clearly does not feed on fish.

They say that he used to be very dangerous, but the Finnish epic "Kalevala" says that one day Iku-Turso was captured and gave his word in exchange for the freedom to behave well.

Now he lives only in the ocean, and does not appear on land.

In Japanese folk tales there is a character named Umibozu.

They say that when the priest drowned, his spirit was filled with the power of the ocean and turned into a huge dark-headed creature, similar in appearance to a man.

However, Umibozu is not only the soul of the drowned priest.

This word is now used to describe any restless souls of the dead.

Attempts to communicate with them cause a storm, and the ships go down.

Sometimes Umibozu asks the sailors to give him a barrel, but if you do this, he will immediately grab you and drown you in the same barrel.

Hydra protects lakes and oceans; it can live in both salty and fresh water.

Hydra is huge and almost impossible to kill.

If one head is cut off, two new ones will grow in its place.

Greek hero Hercules, who for some reason is often called Hercules, ultimately defeated her.

He was helped in this by his nephew, who noticed that if one head was cut off and burned with fire, new heads would not appear.

So, Hydra was defeated by two brave Greeks, but the fact that even Hercules, known for his incredible strength, needed help to fight it shows how powerful it is.

Any huge thing is called Leviathan, but did you know that mention of it is also found in the Bible?

The Book of Job talks about him and describes him as a powerful fire-breathing creature of incredible size.

They say that it was impossible to kill him, and the monster died of its own accord from old age.

Most illustrations of the monster show it as a snake or whale with a long, thick body.

Leviathan's powerful body, huge teeth and evil character terrify all sailors forced to roam the oceans.

The sea monster lives in ocean waters near the coasts of Norway and Greenland.

He is depicted as a giant squid or a man with squid tentacles instead of arms.

The only thing that remains constant about his appearance is his size. The Kraken is huge! Even the legendary gods and heroes are lost against its background.

Anyone who values ​​his life will beware of him if he moves to Norway by sea. This villain hates people and will do everything possible to destroy them.

Beware of him! However, he is not the worst. Scarier, bigger and more powerful than him...

Jörmungandr is a character from Norse mythology, also called Jörmungandr, Midgardsorm, the Midgard Serpent, or the World Serpent.

Jormungandr is so huge that he can easily cover the entire globe with his body.

Have you heard of the Norse god Thor, the incredibly powerful lord of lightning? So he will be poisoned to death by Jormungandr during the end of the world, or Ragnarok.

Just imagine, Jormungandr also has poison! It would seem that its size alone is enough to easily deal with anyone.

Jormungandr is the most dangerous and huge sea monster, which has no equal.

It turns out that sharks in the ocean are not the worst thing. There is a whole bunch of sea monsters, compared to which, even more White shark It will seem like a harmless crucian carp.

History knows many mythical creatures of the world that live only in people's imaginations. Some of them are absolutely fictional, some resemble real animals. The variety of mythical creatures is difficult to describe - if you collect them in one book only by name, you will get a volume of more than 1000 pages. In each country, the creatures are different - depending on the territory of residence, the legends also differ. Some legends are dominated by good mythical creatures, while others are dominated by beautiful but dangerous ones.

Varieties of mythical creatures

Each creature has such different and sometimes contradictory characteristics that it is extremely difficult to classify it into any species. But experts in the field of mythology were able to combine all the diversity of creatures into one list, which includes 6 main categories.

The first group includes humanoid creatures, i.e. those who look like humans. They have the classic characteristics of humans - upright posture, similar body structure, ability for manual labor, use of intelligence in complex life situations. Such creatures usually differ from people in strength, height and magical abilities.

1. Giants are distinguished by their gigantic size. In legends they are described as huge, menacing, embittered creatures. Relationships with people are usually bad - hostile. Intellect is reduced, temperament is hot-tempered. The main types of giants are orcs, cyclops, cavemen.
2. Dwarfs are the opposite of giants. Their height is usually about 1 m or less depending on the species. For example, hobbits reach more than 1 m, and fairies can be very tiny and fit in the palm of a child. Dwarfs include boggarts and leprechauns.
3. A separate point is worth highlighting human-created creatures. These include golems and homunculi. Alchemists have long been working on their creation, and mythology tells of successful attempts that are not officially confirmed.

This is only the first of all the many creatures ever described in mythology. Naturally, there are much more humanoids than those listed in the list; here are only the most famous ones. The creatures that are most similar to humans deserve a separate description.

The subtype of people is the most extensive. It includes various creatures that are most similar in anatomy to humans. Large creatures include yetis, orcs and trolls.

1. The Yeti, or as it is also called - Bigfoot, appeared in mythology relatively recently. Its height exceeds 2-3 m, and its entire body is covered with thick hair, white or gray. Bigfoot tries not to go out to people, avoids them. There are eyewitnesses who claim that they met Bigfoot. But science has not yet confirmed its existence - this automatically makes it mythical. The Yeti is very popular in the culture of the peoples of the north - many souvenirs with its image are produced there.
2. Orcs are mythical humanoid creatures native to Europe, with slight similarities to trolls and goblins. Orcs are usually depicted as small creatures with ugly facial features. The body is unevenly covered with hair, the arms and legs are disproportionately large in relation to the body. Orcs were mentioned in Tolkien's legendarium, where they are presented as a cruel people who served dark forces. Their peculiarity was their absolute intolerance to light, since they were created in complete darkness.
3. Trolls are huge creatures native to Switzerland. They live on rocks, in forests or in caves. Legends describe trolls as huge, ugly creatures that intimidate people if they enter their territory. Trolls, according to legend, could kidnap human women and children and eat them among the rocks. You can only protect yourself from monsters with the help of Christian symbols - crosses, holy water and bells. At the sight of these things, the trolls run away. This is what it says in the encyclopedias of the monks.

