The Hydra

In Greek mythology, the Hydra, a monstrous serpent-like creature with multiple heads and a poisonous breath, originates from the underworld and primordial beings. Descriptions often highlight tough or impenetrable skin. Some versions consider the central head immortal, intensifying the challenge of defeating the creature.

The creature’s regenerative ability is a central aspect of its mythology. When one is severed, two or more may grow in its place. Various artistic interpretations may depict the Hydra with additional embellishments, capturing the imagination of different cultures and time periods.

The most famous story surrounding the Hydra is Heracules battle against it during his trials. Eurystheus tasked Heracles with defeating the Hydra, a monstrous serpent in the marshes of Lerna. Heracles, accompanied by his nephew Iolaus, approached the Hydra’s lair. As Heracles attacked, he discovered the challenge of the Hydra’s regeneration. Realizing he couldn’t defeat it with conventional methods, he enlisted Iolaus’ help. As Heracles cut off each head, Iolaus used a torch to cauterize the neck stumps, preventing the regeneration.

So what inspired this monster?

While the origins of the Hydra are unclear, most historians agree that the creature symbolized the timeless struggle between man and insurmountable challenges. The story is used to illustrate the virtues of persistence, strategy, and collaboration in the face of daunting adversity.

The legacy of the Hydra is enduring. In fact, science has even found a group of cnidarians (which also include corals and jellyfish) that have become its namesake.

These animals are native to temperate and tropical regions discovered in the mid-1700’s. Much like the mythical beast, when the animal has part of it severed, it will regenerate. They do not die of old age or appear to age at all.

The hydra is very similare to anemones and are generally sedentary. They attach themselves to substrate, using their “arms” to pull in prey. They reproduce mostly by asexual “budding”.  A new organism develops from an outgrowth or bud due to cell division at one particular site. These buds develop into tiny individuals and, when fully mature, detach from the parent body and become new independent individuals.

Scientists have been particularly interested in the regenerative aspects of Hydra morphology. This regeneration occurs without cell division. If the Hydra is sliced into many segments, the middle slices form both a “head” and a “foot”. Hydras are capable of regenerating from pieces of tissue from the body and additionally from dissociated single cells. The regenerative ability is surprising and still being studied.

In Greek mythology the Hydra was a poisonous, many-headed serpent with frustratingly effective powers of regeneration. A monster of myth, right? Hydras do exist. You can find them in your local pond and they’re as fascinating as the mythological one, just a bit smaller.

Sources:

Brusca, R. C, and Brusca, G. J., 2003. Invertebrates, 2nd ed. Sinauer Associates, Inc., Publishers, Massachusetts. Page 220 and 256.

Canada’s Aquatic Environments (2002). Cnidaria.

Hydra – Greek serpent slain by Heracles. mythicalcreatures.info. (2023, December 18). https://mythicalcreatures.info/characters/hydra/

The Minotaur

The Minotaur is a mythical creature in Greek Mythology with the head and tail of a bull and the body of a man. He is said to have lived at the center of the Labyrinth in Crete.

Legends state that the Minotaur came into being when the Queen of Crete fell in love with a white bull and conceived a monstrous half-man, half-bull child. The Minotaur took its name from King Minos of Crete who banished him to the Labyrinth.

So what inspired this monstrous creature?

Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction. In 1899, Sir Arthur Evans – a British Archeologist – discovered the palace of Knossos on the island of Crete. He determined based on what he found that this place had belonged to King Minos from the legends.

The most revealing things he found in the palace were frescos depicting taurokathapsia or the act of jumping over a bull by holding its horns. This act was done most likely as a ceremonial rite. There is evidence both men and women participated in the rite. Some researchers believe it was a way of worshipping the bull.

Also found in the Knossos palace was a series of rooms and buildings constructed with a maze-like floorplan.

Evans went on to name the people who lived in this place the Minoans – solidifying the connection between the legend of the Minotaur to the discoveries in this palace.

