5 Most Bizarre Mythological Creatures

It's been a while coming, but this is a post I've been longing to write -

the worlds strangest and funniest mythological creatures!

The Ant Lion.

Yes, it's really as silly as it sounds.

Image Courtesy: B. Rosen, "The Mythical creatures bible".

Hailing from an early Greek Bestiary, the Ant-lion is a strange creature with the head of a lion and the body of an ant... This is because the Ant-Lion's father is indeed a lion and its mother a tiny ant. Really, the mind boggles at the physiological impossibility of it all. Considering a male lion has a penis about 6-9 inches that is covered with barbs, and the average size of  queen ant (the only ant capable of having young) is a meagre 8 mm - copulation simply could not occur without the assistance of a shrinking ray...which hasn't yet been invented... 

This all aside, it was said in those early Greek bestiaries that because the ant-lion's father is a carnivore and its mother a herbivore... all ant-lion's die shortly after birth.

The Jackalope

Image Courtesy: Museum Of the Weird. 

The Jackalope is a cryptid that comes from America, notably Wyoming. It is said to be a cross between the pygmy deer and a jack rabbit.  In the 16th - 18th Centuries, European bestiaries indicated a strong belief in horned rabbits. According to legend Jackalope milk has medicinal properties (unsurprisingly as an aphrodesiac), and the beasts can only breed during electrical storms that include hail (very specific). The Jackalope can imitate human voices and does so to lead hunters astray.

Interesting to note, it has been suggested that the Jackalope is in fact a jack rabbit suffering from a wart virus, the warts developing into horny growths that may (or may not) appear as 'antlers'.

The Amphisbaena

Image Courtesy: Theoi

The Amphisbaena is a Libyan mythological beastie, said to help women during childbirth. It comes in the form of a double headed snake or dragon - with the heads at either ends of its body.

Wait...

What's that you say? 

It has a head where its bum should be?

Yes indeedy.

If you're anything like me (which I'm presuming you are because you're reading this), if it really existed how the hell did this critter do its pooping?

Well... If there was any chance of this biological anomaly even reaching existence it would have to have an two sets of internal organs meeting at an anus / vent somewhere in its middle. Generally speaking  reptiles have a multi-purpose orifice called a cloaca - which serves the purpose of common outlet into which the intestinal, urinary, and genital tracts open and that opening is almost always at its tail end.

 When googling this creature I did indeed find images that looked like two headed snakes (heads at each end). They were in fact Eryx johnii, or sand boa snake that has a tail resembling its head. These creatures are found in India, Pakistan and the Middle East... and are possibly what the Amphisbaena really is.

The Batibat

Image Courtesy: Tumblr

This bad girl is found in the Philippines. She is essentially an overweight female wood nymph.

If her tree is cut down to build a bed, she will hunt down the owner of the bed and smother their faces at night until they are dead. It is said that she can be deterred from squashing you if you bite your own thumb... Remember that... It might come in handy.

The Asiman or Obayifo

Image Courtesy: Pieter Hugo

This mythological beastie hails from West Africa and is known as the Asiman or Obayifo by the Ashanti people. Generally considered a vampiric beast, it is  described as having shifty eyes and being obsessed with food.... (Wait I think I know some of these!) The Asiman are often believed to be witches who feed of despair, but also the blood of children.

This isn't funny or bizarre is it? 

 It gets better... When travelling at night they are said to turn into orbs of light. 

Still not bizarre enough? 

Well in Joseph William's 2003, book Psychic Phenomena of Jamaica.,it states that rather than turning into an orb of light, the Obayifo emit a phosphorescent light from their armpits and anus instead.

Which makes you think they'd wear thick pants and woolly jackets to prevent giving themselves away.

Enjoy your weekend!

Filipino Mythological Creatures...

Welcome to 2013!

For our first blog of the year, I'm talking about Filipino Mytholgical Monsters!

 

The Philippines

Officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (Filipino: Republika ng Pilipinas), is a sovereign state in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean.

The Philipines is a country made up of islands which are divided into 17 regions creating a total of 80 provinces.  It's population is approximately 80% Roman Catholic, and this combined with pre-colonial animist beliefs makes the Philippines a rich and interesting source of mythical creatures to research.

