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Monday, February 22, 2010
Joe
Joe, is one of the teachers for Beacon Blog. There's also Alex (the other one),who decided to abandon Beacon Blog and instead go to Beacon Garden, which totally sucks because Joe is a *%#@$ %*#$% ^&$%#* (I'm not allowed to call him a big bag of poo).
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
I am writing about mythical creatures because i feel like it. And also because I am awesome. Very. Here's a big fat list that I thought of(with some help from the internet) with pictures and descriptions:
werewolves
A fairy is a small, supernatural creature that dwells in a magical place. In folklore fairies are usually in human form but they are known to disguise themselves well when needed. There are a wide variety of earth spirits, from the elves and gnomes of the deep forest - to the pixies and fairies of flower gardens and meadow lands. Undines, nymphs and sprites are water creatures and sylphs are air spirits. Belief in fairies is universal among almost all cultures. Scholars attribute fairies to the sirens of Homer, the nymphs of the Iliad, celestial singers in Sanscrit poetry, spirits of the Pacific Islands, and Hathors of ancient Egypt. In more recent folk culture, you will find leprechauns - wee folk of Ireland, the brownies of Britain and the kobold from the faerie realm of Germany. Fairies live in their own enchanted realm but they also have been sighted among the flowers, woodlands, hills and streams - sometimes riding on their fairy steeds or flitting from flower to flower. When fairies gather together to sing and dance, you might find a fairy ring of toadstools / mushrooms after they have left. Thomas Croker (1789-1854) in his collection of Irish Fairy Tales, described fairies as being
"a few inches high, airy and almost transparent in body; so delicate in their form that a dew drop, when they chance to dance on it, trembles, indeed, but never breaks." Shakespeare wrote of Oberon, a fairy King in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and told of the fairy Queen Mab in "Romeo and Juliet." An English folk song, Tamlin, tells of a young knight bewitched by a fairy queen. In folklore, fairies are mainly felt to be charitable to humans. They are known however to be playful and love to play tricks on mere mortals. They must be spoken well of and treated with respect, or you may rouse their anger. Folklore speaks of leaving small trinkets as gifts to fairies, such as small beads and dainty deserts, to gain their favor.
mermaids
Mermaids--and mermen--appear as consistently in history as faeries and dragons. Like their "mythological" counterparts, mermaids were considered real until the early 20th century.
unicorns
The origin of the unicorn is much harder to pin down than the creation of the Pegasus myth. Pegasus is a mainly Greek/Roman phenomenon whereas the unicorn can be found in the stories and legends of a far flung region of the Northern continents, from Japan in the Far East to most of Europe and even into northern Africa and India.
In the orient the unicorn, usually referred to as a Ki-lin or Chi-Lin, is considered a harbinger of good fortune and a prophet of great things to come. It is said that a Ki-Lin would appear at or near the time of the birth of great men and wise emperors. One legend relates the appearance of a Ki-Lin at the birth of Confucius and that it carried in it's mouth a piece of imperial jade with the prophecy of the baby's greatness written upon it. The Ki-Lin has been a foundation of Chinese mythology as early as 2700 BC and is thought to be the first manifestation of the unicorn myth. He was one of the “four auspicious animals” that included the dragon, the phoenix and the tortoise. He was believed to live to a thousand years old and therefore embodied great wisdom and knowledge. His voice was exceptionally beautiful and likened to the sound of harmonious bells. His gentleness was so extreme that he would lift his feet very high to avoid stepping on any living creature. He was very strong, a leader among the animals yet he lived alone and it was thought to be impossible to catch him. This unicorn did not resemble the European unicorn, he was more of a cross between a lion and dragon, with his single horn shorter and growing backwards instead of rapier like forward from the brow.
The first known western written account is attributed to a Greek historian named Ctesia circa 400 BC. He described an ass-like horned creature that was thought to inhabit India. His unicorn was an animal that had the head of a deer, the body of a horse, the tail of a lion, the feet of a goat, blue eyes and a horn that was white at the base, black in the middle and red at the tip and was about 1 ½ foot in length. Interestingly enough, this creature was supposed to have purple head. This may have been a first attempt to link the animal with royalty as the colour purple has always been so hard to get and so expensive only royalty could afford to wear it. The unicorn was a very fast, powerful runner, even swifter than a horse. A recurring theme is that they are extremely hard to catch and were fierce fighters. Aristotle was fond of the unicorn myth and may have been responsible for it becoming popular in the Greco-Roman pantheon of mythical beings. A later historian, Megasthenes, also mentioned a unicorn that more resembled a rhinoceros.
At the time of these writings the world was not as well know as it is today. Many old maps had great areas that read only ”here be dragons” to show that is was not explored. To the Romans and Greeks, stories of fabled animals such as elephants and giraffes were the stuff of fantasy. Many pictures of these animals found on pottery and in frescoes were more the product of the imagination of the artist, hearing verbal descriptions by travelers, than of reality. The unicorn could possibly be a misinterpretation of the appearance of a rhinoceros or even the Oryx of the Arabian Desert. When an Oryx stands sideways his horns are so perfectly aligned as to appear as one.
