Jenni's Encyclopedia of Fantastical Creatures

Coribug

2009-08-20T17:36:00.001-07:00

The 'S hertogenbosch Messenger Beetle, or more commonly known as the Coribug, is one of the cities best kept fantastical secrets. With its sleek star covered shell and it's brightly colored legs, this neverbug is known to give speedy messages to far away lands record time, making it extremely useful to both spies and dignitaries alike. Most locals would deny of its existance in order to protect its value from foreigners, for the 'S Hertogenbosch Messenger Beetle is exceptionally rare and nearly extinct species.

Physical Description

A fully grown adult 'S Hertogenbosch Messenger Beetle averages 5-9 inches in length and about 3-5 inches in width. With its sleek star covered shell, this black beetle was designed for speed. The wings of a Coribug may look flimsy and weak, but they are in fact lightweight and highly durable. Coribug wings have to be strong enough to withstand the friction attained by flying at extreme velocities, making them virtually indestructible (and inspiring the designs for a few European rockets). When the Coribug is not flying at highspeed, the brightly colored feet secrete a special substances that helps the messenger beetle to crawl on even the slickest of surfaces. Its underbelly is jet black, with the exception of a single red star on its lower abdomen that occasionally resembles an eye to the sleepy observer.

History

The 'S hertogenbosch Messenger Beetle has served a long and purposeful history among the people of the Netherlands. Although it is unknown exactly when these Neverbugs made the journey from Neverland to the Netherlands, these beetles have been serving since the city's founding with Henry I, Duke of Brabant. The town was originally conceived as a fortress town, and the duke secretly used these beetles to aid him in the protection of fledgling city. Since then, Coribugs were constantly in use to prevent several battles and disasters, though this didn't preven the city from seige several times throughout history.

Habitat

Coribugs originated somewhere in the forests of Never, eating the leaves and fruit they happen to find in the wild. However, they have since adapted their habitat to coincide with mankind and will live pretty much wherever their masters will take them and eat whatever they are given, though it has been said that they are particularly fond of Belgium chocolate and stroop waffles. Whether its a small shop on a cobblestone street or the tower of an old basilica, Coribugs will live happily so long as they're free to do as they please: namely, send messages.

Sending and Delivering a Message

Sending a message with a Coribug is surprisingly easy. By lightly tapping the Coribug on its head, you let it know you're ready to give it a message. First you tell it who you wish to send it to, with as many specifications as possible, especially if the receiver is in another country as their postal system may be quite different from what the beetle is used to. Then you tell it what you wish to say and tap the beetle on its back when you're finished. If it puts its rear in the air, it means the beetle was confused and is asking you to repeat the message once more for clarification. If it twitches its antennae and the wriggles its legs, it should be good to go. Let the beetle outside and away it goes with its message.

Receiving a message from a Coribug, however, is not nearly as simple as sending one. Due to years and years of having to send coded messages for important people, the beetle naturally delivers its message in a form of morse code, and of course, the message will also be in Dutch--no matter what language you happened to send the original message. The Coribugs vibrate their wings and back legs at such a high speed that it creates soundwaves that sound very similar to clicking. Sometimes they become so excited about finally giving a message that they forget what they were supposed to deliver and get carried away. This turns into a very complex dance and often becomes confusing for the listener, especially if the listener doesn't know both morse code and dutch. The key is to be very patient, and possibly even dance along with the beetle until it remembers what it is supposed to say.

When the message is finally completed, feel free to reward the Coribug with a piece of chocolate and let it sleep for the next few days (or weeks depending on the distance it had to travel). Because the 'S hertogenbosch Messenger Beetle burns so much energy flying so quickly, it's best to give it foods that are high in sugar.

Observer's Note: Due to advances in technology, it's often easier just to send an email or text message rather than using a messenger beetle. But for those who prefer a classy sense of fantasy style, then by all means use the messenger beetle if you can find one. Though do try to time the distance of the receiver so the beetle comes during day, as the Coribug will often crawl on the receiver's face if he or she is sleeping. The red star shape combined with the sheer size of the beetle can be rather startling if one doesn't know what to expect.

A special thanks, as always, goes to my brother for finding such a specimen, and to Kelsey, who inspired me enough to update my blog :)

Jackalope

2009-06-01T14:20:00.000-07:00

The jackalope — also called an antelabbit, aunt benny, Wyoming thistled hare or stagbunny — is a supposed cross between a jackrabbit and an antelope, goat, or deer , which is usually portrayed as a rabbit with antlers. These creatures are aggressive and unpredictable, and should not be provoked for any reason! Thus, it is also sometimes called the "warrior rabbit."

Description

It is said to be a hybrid of the pygmy-deer and a species of "killer rabbit". Reportedly, jackalopes are extremely shy unless approached. They breed only during electrical storms including hail, which accounts for their rarity. The jackalope is now most commonly sighted in the states of Colorado, Wyoming, and Nebraska. However, the jackalope does appear to have a European cousin, which in Germany is known as the wolperdinger. In Sweden, a related species is called the skvader.

It has also been said that the jackalope can convincingly imitate any sound, including the human voice. In the old West, when cowboys would gather by their campfires to sing at night, jackalopes would frequently be heard singing back, mimicking the voices of the cowboys. Jackalopes become especially vocal before thunderstorms, perhaps because they mate only when lightning flashes When chased, the jackalope will use its vocal abilities to elude capture. For instance, when chased by people it will call out phrases such as, "There he goes, over there," in order to throw pursuers off its track.

Female jackalopes can be milked as they sleep belly up and the milk can be used for a variety of medicinal purposes. However, it can be incredibly dangerous to milk a jackalope, and any attempt to do so is not advised. A peculiar feature of the milk is that it comes from the animal already homogenized on account of the creature's powerful leaps.

It is said that a jackalope may be caught by putting a flask of whiskey out at night, though this has not been proven to be entirely accurate. The jackalope supposedly will drink its fill of whiskey and its intoxication will make it easier to hunt.

History
Known by the ancients as "deerbunnies", it wasn't until the early 1960's that the modern more fearsome "jackalope" name was adopted. The jackalope legend in the U.S. was attributed by the New York Times in 1932 to Douglas Herrick (1920–2003) of Douglas, and thus the town was named the "Home of the Jackalope" by the state of Wyoming in 1985. Douglas has issued Jackalope Hunting licenses to tourists. The tags are good for hunting during official Jackalope season, which occurs for only one day, June 31.

A Special Thanks to Wikipedia and the followings sites for their information:

http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/tall-tales/jackalope.html

http://www.sudftw.com/jackcon.htm

And to Pixar for their fabulous representation of the jackalope!

RedCaps

2009-05-11T10:55:00.001-07:00

The RedCaps owes their name to the fact each one wears a red hat. They murder travelers who stray into their homes and dye their hats with their victims' blood. It is said, redcaps must kill regularly, for if the blood staining their hats dries out, they die.

Description
The RedCap is a thoroughly evil creature. They are short and stocky, with long gray hair and claws instead of hands. Redcaps are very fast in spite of the heavy iron pikes they wield and the iron-shod boots they wear. Outrunning a redcap is supposedly impossible; the only way to escape one is to quote a passage from the Bible. They lose a tooth on hearing it, which they leave behind. He is also particularly afraid of crosses. Though few RedCaps weild daggers, more often than not, the Red Cap would use an iron pike as his weapon of choice.

Redcaps are always hungry, and usually ill-tempered or violent. While some may attempt to deny this nature, and others may strike to harness it, these matters always lurk inside a Redcap.

Redcaps are the nightmare kith, born from the inevitable death that surrounded early man, from the freezing cold to the deadly starvation. Most commonly Unseelie, they can often be found as thugs, schoolyard bullies, gang leaders, brigands, rabble rousers, monster hunters, or sometimes even hunted monsters. It’s also possible, albeit somewhat rare, to find the occasional Seelie Redcap, sometimes even serving a noble as a knight, cook, or even a food-taster. Every family has its black sheep.

However, RedCaps are not blatant cannibals. That doesn’t mean they can’t or don’t eat human flesh, but they don’t go around letting the whole world know. Going around announcing the murders they’ve committed usually isn’t worth the legal and societal trouble of paying for them. Of course, bragging and intimidating someone are two separate things entirely.

Habitats

They live on the Scottish Border in ancient ruins of castles, especially in those with a bloody history of war and murder.

History

Feared and hated by the other kiths, Redcaps were spawned from the hunger and biting cold of the first Winter, and they’ve just gotten nastier since then. From feral hunters and meticulous monsters to rabble rousers and even the occasional restrained beast, all Redcaps bear an insatiable hunger and potential for inhuman cruelty. Often feeding from the fears, angers and hungers of the mortal populace, few Redcaps fear the coming Winter, and many eagerly anticipate a return to the season that spawn them, where their cruelty will lead them to rule the wasted lands. While the fae of hunger, cold wind, and other forms of natural destruction were not limited to any single location in their origins, the form that Redcaps now take is traced back to between 400AD – 1100AD, in “Pictland” (early Scotland and environs). Redcap scholars hint that some great violence committed by their ancestors in that period defined their entire fae species.

Life Cycle

Wilder Years

Redcaps in their Wilder years almost inevitably are drawn towards trouble. Their violent tendencies can lead Redcaps to join (or lead) gangs, whether they’re normal street gangs or Redcap Corbies, and their antisocial tendencies can often drive them to run away from their earlier homes, living either on the streets or in the wilderness. Drawn towards the anti-social and aggressive, the average Wilder Redcap delves into the seedier aspects of society or withdraws into seclusion.

Most Redcaps never make it past the dangerous Wilder years, but those that do are almost always the strongest, meanest and most merciless Redcaps, and their appetites only continue to grow with their age. What’s more, this appetite tends to extend out to other pursuits, from political power, knowledge, or cold, simple cruelty.

Grumps

Redcap Grumps can be among the most vicious creatures in the World of Darkness, combining a natural talent with a lifetime of practice, driven by a perpetual, gnawing hunger. Even the most refined Redcap of such age contains a great potential for antisocial behaviors, and they often become more withdrawn and solitary as they age.

Chrysalis
Redcaps Chrysalize most often through violence, anger, or near death (although on rare occasions, it’s happened after experiencing a culinary masterpiece). The dark, primal Glamour in a life-or-death struggle often sparks the bloody memories of their fae spirit, and a newly Chrysalizing Redcap is wracked by terrible hunger pains and frigid cold. Because of this, it is not uncommon for newly awakened Redcaps to leave bloody trails behind them in a temporary madness.

SOCIETY
Structure & Traditions
Redcaps, being generally antisocial fae, are not generally disposed towards ordered, kith-wide structures, but there are many common positions and traditions that a Redcap may fit into.

One of the oldest of these “traditions” is the Corby or Warband. Redcaps may unite to form a gang, either for mutual strength, protection, or to generally cause havoc. Almost always Unseelie, these bands can be as informal as a motley of two or three ‘caps (usually called a “Corby”) to as powerful as a regimented, trained army of dozens of Redcaps under one leader and multiple lieutenants (usually called a “Warband”). Infighting can be a problem in such bands, and any leader who can hold power must be powerful and never show weakness.

Other common positions or titles for Redcaps include “Laird”, which is a Redcap who has taken control of a freehold and holds it through his own power, and “Fimmrarch”, which is a Redcap sorcerer, specializing in mastery of the Arts. Lairds are somewhat rare nowadays, as freeholds are desperately guarded, and any Redcap who wants to take them will often have to share them with other commoners, or at least the gang that helps in keeping it. Meanwhile, there are no official rules for “becoming” that terribly feared paragon of Redcap arts, the Fimmrarch, (sometimes called “Hag-Queens” or “Lich-Kings”) nor is there any sort of entrance exam. The only real rule is that if you start calling yourself one, you’re going to have to have the power to back it up.

Relations & Attitude
Redcaps have a very chilly relationship with the rest of the kiths. Ranging from a bully-prey relationship with Pooka (who most see as irritating pups) to an outright hatred of the Sidhe (who are usually seen as pompous loudmouths who get away with murder because they look pretty), there are no kiths that are automatically close to them, although individuals may bridge the gaps on their own. The closest kiths to them are Sluagh (who they see as being just creepy).

A special thanks to Wikipedia as usual--and to the Redcap players online guide for the exceptionally in depth information.

And to the wizards of the coast for this slightly stolen image.

Golem

2009-04-14T11:10:00.000-07:00

In Jewish Folklore, a golem (גולם, sometimes, as in Yiddish, pronounced goilem) is an animate being created entirely from inanimate matter. The name appears to derive from the word gelem (גלם), which means "raw material". Alternatively some sources indicate it is a corruption of the Hebrew go′al 'enu (גואלנו) our redeemer or our avenger.

History
Origins of the word
The word golem is used in the Bible to refer to an embryonic or incomplete substance. The Mishnah uses the term for an uncultivated person. Similarly, golems are often used today in metaphor either as brainless lunks or as entities serving man under controlled conditions but hostile to him in others. Similarly, it is a Yiddish slang insult for someone who is clumsy or slow.

Earliest stories
The earliest stories of golems date to early Judaism. Adam is described in the Talmud as initially created as a golem when his dust was "kneaded into a shapeless hunk". Like Adam, all golems are created from clay. They were a creation of those who were very holy and close to God. A very holy person was one who strove to approach God, and in that pursuit would gain some of God's wisdom and power. One of these powers was the creation of life. No matter how holy a person became, however, a being created by that person would be but a shadow of one created by God.

Early on, the notion developed that the main disability of the golem was its inability to speak. In Sanhedrin 65b, is the description of Rava creating a man (gavra). He sent him to Rav Zeira; Rav Zeira spoke to him, but he did not answer. Said Rav Zeira, "You were created by the magicians; return to your dust."

Owning and activating golems
Having a golem servant was seen as the ultimate symbol of wisdom and holiness, and there are many tales of golems connected to prominent rabbis throughout the Middle Ages.

Other attributes of the golem were gradually added over time. In many tales the Golem is inscribed with magic or religious words that keep it animated. Writing one of the names of God on its forehead, a slip of paper in its mouth, or inscribed on its body, or writing the word Emet (אמת, "truth" in the Hebrew language) on its forehead are examples of such words. By erasing the first letter aleph in Emet to form Met (מת, "dead" in Hebrew, when the aleph letter א is cancelled) the golem could be deactivated. Another way is by writing a specific incantation in the owner's blood on calfskin parchment, and placing it in the mouth. Removing the parchment will deactivate the golem. It is likely that this is the same incantation that the Rabbi recites in the classic narrative.

The classic narrative
Depending on the version of the legend, under Rudolf II, the Holy Roman Emperor, the Jews in Prague were to be either expelled or killed. To protect the Jewish community the rabbi constructed the Golem out of clay from the banks of the Vltava river and brought it to life through rituals and Hebrew incantations. As this golem grew it became increasingly violent, killing gentiles and spreading fear. A different story tells of the Golem falling in love, and when rejected, he became the violent monster as seen in most accounts. Some versions have the Golem eventually turning on its creator and perhaps even attacking other Jews.

The Emperor begged Rabbi Loew to destroy the Golem, promising to stop the persecution of the Jews. To deactivate the Golem, the rabbi rubbed out the first letter of the word "emet" (truth or reality) from the creature's forehead leaving the Hebrew word "met", meaning death. The Emperor understood that the Golem's body, stored in the attic genizah of the Old New Synagogue , would be restored to life again if needed. Accordingly, the body of Rabbi Loew's golem still lies in the synagogue's attic, although some versions of the tale have the golem stolen from the genizah and entombed in a graveyard in Prague's Zizkov district where now the great Žižkovská tower stands.

The existence of a golem is sometimes a mixed blessing. Golems are not intelligent — if commanded to perform a task, they will take the instructions perfectly literally.
In some incarnations of the legend, the Maharal's Golem had superhuman powers to aid it in its tasks. These include invisibility, a heated touch, and the ability to use the Maharal's walking stick to summon spirits from the dead. This last power was often crucial, as the Golem could summon dead witnesses to testify in Prague courts.

In many depictions golems are inherently perfectly obedient. However, in its earliest known modern form the story has Rabbi Eliyahu of Chelm creating a golem that became enormous and uncooperative. In one version of this the rabbi had to resort to trickery to deactivate it, whereupon it crumbled upon its creator and crushed him.

A Special thanks to Wikipedia for the information and to RachelCurtis of Deviantart for this slightly stolen image :)

Roc

2009-03-24T20:02:00.000-07:00

A roc or rukh (from the Arabic and Persian رخ rokh, asserted by Louis Charles Casartelli to be an abbreviated form of Persian simurgh) is an enormous legendary bird of prey, often white, reputed to have been able to carry off and eat elephants, and its shadow is said to be large enough to block the sun.

Description
"A bird of enormous size, bulky body and wide wings, flying in the air; and it was this that concealed the body of the sun and veiled it from the sun."

In the account of Marko Polo the wingspan of the roc was 16 yards and the feathers 8 yards, its feathers were as big as palm leaves. The wind was the rush of its wings and its flight was lightning. The bird is usually described as being white. The egg of the roc is said to be over 50 yards in circumference. The Roc could carry an elephant in its claws which it would kill by flying to a great height then dropping the unfortunate creature to crash to its death on the rocks below.

According to Arabic tradition, the Roc never lands on earth, only on the mountain Qaf, the center of the world.

Western expansion
In the 13th century, Marco Polo stated "It was for all the world like an eagle, but one indeed of enormous size; so big in fact that its quills were twelve paces long and thick in proportion. And it is so strong that it will seize an elephant in its talons and carry him high into the air and drop him so that he is smashed to pieces; having so killed him, the bird swoops down on him and eats him at leisure". Marco Polo explicitly distinguishes the bird from a griffin.

In Pigafetta's account the home grounds of the roc were the China Seas.

Illustrators such as Johannes Stradanus ca 1590 or Theodor de Bry in 1594 showed an elephant being carried off in the roc's talons, or showed the roc destroying entire ships in revenge for destruction of its giant egg. Tomasso Aldrovandini's Ornithologia included a woodcut of a roc with a somewhat pig-like elephant in its talons.

Eastern origins
The roc had its origins, according to Rudolph Wittkower, in the fight between the Indian solar bird Garuda and the chthonic serpent Naga, a word that A. de Gubernatis asserted signified 'elephant' as well as 'snake'. The mytheme of Garuda carrying off an elephant that was battling a tortoise appears in two Sanskrit epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. The roc appears in Arabic geographies and natural history, popularized in Arabian sailors' folklore. Ibn Battuta tells of a mountain hovering in air over the China Seas, which was the roc.

Other accounts
In addition to Marco Polo's account of the rukh in 1298, Chou Ch'ű-fei (Zhōu Qùfēi 周去飞) in 1178 told of a large island off Africa with birds large enough to use their quills as water reservoirs.

Roc's feathers may have been brought to Kublai Khan as a gift.

A stump of a roc's quill was said to have been brought to Spain by a merchant from the China seas.

Roc in literary tradition
The legend of the roc, popularized in the West in the travels of Marco Polo and later in the 1001 Nights' tales, of Abd al-Rahman and Sinbad the Sailor , was widespread in the East. Through the sixteenth century the existence of the roc was accepted by Europeans. In 1604 Michael Drayton envisaged the rocs being taken aboard the ark:
All feathered things yet ever knowne to men,
From the huge Rucke, unto the little Wren;
From Forrest, Fields, from Rivers and from Pons,
All that have webs, or cloven-footed ones;
To the Grand Arke, together friendly came,
Whose severall species were too long to name.

A Special Thanks to Wikipedia, and to Genzoman of Deviantart for this awesome, but slightly stolen image!

And to http://monsters.monstrous.com/roc.htm for the extra information :)

Will o' the Wisp

2008-11-05T18:18:00.000-08:00

The will-o'-the-wisp, sometimes will-o'-wisp or ignis fatuus (modern Latin, from ignis ("fire") + fatuus ("foolish"), plural ignes fatui) refers to the ghostly lights sometimes seen at night or twilight — often over bogs. It looks like a flickering lamp, and is sometimes said to recede if approached.

Terminology
The term will-o'-the-wisp comes from wisp, a bundle of sticks or paper sometimes used as a torch, and will-o' ("Will of").

The folklore phenomenon will-o'-the-wisp (Will of the wisp) is sometimes referred to as Jack o' lantern (Jack of the lantern), and indeed the two terms were originally synonymous. In fact the names "Jacky Lantern" and "Jack the Lantern" are still present in the oral tradition of Newfoundland. These lights are also sometimes referred to as "corpse candles" or "hobby lanterns", two monikers found in the Denham Tracts. They are often called spooklights or ghost lights by folklorists.

Folklore
The names will-o'-the-wisp and jack-o'-lantern refer to an old folktale, retold in different forms across Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, Appalachia and Newfoundland .

One version, from Shropshire refers to Will the Smith . Will is a wicked blacksmith who is given a second chance by Saint Peter at the gates to Heaven, but leads such a bad life that he ends up being doomed to wander the Earth. The Devil provides him with a single burning coal with which to warm himself, which he then used to lure foolish travellers into the marshes.

An Irish version of the tale has a ne'er-do-well named Drunk Jack or Stingy Jack who makes a deal with the Devil, offering up his soul in exchange for payment of his pub tab. When the Devil comes to collect his due, Jack tricks him by making him climb a tree and then carving a cross underneath, preventing him from climbing down. In exchange for removing the cross, the Devil forgives Jack's debt. However, because no one as bad as Jack would ever be allowed into Heaven, Jack is forced upon his death to travel to Hell and ask for a place there. The Devil denies him entrance in revenge, but, as a boon, grants Jack an ember from the fires of Hell to light his way through the twilight world to which lost souls are forever condemned. Jack places it in a carved turnip to serve as a lantern.

Other traditions
Among European rural people, especially in Gaelic and Slavic folk cultures , the will-o'-the-wisps are held to be mischievous spirits of the dead or other supernatural beings attempting to lead travellers astray. Sometimes the lights are believed to be the spirits of unbaptized or stillborn children, flitting between heaven and hell. Modern occultist elaborations bracket them with the salamander, a type of spirit wholly independent from humans (unlike ghosts, which are presumed to have been humans at some point in the past).

Danes, Finns, Swedes, Estonians and Latvians amongst some other groups believed that a will-o'-the-wisp marked the location of a treasure deep in ground or water, which could be taken only when the fire was there. Sometimes magical tricks were required as well, to uncover the treasure. In Finland and other northern countries it was believed that midsummer was the best time to search for will-o'-the-wisps and treasures below them. It was believed that when someone hid treasure in the ground, (s)he made the treasure available only at the midsummer, and set will-o'-the-wisp to mark the exact place and time so that (s)he could come to take the treasure back. Finns also believed that the creature guarding the treasure used fire to clean precious metals bright again.

The will-o'-the-wisp can be found in numerous folk tales around the United Kingdom, and is often a malicious character in the stories. Wirt Sikes in his book British Goblins mentions a Welsh tale about a will-o'-the-wisp. A peasant travelling home at dusk spots a bright light travelling along ahead of him. Looking closer, he sees that the light is a lantern held by a "dusky little figure", which he follows for several miles. All of a sudden he finds himself standing on the edge of a vast chasm with a roaring torrent of water rushing below him. At that precise moment the lantern-carrier leaps across the gap, lifts the light high over its head, lets out a malicious laugh and blows out the light, leaving the poor peasant a long way from home, standing in pitch darkness at the edge of a precipice.

This is a fairly common cautionary tale concerning the phenomenon; however, the Ignis Fatuus was not always considered dangerous. There are some tales told about the will-o'-the-wisp being guardians of treasure, much like the Irish leprechaun leading those brave enough to follow them to sure riches. Other stories tell of travellers getting lost in the woodland and coming upon a will-o'-the-wisp, and depending on how they treated the will-o'-the-wisp, the spirit would either get them lost further in the woods or guide them out.

In Guernsey, the light is known as the faeu boulanger (rolling fire), and is believed to be a lost soul. On being confronted with the spectre, tradition prescribes two remedies. The first is to turn one's cap or coat inside out. This has the effect of stopping the faeu boulanger in its tracks. The other solution is to stick a knife into the ground, blade up. The faeu, in an attempt to kill itself, will attack the blade.

One Asian theologist ponders the relation of will-o'-the-wisp to that of the foxfire produced by kitsune, an interesting way of combining mythology of the West with that of the East.

In addition to Kitsunebi (aka Foxfire) described above, additional similar phenomena are described in Japanese folklore, including Hitodama (literally "Human ball" as in ball of energy), Hi no Tama (Ball of Flame), Aburagae, Koemonbi, Ushionibi, etc. All these phenomena are described as balls of flame or light, at times associated with graveyards, but occurring across Japan as a whole in a wide variety of situations and locations.

Similar Creature, Same Habits

Hinkypunk, the name for a Will o' the wisp in South West England has achieved fame in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. Here, the Hinkypunk is a translucent creature that bears a lantern in one hand and hops on a single foot, which lead many fantastical creature observers to wonder if this is an entirely different species altogether. Humans who follow this light may find themselves immersed in marsh.

A special thanks to the mysterious "Bill" who sent me the info and the awesome pic.

And thanks to the artist of the will of the wisp...

And of course, to wikipedia as always.

Gibberling

2008-07-03T09:42:00.000-07:00

Appearance
The first impression of gibberlings is of a writhing mass of fur and flesh . The pandemonium is actually a mass of pale, hunchbacked humanoids, with pointed ears, black manes and grinning faces. Their eyes are black, and shine with a maniacal gleam. Their fur is commonly infested with lice and other pests picked up during their burrowed slumber. Their hides are vile and worthless.

Combat
Gibberlings attack in great numbers, uttering ghastly howls, clicks, shrieks, and insane chattering noises. The screaming mob is completely disorganized in form, and random in direction. They usually carry short swords in their overly long arms. Where they get these swords is unknown, and they may instead wield crude weapons made from bone.
The horde's forward motion slows only long enough to kill anything moving, and then continues forward, their bloodlust apparently unabated. They always fight to the death. All food in their path is devoured, including the fallen among their own number, and any unfortified building or objects are generally wrecked.

Habitat and Society
It is difficult to imagine a gibberling social structure. Gibberlings require a prodigious amount of food to support their manic nocturnal existence, stripping to the bone anyone or anything that should fall in their path. It can be roughly compared to the social structure of a school of piranha in a feeding frenzy . There is no sense, no organization, and no individuality. Though they clearly have a primitive means of communicating among themselves, they have no discernible language.

Encountering a Gibberling
The only true hope of survival, should a herd of gibberlings be encountered, is to take strategic advantage of their fear of bright light. The gibberlings generally frequent only dense forests and Subterranean passages, loathing bright light of all kinds, and are particularly afraid of fire. If found during the day gibberlings awake, but generally cower in fear at the bright light surrounding them.

