Mythical Creatures Part 1

NOTE: I created this post to the best of my knowledge on this subject and have provided personal opinions and suggestions on each creature. In no way am I an expert on this subject and am learning still. Please keep this in mind while reading, thank you.

Part 2 Mythical Creatures Part 2

Part 3 Mythical Creatures Part 3

Part 4 Mythical Creatures Part 4

Part 5 Mythical Creatures Part 5

Part 6 Mythical Creatures Part 6

Mythical Creatures, like magic, is a basis of Fantasy. What can have mythical creatures? Do they only belong in Fantasy and High Fantasy? No of course not. There are other Fantasy genres you can stick mythical creatures in such as:

Fantasy –

1. the faculty or activity of imagining things, especially things that are impossible or improbable.
2. a fanciful mental image, typically one on which a person dwells at length or repeatedly and which reflects their conscious or unconscious wishes.
3. an idea with no basis in reality.
4. a genre of imaginative fiction involving magic and adventure, especially in a setting other than the real world.
5. denoting a competition or league in which participants select imaginary teams from among the players in a real sports league and score points according to the actual performance of their players.
6. a musical composition, free in form, typically involving variation on an existing work or the imaginative representation of a situation or story; a fantasia.
7. imagine the occurrence of; fantasize about.

High Fantasy –

1. a subgenre of fantasy, defined either by its setting or by the epic stature of its characters, themes, and plot. The term “high fantasy” was coined by Lloyd Alexander in a 1971 essay, “High Fantasy and Heroic Romance” (originally given at the New England Round Table of Children’s Librarians in October 1969).

Epic Fantasy –

1. Epic fantasy has been described as containing three elements: it must be a trilogy or longer, its time-span must encompass years or more, and it must contain a large back-story or universe setting in which the story takes place.

Dark Fantasy –

1. a subgenre of fantasy literary, artistic, and cinematic works that incorporate darker and frightening themes of fantasy. It also often combines fantasy with elements of horror or has a gloomy, dark (or grimdark) atmosphere, or a sense of horror and dread.

Urban Fantasy –

1. a subgenre of fantasy in which the narrative has an urban setting. Works of urban fantasy are set primarily in the real world and contain aspects of fantasy, such as the arrival of alien races, the discovery of earthbound mythological creatures, coexistence or conflict between humans and paranormal beings, and other changes to city life. A contemporary setting is not strictly necessary for a work of urban fantasy: works of the genre may also take place in futuristic and historical settings, real or imagined.

Fairy Tale –

1. a children’s story about magical and imaginary beings and lands.
2. denoting something regarded as resembling a fairy story in being magical, idealized, or extremely happy.
3. a fabricated story, especially one intended to deceive.

Click on this link to see that there are many other types of Fantasy out there.

So with all that Fantasy going around you can bet you can add your favorite creature in them, but then some of you may ask, what is a mythical creature? Oh boy you are in for a ride. Mythical creatures are mainly found in the many mythologies all over the world from Norse Mythology, Egyptian Mythology, Japanese Mythology, Chinese Mythology, etc. Some are even made up for certain writers stories. Be sure to go searching on the Internet to get an idea of other mythologies out there and the ones you want to look into.

Typically Seen In Fantasy

The typical creatures you find in Fantasy are as followed:

1. Dragons(Any type)
2. Unicorns
3. Griffons
4. Fairies
5. Phoenix
6. Sprites

These, at least to me, is what I’ve seen the most in Fantasy. This is also in no particular order nor is it which has been seen the most. There are loads of other mythical creatures out there from chimeras to grootslangs to kitsunes. Creatures from African Mythology are surprisingly hard to find, these creatures you will need some serious search and discovering to find out what they are.

When looking up these mythical creatures make sure to type Mythology in front of the creature you are going to look up to make sure you get a creature and not some movie, book, toy, or some company. Here are some of the mythical creatures I know to help get you started:

Basilisk

 

Now, depending on who is doing the writing, the original basilisk was actually a rooster like creature with either feathered or webbed wings and a snake tail. Not sure who began to change the origin of this creature but in J.K. Rowling‘s novel Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, her basilisk is a giant snake that can be forced to rest when hearing the cries of a rooster and is laid by one.