Another theory is that the unicorn was invented to explain the appearance of a narwhal tooth. The narwhal is a small whale of the most northern seas. The male grows a single long tusk that can be up to 10 feet long and it twists in a spiral. The horn is actually quite beautiful and it is easy to imagine that the people of the north would trade these to travelers for great amounts of goods and may have made up stories to enhance their worth to gullible tourists. Much the same happens today to tourists in exotic places. The Vikings of Norway were known to trade in narwhal horn and kept the secret of where they came from for over 300 years, from the Middle Ages through to the 17th century. During these time the horn of the unicorn became extremely valuable and sought after as is was thought to cure any disease or ailment as well as neutralizing all poisons and purifying water. It was also thought that since the unicorn was a symbol of purity, and only a virgin could touch him, that the horn would prove the virginity of a noble bride. In France the custom was to carry a horn, or a cup made with unicorn horn, around the table and to touch all the food and drink to test it for poison. This ceremony continued at the court of the King until as late as 1789. There are written accounts of great amounts of money spent on powdered horn, as well as for pieces said to be unicorn horn. So prized was the fabled horn of the unicorn that Queen Elizabeth I in the 16th century paid 10,000 pounds for one, equivalent to the cost of an entire castle. It is still in the royal treasury today. The royal scepter in England is made from the rare tusk. In Japan, two crossed narwhal teeth adorn the entrance to the Korninkaku Palace. In Denmark multiple teeth comprise the frame of the Danish throne.
The unicorn appears in the Old Testament as something to both fear and revere. Many writers have speculated that the unicorn inhabited the Garden of Eden, but it is not specifically named. There is a theory that the unicorn perished in the great flood. Although this would be rather tricky for theologists during the Renaissance when the popularity of the unicorn was at its height. How could he have perished in the flood and yet be considered a symbol of Christ and a real beast at the same time? Another theory is that he was able to swim behind the ark and so survived that catastrophe to become the icon seen in the many tapestries of Europe. For many people, the mere mention of the unicorn in the Bible was proof of its existence. As well, Sir John Mandeville penned “The Traveler's Tales” in which he told of many adventures taken by the traveler and wrote as if the unicorn was a real animal. This book was taken as truth for many years. Reports of unicorn sightings were written as late as 1673 ,they were often penned by monks and missionaries and so were believed to be true.
The Christians of the day adopted the unicorn as a symbol of Christ. It was well known that only a pure maiden could tame a unicorn and therefore Mary, the Virgin Mother, was often depicted in art with a unicorn with its head in her lap and hence it became a symbol of Christ himself in allegory. During this time the unicorn was often part of heraldry and included in a nobleman's coat of arms. The French were partial to the combination of the unicorn and the iris as symbols of nobility and loyalty. The English used the rose and unicorn to stand for strength, constancy and immortality. When England, Scotland and Wales consolidated into the United Kingdom of Britain many Coats of Arms then included the lion of England with the unicorn of Scotland. In the 15th century a series of 6 tapestries were woven in Brussels that depicted the unicorn being captured with the lure of virgin maidens. These tapestries, The Lady and the Unicorn, were created as a wedding present to a noble and today reside in the Cluny Museum in Paris, France. Another famous series, The Hunt of the Unicorn, is comprised of 7 tapestries that are at the Cloisters Museum in New York. They are collectively probably the most famous art works of all time.
trolls
vampires
Vampires and vampire legend play significant roles in the cultures of many areas around the world. These blood-sucking beings are most common in the cultures of Eastern Europe, although similar manifestations are reported in some Asian cultures as well as some ancient cultures. Vampire legends have a distinct background bridging several cultures and eras, making them some of the most compelling stories ever told.
The first step in understanding vampire lore is to understand some of the biological reasons that may have led to such beliefs. One of the most plausible explanations for vampire myths is the disease porphyria, which occurred frequently in Transylvania. Porphyria is a blood-related condition where a vital function of blood cells is lost. This results in rapid tissue damage, giving the victim a ghastly pallor and enlarged teeth due to gum damage. The effects of porphyria are greatly amplified upon exposure to the sun, making sun light a likely threat victims would try to avoid at all costs. It is also believed that certain strains of porphyria are associated with neurological conditions, which would result in insanity. This condition also explains the practice of drinking blood, as these people would likely drink animal blood as a cure for the anemia associated with porphyria. Another explanation for this legend is the disease rabies, as it leads to hypersensitivity, unusual sleep patterns, and intense sexuality. Rabies is also associated with the compulsion to bite others, and a bloody foaming at the mouth. These two diseases could possibly explain the origins of vampire legends, and perhaps also why they are so widespread.
From the beginning of history, vampire-like spirits and beings have been recorded. The Akhkharu were blood-sucking demons, written about back in the time of Sumer. The ancient Chinese wrote about "hopping corpses" which would go around and consume a victim’s life essence (commonly known as chi). Even ancient Egyptian lore had a story where the goddess Sakhmet was consumed with bloodlust. From the earliest of times, vampire like beings have been prominent in folklore from several different cultures.