Of the famous creatures, it is worth highlighting gnomes, which are mountain, ravine and dark. These creatures are similar to humans, but smaller in stature. Dwarves are depicted as spirits of the earth and rocks who work in the mines to extract precious stones. The attitude towards people is rather friendly. However, if a person shows aggression, the gnome can fly into a rage and injure the offender.

Elves are classified as a separate subgroup and are most similar to humans. They are usually fair-haired, tall and intellectually gifted, easily blending in with people in a crowd. In some tales, elves have translucent wings. In Tolkien's books, elves are warriors who are skilled with bows and swords.

Winged creatures

Such creatures have wings of different colors and sizes and are capable of flying over long or short distances.

The most famous winged mythical creatures are angels. These are God's messengers, according to legend, they help maintain order in the world. In all cultures they look like people who have large white wings behind their backs.

Although angels are usually depicted as men, they are asexual. Creatures do not have a physical body, are weightless and invisible to the human eye. They materialize only when they need to convey some information to people.

Angels, as the highest winged creatures close to God, can control the elements, natural phenomena and the destinies of people - these are very powerful mythical creatures.

There is a belief that each person has his own Guardian Angel, who is called upon to protect and protect “his” ward.

There are subclasses of angels. Cupid is not a classic angel, but he is one. He is a messenger of love and helps lonely souls find their soulmate.

Winged creatures include bats - usually their wings are not behind their backs, like the previous subgroup, but are, as it were, connected to their arms by fusion. Harpies belong to this group. They look like humanoid birds. Their body is female, as is their head, but the arms and legs are replaced by vulture paws with long sharp claws.

They are usually aggressive towards people, kidnapping women and children. They tend to rob people, taking their food, clothing and jewelry. Harpies fear only one thing in the world - the sound of wind instruments made of copper. From the melody on the trumpets, they scatter in horror and hide.

Group of demihumans

These creatures, unlike humanoid ones, combine features of both humans and animals. They are present in the legends of almost all countries and nationalities of the world. Habitat - as far as possible from people, somewhere in hard-to-reach places:

• in the mountains;
• in the centers of deserts;
• on the seabed.

The group of demihumans can be divided into several small subgroups.

1. Creatures with the head of a beast. Many creatures are described in ancient Egyptian mythology, where all deities had both human and animal forms. They took the best features from animals, combining them with human intelligence - the result was creatures that were an order of magnitude more developed than ordinary people, which is why the Egyptians worshiped them. The Minotaur, which belongs to the group of beast-heads, is a creature from ancient Greek mythology. He had the head of a bull, large horns, and was unusually fast and strong. He lived in a labyrinth named after him. This labyrinth was impossible to pass through, because the Minotaur killed and ate anyone who got inside.
2. Werewolves are people who, under special circumstances, could turn into animals. The most famous are werewolves. These are wolf people whose transformation occurs during the full moon.
3. Having the body of a human and an animal. There are a lot of such creatures; dozens of similar images are found in different cultures. These include mermaids, newts and centaurs. All of them have part of the body from an animal, and part from a person. Their intelligence is higher, and their relationships with people are ambiguous. Depending on the mood, they can either help or harm a person.
4. Furries are creatures that have the body of an animal and the consciousness of a human; there are furries of dogs, wolves and foxes. Some legends feature dragonoids.

Group of animals and birds

Animals in collections of legends were sometimes endowed with supernatural powers. Many of them had developed intelligence, thanks to which they made contact with humans. Some of these creatures had mystical properties, or the organs of these animals were valued as medicine. Many generations of ancient people spent years finding such animals. The rulers promised a huge reward for them.

The largest subgroup consists of chimeras - ancient mythical creatures.

Horse-like creatures had a structure similar to a horse. They were often depicted with wings. This subgroup includes:

• griffins;
• hippogriffs;
• pegasi.

All of them have the ability to fly. Many people of ancient times dreamed of riding such a horse. Seeing a winged horse was considered great luck. According to legends, they lived high in the mountains, so brave souls went there to receive a little happiness as a gift. Many of them did not return.

Sphinxes are often found in Egyptian mythology. They were a symbol of wisdom and were considered guards who protected the tombs of the pharaohs. Sphinxes look like cats or lions with a human head.

Manticores are fictional, rare creatures that have the body of a lion and the tail of a scorpion. Sometimes their heads were crowned with horns. These creatures are extremely aggressive towards people, like lions, and are poisonous. According to legend, anyone who met a manticore died in its teeth.

In addition to chimeras, this group includes unicorns, which are distinguished separately from the rest. The creatures have the body and head of a horse, but their difference is a horn from the middle of their forehead. According to legends, crushed unicorn horn has magical properties - it was added to various potions to improve health. The blood of the creature gave longevity, even immortality, if a person took it constantly. However, according to legend, anyone who drinks the blood of a unicorn will be damned forever, so there were no people willing to do it.

There is a separate subgroup of dragons. In ancient times, they were considered the most powerful on the planet. Their prototype was dinosaurs - majestic lizards. Dragons are divided into European and Slavic. In ancient Russian folklore, dragons could have up to 12 heads. Slavic dragons were more willing to interact with people and had higher social skills. Sometimes they were depicted with many eyes, as a symbol of the fact that all knowledge is available to them, and they observe everything that happens in the world.

Elemental creatures and elemental group

In the Middle Ages, elementals were those that were directly related to the forces of nature. Such creatures could influence the elements and control them for the benefit or harm of people.