Salamander

Just think of a normal salamander but very, very big. Depending on who is doing the writing they can be on fire, sometimes have six legs, or can breathe fire. The early days of dragons were considered salamanders for a time. Taran Matharu‘s Summoner series has a salamander but he is tiny with four legs and can breathe fire. It isn’t until the end of book 2 getting into book 3 the salamander creatures can turn into a drake dragon after taking a heavy swim in lava.

Kitsune

Now with this creature there are two types of kitsunes. One is white and is meant to be more spiritual and the other being a normal orange fox known to be more mischievous with nine or more tails. Sometimes the tips of the tails are one fire, either blue(spiritual) or orange(normal) fires.

Okami

This creature is a Japanese wolf. It is believed that they are smaller then other wolves but also extinct or so they thought. Sightings have been seen in certain precincts of Japan near their mountains but people can’t be sure. They are also believed to be benevolent and malevolent creatures that can be terrifying and dangerous when encountered.

Ifrit

This creature is very cool. It is a powerful creature known to be on fire and can also be vengeful. They are also described with either having horns or tusks.

Hydra

This creature, like the qilin, can be considered a dragon as well. It is known to have multiple heads, at least two and as many as one hundred. As soon as one is cut off another one or two will take its place.

Sprite

These creatures can be hard to figure out when it comes to their appearance. Depending on who is doing the writing these creatures are known to be based on specific environments: water, nature, and flowers. Some give them a very similar appearance as certain bugs or they look very similar to faeries and pixies but with more insect like wings such as dragonflies or bees or sometimes no wings at all but can still fly.

Nanaue

This is another cool creature. Think of a great white shark but can also walk around like a man with arms and legs of their own and still a terrifying swimmer. Depending on who is doing the writing they can either have claws, webbed, or finned hands and feet. Some also don’t describe them as having legs at all but a normal body of a great white shark but still has arms and hands to grab its prey.

Amikiri

Think of a snake like sea creature with a pointed beak like a bird and claws like a crab. This creature is more of a swimmer then anything else but can slither on land but only for a short while.

Genbu/Xuanwu/Hyeonmu/Huyen Vu

A black turtle, can be very similar to a snapping turtle but large. Instead of being wrapped by a snake you can have its tail be a snake instead(my take), make it a bit chimera like if you want.

Ikuchi

Depending on who is doing the writing it is either a really big and long fish like creature or a really big eel like creature. A heavy oil like substance secretes from its body and if not dealt with fast enough it can cause things around you to burn quickly if near fire or sink your ship faster once it passes over you.

Isonade

This is a shark like creature with a large barbed hooked tail. It is known to be the size of a big boat.

Shachihoko

Think of a really big carp fish with the head of a tiger. They are known to bring rainfall.

Makara

If you know of a Capricorn from the Greek Zodiac, think of that but instead of a half horse body it is either a stag, deer, crocodile, or elephant with of course the bottom half being fish like.

Mokele-mbembe

This is another creature very dependent on who is doing the writing. The creature can be mistaken for a loch ness or a brachiosaurus if you are not careful with the description. It is described by either having the body of an elephant or rhino, a long neck and tail, and the head similar to a snake or a crocodile.

Pixies

These creatures, like sprites, can be mistaken for faeries but are more floral in appearance with insect like wings similar to a dragonfly.

Onikuma

A massive bear like creature that is known for always standing up right.

Shishi

This creature share similar features to that of a lion and a dog with cloud like mane and tail. There is both a male and female version.

Quetzalcoatl

Another creature depending on who is doing the writing, this one can also be considered a dragon. It is a massive snake like creatures with feathered wings like a bird.

Amphisbaena

I think this creature looks very cool. It is a snake with two heads but one of the heads is a head while the other is a tail. Depending on who is doing the writing it can have either feathered wings or webbed wings and two claws that can act as either legs or arms.

Angha

This is a very beautiful creature in appearance. It has the body and head of a dog with feathered wings and tails of a peacock and paws and claws of a lion.

Peryton

This creature has both a female and a male version. Most of its body is very similar to either a stag or a deer along with its head. Some have described it to have colorful feathered wings and tails of a bird and some have described its hind legs to be similar to that of a bird.