The most well-known versions of vampire myth are those of the Slavic and Romanian cultures, which, due to their proximity, are surprisingly similar. Both have several reasons that a person may become a vampire, such as unnatural death, birth defects, or conception on certain days. Romanian legend gave rise to the belief that being bitten by a vampire would doom one to become a vampire after death. Both Slavic and Romanian myths hold the belief that, with the advent of a vampire, there would be deaths of livestock and family members of the vampire. The favored way to kill a vampire in these two myths is by driving a stake through the heart, decapitation, and if necessary, dismemberment. Slavic and Romanian vampire myths have given rise to the most popular world-view of vampires.
Vampire legends have played a significant role in the folklore of many regions of the world, since the beginning of history in Sumer, and they will continue to be important through such media as movies, books, and video games well into the future.
giants
Giants are humanoid creatures of prodigious size and strength, a type of legendary monster that appear in the tales of many different races and cultures. They are often stupid or violent and are frequently said to eat humans, especially children; others, however, like Oscar Wilde's giants, are intelligent and friendly.
Witches exist, but they tend to go by different names, nowadays
Wiccans, pagans, and shamans make up the practice called Wicca, or The Craft. Wicca is now an established religion in the United States with hundreds of thousands of followers. There are many facets to Wicca; some Wiccans/pagans/shamans choose the more natural path of just being in tune with nature, and others practice the more well-known witch-like rituals i.e. they have spells and samhain rituals.
Although, do not get Wiccans are not Witches. Wiccan is a religion; Witchcraft is a craft.
The word Wicca actually means wise. Paganism/Wicca, though not the stereotypical barbarous kind that Christianity has spread over the centuries, is one of the oldest religions. They believe in an unknowable and androgynous deity, and seek to balance themselves with the natural world. The overall maxim for Wiccans is pretty much you can do whatever you want, as long as it doesn't harm anyone else.
Wicca is not a savage or weird practice as many today seem to perceive it as. In fact, the leaders of Wicca and shamanism are renowned doctors that have been established as professionals in what they do. Wiccan's celebrate astrological figures like the moon, and certain Gods, their most celebrated god being the Goddess of the Moon. This is because luna is the closest figure to us.
ghosts
While they can be beneficial, negative, or neutral, ghosts—the spirits of dead people—are often tragic. Ghosts often haunt a location or someone living, and they sometimes appear as a warning. But mostly ghosts are harmless beings that would no more hurt a human than a teddy bear could hurt a fly. Ghosts can also be invoked to help the living, sometimes with mixed results.
In the late 19th century, the Paiute Indians of North America practiced a ghost dance, including trances, lasting five days. Believing it would stop the westward expansion of white settlers other tribes adopted the ghost dance. Just before their tragic 1890 battle with the U.S. cavalry at Wounded Knee, South Dakota, Sioux warriors performed the ceremony, and entered battle wearing ghost shirts to protect them against bullets. Nonetheless, they died by the score.
Other western ghosts populate "ghost towns," once-thriving communities that have been abandoned by the living. Virginia City, Nevada; Silver City, Idaho; and St. Elmo, Colorado are famous towns where the inhabitants are all ghosts busily maintaining the traditions of a happier time.
There are also many different kinds of ghosts. Some are just called ghosts, others are called spirits, beings, and in one instance deities. The mischievous ones that can move and throw things are usually known as Poltergeists. Some people even make a living out of searching for the supernatural, ghosts in particular. And some even find proof, but it is up to us, as the third party viewer to decide what we believe in. Are they real or are they a figment of humans overactive imaginations?
dragons
he national symbol of wales and the image on the welsh flag.
The Red Dragon, Draig Coch, Y Ddraig Goch, in the Mabinogion, fights an invading white dragon with such brutality the people are forced to fill a pit with mead to lure them in and then imprison them.
In the next tale a King Vortigen wishes to build a castle on a hill but each night the work of the day falls down. Vortigen's magical advisors convince him that sacrificing a boy with no father on the hill will cure the curse (either because their magic was flawed or they knew the boy would cause their own deaths). Such a boy was Merlin (possibly the same Merlin in Arthurian legends) who had a mother who had been made pregnant by an incubus. Merlin is brought to the hill but uses his powers of prophecy to determine the real cause, he says there is water under the foundations and tells Vortigen to dig. Eventually the two dragons are released from their imprisonment where they resume their fight, (sometimes they kill each other, others the red dragon wins) with the dragons gone Vortigen can build his castle and punish his original advisers whom had tried to deceive him.
The more distinguishing features of the Draig Coch include its arrow tipped tail and tongue, that and noticeable ears; unlike a snake, whom some other dragons' ears mirror.
cyclops
In the Theogony, the Cyclopes – Arges, Brontes, and Steropes – were the primordial sons of Uranus (Sky) and Gaia (Earth) and brothers of the Hecatonchires. They were giants with a single eye in the middle of their forehead and a foul disposition. According to Hesiod, they were strong, stubborn, and "abrupt of emotion". Collectively they eventually became synonyms for brute strength and power, and their name was invoked in connection with massive masonry. They were often pictured at their forge.
