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 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.

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 “

The Ziphius

In Medieval folklore, the Ziphius was a monstrous nautical creature said to attack ships in the northern seas. It possessed the body of the fish and the face of an owl, complete with large eyes and a beak. It is said to be able to cleave the hull of a ship like a blade.

This creature sounds terrifying, but what could have inspired it?

In the 16th Century, Swedish writer Olaus Magnus illustrated the animal on his Carta Marina and described the Ziphius as:

“Because this Beast is conversant in the Northern Waters, it is deservedly to be joined with other monstrous Creatures. The Sword-fish is like no other but in something, it is like a Whale. He hath as ugly a head as an Owl: His mouth is wondrous deep, as a vast pit, whereby he terrifies and drives away those that look into it. His Eyes are horrible, his Back Wedge-fashion, or elevated like a sword; his Snout is pointed. These often enter upon the Northern Coasts, as Thieves, and hurtful Guests that are always doing mischief to ships they meet, by boaring [sic] holes in them, and sinking them.”

To Magnus, mythical creatures were just as real as the familiar land animals. He included an assortment on his maps, furthering their stories and instilling fear in sailors.

The name Ziphius gets its name from the Greek word xiphias meaning sword. The creature was named for the large dorsal fin seen on the back of the creature, and its “ability to cut ships in two and sink them.”

But what is behind these stories?

Historians tend to believe that what Magnus and others saw in the ocean were Cuvier’s Beaked Whales. They are found in oceans worldwide and can reach up to 7 m long and weigh up to 3 tons!

The head is long and slopes into the body with an upturned jaw that makes it appear to be smiling. Beaked whales are often seen with linear scratches and oval scars. These are thought to be caused by the sharks and parasitic lampreys that attach to the animal.

As they grow older, the face develops a whitish coloration with dark-colored patches around the eyes. This happens especially in males.

Cuvier’s Beaked Whales rarely breach. As they swim, their head and body will roll high out of the water.  preparing for a deep, vertical dive, they may arch their back more than normal and usually display their flukes. 

Cuvier’s beaked whales are capable of diving up to at least 3,300 feet for 20 to 40 minutes to opportunistically feed on mostly cephalopods and sometimes fish and crustaceans. The deepest known dive for a Cuvier’s beaked whale was almost 3000 m and the longest known dive lasted 222 minutes!

Today these animals are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. While their population is stable, their main threats are ocean pollution. They have been found with plastic in their bodies. They have also become entangled in fishing gear in the Caribbean and near Indonesia.

This species is also sensitive to underwater sounds and anthropogenic noise. Strandings of this species in the Bahamas, Canary Islands, and in the Caribbean and Mediterranean Seas have been associated with active naval sonar. These deep-diving animals become confused and are no longer able to feed, communicate, or navigate in the ocean.

The Cuvier’s Beaked Whale is most likely what inspired the myth of the Ziphius, with its pale face and dark eye patches. This would invoke the imagery of owls across Europe with their white facial disks and dark eyes. Their deep-diving habits make them rare sites for humans, especially during the early days of exploration.

The link between the Ziphius and Cuvier’s Beaked Whale is so established that the scientific name of the whale is Ziphius cavirostris.

Sources:

Grzimek, Bernhard (2003). Hutchins, Michael; Kleiman, Devra G.; Geist, Valerius; et al. (eds.). Grzimek’s Animal Life Encyclopedia, Vol 15, Mammals IV (2nd ed.). Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group.

“Cuvier’s Beaked Whale (Ziphius cavirostris)”. NOAA. 15 January 2015. 

https://www.wired.com/2013/09/carta-marina/

https://cryptidz.fandom.com/wiki/Ziphius_(Cuvier%27s_Beaked_Whale)#:~:text=Ziphius%20cavirostris,and%20a%20wedge%2Dshaped%20beak.

The Phoenix

The Phoenix in classical mythology is a fabulous bird associated with the worship of the sun. It is known for its cyclical regeneration. The phoenix obtained new life from the ashes of its predecessor.

But where did this firey creature come from?

The phoenix can be traced back to ancient Egypt. The Egyptian phoenix was said to be the size of an eagle, with brilliant scarlet and gold plumage and a melodious cry. Only one phoenix existed, as it continued to be born again. As it approached the end of its life, the phoenix fashioned a nest of boughs and spices, set it on fire, and was consumed in the flames. From the pyre, spang the new creature which flew to Heliopolis- the City of the Sun – to the temple of the sun god Re.

The Egyptians associated the phoenix with immortality, and that symbolism had a widespread appeal. It was adopted into other religions, including Islam and Christianity.