Some scholars debate whether Minos refers to the ruler or is the same King Minos from the Minotaur legend. No one is certain King Minos even existed and there is no concrete evidence that he resided in Knossos. However, there is possibility that there was a king named Minos where taurokathapsia was popular.

Whatever the case, the ruins hold many mysteries. Almost as many as the legend of the Minotaur.

Sources:

Black, J. (2021, March 12). Myth of the minotaur: The making of a monster. Ancient Origins Reconstructing the story of humanity’s past. https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends-europe/myth-minotaur-00205

Gregory, T. (2023, August 9). The minotaur myth: A tragic tale. History Cooperative. https://historycooperative.org/minotaur/

Mann, Z. (2023, August 24). Was the minotaur real?. TheCollector. https://www.thecollector.com/was-the-minotaur-real/

What is the minotaur?. TheCollector. (2023, August 24). https://www.thecollector.com/what-is-the-minotaur/

The Aqrabuamelu

The Aqrabuamelu are creatures with the torso of a man and body, legs, and stinger of a scorpion. These hybrid monsters had huge arching tails ending in stingers filled with deadly venom. Legends tell of their proficiency for archery, stating every arrow shot was fatal. The Mesopotamians believed these creatures to be guardians to the gates of heavens.

These creatures are said to have first been created by Tiamat in order to wage war on the other gods for the murder of her mate Apsu. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, they stand entrance to the mountains of Mashu and the land of darkness.

So what inspired this strange creature?

The origin of this chimeric creature has been debated greatly over time. There are several theories as to what the “Scorpion Men” mean.

Some historians see the combination of the human man with the creature represents the duality of human nature. The creature has the body of a human, representing the rational and civilized aspect of humanity. The tail represents the wild and untamed aspect of humanity.

Others believe that Aqrabuamelu may have been based on a real creature that was found in the region. One animal that could have inspired this creature could be a giant eurypterid.

Eurypterids- often informally called sea scorpions – are an extinct groups of arthropods that lived over 460 million years ago. There are around 250 species of Eurypterids with the largest reaching up to 2.5 meters in length.

Eurypterids have segmented bodies and jointed appendages covered in chitin. The creatures have six pairs of appendages around the face as well as a large telson. While the telson looks like scorpion’s stinger, the telson is the last segment of an arthropod’s body and is often modified for swimming.

These creatures often lived in brackish water and are not true scorpions. They could go out onto land for short periods of time, but would need to return to the water to survive.

Eurypterid fossils are mostly found in North America and Europe but have been found on every continent, including Western Asia and Northern Africa, where the myths originate.

However these strange creatures originated, the stories of Scorpion Men have endured and are now seen in popular movies and played by Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson.

Sources:

Aqrabuamelu – the mysterious scorpion men of Babylon. (2023, March 24). MRU. Retrieved August 27, 2023, from https://mysteriesrunsolved.com/aqrabuamelu-mysterious-scorpion-men-of-babylon/

Braddy, Simon J.; Dunlop, Jason A. (1997). “The functional morphology of mating in the Silurian eurypterid, Baltoeurypterus tetragonophthalmus (Fischer, 1839)”. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 120 (4): 435–461. 

Lloyd, E. (2023, July 22). Aqrabuamelu – Mysterious Scorpion men in babylonian mythology. Ancient Pages. https://www.ancientpages.com/2016/01/19/aqrabuamelu-mysterious-scorpion-men-babylonian-mythology/

Mesibov, Robert. “Tail”. External Anatomy of Polydesmida. Retrieved 4 November 2013.

O. Erik Tetlie (2007). “Distribution and dispersal history of Eurypterida (Chelicerata)” (PDF). Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 252 (3–4): 557–574.

First 30 Pages in Honor of Turning 30

I recently celebrated my 30th birthday (on July 13th). In honor of this milestone, I decided to release the first (unedited) 30 pages of Legends of Ethota Book 2: Keepers of Knowledge.