Uranus, fearing their strength, locked them in Tartarus. Cronus, another son of Uranus and Gaia, later freed th e Cyclopes, along with the Hecatonchires, after he had overthrown Uranus. Cronus then placed them back in Tartarus, where they remained, guarded by the female dragon Campe, until freed by Zeus. They fashioned thunderbolts for Zeus to use as weapons, and helped him overthrow Cronus and the other Titans. The thunderbolts, which became Zeus' main weapons, were forged by all three Cyclopes, in that Arges added brightness, Brontes added thunder, and Steropes added lightning. These Cyclopes also created Poseidon's trident, Artemis' bow and arrows of moonlight, Apollo's bow and arrows of sun rays, and the helmet of darkness that Hades gave to Perseus on his quest to kill Medusa. According to a hymn of Callimachus, they were Hephaestus' helpers at the forge. The Cyclopes were said to have built the "cyclopean" fortifications at Tiryns and Mycenae in the Peloponnese. The noises proceeding from the heart of volcanoes were attributed to their operations.
Apollo slew the Cyclopes in revenge when Zeus killed his son, Asclepius, with a Cyclopes-forged thunderbolt.
werewolves
Some of the earliest accounts of werewolves come from Romania and Greek sources. Ovid, in the Metamorphoses, told of King Lycaeon, who was visited by passing gods. Not believing them to be true gods he decided to test them by serving human flesh in one of the many dishes served at a banquet in their honor. Cannibalism being very frowned upon in that part of the world was a major slight indeed. Upon discovering the tainted dish, the gods changed King Lycaeon into a werewolf -- since he obviously liked human flesh, the wolf form would be a more acceptable form to take part in such a vile activity.
The most widely know story of the werewolf would be "Little Red Riding Hood". There are many ancient were tales to worn the fragile, small and easiest of targets -- children. "Little Red Riding Hood" features a wolf who talks to Little Red Riding Hood and then dresses in grandmas clothing to fool the innocent little girl. Not something any 'ol wolf could do.
The full moon has been linked to werewolves. Conversely, unlike movie werewolves, 'real' werewolves change shape voluntarily. In many myths they are witches who take animal form to travel unnoticed using either a potion made from magic ingredients - the fat of dead children, herbs, human blood - or an animal-skin. A 'real' werewolf changes completely, becoming the animal rather than a hairy human. The full moon business seems to be dramatic license. However it is an interesting notion since the full moon has been associated with creating madness in humans and to be a time during which man and beast have a magical connection.
fairiesA fairy is a small, supernatural creature that dwells in a magical place. In folklore fairies are usually in human form but they are known to disguise themselves well when needed. There are a wide variety of earth spirits, from the elves and gnomes of the deep forest - to the pixies and fairies of flower gardens and meadow lands. Undines, nymphs and sprites are water creatures and sylphs are air spirits. Belief in fairies is universal among almost all cultures. Scholars attribute fairies to the sirens of Homer, the nymphs of the Iliad, celestial singers in Sanscrit poetry, spirits of the Pacific Islands, and Hathors of ancient Egypt. In more recent folk culture, you will find leprechauns - wee folk of Ireland, the brownies of Britain and the kobold from the faerie realm of Germany. Fairies live in their own enchanted realm but they also have been sighted among the flowers, woodlands, hills and streams - sometimes riding on their fairy steeds or flitting from flower to flower. When fairies gather together to sing and dance, you might find a fairy ring of toadstools / mushrooms after they have left. Thomas Croker (1789-1854) in his collection of Irish Fairy Tales, described fairies as being
"a few inches high, airy and almost transparent in body; so delicate in their form that a dew drop, when they chance to dance on it, trembles, indeed, but never breaks." Shakespeare wrote of Oberon, a fairy King in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and told of the fairy Queen Mab in "Romeo and Juliet." An English folk song, Tamlin, tells of a young knight bewitched by a fairy queen. In folklore, fairies are mainly felt to be charitable to humans. They are known however to be playful and love to play tricks on mere mortals. They must be spoken well of and treated with respect, or you may rouse their anger. Folklore speaks of leaving small trinkets as gifts to fairies, such as small beads and dainty deserts, to gain their favor.
mermaids
Mermaids--and mermen--appear as consistently in history as faeries and dragons. Like their "mythological" counterparts, mermaids were considered real until the early 20th century.
In fact, although we think of Disney's Ariel when we hear the word "mermaids," their actual history is ancient, well-founded, and--until recent years--treated as fact, not fantasy.
In this article series, we will define the merfolk as people with a human upper body and a fishlike lower body. Mermaids and mermen appear in some of our earliest recorded history.
Over 7000 years ago, the Babylonians honored a merman called Ea, later named Oannes by the Greeks. This god of the sea had the upper body of a man and the lower body of a fish. He spoke to the people in their own language, and provided important knowledge in the arts and sciences.
Today, we are more familiar with his later Greek and Roman counterparts, Poseidon and Neptune, although only their descendants appear as mermen.
In Roman history, Neptune is a god of water. Neptune is the son of the god, Saturn. Neptune's legends seem to have formed after the Greek Poseidon, and draw heavily from the Poseidon lore.
Poseidon, the god of the sea, was the son of Kronos and the brother of Zeus and perhaps Hades. When the world was divided, Zeus took the sky, Hades took the Underworld, and Poseidon took the seas. Although he is shown with a human body, Poseidon was able to live on land or under the sea.