In Christianity, the phoenix was compared to undying Rome, and it appeared on the coins as a symbol of the Eternal City. It was also interpreted as an allegory of the resurrection.

In Islamic stories, the phoenix was identified as the “anqā,” a mysterious bird that was originally created by God with all perfections, but thereafter became a plague and was killed.

It is in these stories that we start to see where the stories of the phoenix were inspired.

The word “anqā” is the feminine form of ʾaʿnaq meaning “long-necked. This implies the animal had a long neck such as a heron or crane.

The anqā was described as very beautiful and colorful with a long neck and four pairs of wings. It was also known for the whiteness in its neck. It is said the animal eats nothing except elephants and large fish.

Goliath Heron

Grey Heron

It is likely the phoenix is based on a combination of the Goliath Heron and the Grey Heron. Both animals are native throughout Europe and Asia and into parts of Africa. Birds of the wetlands, they can be seen mainly around lakes, rivers, ponds, and on the sea coast. They feed on aquatic animals, such as fish and frogs.

The Goliath Heron, also known as the giant heron, is the world’s largest living heron. This animal stands 1.5 meters and weighs up to 5 kg. The animal is covered mainly in grey feathers. The head and chest are chestnut. The chin, throat, foreneck, and upper-breast are white with black streaking.

The Grey Heron stands up to a meter tall and weighs up to 2 kgs. They have a white head and neck with a broad black strike extending above the eye into a feathered crest. The body and wings are blue-grey with black underneath. The beak is a sharp pink.

In Egyptian tradition, herons were considered a manifestation of the resurrected Osiris. The bird is often shown perched in his sacred willow tree. The heron hieroglyph was used to Re directly. It has always had close ties to the sun.

The heron was also closely associated with Nile and the creation. It was often seen on isolated rocks of the islands and the chaos that flooding could cause. This association could be where Islamic tradition associated the phoenix with plague.

The word phoenix originates from the Greek word phoinīx. The word was borrowed from the West Semitic word for madder, a red dye made from the rubia plant. The word Phoenician (modern day Lebanon) appeared to be from the same root, meaning “those who work with red dies.” Therefore, it is believed that phoenix means “The Pheonician bird” or “The red bird.”

The legend of the phoenix has gone through several iterations as it passed through several cultures. It started out as herons in the Egyptian culture symbolically representing rebirth and the sun god Re. As it has moved to modern culture, we lost the original source turning them into mythical creatures born from flames.

Sources:

Van der Broek, R (1972), The Myth of the Phoenix.

Barnhart, Robert K (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, HarperCollins.

“Grey heron (Ardea cinerea)”. ARKive.

Ali, S. (1993). The Book of Indian Birds. Bombay: Bombay Natural History Society.

“Phoenix (mythological bird)”. Encyclopedia Britannica. 

Cirlot, J. E. (2013). A Dictionary of Symbols. Courier Corporation.

http://www.egyptianmyths.net/phoenix.htm

The Mapinguari

According to Brazilian stories, the Mapinguari was once an Amazonian shaman who discovered the key to immortality. He angered the gods and was punished, forcing him to wander as a hairy beast for the rest of his long days. But what is this strange creature?

This creature has been described as a primate with a thick body. It would walk on two legs, had a flat snout and robust claws. When it would rear up to its full height, it would emit an extremely foul odor.

It sometimes is described to have a single eye in the center of its forehead – like a Cyclops and a mouth in its abdomen. Historians note that the single eye appears predominantly in older legends and has been lost as time progressed.

The creature is said to walk bipedally, but it is often unsteady. While it looks large and intimidating, the animal feeds on the vegetation of the forest it lives in – such as bacaba and babassu palms.

The animal is known to scream and shriek. Its name is actually derived from this. Mapinguari is usually translated as “the roaring animal.”

Megatherium is a genus of extinct ground slots that lived in South America from the Pleistocene to the Holocene (400,000 to 8,000 years ago). These animals grew up to 4 m and coexisted with the first human colonists in the Americas.

Megatherium was a giant ground sloth with a long thick coat that was used as protection in the colder climates of the last glacial period. This animal had a large barrel-like body and would be able to switch between quadrupedal and bipedal movement.

Much like the Mapinguari, Megatherium has a long, shaggy coat. It has a robust body and can move between two and four legs. The face of both creatures is squat, with Megatherium ending a large nose. The long claws on its hands are another clue that these animals are linked.

The large scythe-like claws found within the family are sloths are fairly unique. Yet they appear in almost every description of the Mapinguari. These large claws were used in ground sloths to pull branches toward the creature for feeding. Most likely the same could be said for the Mapinguari.