Synopsis:

Five years have passed since Sammaria was named the Dragon Queen. Peace fell over the land for a time, but now new threats have emerged. Jennica has gone missing on a routine mission to Mythral. A group of people calling themselves the Nejmagii have begun attacking outlying villages. Time is running short to stabilize the portals before they destroy both worlds. Can Sammaria save her sister and bring peace to Dragonia once more? Will the portals be opened before it is too late?

Read here!

The Carbuncle

The carbuncle is considered a small rodent or feline-like creature with fluffy ears from South American legend. These creatures are heavily associated with precious metals and gemstones. In fact, legend states that they have gems embedded in their foreheads.

The creature’s name is derived from an archaic word for red garnets – which was derived from the Latin carbunculus, meaning “little coal.”

A similar creature by the same name was described as living in the mountains of the Philippines, depicted as a large, venomous snake with a glowing gem on its forehead. However, most of the reports were from the Spanish conquistadors exploring South America in the 16th century.

While descriptions of these creatures can vary widely, stories agree the animals are small with a reflective gem set in the foreheads. Most often the gems are described ad red and flow like fire. Carbuncles also commonly have a hood that can be used to cover the gems when necessary.

Generally, these animals are considered nocturnal and herbivorous making their homes in Paraguay, Argentina, and Chile. At night they come out of hiding to search for food and water. It is here that they can be observed due to the bright glow of their gems.

So what inspired these creatures?

One candidate for the carbuncle creature is the pink fairy armadillo. It isn’t too much of a leap to imagine how the pink epidermal plates on the body could have been mistaken for gems. These animals are solitary and live in the desert of central Argentina.

Pink fairy armadillos have small eyes, yellowish-white fur, and a flexible dorsal shell with 24 bands. In addition, it has a spatula-shaped tale. These animals are very small, only reaching 5 inches and weighing 4 oz. This is the smallest living species of armadillo known.

Pink fairy armadillos are nocturnal and primarily eating insects, worms, and plants. These animals have no external ears available and are adapted to a subterranean lifestyle. They are quick burrowers and are sometimes nicknamed ‘sand-swimmers.’

The carbuncle was given its name b the Spanish who used a term for red gemstones to describe the species. These reddish armadillos would fall under the description of a red gem for those unfamiliar with these strange creatures, especially if they were found partially rolled.

Today, the Pink fairy armadillo is endangered. It is currently threatened by habitat destruction and predation by domesticated dogs. Researchers have found this creature is highly subject to stress, making attempts to apply conservation policies – including taking it out of its natural environment – extremely difficult and unsuccessful. For this reason, you won’t find any in zoos as they only survive for a few days in captivity. Conservation of this species has been relegated to several protected areas including  Lihué Calel National Park.

Sources:

Carbuncle. Offbeat Folklore Wiki. (n.d.). Retrieved April 9, 2023, from https://offbeat.fandom.com/wiki/Carbuncle

Delsuc, F., Superina, M., Tilak, M.-K., Douzery, E. J. P., & Hassanin, A. (2012). Molecular phylogenetics unveils the ancient evolutionary origins of the enigmatic fairy armadillos. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 62(2), 673–680. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2011.11.008

Dionysos. (2015, April 8). FFFMM: The carbuncle. Final Fantasy Forums. Retrieved April 9, 2023, from https://www.finalfantasyforums.net/threads/fffmm-the-carbuncle.61276/

Montecino Aguirre, Sonia (2015). “Carbunclo”. Mitos de Chile: Enciclopedia de seres, apariciones y encantos. Catalonia. p. 130. 

Stalberg, A. (2020, June 23). Final fantasy: 10 awesome things you didn’t know about carbuncle. Game Rant. Retrieved April 9, 2023, from https://gamerant.com/final-fantasy-awesome-facts-carbuncle/#they-are-based-on-a-real-mythical-creature

Superina, M. (2011). Husbandry of a pink fairy armadillo (chlamyphorus truncatus): Case study of a cryptic and little known species in captivity. Zoo Biology, 30(2), 225–231. https://doi.org/10.1002/zoo.20334

The Chinese Lung

The Chinese dragon or Lung is a legendary creature from Chinese mythology. The most common depiction of these creatures is snake-like with four legs. They traditionally symbolize auspicious powers, particularly over water. The dragon is considered a symbol of power, strength, and good luck for people in East Asian culture.

