What is mythical creatures

Warning: do NOT run that search. Trapped at the center of a labyrinth built by cruel King Minos of Crete who lends his name to the creature , the legendary Minotaur was finally slain by the Athenian Theseus. Where to find one: In Inferno , Dante and his guide Virgil encounter the Minotaur as they enter the seventh circle of hell. He also pops up in Percy Jackson surprise, surprise! These scorpion-men of ancient Mesopotamia are best known for guarding the gates of the sun god in the Epic of Gilgamesh.

Where to find one: Apart from their appearance in Gilgamesh , the easiest way to get more aqrabuamelu content would be to watch a poorly animated Dwayne Johnson in The Mummy Returns. Not all Mermaids want to be where the people are, and walk on those — what do you call them? Their mythos has since been informed by Greek sirens, and they are seen as both menaces and potential lovers to those who travel by sea. A fantastical creature or a product of ancient misogyny? You be the judge! Where once she had a lovely mane of hair and a gorgeous face, there were now only snakes for locks and a visage that turned men instantly to stone.

Thankfully, the great hero Perseus was on hand to cut off her head and take it as a trophy. She really was too good for this world. Now that we've had our fill of fish-women and dog-men, let's crack out our microscopes and meet the smaller members of the mythological world. Sometimes supernatural, often magical or ethereal, and almost always tiny, these winged spirits appear in a bunch of European pagan traditions.

Though some may be malicious, most depictions of faeries paint them as semi-benevolent elemental beings — protectors of nature, be they water nymphs or woodland fairies. Where to find one: Fairies are quite a common feature in fantasy fiction — especially as protagonists in urban fantasy.

With powers similar to fairies, Goblins are best characterized by their greed, short temper, and penchant for mischief. Where to find one: in The Spiderwick Chronicle s , one of the young Grace twins is abducted by goblins.

Where to find one: in one of his rare departures from Discworld, Terry Pratchett published Truckers , the first entry of his "Bromeliad" trilogy. Before they were best known as pitchmen for sugary cereal, Leprechauns were the Irish sprites who, according to legend, would grant three wishes to anyone able to catch him.

Like many of the other wee people, they had a talent for mending shoes — though unlike gnomes, they would hide their earnings in a pot at the end of a rainbow. And to round off our list, let us not forget about the largest of mythological creatures: the giants! One of the most forbidding of all mythical creatures, the manticore was a bloodthirsty quadruped that supposedly sported the head of a blue-eyed man, the auburn body of a lion and the stinging tail of a scorpion.

The legend of this deadly hybrid first began with Greek authors such as Ctesias, who chronicled it in a book about India. Ctesias and others described the manticore as having three rows of teeth like a shark and a tuneful bellow that sounded like a trumpet.

Most terrifying of all, it had an insatiable appetite for human flesh. After using its blistering speed to chase down its prey, the beast was said to slash at them with its claws or sting them with its tail before devouring them bones and all.

Pliny described the basilisk as a snake-like animal with markings on its head that resembled a crown, but by the Middle Ages it had morphed into a fiendish serpent with the head of a rooster and the wings of a dragon or bat.

But they have been described as being perfect thieves, entering homes under a cloak of invisibility to steal food and cause other mischief. Meanwhile, her mischievous sons, the 13 Yule Lads, started out with backstories of torment as well, but now enjoy a more pleasant reputation Today, trolls have pushed well beyond Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore, and have become recurring characters in fantasy films, literature, role-playing games and yes, on toy store shelves.

But as varied as their origin and evolution may be, the mythos we have created around trolls often touches on the same theme — a fear of those unlike ourselves. Greek mythology had its nymphs. Irish folklore told of the leprechaun, an often grumpy, mischief-prone subtype of fairy. Many times, fairies — also known as the fae, wee folk, good folk or people of peace — were defined as any mystical creature taking a humanoid appearance. But what do you think of when you imagine a fairy?

The first image that likely springs to mind is of a diminutive, gossamer-winged sprite — often taking the form of a beautiful woman — who uses her magical pixie dust to perform benevolent deeds for humans. Depending on the region, fairies can be the size of a human, or even bigger. As some of the fairy legends of western Europe go, if you come across a fairy ring — distinguished by a circle of mushrooms in a field or forest — do not dare step inside.

The ring is said to be created by dancing fairies, and entering it can lead to a number of dire consequences. And although humans and fairies were allowed to marry, they could only do so only under certain conditions. If those conditions were not met, the marriage ended — and sometimes, the life of the human would, too.

Centaurs are a race of creatures from Greek mythology that are part man and part horse, and were said to inhabit the mountains and forests of Thessaly and Arcadia. In the ancient tales, they were notorious for lawless barbarism, with a tendency to overindulge in drink and amorous pursuits — they represented the untamed, unchecked side of mankind.

The exception to this was the famed centaur Chiron, tutor to the warrior Achilles, who was wise, civilized and kind. Chiron triumphed in burying his animalistic instincts and thus was able to attain a higher level of enlightenment. Some believe the chimera is actually a personification of Mt.

Chimera, a long-gone mountain that was always on fire, in Turkey. Origin: Unknown, although several cultures including those in America, India, and China have myths regarding the creatures. In some parts of the world, such as China, dragons were revered or viewed as gods and in others, they were feared especially after Christianity became widespread since many people associated them with Satan or Leviathan.

Type keyword s to search. Today's Top Stories. Bettmann Getty Images. Origin: Unknown Bigfoot is thought to be the missing link between humans and apes—we'd know for sure if only we could find one. Sepia Times Getty Images. Origin: Greek Medusa is one of the most powerful mythological figures of all time. Because she could still be so lethal even in death, Medusa's earned the top spot on our list.

Origin: Nordic Folklore The mythical Kraken is one of the scariest monsters ever imagined. Alfred Gescheidt Getty Images. Loch Ness Monster. Ernst Haas Getty Images. Abominable Snowman. Origin: Greek, Haitian Zombies have instilled terror in our hearts ever since they hit the screen in classic flicks like Night of the Living Dead.

Wikimedia Commons. Jersey Devil. Origin: Greek Sirens are another mythological species that have found a home in modern times.