1. Gargoyles are artificially created mythical creatures. At first, people built gargoyles from stone and clay to scare away evil spirits and demons, but one day some inexperienced young wizard brought them to life, thus creating dangerous creatures. Gargoyles can fly and move quickly on land and in water. They are very dangerous for humans, because they like to attack people and tear them into small pieces.
2. Mermaids are sea creatures associated directly with the element of water. They are divided into sea and river mermaids. These creatures have the body of a girl and instead of legs, a powerful scaly tail. In legends, mermaids look different - from unimaginable beautiful sirens who lure unlucky fishermen to the bottom, to unsightly ones from the legends of the Japanese, who usually did not harm people. In many cultures, girls who drowned from unhappy love became mermaids.
3. Nymphs represent the elements of nature and also represent fertility. There are a great many nymphs in mythology. In the legends of the ancient Greeks, there are more than 3,000 nymphs. Their habitats are almost any piece of land - seas, rivers, and forests. They all have proper names. For example, the cute nymphs of the sea are called Nereids, and the rivers are called Naiads. Nymphs treat humans favorably and, if necessary, are able to provide a little help. However, if a person treated them or nature with disrespect, he could be punished by insanity.
4. Golems are earth elementals. These creatures were created by ancient magicians using one or more elements. Golem comes from Jewish mythology, where it was believed that they were created for protection and battles. Golems do not have intelligence - they only blindly obey the creator, who gives them his blood to fuel their vitality. Defeating the Golem is difficult; it requires great physical strength and the will to live. These creatures can be made of sand, clay or earth.

Forest creatures

A separate group of nature guardians is distinguished. They are very common in Slavic mythology- these are mermen, bogworts, kikimoras, goblin and boletus. They all live in places inaccessible to ordinary people, protecting nature and preserving it. These creatures are neutral towards people as long as they do not violate territorial boundaries.

Wood goblins live in the forests. These are creatures from Slavic mythology, which have long been considered the masters of the forest. They are usually depicted as wizened old men with emerald green eyes. They look harmless. But if you offend nature and behave inappropriately in the forest, you can receive punishment from the forest spirit.

You can distinguish a goblin from an ordinary person by the way he dresses - he likes to wear all his clothes inside out, even the bast shoes on his feet are mixed up.

Boletuses live in forests and are guardians of mushrooms. They are usually depicted as short men who live near mushroom places. Boletus are usually friendly with goblin and conduct forestry together.

Kikimora

Kikimoras live in swamps and forests, luring unlucky travelers into the quagmire. They are depicted as scary women, with one leg, long and thin, which holds them above the marshy area. Swampmen - male spirits - live next to them.

Mermen usually live in rivers and lakes. They are neutral towards people, but can lure into the water someone who seems dangerous to them.

Fiery mythical creatures

These creatures are inextricably linked with flame. Fire is the element of purification and bright thoughts, therefore all creatures associated with it are revered by people.

1. Phoenixes - they are subject to fire. They are born in the flame and die in it. Phoenixes are immortal creatures; after spontaneous combustion, they are reborn again in the form of a small chick. Their feathers are hot to the touch, and their tears have healing properties- capable of healing even the most serious wounds and injuries. In Christianity, the phoenix bird signifies the victory of life over death. These creatures are described in literature, they are mentioned in the treatises of ancient Greek and Roman philosophers such as Herodotus and Tacitus.
2. Salamanders are small fire spirits that can live in ovens or fires, feeding on fire. They do this thanks to their icy body, which cannot be warmed by any method. The salamander has a neutral attitude towards humans and brings neither happiness nor grief. The appearance of the salamander varies - from a small lizard to a large reptile the size of a house. The salamander is not only a symbol of fire, but also philosopher's stone. In alchemical literature it is described as a lizard and can transform into stone and back.

Group of demons and imps

Different cultures have ambiguous attitudes towards demons. In Greek mythology, demons are a bundle of energy endowed with intelligence that is capable of changing a person's destiny both for good and for bad.

In the mythology of the ancient Slavs, demons are evil forces that wreak havoc and destruction. Translated, the word “demons” means “carrying fear.” Demons are hellish creatures, but they used to be angels, as evidenced by the presence of wings. Unlike angels, demons have dark-colored wings and resemble webbed rather than feathered wings. Demons can take on any form and disguise themselves. More often they turn into humans, but the most arrogant ones can take on the appearance of angels. It is not difficult to distinguish them - it is unpleasant to be in their presence, causing unreasonable melancholy and sadness, or an attack of uncontrollable hysterical laughter.

Among demons, there are two types of lovers: incubi and succubi. They need a constant supply of energy, which they can only obtain through sexual contact with a person. During an act with a demon lover, the victim is in a zombified state and is unable to resist. She feels great pleasure at the same time.

An incubus was a male demon who entered the homes of women, virgins and nuns, and raped them in their sleep. A succubus is a female demon whose prey was strong, attractive men. Best of luck for a succubus it was to seduce a priest, preferably one who had only recently been ordained.

Incubi are able to reproduce by transferring their seed to a woman. From such a union, according to legend, disgustingly deformed children were born with animal body parts or having extra limbs. They tried to kill such children immediately after birth, because, according to legend, evil forces were hidden in them.

Fighting succubi and incubi is not easy, but it is possible. They cannot stand the smell of incense, so if you leave a small lamp overnight, the demons will not come. Prayers help from them.

Fauns also belong to the family of demons. These are deities that are characteristic of Italian culture. They are considered favorable to people. Fauns live in forests and mountains. Can warn people against possible danger appearing in their dreams. Usually fauns protect herds and livestock from attacks by wild animals, helping shepherds. Some animal mythical creatures can only be seen by fauns.