Dragons have been used in ancient Chinese culture since the Xinglongwa culture (6200–5400 BC). It represented the evolution of the ancestors and qi energy. Historically, the Chinese dragon was associated with the Emperor of China and was used as a symbol of imperial power. During the Tang dynasty, Emperors wore robes with the dragon motif. In the Yuan dynasty, the dragon was reserved for the Emperor only. The dragon appeared on the first Chinese national flag during the Qing dynasty.

So what inspired this brilliant creature?

From its origin as totems, the Chinese dragon evolved into a mythical creature. The Han dynasty scholar Wang Fu laid down a full description of the beast:

“People paint the dragon’s shape with a horse’s head and a snake’s tail. Further, there are expressions as ‘three joints’ and ‘nine resemblances’, … They are the following: his antlers 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, his scales those of a carp, his claws those of an eagle, his soles those of a tiger, his ears those of a cow…”

Many historians have determined two possible origins for the Chinese lung.

Dinosaur found in China’s Shandong Province in 2010.

As with many creatures, this myth may have been inspired by finding dinosaur bones throughout the Asian continent. Ancient Chinese documented finding dinosaur bones as far back as 300 BC in the Sichuan Province. These fossils were called dragons and used in traditional medicines.

Today the modern Chinese term for dinosaur is written as 恐龍; 恐龙; kǒnglóng, meaning terror dragon.

While there is a case to be made for dinosaur bones, some historians believe that it perpetuated the myth. The stories and iconography of dragons have been around for much longer than the records identifying bones in the area. While this does not refute the idea, it may lend credence to an alternative hypothesis.

The Chinese Alligator has been a part of Chinese literature since the third century. In the late 1200s, Marco Polo became the first person outside China to write about the animal. In some such writings, the alligator was associated with the Chinese Lung.

Chinese Alligators or the muddy dragon is a crocodilian endemic to China, still alive today. This animal is related to the American Alligator found in the southern United States.

The Chinese Alligator is often dark gray or black with a fully armored body. It can grow up to 1.5 – 2 m and weigh up to 45 kg. The species is an opportunistic feeder, primarily eating fish and invertebrates. It is considered a vocal species, adults bellowing during mating season and young making noise to communicate to those around them. These alligators can live up to 75 years.

Today the Chinese Alligator lives in fresh water and is restricted to six regions in the province of Anhui, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang. Historically the animal lived across China and possibly even in Japan. However beginning in 5000 B.C., multiple threats such as habitat destruction caused the population to decline.

In the 1970s, the wild population was around 1000. By 2000, it had dropped to 130 animals. The alligator was listed as critically endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. In 2017, the population had grown to around 300.

The Chinese Lung has appeared in Chinese iconography for centuries and can still be seen today. While it is up for debate what inspired this myth, we can agree that the myth is enduring.

And if you would like to save the dragons, consider making a donation to the IUCN/SSC Crocodile Specialist Group to help the critically endangered Chinese Alligators.

Sources:

Dinosaur Fossil Unearthed in China. (2013, August 30). Deccan Herald. Retrieved September 22, 2022, from https://www.deccanherald.com/content/354308/dinosaur-fossils-unearthed-china.html.

Drake, E. (n.d.). Asian lung species. Dragonology Wiki. Retrieved September 22, 2022, from https://dragonology.fandom.com/wiki/Category:Asian_Lung_Species

Ingersoll, Ernest; et al. (2013). The Illustrated Book of Dragons and Dragon Lore. Chiang Mai: Cognoscenti Books.