Often the Mapinguari is depicted with a second mouth on its stomach. This could have been mistaken for the large muscles that help make up the body. Giant sloths would have had giant pectoral and abdominal muscles. These may have been seen through the shaggy fur.

When the first humans encountered these large animals, it could have been mistaken for a close maw on the stomach.

However the legend of the Mapinguari came about, these creatures are fascinating. If you would like to learn more about fossil sloths, check out @slothgirlmel on Twitter!

Sources:

https://cryptidz.fandom.com/wiki/Mapinguari

https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1995-01-13-1995013206-story.html

H. Gregory McDonald, Gerardo de Iuliis: Fossil history of sloths. In: Sergio F. Vizcaíno, WJ Loughry (Ed.): The Biology of the Xenarthra. University Press of Florida, 2008, pp. 39-55.

Bell, C. M. (March 2002). “Did elephants hang from trees? – the giant sloths of South America”. Geology Today. 18 (2): 63–66.

Fiedel, Stuart (2009). “Sudden Deaths: The Chronology of Terminal Pleistocene Megafaunal Extinction”. American Megafaunal Extinctions at the End of the Pleistocene. Vertebrate Paleobiology and Paleoanthropology. pp. 21–37.

https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/what-was-megatherium.html

The Mothman

This creature was first spotted in November 1966 in Clendenin, West Virginia. A group of gravediggers looked up and noticed a massive figure moving rapidly from tree to tree. They described the creature as a “brown human being.”

A few days later, in Point Pleasant, WV, two couples noticed a white-winged creature about six or seven feet tall standing in front of a car they were sitting in. They say the beast had bright red eyes and a wingspan of ten feet. It appeared to be trying to hide from the lights of the car. They said it screeched at them and flew quickly but was clumsy on the ground.

Sitings continued in West Virginia until the collapse of the Silver Bridge that connected Pleasant Point, WV to Kanauga, OH. It was the first eye-bar suspension bridge of its type in the US. It collapsed at rush hour on December 15, 1967, resulting in 31 vehicles falling into the river. 46 people were killed.

Many people take the Mothman sitings as a warning of the imminent disaster. After the bridge collapsed, Mothman disappeared.

So, is Mothman a local legend or is it a case of mistaken identity?

Dr. Robert L. Smith, an associate professor of wildlife biology at West Virginia University, was the first to connect Mothman to the less mystical – the Sandhill Crane.

Sandhill Cranes live commonly along the Nebraska Sandhills on the American Great Plains. They average about five feet in height with red foreheads, white cheeks, and long dark, pointed bills. Their wingspan can average up to 6.5 ft.

These cranes frequently give loud, trumpeting calls and can be heard from a long distance. Their large wingspan makes them very skilled soaring birds, similar to eagles and hawks. They are migratory birds, flying south each winter. They typically flock in groups of over 10 thousand birds.

So, how did a Sandhill Crane become mistaken as Mothman in West Virginia?

The explanation is compelling, given the number of early reports describing the creature as “bird-like.”

It was theorized this crane was deformed- possibly residing in the “TNT area.” This area was given to a series of nearby bunkers that were used to manufacture munitions during WWII. The bunkers leaked toxic materials into neighboring wildlife and affected their health.

This particular bird also would have been off its regular migratory path. Such a large animal with deformed features would have further confused locals. It is no wonder legends sprung up around it!

Whether Mothman is a legend or a Sandhill Crane, Mothman can still be seen today in Point Pleasant at the historical museum and in the form of a 12-foot chrome statue with massive steel wings and red eyes.

A festival is held every year for the enjoyment of locals and tourists. The September attraction is one of America’s strangest legends.

Sources:

Palma, Bethania. “Mothman About Town”. Snopes.com. Snopes.

Associated Press (December 1, 1966). “Monster Bird With Red Eyes May Be Crane”. Gettysburg Times.

“Couples See Man-Sized Bird…Creature…Something”. Point Pleasant Register. Point Pleasant, WV: WestVA.Net, Mark Turner. November 16, 1966.

https://allthatsinteresting.com/mothman

“Sandhill Crane Identification, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology”. http://www.allaboutbirds.org.

Gravestone Art

A walk through the cemetery can be a spooky but beautiful experience. Aside from the names and dates on the gravestone, there are often symbols and icons that decorate the markers.

These carvings were popularized by the Victorians who loved to find meaning in the most miniscule detail. Many of the symbols are more than pure decoration.