Undead

This group includes the so-called living dead. They differ from each other - depending on the species, undead can be incorporeal or tangible. In the modern world, the image of the undead is actively used in games and films of such a genre as horror.

The bulk of the undead are vampires - creatures with sharp fangs that drink human blood. They can turn into bats or bats at will. They come to people at night while they are sleeping and suck out every last drop of blood from the victim. Sometimes vampires like to torture the victim - then they drink blood gradually, over several days, watching with sadistic pleasure the torment of the unfortunate person. The image of vampires is widely covered in literature. Bram Stoker first did this in his novel Dracula. Since then, the theme of vampires has become popular - books, plays, and films are based on it.

Zombies can also be considered undead - these are dead people who feed on human flesh. Description of zombies in literature: creatures devoid of consciousness and intelligence, extremely slow, but deadly. According to legend, zombies make people like themselves through a bite. To kill a zombie, you need to cut off its head and burn its body. Then they won't be able to regenerate.

Mummies are considered undead. They were once human, but after death their bodies were embalmed, so they remained in the earthly world. Mummies are in a state of sleep and therefore harmless. However, if anyone awakens them, the ancient power will be revived and chaos will begin. Egyptian mummies are divided into several categories.

1. Pharaohs are strong and fast, have good physical fitness. They have enormous fortitude, so they are capable of subjugating ghosts. It is not easy to neutralize such creatures; you need to have strength and endurance, and possess secret knowledge from ancient Egyptian treatises.
2. Priests are not as strong as pharaohs, but they have magic and are able to influence a person without resorting to physical contact. There are much fewer of them than pharaohs.
3. Bodyguards are the personal security of the pharaoh. They are extremely slow, but have remarkable strength, so it is better to flee from them rather than engage in battle.

Dangerous magical creatures

Mythical creatures are not always neutral towards people; many of them pose a real danger to humans.

1. Furies. In ancient times, people were in awe of them, afraid to even name them out loud, but if they had to do this, they usually added some epithet before the name. The furies look truly terrifying - their heads are like dogs, and their bodies are like those of hundred-year-old women. The hair is unusual: instead of the usual hair, the furies have a hairstyle of long snakes. These creatures attack everyone who, in their opinion, has done something wrong. As punishment, they beat the unfortunate man to death with metal sticks.
2. Sirens, although considered the most beautiful creatures on the planet, do not become any less deadly. Sirens look like birds with the heads of women, and their voices can cloud the mind of even the most experienced and stern sailor. They lure travelers to caves and rocks with angelic singing and then kill them. It is almost impossible to get out of their captivity.
3. The Basilisk is a deadly monster from ancient legends. According to legend, the basilisk is a giant snake, up to 50 m long. It is born from a chicken or duck egg, which was hatched by a toad. The head of the basilisk is decorated with huge curved horns, and fangs of varying lengths protrude from its mouth. The snake is so poisonous that it can poison rivers if it drinks from them. You can fight against the basilisk only with the help of a mirror - if the creature sees its reflection, it will turn to stone. He is also afraid of roosters - their singing is disastrous for the snake. You can tell about the approach of a basilisk by the behavior of spiders - if they quickly leave their home, you can expect the appearance of a snake.
4. Will-o'-the-wisps in marshy areas are small, little-known spirits that are not at all dangerous. However, travelers mistake them for the lights of houses, which they try to follow. These creatures are insidious and lure people either into an impenetrable thicket or into a quagmire. People usually come to their senses too late, when they can no longer get out of the swamp.

Good creatures from legends

Creatures from ancient legends can also be kind to humans or help them. There are especially many of them in Greek and Japanese mythology.

1. The unicorn is a fairy-tale creature that has a gentle disposition and a kind heart. He is very peaceful and never attacks people. Seeing a unicorn is good luck. If you feed him an apple or a piece of sugar, you can gain good luck for the whole year.
2. Pegasus is a real flying horse that emerged from the body of the Gorgon Medusa after her death. Usually depicted as a snow-white horse. Has the ability to save those in trouble. Pegasus will help only those who have pure thoughts - he simply ignores the rest.
3. Tanuki is a creature from Japanese mythology, which is depicted as a raccoon or a bear cub. According to legend, a person who saw a tanuki called good luck and wealth into his home. To lure them into the house, the Japanese usually place a small bottle of sake near the figurine of the deity. In almost every Japanese home you can find a small image or figurine of this creature.
4. Centaurs, although considered tough warriors, are usually favorably disposed towards humans. These are creatures with the torso and head of a man and the croup of a horse. All centaurs are educated, know how to navigate by the stars and cardinal directions, and are soothsayers. Based on the location of the planets, centaurs are able to determine the future.
5. Fairies - look like little girls with translucent wings, living in flower buds. They feed on pollen and drink dew in the morning. Fairies usually help people with minor everyday problems, but they can also regulate the elements and protect pets.
6. Brownies are magical representatives of Slavic mythology. Brownies have long lived side by side with humans and protect them and their homes. Brownies help protect the home from the invasion of evil forces and get along well with pets, especially cats. Brownies look like little elderly people. Dressed in red trousers and caftan, like characters from ancient Russian fairy tales. To ensure that the house is always cozy, it is worth appeasing the brownie from time to time by offering him milk on a saucer or candy.

Conclusion

There are thousands of creatures in mythology. It is not known whether these animals exist - we know about them only from legends. However, I would like to believe that there is still room for a fairy tale in this world. Various mythical creatures - interesting, good, evil, big or small.

To interact with them, you need to thoroughly study their preferences and habits, but the main thing in communicating with legendary creatures is respect - then they can not only make contact, but also help. You should not deal with potentially dangerous animals; it is better to choose safe creatures in this regard. You can read about the classification of these creatures and their danger in a special alphabetical reference book or atlas dedicated to mythology.