IUCNCSG. (n.d.). Chinese Alligator. Iucncsg.org. Retrieved September 22, 2022, from http://www.iucncsg.org/

Kang, A. (n.d.). Wildlife Chinese alligator. WCS China. Retrieved September 22, 2022, from https://china.wcs.org/Wildlife/Chinese-Alligator.aspx

Mana, D. (2013, August 28). Dragon Bones. Karavansara. Retrieved September 22, 2022, from https://karavansara.live/2013/04/23/dragon-bones/

Meccarelli, Marco (2021). “Discovering the Long: Current Theories and Trends in Research on the Chinese Dragon”. Frontiers of History in China. 16 (1): 123–142.

The Bauk

The Bauk is a creature from Serbian mythology. It is said to hide in dark places, holes, or abandoned houses, waiting to grab, and devour its victim. Legend says that the Bauk is easily scared by lights and noises.

The appearance of the Bauk is not well known, due to the face that it hides in the darkest and most secluded of places. However, stories say it can be identified though the sounds of fingernails against wood.

So what inspired this menacing creature?

The name “Bauk” comes from the anomatopeaia BAU! The word “Bau” is the Serbian work used to scare someone, similar to the English “boo.”

Stories say that Bauk is a stealthy stalker with glowing eyes. It is easily scared by noise and lights. The story is often used to scare disobedient and restless kids.

Considering the Bauk’s habits and known attributes, most historians believe the creature was most likely inspired by the cultural memory of bears. Brown Bears once existed in Serbia but went extinct for a significant amount of time and were mostly only known by legends.

The story of the Bauk is an exaggeration for the animals that disappeared from the region as told by people who had never seen the animal before.

Aside from the large body and sharp claws, the Bauk is also said to have glowing eyes. Like most animals with night vision, bears have an tapetum lucidum. This is the structure in the eyes that allows for better vision in the dark. It is also the structure that “glows” when you shine light on them.

Bears eyes take on a bright yellow glow when exposed to light in the dark. This could explain the “glowing eyes” that were sometimes reported.

The Bauk is a strange creature. Some people say that it has been used to describe any boogeyman-like creature in Serbian mythology. Most theories however, point to the creature being a bear. Wherever it came from, this is an interesting story.

Sources:

Bauk. Cryptid Wiki. (n.d.). Retrieved June 7, 2022, from https://cryptidz.fandom.com/wiki/Bauk

Bauk. The Demonic Paradise Wiki. (n.d.). Retrieved June 7, 2022, from https://the-demonic-paradise.fandom.com/wiki/Bauk#:~:text=The%20bauk%20is%20an%20animal,away%20by%20light%20and%20noise.

JamesHey, J. (2021, December 30). Identifying animal eyes at night: With eye shine chart. Survival Freedom. Retrieved June 7, 2022, from https://survivalfreedom.com/identifying-animal-eyes-at-night-with-eye-shine-chart/#:~:text=Some%20animals%20have%20glowing%20yellow,What%20is%20this%3F&text=Bears%2D%20A%20bear%20has%20dark,on%20them%20in%20the%20dark.

Matanic, D. (2020, July 23). Slavic myths. Danijel Matanic. Retrieved June 7, 2022, from https://danijelmatanic.com/slavic-myths/

McLellan, B.N.; Proctor, M.F.; Huber, D.; Michel, S. (2017). “Ursus arctos“. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017

Mentzer, A. P. (2019, November 22). What animals have a tapetum lucidum? Sciencing. Retrieved June 7, 2022, from https://sciencing.com/animals-tapetum-lucidum-8541210.html

The Minhocão

The minhocão is a legendary creature from Brazilian folklore. It is described as a subterranean serpentine creature with scales and horns. It causes significant destruction through its tunneling. People have claimed that it grows up to 80 m long.

The name “minhocão” means giant earthworm in Brazilian Portuguese. The creature calls the forests of South America its home. It supposedly moves by burrowing through the earth. Many people were said to spot it throughout the 19th century, as it stole livestock and smashed trees. Sitings are no longer reported by those in the area.

That leaves the question: What inspired the myth of the minhocão?

It has been thought that the Minhocão is a fictional creature invented to explain otherwise-mysterious earthquake damage. Charles Darwin suggested the appearance was inspired by the discoveries of fossilized bones such as the Titanoboa. However, other naturalists of the time state that the sitings could not be explained.