Gibberling Reproduction
Commonly, a brood gibberling gives birth to larvae called gibberslugs, which writhe beneath the skin of the brood gibberling. They are injected into the flesh of anyone the brood gibberling bites, including other gibberlings. The slugs then grow steadily and consume the body of their host from the inside, eventually bursting out through the skin. A brood gibberling can actually control those it has created, leading to the development of "clans" of the monsters.

Ecology
Attempts to find the gibberlings' lairs have inevitably led back to subterranean passages, where the trail is eventually lost in the deepest rock-floored recesses of the caverns. They can easily be tracked by the path of chaos and destruction they leave, and can be quickly dispatched while they lie dormant just beneath the surface of the ground. Gibberlings traveling above-ground invariably burrow into the ground to hide during the daytime, and it is at such time that they are most vulnerable. Subterranean gibberlings may burrow into the ground, or may simply lie down in a curled, fetal posture at times of rest. They awake suddenly, as a group, and burst in unison out of the ground, howling and gibbering in a most frightful way.

A special thanks to Wikipedia and to the makers of Dungeons and Dragons....

Unfortunately, there are no acceptable images of a gibberling that I could find...HELP ME OUT AND SEND ME A HIGH QUALITY PICTURE!

Wyvern

2008-07-02T14:39:00.000-07:00

A wyvern (or wivern) is winged reptilian creature. Its origin is in Europe. The name "wyvern" derived from the Saxon word Wivere, which means "serpent". The French wyvern is known as the Vouivre. Both words are etymologically related to viper.

Description

These creatures are smaller relatives of dragons with a poisonous sting in their tails. Unlike European Dragons that have four legs, the Wyvern has only two legs and two wings (with manueverable claws that act almost like hands). The rest of its appearance can vary, such as appearing with a tail spade or with a serpent-like tail. Also unlike dragons, wyverns cannot breathe fire.

Heraldry and symbolism
Wyverns can symbolise envy, war, pestilence, and viciousness. However, they also have a more noble depiction as a sign of strength and endurance. Wyverns have been on shields and banners for hundreds of years. They are a sign of strength to those who bear the symbol.

Modern Usage

The wyvern was the emblem of the rulers of Wessex and the word "Wyvern" is associated with the many areas of Wessex, reflected in many county and town heraldries of the South West and west of England. It also has been used farther afield in Herefordshire and Worcestershire , as the rivers Wye and Severn run through Hereford and Worcester respectively. Therefore, the wyvern is often used as a mascot in the west and south west. For example, one of the local radio stations is called Wyvern FM, and its first logo, in 1982, featured a wyvern dragon.

A special thanks to Wikipedia and to Tacimur of Deviantart for this great image!

Kobold

2008-07-01T08:12:00.000-07:00

The kobold is a sprite of German origin. Although usually invisible, a kobold can materialise in the form of an animal, fire, a human being, and a mundane object. The most common depictions of kobolds show them as humanlike figures the size of small children. Kobolds who live in human homes wear the clothing of peasants; those who live in mines are hunched and ugly; and kobolds who live on ships smoke pipes and wear sailor clothing.

Description
Kobolds are spirits and, as such, part of a spiritual realm. However, as with other European spirits, they often dwell among the living. Kobolds may manifest as animals, fire, human beings, and objects. Fiery kobolds are also called drakes, draches, or puks.

Kobolds who live in human homes are generally depicted as humanlike, dressed as peasants, and standing about as tall as a four-year-old child. A legend recorded by folklorist Joseph Snowe from a place called Alte Burg in 1839 tells of a creature "in the shape of a short, thick-set being, neither boy nor man, but akin to the condition of both, garbed in a party-coloured loose surcoat, and wearing a high-crowned hat with a broad brim on his diminutive head." Legends variously describe mine kobolds as 0.6 metre-tall (2-ft) creatures, dressed like miners with ugly features, including, in some tales, black skin.

A legend says that the kobold flies through the air as a blue stripe and carries grain. "If a knife or a fire-steel be cast at him, he will burst, and must let fall what which he is carrying." Some legends say the fiery kobold enters and exits a house through the chimney. Legends dating to 1852 from western Uckermark ascribe both human and fiery features to the kobold; he wears a red jacket and cap and moves about the air as a fiery stripe. Such fire associations, along with the name drake, may point to a connection between kobold and dragon myths.

Most often, kobolds remain completely invisible. Although King Goldemar (or Goldmar), a famous kobold from Castle Hardenstein, had hands "thin like those of a frog, cold and soft to the feel", he never showed himself. The master of Hundermühlen Castle, where Hinzelmann lived, convinced the kobold to let him touch him one night. The kobold's fingers were childlike. Legends tell of those who try to trick a kobold into showing itself being punished for the misdeed.

Types of Kobolds
Legends tell of three major types of kobolds. Most commonly, the creatures are house spirits of ambivalent nature; while they sometimes perform domestic chores, they play malicious tricks if insulted or neglected. In some regions, kobolds are known by local names, such as the Galgenmännlein of southern Germany and the Heinzelmannchen of Cologne . Another type of kobold haunts underground places, such as mines. Another class of kobold lives in underground places. There they put their skills at smithing to work. The name of the element cobalt comes from the creature's name, because medieval miners blamed the sprite for the poisonous and troublesome nature of the typical arsenical ores of this metal (cobaltite and smaltite ) which polluted other mined elements. A third kind of kobold, the Klabautermann, lives aboard ships and helps sailors.

Origins and etymology
The kobold's origins are obscure. Sources equate the domestic kobold with creatures such as the English boggart, hobgoblin and pixy, the Scottish brownie , and the Scandinavian nis; while they align the subterranean variety with the Norse dwarf and the Cornish knocker.

Several competing etymologies for kobold have been suggested. In 1908, Otto Schrader traced the word to kuba-walda, meaning "the one who rules the house". According to this theory, the root of the word is chubisi, the Old High German word for house, building, or hut, and the word akin to the root of the English cove. The suffix -old means "to rule". Classicist Ken Dowden has identified the kofewalt, a spirit with powers over a single room, as the antecedent to the term kobold and to the creature itself. Linguist Paul Wexler has proposed yet another etymology, tracing kobold to the roots koben ("pigsty") and hold ("stall spirit").

Grimm has provided one of the earlier and more commonly accepted etymologies for kobold, tracing the word's origin through the Latin cobalus to the Greek koba'los, meaning "rogue". The change to the word-final -olt is a feature of the German language used for monsters and supernatural beings. Variants of kobold appear as early as the 13th century. The words goblin and gobelin may in fact derive from the word kobold or from kofewalt.

Alternatively, kobold may derive from the Middle English and Middle French word gobelin and ultimately from the Middle Latin gobelinus. Related terms occur in Dutch, such as kabout, kabot, and kabotermanneken. Citing this evidence, British antiquarian Charles Hardwick has argued that the house kobold and similar creatures, such as the Scottish bogie, French goblin, and English Puck, all descend from the Greek Kobaloi, creatures "whose sole delite consists in perplexing the human race, and evoking those harmless terrors that constantly hover round the minds of the timid."

House spirits
Domestic kobolds are linked to a specific household. Some legends claim that every house has a resident kobold, regardless of its owners' desires or needs. The means by which a kobold enters a new home vary from tale to tale. One tradition claims that the kobold enters the household by announcing itself at night by strewing wood chips about the house and putting dirt or cow manure in the milk cans. If the master of the house leaves the wood chips and drinks the soiled milk, the kobold takes up residence. The kobold Hinzelmann of Hundermühlen Castle arrived in 1584 and announced himself by knocking and making other sounds. Should someone take pity on a kobold in the form of a cold, wet creature and take it inside to warm it, the spirit takes up residence there.] A tradition from Perleberg in northern Germany says that a homeowner must follow specific instructions to lure a kobold to his house. He must go on St John's Day between noon and one o'clock, into the forest. When he finds an anthill with a bird on it, he must say a certain phrase, which causes the bird to transform into a small person. The figure then leaps into a bag carried by the homeowner, and he can then transfer the kobold to his home. Even if servants come and go, the kobold stays.

House kobolds usually live in the hearth area of a house, although some tales place them in less frequented parts of the home, in the woodhouse, in barns and stables, or in the beer cellar of an inn. At night, such kobolds do chores that the human occupants neglected to finish before bedtime: They chase away pests, clean the stables, feed and groom the cattle and horses, scrub the dishes and pots, and sweep the kitchen.

Other kobolds help tradespeople and shopkeepers. A Cologne legend recorded by Keightley claims that bakers in the city in the early 19th century never needed hired help because, each night, the kobolds known as Heinzelmänchen made as much bread as a baker could need. Similarly, bieresal, kobolds who live in the beer cellars of inns, bring beer into the house, clean the tables, and wash the bottles and glasses. This association between kobolds and work gave rise to a saying current in 19th-century Germany that a woman who worked quickly "had the kobold".

A kobold can bring wealth to his household in the form of grain and gold. A legend from Saterland and East Friesland , recorded by Thorpe in 1852, tells of a kobold called the Alrûn. Despite standing only about a foot tall, the creature could carry a load of rye in his mouth for the people with whom he lived and did so daily as long as he received a meal of biscuits and milk. The saying to have an Alrûn in one's pocket means "to have luck at play".

However, kobold gifts may be stolen from the neighbours; accordingly, some legends say that gifts from a kobold are demonic or evil. Nevertheless, peasants often welcome this trickery and feed their kobold in the hopes that it continue bringing its gifts. A family coming into unexplained wealth was often attributed to a new kobold moving into the house.

Kobolds bring good luck and help their hosts as long as the hosts take care of them. The kobold Hinzelmann found things that had been lost. He had a rhyme he liked to sing: "If thou here wilt let me stay, / Good luck shalt thou have alway; / But if hence thou wilt me chase, / Luck will ne'er come near the place." Three famous kobolds, King Goldemar, Hinzelmann, and Hödekin, all gave warnings about danger to the owners of the home in which they lived. Hinzelmann once warned a colonel to be careful on his daily hunt. The man ignored the advice, only to have his gun backfire and shoot off his thumb. Hinzelman appeared to him and said, "See, now, you have got what I warned you of! If you had refrained from shooting this time, this mischance would not have befallen you." The kobold Hödekin, who lived with the bishop of Hildesheim in the 12th century, once warned the bishop of a murder. When the bishop acted on the information, he was able to take over the murderer's lands and add them to his bishopric.

In return, the family must leave a portion of their supper (or beer, for the bierasal) to the spirit and must treat the kobold with respect, never mocking or laughing at the creature. A kobold expects to be fed in the same place at the same time each day, or in the case of the Hütchen, once a week and on holidays. One tradition says that their favourite food is grits or water-gruel. Tales tell of kobolds with their own rooms; the kobold Hinzelmann had his own chamber at the castle, complete with furnishings. King Goldemar was said to sleep in the same bed with Neveling von Hardenberg. He demanded a place at the table and a stall for his horses. Keightley relates that maids who leave the employ of a certain household must warn their successor to treat the house kobold well.

Legends tell of slighted kobolds becoming quite malevolent and vengeful, afflicting errant hosts with supernatural diseases, disfigurements, and injuries. Their pranks range from beating the servants to murdering those who insult them. One holyman visited the home of Hinzelmann and refused to accept the kobold's protests that he was a Christian. Hinzelmann threatened him, and the nobleman fled. Another nobleman refused to drink to the kobold's honour, which prompted Hinzelmann to drag the man to the ground and choke him near to death. When a kitchen servant got dirt on the kobold Hödekin and sprayed him with water each time he appeared, Hödekin asked that the boy be punished, but the steward dismissed the behaviour as a childish prank. Hodeken waited for the servant to go to sleep and then strangled him, tore him limb from limb, and threw him in a pot over the fire. The head cook rebuked the kobold for the murder, so Hodeken squeezed toad blood onto the meat being prepared for the bishop. The cook chastised the spirit for this behaviour, so Hodeken threw him over the drawbridge into the moat.

Archibald Maclaren has attributed kobold behaviour to the virtue of the homeowners; a virtuous house has a productive and helpful kobold; a vice-filled one has a malicious and mischievous pest. If the hosts give up those things to which the kobold objects, the spirit ceases its annoying behaviour. Joseph Snowe has related the tale of a kobold at Alte Burg: When two students slept in the mill in which the creature lived, one of them ate the offering of food the miller had left the kobold. The student who had left the meal alone felt the kobold's touch as "gentle and soothing", but the one who had eaten its food felt that "the fingers of the hand were pointed with poisoned arrowheads, or fanged with fire."

Even friendly kobolds are rarely completely good, and house kobolds may do mischief for no particular reason. They hide things, push people over when they bend to pick something up, and make noise at night to keep people awake. The kobold Hödekin of Hildesheim roamed the walls of the castle at night, forcing the watch to be constantly vigilant. A kobold in a fishermen's house in Köpenick on the Wendish Spree reportedly moved sleeping fishermen so that their heads and toes lined up. King Goldemar enjoyed strumming the harp and playing dice. One of Hinzelmann's pranks was to pinch drunken men to make them start fights with their companions.

Folktales tell of people trying to rid themselves of mischievous kobolds. In one tale, a man with a kobold-haunted barn puts all the straw onto a cart, burns the barn down, and sets off to start anew. As he rides away, he looks back and sees the kobold sitting behind him. "It was high time that we got out!" it says. A similar tale from Köpenick tells of a man trying to move out of a kobold-infested house. He sees the kobold preparing to move too and realises that he cannot rid himself of the creature. The lord of the Hundermühlen Castle disliked Hinzelmann and tried to escape him by taking up residence with his family and retinue elsewhere. Nevertheless, the invisible kobold travelled along with them as a white feather, which they discovered when they stayed at an inn. "Why do you retire from me? I can easily follow you anywhere, and be where you are. It is much better for you to return to your own estate, and not be quitting it on my account. You see well that if I wished it I could take away all you have, but I am not inclined to do so."

Mine spirits
Mediæval European miners believed in underground spirits. The kobold filled this role in German folklore and is similar to other creatures of the type, such as the English knocker and the Welsh coblynau. Stories of subterranean kobolds were common in Germany by the 16th century. Superstitions miners believed the creatures to be expert miners and metalworkers who could be heard constantly drilling, hammering, and shoveling. Some stories claim that the kobolds live in the rock, just as human beings live in the air.

Legends often paint underground kobolds as evil creatures. In medieval mining towns, people prayed for protection from them. They were blamed for the accidents, cave-ins, and rock slides that plagued human miners. One favoured kobold prank was to fool miners into taking worthless ore. For example, 16th-century miners sometimes encountered what looked to be rich veins of copper or silver, but which, when smelted, proved to be little more than a pollutant and could even be poisonous. These ores caused a burning sensation to those who handled them.

Miners tried to appease the kobolds with offerings of gold and silver and by insisting that fellow miners treat them respectfully. Nevertheless, some stories claim that kobolds only returned such kindness with more poisonous ores. Miners called these ores cobalt after the creatures from whom they were thought to come.

Tales from other parts of Germany make mine kobolds beneficial creatures, at least if they are treated respectfully. Nineteenth-century miners in Bohemia and Hungary reported hearing knocking in the mines. They interpreted such noises as warnings from the kobolds to not go in that direction. Other miners claimed that the knocks indicated where veins of metal could be found: the more knocks, the richer the vein. In 1884, spiritualist Emma Hardinge Britten reported a story from a Madame Kalodzy, who claimed to have heard mine kobolds while visiting a peasant named Michael Engelbrecht: "On the three first days after our arrival, we only heard a few dull knocks, sounding in and about the mouth of the mine, as if produced by some vibrations or very distant blows. . . ."

Kobolds are sometimes indifferent to human miners so long as they are left alone. They are content to simply mine ore themselves, collect it, and haul it away by windlass.

Water spirits
The Klabautermann (also spelt Klaboterman and Klabotermann) is a creature from the beliefs of fishermen and sailors of Germany's north coast, the Netherlands, and the Baltic Sea, and may represent a third type of kobold or possibly a different spirit that has merged with kobold traditions. Belief in the Klabautermann dates to at least the 1770s. According to these traditions, Klabautermanns live on ships and are generally beneficial to the crew. For example, a Klabautermann will pump water from the hold, arrange cargo, and hammer at holes until they can be repaired. The creatures are thought to be especially useful in times of danger, preventing the ship from sinking. The Klabautermann is associated with the wood of the ship on which it lives. It enters the ship via the wood used to build it, and it may appear as a ship's carpenter.

The Klabautermann's benevolent behaviour lasts as long as the crew and captain treat the creature respectfully. A Klabautermann will not leave its ship until it is on the verge of sinking. To this end, superstitious sailors in the 19th century demanded that others pay the Klabautermann respect. Ellett has recorded one rumour that a crew even threw its captain overboard for denying the existence of the ship's Klabautermann0. Heinrich Heine has reported that one captain created a place for his ship's Klabautermann in his cabin and that the captain offered the spirit the best food and drink he had to offer. Klabautermanns are easily angered. Their ire manifests in pranks such as tangling ropes and laughing at sailors who shirk their chores.

The sight of a Klabautermann is an ill omen, and in the 19th century, it was the most feared sight among sailors. According to one tradition, they only appear to those about to die. Another story recorded by Ellett claims that the Klabautermann only shows itself if the ship is doomed to sink.

In media
German writers have long borrowed from German folklore and fairy lore for both poetry and prose. Narrative versions of folktales and fairy tales are common, and kobolds are the subject of several such tales. Kobolds appear in a number of other works. For example, in Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust, the kobold represents the Greek Element of earth:
Salamander shall kindle,
Writhe nymph of the wave,
In air sylph shall dwindle,
And Kobold shall slave.
Who doth ignore
The primal Four,
Nor knows aright
Their use and might,
O'er spirits will he
Ne'er master be.

A special thanks to wikipedia and to Yonaz of deviantart for this great image!

Vampire

2008-06-27T09:01:00.000-07:00

Vampires subsist by feeding on the blood of the living. They often visited loved ones and caused mischief or deaths in the neighbourhoods they inhabited when they were alive.

Description and common attributes

It is difficult to make a single, definitive description of the vampire, though there are several elements common to many European legends. Vampires were usually reported as bloated in appearance, and ruddy, purplish, or dark in colour; these characteristics were often attributed to the recent drinking of blood. Indeed, blood was often seen seeping from the mouth and nose when one was seen in its shroud or coffin and its left eye was often open.It would be clad in the linen shroud it was buried in, and its teeth, hair, and nails may have grown somewhat, though in general fangs were not a feature.

Other attributes varied greatly from culture to culture; some vampires, such as those found in Transylvanian tales, were gaunt, pale, and had long fingernails, while those from Bulgaria only had one nostril, and Bavarian vampires slept with thumbs crossed and one eye open. Moravian vampires only attacked while naked, and those of Albania wore high-heeled shoes.

As stories of vampires spread throughout the globe to the Americas and elsewhere, so did the varied and sometimes bizarre descriptions of them: Mexican vampires had a bare skull instead of a head, Brazilian vampires had furry feet and vampires from the Rocky Mountains only sucked blood with their noses and from the victim's ears. Common attributes were sometimes described, such as red hair. Some were reported to be able to transform into bats, rats, dogs, wolves, spiders and even moths.

Typically, the modern vampire is depicted as the suave, aristocratic (and charismatic) villian who usually had pale skin and eyes. They have amazing agility and are nearly impossible to kill by the everyday person.

Etymology
After Austria gained control of northern Serbia and Oltenia in 1718 , officials noted the local practice of exhuming bodies and "killing vampires". These reports, prepared between 1725 and 1732, received widespread publicity. Several theories of the word's origin exist. The English term was derived (possibly via French vampyre) from the German Vampir, in turn thought to be derived in the early 18th century from Serbian вампир/vampir. Like its possible cognate that means "bat", the Slavic word might contain a Proto-Indo-European root for "to fly".

Folk beliefs
The notion of vampirism has existed for millennia; cultures such as the Mesopotamians, Hebrews, Ancient Greeks, and Romans had tales of demons and spirits which are considered precursors to modern vampires. However, despite the occurrence of vampire-like creatures in these ancient civilizations, the folklore for the entity we know today as the vampire originates almost exclusively from early 18th century Southeastern Europe, when verbal traditions of many ethnic groups of the region were recorded and published.

Creating vampires
The causes of vampiric generation were many and varied. In Slavic and Chinese traditions, any corpse which was jumped over by an animal, particularly a dog or a cat, was feared to become one of the undead. A body with a wound which had not been treated with boiling water was also at risk. In Russian folklore, vampires were said to have once been witches or people who had rebelled against the church while they were alive.

However, the most common way for a person to become a vampire is through the bite of another.

Identifying vampires
Corpses thought to be vampires were generally described as having a healthier appearance than expected, plump and showing little or no signs of decomposition. In some cases, when suspected graves were opened, villagers even described the corpse as having fresh blood from a victim all over its face. Evidence that a vampire was active in a given locality included death of cattle, sheep, relatives or neighbours.

Protection
Apotropaics—mundane or sacred items able to ward off revenants—such as garlic or holy water are common in vampire folklore. The items vary from region to region; a branch of wild rose and hawthorn plant are said to harm vampires; in Europe, sprinkling mustard seeds on the roof of a house was said to keep them away. Other apotropaics include sacred items, for example a crucifix, rosary , or holy water. But these items DO NOT WORK! Do not trust in the gimics of folklores for protection against a vampiric attack. In fact, if a vampire on the streets really had it in mind to kill you, chances in your favor are pretty slim.

Additional rumors have said that Vampires are unable to walk on consecrated ground, such as those of churches or temples, or cross running water. Although not traditionally regarded as an apotropaic, mirrors have been used to ward off vampires when placed facing outwards on a door (vampires do not have a reflection and in some cultures, do not cast shadows, perhaps as a manifestation of the vampire's lack of a soul). Some traditions also hold that a vampire cannot enter a house unless invited by the owner, although after the first invitation they can come and go as they please.

Killing Vampires
Methods of destroying suspected vampires varied, with staking the most commonly cited method, particularly in southern Slavic cultures. Ash was the preferred wood in Russia and the Baltic states, or hawthorn in Serbia, with a record of oak in Silesia. Potential vampires were most often staked though the heart, though the mouth was targeted in Russia and northern Germany and the stomach in northeastern Serbia. Piercing the skin of the chest was a way of "deflating" the bloated vampire; this is similar to the act of burying sharp objects, such as sickles, in with the corpse, so that they may penetrate the skin if the body bloats sufficiently while transforming into a revenant.

Decapitation was the preferred method in German and western Slavic areas, with the head buried between the feet, behind the buttocks or away from the body. This act was seen as a way of hastening the departure of the soul, which in some cultures, was said to linger in the corpse. The vampire's head, body, or clothes could also be spiked and pinned to the earth to prevent rising.

Gypsies drove steel or iron needles into a corpse's heart and placed bits of steel in the mouth, over the eyes, ears and between the fingers at the time of burial. They also placed hawthorn in the corpse's sock or drove a hawthorn stake through the legs. Further measures included pouring boiling water over the grave or complete incineration of the body.

In the Balkans a vampire could also be killed by being shot or drowned, by repeating the funeral service, by sprinkling holy water on the body, or by exorcism. In Romania garlic could be placed in the mouth, and as recently as the 19th century, the precaution of shooting a bullet through the coffin was taken. For resistant cases, the body was dismembered and the pieces burned, mixed with water, and administered to family members as a cure. In Saxon regions of Germany, a lemon was placed in the mouth of suspected vampires.

Other methods commonly practised in Europe included severing the tendons at the knees or placing poppy seeds, millet, or sand on the ground at the grave site of a presumed vampire; this was intended to keep the vampire occupied all night by counting the fallen grains. Similar Chinese narratives state that if a vampire-like being came across a sack of rice, it would have to count every grain; this is a theme encountered in myths from the Indian subcontinent as well as in South American tales of witches and other sorts of evil or mischievous spirits or beings.

Despite the general disbelief in vampiric entities, occasional sightings of vampires are reported. Indeed, vampire hunting societies still exist, although they are largely formed for social reasons.

A special thanks to wikipedia and to Forget666 of Deviantart for this image.

Zombie

2008-06-26T08:46:00.000-07:00

A zombie is a reanimated human corpse. Stories of zombies originated in the Afro-Caribbean spiritual belief system of Vodou, which told of the dead being raised as workers by a powerful sorcerer.

Description

Modern zombies are typically depicted as mindless, unfeeling monsters with a hunger for human flesh. Typically, these creatures can sustain damage far beyond that of a normal, living human and can pass whatever syndrome that causes their condition onto others.

Usually, zombies are not thralls to masters, as in White Zombie or the spirit-cult myths. Rather, zombies come in mobs and waves, seeking either flesh to eat or people to kill or infect. Typically, they show signs of physical decomposition such as rotting flesh, discolored eyes, and open wounds, and move with a slow, shambling gait. They are generally incapable of communication and show no signs of personality or rationality.

Etymology
There are several possible etymologies of the word zombie. One possible origin is jumbie, the West Indian term for "ghost". Another is nzambi, the Kongo word meaning "spirit of a dead person." According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the etymology is from the Louisiana Creole or Haitian Creole zonbi, of Bantu origin. A zonbi is a person who is believed to have died and been brought back to life without speech or free will. It is akin to the Kimbundu nzúmbe ghost.

Voodoo

According to the tenets of Voodoo, a dead person can be revived by a bokor or Voodoo sorcerer. Zombies remain under the control of the bokor since they have no will of their own. "Zombi" is also another name of the Voodoo snake god Damballah Wedo, of Niger-Congo origin; it is akin to the Kongo word nzambi, which means "god". There also exists within the voudon tradition the zombi astral which is a human soul that is captured by a bokor and used to enhance the bokor's power.

Folklore
In the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed that the souls of the dead could return to earth and haunt the living. The belief in revenants (someone who has returned from the dead) is well documented by contemporary European writers of the time, such as William of Newburgh and Walter Map . According to the Encyclopedia of Things that Never Were, particularly in France during the Middle Ages, the revenant rises from the dead usually to avenge some crime committed against the entity, most likely a murder. The revenant usually took on the form of an emaciated corpse or skeletal human figure, and wandered around graveyards at night.

The "draugr" of medieval Norse Mythology were also believed to be the corpses of warriors returned from the dead to attack the living.

A special thanks to wikipedia and to the mysterious artist whose artwork I stole...

Susuwatari, Soot Sprite

2008-06-25T15:03:00.000-07:00

Susuwatari (ススワタリ lit. meaning "travelling soot") are the "dust bunnies" or "soot sprites". These are shy, slightly frightful creatures that live in abandoned buildings such as houses. They also make good workers in the Spirit World Boiler room with Kamaji.

Description

They are small, black as soot and apparently fuzzy, with spherical bodies and two inquisitive eyes. They move by hovering around, but they can extend stick-like legs and arms from their bodies to do certain tasks, and can lift objects many times heavier than their own weight. They make a squeaky murmuring sound when excited, and dissolve into powder (soot) if crushed.