The anchor was regarded in ancient times as a symbol of safety. It was adopted by Christians as a symbol of hope. It is often included on gravestones to show the anchoring influence of Christ. It also serves as a symbol for seaman or used as a tribute to St. Nicholas. An anchor with a broken chain symbolizes the end of life.

A book found on a tombstone can represent a few things. Most often it symbolizes the Book of Life or the Bible. A book is also often used to depict learning, a scholar or someone who worked as writer. Books and scrolls also represent Evangelists.

A column in a cemetery represents a complete and full life. Alternatively, a broken column indicates a life cut short or an unexpected death. It acts as a memorial to the death of someone who died young.

• 

• 

Hands on gravestones represents the deceased’s relationship with others and God. Hands tend to be doing one of four things: blessing, clasping, pointing, or praying. A hand with a index finger pointing can symbolize a couple different things depending on the direction of the finger. A hand pointed upward symbolizes the hope of heaven, while a hand pointing down represents God reaching for the soul.

Ivy on a tombstone is said to represent friendship, fidelity, and immortality. The green leaves denotes immortality and rebirth – due to the hardiness of the actual plant. Alternatively, oak leaves signify strength, honor and steadfastness. Olive branches symbolize peace and that the soul has departed. This association can trace back to Greek mythology where the goddess Athena gave an olive tree to Athens. The olive tree is known to represent longevity, fertility, fruitfulness, and prosperity.

The lion serves as a guardian, protecting the tomb from unwanted visitors and evil spirits. It symbolizes courage and bravery. Lions can often be found sitting on top of vaults and tombs.

A lit torch represents immortality and everlasting life. The inverted torch is more commonly used in graveyard art. An inverted torch represents death or the passing of the soul into the next life. The torch generally will bear the flame to symbolize life in the next realm.

In its generic form, the wheel represents the cycle of life or the wheel of time. It could also symbolize a wheelwright. Specific types of wheels may be found including the eight-spoked Buddhist wheel of righteousness and the circular wheel of the Church of World Messianity.

The winged death head most often means a person’s journey is not over. They have shed their physical form and are moving on to the next realm. In the United States, the death’s head was initially a non-religious symbol used to denote a corpse.

Next time you are visiting a graveyard, perhaps you may learn a bit more about what was important to the people you pass with what is etched on their gravestones.

Sources:

The Hidden Meanings of Common Gravestone Symbols

https://weburbanist.com/2015/10/28/the-language-of-death-15-gravestone-symbols-explained/

https://www.thoughtco.com/photo-gallery-of-cemetery-symbolism-4123061

Bunyip

The Bunyip is a creature from Australian Aboriginal mythology, said to lurk in swamps and riverbeds. Over the years, the description has varied wildly from a water spirit in the form of a starfish to a large black animal like a seal with fangs. But where did this creature come from?

The bunyip was part of traditional Aboriginal beliefs and stories throughout Australia, though it changes by region. The word bunyip most commonly translates to “devil” or “evil spirit.”

Images of these strange beasts have appeared in Aboriginal drawings across the continent. Europeans recorded various written accounts of the animal as they began settling the country.

Drawing of the Callicum Bunyip

The Challicum Bunyip is considered to be the outline of the animal carved by the native people into the banks of Fiery Creek. Reports say in 1851, the bunyip came from the water and killed an Aboriginal man. The community then speared the creature. The outline no longer remains.

Throughout the Victorian era, sightings of the creature increased. The creature was described one of two ways. Most stated the Bunyip resembled seals or dogs around 6 feet long with shaggy brown coats. The others described the creature as being up to 15 feet long, with black fur, small tusks, and a long neck like an emu.

The Bunyip was thought to be able to swim swiftly and see in the dark.

Diprotodon skeleton on display at the Australian Museum

While many people think that the Bunyip was created from seals making their way up the riverway, others believe that the bunyip may be cultural memory of an extinct marsupial called the Diprotodon.

This connection was originally made by Dr. George Bennett of the Australian Museum in 1871. In the 1990’s, paleontologist Pat Vickers-Rich suggested the legends perhaps stemmed from an acquaintance with prehistoric skeletons or even the living creatures.

Artists depiction of Diprotodon

Diprotodon is an extinct genus of marsupials native to Australia, thriving during the Pleistocene (Ice Age). It is considered the largest marsupial to ever have existed. Diprotodon went extinct some 44,000 years ago after the initial settlement of the continent. Scientists debate whether human and climatic factors contributed to their extinction.

The creature is known from sites across mainland Australia. The largest specimens were hippo-sized, standing 6.5 ft tall and weighting over 3 tons.