Scientist Auguste de Saint Hilaire theorized it could be a giant species of Lepidosiren. This lungfish is an elongated animal resembling an eel or worm. It has slender pectoral fins that could possibly be misconstrued as horns. It has teeth adapted for seizing and tearing at prey. The muscles of their jaw are strong.

While known species of the South American lungfish typically grow only to around 1.5 m, a more extensive form could exist. Researchers are reportedly discovering new species every two days across South America, including 93 new fish species in 2017. A more robust lungfish could account for reports of livestock being dragged away.

Another thing that connects the Lepidosiren to the Minhocão is the lungfish’s ability to cocoon itself during the dry season. it buries itself in the mud at the bottom of rivers and waits until it rains again. This would account for the trenches of the minhocão.

Other researchers believe that the Caecilian is responsible for the myth’s origin. Karl Shuker proposed the theory that a large species of caecilian had evolved in South America and led the people there to come up with the idea of the minhocão.

Caecilians are segmented, legless amphibians. They look superficially like earthworms but have visible mouths and some have a pair of sensory tentacles on their head that resemble horns. These animals inhabit rivers and lakes in South America. Terrestrial species are known to emerge from their burrows after heavy rainstorms and most have a habit of grabbing their prey from below.

While most caecilians today only grow to around 1.5 m, it is possible one had grown larger and went extinct. This would account for the lack of sitings later in the 19th century.

The Minhocão has appeared in the Final Fantasy games and Zoo Tycoon 2. It is possibly even an inspiration for the sandworms in Dune. This legend has endured no matter how it started.

Sources:

Evans, Susan E.; Sigogneau-Russell, Denise (2001). “A stem-group caecilian (Lissamphibia: Gymnophiona) from the Lower Cretaceous of North Africa”. Palaeontology. 44 (2): 259–273.

Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2014). “Lepidosiren paradoxa” in FishBase. April 2014 version.

Minhocão. Encyclopaedia of Cryptozoology. (n.d.). Retrieved May 23, 2022, from https://cryptidarchives.fandom.com/wiki/Minhoc%C3%A3o

Trimble, M. (2017, August 31). Nearly 400 new species discovered in the Amazon rainforest | best … U.S. News. Retrieved May 23, 2022, from https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2017-08-31/nearly-400-new-species-discovered-in-the-amazon-rainforest

Friday the 13th Myths

Friday the 13th… It inspires fear in the superstitious. Long considered a harbinger of ill luck, Friday the 13th inspired a 19th-century secret society, novels, horror films and is the cause for friggatriskaidekaphobia.

But where did this fear come from? And why is 13 so unlucky?

Exactly how the date became associated with ill fortune is murky. Certainly by the time the slasher flicks of the ’80s came around it was already cemented in the cultural consciousness.

In many Western cultures, the number 12 is a sign of completeness. For example, we celebrate 12 days of Christmas, 12 months in the year, 12 zodiac signs, and 12 gods of Olympus just to name a few. It would stand to reason that its successor would bring ill-fortune.

The ancient Code of Hammurabi reportedly omitted a 13th law from its list of rules. While some believe this was a clerical error, others point to this as long-standing proof of negative association.

According to the Bible, 13 people attended the Last Supper – Jesus and his 12 apostles. The next day, Jesus was crucified. The seating arrangement is believed to give rise to the Christian supertation that having 13 guests at a table was to court death.

Biblical tradition also state that Jesus was crucified on a Friday as well as the day Eve gave Adman the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge and when Cain committed the first murder.

In recent times, Friday the 13th has become a staple in pop-culture. In 1907, the novel, Friday, the Thirteenth was written by Thomas William Lawson. It told the story of a stockbroker who plays on superstition to create chaos in the stockmarket.

In the 1980s, the cult classic Friday the 13th featuring the hockey mask killer Jason was born. The movie spawned numerous sequels, novellas, videogames, and merchandise.

There is a lot of superstition surrounding the day, but is there any validity to the day’s unluckiness?