Appearances
In My Neighbour Totoro, the house the main characters move into is full of Susuwatari, which are rationalized as Makkuro Kurosuke (pitch-black blackie), an optical illusion caused by moving quickly from light into darkness. Later, the family drives the Susuwatari out of the house, as the home that was once abandoned is now inhabited. They would move to another abandoned area.

In Spirited Away, the protagonist Sen (Chihiro) befriends a number of them by helping them carry coal. Sen is told that if these Susuwatari aren't given a job to do, they turn back into soot. Another character, Lin, feeds the Susuwatari much like farmers feed Chickens, throwing handfuls of the Japanese candy Kompeito onto the ground for them to eat.

A special thanks to wikipedia, and the makers of Spirited away.

Chocobo

2008-06-24T10:43:00.000-07:00

Description

A chocobo (チョコボ, chokobo) is a large, normally flightless galliforme/ratite bird capable of being ridden. While ordinary chocobos are yellow, certain rare breeds are of different colors and have special abilities, such as crossing mountains or flight. An even rarer, more extreme variant is the Fat Chocobo (or Chubby Chocobo), which resembles a morbidly obese yellow or white chocobo and can humorously stock the party's items in its stomach or appear randomly when summoning a chocobo in battle. Chocobos have occasionally been sighted as lightly armored war mounts in which case they can assist their riders with beak and claw. Overall, the species is a very versatile and useful bird, which comes in handy as horses. The onomatopoeia for a chocobo's call is "kweh" (クエ, kue) and is sometimes replaced with "wark" in English translations.

As Mounts
Most chocobos dwell in forests (although many live quite conspicuously in grasslands). While timid in the wild, and vicious if threatened, they tame rather easily and make good transports. In this role they tend to be capable of crossing shallow water and are noted for their high speeds. Most often they can be caught in the wild and ridden without fear of random encounters, escaping after the player dismounts. Chocobos can be raised and bred to be excellent racers.

In War
Chocobo can be equipped with various saddles for armor, and strap-on claws for weapons. There are also special furnaces where the owner can forge unique weapons and Recycle Boxes where the rider can combine items to get a new, randomly produced item. There are also feathers which provide various special abilities. Chocobo can also assume the form of some of the monsters from the game if he steps on certain traps.

Wild black chocobos appear as monsters, while tame yellow chocobos can be hatched by the player from eggs to assist in battle.

A special thanks to wikipedia and to the makers of final fantasy!

Cactaur

2008-06-23T18:26:00.000-07:00

The name Cactuar is the western localization of the original Japanese Sabotender, a portmanteau of "Saboten Pretender", "saboten" meaning "cactus" in Japanese.

Description

The Cactuar are a race of creatures that physically resemble cacti and are typically depicted in a distinct running pose with stiff arms and legs, three black dots on their faces (representing two eyes and an oblong mouth) and three yellow quills at the top of their heads. There is sometimes a giant variety of Cactuar, the "jumbo" cactaur, that displays a characteristic mustache.They bear a resemblance to Japanese clay figures called "Haniwa", a type of clay figures made for ritual and funerary uses.

Attack
Cactuar is known for its characteristic "1,000 Needles" attack, which is able to bypass an opponent's defense stat and always deals exactly 1,000 points of damage. Cactuars are usually worth a substantial amount of currency, experience points, ability points (there are a lot of variations) or a special item and have generally low HP, but their high evasion and defense stats and tendency to flee make them difficult prey.

"Jumbo Cactuars" as they are called also have a "10,000 Needles" attack which has the effect of causing instant death being one point higher than a character's maximum possible Hit Points.

Another variant of the attack is basically "1000 Needles" ten times consecutively, to multiple targets. This variant is especially deadly, as it can decimate an already weakened party, and, when done effectively, can even take out fairly high level party members.

A special thanks to wikipedia, the makers of final fantasy, and to RyoRyo of Deviantart for this great image!

This entry is ridiculously short--please help contribute interesting facts such as what cactuars like to do, what they eat, etc.

Harpy

2008-06-18T20:10:00.000-07:00

In Greek mythology, the Harpies ("snatchers", from Latin: Harpyia, Greek: Άρπυια, Harpuia, pl. Άρπυιαι, Harpuiai) were mainly winged death-spirits best known for constantly stealing all food from Phineas. The literal meaning of the word seems to be "that which grabs" as it comes from the ancient Greek word αρπάξ which means to grab.

Description
Though Hesiod (Theogony) calls them two "lovely-haired" creatures, Harpies as beautiful winged bird-women are a late development. Harpies are a humanoid avian mix, with the head of a human and the body of a vulture. Although they can be very beautiful if they put their minds to it, Harpies are typically filthy--in manners and in appearance. Their smell and sound is often terrible enough to keep sailors away from their roosts. As a whole, the species is viscious and cruel, torturing their prey to the point of insanity.

A warning to the adventurer: Do not ask a harpy over for dinner.

History
The Harpies were sisters of Iris, daughters of Typhon and Echidna .

Phineas, a king of Thrace , had the gift of prophecy. Zeus, angry that Phineas revealed too much, punished him by putting him on an island with a buffet of food which he could never eat. The Harpies always arrived and stole the food out of his hands right before he could satisfy his hunger, and befouled the remains. This continued until the arrival of Jason and the Argonauts.

The Boreads, sons of Boreas , the North Wind, who also could fly, succeeded in driving the Harpies without killing any of them, as a request from Iris, who promised that Phineas would not be bothered by the Harpies again, and "the dogs of great Zeus" returned to their "cave in Minoan Crete". Thankful for their help, Phineas told the Argonauts how to pass the Symplegades.

In this form they were agents of punishment who abducted people and tortured them on their way to Tartarus. They lived on Strophades. They were usually seen as the personifications of the destructive nature of wind. The Harpies in this tradition, now thought of as three sisters instead of the original two, were: Aello ("storm swift"), Celaeno ("the dark") — also known as Podarge ("fleet-foot") — and Ocypete ("the swift wing").

In the Middle Ages
Harpies remained vivid in the Middle Ages. In his Inferno, XIII, Dante envisages the tortured wood infested with harpies, where the suicides have their punishment in the second ring:

Here the repellent Harpies make their nests,
Who drove the Trojans from the Strophades
With dire announcements of the coming woe.
They have broad wings, a human neck and face,

Clawed feet and swollen, feathered bellies; they caw
Their lamentations in the eerie trees.

A special thanks to wikipedia and to Moros of Deviantart for this slightly stolen image.

Dragon--South American, Quetzalcoatl

2008-06-16T14:46:00.000-07:00

Quetzalcoatl (pronounced ketsalˈkoːaːtɬ in Nahuatl) is an Aztec dragon. The name is a combination of quetzalli, a brightly colored Mesoamerican bird, and coatl, meaning serpent. The ancient Aztecs believed the feathered serpent to be the patron god of learning and knowledge, as most dragons are highly intelligent. Several other Mesoamerican cultures are known to have worshipped a feathered serpent god: At Teotihuacan the several monumental structures are adorned with images of a feathered serpent (Notably the so-called "Citadel and Temple of Quetzalcoatl"). Such imagery is also prominent at such sites as Chichen Itza and Tula .

Description

A South American Dragon is similiar to its Asian Relatives in the fact that they do not necessarily need wings to fly. Although they have brightly colored feathers, these feathers do not assist in flight in any way. These feathery manes serve very little purpose other than giving the feathered serpent its distinctive appearance. The typical Quetzalcoatl has bright green scales that blend in with the jungle surroundings. It is often been debated how many legs an actual feathered serpent has, but the most common portrayal has no legs at all.

Origins
The Feathered Serpent deity was important in art and religion in most of Mesoamerica for close to 2,000 years, from the Pre-classic era until the Spanish conquest. Civilizations worshiping the Feathered Serpent included the Mixtec, Toltec, Aztec , who adopted it from the people of Teotihuacan, and the Maya.

The cult of the serpent in Mesoamerica is very old; there are representations of snakes with bird-like characteristics as old as the Olmec preclassic (1150-500 BC). The snake represents the earth and vegetation, but it was in Teotihuacan (around 150 BC) where the snake got the precious feathers of the quetzal, as seen in the Murals of the city. The most elaborate representations come from the old Quetzalcoatl Temple around 200 BC, which shows a rattlesnake with the long green feathers of the quetzal.

Teotihuacan was dedicated to Tlaloc, the water god, at the same time Quetzalcoatl, as a snake, was a representation of the fertility of the earth, and it was subordinate to Tlaloc. As the cult evolved, it became independent.

In time Quetzalcoatl was mixed with other gods and acquired their attributes. Quetzalcoatl is often associated with Ehecatl, the wind god, and represents the forces of nature, and is also associated with the morning star. Quetzalcoatl became a representation of the rain, the celestial water and their associated winds, while Tlaloc would be the god of earthly water, the water in lakes, caverns and rivers, and also of vegetation. These various 'godly' traits associated with the feathered serpent are understandable due to the various magical abilities of any dragon species.

Religion and ritual
The worship of Quetzalcoatl sometimes included animal sacrifices, and in most traditions Quetzalcoatl was said to oppose human sacrifice.

A special thanks to wikipedia and to gureiduson of deviantart for this slightly stolen image

Centaur

2008-06-14T08:59:00.000-07:00

The Centaurs (from Ancient Greek: Κένταυροι - Kéntauroi) are a race of creatures composed of part human and part horse. They are depicted as the torso of a human joined at the (human's) waist to the horse's withers, where the horse's neck would be.
This half-human and half-animal composition has led many writers to treat them as liminal beings, caught between the two natures, embodied in contrasted myths, and as the embodiment of untamed nature, as in their battle with the Lapiths, or conversely as teachers, like Chiron.

Origin
The centaurs were usually said to have been born of Ixion and Nephele (the cloud made in the image of Hera). Another version, however, makes them children of a certain Centaurus, who mated with the Magnesian mares. This Centaurus was either the son of Ixion and Nephele (instead of the Centaurs) or of Apollo and Stilbe , daughter of the river god Peneus. In the latter version of the story his twin brother was Lapithus, ancestor of the Lapiths, thus making the two warring peoples cousins.

Centaurs were said to have inhabited the region of Magnesia and Mount Pelion in Thessaly, Mount Pholoe in Arcadia and the Malean peninsula in southern Laconia.

Centauromachy
The Centaurs are best known for their fight with the Lapithae, caused by their attempt to carry off Hippodamia and the rest of the Lapith women, on the day of her marriage to Pirithous, king of the Lapithae, himself the son of Ixion. The strife among these cousins is a metaphor for the conflict between the lower appetites and civilized behavior in humankind. Theseus, a hero and founder of cities, who happened to be present, threw the balance in favor of the right order of things, and assisted Pirithous. The Centaurs were driven off or destroyed.

Another Lapith hero, Caeneus, who was invulnerable to weapons, was beaten into the earth by Centaurs wielding rocks and the branches of trees. Centaurs are thought of in many Greek myths as wild as untamed horses. The defeat of the Titans by the Olympian gods , the contests with the Centaurs typify the struggle between civilization and barbarism.

Female Centaurs
Though female centaurs, called Kentaurides are not mentioned in early Greek literature and art, they do appear occasionally in later antiquity. Ovid mentions a centauress named Hylonome who committed suicide when her lover Cyllarus was killed in the war with the Lapiths.

The Greek rhetorician Philostratus the Elder describes them as sisters and wives of the male centaurs who live on Mount Pelion with their children.
"How beautiful the Centaurides are, even where they are horses; for some grow out of white mares, others are attached to chestnut mares, and the coats of others are dappled, but they glisten like those of horses that are well cared for. There is also a white female Centaur that grows out of a black mare, and the very opposition of the colours helps to produce the united beauty of the whole."

A special thanks to wikipedia and to the makers of the Chronicles of Narnia Films for this image!

Naga

2008-06-13T14:53:00.000-07:00

Description

Nagas, resembling giant snakes, vary in appearance. Some have humanoid heads and some are more snake-like, and the torso may or may not be covered in scales. They often range widely in coloring and scale patterns, but are all usually about the same size. Most will 'stand' at a height about equal to or just above that of a regular human (six feet or so), but because of the length of their trailing tails they can raise themselves up by a few feet, to intimidate foes, or simply get a better view. Their tongues are also forked like snakes. Each type of naga has a certain amount of spell casting power. Some types of nagas have four arms, making them excellent sword fighters in addition to casting magic.

Society

Most nagas worship the naga creator goddess Shekinester and her son Parrafaire, except for dark nagas, who venerate Sess-Innek.

Types

The four most common races of naga are the dark naga, guardian naga, spirit naga, and water naga. But as you can see from the list, there are many others...
Banelar Naga - purplish naga that can manipulate magic items with short tentacles around its face; named after their association with the deity Bane
Bone Naga - a unique type of undead naga
Bright Naga - chaotic evil naga that can mock sorcerous spellcasting
Brine Naga - powerful naga that resembles a sea serpent
Dark Naga - lawful evil
Guardian Naga - lawful good
Ha-naga - a massive and powerful naga lord, often worshipped by spirit nagas as a god
Iridescent Naga - chaotic good
Master Naga - Possesses seven cowled heads, wearing giant gems whose value corresponds with the naga's age.
Spirit Naga - chaotic evil
Water Naga - neutral
Worm Naga - powerful servants of the deity Kyuss transformed into nagas

Shinomen nagas
The nagas of the Shinomen Forest are an ancient race of noble creatures. These nagas have humanoid torsos and snake tails. Five bloodlines are known to exist: asp, chameleon, cobra, constrictor, and greensnake.

Nagas in the Forgotten Realms
Nagas were created by the reptilian creator race, the sarrukh, along with yuan-ti. The banelar and iridescent nagas originated in the Realms, as well as a Faerûnian version of the ha-naga.

In Hinduism
Stories involving the nāgas are still very much a part of contemporary cultural traditions in predominantly Hindu regions of Asia (India, Nepal, and the island of Bali). In India, nāgas are considered nature spirits and the protectors of springs, wells and rivers. They bring rain, and thus fertility, but are also thought to bring disasters such as floods and drought. According to traditions nāgas are only malevolent to humans when they have been mistreated. They are susceptible to mankind's disrespectful actions in relation to the environment. They are also associated with waters — rivers, lakes, seas, and wells — and are generally regarded as guardians of treasure.

They are objects of great reverence in some parts of southern India where it is believe that they bring fertility and prosperity to their venerators.Expensive and grand rituals like Nagamandala are conducted in their honour. In north India certain communities called Nagavanshi consider themselves descendants of Nagas.

Varuna, the Vedic god of storms, is viewed as the King of the nāgas. Nāgas live in Pātāla, the seventh of the "nether" dimensions or realms. They are children of Kashyapa and Kadru . Among the prominent nāgas of Hinduism are Manasa, Shesha or Sesa and Vasuki.

The nāgas also carry the elixir of life and immortality. Garuda once brought it to them and put a cup with elixir on the ground but it was taken away by Indra. However, few drops remained on the grass. The nāgas licked up the drops, but in doing so, cut their tongues on the grass, and since then their tongues have been forked.

In Buddhism
The Buddhist nāga generally has the form of a large cobra-like snake, usually with a single head but sometimes with many. At least some of the nāgas are capable of using magic powers to transform themselves into a human semblance. One nāga, in human form, attempted to become a monk; when telling it that such ordination was impossible, the Buddha told it how to ensure that it would be reborn a man, able to become a monk.

Nāgas are believed to both live on Mount Sumeru, among the other minor deities, and in various parts of the human-inhabited earth. Some of them are water-dwellers, living in rivers or the ocean; others are earth-dwellers, living in underground caverns. Some of them sleep on top of anthills. Their food includes frogs and they love milk

The nāgas are the servants of Virūpākṣa (Pāli: Virūpakkha), one of the Four Heavenly Kings who guards the western direction. They act as a guard upon Mount Sumeru, protecting the devas of Trāyastriṃśa from attack by the Asuras.

In Cambodia
In a Cambodian legend, the nāga were a reptilian race of beings who possessed a large empire or kingdom in the Pacific Ocean region. The Nāga King's daughter married an Indian Brahmana named Kaundinya, and from their union sprang the Cambodian people. Therefore still Cambodians say that they are "Born from the Nāga".

The Seven-Headed Nāga serpents depicted as statues on Cambodian temples, such as Angkor Wat, apparently represent the seven races within Nāga society, which has a mythological, or symbolic, association with "the seven colors of the rainbow". Furthermore, Cambodian Nāga possess numerological symbolism in the number of their heads. Odd-headed Nāga symbolise the Male Energy, Infinity, Timelessness, and Immortality. This is because, numerologically, all odd numbers come from One (1). Even-headed Nāga are said to be "Female, representing Physicality, Mortality, Temporality, and the Earth."

In the Mekong
The legend of the Nāga is a strong and sacred belief held by Lao and Thai people living along the Mekong River. Many pay their respects to the river because they believe the Nāga still rule in it, and locals hold an annual sacrifice for the Nāga. Each ceremony depends on how an individual village earns its living from the Mekong River - for instance, through fishing or transport. Local residents believe that the Nāga can protect them from danger, so they are likely to make a sacrifice to Nāga before taking a boat trip along the Mekong River.

A special thanks to wikipedia and to kyoht of deviantart for this slightly stolen image!

Minotaur

2008-06-12T14:56:00.000-07:00

In Greek legends, the Minotaur (Greek: Μῑνώταυρος, Mīnṓtauros) was a creature that was part man and part bull. It dwelt at the center of the Labyrinth, which was an elaborate maze-like construction built for King Minos of Crete and designed by the architect Daedalus and his son Icarus who were ordered to build it to hold the Minotaur. The historical site of Knossos is usually identified as the site of the labyrinth. The Minotaur was eventually killed by Theseus. "Minotaur" is Greek for "Bull of Minos." The bull was known in Crete as Asterion, a name shared with Minos's foster father.

Birth and appearance
After he ascended the throne of Crete, Minos struggled with his brothers for the right to rule. Minos prayed to Poseidon to send him a snow-white bull, as a sign of approval. He was to sacrifice the bull in honor of Poseidon but decided to keep it instead because of its beauty. To punish Minos, Poseidon caused Pasiphae, Minos' wife, to fall madly in love with the bull from the sea, the Cretan Bull. She had Daedalus, the famous architect, make a wooden cow for her. Pasiphaë climbed into the decoy in order to have sex with the white bull. The offspring of their unnatural lovemaking was a monster called the Minotaur.

Nowhere has the essence of the myth been expressed more succinctly than in the Heroides attributed to Ovid, where Pasiphaë's daughter complains of the curse of her unrequited love: "the bull's form disguised the god, Pasiphaë, my mother, a victim of the deluded bull, brought forth in travail her reproach and burden." Literalist and prurient readings that emphasize the machinery of literal copulation may intentionally obscure the mystic marriage of the god in bull form, a Minoan mythos alien to the Greeks.

The Minotaur, as the Greeks imagined him, had the body of a man and the head and tail of a bull. Pasiphaë nursed him in his infancy, but he grew and became ferocious. Minos, after getting advice from the Oracle at Delphi, had Daedalus construct a gigantic labyrinth to hold the Minotaur. Its location was near Minos' palace in Knossos.

Tribute price that brought Theseus
Now it happened that Androgeus, son of Minos, had been killed by the Athenians, who were jealous of the victories he had won at the Panathenaic festival. Others say he was killed at Marathon by the Cretan bull , his mother's former taurine lover, which Aegeus, king of Athens, had commanded him to slay. The common tradition is that Minos waged war to avenge the death of his son, and won. However, Catallus, in his account of the Minotaur's birth, refers to another version in which Athens was "compelled by the cruel plague to pay penalties for the killing of Androgeos." In this version, the Athenians are made to ask Minos what they can do to stop a terrible plague that has come upon them, and he was thus given power to make demands of them. In either case, Minos required that seven Athenian youths and seven maidens, drawn by lots, be sent every ninth year (some accounts say every year) to be devoured by the Minotaur.

When the third sacrifice came round, Theseus volunteered to go to slay the monster. He promised to his father, Aegeus, that he would put up a white sail on his journey back home if he was successful and would have the crew put up black sails if he was killed. In Crete, Ariadne, the daughter of Minos, fell in love with Theseus and helped him navigate the labyrinth, which had a single path to the center. In most accounts she gave him a ball of thread, allowing him to retrace his path. Theseus killed the Minotaur with the sword of Aegeus and led the other Athenians back out of the labyrinth.

Theseus took Ariadne with him from Crete, but abandoned her enroute to Athens (Generally this is said to happen on the island of Naxos). According to Homer, she was killed by Artemis upon the testimony of Dionysus. However, later sources report that Theseus abandoned her as she slept on the island of Naxos, and there she became the bride of Dionysus. The epiphany of Dionysus to the sleeping Ariadne became a common theme in Greek and Roman art, and in some of these images Theseus is shown running away. This story is also recounted in Catullus.

On his return trip, Theseus was caught in a tremendous storm that resulted in the white sails being lost and put up the spare, black sails for the remainder of the voyage. His father, seeing the black sails and believing his son to be dead, was overcome with grief and leapt off the clifftop from which he had kept watch for his son's return every day since Theseus had departed into the sea. on Athenian texts, the name of the "Aegean Sea" is derived from this event.

Minos, angry that Theseus was able to escape, imprisoned Daedalus and his son Icarus in a tall tower. They were able to escape by building wings for themselves with the feathers of birds that flew by, but Icarus died during the escape as he flew too high (in hope of seeing Apollo in his sun chariot) and the wax that held the feathers in the wing melted in the heat of the sun.

Interpretations
The ruins of Minos' palace at Knossos have been found, but the labyrinth has not. The enormous number of rooms, staircases and corridors in the palace has led archaeologists to believe that the palace itself was the source of the labyrinth myth. Homer, describing the shield of Achilles, remarked that the labyrinth was Ariadne's ceremonial dancing ground.

A special thanks to wikipedia and to Vegasmike of deviantart for this great image!

Hydra

2008-06-11T07:47:00.000-07:00

The Lernaean Hydra (Greek: (Λερναία Ὕδρα) was an ancient nameless serpent-like chthonic water beast that possessed numerous heads— the poets mention more heads than the vase-painters could paint— and poisonous breath. The Hydra of Lerna was killed by Hercules as one of his Twelve Labours. Its lair was the lake of Lerna in the Argolid , though archaeology has borne out the myth that the sacred site was older even than the Mycenaean city of Argos, for Lerna was the site of the myth of the Danaids. Beneath the waters was an entrance to the Underworld, and the Hydra was its guardian. The Hydra was the offspring of Typhon and Echidna, noisome offspring of the earth goddess, Gaia. It was said to be the sibling of the Nemean Lion, the Chimaera and Cerberus .

The Second Labour of Heracles
Upon reaching the swamp near Lake Lerna, where the Hydra dwelt, Heracles covered his mouth and nose with a cloth to protect himself from the poisonous fumes and fired flaming arrows into its lair, the spring of Amymone, to draw it out. He then confronted it, wielding a harvesting sickle; Ruck and Staples have pointed out that the chthonic creature's reaction was botanical: upon cutting off each of its heads he found that two grew back, an expression of the hopelessness of such a struggle for any but the hero, Hercules.

The details of the confrontation are explicit in Apollodorus: realising that he could not defeat the Hydra in this way, Hercules called on his nephew Iolaus for help. His nephew then came upon the idea (possibly inspired by Athena) of using a burning firebrand to scorch the neck stumps after decapitation, and handed him the blazing brand. Hercules cut off each head and Iolaus burned the open stump leaving the Hydra dead; its one immortal head Hercules placed under a great rock on the sacred way between Lerna and Elaius, and dipped his arrows in the Hydra's poisonous blood, and so his second task was complete. The alternative to this is that after cutting off one head he dipped his sword in it and used its venom to burn each head so it couldn't grow back.

Hercules later used an arrow dipped in the Hydra's poisonous blood to kill the centaur Nessus; and Nessus's tainted blood was applied to the Tunic of Nessus, by which the centaur had his posthumous revenge. Both Strabo and Pausanias report that the stench of the river Anigrus in Elis, making all the fish of the river inedible, was reputed to be due to the Hydra's poison, washed from the arrows Hercules used on the centaur.

Iolaus
When Eurystheus, the agent of ancient Hera who was assigning to Hercules The Twelve Labours, found out that it was Hercules' nephew who had handed him the firebrand, he declared that the labour had not been completed alone and as a result did not count towards the ten labours set for him. The mythic element is an equivocating attempt to resolve the submerged conflict between an ancient ten Labours and a more recent twelve.

A special thanks to wikipedia and to Elgrimlock of deviantart for this awesome image!

Boggart

2008-06-10T09:27:00.000-07:00

A Boggart is a shape-shifter that takes on the form of its intended victim's worst fear. It generally likes to hide in dark, enclosed places, such as in cupboards, under beds, or in hollow trees. Since a boggart changes shape upon sight, few know what one actually looks like in unaltered form, thus the picture of a wardrobe where a boggart might like to hide...though there isn't one in there now.

Approaching a Boggart

It is better to approach a boggart in groups of two or more, so that the boggart will have difficulty in choosing which one to frighten. A common wizards' defence against a boggart is to use a spell to make it appear amusing, since boggarts are weakened by laughter. This is achieved by pointing a wand at the boggart and saying "Riddikulus" while thinking of something very funny; this charm can apparently be used to destroy an already weakened boggart.

History

In British folklore, a boggart (or bogart, bogan, bogle or boggle) is a household spirit which causes things to disappear, milk to sour, and dogs to go lame. Always malevolent, the boggart will follow its family wherever they flee. In Northern England, at least, there was the belief that the boggart should never be named, for when the boggart was given a name, it would not be reasoned with or persuaded and become uncontrollable and destructive.

It is said that the boggart crawls into people's beds at night and puts a clammy hand on their faces. Sometimes he strips the bedsheets off them. Sometimes a boggart will also pull on a person's ears. Hanging a horseshoe on the door of a house is said to keep a boggart away.
In the folklore of North-West England, boggarts live under bridges on dangerous sharp bends on roads, and it is considered bad luck for drivers not to offer their polite greetings as they cross.

It has also been said that when a brownie has been neglected or mistreated, it turns into a boggart.