Diprotodon at a watering hole

Diprotodon is usually compared to a large wombat. In fact it is considered a distant relative of wombats and koalas. Like its relatives, it had two forward-projection teeth that stuck from its mouth like tusks. It had a large skull with an unusually large nasal. This suggested either a large nose or a tapir-like trunk. It was quadrupedal and browsed plant material.

The creature was known from across the continent, but could be coastal regions. While the Diprotodon had the anatomy to feed on shrubs and forbs, others in the family could be found near rivers and the coast. These animals could be found basking in watering holes – much like elephants.

Unlike elephants, marsupials do not move in herds. It is likely that lone individuals or small groups could be found near waterholes.

Bunyip compared to Diprotodon

The Aboriginal peoples and the Diprotodon would have crossed paths. Australia was originally settled approximately 58,000 years ago. By that time, the Diprotodon would have established itself into the wilds of the continent. As the Aboriginal people spread, they would have come into contact with this ferocious looking beast. Stories spread between tribes sparking the idea of this monster. As time passed, the legend of the Bunyip was passed down through generations with its origins murky.

Sources:

https://australian.museum/learn/australia-over-time/extinct-animals/diprotodon-optatum/

https://www.britannica.com/animal/Diprotodon

http://anomalyinfo.com/Stories/1851-pre-challicum-bunyip

Holden, Robert (2001), Bunyips: Australia’s folklore of fear, National Library of Australia.

Eberhart, George M. (2002). Mysterious Creatures: A Guide to Cryptozoology. pp. 74–77.

Price, G.J. (June 2008). “Taxonomy and palaeobiology of the largest-ever marsupial, Diprotodon Owen, 1838 (Diprotodontidae, Marsupialia)”. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 153 (2): 369–397.

Roberts, R.G.; Flannery, T.F.; Ayliffe, L.K.; Yoshida, H.; Olley, J.M.; Prideaux, G.J.; et al. (8 June 2001). “New ages for the last Australian megafauna: Continent-wide extinction about 46,000 years ago” (PDF). Science. 292 (5523): 1888–1892.

4th of July Myths

It has been 245 years since the United States declared its independence from Great Britain. But still many time-honored patriotic tales are more fiction than fact. What are some myths we believe about our Founding Fathers?

We celebrate US Independence on July 4th. However, this day would have seemed arbitrary to the Founding Fathers.

The Second Continental Congress officially voted for the Declaration of Independence on July 2, 1776. This day is the official date of our independence. However, the written document wasn’t edited and approved until July 4, 1776. This was the date printers affixed to the announcements sent across the land.

Further still, no one signed the Declaration during July. This did not begin until August 2 with John Hancock. The 56 signatures were not completed until late November.

Legend holds that the Liberty Bell cracked after the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. While U.S. independence sparked celebration for some, the bell was not rung until it cracked. It did ring along with the other bells in the city on July 8th, according to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.

The crack had been present since its arrival in 1752. The bell had been poorly cast originally. The bell cracked, was recast, and recast several times in its life. It was determined to be intact during the Revolutionary War.

Today’s crack appeared sometime during the 19th Century. It was as this crack appeared that the bell became known as the Liberty Bell – named by abolitionists.

Ben Franklin’s Propaganda

Stories told today about the American Revolution tell of an underdog fighting against an unbeatable giant. The Revolutionary War also pitted Americans against their neighbors in large numbers. Perhaps 15% to 20% of all Americans remained loyal to the Crown. Many tried to stay neutral.

Records from the time period are spotty, but 50,000 Americans are estimated to have served as British soldiers at one time or another. This is a significant force pitted against the Continental Army that may have included 100,000 regular soldiers over the course of the entire war.

Betsy Ross sewing the first American Flag

People have long credited Betsy Ross as designing and sewing the first American flag that was debuted in 1777. There is no proof either way. And she was thought to be sympathetic to the American cause. So it is possible she was involved in some form.

The story that the famous seamstress was involved never circulated until nearly a century after the fact. Her grandson began spreading the story. Only family tradition remains as evidence.

Scene from “National Treasure”

Over the years people have thought that the Declaration of Independence holds secret messages. This became very popular after the release of the “National Treasure” movie. The National Archives does admit that there is something written on the back of the document.

A line on the bottom of the Declaration reads: Original Declaration of Independence dated 4th July 1776.

This was most likely written when it was rolled up for storage during travel. The reverse side writing helped the document be quickly identified.

Sources:

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/pages/article/120704-4th-of-july-fourth-myths-google-doodle-nation-independence-day

https://www.beliefnet.com/love-family/holidays/july-4th/7-myths-about-the-4th-of-july.aspx