On Friday, October 13, 1307, hundreds of Knights Templar were arrested and imprisoned on charges of various illegal behaviors. It was found later King Philip IV of France wanted access to their financial resources. He had the knights executed.

In more recent times, the Buckingham Palace was bombed (September 13, 1940); the Murder with 40 Witnesses: Kitty Genovese occurred (March 13, 1964); a cyclone killed more than 300 thousand people in Bangladesh (November 13, 1970); the death of Tupac Shakur (September 13, 1996); and the crash of a cruise ship off the coast of Italy which killed 30 people (January 13, 2012).

While these events are all tragic, there is no evidence that events happen on these days more than any other.

Sources:

History.com Editors. (2017, October 10). Friday the 13th. History.com. Retrieved May 8, 2022, from https://www.history.com/topics/folklore/friday-the-13th?fbclid=IwAR0_JR6alzijT8LUv8KykRmQlnU4mOONrAwLVC0Z1z0fSTSbVgT7zbmvErY

Pappas, S. (2017, October 13). Origins of Friday the 13th: How the day got so Spooky. LiveScience. Retrieved May 8, 2022, from https://www.livescience.com/49806-origins-of-friday-the-13th.html?fbclid=IwAR2M0O5kb-_eWPXYMiLuZjrfoRnIFzlMJsnIWwkD1rxJGiuAqFIrA9DDA4s

Taneja, R. (2018, April 13). Why Friday the 13th is considered unlucky? A look at some common superstitions. NDTV.com. Retrieved May 8, 2022, from https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/why-friday-the-13th-is-considered-unlucky-a-look-at-some-common-superstitions-1837163

The Qilin

The Qilin is a legendary hooved creature that appears in Chinese mythology. They are said to appear with the imminent arrival or passing of a ruler. They are also sometimes called the Kirin in Japanese and Korean mythology.

The Qilin generally have Chinese dragon-like features with antlers, thick eyelashes, manes that flow upwards, and beards. The body is fully or partially scaled and is often shaped like an ox or horse. These animals are always shown with cloven hooves. The Qilin maybe a variety of colors, and is often shown with jewel-like brilliance. Color choice are often associated with the elements, but can also reflect earth tones.

According to Taoist mythology, even though they look fearsome Qilin only punish the wicked. Court trials were even decided based on Qilin divinely knowing whether the defended was good or evil.

In Buddist-influenced depictions, Qilin can walk between grass blades so they will not harm a single blade or another creature. As divine and peaceful creatures, they are only herbivores. It is said they only appear in areas ruled by wise and benevolent leaders and they become fierce if a pure person is threatened.

But what inspired this creature?

Giraffes have long been associated with the image of the legendary Qilin. Their association can be traced back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

After Zheng He traveled to East Africa he brought giraffes, zebras, and other exotic animals back to Ninjing. The two giraffes were declared magical creatures by the emperor, whose capture signaled greatness in his power.

It is said the female was called lin and the male was called qi. Together the giraffes were called Qilin.

The identification between the Qilin and the giraffe is supported by attributes in both animals. They both are herbivorous animals and have calm, quiet demeanors. As previously mention, the Qilin is able to walk on grass without disturbing it. This may be related to giraffe’s long, thin legs.

Qilin’s also have antlers like a deer and scales like a dragon. Giraffes have horn-like ossicones on its head and a tiled coat pattern resembling scales.

It is easy to draw an analogy between these two creatures. The identification of Qilin has had a lasting influence. Even today the same word is used for the mythical animal and the giraffe in both Korean and Japanese.

You can see recent depictions of this mythical creature in “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” and “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.” Perhaps as you see them there, you will remember what inspired this fantastic beast.

Sources:

Parker, J. T.:” The Mythic Chinese Unicorn”

Qilin. The Demonic Paradise Wiki. (n.d.). Retrieved April 25, 2022, from https://the-demonic-paradise.fandom.com/wiki/Qilin

Wilson, Samuel M. “The Emperor’s Giraffe”, Natural History Vol. 101, No. 12, December 1992 “