The Farmer and the Boggart
In one old tale said to originate from the village of Mumby in the Lincolnshire countryside, the boggart is described as being rather squat, hairy and smelly. The story goes that a farmer bought a patch of land that was inhabited by the boggart. When the farmer tried to cultivate the field the boggart got angry, and after much arguing they decided to work the land together and share the bounty. The farmer, however, being greedy, began to ponder a way to cheat the boggart out of his share. When they were debating what to plant, he asked the boggart, 'Which half of the crop do you want for your share, the part below the ground or the part above it?' The boggart thought for a while before answering 'The part below the ground.' The farmer sowed the field with barley. At harvest time the farmer boasted a big pile of barley while all the boggart had to show for his work was stubble. It flew into a rage and screeched that next time it would take what lay above the ground. The next time the farmer sowed the field with potatoes. At harvest time the farmer laughed as he claimed his massive pile of potatoes while the boggart was yet again left with nothing to show for his efforts. Simmering with rage, the boggart stormed off, never to return again.

Boggart Sightings
*There is a large municipal park called 'Boggart Hole Clough,' which is bordered by Moston and Blackley in Manchester, England . Clough is a northern dialect word for a steep sided, wooded valley; a large part of Boggart Hole Clough is made up of these valleys and are said to be inhabited by Boggarts. Supposed mysterious disappearances over the years, particularly in the early 19th century, were often attributed to the Boggart of the Clough.

*It has been reported that the Loch Ness Monster is actually a boggart that has been in that particular form for so long that it has difficulty shape-shifting to any other animal, and that it prefers to scare unwelcome tourists.

A special thanks to wikipedia, J.K. Rowling, and to the makers of narnia for this slightly stolen image...

Cerberus

2008-06-09T09:24:00.000-07:00

Cerberus or Kerberos (Greek Κέρβερος, Kérberos or Sürbürǔs, the daemon or ker of Erebos ) was the hound of Hades , a monstrous three-headed dog with a snake for a tail and snakes down his back like a mane, whose analogs in other cultures are hellhounds. Other hell hounds included Orthus, his two-headed brother. Cerberus guarded the gate to Hades and ensured that spirits of the dead could enter, but none could exit (additionally, no living person was to come into Hades). Among his siblings are Chimera and the Hydra. He is the offspring of Echidna and Typhon .

Cerberus' Defeat

Cerberus was overcome several times, with the aid of gods or supernatural talents:
Heracles' final labour was to capture Cerberus, which he did by wrestling it into submission.
Orpheus used his musical skills to lull Cerberus to sleep.
Hermes put him to sleep with water from the river Lethe.
The Sybil of Cumae lulled Cerberus to sleep with drugged honeycakes in order to permit Aeneas fuller entry to the underworld.
Psyche also lulled Cerberus to sleep with drugged honeycakes.

Twelfth Labour of Heracles
In the last of his Twelve Labours, Heracles was to capture Cerberus from Hades, the God of the dead and the ruler of the Underworld. After having been given the task, Heracles went to Eleusis to be initiated in the Eleusinian Mysteries so that he could learn how to enter and exit the underworld alive, and in passing absolve himself for killing centaurs. He found the entrance to the underworld at Tanaerum, and Athena and Hermes helped him to traverse the entrance in each direction. He passed Charon with Hermes's assistance and his own heavy and fierce frowning. Whilst in the underworld, Heracles freed Theseus, but the earth shook when he attempted to liberate Pirithous, so he had to leave him behind. They had been imprisoned by Hades, by magically binding them to a bench, because they had attempted to kidnap Persephone. The magic was so strong, that when Heracles pulled Theseus free, part of Theseus's thighs remained on the bench, explaining why his descendants had notably lean thighs. Heracles presented himself before the throne of Hades and Persephone and asked permission to take Cerberus, to which the gods agreed as long as Heracles did not harm the hound in any way. Some say Persephone gave her consent because Heracles was her own brother (both were children of Zeus). In any case, Heracles wrestled the dog into submission and dragged it out of Hades, passing through a cavern entrance in the Peloponnese. When he returned with Cerberus to the palace, Eurystheus, the man who had assigned the task to Heracles, was so afraid of the fearsome beast that he jumped into a pithos (large storage jar) to hide. From the spittle of the dog which fell upon earth, the first poisonous plants were born, including deadly aconite.

Fluffy
Fluffy is a giant three-headed dog used by Hagrid to guard the trapdoor leading to the underground chamber where the Philosopher's Stone is hidden in Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone. The only way to get past Fluffy is to lull him to sleep by playing music.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione accidentally run into Fluffy after running from caretaker Argus Filch. At Halloween, Harry and Ron witness Snape entering the door to Fluffy's chamber, and for the next few days he has a pronounced limp and is overheard saying "How are you meant to keep your eyes on all three heads at once?" However, it is later revealed that he followed Professor Quirrell into the chamber. Later, Professor Quirrell gets past Fluffy by playing a harp, while Harry, Ron, and Hermione use a flute that had been given to Harry by Hagrid because Fluffy falls asleep to music.

Hagrid acquires Fluffy from a Greek he meets in a pub, while in the film Hagrid says he got Fluffy from an Irish person instead. Fluffy was later released into the Forbidden Forest.

A special thanks to Wikipedia, J.K. Rowling, and to Ursalav of Deviantart for this slightly stolen image!

Kender

2008-06-07T08:33:00.000-07:00

Kender are race comparable to hobbits and halflings. Kender are depicted as being slight, nimble, and short. The typical kender has keen senses, a light-hearted personality, and intense curiousity leading to unconscious petty theft and an almost-total immunity to the emotion of fear.

Appearance and traits

Kender are small creatures, rarely more than 4 feet tall, and often compared to human children. Like elves, kender have pointed ears and slightly slanted, almond-shaped eyes. Their eye color ranges from green, blue and brown to any combination of those colors. Kenders grow wrinkles at a very young age, and these are seen as attractive by many kender (some kendermaids try to grow them through various methods, much like humans and other races try to remove them). Kender hair color is usually brown or black, with occasional kenders bearing red/orange and blond hair. Their hair is usually a lighter shade than other races because of all the time they spend outside. A generic kender hairstyle is the topknot, where the hair is grown long and then tied up in a knot on the top of the head. A kender's topknot is usually a source of pride for them. Temple braids are a sign of noble descent among kender. Kender tend to have high pitched voices, but their body allows them to make a wide range of noises, making them apt ventriloquists, animal imitators, and many other roles. When kender are excited, their voice tends to revert to a normal high pitch, and they speak very quickly.

Origin
There are conflicting sources that state the origin of kender. Irda once stated that kender descend from the gnomes. When the Greygem of Gargath was released, the gnomes present who desired the gem for greed were turned into dwarves, and those who wanted it for curiosity were turned into kender. However, the dwarves state that when the Greygem came to Krynn, its chaotic magic transformed an elven army into the first kender and a dwarven army into the first Gnomes. Apparently it is unknown who they originated from, and perhaps the kender like it that way.

Handling
Kender have an odd trait that is rather like kleptomania, where they unwillingly or unconsciously pick up objects. Kender see this as the uncanny habit of finding things that have dropped into their pouches by accident, picking things up in the streets, finding "junk", and generally getting things that belong to other people. This art is known as "Handling" for them, and is one of the reasons they are very unpopular among the other races of Krynn.

Kender don't seem to think there is anything wrong with this, and get genuinely surprised when they see the things that have fallen into their pouches. Kender oppose thieving vehemently, and thus consider being called a thief or cutpurse a great insult to their dignity, ironic given that Kender are inborn with every natural skill that is ideal for a thief. The small race, however, do not tend to "find" things like money, gems, etc. A really interesting shaped leaf will hold more value than a steel coin, because steel coins are everywhere, whereas that interesting shaped leaf hasn't been seen before.

Kender Handling is known to get Kender in to deep trouble. Usually, the owner of the item angrily tries to reclaim the item, which can be deadly if the owner in question is a Minotaur or Draconian . On rare occasions, Kender find cursed artifacts such as a ring that forcibly teleports them from place to place, wands with powerful spells inside, and on one occasion, a statue that can Polymorph the owner into an adolescent Bronze Dragon.

Another aspect of Kender Handling, is their enormous natural curiosity. It's said that the worst thing you can do to a Kender, is isolate it. Trained and otherwise brave warriors have degenerated into a state of sheer panic when hearing a nearby Kender say, "I'm bored".
Kender also have uncanny lockpicking skills, which is a favorite pastime of theirs, and almost every Kender carries a lock picking kit with them. Much like everything else, this is like a game to Kender, and if, for instance, one were arrested, he would likely unlock his shackles or prison door, then go complain to the guard that it was too easy and they should think of upping security. The only reason a lock is ever on the door to a Kender home is to amuse any guests who might stop by.

Taunting
Kender have a very sharp wit and tongue, and as such, are masters at the art of insulting people. Kender see great flaws with most of the insults directed at them and take delight in showing people what a real insult is like. Kender seem to have a wide repertoire of insults for any race and any occasion, and have no clue when is the right time to stop insulting someone.

Fearlessness
Many speculate that the two above traits are byproducts of the kender's odd fearlessness. This is a physical trait of kender — they cannot feel fear. There have been incidences where kender have stood near huge monsters and wondered if they could say hello. Kender rarely feel fear, and most only feel it through magical means. For example, one of the most famous kender, Tasslehoff Burrfoot, has felt fear through magical means — at Shoikan Grove, after being subject to Dragonfear. This fearlessness results in an almost permanent optimistic attitude and smile. Because literally feeling no fear means not being restricted very much, kender are always willing to try new things, whether that means traveling to a different place, playing a new game, learning to ride a dragon, or even dying an interesting way.
The kender mentioned above, Tasslehoff Burrfoot, is one of the few kender to ever experience real, non-magical fear. However, as Tas described it, this was not because of fear for himself, but for those he loved.

Curiosity
Kender are known for their extreme curiosity, a trait which carries the potential to get them into trouble. Possessing an inborn obsession with new or interesting objects or areas, kender often find themselves driven by impulse to "handle" something or explore unfamiliar terrain. Because of this, kender enjoy maps greatly, even making their own (with great enthusiasm) to add to their collections. They also have a tendency to involve themselves in issues or procedures they should stay out of due to this trait, often causing chaos to ensue. It has been said that the most dangerous word a kender can ever utter is "Oops."

Life cycle
Kender have typical births — the mother has a 9 month pregnancy and usually has one child at a time. An average kender mother will have three to five children in her lifetime. Kender names are chosen from a wide range of sources, such as corruptions of other words, like Cassel from Castle, or recent events or items in pouches, like Bearchase, Lockpick, Fruitthrow, etc. Infants mature at about the same rate as humans.

As children, they come to rely on family and friends for needs, and the main contributors to a young kender's growth are often called their grandparents, uncles and cousins, regardless of actual family ties. At around 4 or 5, "kenderkids" begin to take part in their communities and to constantly ask questions. While others may feel this stage in a child's life is the most annoying, it is seen by kender parents to be a beautiful stage in life. Some do not give proper answers, in order to further encourage the child's curiosity. As they age, kender children gain education by hearing stories, desiring to acquire new skills, and playing games. They also begin handling and wandering.

Some kender volunteer themselves to keep the kenderkids amused, and are referred to as "Kender Wranglers." These people have fences and locks on their houses —not for security, but so that the children can climb and pick them if they want. Wranglers who watch over adolescent and teen-aged kender are called "Game Masters." As kender reach this age, not only do they seek out these Game Masters, but they also become more active participants in "Kender Moots," social gatherings where the youth can show off their newly found skills in games and demonstrations.

As they near adulthood, kender experience intense wanderlust and leave home. Most spend their entire adult lives wandering around the world. Most of the population of Krynn has been exposed to the adult variety of kender, and as such have adapted the word kender to mean thief, rogue, or cutpurse. Kender take great offense to these epithets, especially the last. Otherwise, they build up close friendships during the wandering stage of their lives, at least with people who can understand and cope with them.

"Settling down" begins between the ages of 30 and 50 years old. This is a gradual process, whether the kender wonders what's happening back home and decides to go visit, or unconsciously wanders back. They may stay for a bit and then go back adventuring. Eventually the traveling will become shorter and the visits home longer until they return to their city for good and buy or build a home. Most kender find a mate during this stage and live together. They also start to informally choose professions and to pass on their talents to the next generation, possibly becoming parents, Game Masters or Kender Wranglers.

Kender age slowly and often do not realize it is happening, remaining childlike in comparison to other races even when their bodies slow down. When kender die, it is traditional to give something meaningful to their spirit. Funerals are held, at which the people who knew them express their grief, but kender view death as the next great adventure, and don't linger too long on sadness. Kender are usually interred somewhere that was meaningful to them in life or as they died, or simply at a particularly nice spot. Graveyards are uncommon, and in Hylo, a deceased kender's body is set sail on a burning raft rather than buried.

Weapons
All kender weapons can double as instruments. There are two kinds of kender weapons: ones that end in "-pak" or "-ak" are heavier weapons and are usually described as being used by the males, while the ones that end in "-pik" or "-ik" are lighter and depicted as being typically employed by female kenders.

Hoopak
A kender weapon, the hoopak resembles a cross between a slingshot and a spear. The hoopak is a long wooden staff with two prongs and elastic at one end and a sharp metal point at the other. The hoopak can be used as a spear, quarterstaff, or sling . It produces a distinctive whirring, buzzing noise when whirled.
Chapak
Another kender weapon, the chapak is akin to an axe. The head may be taken off and swung, making it a long-ranged weapon. When the head is removed the chapak may be used as a flute.
Whippik
Another kender weapon, primarily described as being used by the females. Like a hoopak, it can be used as a staff, sling, or noisemaker. In Tales of Uncle Trapspringer it is shown that this weapon is capable of firing small arrows. It may be strung for use as an instrument.
Battak
The battak is a hollowed out club made of a hard wood that is wider at one end than the other. The larger end provides access to the inside of the club, which may be used to store rocks, pellets, or any form of bullet. The projectile is removed and the club is then used a a bat to swat the bullets at targets. The battak may also be used as a kind of rattle.
Sithak
This weapon is depicted as originating from a yoke to carry water buckets. The sithak is fitted with a blade on both ends to be used as a double scythe. There is a curved hook on the ends where a string may be fastened to fire arrows or to act as a string instrument.
Hachak
This is described as the largest of all kender weapons, and is primarily used by wood cutters. It is a pole arm six feet in length and can be separated into three two foot sections. One end has a hammer spike and piercing beak. The other end is an axe backed by a hammer head and saw blade. The middle is hollow and wrapped in sheep skin that can hold up to six darts. Metal rings circle the pole at one foot intervals. The rings may be played as chimes by hammering on them.
Polpak
This is an eight foot pole normally used for spear fishing or pruning trees. One end of the pool has a short blade attached to it. The blade may be removed and used as a normal short sword. The pole also holds up to a dozen caltrops.
Bollik
This weapon is a bola / belt. The metal balls hang from a series of quick release hoops. It can be used as a bola or flail. It can be spun to create a high pitched tone.

A special thanks to wikipedia, the writer of Dragonlance, and to phoenixelement of deviantart for this slightly stolen image

Goomba

2008-06-06T09:11:00.000-07:00

Goombas (クリボー, Kuribō) are depicted as brown mushroom-like creatures with feet, bushy eyebrows, and a pair of fangs sprouting from their lower jaw. They generally tackle, headbonk, or bite an enemy. The Goombas once lived in peace in the Mushroom Kingdom, but they betrayed their homeland to side with Bowser. It is that Goombas have a long-standing fear of Koopa Troopas.

Physical Appearance
Typically, Goombas are brown and look like mushrooms (or chestnuts) with feet. They have bushy eyebrows formed into a scowl, and occasionally upward-pointing fangs. Goombas are blue or gray in the dark underground areas of the Mario video games and darker brown in night-time areas. Their color appearance is likely due to an evolutionary trait. They blend into the surroundings to make them less visible to both predators and prey.

Micro and Paragoombas
Many variants of the Goomba have appeared throughout the years including Paragoombas (パタクリボー, Patakuribō) and Microgoombas (マメクリボー, Mamekuribō).

Paragoombas are distinguished by their winged appearance, thus making them more versatile and mobile than typical Goombas. In comparison with a regular Goomba, the Paragoomba has two wings which give it the ability to fly across the game screen. It appears in two shades of brown: the lighter colored Paragoomba can fly and occasionally release Microgoombas, while the darker colored Paragoombas do not release Microgoombas, and merely hop along the ground like green Paratroopas. Paragoombas roughly correlate with the seagoing Blooper enemies, who sometimes lead a string of nuisance Baby Bloopers.

Microgoombas are miniature, parasitic Goombas which latch themselves onto Mario, reducing his jumping ability, or hides under a brick and jumps whenever Mario approaches it (the latter is known as a Pile Driver Micro-Goomba.) To destroy the Micro-goombas, Mario just simply has to dunk himself in water or vigorously repeat quick jumps and the Micro-goomba will drop off. Microgoombas are the children of the Paragoombas.

Goomboss
The Goomba complains to Yoshi that his junior siblings have been stomped on in previous Mario games. Goomboss looks virtually identical to King Goomba from Paper Mario and is the same person. He is one of Bowser's recurring elite, like King Boo or the boss Wiggler.

Attack Strategies of the Goomba
The Goomba behavior changes slightly when they spot Mario. Instead of wandering back and forth they first perform a small hop, as if to indicate surprise, and then give chase to him. Goombas have the ability to use a power-up that mimics a jump attack similar to Mario's jump attack. These Goombas ride in giant individual green boots with a winding key. When a Goomba equips the boot, the Goomba can jump towards their enemy.

Furthermore, Goombas use the strategy of attacking in groups of two or three. This forces Mario to cautiously stomp on a single Goomba to avoid being attacked by a nearby Goomba, especially in an enclosed space, although with the proper velocity and timing, it is usually possible to bounce off of one onto the next, killing them all without touching the ground.

Also, some Goombas can come to Mario in different ways, such as dropping in with a parachute (the parachuting Goombas assume the Paragoomba name, and the Goombas with wings are called simply Winged Goombas) or floating inside a bubble.

In addition, Goombas introduce the fundamental collision detection for a generic Goomba. When a Goomba collides with an obstacle or another Mario enemy, the Goomba will always walk away in the opposite direction. While certain Mario enemy sprites such as the Cheep-Cheep would pass through other Mario enemy sprites, the Goomba will react to other Mario enemies.

Defeating a Goomba

Goombas can be defeated by a kick as well as the traditional stomp. However, Goombas can also be killed with other abilities. The giant Goombas will yield blue coins if Mario performs the ground-pound attack on them.

Normally, the Goombas die if they are jumped upon from above; however, if they are attacked creatively by destroying the blocks underneath them, they will leave behind their boot, which Mario can then jump into, making him almost invincible.

However, in some cases, jumping on a Goomba does not defeat it, but renders it immobile, allowing Mario to pick it up. These instances are slightly less common, but when Mario stomps on them, they are knocked upside down and rendered immobile for a short period of time. When this happens, Mario can pick the Goombas up and carry them, until they resuscitate themselves. Like Koopa Troopas, Goombas hurt Mario upon contact once they revive.

A special thanks to wikipedia, the makers of Mario, and Nickiegoomba for the information--
and to ign boards for this slightly stolen image.

Kraken

2008-06-02T14:38:00.000-07:00

Kraken are legendary sea creatures of gargantuan size, said to have dwelt off the coasts of Norway and Iceland . These creatures normally live at great depths, but have been sighted at the surface and reportedly have "attacked" ships.

Physical Characteristics
Its body resembles a massive, cuttlefish-like cephalopod, with a ring of tentacles at the base of its head and a long, sharp tail similiar to a squid (which can be used to keep it at level with the ship underwater). The Kraken is said to be as long as ten time of a regular ship. It has large round eyes with orange irises and black pupils. Its mouth is lined with about six sets of spiked, razor-sharp teeth and its breath emits a reeking odor of, "a thousand rotting corpses."

Its massive, sucker-lined tentacles are said by Mr. Gibbs to, "suction your face clean off."The suction disks are powerful enough to pull down a ship from its underside and have even suctioned a human's face to the point of leaving it with skin folds, layer-over-layer.The Kraken also uses these powerful suckers to silently pull itself along the rocks lying on the oceans' bottom.

It's also notable that the Kraken has two forearms significantly larger than the others, like the hunting tentacles possessed by squids and cuttlefish. The beast employs these to crush ships. The weight of the two tentacles can split a ship along its width; its force being so great.

Summoning the Kraken
Davy Jones, ruler of the seas, summons the Kraken to destroy vessels. On-board his ghostly ship, the Flying Dutchman is a massive hammer-like wheel with a carved Kraken on the top, the so-called Kraken's Hammer. To call the Kraken, the crew rotate the hammer clockwise, lifting it to its highest point. It then slams down, blasting shockwaves through the ocean, thus summoning the Kraken. One shockwave usually does the job unless the kraken further away.

The Kraken stalks anyone marked with the Black SpotThe Black Spot is delivered to its victims by Flying Dutchman crewmen and can only be removed by its captain, Davy Jones. Those marked with the Black Spot are taken by the Kraken to Davy Jones' Locker, where they must experience their worst fear for eternity.

Methods of attack
The Kraken attacks by stealthily approaching a ship, slithering its tentacles up the hull's sides, and gripping tightly, yanks it underwater. If the crew can fight back, the Kraken smashes the hull and masts with its tentacles, probing the decks and holds with its sensitive suckers seeking out its prey. The desruction is catastrophic, and its two forearms are so powerful it can easily rip a ship apart in mere seconds. Davy Jones uses some, but not all, these attacks to acquire new crewmen for the Flying Dutchman. As he surveys one wrecked ship's survivors, he offers them an opportunity to delay their final judgment by joining his crew for 100 years. Those who refuse are killed and dumped over-board.Kraken attacks often leave the survivors, if any, psychologically damaged: traumatized and deranged. In one case, a survivor is left without a face, it having been sucked off.

History
Early accounts, including Pontoppidan's, describe the kraken as an animal "the size of a floating island" whose real danger for sailors was not the creature itself, but the whirlpool it created after quickly descending back into the ocean. However, Pontoppidan also described the destructive potential of the giant beast: "It is said that if it grabbed the largest warship, it could manage to pull it down to the bottom of the ocean" (Sjögren, 1980). Kraken were always distinct from sea serpents, also common in Scandinavian lore (Jörmungandr for instance). A representative early description is given by the Swede Jacob Wallenberg in his book Min son på galejan ("My son on the galley") from 1781:
… Kraken, also called the Crab-fish ... He stays at the sea floor, constantly surrounded by innumerable small fishes, who serve as his food and are fed by him in return: for his meal, if I remember correctly what E. Pontoppidan writes, lasts no longer than three months, and another three are then needed to digest it. His excrements nurture in the following an army of lesser fish, and for this reason, fishermen plumb after his resting place ... Gradually, Kraken ascends to the surface, and when he is at ten to twelve fathoms, the boats had better move out of his vicinity, as he will shortly thereafter burst up, like a floating island, spurting water from his dreadful nostrils and making ring waves around him, which can reach many miles."

According to Pontoppidan, Norwegian fishermen often took the risk of trying to fish over kraken, since the catch was so good. If a fisherman had an unusually good catch, they used to say to each other, "You must have fished on Kraken." Pontoppidan also claimed that the monster was sometimes mistaken for an island, and that some maps that included islands that were only sometimes visible were actually indicating kraken.

A special thanks to wikipedia and to...Scienceblogs for this slightly stolen image

Sphinx

2008-05-30T08:44:00.000-07:00

A Sphinx is depicted as a recumbent lion with a human head. It has its origins in sculpted figures of Old Kingdom Egypt , to which the ancient Greeks applied their own name for a female monster, the "strangler", an archaic figure of Greek legends. Similar creatures appear throughout South and South-East Asia, and the sphinx enjoyed a major revival in European decorative art from the Renaissance onwards.

Egyptian sphinxes
In Ancient Egypt a Sphinx is a zoomorphic figure, usually depicted as a recumbent lioness or lion with a human head, but occasionally with the head of a falcon, hawk, or ram. The figure had its origin in the Old Kingdom and is associated with the Solar deity Sekhmet , who also was the fierce war deity and protector of the pharaohs. She remained as a strong figure in Egyptian religion throughout its history, even during the Amarna period. The sphinx were often described as Sekhmet's children. The use of heads of other animals atop the lioness body followed the titularly deities of the city or region where they were built or which were prominent in the Egyptian pantheon at the time.

Generally the roles of sphinxes were as temple guardians and they were placed in association with architectural structures such as royal tombs or religious temples. Later, the sphinx image, or something very similar to the original Egyptian concept, was imported into many other cultures, albeit often interpreted quite differently due to translations of descriptions of the originals and the evolution of the concept in relation to other cultural traditions.

Greek traditions about sphinxes
From the Bronze Age the Hellenes had trade and cultural contacts with Egypt. Before the time that Alexander the Great occupied Egypt their name, sphinx, was already applied to these statues. The historians and geographers of Greece wrote extensively about the Egyptian culture and their writings were circulated widely with Greek and Roman culture. They sometimes called the ram-headed sphinxes, criosphinxes and the bird-headed ones, hierocosphinxes.

The word "Sphinx" comes from the Greek Σφιγξ — Sphingx, apparently from the verb σφιγγω — sphinggo, meaning "to strangle" (note that the γ takes on a 'ng' sound in front of both γ and ξ). This may be a name derived from the fact that the hunters for a pride are the lionesses and they kill their prey by strangulation, biting the throat of prey and holding them down until they die.

There was a single Sphinx in Greek mythology, a unique demon of destruction and bad luck. According to Hesiod she was a daughter of Echidna and Orthrus or, according to others, a daughter of Echidna and Typhon. All of these are chthonic figures from the earliest of Greek myths, before the Olympians ruled the Greek pantheon. She was a winged lion with a woman's head; or she was a woman with the paws, claws and breasts of a lion, a serpent's tail and eagle wings. She is said to have guarded the entrance to a certain area, often the Greek city of Thebes, and to have asked a riddle of travelers to obtain passage. The exact riddle asked by the Sphinx was not specified by early tellers of the stories about the sphinx, and was not standardized as the one given below until late in Greek history

It was said in late lore that Hera or Ares sent the Sphinx from her Ethiopian homeland (the Greeks always remembered the foreign origin of the Sphinx) to Thebes in Greece where, in the writings of Sophocles, Oedipus Tyrannus , she asks all passersby history's most famous riddle: "Which creature in the morning goes on four feet, at noon on two, and in the evening upon three?" She strangled and devoured anyone unable to answer. Oedipus solved the riddle: answering, Man—who crawls on all fours as a baby, then walks on two feet as an adult, and walks with a cane in old age.

Bested at last, the tale continues, the Sphinx then threw herself from her high rock and died. An alternative version tells that she devoured herself. Thus Oedipus can be recognized as a liminal or "threshold" figure, helping effect the transition between the old religious practices, represented by the death of the Sphinx, and the rise of the new, Olympian deities.