Today, movie screens are filled with zombies, ghouls, vampires and other monsters. But in fact, terrible creatures are not always the product of the imagination of modern screenwriters and directors. There are more terrible entities in ancient myths and folklore, although many of them are not as publicized as those that appeared on the screens.

1. Blemmia

Blemmyas are quite ancient creatures. Mention of them first appeared among the ancient Greeks and Romans. Physically they are very similar to ordinary people with one significant difference - blemmyas do not have a head. Their mouths, eyes and noses are on their chests. According to ancient sources (for example, Pliny wrote about blemmias), these creatures were quite widespread throughout North Africa and in the Middle East. In later literature, Blemmyas were also described as cannibals.

2. Sphene

Sthena is a monster from Greek mythology. Many more people know her sister Medusa. The famous gorgon was the youngest of the family; she had 2 older sisters - Euryale and Sthena.

Like her sisters, Sthena had long, sharp fangs and red snakes instead of hair. Stories tell that Sthena was the most ferocious and bloodthirsty of the family, killing more men than both of her sisters combined.

3. Hitotsume-kozo

Japanese myths tell of many supernatural monsters, usually called Yokai. One type of Yokai is the hitotsume-kozo, which is something like a Cyclops: it only has one giant eye in the middle of its face. However, the Hitotsume Kozo is even creepier than the Cyclops because it looks like a small bald child.

4. Mananangal

This disgusting creature comes from the Philippines. It has some common features with a vampire, although the mananangal is more repulsive, both in appearance and behavior. Mananangal is usually depicted as a very ugly woman who is capable of tearing off her lower body, sprouting giant wings, and flying at night. Mananangals have a long proboscis instead of a tongue, which they use to suck blood from sleeping people. Most of all they love pregnant women, and more specifically, sucking out the heart of their fetus.

Those who encounter a mananangal should avoid the flying torso and try sprinkling garlic and salt on the separated lower part of the creature's body - this will kill it.

5. Kelpie

One of the most famous monsters in Celtic mythology, the kelpie is a creature that looks like a horse and is found in the lochs of Scotland. Kelpies love to lure people, drown them in lakes, drag them into their lair and eat them.

One of distinctive features Kelpies are their ability to transform from a horse into a human. Most often, they take the form of an attractive man who lures victims into their den. Much less often, the kelpie appears in the form of a beautiful woman. According to legend, one way to identify kelpies in human form is their hair, which is constantly damp and full of algae. Some stories also say that kelpies retain their hooves even in human form.

6. Strigoi

Strigoi, which are similar to the more famous poltergeists, are among the most ancient creatures on this list. They belong to Dacian mythology and were later adopted by Romanian culture. This evil spirits who have risen from the dead and are trying to resume the normal lives they once led. But in this existence, Strigoi drink the very essence of life from their relatives. They are somewhat similar in their actions to vampires.

There is no doubt that people throughout Eastern Europe were mortally afraid of Strigoi. Remarkably, this belief continues to this day, especially in rural areas of Romania. Just 10 years ago, relatives of a recently deceased person dug up his corpse and burned his heart because they believed that the deceased had turned into a strigoi.

7. Yogorumo

Surely no one would refuse if the most beautiful woman in the world seduced him, and then took him to her home. At first such a man would feel the most happy man, but this opinion would probably soon change when this beautiful woman showed her true identity - a giant man-eating spider. Another Japanese monster from the Yokai family is Yogorumo. This is a giant spider that can transform into a beautiful woman to lure prey. After Yogorumo possesses a person, it wraps him in a silken web, injects him with poison, and then devours his prey.

8. Black Annis

Also known as Black Agnes, this witch is a traditional character in English folklore. Some believe its roots can be traced much further back to Celtic or Germanic mythology. Black Annis has a disgusting blue face and iron claws, and she also loves to feed on people, especially small children. Her favorite pastime is wandering through ravines at night, looking for unsuspecting children, kidnapping them, dragging them into her cave, and then preparing the children for dinner. After Annis finishes the children, she uses their skin to make clothes.

9. Leshy

Leshy is the spirit of forests and parks in many Slavic cultures. Essentially, he is the protector of the forest. The goblin is friends with animals, which he can call to help him, and does not like people, although, in some cases, farmers manage to make friends with the goblin. In this case, they protect people's crops and can even teach them magic.

Physically, goblin are described as tall people with hair and beards made of vines and grass. However, they are also werewolves, capable of changing in size: from the very tall tree in the forest down to the smallest blade of grass. They can even transform into ordinary people. At the same time, goblin can be given away by glowing eyes and shoes worn backwards.

Leshi are not evil creatures at all; rather, they are deceivers and love mischief. For example, they like to confuse people in the forest, and sometimes lure people into their caves by imitating the voices of their loved ones (after which, the lost ones can be tickled to death).

10. Brownie

In Slavic mythology, it is believed that every house has its own brownie. He is usually described as a small, bearded man covered in hair. He considers himself the keeper of the house and is not necessarily evil. His actions depend entirely on the behavior of the residents. The brownie gets angry at people who neglect their home and who swear. And for those who behave well and take care of the house, the brownie quietly helps with household chores. He also likes to watch people sleeping.

You should not anger the brownie, because he begins to take revenge on people. First, otherworldly groans will begin to be heard in the house, plates will break and things will disappear. And if the brownie is finally driven home, he can kill people in their own beds.

For lovers of history and the unknown. Read it yourself, tell it to your children.