Poseidon was also the father of Triton, one of the most famous mermen in history. Triton has the upper body of a man and lower body of a fish. In art, he is usually shown rising from the sea, blowing on a conch shell.
Triton's mother was Amphitrite, queen of the sea and one of the fifty Nereids. Although Amphitrite is usually portrayed with a fully human form--so she is not a mermaid--in legend she, like Poseidon, was able to travel under the sea as easily as on land.
One of the earliest mermaids was Syria's Atargatis, loosely related to Astarte and Aphrodite, and perhaps to Pisces. Sometimes--but not always--this goddess is portrayed with the lower body of a fish, relating to the cycles of the moon and the tides. She is also shown with a sheaf of wheat arched over her head, relating to a plentiful harvest.
Other early literature describes similar creatures, including sea nymphs and perhaps Sirens.
So, although Disney has given us a clear picture of a red-haired modern mermaid, the tradition of merfolk is an ancient one.
unicorns
The origin of the unicorn is much harder to pin down than the creation of the Pegasus myth. Pegasus is a mainly Greek/Roman phenomenon whereas the unicorn can be found in the stories and legends of a far flung region of the Northern continents, from Japan in the Far East to most of Europe and even into northern Africa and India.
In the orient the unicorn, usually referred to as a Ki-lin or Chi-Lin, is considered a harbinger of good fortune and a prophet of great things to come. It is said that a Ki-Lin would appear at or near the time of the birth of great men and wise emperors. One legend relates the appearance of a Ki-Lin at the birth of Confucius and that it carried in it's mouth a piece of imperial jade with the prophecy of the baby's greatness written upon it. The Ki-Lin has been a foundation of Chinese mythology as early as 2700 BC and is thought to be the first manifestation of the unicorn myth. He was one of the “four auspicious animals” that included the dragon, the phoenix and the tortoise. He was believed to live to a thousand years old and therefore embodied great wisdom and knowledge. His voice was exceptionally beautiful and likened to the sound of harmonious bells. His gentleness was so extreme that he would lift his feet very high to avoid stepping on any living creature. He was very strong, a leader among the animals yet he lived alone and it was thought to be impossible to catch him. This unicorn did not resemble the European unicorn, he was more of a cross between a lion and dragon, with his single horn shorter and growing backwards instead of rapier like forward from the brow.
The first known western written account is attributed to a Greek historian named Ctesia circa 400 BC. He described an ass-like horned creature that was thought to inhabit India. His unicorn was an animal that had the head of a deer, the body of a horse, the tail of a lion, the feet of a goat, blue eyes and a horn that was white at the base, black in the middle and red at the tip and was about 1 ½ foot in length. Interestingly enough, this creature was supposed to have purple head. This may have been a first attempt to link the animal with royalty as the colour purple has always been so hard to get and so expensive only royalty could afford to wear it. The unicorn was a very fast, powerful runner, even swifter than a horse. A recurring theme is that they are extremely hard to catch and were fierce fighters. Aristotle was fond of the unicorn myth and may have been responsible for it becoming popular in the Greco-Roman pantheon of mythical beings. A later historian, Megasthenes, also mentioned a unicorn that more resembled a rhinoceros.
At the time of these writings the world was not as well know as it is today. Many old maps had great areas that read only ”here be dragons” to show that is was not explored. To the Romans and Greeks, stories of fabled animals such as elephants and giraffes were the stuff of fantasy. Many pictures of these animals found on pottery and in frescoes were more the product of the imagination of the artist, hearing verbal descriptions by travelers, than of reality. The unicorn could possibly be a misinterpretation of the appearance of a rhinoceros or even the Oryx of the Arabian Desert. When an Oryx stands sideways his horns are so perfectly aligned as to appear as one.
Another theory is that the unicorn was invented to explain the appearance of a narwhal tooth. The narwhal is a small whale of the most northern seas. The male grows a single long tusk that can be up to 10 feet long and it twists in a spiral. The horn is actually quite beautiful and it is easy to imagine that the people of the north would trade these to travelers for great amounts of goods and may have made up stories to enhance their worth to gullible tourists. Much the same happens today to tourists in exotic places. The Vikings of Norway were known to trade in narwhal horn and kept the secret of where they came from for over 300 years, from the Middle Ages through to the 17th century. During these time the horn of the unicorn became extremely valuable and sought after as is was thought to cure any disease or ailment as well as neutralizing all poisons and purifying water. It was also thought that since the unicorn was a symbol of purity, and only a virgin could touch him, that the horn would prove the virginity of a noble bride. In France the custom was to carry a horn, or a cup made with unicorn horn, around the table and to touch all the food and drink to test it for poison. This ceremony continued at the court of the King until as late as 1789. There are written accounts of great amounts of money spent on powdered horn, as well as for pieces said to be unicorn horn. So prized was the fabled horn of the unicorn that Queen Elizabeth I in the 16th century paid 10,000 pounds for one, equivalent to the cost of an entire castle. It is still in the royal treasury today. The royal scepter in England is made from the rare tusk. In Japan, two crossed narwhal teeth adorn the entrance to the Korninkaku Palace. In Denmark multiple teeth comprise the frame of the Danish throne.