Sphinxes in South and South-East Asia
A composite mythological being with the body of a lion and the head of a human being is present in the traditions, mythology and art of South and South-East Asia. Variously known as purushamriga (Sanskrit, "human-beast"), purushamirukam (Tamil, "human-beast"), naravirala (Sanskrit, "man-cat") in India, or as nara-simha (Pali, "man-lion") in Sri Lanka, manusiha or manuthiha (Pali, "man-lion") in Myanmar, and nora nair or thepnorasingh in Thailand.

In contrast to the sphinx in Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Greece, where the traditions largely have been lost due to the discontinuity of the civilization, the traditions of the "Asian sphinx" are very much alive today. The earliest artistic depictions of "sphinxes" from the South Asian subcontinent are to some extent influenced by Hellenistic art and writings. These hail from the period when Buddhist art underwent a phase of Hellenistic influence. But the "sphinxes" from Mathura, Kausambi, and Sanchi, dated to the third century BC until the first century AD, also show a considerable non-Hellenist, indigenous character. It is not possible, therefore, to conclude the concept of the "sphinx" originated through foreign influence.

In South India the "sphinx" is known as purushamriga (Sanskrit) or purushamirukam (Tamil), meaning "human-beast". It is found depicted in sculptural art in temples and palaces where it serves an apotropaic purpose, just as the "sphinxes" in other parts of the ancient world. It is said by the tradition, to take away the sins of the devotees when they enter a temple and to ward off evil in general. It is therefore often found in a strategic position on the gopuram or temple gateway, or near the entrance of the Sanctum Sanctorum.

The purushamriga plays a significant role in daily as well as yearly ritual of South Indian Shaiva temples. In the sodasa-upacara (or sixteen honors) ritual, performed between one to six times at significant sacred moments through the day, it decorates one of the lamps of the diparadhana or lamp ceremony. And in several temples the purushamriga is also one of the vahana or vehicles of the deity during the processions of the Brahmotsava or festival.

In Kanya Kumari district, in the southernmost tip of the Indian subcontinent, during the night of Shiva Ratri, devotees run 75 kilometers while visiting and worshiping at twelve Shiva temples. This Shiva Ottam (or Run for Shiva) is performed in commemoration of the story of the race between the Sphinx and Bhima, one of the heroes of the epic Mahabharata.

In Sri Lanka the sphinx is known as narasimha or man-lion. As a sphinx it has the body of a lion and the head of a human being, and is not to be confused with Narasimha, the fourth reincarnation of the deity Mahavishnu; this avatara or incarnation is depicted with a human body and the head of a lion. The "sphinx" narasimha is part of the Buddhist tradition and functions as a guardian of the northern direction and also was depicted on banners.

In Burma the sphinx is known as manusiha and manuthiha. It is depicted on the corners of Buddhist stupas, and its legends tell how it was created by Buddhist monks to protect a new-born royal baby from being devoured by ogresses.

Nora Nair and Thep Norasingh are two of the names under which the "sphinx" is known in Thailand. They are depicted as upright walking beings with the lower body of a lion or deer, and the upper body of a human. Often they are found as female-male pairs. Here too, the sphinx serves a protective function. It also is enumerated among the mythological creatures that inhabit the ranges of the sacred mountain HImapan.

Freemasonry
The sphinx image also has been adopted into Masonic architecture. Among the Egyptians, sphinxes were placed at the entrance of the temple to guard the mysteries, by warning those who penetrated within, that they should conceal a knowledge of them from the uninitiated; and hence, Portal derives from the word from the Hebrew TSaPHaN, to Hide. Champollion says that the sphinx became successively the symbol of each of the gods, by which Portal suggests that the priests intended to express the idea that all the gods were hidden from the people, and that the knowledge of them, guarded in the sanctuaries, was revealed to the initiates only. As a Masonic emblem, the sphinx has been adopted in its Egyptian character as a symbol of mystery, and as such often is found as a decoration sculptured in front of Masonic temples, or engraved at the head of Masonic documents. It cannot, however, be properly called an ancient, recognized symbol of the Order. Its introduction has been of comparatively recent date, and rather as a symbolic decoration than as a symbol that announces any dogma.

A special thanks to Wikipedia!

Chimera

2008-05-29T11:09:00.000-07:00

In Greek mythology, Chimera (Greek Χίμαιρα (Chímaira); Latin Chimaera) is a monstrous creature of Lycia in Asia Minor , which was made of the parts of multiple animals. Chimera was one of the offspring of Typhon and Echidna and a sibling of such monsters as Cerberus and the Lernaean Hydra.

Description
Homer's brief description in the Iliad is the earliest surviving literary reference: "a thing of immortal make, not human, lion-fronted and snake behind, a goat in the middle, and snorting out the breath of the terrible flame of bright fire". Hesiod's Theogony follows the Homeric description: he makes Chimera the issue of Echidna: "She was the mother of Chimaera who breathed raging fire, a creature fearful, great, swift-footed and strong, who had three heads, one of a grim-eyed lion; in her hinderpart, a dragon; and in her middle, a goat, breathing forth a fearful blast of blazing fire. Her did Pegasus and noble Bellerophon slay" The author of Bibliotheke concurs: descriptions agree that it breathed fire. Chimera is generally considered to have been female despite the mane adorning its lion's head.

History
Chimera was finally defeated by Bellerophon, with the help of Pegasus, at the command of King Iobates of Lycia . Since Pegasus could fly, Bellerophon shot Chimera from the air, safe from her heads and breath. A scholiast to Homer adds that he finished her off by equipping his spear with a lump of lead that melted when exposed to Chimera's fiery breath and consequently killed her, an image drawn from metalworking.

Sighting Chimera was an omen of storms, shipwrecks, and natural disasters (particularly volcanoes).

While there are different genealogies, in one version Chimera mated with her brother Orthrus and mothered the Sphinx and the Nemean Lion (others have Orthrus and their mother, Echidna, mating; most attribute all to Typhon and Echidna).

A special thanks to wikipedia and to...Zonkey of deviantart for this slightly stolen image

Balrog

2008-05-28T09:17:00.000-07:00

Balrogs are tall, menacing humanoid beings, with the ability to shroud themselves in fire, darkness, and shadow. They frequently appeared armed with fiery whips of many thongs. They could not be casually destroyed: significant power was required. Only dragons rivalled their capacity for ferocity and destruction, and during the First Age, they were among the most feared of Morgoth's forces.

Characteristics

Tolkien's conception of Balrogs changed over time, due to the evolution of the Balrog. In his early writing, they are numerous (hosts of them number in the hundreds), roughly of human shape and size, and are frequently killed in battle with Elves and Men. They were always fierce demons, associated with fire, armed with fiery whips of many thongs and claws like steel, and Morgoth delighted to use them to torture his captives.

Perhaps because so many were killed, only the strongest survived. The balrogs have become altogether more sinister: powerful, larger, and less common. By this time they have ceased to be creatures, but are instead Maiar (lesser Valar, like Gandalf or Sauron), spirits of fire whom Melkor had corrupted before the creation of the World. It requires power on the order of Gandalf's to destroy them; and as Maiar, only their physical forms could be destroyed.

Tolkien says of the Valar (including the Maiar) that they can change their shape at will, and move unclad in the raiment of the world, meaning invisible and without form. But it seems that Morgoth, Sauron, and their associated Maiar could lose this ability: Morgoth, for example, was unable to heal his burns from the Silmarils or wounds from Fingolfin and Thorondor ; and Sauron lost his ability to assume a fair-seeming form after his physical body was destroyed in the downfall of Numenor.

Tolkien does not address this specifically for Balrogs. In "the Bridge of Khazad-dûm", the Balrog appears "like a great shadow, in the middle of which was a dark form, of man-shape maybe, yet greater". Though previously the Balrog had entered the "large square chamber" of Mazarbul (through a doorway with a stone door on hinges, which cannot have been very large), at the Bridge of Khazad-dûm it "drew itself to a great height, and its wings spread from wall to wall" in what was a vast hall.The Balrog's size and shape, therefore, are not given precisely. It is easy to conclude that it could change both; and some conclude that this spirit of flame and shadow may not be very corporeal — though when Gandalf threw it from the peak of Zirakzigal, the Balrog "broke the mountain-side where he smote it in his ruin".

History

The Balrogs were originally Maiar, of the same order as Sauron, Saruman, and Gandalf, but they were seduced by Melkor, who corrupted them to his service in the days of his splendour before the making of Arda. Gandalf said of the Balrogs that they were older than Sauron, meaning perhaps that they were corrupted to his purpose even earlier than Sauron.

At the dawn of the First Age, upon the waking of the Elves, the Valar captured Melkor and destroyed his fortresses Utumno and Angband . But the deepest pits were overlooked, and the Balrogs fled into hiding along with Melkor's other allies. Many years later, Melkor, now named Morgoth, returning to Middle-earth from Valinor, was attacked by Ungoliant, and his piercing scream drew the Balrogs out of hiding to his rescue.

When the Noldor arrived in Beleriand in pursuit of Morgoth, they won a swift victory over his Orcs in the Dagor-nuin-Giliath. Feanor pressed on towards Angband; but the Balrogs came against him, and Fëanor was mortally wounded by Gothmog, Lord of Balrogs. His sons fought off the Balrogs, but Fëanor died of his wounds shortly afterward.

During the assault on the Gondolin city, Ecthelion of the Fountain fought Gothmog in the square of the king where "each slew the other." Glorfindel fought a Balrog who waylaid an escape party from the fallen city; both fell off the mountainside in the struggle and perished.

In the War of Wrath that ended the First Age, most of the Balrogs were destroyed, though some managed to escape and hide in "caverns at the roots of the earth".

In the year 1980 of the Third Age, the Dwarves of Khazad-dum delved so deeply that they disturbed or released one of the hidden Balrogs. The Balrog killed Durin VI and his son Nain I, and was subsequently known as Durin's Bane. The Balrog forced the Dwarves to abandon Moria. In T.A. 3019, the Fellowship of the Ring also ventured through Moria and were attacked in the Chamber of Mazarbul by Orcs and the Balrog. Gandalf faced the Balrog at the Bridge of Khazad-dûm. He slew the Balrog but perished himself at the same time — only to be sent back as the more powerful Gandalf the White.

Etymology
The name, but not the meaning, is relatively early: it appears in the Fall of Gondolin, one of the earliest texts Tolkien wrote (ca. 1918). At the time the name is described as "an Orc-word with no pure Quenya equivalent: 'borrowed Malaroko-'". Its meaning at the time was Cruel demon.
In the Gnomish (=early Sindarin) wordlist from the same period Balrog is given as balc 'cruel' + graug 'demon', with a Quenya equivalent Malkarauke. Variant forms of the latter include Nalkarauke and Valkarauke.

By the 1940s, when the writing of The Lord of the Rings had begun, Tolkien had come to think of Balrog as Noldorin (Sindarin) balch (cruel) + rhaug (demon), with a Quenya equivalent Malarauko (from nwalya- (to torture) + rauko (demon). The last etymology given for Balrog, written as part of Quendi and Eldar, gives the Quenya form Valarauko (Demon of Might), defining Balrog as the Sindarin translation.

The Sindarin plural form for Balrog is not clear. Tolkien consistently used Balrogs, but this is generally considered an anglicization because Sindarin does not form plurals in that way. In one case Tolkien used Balrogath, similar to Periannath for 'Halflings', Dagorath for 'battles'. However, the '-ath' suffix was often used as a 'class plural' (cf. giliath for 'all stars of the firmament'), and thus 'Balrogath' might mean 'Balrogkind' rather than simply 'Balrogs'. Linguists disagree on how a simple Sindarin plural would be formed, but most often suggest either *Balroeg or *Belryg.
The plural form for Quenya Valarauko is attested as Valaraukar.

Individual Balrogs

Gothmog
He is physically massive and strong, and he is some 12 feet tall. He wields a black axe and whip of flame as his weapons. As the chief of the Balrogs, Gothmog is perhaps the single most physically powerful of Morgoth's servants. He holds the titles of the Lord of the Balrogs, the High Captain of Angband, and Marshal of the Hosts. While Sauron is widely considered to be Morgoth's second in command, Gothmog is clearly Morgoth's champion at arms as his armies deal the Noldor their most crushing defeats on the battlefields of Beleriand. As High Captain of Angband he is particularly visible in several of the six great battles fought by Melkor's evil forces against the Elves.

In the Second Battle, Dagor-nuin-Giliath, he leads a force that ambushes Feanor and wounds him mortally. He leads Balrogs, Orc-hosts, and Dragons as Morgoth's commander in the field in the Fifth Battle, Nirnaeth Arnoediad, and slays Fingon, High King of the Noldor. In that same battle, he captures Hurin of Dor-lomin , who had slain his personal guard of Battle-trolls, and brings him to Angband. As Marshall of the Hosts he is in command of the Storming of Gondolin. He is near to killing Tuor when Ecthelion of the Fountain , Noldorin Elf-lord, intervenes, slays and is slain by Gothmog in single combat.

Lungorthin
Lungorthin appears in Tolkien's early Lay of the Children of Hurin as "Lungorthin, Lord of Balrogs". This might be another name for Gothmog, though Christopher Tolkien thought it more likely that Lungorthin was simply "a Balrog lord".

Balrog of Moria
Durin's Bane is the Balrog encountered by the Fellowship of the Ring in the Mines of Moria . Gandalf dies in the struggle to defeat it. This Balrog survived the defeat of Morgoth in the War of Wrath and escaped to hide beneath the Misty Mountains. For more than five millennia, the Balrog remained in its deep hiding place at the roots of the mountains in Khazad-dum, until in the Third Age the mithril -miners of Dwarf-King Durin VI disturbed it. Durin was killed by the Balrog, whence it was called Durin's Bane.

The Dwarves attempted to fight the Balrog, but its power was far too great. Despite their efforts to hold Khazad-dum against it, King Nain and many other Dwarves were killed and the survivors were forced to flee. This disaster also reached the Sylvan Elves of Lorien , many of whom also fled the "Nameless Terror". (It was not recognized as a Balrog at the time.) The Elves called the place Moria, the "Black Pit" or "Black Chasm" (though the name Moria also appears on the West Gate of Moria, constructed thousands of years earlier in the Second Age).

For another 500 years, Moria was left to the Balrog. Then around T.A. 2480 Sauron began to put his plans for war into effect, and he sent Orcs and Trolls to the Misty Mountains to bar all of the passes. Some of these creatures came to Moria, and the Balrog allowed them to remain.
The Battle of Azanulbizar was the climax of the War of the Dwarves and Orcs. It took place before the eastern gate of Moria in T.A. 2799 and was a victory for the Dwarves. However, the victors did not conquer Moria because Dain Ironfoot, having slain the Orc Azog, felt the terror of the Balrog at the gate. Despite an attempt to recolonize Moria by Balin in T.A. 2989, Durin's Bane remained there a menace whose nature was hidden to the outside world.

In January, T.A. 3019, the Fellowship of the Ring travelled through Moria on the way to Mount Doom. They were attacked in the Chamber of Mazarbul by Orcs. The Fellowship fled through a side door, but when the wizard Gandalf the Grey tried to place a "shutting spell" on the door to block the pursuit behind them, the Balrog entered the chamber on the other side and cast a counterspell. Gandalf spoke a word of command to stay the door, but the door shattered and the chamber collapsed. Gandalf was severely weakened by this encounter. The company fled with him, but the Orcs and the Balrog, taking a different route, caught up with them at the bridge of Khazad-dûm. The Elf Legolas instantly recognized the Balrog and Gandalf challenged it. Since Gandalf and the Balrog were both Maiar, they were beings of the same order. As they faced each other, Gandalf broke the Bridge beneath the Balrog, but as the Balrog fell it wrapped its whip around Gandalf's knees, dragging him to the brink. As the Fellowship looked in horror, Gandalf cried "Fly, you fools!" and fell.

After the long fall, the two landed in a subterranean lake, which extinguished the flames of the Balrog's body, greatly weakening it. The Balrog fled, and Gandalf pursued the creature for eight days until they climbed to the peak of Zirakzigil, at which point the Balrog's body burst into flames again. Here they fought for two days and nights. In the end, the Balrog was defeated and cast down, breaking the mountainside where it fell. Gandalf himself died following this ordeal, but was later sent back to Middle-earth with even greater powers as Gandalf the White. Tolkien does not discuss the ultimate fate of the Balrog.

A special thanks to Wikipedia, J.R.R. Tolkien, and to the makers of Lord of the Rings films...and to kikaassassin of Deviantart.com for this slightly stolen image :D

Ankheg

2008-05-27T11:11:00.001-07:00

An ankheg (also spelled anhkheg) is a monstrous arthropod magical beast .

Physical description
An ankheg has six legs and a many-segmented body, all covered in a brown (some closer to yellow) chitinous exoskeleton. The head has black compound eyes, mandibles capable of snapping small trees, and antennae. Usually, ankhegs do not create tunnels, and simply burrow down into the ground. However, they are able to make tunnels if they dig slowly. When seriously pressed, it can spit acid. Spitting acid is usually a last resort, as it cannot digest food for several hours afterwards. Ankhegs are around 10 feet long and weigh 800 lb. One might describe it as a giant combination of ant, cockroach, and larvae antlion.

Habitat and society
The ankheg can be found near forests or agricultural land, which can make them a danger to farmers. However, they are often tolerated since their tunnels are beneficial to the land.

Ecology
While an ankheg is able to survive on organic matter in the soil, they prefer a diet of meat. While hunting, an ankheg will either lie below the surface or else simply burrow into the ground until it detects prey overhead. Somewhat similar to a larvae antlion, the ankheg will attempt to grab the prey with its mandibles. Stomach excretions aid the ankheg in consuming prey that are too large to be immediately swallowed.

While the ankheg itself has no natural predators, humans will occasionally hunt them to protect farmers or else to harvest their shell and digestive enzymes. The shell can be fashioned into armour, highly valued both for its protection and light weight.

A special thanks to wikipedia and to the makers of Dungeons and Dragons and to dungeons.wordpress for this slightly stolen image!

Dragon--Tolkien

2008-05-23T09:20:00.000-07:00

Besides dragon (derived from French), Tolkien variously used the terms drake (the original English term, from Old English draca, in turn from Latin draco) and worm (from Old English wyrm, "serpent", "dragon). This brilliant writer made many observations about dragons that established the foundation for many fantastical researchers today.

History

The dragons were created by Morgoth during the First Age, when Glaurung first appeared. It is stated that they are great spirits. This means that they must be fallen Maiar (although some of Tolkien's earlier works state that they were bred from a corrupted stock;).Dragons were capable of breeding on their own, and in later ages the Withered Heath was purportedly their spawning ground.

Taxonomy
Tolkien designed his own taxonomic system for dragons, based on locomotion and fire-breathing. Some dragons (Glaurung) walked on four legs, like Komodo dragons or other lizards. Other dragons (Ancalagon, Smaug) could both walk on four legs and fly using wings. Winged-dragons were only first witnessed during the War of Wrath, the battle that ended the First Age, so all dragons seen before the end of the First Age could not fly (such as Glaurung), although breeds of wingless dragons did exist.

Dragons who could breathe fire were called Urulóki (singular Urulokë), "Fire-drakes". It is not entirely clear whether the term "Urulóki" referred only to the first dragons such as Glaurung that could breathe fire but were wingless, or to any dragon that could breathe fire, and thus include Smaug. Interestingly, Tolkien mentions a "Cold-drake". It is commonly assumed, though not directly stated, that this term indicated a dragon which could not breathe fire, rather than one who "breathed" ice or snow like the White Dragons. Tolkien calls the dragon Scatha a "long-worm" but does not explicitly explain the term.

Other characteristics
All of Tolkien's dragons also shared a love of treasure (especially gold), subtle intelligence, immense cunning, great physical strength, and a hypnotic power called "dragon-spell". They are extremely powerful and dangerous, though they mature very slowly. Because of this, Melkor's first attempts to use them against his enemies failed, as they had not yet become powerful enough to become extremely useful in battle. Dragon-fire (even that of Ancalagon the Black) is stated as not being hot enough to melt the One Ring; however, four of the Dwarven Rings were consumed by Dragon-fire.

Named dragons
Glaurung
Father of Dragons, slain by Turin Turambar. First of the Urulóki, the Fire-drakes of Angband. He had four legs and could breathe fire, but he did not have wings. Glaurung could control and enslave Men using his mind.

Ancalagon: (Sindarin: rushing jaws from anc 'jaw', alag 'impetuous')
The Dark Lord Morgoth bred Ancalagon, called the Black, during the First Age to be the greatest and mightiest of all dragons, and the first of the winged 'fire-drakes'. Near the end of the long War of Wrath that pitted Morgoth's hosts against the Host of the Valar, Morgoth sent Ancalagon, leading a fleet of winged dragons, from the fortress of Angband to destroy the Dark Lord's enemies. So powerful was the assault of the dragon fleet that the host of the Valar was driven back from the gates of Angband onto the ashy plain of Anfauglith.

But Earendil 'The Blessed' in his powerfully hallowed elven airborne ship Vingilot duelled with Ancalagon for an entire day, until Eärendil at length prevailed, pitching Ancalagon onto the triple-peaked towers of Thangorodrim, destroying both dragon and towers. With his last and mightiest defender slain, Melkor was soon utterly defeated and made captive.

Ancalagon was said to have been so large that he blotted the Sun out, even from afar. He was the largest of any dragon to appear in Middle-earth, even larger than Smaug. His length was unknown, though longer than Glaurung or any other ground dwelling dragons. Despite his legendary fire-breath, Ancalagon was reckoned to be insufficiently hot to melt the One Ring, and none of the lesser dragons could do so.

Ancalagon was possibly long-lived like other dragons Melkor bred. So large a dragon would have taken centuries to grow to his full size. The method of how exactly Eärendil managed to battle and slay so titanic a creature is not explained.

Scatha
A mighty "long-worm" of the Grey Mountains, little is known of Scatha except that he was slain by Fram son of Frumgar (an ancestor of Eorl the Young) in the early days of the Eotheod.
After slaying Scatha, Fram's ownership of his recovered hoard was then disputed by the Dwarves of that region. Fram rebuked this claim, sending them instead Scatha's teeth, with the words, "Jewels such as these you will not match in your treasuries, for they are hard to come by." This led to his death in a feud with the Dwarves, and however the dispute was resolved, Fram's descendants "brought few good tales from the north of that folk". Certainly the Éothéod retained at least some of the hoard, and brought it south with them when they settled in Rohan. The horn that Eowyn gave to Merry Brandybuck after the War of the Ring (many hundred years later) came from this hoard.

Smaug
The last great dragon of Middle-earth, slain by Bard, a descendant of Girion Lord of Dale. A winged fire-breathing dragon. He was described as red-gold in color, and his underbelly was encrusted with many gemstones from the treasure-pile he commonly slept upon once he had taken control of Erebor (the Lonely Mountain). Smaug had only a single weakness: he was missing a scale from his left breast area. Like most dragons, Smaug was both intelligent and cunning.

Other dragons were present at the Fall of Gondolin. In the late Third Age, the dragons bred in the Northern Waste and Withered Heath north of the Ered Mithrin. Dain I of Durin's folk was killed by a cold-drake.

Earlier conceptions
In the earliest drafts of "The Fall of Gondolin", the first ever to be written, Morgoth (here called Melkor) sends mechanical war machines in the form of dragons against the city; some even serve as armoured personnel carriers for Orcs. These machines do not appear in the published Silmarillion, also edited by Christopher Tolkien, where real dragons attack the city. Real dragons at this stage were classified by the presence of wings or ability to fly: the winged, flying ones were smaller and could not breathe fire; the unwinged ones were larger and did breathe fire. These distinctions do not apply to Tolkien's later Ancalagon and Smaug, who had wings and could breathe fire and were the two largest dragons in Middle-earth.

A special thanks to Wikipedia and to J.R.R. Tolkien as well as the brilliant artist that I can't seem to find the original link to--help me out and send it to me!

Dragon--Oriental

2008-05-22T09:41:00.000-07:00

The dragons in the Orient are depicted as a long, scaled, snake-like creatures with five or fewer claws. It derives originally from the Chinese dragon with slight variations in other countries in the region. In contrast to the European dragon which stands on four legs and which is usually portrayed as evil, the Oriental dragon has long been a potent symbol of auspicious power in folklore and art. And, unlike European dragons which are usually associated with fire, Oriental dragons are more likely to have a close connection with water.

There are some differences among the various Oriental dragons. For example, Japanese dragons tend to be much more slender and fly less frequently than other Oriental dragons, which may cause the Japanese dragon to appear particularly serpentine. While Chinese dragons have five toes on each foot, Japanese dragons have three.

Japanese dragon

A Japanese dragon, also known as ryū or tatsu (龍 or 竜, ryū or tatsu) is a large, fantastic, serpent-like being, and is closely related to other Oriental dragons such as the Chinese long and the Korean ryong. Along with these Oriental dragons, it is usually depicted as a wingless, heavily-scaled creature with small clawed legs and a horned or antlered reptilian head. The ryū can generally be distinguished from other East-Asian dragons in that it has only three toes, rather than the lóng's five or the ryong's four. Japanese dragons tend to be much more slender and fly less frequently than the dragons of Vietnam, Korea, or China, which may cause the Japanese dragon to appear particularly serpentine.

Japanese dragons share a close connection with water, clouds, or the heavens with a focus primarily on the sea. This is a reflection of Japan's geography, as Japan is surrounded by the ocean and is consequently less prone to drought than China.

History of dragons in Japan
Dragon shrines and altars can still be seen in many parts of the Far East. They are usually along seashores and riverbanks, because most Eastern Dragons live in water. The Isle of the Temple, in Japan's Inland Sea, has become a famous stopover for pilgrims who meditate and pray to dragons. Descendants of the dragon became great rulers.

The Kinryu-no-Mai (Golden Dragon Dance), is held at the Sensoji Temple in Asakusa each spring. The dragon is taken through the grounds of the Sensoji in a parade and then into the temple. People throw money into a grate and touch the dragon for luck. After this the dragon is taken outside and there is a performance where the dragon twists and turns in front of the crowd.This festival commemorates the discovery in 628 of the temple's gold Kannon, which is an image of the Goddess of Mercy, by two brothers who were fishing in the Sumida River. Legend says the discovery caused golden dragons to fly up to heaven. The dance is performed in celebration of this and to bring good fortune and prosperity.

Korean Dragon

The Korean dragon is a certain type of dragon which has unique properties that differentiate it from dragons in other cultures. Like other Oriental dragons, the Korean dragon is derived from the Chinese dragon, possibly even a subspecies. Few differences can be spotted from its oriental counterparts except for its four toes used to carry a dragon orb known as the Yeo-ui-ju (여의주).

It was said that whoever could wield the Yeo-ui-ju was blessed with the abilities of omnipotence and creation at will, and that only four-toed dragons (those which had thumbs to hold the orbs) were both wise and powerful enough to wield these orbs (as opposed to the lesser, three-toed dragons). As with Chinese dragons, the number nine is significant with Korean dragons and they are said to have 81 (9x9) scales on their backs.