Based on materials from dawdlez.com

Domovoy is a home spirit among the Slavic peoples, the mythological owner and patron of the house, ensuring the normal life of the family, fertility, and the health of people and animals. They try to feed the brownie, leaving him a separate saucer on the kitchen floor with treats and water (or milk). If the brownie loves his owner or mistress, he not only does not harm them, but also protects them. home wellbeing. Otherwise (which happens more often), he begins to do mischief, breaks and hides things, attacks light bulbs in the bathroom, and creates incomprehensible noise. It can “strangle” the owner at night by sitting on the owner’s chest and paralyzing him. A brownie can change appearance and chase its owner when moving.

The Nephilim (watchers - "sons of God") are described in the book of Enoch. They are fallen angels. The Niphilim were physical beings, they taught people forbidden arts and, taking human wives as wives, gave birth to a new generation of people. In the Torah and several non-canonical Jewish and early Christian writings, nephilim means "who cause others to fall." The Nephilim were gigantic in stature, their strength was enormous, as was their appetite. They began to eat up all human resources, and when they ran out, they could attack people. The Nephilim began to fight and oppress people, which caused enormous destruction on earth.

Abaasy - in the folklore of the Yakut peoples, a huge stone monster with iron teeth. Lives in the thicket of the forest away from human eyes or underground. It is born from a black stone, similar to a child. The older he gets, the more the stone looks like a child. At first, the stone child eats everything that people eat, but when he grows up, he begins to eat the people themselves. Sometimes referred to as anthropomorphic, one-eyed, one-armed, tree-sized, one-legged monsters. Abaas feed on the souls of people and animals, tempt people, send misfortunes and illnesses, and can deprive people of their minds. Often the relatives of the sick or deceased sacrificed an animal to Abaasy, as if exchanging its soul for the soul of the person they were threatening.

Abraxas - Abraxas is the name of a cosmological being in the ideas of the Gnostics. In the early era of Christianity, in the 1st-2nd centuries, many heretical sects arose, trying to combine the new religion with paganism and Judaism. According to the teachings of one of them, everything that exists originates in a certain higher Kingdom of light, from which 365 categories of spirits emanate. At the head of the spirits is Abraxas. His name and image are often found on gems and amulets: a creature with a human body and a rooster’s head, and two snakes instead of legs. Abraxas holds a sword and shield in his hands.

Baku - “Dream Eater” in Japanese mythology is a good spirit that eats bad dreams. You can call him by writing his name on a piece of paper and putting it under your pillow. At one time, images of Baku hung in Japanese homes, and his name was written on pillows. They believed that if Baku was forced to eat a bad dream, then he had the power to turn the dream into a good one.
There are stories where Baku does not look very kind. By eating all dreams and dreams, it deprived the sleeping people of beneficial effects, or even completely deprived them of sleep.

Alkonost (alkonst) - in Russian art and legends, a bird of paradise with the head of a maiden. Often mentioned and depicted together with another bird of paradise, Sirin. The image of Alkonost goes back to the Greek myth about the girl Alcyone, who was transformed by the gods into a kingfisher. The earliest image of Alkonost is found in a book miniature of the 12th century. Alkonst is a safe and rare creature living closer to the sea. According to folk legend, in the morning on Apple Spas The Sirin bird flies into the apple orchard, sad and crying. And in the afternoon the bird Alkonost flies into the apple orchard, rejoicing and laughing. The bird brushes the living dew from its wings and the fruits are transformed, an amazing power appears in them - all the fruits on the apple trees from that moment become healing

Abnauayu - in Abkhazian mythology (“forest man”). A gigantic, ferocious creature, distinguished by its extraordinary physical strength and rage. Abnauayu's entire body is covered with long hair, similar to bristles, and he has huge claws; eyes and nose - like people's. Lives in dense forests (there was a belief that in every forest gorge there lives one Abnauayu). A meeting with Abnauayu is dangerous; an adult Abnauayu has an axe-shaped steel protrusion on his chest: pressing the victim to his chest, he cuts it in half. Abnauayu knows in advance the name of the hunter or shepherd he will meet.

Cerberus (Spirit of the Underworld) - in Greek mythology, a huge dog of the Underworld, guarding the entrance to the afterlife. In order for the souls of the dead to enter the underworld, they must bring gifts to Cerberus - honey and barley biscuits. Cerberus' task is to prevent living people from entering the kingdom of the dead who want to rescue their loved ones from there. One of the few living people who managed to penetrate the underworld and emerge unharmed was Orpheus, who played beautiful music on the lyre. One of the labors of Hercules that the gods ordered him to perform was to lead Cerberus to the city of Tiryns.

Griffins are winged monsters with a lion's body and an eagle's head, guardians of gold in various mythologies. Griffins, vultures, in Greek mythology, monstrous birds with an eagle's beak and the body of a lion; They. - “the dogs of Zeus” - guard gold in the country of the Hyperboreans, protecting it from the one-eyed Arimaspians (Aeschyl. Prom. 803 next). Among the fabulous inhabitants of the north - the Issedons, Arimaspians, Hyperboreans, Herodotus also mentions the Griffins (Herodot. IV 13).
Slavic mythology also has its own griffins. In particular, it is known that they guard the treasures of the Riphean Mountains.

Vouivre, Vouivra. France. King or queen of snakes; in the forehead there is a sparkling stone, a bright red ruby; the appearance of a fiery serpent; keeper of underground treasures; can be seen flying across the sky summer nights; dwellings - abandoned castles, fortresses, donjons, etc.; his images are in sculptural compositions Romanesque monuments; when swimming, he leaves the stone on the shore, and whoever manages to take possession of the ruby ​​will become fabulously rich - he will receive part of the underground treasures that the snake guards.