The unicorn appears in the Old Testament as something to both fear and revere. Many writers have speculated that the unicorn inhabited the Garden of Eden, but it is not specifically named. There is a theory that the unicorn perished in the great flood. Although this would be rather tricky for theologists during the Renaissance when the popularity of the unicorn was at its height. How could he have perished in the flood and yet be considered a symbol of Christ and a real beast at the same time? Another theory is that he was able to swim behind the ark and so survived that catastrophe to become the icon seen in the many tapestries of Europe. For many people, the mere mention of the unicorn in the Bible was proof of its existence. As well, Sir John Mandeville penned “The Traveler's Tales” in which he told of many adventures taken by the traveler and wrote as if the unicorn was a real animal. This book was taken as truth for many years. Reports of unicorn sightings were written as late as 1673 ,they were often penned by monks and missionaries and so were believed to be true.
The Christians of the day adopted the unicorn as a symbol of Christ. It was well known that only a pure maiden could tame a unicorn and therefore Mary, the Virgin Mother, was often depicted in art with a unicorn with its head in her lap and hence it became a symbol of Christ himself in allegory. During this time the unicorn was often part of heraldry and included in a nobleman's coat of arms. The French were partial to the combination of the unicorn and the iris as symbols of nobility and loyalty. The English used the rose and unicorn to stand for strength, constancy and immortality. When England, Scotland and Wales consolidated into the United Kingdom of Britain many Coats of Arms then included the lion of England with the unicorn of Scotland. In the 15th century a series of 6 tapestries were woven in Brussels that depicted the unicorn being captured with the lure of virgin maidens. These tapestries, The Lady and the Unicorn, were created as a wedding present to a noble and today reside in the Cluny Museum in Paris, France. Another famous series, The Hunt of the Unicorn, is comprised of 7 tapestries that are at the Cloisters Museum in New York. They are collectively probably the most famous art works of all time.
trolls
Far to the North where the winter storms whip the weather-beaten coasts, you
will find a long and narrow country. Here you see dark forests with moonlit
lakes, deep fjords surrounded by mighty snowcapped mountains, and long
rivers and cold streams cascading down the mountain sides.
Nowadays this country is covered by snow and ice only six months a year. A
long, long time ago, however, there existed a massive glacier that brooded
over the entire country for thousands of years.
As the climate gradually warmed and the glacier slowly retreated to the
North, Man to the South of the glacier followed in its wake. Looking at this
country and finding it to be magnificent, they considered themselves to be
its first inhabitants. People settled there and named it Norway. They were
themselves called 'nordmenn' (Men of the North).
It did not take them long, however, to realize that on this land there were
various other creatures hiding out in the forests and mountain sides. People
did not know what these creatures were, but they were generally believed to
have supernatural powers, and they came to be known as trolls.
The trolls would come out of their hiding-places only after sun-set, and
they would disappear before the morning sun arose in the East. Direct
exposure to the sun could cause them to crack, turn into stone and possibly
burst. On occasion the trolls would evidently forget to hide from the sun,
and rock formations can today be found in various places with troll-like features.
The trolls were mostly seen on bright moonlit nights, or during stormy
nights that could frighten about anyone who happened to be outdoors at that time.
The trolls had very distinct features. They had long crooked noses, only
four fingers and toes on each limb, and most of them had long bushy tails.
Some trolls were giants, and others were small. There were stories of two-
headed as well as three-headed trolls, and even a few had only one eye in
the middle of their wrinkled foreheads. Others had trees and rough moss-like
growth all over their heads and noses.
Although they were shaggy and rough-haired, and most looked frightening,
they were also known to be good-natured and naive. So naive in fact that
even sly peasant boys could, on occasion, easily trick them. Stories about such
encounters are common in the fairy tales.
Most trolls lived to be hundreds of years old. However, because of the
trolls extremely shy nature, their true origin, their lifestyle or what
surprises they might pull has always been a mystery.
The ability to transform themselves counted among the trolls many
supernatural skills. The fairy maidens - called "Hulder" - could transform
into incredibly attractive young ladies. However, they could not get rid of
their tails. Hunters and farmers sons, who were lured to the mountains by
these fairies, would usually check for tails on their new-found beauties.
The wrath of the trolls was boundless. It was therefore considered very
important not to make them your enemy. If a farmer did provoke a troll, his
livestock might be subject to disease or harmful sickness, or worse things
could happen. On the other hand, a good relationship with the trolls could be very
rewarding.
Now, even in modern times it is well advised to keep a good standing with
the trolls, since you never know when you will meet one yourself. The next
time you go to the dark forests and the mighty mountains with their deep
lakes and roaring waterfalls, just remember, they probably mean no harm. But
be aware. In the twilight hours you are no longer alone.
Then it is only you . . . and all the trolls.
vampires
Vampires and vampire legend play significant roles in the cultures of many areas around the world. These blood-sucking beings are most common in the cultures of Eastern Europe, although similar manifestations are reported in some Asian cultures as well as some ancient cultures. Vampire legends have a distinct background bridging several cultures and eras, making them some of the most compelling stories ever told.