Enfield

This is another creature with quite the mixture. It has the head of a fox, the chest of a greyhound, the front legs and feathered wings of an eagle, the back half of a wolf, and the body of a lion. So I will have to assume this is a large creature.

Minotaur

To me this is another terrifying creature. Think of a bull capable of standing upright and instead of hooves for hands it is known for having three fingers. This creature is also known for being powerful.

Hibagon

This creature is a Japanese big foot. Think of a guerilla always standing up right.

Nue

This creature here has the face of a monkey, the legs of a tiger, the body of a tanuki(raccoon dog), and a snake for a tail. Some describe it as having a tiger body instead of a tanuki.

Grootslang

I think this is another cool creature. It is a massive snake with the head of an elephant.

Indrik

This is a large creature with a body of a bull, legs of a deer, and a head of a horse with a sharp horn at the end of its snout similar to a rhinoceros. It is described as the largest land mammal ever.

Baku

This creature is described with having the trunks and tusks of an elephant, sometimes a full head of one, rhinoceros’s eyes, sometimes ears as well, an ox’s tail, sometimes the body as well, and tigers paws, sometimes the full leg and the body of a tiger as well.

Criosphinx

This creature is described with having the body of a lion with the head of either a human, falcon, or ram. Some describe it with feathered wings.

Jackalope

A jackrabbit with antlers.

Golem

A massive creature made entirely of rock. Some describe them as being covered in moss and sometimes trees and roots.

Yeti

Think of a large guerilla always standing up right with white fur. Some describe it as having two horns and tusks.

Kaimatachi

A weasel like creature with long sickles for paws, the front only.

Rompo

Here is another creature with quite the mixture. The head of a hare, human ears, a frail body almost skeleton like, the front legs of a badger, and the back legs of a bear. Some describe it having a lion like tail with rabbits or a rats ears.

Gbahali

A reptilian like creature similar to a crocodile. It is a long creature with a much shorter snout then a crocodile with somewhat longer legs.

Bunyip

A large creature with a dog like face, a crocodile like head, dark fur, a horse like tail, flippers, and a walrus’s tusks. Some describe it with either having a horn or having a duckbill.

Coeurl

A panther like creature with long legs and two tentacles coming out from their shoulder area. Some describe it with six legs while others describe the tentacles as more whisker like but coming from the face instead.

Byakko/Bai Hu/Baekho/Bach Ho

A giant white tiger.

Raiju

A creature composed of lightning either in the shape of a wolf, a fox, a cat, or a weasel. Sometimes they are described as being fully white.

Ahool/Vampire

A giant bat.

Gargoyle

A large stone like creature sometimes bat like or reptilian like. During the day it is normally stone while at night it comes alive.

Chimera

This creature has many, many different forms. The most notable being a lion with a second head of a goat and a tail of a snake.

Cerberus

A large dog with three heads. Some describe it as having a snake for a tail.

Orthrus

A dog with two heads.

Wurm

A massive serpent like creature that lives within the earth like a worm. It has no eyes and some describe it as having a more circular mouth with rows of teeth.

Manticore

A massive lion with a somewhat hard shell on some parts of the body similar to armor. A scorpions tail and webbed wings. Some describe this creature with no wings.

Kraken

 

 

This creature, like the basilisk, has been changed throughout the years. Some describe the creature as being a massive sea serpent. Others it is a massive squid. Lastly there is the more reptilian humanoid type with arms and fangs.

Questing Beast

A creature with the neck and head of a snake, the body of a leopard, the haunches of a lion, and the feet of a hart(deer).

Phew! As you can see there is a lot of mythical creatures out there, and I haven’t even posted all of them. Your story can be the most fantastical of worlds or the most terrifying. It all depends on what you have in mind for your characters to face or trust.

If you guys have any questions about what I just went over please feel free to ask. I hope you liked my little insight on mythical creatures, I honestly can’t wait to hear some of the other creatures I have missed. If your favorite is not on this list please let me know so that I can add them as soon as I can. Please stay tune for next Wednesday for another post. Thank you all so much for reading and please have a wonderful day.