Oak trees are, in Celtic mythology, evil magical creatures that live in the crowns and trunks of oak trees.
They offer delicious food and gifts to every person passing by their home.
Under no circumstances should you take food from them, much less taste it, since food prepared by oak trees is very poisonous. At night, oaks often go in search of prey.
You should know that walking past a recently felled oak tree is especially dangerous: the oak trees that lived in it are angry and can cause a lot of trouble.

The devil (in the old spelling "demon") is an evil, playful and lustful spirit in Slavic mythology. In the book tradition, according to the Great Soviet encyclopedia, the word devil is a synonym for the concept of demon. The devil is social and most often goes hunting with groups of devils. The devil is attracted drinking people. When the devil finds such a person, he tries to do everything to make the person drink even more, leading him to a state of complete madness. The very process of their materialization, popularly known as “getting drunk as hell,” is described colorfully and in detail in one of Vladimir Nabokov’s stories. “Through long, persistent, lonely drunkenness,” the famous prose writer reported, “I brought myself to the most vulgar visions, namely: I began to see devils.” If a person stops drinking, the devil begins to waste away without receiving the expected nourishment.

Yrka in Slavic mythology is an evil night spirit with eyes on a dark face, glowing like a cat’s, especially dangerous on the night of Ivan Kupala and only in the field, because goblins do not let him into the forest. He becomes a suicide. It attacks lonely travelers and drinks their blood. Ukrut, his assistant, brings him naughty creatures in a bag, from whom Yrka drank the life. He is very afraid of fire and does not go near fire. To save yourself from it, you cannot look around, even if they call you in a familiar voice, do not answer anything, say “mind me” three times or read the “Our Father” prayer.

Sulde " life force", in the mythology of the Mongolian peoples, one of the souls of a person, with which his vital and spiritual force is connected. The ruler's sulde is the guardian spirit of the people; its material embodiment is the ruler’s banner, which in itself becomes an object of cult and is protected by the ruler’s subjects. During wars, human sacrifices were made to the Sulda Banners to raise the morale of the army. The Suldi banners of Genghis Khan and some other khans were especially revered. The character of the shamanic pantheon of the Mongols, Sulde Tengri, the patron saint of people, is apparently related genetically to Genghis Khan’s Sulde.

Anzud is a divine bird in Sumerian-Akkadian mythology, an eagle with a lion's head. Anzud is a mediator between gods and people, simultaneously embodying good and evil principles. When the god Enlil took off his insignia while washing himself, Anzud stole the tablets of fate and flew off to the mountains with them. Anzud wanted to become more powerful than all the gods, but by his action he violated the course of things and divine laws. The god of war Ninurta set off after the bird. He shot Anzud with a bow, but Enlil's tablets healed the wound. Ninurta managed to hit the bird only on the second attempt or even on the third attempt (in different versions of the myth it differs).

Bug is a spirit in English mythology. According to legends, the bug is a “children’s” monster; even in our time, English women scare their children with it.
Usually these creatures have the appearance of shaggy monsters with tangled, patchy fur. Many English children believe that bugs can enter rooms using open chimneys. However, despite their rather terrifying appearance, these creatures are not at all aggressive and are practically harmless, since they have neither sharp teeth nor long claws. They can scare in only one way - by making a terrible ugly face, spreading their paws and raising the hair on the back of the neck.

Alrauns - in the folklore of European peoples, tiny creatures that live in the roots of the mandrake, the outlines of which resemble human figures. Alrauns are friendly to people, but they are not averse to playing tricks, sometimes quite cruelly. These are werewolves that can transform into cats, worms and even small children. Later, the Alrauns changed their way of life: they liked the warmth and comfort of people’s homes so much that they began to move there. Before moving to a new place, alrauns, as a rule, test people: they scatter all kinds of garbage on the floor, throw clods of earth or pieces of cow dung into milk. If people don’t sweep up trash and drink milk, Alraun understands that it’s quite possible to settle here. It is almost impossible to drive him away. Even if the house burns down and people move somewhere, alraun follows them. Alraun had to be treated with great care due to its magical properties. It was necessary to wrap or dress him in white clothes with a golden belt, bathe him every Friday, and keep him in a box, otherwise Alraun would start screaming for attention. Alrauns were used in magical rituals. It was assumed that they brought great luck, like the quatrefoil talisman. But their possession carried the risk of prosecution for witchcraft, and in 1630 three women were executed in Hamburg on this charge. Due to the high demand for Alrauns, they were often carved from Bryonia roots, as genuine mandrakes were difficult to find. They were exported from Germany to various countries, including to England, during the reign of Henry VIII.

Authorities are angelic beings in Christian mythology. Authorities can be both good forces and minions of evil. Among the nine angelic ranks, the authorities close the second triad, which in addition to them also includes dominions and powers. As Pseudo-Dionysius said, “the name of the holy Powers signifies a Order equal to the Divine Dominions and Powers, harmonious and capable of receiving Divine insights, and a structure of premium spiritual dominion, which does not autocratically use the granted sovereign powers for evil, but freely and decently to the Divine as itself ascending , so holyly leading others to Him and, as far as possible, becoming like the Source and Giver of all power and depicting Him... in the completely true use of His sovereign power.”

Gargoyle is a product of medieval mythology. The word "gargoyle" comes from the Old French gargouille - throat, and its sound imitates the gurgling sound that occurs when gargling. Gargoyles perched on facades Catholic cathedrals seemed ambivalent. On the one hand, they were like ancient sphinxes, guarding statues, capable of coming to life in moments of danger and protecting a temple or mansion, on the other hand, when they were placed on temples, it showed that all evil spirits were fleeing from this holy place, since they could not endure the temple cleanliness.