The first step in understanding vampire lore is to understand some of the biological reasons that may have led to such beliefs. One of the most plausible explanations for vampire myths is the disease porphyria, which occurred frequently in Transylvania. Porphyria is a blood-related condition where a vital function of blood cells is lost. This results in rapid tissue damage, giving the victim a ghastly pallor and enlarged teeth due to gum damage. The effects of porphyria are greatly amplified upon exposure to the sun, making sun light a likely threat victims would try to avoid at all costs. It is also believed that certain strains of porphyria are associated with neurological conditions, which would result in insanity. This condition also explains the practice of drinking blood, as these people would likely drink animal blood as a cure for the anemia associated with porphyria. Another explanation for this legend is the disease rabies, as it leads to hypersensitivity, unusual sleep patterns, and intense sexuality. Rabies is also associated with the compulsion to bite others, and a bloody foaming at the mouth. These two diseases could possibly explain the origins of vampire legends, and perhaps also why they are so widespread.
From the beginning of history, vampire-like spirits and beings have been recorded. The Akhkharu were blood-sucking demons, written about back in the time of Sumer. The ancient Chinese wrote about "hopping corpses" which would go around and consume a victim’s life essence (commonly known as chi). Even ancient Egyptian lore had a story where the goddess Sakhmet was consumed with bloodlust. From the earliest of times, vampire like beings have been prominent in folklore from several different cultures.
The most well-known versions of vampire myth are those of the Slavic and Romanian cultures, which, due to their proximity, are surprisingly similar. Both have several reasons that a person may become a vampire, such as unnatural death, birth defects, or conception on certain days. Romanian legend gave rise to the belief that being bitten by a vampire would doom one to become a vampire after death. Both Slavic and Romanian myths hold the belief that, with the advent of a vampire, there would be deaths of livestock and family members of the vampire. The favored way to kill a vampire in these two myths is by driving a stake through the heart, decapitation, and if necessary, dismemberment. Slavic and Romanian vampire myths have given rise to the most popular world-view of vampires.
Vampire legends have played a significant role in the folklore of many regions of the world, since the beginning of history in Sumer, and they will continue to be important through such media as movies, books, and video games well into the future.
giants
Giants are humanoid creatures of prodigious size and strength, a type of legendary monster that appear in the tales of many different races and cultures. They are often stupid or violent and are frequently said to eat humans, especially children; others, however, like Oscar Wilde's giants, are intelligent and friendly.
The Cyclopes of Homer's Odyssey were giants, as was Goliath who strove with King David in the Bible. The Bible also records a race of giants whose name is now usually translated "Nephilim;" these are the giants meant when the book Genesis observes that "There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men and they bore children to them, the same became mighty men who were of old, men of renown." (Gen. 6:4 KJV). The most named one is Nemrod.
In Germanic mythologies, giants are often opposed to the gods. In particular, the Wodin/Odin-derived mythologies of Northern Europe feature frost giants, who are eternally opposed to the Aesir. The Aesir themselves emerged from the race of giants, and in the eventual, apocalyptic battle of Ragnarok the frost giants will storm Asgard, home of the gods, and defeat the gods in war, bringing about the end of the world. In the mature form of this mythology recorded in the Edda poetry and prose, giants inter-marry with the gods and are the origin of most of the monsters in Nordic mythology (e.g., the Fenris Wolf), so relations between the Aesir and the giants are sometimes cordial and sometimes adversarial.
Tales of combat with giants were a common feature in the folklore of Wales and Ireland. From here, giants got into Breton and Arthurian romances, and from this source they spread into the heroic tales of Torquato Tasso, Ludovico Ariosto, and their follower Edmund Spenser. The giant Despair appears in John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress. Norse and Anglo-Saxon mythology are also rich in tales of giants, which seem there to be a separate race akin to the gods, and strove often with Thor. Ogres and trolls are giant-like humanoid creatures that occur in various sorts of European folklore.
In Basque mythology, giants appear as jentilak (Gentiles) and mairuak (Moors). They are who made dolmens and menhirs. After Christianization, the giants were driven away. The only remaining one is Olentzero, a coalmaker that brings gifts on Christmas Eve.
Giants figure in a great many fairy tales and folklore stories, such as Jack and the Beanstalk and Paul Bunyan.
The Centaurs are half man and half horse. They have the body of a horse but, in place of the horse's head the have the torso, head and arms of a man. Most are wild and savage, known for lustfulness and drunkenness. The exception is the wise Centaur, Chiron.
The father of Centaurs was Centaurus, who was held in disrepute by both men and gods. Some accounts claim that he was the son of Apollo and Stilbe but, the more interesting accounts say he was fathered by Ixion. He gave birth to the race of Centaurs by mating with Magnesian mares.
The pivotal event in the history of the Centaurs was their war with the Lapiths. King Peirithous of the Lapiths inherited part of Thessaly from his father Ixion. The Centaurs as grandsons of Ixion claimed they were entitled to part of the land. After a first round of fighting a peace was arranged. Peirithous invited the Centaurs to his wedding. Here the Centaurs became drunk, then violent. Under the lead of Eurytion, they attempted to carry off the Lapith women. In the resulting battle the Centaurs were defeated and driven from the area.