Ancient texts sometimes mention sentient speaking dragons, capable of understanding such complex emotions such as devotion, kindness, and gratitude. One particular Korean legend speaks of the great King Munmu, who on his deathbed wished to become a "Dragon of the East Sea in order to protect Korea."

Vietnam Dragon
In Vietnam, the dragon (Vietnamese : rồng or long) is the most important and sacred symbol. Similar to other Oriental dragons, it was strongly influenced by the Chinese dragon. According to the ancient creation myth of the Vietnamese people , all Vietnamese people are descended from a dragon and a mountain nymph. To Vietnamese people, the dragon brings rain, essential for agriculture. It represents the emperor, the prosperity and power of the nation. Like the Chinese dragon, the Vietnamese dragon is the symbol of yang, representing the universe, life, existence, and growth.

Evolution?

Throughout history Vietnamese dragons have been portrayed with different features. It is yet unknown whether these dragons were evolving or merely crossbreeding with other oriental dragons to create these various effects. However, in the earlier dragons of the Ly Dynasty were typical portrayed as the following:

These dragons' perfectly rounded bodies curve lithely, in a long sinuous shape, tapering gradually to the tail. The body has 12 sections, symbolising 12 months in the year. On the dragon's back are small, uninterrupted, regular fins. The head, held high, is in proportion with the body, and has a long mane, beard, prominent eyes, crest on nose (pointing forwards), but no horns. The legs are small and thin, and usually 3-toed. The jaw is opened wide, with a long, thin tongue; the dragons always keep a châu (gem/jewel) in their mouths (a symbol of humanity, nobility and knowledge). These dragons are able to change the weather, and are responsible for crops.

Later, during the Tran dynasty. . .
The Tran dynasty dragon was similar to that of the Ly dynasty but looked more intrepid. The Tran dragon has new details: arms and horns. Its fiery crest is shorter. Its slightly curved body is fat and smaller toward the tail. There are many kinds of tail (straight and pointed tail, spiral tail) as well as many kinds of scale (a regular half-flower scale, slightly curved scale).

During the Le Dynasty. . .
These dragons were majestic, with lion-heads. Instead of a fiery crest, they have a large nose. Their bodies only curve in two sections. Their feet have five sharp claws.

During the Nguyen dynasty. . .
the dragon is represented with a spiral tail and long fiery sword-fin. Its head and eyes are large. It has stag horns, a lion's nose, exposed canine teeth, regular flash scale, curved whiskers. Dragon images made for the King have 5 claws, others have 4 claws.

Chinese Dragon

The Chinese dragon is depicted as a long, scaled, snake-like creature with five claws. The dragon is sometimes used in the West as a national emblem of China . However, this usage within both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China on Taiwan is rare.

As with the other Oriental dragons, the Chinese dragon has often been depicted with a horse's head and a snake's tail. Further, there are expressions as 'three joints' and 'nine resemblances' (of the dragon), to wit: from head to shoulder, from shoulder to breast, from breast to tail. These are the joints; as to the nine resemblances, they are the following: his horns resemble those of a stag, his head that of a camel, his eyes those of a demon, his neck that of a snake, his belly that of a clam (shen, 蜃), his scales those of a carp, his claws those of an eagle, his soles those of a tiger, his ears those of a cow. Upon his head he has a thing like a broad eminence (a big lump), called [chimu] (尺木). If a dragon has no [chimu], he cannot ascend to the sky.

Chinese dragons are physically concise. Of the 117 scales, 81 are of the yang essence (positive) while 36 are of the yin essence (negative). This malevolent influence accounts for their destructive and aggressive side. Just as water destroys, so can the dragons in the form of floods, tidal waves and storms. Some of the worst floods were believed to have been the result of a mortal upsetting a dragon. Many oriental dragons have a flaming pearl under their chin. The pearl is associated with wealth, good luck, and prosperity.

The dragon, especially yellow or golden dragons with five claws on each foot, was a symbol for the emperor in many Chinese dynasties. The imperial throne was called the Dragon Throne.

Dragon toes
It is sometimes noted that the Chinese dragons have five on each foot, while the Japanese dragons have three. To explain this phenomenon, Chinese legend states that all Imperial dragons originated in CHina, and the further away from China a dragon went the fewer toes it had. Dragons only exist in China and Japan because if they traveled further they would have no toes to continue.

However, historical records show that ordinary Chinese dragons had four toes (this dragon was known as Mang), but the Imperial dragon had five (as in the Five elements of Chinese philosophy ) (this dragon was known as Long). The four-clawed dragon was typically for nobility and certain high ranking officials. The three clawed dragon was used by the general public (widely seen on various Chinese goods in Ming dynasty). The Long, however, was only for select royalty closely associated with the Imperial family, usually in various symbolic colors, while it was a capital offense for anyone - other than the emperor himself - to ever use the completely gold-colored, five-clawed Long dragon motif. Improper use of claw number and/or colors was considered treason, punishable by execution of the offender's entire clan. Since most east Asian nations at one point or another were considered Chinese tributaries, they were only allowed four-clawed dragons.

A special thanks to Wikipedia and to J-C of Deviantart.com for this slightly stolen image!

Dragon--European

2008-05-21T08:58:00.000-07:00

In European folklore, a dragon is a serpentine legendary creature . The dragon of the modern period is typically depicted as a huge fire-breathing, scaly and horned dinosaur-like creature, with leathery wings, with four legs and a long muscular tail. It is sometimes shown with feathered wings, crests, fiery manes, and various exotic colorations. Many dragons as extremely intelligent creatures who can talk, associated with (and sometimes in control of) powerful magic.

Etymology

The Latin word draco, as in constellation Draco, comes directly from Greek δράκων, (drákōn, gazer). Though the Latin is draco, draconis, it has been supposed by some scholars, including John Tanke of the University of Michigan , that the word dragon comes from the Old Norse draugr , which literally means a spirit who guards the burial mound of a king. How this image of a vengeful guardian spirit is related to a fire-breathing serpent is unclear. Many others assume the word dragon comes from the ancient Greek verb derkesthai, meaning "to see", referring to the dragon's legendarily keen eyesight. The word for dragon in Germanic mythology and its descendants is worm (Old English : wyrm, Old High German: wurm, Old Norse: ormr), meaning snake or serpent. In Old English wyrm means "serpent", draca means "dragon". Finnish lohikäärme means directly "salmon-snake", but the word lohi- was originally louhi- meaning crags or rocks, a "mountain snake". Though a winged creature, the dragon is generally to be found in its underground lair, a cave that identifies it as an ancient creature of earth.

Dragon Treasure

Dragons are often depicted as guarded a lair or horde filled with treasure. Although they are attracted to the shining appeal of good metalworking, the dragons don't usually collect this valuable ore for pleasure alone. Dragons drape themselves over treasure in order to absorb vital nutrients they need from from the metals. Gems often will get stuck in between their scales and add extra protection to their softer underbelly. Interestingly, it has been noted that a few dragons collect things in addition to their needed supply of gold such as stained glass, mirrors, even shoes!

Dragon's Blood

Dragon's blood often has magical properties: for example in the opera Siegfried it let Siegfried/ Sigurd understand the language of the Forest Bird. Dragon blood is so poisonous that Earth itself will refuse to absorb it. However, this could be because a dragon's blood has extreme high boiling points and remarkably low freezing points in order to resist it's own flame. It is possibly the best antifreeze material known to man, but it would be ridiculous to kill a dragon merely for its blood. When spilt, Dragon's blood may at first appear to sizzle as it reacts to the oxygen, which may account for other rumors regarding its heat, but if it isn't collected in moments, it will loose any remarkable properties it might have had.

Odd Habits

With the many observations of dragons throughout history, it has come to be known that every dragon is different and often has its own peculiar habits. Some dragons may be placated with jellybeans, while others can be enjoy the occasional riddle. A few dragons play with their human victims like cats (occasionally taking catnaps to lull their prey into a false sense of security), nd others only chew out of self-defense and never swallow. These remarkable creatures come in so many varieties that they make even humans look dull and similiar in their individuality.

Extreme Hunting
At one time, Dragons and humans lived in harmony together, sometimes becoming a terrifying force with dragon and rider. However, legends about the glory of killing a dragon spread all throughout Europe during the Medieval time periods. Unfortunately, this led to hunting dragons in unrestrained numbers and almost to their extinction. Sadly, the once numerous dragons are becoming even more rare as the human populations intrude upon dragon territory. Although they have remarkable abilities to adapt almost anywhere, it may not be enough to save them unless we fantastical experts keep the world aware of their existance.

Such murderous legends about dragons include "Saint George and the Dragon", in which a brave knight defeats a dragon holding a princess captive. However, the actual story of "Saint" George and the Dragon had been stretched and retold to the point of being ridiculous. It is more credible to believe that Saint George (as portrayed in one Welsh nationalist rendering) as an effete wally who faints at the sight of the dragon rather than a heroic individual.

Italian Dragons

The legend of Saint George and the dragon is well-known in Italy. But other Saints are depicted fighting a dragon. For instance, the first bishop of the city of Forli, named Saint Mercurialis, was said to have killed a dragon and saved Forli. So he often is depicted in the act of killing a dragon. Likewise, the first patron saint of Venice, Saint Theodore of Tyro , was a dragon-slayer, and a statue representing his slaying of the dragon still tops one of the two columns in St. Mark's square. St. Micheal, the patron saint of paratroopers. is also frequently depicted slaying a dragon. Many dragons of the european middle ages were thought to be demonic, or ressembling evil status.

Roman dragons
Roman dragons evolved from serpentine Greek ones, combined with the dragons of the Near East, in the mix that characterized the hybrid Greek/Eastern Hellenistic culture. From Babylon, the musrussu was a classic representation of a Near Eastern dragon. John's Book of Revelation — Greek literature, not Roman — describes Satan as "a great dragon, flaming red, with seven heads and ten horns". Much of John's literary inspiration is late Hebrew and Greek, but John's dragon, like his Satan, are both more likely to have come originally through the Near East. Perhaps the distinctions between dragons of western origin and Chinese dragons (q.v.) are arbitrary.

Slavic Dragons
Dragons of Slavic legends hold mixed temperaments towards humans. For example, dragons (дракон, змей, ламя) in Bulgarian mythology are either male or female , each gender having a different view of mankind. The female dragon and male dragon, often seen as brother and sister, represent different forces of agriculture. The female dragon represents harsh weather and is the destroyer of crops, the hater of mankind, and is locked in a never ending battle with her brother. The male dragon protects the humans' crops from destruction and is generally loving to humanity. Fire and water play major roles in Bulgarian dragon lore; the female has water characteristics, whilst the male is usually a fiery creature. In Bulgarian legend, dragons are three headed, winged beings with snake's bodies.

Russian Dragons

In Bulgarian, Russian, Belarusian, and Ukrainian lore, a dragon, or "змей" (Bulgarian), zmey (Russian), smok (Belarusian) zmiy (Ukrainian), is generally an evil, four-legged beast with few if any redeeming qualities. Zmeys are intelligent, but not very highly so; they often place tribute on villages or small towns, demanding maidens for food, or gold. Their number of heads ranges from one to seven or sometimes even more, with three- and seven-headed dragons being most common. The heads also regrow if cut off, unless the neck is "treated" with fire (similar to the hydra in Greek mythology but this is a rare breed of dragon, and typically, once the dragon's head has been removed it takes a very long time for it to grow one back). It's interesting fact that in the Bulgarian mythology these dragons are sometimes good, apposing to the evil Lamya /ламя/, a beast that shares a common likeness with the zmey.

Polish Dragons
The most famous Polish dragon is the Wawel Dragon or smok wawelski. It supposedly terrorized ancient Krakow and lived in caves on the Vistual river bank below the Wawel castle. According to lore based on the Book of Daniel, it was killed by a boy who offered it a sheepskin filled with sulphur and tar. After devouring it, the dragon became so thirsty that it finally exploded after drinking too much water. A metal sculpture of the Wawel Dragon is a well-known tourist sight in Kraków. It is very stylised but, to the amusement of children, noisily breathes fire every few minutes.

Germanic Dragons

The most famous dragons in Norse and Germanic legends, are: Niohoggr who gnawed at the roots of Yggdrasil or the Jormungandr the serpent wyrm which surrounds the Miðgarð the world of mortal men; The dragon encountered by Beowulf; Fafnir, who was killed by Siegfried. Fafnir turned into a wyrm dragon because of his greed.

Lindworms are monstrous serpents of Germanic myth and lore, often interchangeable with dragons. Many European stories of dragons have them guarding a treasure hoard. Both Fafnir and Beowulf's dragon guarded earthen mounds full of ancient treasure. The treasure was cursed and brought ill to those who later possessed it.

Celtic Dragons
In Britain, the dragon is now more commonly associated with Wales due to the national flag having a red dragon (Y Ddraig Goch) as its emblem and their national rugby union and rugby league teams are known as the dragons. This may originate in Arthurian Legend where Merlin , employed by Vortigern, had a vision of the red dragon (representing the Britons) and the white dragon (representing the invading Saxons) fighting beneath Dinas Emrys. The red dragon was linked with the Britons who are today represented by the Welsh, and it is believed that the white dragon refers to the Saxons who invaded Britain in the 5th and 6th centuries. This particular legend also features in the Mabinogion in the story of Llud and Llevelys.

It has also been speculated that the red dragon of Wales may have originated in the Sarmatian-influenced Draco standards carried by Late Roman cavalry, who would have been the primary defence against the Saxons. In Welsh language the word "Pennaith" means also a chieftain, apparently due to the Roman draco standards.

The Welsh flag is parti per fess Argent and Vert; a dragon Gules passant.

Basque Dragons

Herensuge is the name given to the dragon in Basque legends, meaning apparently the "third" or "last serpent". The best known legend has St. Michael descending from Heaven to kill it but only once God accepted to accompany him in person.

Sugaar, the Basque male god, is often associated with the serpent or dragon but able to take other forms as well. His name can be read as "male serpent".

Catalan Dragons
Dragons are well-known in Catalan legends, in no small part because St. George (Catalan Sant Jordi) is the patron saint of Catalonia. Like most dragons, the Catalan dragon (Catalan drac) is basically an enormous serpent with two legs, or, rarely, four, and sometimes a pair of wings. As is common elsewhere, Catalan dragons are fire-breathers, and the dragon-fire is all-consuming. Catalan dragons also can emit a fetid odor, which can rot away anything it touches.

A special thanks to Wikipedia and to the artist of this slightly stolen image--once again, I'm not sure where I got this picture :S Help me out and tell me who created it!

Dragon--General

2008-05-20T09:43:00.000-07:00

The dragon is a creature typically depicted as a gigantic and powerful serpent with magical or spiritual qualities. Most dragons are either European dragons, derived from various European folk traditions, or unrelated Oriental dragons, derived from the Chinese dragon (lóng). However, the fact that the population of dragons is more commonly found in those two areas do not limit in the least the existance of dragons in other parts of the world. In fact, dragons can be found in almost every country, despite the belief that they have been hunted to almost extinction. Dragons are highly intelligent and thus they have learned to avoid the dangers presented by humankind.

Overview
Like most legendary creatures, dragons are perceived in different ways by different cultures. Although dragons occur in many legends around the world, different cultures have varying stories about monsters that have been grouped together under the dragon label. Dragons are sometimes said to breathe and spit fire or poison. They are commonly portrayed as serpentine or reptilian, hatching from eggs and possessing typically feathered or scaly bodies. They are sometimes portrayed as having large yellow or red eyes, a feature that is the origin for the word for dragon in many cultures. They are sometimes portrayed with a row of dorsal spines, keeled scales, or leathery bat-like wings.

Winged dragons are usually portrayed only in European dragons while Oriental versions of the dragon resemble large snakes. Dragons can have a variable number of legs: none, two, four, or more when it comes to early European literature.

Dragons are often held to have major spiritual significance in various religions and cultures around the world. In many East Asian cultures dragons were, and in some cultures still are, revered as representative of the primal forces of nature, religion and the universe. They are associated with wisdom—often said to be wiser than humans—and longevity. In fact, the word "dragon" derives from Greek δράκων (drakōn), "a serpent of huge size, a python, a dragon" and that from the verb δέρκομαι (derkomai) "to see clearly." They are commonly said to possess some form of magic or other supernatural power, and are often associated with wells, rain, and rivers. In some cultures, they are also said to be capable of human speech.

A special thanks to wikipedia and to whoever I happened to steal this picture from--It's kind of hard to tell since it was one of those commonly posted images that about everyone has seen...don't worry--MORE TO COME

Griffin

2008-05-19T10:55:00.000-07:00

The griffin, also spelled Gryphon, is a creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. As the lion was traditionally considered the king of the beasts and the eagle the king of the birds, the griffin was thought to be an especially powerful and majestic creature. In antiquity it was a symbol of divine power and a guardian of the divine.

Note on Spelling

Griffin and Gryphon are acceptable in either spelling. However, it has been noted that the more serious, noble creature is considered a Gryphon while the less graceful animal is considered a Griffin. This particular entry uses Griffin more for convenience than anything else.

Description
Griffins have the forelegs of an eagle, with an eagle's legs and talons and has a lion's hindquarters. A griffin always has aquiline forelimbs! Don't confuse it with the Opinicus that has leonine forelimbs, once again, these are a distinct species. Its eagle's head is conventionally given prominent ears; these are sometimes described as the lion's ears, but are often elongated (more like a horse's), and are typically feathered.

Griffins are often enemies of horses and unicorns because, when desperate, the griffins use the animals as a supplementary source of food. The incredibly rare offspring of griffin and horse was called a hippogriff.

Eggs

A 9th-century Irish writer by the name of Stephen Scotus asserted that griffins were strictly monogamous. Not only did they mate for life, but if one partner died, the other would continue throughout the rest of its life alone, never to search for a new mate.

The egg-laying habits of the female were first clearly described by St. Hildegard of Bingen, a German nun author of the 12th century. She outlined how the expectant mother would search out a cave with a very narrow entrance but plenty of room inside, sheltered from the elements. Here she would lay her three eggs (about the size of ostrich eggs), and stand guard over them.

Medieval rumors mention that the Griffin was said to build a nest, like an eagle: instead of eggs, it lays sapphires. However, these gems were in fact a rare form of griffin egg, not actual sapphires. Rare griffin breeds lay eggs that have a gemlike luster. However, the some animals were called to watch over gold mines and hidden treasures, and griffins were often very constant in such a mission. Oftentimes the griffins would count and recount the number of gems they saw within the mine, and on occasion the sparkling dust would cling to their feathers and then fall off upon reaching the nest, which may have been where the myth of laying saphires instead of eggs originated.

History
All throughout history, griffins and their cousin species were regarded as royal animals, and often their courtly manners confirm such regards. In Minoan Crete , such creatures were even guardians of throne rooms.

In Ancient Egypt, a similar creature was depicted with a slender, feline body and the head of a falcon; this is tentatively identified as an axex, but such creatures may have been one of the griffins early ancestors. Hieroglyphic Data is often hard to analyze in this instance, but early statuary depicts them with wings that are horizontal and parallel along the back of the body, similiar to the more modern griffin.

Of the two sacred "birds" of persian origin, the homa and the simurgh, the homa is often described as griffin-like. Ancient Elamites used such a creature extensively in their architecture. During the Achaemenid Empire, homa were used widely as statues and symbols in palaces. Homa also had a special place in Persian literature as guardians of light.

Scythia
The griffin was a common feature of "animal style" Scythian gold. It was said to inhabit the Scythian steppes that reached from the modern Ukraine to central Asia; there gold and precious stones were abundant and when strangers approached to gather the stones, the creatures would leap on them and tear them to pieces. The Scythians used giant petrified bones found in this area as proof of the existence of these griffins and thus keep outsiders away from the gold and precious stones.

Ancient Greece
In archaic Greek art bronze cauldrons fitted with apotropaic bronze griffon heads ("protomes") with gaping beaks, prominent upstanding ears and often a finial knop on the skull appear with such regularity that they are considered a genre, the Griefenkessel, by specialists. The "griffin cauldrons" are discussed by Ulf Jantzen, Griechische Griefenkessel (Berlin) 1955. Based on Anatolian prototypes for bronze cauldrons with animal heads, Jantzen concluded that the griffon cauldron was a Greek invention of c.700 BC, the earliest examples hammered over moulds rather than cast. Such griffon cauldrons were developed simultaneously in Samos and in Etruscan territories from the earliest 7th through the 6th centuries BC. The earliest Etruscan example is the famous griffon protomes from the Barberini Tomb.

In Greek literature, Scythian legends are reflected by Hellenic writers' tales of griffins and the Arimaspi of distant Scythia near the cave of Boreas, the North Wind (Geskleithron), such as were elaborated in the lost archaic poem of aristeas of Proconnesus (7th century BC), Arimaspea. Bedingfeld and Gwynn-Jones infer that Aristeas's griffin , "had a wingspan of nearly three metres (ten feet), and nests in inaccessible cliffs in the Asiatic mountains. ... The gold of the region is real enough and is still mined today."

In any case, Aristeas's tales were eagerly reported by Herodotus (484 BC–c.425 BC) and in Pliny the Elder's Natural History (77 AD), among others. Aeschylus (525–456 BC), in Prometheus Bound (804), has Prometheus warn Io : "Beware of the sharp-beaked hounds of Zeus that do not bark, the gryphons."

In his Description of Greece (1.24.6), Pausanias (2nd century AD) says, "griffins are beasts like lions, but with the beak and wings of an eagle."

Medieval lore
According to Stephen Friar, a griffin's claw was believed to have medicinal properties and one of its feathers could restore sight to the blind. Goblets fashioned from griffin claws (actually antelope horns) and griffin eggs (actually ostrich eggs) were highly prized in medieval European courts. Such myths caused extreme hunting at the time period and it nearly depleted the griffin population to almost extinction.

In heraldry
The griffin is often seen as a charge in heraldry . According to the Tractatus de armis of John de Bado Aureo (late fourteenth century), "A griffin borne in arms signifies that the first to bear it was a strong pugnacious man in whom were found two distinct natures and qualities, those of the eagle and the lion." Since the lion and the eagle were both important charges in heraldry, it is perhaps surprising that their combination, the griffin, was also a frequent choice.

Bedingfeld and Gwynn-Jones suggest a far more bellicose reason for its choice as a charge: That because of the bitter antipathy between griffins and horses, a griffin borne on a shield would instill fear in the horses of his opponents. They also note the first appearance of the griffin in English heraldry, in a 1167 seal of Richard de Redvers, Earl of Essex. (However, other writers quote later dates for its first appearance.)

Heraldic griffins are usually shown rearing up, facing dexter (to the right of the bearer of the shield)*, standing on one hind leg with the other hind leg and both forelegs raised (as shown in the image on the right and those in the gallery below). This posture is described in the Norman-French heraldic blazon as segreant, a term usually applied only to griffins (but sometimes also to dragons). The generic term for this posture, used to describe lions and other beasts, is rampant.
A griffin's head is also seen as a charge in its own right, and it is distinguished from an eagle's head solely by its ears.

A special thanks to wikipedia and to chipset of deviantart.com for this slightly stolen but excellent image!

Selkie

2008-05-16T09:16:00.000-07:00

Selkies (also known as silkies or selchies) are creatures of Faroese, Icelandic, Irish and scottish origins. They can transform themselves from seals to humans. The legend apparently originated on the Orkney Islands, where selch or selk(ie) is the Scots word for seal (from Old English seolh).

Description

Selkies are a very common sight across Orkney. Heads bobbing above the waves, they are often seen in by the shore, watching inquisitively with uncannily human eyes. To the onshore observer it is not hard to see how the legends surrounding the selkie-folk - the seal people - sprang into life. Unlike the Finfolk, who retained their malicious tendencies throughout the years, the selkie-folk have come to be regarded as gentle creatures, with the ability to transform from seals into beautiful, lithe humans. If this sealskin was lost, or stolen, the creature was doomed to remain in human form until it could be recovered. Because of this, if disturbed while on shore, the selkie-folk would hastily snatch up their skins before rushing back to the safety of the sea.

Male selkies are very handsome in their human form, and have great seduction powers over human women. They typically seek those who are dissatisfied with their romantic life. This includes married women waiting for their fishermen husbands. If a woman wishes to make contact with a selkie male, she has to go to a beach and shed seven tears into the sea.

If a man steals a female selkie's skin, she is in his power, to an extent, and she is forced to become his wife. Female selkies are said to make excellent wives, but because their true home is the sea, they will often be seen gazing longingly to the ocean. If her skin is found she will immediately return to her home — sometimes, her selkie husband — in the sea.

Sometimes, a selkie maiden is taken as a wife by a human man and she has several children by him. In these cases, it is often one of her children who discovers her sealskin (often unwitting of its significance) and she soon returns to the sea. The selkie woman usually avoids seeing her human husband again but is sometimes shown visiting her children and playing with them in the waves.

However, Selkies are not always faithless lovers. One tale tells of the fisherman Cagan who married a seal-woman. Against his wife's wishes he set sail dangerously late in the year, and was trapped battling a terrible storm, unable to return home. His wife shifted to her seal form and saved him, even though this meant she could never return to her human body and hence her happy home. Some stories from Shetland have selkies luring islanders into the sea at midsummer, the lovelorn humans never returning to dry land

In Stories

Stories concerning selkies are generally romantic tragedies. Sometimes the human will not know that their lover is a selkie, and wakes to find them gone. Other times the human will hide the selkie's skin, thus preventing them from returning to seal form. A selkie can only make contact with one particular human for a short amount of time before they must return to the sea. They are not able to make contact with that human again for seven years, unless the human is to steal their selkie's skin and hide it or burn it.

In "The Secret of Roan Inish", a fisherman steals the selkie's pelt while she is sunbathing. She then returns to his house and becomes his wife and bears him children. He stashes away her skin and years later, one of the children mentions it and asks what it is. The wife immediately drops what she's doing, retrieves the pelt and returns to her former life as a seal.

The selkie legend is also told in Wales, but in a slightly different form. The selkies are humans who have returned to the sea. Dylan (Dylan Eil Don) the firstborn of Arianrhod, was variously a merman or sea spirit, who in some versions of the story escapes to the sea immediately after birth.

In the Faroe Islands there are two versions of the story of the Selkie or Seal Wife. A young farmer from the town of Mikladalur on Kalsoy island goes to the beach to watch the selkies dance. He hides the skin of a beautiful selkie maid, so she can't go back to sea, and forces her to marry him. He keeps her skin in a chest, and keeps the key with him both day and night. One day when out fishing, he discovers that he has forgotten to bring his key. When he returns home, the selkie wife has escaped back to sea, leaving their children behind. Later, when the farmer on a hunt kills both her selkie husband and two selkie sons, she promises to take revenge upon the men of Mikladalur. Some shall be drowned, some shall fall from cliffs and slopes, and this shall continue, until as many have been lost, that they can link arms around the whole island of Kallsoy.