Grims - according to medieval European beliefs, lived throughout Europe. Most often they can be seen in old cemeteries located near churches. Therefore, scary creatures are also called church makeups.
These monsters can take many forms, but most often they transform into huge dogs with jet-black fur and glow-in-the-dark eyes. You can see monsters only in rainy or cloudy weather; they usually appear in the cemetery in the late afternoon, as well as during the day during funerals. They often howl under the windows of sick people, foreshadowing their imminent death. Often, some grim, who is not afraid of heights, climbs into the church bell tower at night and begins to ring all the bells, which is popularly considered a very bad omen.

Shoggoths are creatures mentioned in the famous mystical book "Al Azif", better known as the "Necronomicon", written by the mad poet Abdul Alhazred. About a third of the book is devoted to controlling shoggoths, which are presented as shapeless "eels" made of bubbles of protoplasm. The ancient gods created them as servants, but the shoggoths, possessing intelligence, quickly emerged from submission and have since acted of their own free will and for the sake of their strange, incomprehensible goals. They say that these beings often appear in narcotic visions, but there they are not subject to human control.

Yuvkha, in the mythology of the Turkmen and Uzbeks of Khorezm, Bashkirs and Kazan Tatars (Yukha) is a demonic character associated with the water element. Yuvkha is a beautiful girl, whom she turns into after living for many (for the Tatars - 100 or 1000) years. According to the myths of the Turkmens and Uzbeks of Khorezm, Yuvkha marries a man, having previously set him a number of conditions, for example, not to watch her comb her hair, not stroke the back, perform ablution after intimacy. Having violated the conditions, the husband discovers snake scales on her back and sees how, while combing her hair, she removes her head. If you do not destroy Yuvha, she will eat her husband.

Ghouls - (Russian; Ukrainian upir, Belarusian ynip, other Russian upir), in Slavic mythology a dead person who attacks people and animals. At night, the Ghoul rises from the grave and, in the guise of a bloodshot corpse or zoomorphic creature, kills people and animals, sucks the blood, after which the victim either dies or can become a Ghoul herself. According to popular beliefs, people who died an “unnatural death” - violently killed, drunkards, suicides and also sorcerers - became ghouls. It was believed that the earth does not accept such dead people and therefore they are forced to wander around the world and cause harm to the living. Such dead people were buried outside the cemetery and away from housing.

Sharkan, in Hungarian mythology, a dragon with a serpentine body and wings. It is possible to distinguish between two layers of ideas about Shuffling. One of them, associated with the European tradition, is presented mainly in fairy tales, where Sharkan is a ferocious monster with a large number (three, seven, nine, twelve) heads, the hero’s opponent in battle, often an inhabitant of a magic castle. On the other hand, there are known beliefs about the one-headed Shuffler as one of the assistants of the sorcerer (shaman) taltosh.

Phoenix is ​​an immortal bird personifying the cyclical nature of the world. Phoenix is ​​the patron of anniversaries, or large time cycles. Herodotus presents the original version of the legend with marked skepticism:
“There is another sacred bird there, its name is Phoenix. I myself have never seen it, except as a drawing, for in Egypt it appears rarely, once every 500 years, as the inhabitants of Heliopolis say. According to them, it flies when it dies father (that is, she herself) If the images correctly show her size and size and appearance, her plumage is partly golden, partly red. Her appearance and size resemble an eagle." This bird does not reproduce, but is reborn after death from its own ashes.

Werewolf - a monster that exists in many mythological systems. This refers to a person who can transform into animals or vice versa. An animal that can turn into people. Demons, deities, and spirits often possess this ability. The classic werewolf is the wolf. It is with him that all the associations generated by the word werewolf are connected. This change can occur either at the request of the werewolf or involuntarily, caused, for example, by certain lunar cycles.

Wendigo is a man-eating spirit in the myths of the Ojibwe and some other Algonquian tribes. Served as a warning against any excesses of human behavior. The Inuit tribe calls this creature by various names, including Windigo, Vitigo, Witiko. Wendigos enjoy hunting and love to attack hunters. A lonely traveler who finds himself in the forest begins to hear strange sounds. He looks around for the source, but sees nothing except the flicker of something that moves too fast for the human eye to detect. When the traveler begins to run away in fear, the Wendigo attacks. He is powerful and strong like no other. Can imitate people's voices. In addition, the Wendigo never stops hunting after eating.

Incubi are male demons in medieval European mythology who seek female love. The word incubus comes from the Latin “incubare”, which means “to recline”. According to ancient books, incubus are fallen angels, demons who are carried away by sleeping women. Incubi showed such enviable energy in intimate affairs that entire nations were born. For example, the Huns, who, according to medieval beliefs, were the descendants of “outcast women” of the Goths and evil spirits.

Goblin - owner of the forest, forest spirit, in mythology Eastern Slavs. This is the main owner of the forest, he makes sure that no one harms anyone on his farm. He treats good people well, helps them get out of the forest, but he treats not-so-good people badly: he confuses them, makes them walk in circles. He sings in a voice without words, claps his hands, whistles, hoots, laughs, cries. The goblin can appear in various plant, animal, human and mixed images, and can be invisible. Most often it appears as a solitary creature. For the winter it leaves the forest, falling underground.

Baba Yaga is a character in Slavic mythology and folklore, mistress of the forest, mistress of animals and birds, guardian of the borders of the kingdom of Death. In a number of fairy tales she is likened to a witch or sorceress. Most often she is a negative character, but sometimes acts as an assistant to the hero. Baba Yaga has several stable attributes: she can cast magic, fly in a mortar, and lives on the border of the forest, in a hut on chicken legs surrounded by a fence made of human bones with skulls. She lures good fellows and small children to her, supposedly in order to eat them.

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