Witches exist, but they tend to go by different names, nowadays
Wiccans, pagans, and shamans make up the practice called Wicca, or The Craft. Wicca is now an established religion in the United States with hundreds of thousands of followers. There are many facets to Wicca; some Wiccans/pagans/shamans choose the more natural path of just being in tune with nature, and others practice the more well-known witch-like rituals i.e. they have spells and samhain rituals.
Although, do not get Wiccans are not Witches. Wiccan is a religion; Witchcraft is a craft.
The word Wicca actually means wise. Paganism/Wicca, though not the stereotypical barbarous kind that Christianity has spread over the centuries, is one of the oldest religions. They believe in an unknowable and androgynous deity, and seek to balance themselves with the natural world. The overall maxim for Wiccans is pretty much you can do whatever you want, as long as it doesn't harm anyone else.
Wicca is not a savage or weird practice as many today seem to perceive it as. In fact, the leaders of Wicca and shamanism are renowned doctors that have been established as professionals in what they do. Wiccan's celebrate astrological figures like the moon, and certain Gods, their most celebrated god being the Goddess of the Moon. This is because luna is the closest figure to us.
ghosts
While they can be beneficial, negative, or neutral, ghosts—the spirits of dead people—are often tragic. Ghosts often haunt a location or someone living, and they sometimes appear as a warning. But mostly ghosts are harmless beings that would no more hurt a human than a teddy bear could hurt a fly. Ghosts can also be invoked to help the living, sometimes with mixed results.
In the late 19th century, the Paiute Indians of North America practiced a ghost dance, including trances, lasting five days. Believing it would stop the westward expansion of white settlers other tribes adopted the ghost dance. Just before their tragic 1890 battle with the U.S. cavalry at Wounded Knee, South Dakota, Sioux warriors performed the ceremony, and entered battle wearing ghost shirts to protect them against bullets. Nonetheless, they died by the score.
Other western ghosts populate "ghost towns," once-thriving communities that have been abandoned by the living. Virginia City, Nevada; Silver City, Idaho; and St. Elmo, Colorado are famous towns where the inhabitants are all ghosts busily maintaining the traditions of a happier time.
There are also many different kinds of ghosts. Some are just called ghosts, others are called spirits, beings, and in one instance deities. The mischievous ones that can move and throw things are usually known as Poltergeists. Some people even make a living out of searching for the supernatural, ghosts in particular. And some even find proof, but it is up to us, as the third party viewer to decide what we believe in. Are they real or are they a figment of humans overactive imaginations?
dragons
he national symbol of wales and the image on the welsh flag.
The Red Dragon, Draig Coch, Y Ddraig Goch, in the Mabinogion, fights an invading white dragon with such brutality the people are forced to fill a pit with mead to lure them in and then imprison them.
In the next tale a King Vortigen wishes to build a castle on a hill but each night the work of the day falls down. Vortigen's magical advisors convince him that sacrificing a boy with no father on the hill will cure the curse (either because their magic was flawed or they knew the boy would cause their own deaths). Such a boy was Merlin (possibly the same Merlin in Arthurian legends) who had a mother who had been made pregnant by an incubus. Merlin is brought to the hill but uses his powers of prophecy to determine the real cause, he says there is water under the foundations and tells Vortigen to dig. Eventually the two dragons are released from their imprisonment where they resume their fight, (sometimes they kill each other, others the red dragon wins) with the dragons gone Vortigen can build his castle and punish his original advisers whom had tried to deceive him.
The more distinguishing features of the Draig Coch include its arrow tipped tail and tongue, that and noticeable ears; unlike a snake, whom some other dragons' ears mirror.
cyclops
In the Theogony, the Cyclopes – Arges, Brontes, and Steropes – were the primordial sons of Uranus (Sky) and Gaia (Earth) and brothers of the Hecatonchires. They were giants with a single eye in the middle of their forehead and a foul disposition. According to Hesiod, they were strong, stubborn, and "abrupt of emotion". Collectively they eventually became synonyms for brute strength and power, and their name was invoked in connection with massive masonry. They were often pictured at their forge.
Uranus, fearing their strength, locked them in Tartarus. Cronus, another son of Uranus and Gaia, later freed th e Cyclopes, along with the Hecatonchires, after he had overthrown Uranus. Cronus then placed them back in Tartarus, where they remained, guarded by the female dragon Campe, until freed by Zeus. They fashioned thunderbolts for Zeus to use as weapons, and helped him overthrow Cronus and the other Titans. The thunderbolts, which became Zeus' main weapons, were forged by all three Cyclopes, in that Arges added brightness, Brontes added thunder, and Steropes added lightning. These Cyclopes also created Poseidon's trident, Artemis' bow and arrows of moonlight, Apollo's bow and arrows of sun rays, and the helmet of darkness that Hades gave to Perseus on his quest to kill Medusa. According to a hymn of Callimachus, they were Hephaestus' helpers at the forge. The Cyclopes were said to have built the "cyclopean" fortifications at Tiryns and Mycenae in the Peloponnese. The noises proceeding from the heart of volcanoes were attributed to their operations.
Apollo slew the Cyclopes in revenge when Zeus killed his son, Asclepius, with a Cyclopes-forged thunderbolt.
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