A special thanks to wikipedia!

Kelpie

2008-05-15T09:22:00.000-07:00

The kelpie is a shape-shifting water horse of Celtic origins that is believed to haunt the rivers and lochs of Scotland and Ireland . Its hide was generally supposed to be black (though in some stories it was white), and will appear to be a lost pony, but can be identified by its constantly dripping mane. Its skin is like that of a seal but is deathly cold to the touch.

Description

The Kelpie is the supernatural shape-shifting water horse that haunts the rivers and streams of Scotland. It is probably one of the best known of Scottish water spirits and is often mistakenly thought to haunt lochs, which are the reserve of the Each Uisge. The creature could take many forms and had an insatiable appetite for humans; its most common guise was that of a beautiful tame horse standing by the riverside - a tempting ride for a weary traveller. Anybody foolish enough to mount the horse - perhaps a stranger unaware of the local traditions - would find themselves in dire peril, as the horse would rear and charge headlong into the deepest part of the water, submerging with a noise like thunder to the travellers watery grave.

The Kelpie was also said to warn of impending storms by wailing and howling, which would carry on through the tempest. This association with thunder - the sound its tail makes as it submerges under water - and storms, may be related to ancient worship of river and weather deities by the ancient Celts, although this is difficult to substantiate.

Capture

There was one way in which a Kelpie could be defeated and tamed; the Kelpies power of shape shifting was said to reside in its bridle, and anybody who could claim possession of it could force the Kelpie to submit to their will. A Kelpie in subjugation was highly prized, it had the strength of at least 10 horses and the endurance of many more, but the fairy races were always dangerous captives especially those as malignant as the Kelpie.

It was said that the MacGregor clan were in possession of a Kelpies bridle, passed down through the generations from when one of their clan managed to save himself from a Kelpie near Loch Slochd.

Known Locations

The Kelpie was thought to inhabit rivers throughout Scotland, and one is recorded as being banished by St Columba from the River Ness, which later became associated with the Loch Ness Monster. Another Kelpie abode was the river Conon (Conan) in Perthshire, which was treacherous in flood, and associated with other cruel and foreboding water spirits.

Other Names-similiar creatures, but not quite--

In Orkney a similar creature was called the Nuggle, and in Shetland a similar creature was called the Shoopiltee, the Njogel, or the Tangi. On the Isle of Man it is known as the Cabbyl-Ushtey or the Glashtin. It also appears in Scandinavian regions where in Sweden it is known by the name Bäckahästen, the brook horse. In Norway it is called nokken, where the horse shape is often used, but is not its true form. In the Faroe Islands it is called Nykur and in Iceland it is called Nykur or Nennir. Another similar Scottish water horse is the Each uisge BUT REMEMBER! These are separate but similiar species. Where the exact variations occur in their genetics are yet to be confirmed.

A special thanks to Wikipedia and to Mysterious Britain for the additional information. And to xDante of Deviantart.com for this slightly stolen image.

Ogre

2008-05-14T10:03:00.000-07:00

An ogre (feminine: ogress) is a large, cruel and hideous humanoid monsters.Ogres are often depicted with a large head, abundant hair and beard, a huge belly, and a strong body. The term is often applied in a metaphorical sense to disgusting persons who exploit, brutalize or devour their victims.

Appearance and physiology

Ogres are described as being essentially humanoid in shape, though much larger than any human, standing 8 - 10 feet tall. Though they appear quite fat, sporting a noticeable paunch, in fact most of their critical internal organs are centered in the gut region of their stomach, which is protected by a thick sheath of muscle. This muscle also aids in digestion, as it can contract to help grind down tougher substances. As a result, Ogres are capable of eating nearly anything. All ogres wear a personalized, dual-purpose gut-plate. This serves to protect their gut - which they consider the spiritual center of their being- and can be used as a weapon. Ogres also have extremely tough skin, which is speculated to have little to no feeling, which could be the reason for some of the brutal acts they commit to each other.

Ogre culture

Early sources described Ogres as dwelling primarily in Human lands and in the northern reaches of the Old World. Ogres have been given a homeland in the Mountains of Mourn. These "Ogre Kingdoms" are loosely organized into a number of small empires and kingdoms, each separate from the others. While their society is described as being brutish and barbaric, Ogres are shown as being capable of dwelling among members of other races, and as being better accepted by others than some of the brutal races.

The ogre culture is described as being oriented around eating, and as such, most ogres sport large guts and they worship a god known as the Great Maw. It appears to be a vast creature that was released from a comet intended to destroy the Ogre Kingdoms near Cathay. It ate many of the inhabitants of the Ogre Kingdoms and is said to have passed through the centre of the world (it appears that another Great Maw exists in the sea on the other side of the world, in the form of a giant whirlpool that sucks in passing ships). The ogres venerate and fear it in equal measure. The priests of the Great Maw, known as Butchers and Slaughtermasters, also fulfill the roles of cooks for their respective tribes and supervise their religious holidays, which consist (mainly, and some times solely) of gigantic banquets and pit fights.

The overall leader of each kingdom is known as the Tyrant. Young bull ogres challenge him for the leadership of the tribe. These challenges take the form of duels which take place in the tribe's 'maw-pit', a stake-lined pit into which pieces of red meat are thrown, as an offering for their god.In 'friendly' fights, over some food for example, the forfeit for losing is generally an ear or a couple of fingers given up to the winner as a victory snack. In serious duels, such as a challenge for tyranthood of the tribe, the loser becomes the victor's next meal.

The ogres are a primitive culture and most of their equipment is made from scavenged scrap metal, loot from their adventures, or is crafted by the Chaos Dwarves of Zharr Nagrunnd in exchange for Gnoblar slaves. That which they do create is made from the hides and bones of various quasi-prehistoric creatures, such as mammoths, sabertooth cats and ice age style rhinos, known as rhinoxen. The ogres hunt these creatures for food as well. Elaborately carved clubs are one of the few weapons that Ogres often craft themselves.

Storytelling is also quite common amongst Ogres, especially Maneaters. Ogres love to tell others of his/her life story. However, most of the story is false. Many have exaggerated (or not) about how a maneater's greatest ability is to tell long, boring life stories.Ogres also believe in an almost ancient tale of how the Ogres beat up and ate the entire Skytitan race, also known as giants. Skytitans ruled the Mountains of Mourn with benevolence, until the Ogres came. Skytitans are described to have lived in massive castles built atop the highest mountains, coming down only to tend to the mammoth flocks. Once the Ogres were through with them their once great palaces are turned into either rubble or defiled mess halls filled with troughs for the tribe. The mammoths are all but consumed by the Ogres.

The ogres are served by Gnoblars, a small species of goblinoids. They are smaller than typical goblins, and play the role of pets, servants and, on the battlefield, cannon fodder. Gnoblars don't make good eating; Ogres find they don't have enough meat on them. Many ogres pick a favorite gnoblar, and it is identified by the bite mark that is bestowed upon its right ear. In a dispute over the ownership of a gnoblar it is customary for both ogres to take a bite out of the left ear, who the bite matches is clearly the owner. It is considered a grave insult to eat an ogres favorite gnoblar, and in fact it was this mistake that cost Skrag the Slaughterer to lose his hands after his tyrant cut them off and fed them to him as punishment for serving his gnoblar as a meal.

Tyrants
Ogre Tyrants are the dominant males of their tribe. An Ogre can attain the status of Tyrant by defeating the current Tyrant in combat and eating him. As a Tyrant, an Ogre is privileged to the best life an Ogre can have. He will have the best weapons, the finest clothes, the tastiest foods, and vast treasures. Tyrants also enjoy the protection from enemies in the form of Ironguts, whom he hand-picks himself. Tyrants will rule over everything he sees from his throne. Tyrants will also have the largest gut of all Ogres, as they obviously eat well. At feasts they will sit at the front of the table, and eat the finest cuts of meat with the Slaughtermaster and Hunters at his sides.

Hunters
Hunters are Ogres who prefer solitude than company. They live in the snowy mountains with their trusted Sabretusks (see below) and Gnoblar trappers. They hunt the beasts on the mountains and take their prize back to the tribe during feasts. Because they are the ones who brings the meat, they are often given the second best cut. They have gut-plates decorated with the pelts and bones of their prey, and their equipments include throwing spears or "harpoon launcher": a large crossbow.

Butchers
Butchers are the chefs and cooks of an Ogre tribe, who also serve the role of tribal priests or shamans. Within the tribe, they occupy a position of great respect. They usually appear to be quiet gruesome in appearance due to the many hooks, pierces and barbs attattched to their body, and are often skewered with meat, cooking tools, and various other bits and pieces of their preys. They often have more than one set of teeth which they can frequently change in order to tackle different kinds of food.

Ogre Troops
Bulls -Ogre bulls, the term for any male Ogre adult, make up the bulk of any Ogre army.
Ironguts-Ironguts are the more "elite" Ogre Bulls of the army. They have access to better weapons and armour than the average bull. Ironguts are selected by a tribe's Tyrant, and are normally the closest friends of the Tyrant or members of his immediate family, they are also renowned for eating things that other Ogres would not, hence the name of Ironguts.
Leadbelchers-Leadbelchers are Ogres who carry portable cannons scavenged from earlier battles. Though their weapons are unreliable and prone to mishaps, they are capable of inflicting significant damage with a single shot. If no gunpowder is to be seen in the raid to take the cannons then the ogres will quite happily stuff knives or anything sharp into the cannon just to not seem like idiots. Also when they fire they often charge into the enemy using their cannons as clubs.

Maneaters-Maneaters are elite Ogres who have traveled outside the Ogre Kingdoms, serving as bodyguards and mercenaries in the Old World. They may wield exotic weapons or other equipment that they have picked up during their travels. The name 'Maneater' originates with the Ogre Golfag Maneater, who on one occasion ate his employer during a fight. However, Golfag himself comments that the name is misleading, as he doesn't really care what he eats.
Gorgers-When an Ogre is born without a paunch, they are exiled and forced to live underground, where they degenerate into a creature known as a Gorger. They have pale skin, are nearsighted and have developed talons on their hands and feet. They are much taller than ogres but their height is concealed by their hunched posture. Their greater size and physique is due to their diet of competing for their food, ensuring that only the strongest, fastest and largest of them ever survive to maturity. They also have little clothing, wearing only a loin cloth.
They are let loose on the battlefield when they catch the scent of blood, eagerly charging in that direction, hoping for fresh meat.

Gnoblar: Ogre Slaves
Gnoblars, small goblin-kin, are often bullied by ogre bulls into being cannon fodder and, sometimes, ammunition for leadbelchers. Gnoblars form into large units to fight. They scare easily and often run from direct combat, preferring to avoid direct conflict. Outside of combat, they are employed by Ogres as servants and menial workers, and can use weapons deemed too fiddly for use by ogres!
Gnoblar Trappers are employed by Ogre Hunters to trap animals. They are stealthier than their normal cousins and use a variety of traps to bring down larger foes. They are slightly braver than normal Gnoblars, but still very cowardly.

Slave Giant
Ogre tribes will sometimes locate and enslave lone giants, turning them loose in battle to fight for the tribe. The process of subduing the giant breaks its spirit and robs it of its courage, somewhat diminishing its effect on the battlefield, it has been known for a tyrant to bring down a giant on his own such is the power of an ogre tyrant.

Rhinoxen
The powerful Rhinoxen (or rhinox) are large fur-covered creatures similar to a woolly rhinoceros and are used as beasts of burden by the Ogres. Gnoblars construct crude war machines, known as Scraplaunchers, drawn by these beasts (due to their size, neither Ogres nor Gnoblars are able to use weapons left by any humanoid creatures; this contraption will instead hurl these leftovers at the enemy), and Ogres sometimes use them as mounts.
Sabretusks
Sabretusks are giant sabre-toothed mountain lions who serve Ogre Hunters as prowling hounds. Sabretusks are fast and strong, making them excellent for hunting down the weakened prey of the hunter. Physically they resemble sabertooth tigers, except with long tusks (hence the name).

Other Ogres

Half-Ogre-Half-ogres are smarter but weaker than ogres. They can sometimes pass as unusually large, albeit ugly, humans. It is often conjectured that Half Ogres were a result of the rape of a human with a true Ogre.

Merrow-These aquatic ogres are green and scaled with webbed hands and feet. They are faster and fiercer than their land-based kin, but are otherwise similar to normal ogres.

Ogre Mage-hese blue-skinned ogres are more intelligent than their mundane kin, and possess some innate magical abilities, such as invisibility and shapeshifting. They are a little taller than standard Ogres, averaging ten feet.

A special thanks to Wikipedia, the intelligent gamers who have supplied the details, and to the UK games workshop for this slightly stolen image.

Cyclops

2008-05-13T09:35:00.000-07:00

A cyclops (pronounced /ˈsaɪklɒps/), or kyklops (Greek Κύκλωψ), is a member of a primordial race of giants, each with a single eye in the middle of its forehead. The plural is cyclopes (pronounced IPA: /saɪˈkloʊpiːz/) or kyklopes (Greek Κύκλωπες). In English, the plural cyclopses is also used. The name is widely thought to mean "round-" or "wheel-eyed".

In Literature
Hesiod describes one group of cyclopes and Homer describes another. In Hesiod's Theogony , Zeus releases three Cyclopes, the sons of Uranus and Gaia , from the dark pit of Tartarus. They provide Zeus's thunderbolt, Hades' helmet of invisibility, and Poseidon's trident, and the gods use these weapons to defeat the Titans. In a famous episode of Homer's Odyssey, the hero Odysseus encounters the Cyclops Polyphemus, the son of Poseidon and a nereid (Thoosa), who lives with his fellow Cyclopes in a distant country. The connection between the two groups has been debated in antiquity and by modern scholars

Hesiod's 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 the 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.

Homer's Cyclopes
The Cyclopes were huge one-eyed monsters that resided on an island with the same name. Commonly, the term "Cyclops" refers to a particular son of Poseidon and Thoosa named Polyphemus who was a Cyclops. Another member of this group of Cyclopes was Telemus, a seer.

Polyphemus
In Book 9 of Homer's Odyssey , a scouting party led by Odysseus lands on the Island of the Cyclopes and discovers a large cave. They enter into the cave and feast on food they find there. This cave is the home of Polyphemus, who soon returns. Odysseus and his crew attempt to befriend him in the cave; but he traps them instead. He proceeds to eat several crew members, whereupon Odysseus devises a cunning plan for escape.

To make Polyphemus unwary, Odysseus gives him a skin of very strong, unwatered wine. When Polyphemus asks for Odysseus' name, he tells him that it is 'Outis',Greek for 'no man' or 'nobody'. Once the giant falls asleep as a result of being drunk, Odysseus and his men take the spit from the fire and drive it through Polyphemus' only eye. Polyphemus' cries of help are answered by the others of his race; however, they turn away from aiding him when they hear that "Nobody" is the cause of his woes.

In the morning, Odysseus ties his men and himself to the undersides of Polyphemus' sheep. When the Cyclops lets the sheep out to graze, the men are carried out. Since Polyphemus has been blinded, he cannot see the men, but feels the backs of his sheep to make himself sure that the men are not riding them. As he sails away, Odysseus shouts "Cyclops, when your father asks who took your eye, tell him that it was Odysseus, Sacker of Cities, Destroyer of Troy, son of Laertes, and King of Ithaca", which proves to be a catastrophic example of hubris. Knowing his attacker's name, Polyphemus asks his father Poseidon to prevent Odysseus from returning home to Ithaca, or to at least deprive him of his ship and crew.

The Sicilian Greek poet Theocritus wrote two poems circa 275 bc concerning Polyphemus' desire for Galatea, a sea nymph . When Galatea instead married Acis, a Sicilian mortal, a jealous Polyphemus killed him with a boulder. Galatea turned Acis' blood into a river of the same name in Sicily.

A special thanks to wikipedia and to Garmr of Deviantart.com for this slightly stolen image!

Pooka

2008-05-12T09:42:00.000-07:00

The Phooka (old Irish), (also Pooka, Puka, Phouka, Púka, Pwca in Welsh, Bucca in Cornish, pouque in Dgernesiais , also Glashtyn, Gruagach) is a creature of Celtic origin, notably in Ireland and Wales . It is one of the myriad of faery folk, and, like many faery folk, is both respected and feared by those who believe in it.

Description
According to legend, the phooka is an adroit shape changer, capable of assuming a variety of terrifying forms. It may appear as a horse, rabbit, goat, goblin, or dog. No matter what form the phooka takes, its fur is almost always dark. (its name is a cognate of the early Irish 'poc', 'a male goat', but it most commonly takes the form of a sleek black horse with a flowing mane and glowing yellow eyes.

Encountering a Phooka

If a human is enticed onto a phooka's back it has been known to give them a wild ride. But unlike a kelpie, which will take its rider and dive into the nearest river or lake to drown and devour him, the phooka will do the unfortunate rider no real harm. The Púca has the power of human speech, and has been known to give advice and lead people away from danger. Though the phooka enjoys confusing and often terrifying humans, it is considered to be benevolent.

Agricultural Traditions
Certain agricultural traditions surround the Púca. It is a creature associated with Samhain, the third Pagan (Celtic, Wiccan ) Harvest Festival, when the last of the crops is brought in. Anything remaining in the fields is considered "puka," or fairy-blasted, and hence inedible. In some locales, reapers leave a small share of the crop, the "púca's share," to placate the hungry creature. Nonetheless, November Day is the Púca's day, and the one day of the year when it can be expected to behave civilly.

Modern Encounters
In the classic Mary Chase play Harvey , the title character Harvey is a pooka, in the form of a very tall humanoid white rabbit. Interestingly enough, the actual play was based on a true encounter with a phooka, but it has been adapted several times to fit a comedic setting instead. However, there is a humorous scene in which Mr. Wilson, the asylum orderly, reads the definition of pooka in the encyclopedia: "Pooka. From old Celtic mythology. A fairy spirit in animal form. Always very large. The pooka appears here and there, now and then, to this one and that one at his own caprice. A benign but mischievous creature. Very fond of rum-pots, crackpots, and how are you, Mr. Wilson?" This provides the notion that Harvey is real--and of course, the definition is highly accurate.

A special thanks to Wikipedia and to RYCE for all the help! Also, a thanks to unholy-warlock of Deviantart.com for this slightly stolen image.

Faun

2008-05-09T09:02:00.000-07:00

Fauns are place-spirits of untamed woodland. Romans connected their fauns with the Greek satyrs, wild and orgiastic drunken followers of Bacchus. However, fauns and satyrs are quite different creatures. Both have horns and both resemble goats below the waist, humans above; but Fauns have more humanlike faces while Satyrs are more goatlike but still with a humanesque quality about them.

Physical Description
They are essentially human in shape, standing nearly six feet high, with humanlike faces, usually curly hair (including beards on the males), and short, goat-like tails. They also have smaller goat horns, rather than the large curling ram's horns of the Satyrs. They typically have light brown complexions, but there are many fauns who have more extreme redish in color or even a dark black on the other end of the scale. They do not favor clothing, but will wear it in their dealings with humans, and it usually consists of hats or scarves, or in the extreme case leather armor.

Relations
Fauns are closely related to satyrs, but they should never be confused with their more wild and goatlike relations. Unlike satyrs, the fauns are more amenable to interaction with human society; they are not as xenophobic as their cousins. Indeed, they are somewhat intrigued by the nuances of human culture, and occasionally strive to imitate this culture even when they do not have extensive contact with it. Fauns are not especially clever or war-like but more generally good-natured and friendly. They are well versed in wood lore and claim many friends amongst the Dryads, with whom they have dances and mysterious ceremonies at various times of the year.

Fauns in fiction
In C.S. Lewis' classic, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, a faun named Mr. Tumnus is the first creature Lucy meets in Narnia. He tries to kidnap her because she is a daughter of Eve, putting Lucy under an enchantment with his flute, but is suddenly convicted of his great evil, and has a change of heart.

A special thanks to Wikipedia, to C.S. Lewis, and to the makers of the Chronicles of Narnia for this image.

Satyr

2008-05-08T09:42:00.001-07:00

Greek satyrs (in Greek, Σάτυροι — Sátyroi) are a troop of male companions of Pan and Dionysus that roamed the woods and mountains. They are not to be confused with the gentler woodland fauns, for they are an entirely separate race.

Description
Mature satyrs are built with flat noses, large pointed ears, long curly hair, and full beards, with wreaths of vine or ivy circling their heads. Satyrs acquired their goat-like aspect through later Roman conflation with Faunus, a carefree Italic nature spirit of similar temperament, making them distant cousins but not the same species, hence satyrs are most commonly described in Latin literature as having the upper half of a man and the lower half of a goat, with a goat's tail in place of the Greek tradition of horse-tailed satyrs. Mature satyrs are often depicted in Roman art with goat's horns, while juveniles are often shown with bony nubs on their foreheads. Satyrs often carry the thyrsus: the rod of Dionysus tipped with a pine cone.

Personality
Satyrs are described as roguish but faint-hearted folk — subversive and dangerous, yet shy and cowardly. As Dionysiac creatures they are lovers of wine, women and boys, and are ready for every physical pleasure. They roam to the music of pipes (auloi), cymbals, castanets, and bagpipes , and love to dance with the nymphs (with whom they are obsessed, and whom they often pursue), and have a special form of dance called sikinnis. Because of their love of wine, they are often represented holding winecups, and appear often in the decorations on winecups.
Some satyrs are depicted as old. Satyrs are represented in the three stages of a man's life: mature satyrs are bearded, and are shown as fat and balding, both a humiliating and unbecoming disfigurement in Greek culture.

In Greek mythology and art
In earlier Greek art, satyrs appear as old and ugly, but in later art, especially in works of the Attic school, this savage characteristic is softened into a more youthful and graceful aspect.
This transformation or humanization of the Satyr appears throughout late Greek art. The compassionate representation of the Satyr in a work of Praxiteles known as the "Resting Satyr" shows the level of Greek civilization and their desire to accept all types of people. Older satyrs were known as sileni, the younger as satyrisci. The hare was the symbol of the shy and timid satyr.

In Roman mythology and art
Roman satyrs were often associated with the spirits of woodland and with the rustic spirit Pan, called the Panes. Roman satyrs were described as goatlike from the haunches to the hooves , and were often pictured with larger horns, even ram's horns.

Other references
In the King James Version of the Bible, Isaiah 13:21 and 34:14, the English word "satyr" is used to represent the Hebrew sh'lrlm , "hairy ones". In Hebrew folklore, sh'lrlm are a type of demon or supernatural being which inhabits waste places. They correspond to the "shaggy demon of the mountain-pass" (azabb al-akaba) of old arab legend.

Baby satyr
Baby satyrs, or child satyrs, are often depicted as young satyrs being tended to by older, sober satyrs, while there are also some representations of child satyrs taking part in Bacchanalian/Dionysian rituals (including drinking alcohol, playing musical instruments, and dancing ).

However, the role of a child in Greek art might imply a further meaning for baby satyrs: Eros, the son of Aphrodite, is consistently represented as a child or baby, and Bacchus, the divine sponsor of satyrs, is seen in numerous works as a baby, often in the company of the satyrs.

A special thanks to Wikipedia and to Walden.com for this slightly stolen concept art for Narnia.

Salamander

2008-05-07T10:18:00.000-07:00

In one of the earliest surviving descriptions of a salamander, the creature is "an animal like a lizard in shape and with a body starred all over; it never comes out except during heavy showers and disappears the moment the weather becomes clear." It's fiery being is a symbol of both creation and destruction. Creation of flames and life, for fire can provide both light and warmth, but it also destroys.

The Salamander is associated with protective qualities and courage. It is said that no fire can ever be lit without the help of the fire spirits and that within each flame in every fire and candle there is a Salamander.

History
Of all the traits ascribed to salamanders, the ones relating to fire have stood out most prominently in salamander lore. This connection probably originates from a behavior common to many species of salamander, hibernating in and under rotting logs. When wood was brought indoors and put on the fire, the creatures "mysteriously" appeared from the flames. The milky substance that a salamander exudes when frightened and which makes its skin very moist gave rise to the idea that the salamander could withstand any heat and even put out fires.

The salamander is mentioned in the Talmud as a creature that is a product of fire, and anyone who is smeared with its blood will be immune to harm from fire. Rashi, the primary commentator on the Talmud, describes the salamander as one which is produced by burning a fire in the same place for seven years. According to Sahih Bukhari, Muhammad said that salamanders are "mischief-doers" and "should be killed".

Leonardo da Vinci wrote the following on the salamander: "This has no digestive organs, and gets no food but from the fire, in which it constantly renews its scaly skin. The salamander, which renews its scaly skin in the fire,—for virtue."

Early travelers to China were shown garments supposedly woven from salamander hair or wool; the cloth was completely unharmed by fire. According to T. H. White, Prester John had a robe made from it; the "Emperor of India" possessed a suit made from a thousand skins; and Pope Alexander III had a tunic which he valued highly.

William Caxton wrote: "This Salemandre berithe wulle, of which is made cloth and gyrdles that may not brenne in the fyre." Holme (1688) wrote: "...I have several times put [salamander hair] in the Fire and made it red hot and after taken it out, which being cold, yet remained perfect wool."

Heraldry, symbolism, and allusion
In early heraldry, the salamander was depicted as a lizard or a natural salamander, but still amidst flames. In the arms of Le Clei shown as vomissant des flammes ("vomiting flames") as well. It is often tinctured vert (green) but can be of any other colour or metal.

The salamander became a symbol of enduring faith which triumphs over the fires of passion. It was the badge of Francis I of France, with the motto, "I nourish [the good] and extinguish [the bad]." It appears in the arms of Le Havre, Fontainebleau, and others.

The salamander became the traditional emblem of the smith, and thus appears in a number of civic arms to symbolise local metal-working industries. It appears in the arms of Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council, as well as the old County Borough Council. In the crest of the arms of Spennymoor Town Council, the Shafto family's salamander also holds a sword to represent the local steel industry. Some insurance companies use the salamander in their arms, a clear reference to its fire-fighting attributes.

A special thanks to Wikipedia and to Stardragonwings of Deviantart.com for this slightly stolen image.

And to Ryce for the inspiration! :D

However, this entry is definitely lacking in general information about this awesome species. How do they live? Where do they go? Help contribute!

Troll--Other Sources

2008-05-06T09:08:00.000-07:00

Description

Trolls are usually depicted as large, clumsy brutes with thick skin. Though they vary greatly in appearance, they are all big, stupid and hungry. Trolls are able to vomit up the contents of their stomach at will, and as troll stomach acid is the most corrosive substance. The metabolism of trolls is such that although apparently knocked down and killed they can regenerate and recover unless actually decapitated.

Abilities
Trolls are infamous for their regenerative abilities, able to recover from the most grievous of wounds or regenerate entire limbs given time. Severing a troll's head results merely in temporary incapacitation, rather than death. After cutting off a troll's head or other limbs, one must seal the wounds with fire or acid to prevent regeneration. Because of this, most adventurers will typically carry some sort of implement capable of creating fire.

Troll Variants
Black troll - Also known as demon trolls, these horned trolls reside in the Abyss and possess powerful magical abilities.
Blood troll - Lawful evil red-skinned trolls who often serve devils.
Cave troll - Powerful, feral trolls that often live underground.

Chaos Trolls--By living in the far northern climates, they have been horribly mutated by the twisting powers of Chaos. The Chaos Trolls are often used by followers of Nurgle.
Crystalline troll - Charismatic troll with crystalline skin.
Deep Sea troll - These trolls have a primal connection to water. They terrorize the oceans and coastlines.
Desert troll - Chameleon-like, intelligent ambush hunters.
Fell troll - Huge, two-headed troll.
Fire troll - Immune to fire and acid.
Forest troll - Includes variant "muskwart".
Giant troll - Giant trolls are the result of trolls breeding with hill giants.
Gray troll - Having been nearly energy drained to death by undead creatures, these emaciated trolls forge strong ties to negative energy and have venomous spittle.
Ice troll - Cold-dwelling trolls.
Mountain troll - Massive trolls that prowl mountains. Includes variant Halruuan mountain troll.
Mur-Zhagul - Planetouched creatures descended from the mingling of trolls and demons.
Phaze troll - Mutated by great concentrations of magic or Underdark radiations, these trolls possess some magical powers and are more intelligent than their brethren.
Pseudo-troll - Troll from the Far Realm with the pseudonatural creature template.
River Troll--are green coloured trolls with huge fangs, wide ears and blue scales along their body. They obviously live in the lakes and rivers of the old world. River trolls are noted for the fact that even compared to normal trolls, they are exceptionally disgusting and smelly.

Rock troll - Trolls with an affinity for earth, they possess natural camouflage in areas of stone. Rock trolls sometimes are found on the Elemental Plane of Earth.
Scrag - These are aquatic cousins of the troll.
Slime troll - The bodies of these underground-dwelling trolls constantly secrete acid.
Spirit troll - Spirit trolls are a crossbreed of troll and invisible stalker.
Stone troll - Stone Trolls have rough, somewhat rocky skin and are generally native to mountain ranges. Stone Trolls Stone trolls are blue coloured trolls with long noses, lanky builds and pebbly skin. They live in the high mountains where there is little to eat except stones. It is also believed that stone rolls' rocky diet has made them resistant to many things, most notably magic.
Tree troll - Small arboreal trolls created by magic gone awry.
Troll hunter - An ordinary, though more cunning than usual troll who is not satisfied with merely eating civilized beings but trains to hunt them relentlessly.
Two-headed troll - These creatures are a horrendous crossbreed of troll and ettin.
War troll - Trolls bred for war that form mercenary companies.
Wasteland troll - Found in mountains and badlands of the deserts.

Evolution in Artemis Fowl
Though no one is quite sure when trolls evolved, it is known that when the Fairies were driven underground, about 9000 to 10,000 years ago, trolls were already a menace. They evolved underground before the fairies came down. Not much is said about the earliest trolls or their particular notoriety for violence, though later on they do mention quite a bit about their physical make-up.

Attributes
Trolls have massive strength. The bull troll that Holly encounters weighs a massive 180 kilograms (about 400 pounds) and has sharp, edged tusks. Trolls have developed an extremely thick skull after centuries of charging each other, and have claws that may be sheathed or protruded like a cats. They also have red eyes with slitted pupils, giving them good night-vision. In addition, they have venom and extremely long tusks. Besides their sheer strength, they have an aversion to any light, probably due to the fact they developed in the semi-darkness of underground tunnels. Any exposure to it will typically drive them insane - they attack everything they can until subdued by the LEP, or most probably killed by mud-men on the off chance of an encounter. Therefore, the ideal place for these creatures to dwell is in the Eleven Wonders theme park, with little to no outside contact and barely any light at all.

Effects on Human World
Trolls pose relatively little risk to the world of humans because they rarely survive to reach the surface. The only way a troll can emerge is to ride on the clouds of superheated gas that rise from a tunnel below the surface. One exception to this is the Artemis Fowl incident, in which the Council approved sending a troll to secure their hostage. If a troll survives to the surface it will be driven mad by both the sun and the noise it has to endure, and will proceed to rampage wherever they exit.

A special thanks to wikipedia, to all the inventive gamers who are undoubtedly aware of the existence of real trolls, to Eoin Cofer for the additional information, and to Minnhagen of Deviantart.com for this slightly stolen image.

Troll--Tolkien

2008-05-06T09:07:00.000-07:00

In J. R. R. Tolkien's world of Middle-earth, Trolls are very large (twelve feet tall or morehumanoids of great strength and poor intellect. While in Norse mythology, the Troll was a magical creature with special skills, and are so accepted to this day in Scandinavia, in Tolkien's writings they are portrayed as evil, stupid, with crude habits, although still intelligent enough to communicate with a known language.

Description
In The Hobbit they speak with very thick Cockney accents. They turn to stone when exposed to sunlight and they enjoy eating meat (such as mutton, hobbits and Dwarves) and drinking beer. While threatening, the trolls in The Hobbit serve as a comic element. They even have normal names: Tom, Bert and William (Bill) Huggins (the only one with a given surname).

Mountain-trolls, including the cave-trolls of Moria, are about 17 feet (5 m) tall, with massive limbs, potbellies, and dark scales on its back and shoulders. They come in stony colours, with the most common being grey. They have 22 teeth, including two fangs on the lower canines. Their blood is black, and is so hot that when split, it sizzles on the floor. They are mainly carnivorous, but can digest plant matter if need be. The eyes are either grey or blue. They wear loincloths of leather that they find in the Mines or are given by the Goblins. They sometimes roar when in a battle rage, but are incapable of forming words or language. They often wield either a great club or a hammer.

Cave-trolls are usually found with small groups of Orcs. They are too unintelligent to hunt food for themselves, often consuming whatever hapless creature they come across, so food is an advantage they get from working with the Orcs. Their fingernails extend to most of their fingers, and were allegedly used to dig holes into the rock itself. The hide of trolls is rubbery, and usually either moss green, putrid grey, or mottled gray and green. Their coarse hair is typically iron grey, or greenish-black. Due to their sagging shoulders and tendency to hunch forward, they walk with an uneven gait, and their arms dangle and drag the ground when running. Despite this apparent awkwardness, trolls are quite agile.

The Olog-hai differ from the other Trolls in that they have more forward-facing eyes as well as hair on their bodies, suggesting that they are a more advanced form of Troll. They are usually grey to black in colour. Mountain trolls and Olog-hai have much in common, they are both much larger and more intelligent than most trolls and more resistant to light. However Olog-hai are certainly far superior to Mountain trolls in all these aspects.

History
The fallen Vala and first Dark Lord, Morgoth, created the first Trolls before the First Age. They were strong and vicious, but stupid creatures. The major weakness of at least some Trolls was that they turned to stone in sunlight. Nobody knows how he managed to breed them, though it is stated by Treebeard of the Ents that Trolls were "made in mockery of" them, as Orcs were of Elves, though not necessarily from Entish stock. However, they are likely a corrupted form of some other race of Middle-earth, as neither Morgoth nor Sauron have access to the Secret Fire, and cannot therefore create things; only corrupt that which already exists. There is reference that sunlight will return them to the stone from which they were made.

During the wars of Beleriand, Gothmog, the Lord of Balrogs, had a bodyguard of Trolls. While leading his men in a final stand to protect the retreat of Turgon and the continued secrecy of the Kingdom of Gondolin, the great warrior Húrin faced them, and due to Morgoth's emphatic orders to have Húrin captured alive, he managed to wipe them out. Their apparently caustic blood, however, melted his axe, allowing orcs to swarm over him and bind him, his capture ending the Nírnaeth Arnoediad, the Battle of Unnumbered Tears, where Morgoth seemingly triumphed over the united armies of Elves, Men and Dwarves.

Many Trolls died in the War of Wrath, but some survived and joined the forces of Sauron, the greatest surviving servant of Morgoth. In the Second Age and Third Age, Trolls were among Sauron's most dangerous warriors.

Troll types
Tolkien used several different terms for types of trolls, though there seems to have been some overlap in meanings.

Stone-trolls were Trolls who turned into stone during daylight, like the Trolls in The Hobbit. They could speak, and used a debased form of Westron (presumably rendered into Cockney English in Tolkien's "translation" of Bilbo's diary).

Hill-trolls are described as having killed Arador, Chieftain of the Rangers of the North, and grandfather to Aragorn. Tolkien described the trolls of that region, including the three from The Hobbit, as stone-trolls, suggesting that hill-trolls might be a sub-class or alternate term for such. However, the Army of the West fought "hill-trolls" of Gorgoroth that could move in sunlight at the Black Gate, inferring that these hill-trolls, at least, were Olog-hai rather than stone-trolls.

Cave-trolls were seen in Moria. One was described as having dark greenish scales and black blood. Their hide was thick enough that when Boromir struck one in the arm his sword was notched and did no damage. However, Frodo Baggins was able to impale the "toeless" foot of the same troll with the enchanted sword Sting.

Mountain-trolls were mentioned once, wielding the great battering ram Grond in shattering the gates of Minas Tirith. From their name they are generally assumed to live in the mountains, and their choice as the creatures to wield Grond is sometimes taken to suggest that they were particularly strong even for trolls.

Snow-trolls are mentioned only in comparison to Helm Hammerhand. When Helm went out clad in white during the Long Winter to stalk and slay his enemies he was described as being like a snow-troll. It thus seems implied that these trolls were white in colour and lived in cold climates, but otherwise nothing is known of them.

Olog-hai were "strong, agile, fierce, and cunning" trolls created by Sauron, not unlike the Uruk-hai, and were able to withstand sunlight while under the sway of Sauron's will. They seldom spoke and were said to know no language other than the Black Speech, in which Olog-hai means "troll-folk" (singular Olog "troll"). Because of their cunning, they were thought by some to be giant Orcs, rather than trolls. They appeared towards the end of the Third Age and could be found near Dol Guldur and in the mountains around Mordor. In the Battle of the Morannon, there appear "hill-trolls" of Gorgoroth which are implied to be Olog-hai in one of the Appendices to The Lord of the Rings (the term is not used within the story proper). These were described as being taller and wider than men, and their hide or armour was described as a mesh of horny scales. They had black blood. Peregrin Took slew the leader of these trolls at the Battle of the Morannon and after the destruction of the One Ring and the fall of Sauron the surviving trolls scattered as if mindless.

During the Battle of the Pelennor Fields there is a reference to "men like half-trolls", also called troll-men, but it is unclear whether these men actually had some trollish ancestry or were simply compared to trolls (for some readers, the first interpretation is supported by the similar and interchangeable terms "orc-men" and "half-orcs", referring to crossbreeds of Saruman).

A special thanks to Wikipedia, J.R.R. Tolkien, and to makers of the movies.

Troll--Norse Mythology

2008-05-06T09:02:00.000-07:00

A troll is a fearsome member of a race in the Nordic region. Originally more or less the Nordic equivalents of giants, although often smaller in size, the different depictions have come to range from the fiendish giants – similar to the ogres of England to a devious, more human-like folk of the wilderness, living underground in hills, caves or mounds. In the Faroe islands, Orkney and Shetland tales, trolls are called trows, adopted from the Norse language when these islands were settled by Vikings.

Scandinavian History
Stones with roughly man-like features could be explained by folklore as trolls petrified by sunlight or curses. The meaning of the word troll is unknown. It might have had the original meaning of supernatural or magical with an overlay of malignant and perilous. Another likely suggestion is that it means "someone who behaves violently". In old Swedish law, trolleri was a particular kind of magic intended to do harm. It should also be noted that North Germanic terms such as trolldom (witchcraft) and trolla/trylle (perform magic tricks) in modern Scandinavian languages does not imply any connection with the mythical beings. Moreover, in the sources for Norse mythology, troll can signify any uncanny being, including but not restricted to the Norse giants (jötnar).

In Skáldskaparmál, the poet Bragi Boddason encounters a troll-woman who hails him with this verse (in Old Norse):
Troll kalla mik They call me Troll;
tungl sjötrungnis, Gnawer of the Moon,
auðsug jötuns, Giant of the Gale-blasts,
élsólar böl, Curse of the rain-hall,
vilsinn völu, Companion of the Sibyl,
vörð náfjarðar, Nightroaming hag,
hvélsvelg himins – Swallower of the loaf of heaven.
hvat's troll nema þat? What is a Troll but that?

The ambiguous original sense of the word troll appears to have lived on for some time after the Old Norse literature was documented. This can be seen in terms such as sjötrollet (the sea troll) as a synonym for havsmannen (the sea man) – a protective spirit of the sea and a sort of male counterpart to the female sjörå.

There are many places in Scandinavia that are named after trolls, such as the Swedish town Trollhättan (Troll's bonnet) and the legendary mountain Trollkyrka (Troll church). The most famous in Norway are Trollfjorden, Trollheimen, Trollhetta, Trollstigen, Trolltindan and Trollveggen.

The Jætte Trolls
Gradually, forming of two main traditions regarding the use of troll can be discerned. In the first tradition, the troll is large, brutish and a direct descendant from the Norse jötnar. They are often described as ugly or having beastly features like tusks or cyclopic eyes. This is the tradition which has come to dominate fairy tales and legends, but it is also the prominent concept of troll in Norway. As a general rule, what would be called a "troll" in Norway would in Denmark and Sweden be a "giant" (jætte or jätte, related to jötunn/jotunn in Jotunheimen).

In some Norwegian accounts, such as the middle age ballade Åsmund Frægdegjevar, the trolls live in a far northern land called Trollebotten – the concept and location of which seems to coincide with the Old Norse Jötunheimr.

The Vitterfolk Trolls
huldra
The second tradition is most prominent in southern Scandinavia. Conversely, what would be called trolls in southern Sweden and Denmark would be called huldrefolk in Norway and vitterfolk in northern Sweden. The south-Scandinavian term probably originate in a generalization of the terms haugtrold (mound-troll) or bergtroll (mountain-troll), as trolls in this tradition are residents of the underground.

These trolls have a human-like appearance. Sometimes they had a tail hidden in their clothing, but even that is not a definite. Many of these trolls had a single lock of hair that no human could comb, whereas the rest was generally messy. A frequent way of telling a human-looking troll in folklore is to look at what it is wearing: Troll women in particular were often too elegantly dressed to be human women moving around in the forest. They could attract human males to do their bidding, or simply as mates or pets. Later these would be found wandering, decades later, with no memory of what had happened to them in a troll woman's care.

More often than not, though, the trolls kept themselves invisible, and then they could travel on the winds, such as the wind-troll Ysätters-Kajsa, or sneak into human homes. Sometimes you could only hear them speak, shout and make noise, or the sound of their cattle. Similarly, if you were out in the forest and smelled food cooking, you knew you were near a troll dwelling. The trolls were also great shapeshifters, taking shapes of objects like fallen logs or animals like cats and dogs. A fairly frequent notion is that the trolls liked to appear as rolling balls of yarn.

Whereas the large, ogrish trolls often appear as a solitary being, the "small" trolls were thought to be social beings who lived together, much like humans except out in the forest. They kept animals, cooked and baked, were excellent at crafts and held great feasts. Like many other species in Scandinavian folklore, they were said to reside in underground complexes, accessible from underneath large boulders in the forests or in the mountains. These boulders could be raised upon pillars of gold. In their living quarters, they hoard gold and treasures. Opinion varied as to whether or not the trolls were thoroughly bad or not, but often they treated people as they were treated. Trolls could cause great harm if vindictive or playful, though, and regardless of other things they were always heathen. Trolls were also great thieves, and liked to steal from the food that the farmers had stored. They could enter the homes invisibly during feasts and eat from the plates so that there was not enough food, or spoil the making of beer and bread so that it failed or did not end up plentiful enough.

The trolls sometimes abducted people to live as slaves or at least prisoners among them. These poor souls were known as bergtagna ("those taken to/by the mountain"), which also is the Scandinavian word for having been spirited away. To be bergtagen does not only refer to the disappearance of the person, but also that upon returning, he or she has been struck with insanity or apathy caused by the trolls. Anyone could be taken by the trolls, even cattle, but at the greatest risk were women who had given birth but not yet been taken back to the church.

Occasionally, the trolls would even steal a new-born baby, leaving their own offspring – a (bort)byting ("changeling") – in return.

Like other Scandinavian folklore creatures they also feared steel. Apart from that they were hunted by Thor, one of the last remnants of the old Norse mythology, who threw Mjolnir, his hammer, causing lightning bolts to kill them. Though Mjolnir was supposed to return to Thor after throwing, these hammers could later be found in the earth (actually Stone Age axes) and be used as protective talismans.

Legends
Legends from the Middle Ages and earlier feature a kind of trolls of more horrifying dimensions. This might reflect a past view of trolls as distinctly bad creatures that would soften in later folklore, or just be another example of fantastic tales demanding fantastic dimensions.

In legends trolls are less the people living next to humans and more frightening creatures. Particularly in these tales they come in any size and can be as huge as giants or as small as dwarfs. They are often regarded as having poor intellect (especially the males, whereas the females may be quite cunning), great strength, big noses, long arms, and as being hairy and not very beautiful (Once again, females often constitute the exception, with female trolls frequently being comely). In Scandinavian fairy tales trolls sometimes turn to stone if exposed to sunlight, a myth generally attributed to pareidolia found in naturally eroded rock outcrops.

The following excerpts from the Danish Ballad of Eline of Villenskov describe the physical aspects of trolls within Scandinavian mythology:

There were seven and a hundred Trolls,
They were both ugly and grim,
A visit they would the farmer make,
Both eat and drink with him.
Out then spake the tinyest Troll,
No bigger than an emmet was he,
Hither is come a Christian man,
And manage him will I surelie

Nordic art, music and literature
Edvard Grieg, the most important Norwegian composer of the later 19th century, wrote several pieces on trolls, including a score based on Henrik Ibsen's Peer Gynt, with the famous In the Hall of the Mountain King, and March Of The Trolls. Regarding his motivations, Grieg wrote: "The peculiar in life was what made me wild and mad...dwarf power and untamed wildness...audacious and bizarre fantasy." Grieg's former home, Troldhaugen ("The Troll's Hill"), is now a museum.

Few Norwegian illustrators or painters have managed to capture these strange creatures and the enchanted atmosphere of Norwegian nature on paper an canvas as successfully as Theodor Kittelsen. Kittelsen's art and artistic use of the medium of drawing, with black and white extremities and scales of gray in between, are in a class of their own in Norwegian art. Theodor Kittelsen was fascinated by this shadowy world populated by supernatural siren beings and spirits. Walking in the forests and fields, he could see them everywhere: in the mists over the marches, in the twilight surrounding fallen pine trunks and in the dripping fir trees on rainy days.

In Swedish children's literature, trolls are not naturally evil, but primitive and misunderstood. Their misdeeds are due to a combination of basic and common human traits, such as envy, pride, greed, naïveté, ignorance and stupidity. In some early 20th century fairy tales, by Elsa Beskow, trolls are also depicted as an aboriginal race of hunters and gatherers who are fleeing the encroaching human civilization. Where man makes a road, the trolls disappear.

A Special thanks to Wikipedia and to John Bauer for this slightly stolen image

Nereid

2008-05-05T10:03:00.000-07:00

The Nereids (neer'-ee-eds) are sea nymphs, the fifty daughters of Nereus and Doris . They often accompany Poseidon and are always friendly and helpful towards sailors fighting perilous storms. They are particularly associated with the Aegean Sea, where they dwelt with their father in the depths within a silvery cave.

Description
Often mistaken for Naiads and other water based creatures, Nereids are maidens of the seas, not the oceans or rivers. Unlike Sirens and mermaids which often distract sailors at their work and often foretell their doom, Nereids are always glad to help during storms, often leading them to safe harbor or in extreme cases keeping the men from drowning if the boat has been destroyed. Although Nereids are helpful and friendly, these beautiful creatures are extrememly shy, and thus it is an extremely rare incident to encounter one.

History
In Iliad XVIII, when Thetis cries out in sympathy for the grief of Achilles for the slain Patroclus,
“There gathered round her every goddess, every Nereid that was in the deep salt sea. Glauce was there and Thaleia and Cymodoce; Nesaea, Speio, Thoe and ox-eyed Halie; Cymothoe, Actaee and Limnoreia; Melite, Iaera, Amphithoe and Agaue; Doto, Proto, Pherusa and Dynamene; Dexamene, Amphinome and Callianeira; Doris, Panope and far-sung Galatea; Nemertes, Apseudes and Callianassa. Clymene came too, with Ianeira, Ianassa, Maera, Oreithuia, Amatheia of the lovely locks, and other Nereids of the salt sea depths. The silvery cave was full of nymphs.”

In classical art they are frequently depicted riding an assortment of sea creatures — Dolphins, sea monsters, and hippocampi .

Names of the Nereids
This list is correlated from four sources. Apollodorus, Hesiod, Homer, and Hyginus . Because of this the total number of names goes beyond fifty.
Actaea
Agave
Amathia
Amphinome
Amphithoe
Amphitrite
Apseudes
Arethusa
Asia
Autonoe
Beroe
Callianassa
Callianira
Calypso
Ceto
Clio
Clymene
Cranto
Creneis
Cydippe
Cymo
Cymatolege
Cymodoce
Cymothoe
Deiopea
Dero
Dexamene
Dione
Doris
Doto
Drymo
Dynamene
Eione
Ephyra
Erato
Eucrante
Eudore
Eulimene
Eumolpe
Eunice
Eupompe
Eurydice
Evagore
Evarne
Galene
Galatea
Glauce
Glauconome
Halie
Halimede
Hipponoe
Hippothoe
Iaera
Ianassa
Ianira
Ione
Laomedia
Leiagore
Leucothoe
Ligea
Limnoria
Lycorias
Lysianassa
Maera
Melite
Menippe
Nausithoe
Nemertes
Neomeris
Nesaea
Neso
Opis
Orithyia
Panopaea
Panope
Pasithea
Pherusa
Phyllodoce
Plexaure
Ploto
Pontomedusa
Pontoporia
Poulunoe
Pronoe
Proto
Protomedia
Psamathe
Sao
Spio
Thaleia
Themisto
Thetis
Thoe
Thoosa

A special thanks to Wikipedia and to Autonoe of Deviantart.com for this slightly stolen image!

Nymphs

2008-05-02T08:58:00.000-07:00

In Greek mythology, a nymph is any member of a large class of mythological entities in human female form. They were typically associated with particular location or landform. Others were part of the retinue of a god, such as Dionysus, Hermes, or Pan , or a goddess, generally Artemis. Nymphs were the frequent target of satyrs. However, it has often been debated whether nymphs are a species of their own, or whether it's just a common name for a seductive female fantastical creature in general as many creatures such as Mermaids, Dryads, and Sylphides can be considered to fall under the category of nymph for a particular element.

Location
Nymphs live pretty much anywhere, the water, the land, the sky, and even fire (though the fire and air nymphs are relatively rare). They can live in mountains and groves, by springs and rivers, and in valleys and cool grottoes.

Appearance
Usually female, they were dressed in white, decked with garlands of flowers, but they frequently had unnatural legs, like those of a goat, donkey or cow. They were so beautiful that the highest compliment was to compare some feature of a woman (eyes, hair, etc.) with that of nereid or nymph. They could move swiftly and invisibly, ride through the air and slip through small holes. Although not immortal, their lives exceeded man's tenfold, and they retained their beauty until death.They tended to frequent areas distant from man, but could be encountered by lone travellers outside the village, where their music might be heard, and the traveller could spy on their dancing or bathing in a stream or pool, either during the noon heat or in the middle of the night. They might appear in a whirlwind. Such encounters could be dangerous, bringing dumbness, besotted infatuation, madness or stroke to the unfortunate human. When parents believed their child to be nereid-struck they would pray to Saint Artemidos, the Christian manifestation of Artemis.

Meaning of nymph
"The idea that rivers are gods and springs divine nymphs," Walter Burkert remarks "is deeply rooted not only in poetry but in belief and ritual; the worship of these deities is limited only by the fact that they are inseparably identified with a specific locality." Nymphs are personifications of the creative and fostering activities of nature, most often identified with the life-giving outflow of springs.

Nymph classifications
As Rose states, "all these names are simply feminine adjectives, agreeing with the substantive nympha, and there was no orthodox and exhaustive classification of these shadowy beings." He mentions dryads and hamadryads as nymphs of trees generally, meliai as nymphs of ash trees, and naiads as nymphs of water, but no others specifically.

The following is not the Greek classification, but is intended simply as a guide:
Land nymphs
Alseids (glens, groves)
Auloniads (pastures)
Hesperides (nymphs of the west, daughters of Atlas)
Aegle ("dazzling light")
Arethusa
Erytheia (or Eratheis)
Hespera (or Hespere)
Hesperia (or Hispereia)
Saraesa (beautiful wind)
Leimakids (meadows)
Minthe (mint)
Napaeae (mountain valleys, glens)
Oreads (mountains, grottoes)
Wood nymphs
Dryads (trees)
Hamadryads (oak tree and others)
Epimeliad (apple tree)
Leuce (white poplar tree)
Meliae (manna-ash tree )
Water nymphs ("ephydriads")
Helead (fen )
Maia (partner of Zeus and mother of Hermes)
Naiads (usually fresh water)
Crinaeae (fountains)
Eleionomae (marshes)
Hyades (rain)
Limnades or Limnatides (lakes)
Pegaeae (springs)
Potameides (rivers)
Corycian Nymphs (Corycian Cave )
Nereids (daughters of Nereus, the Mediterranean Sea )
Oceanids (daughters of Oceanus and Tethys , any water, usually salty)
Other nymphs
Lampades (underworld)
The Muses
Nephelae (clouds)

Nymphs in modern Greek folklore
The ancient Greek belief in nymphs survived in many parts of the country into the early years of the twentieth century, when they were usually known as "nereids". At that time John Cuthbert Lawson wrote: "...there is probably no nook or hamlet in all Greece where the womenfolk at least do not scrupulously take precautions against the thefts and malice of the nereids, while many a man may still be found to recount in all good faith stories of their beauty, passion and caprice. Nor is it a matter of faith only; more than once I have been in villages where certain Nereids were known by sight to several persons (so at least they averred); and there was a wonderful agreement among the witnesses in the description of their appearance and dress."

A special thanks to Wikipedia! And to Archeon of Deviantart.com for this slightly stolen image!