 

 

Kapre

 

BEASTLY FACTS

Name: KAPRE
Origin: Philippine Mythology
Creep Factor: 5/10
Religious affiliation: Christian/Catholic
Deadly rating: Low
Cryptid: No
Shares similarity with: Giant, Trickster, moss folk, tree spirit

 

The Kapre is a tree demon.

[philippinegenrestories.com]

It appears in the form of a hairy bearded humanoid creature ranging from 7-10 ft (2-3m) in height.

The Kapre is a smoker, and smokes a pipe or a long cigar. They dwell in large trees wearing only loincloths and a magical belt which renders them invisible to the human eye.

Like many nature spirits, the Kapre is fond of tricks and may confuse travellers so they become lost.

Indications of the presence of a Kapre are; scent of tobacco/smoke coming from tree top, rustling branches despite no wind, loud laughter and disembodied voices in the jungle as well as an abundance of fireflies.

 

The Kapre shares a similarity with the Batibat, another tree dwelling 'demon' who takes the form of a obese woman.

 

If the Batibat's tree is chopped down to build a house, it will hide in a post hole and attack people during the night by sitting on their chests and suffocating them (this is very similar to the methods used by the traditional incubus/succubus demons in European mythology, however there does not seem to be sexual link with this one).

 

 

Sigbin 

BEASTLY FACTS

Name: SIGBIN
Origin: Philippine Mythology
Creep Factor: 8/10
Religious affiliation: Christian/Catholic
Deadly rating: High
Cryptid: No
Shares similarity with: vampire, chupacabra

 

[missosology.info]

The Sigbin is a random looking mythological creature that apparently resembles a goat with no horns (a sheep perhaps?) However, it also has large ears that it can clap together as a human would its hands. It walks in a peculiar fashion, backwards with it's head between its long hind legs...It also has a hideous smell, and a tail it can use as whip (these are all similar characteristics of the Chupacabra - and interestingly a number of the images I googled for the Sigbin where of the same deceased animals other people have called the chupacabra)

 

The Sigbin's modus operandi is to creep from its lair and tear out human heart (preferably those of children), though some myths say it drinks blood. It is particularly dangerous during Easter Week.

There is some discussion suggesting  sightings of the the Sigbin may actually be related to a rare cat-fox creature similar to the one  that was discovered in Borneo in 2003.

 Tiyanak
 

BEASTLY FACTS

 

Name: TIYANAK
Origin: Philippine Mythology
Creep Factor: 10/10
Religious affiliation: Christian/Catholic
Deadly rating: High
Cryptid: No
Shares similarity with: Toyol (Malaysian Mythology), Drekavac (Eastern European mythology), vampires.

 

The Tiyanak is a horrible demon creature that takes the form of a newborn baby crying in the jungle to attract a victim. This method is used by a number of other mythical baddies through out the world and the similarities between the Tiyanak, Toyol and Drekavac are quite striking (see my blogs about the Drekavac and google the Toyol (be warned it's hideous))

 

When the victim comes across the 'child', they naturally pick it up to sooth and protect it. Alas, Tiyanak then reverts to it's natural demonic form and attacks the individual with sharp claws and fangs.

 

 Aswang / Manananggal

 

BEASTLY FACTS

Name: ASWANG / MANANANGGAL
Origin: Philippine Mythology
Creep Factor: 8/10
Religious affiliation: Christian/Catholic
Deadly rating: High
Cryptid: yes
Shares similarity with: Vampire, Shape Shifter, necrophile, witch

 

The Aswang shares a number of similarities with the Manananggal, and when researching this post I found a great deal of confusion between them.

The most common description of the aswang is of a witch-like woman with leathery wings and bloody fangs. She may also appear as a dog, bat or snake.

 

The Aswang is a grave robber, consuming the corpse and replacing it with a tree trunk carved with likeness of the dead person. They also (as is most evil mythological creatures) like to eat children, particularly targetting their liver or heart.

 

Some believe that the Aswang may live amongst the human population, preferring to work as butchers or sausage makers (naturally!).
 

The Manananggal however, takes the appearance of a more western style vampire. However, it has the unique ability to separate itself from its legs and fly off to hunt, whilst leaving its lower abdomen and legs at home. If you sprinkle the lower half of the Manananggal with salt you will kill it. It also has a proboscis like tongue and particularly favours pregnant women in its diet...

 

So there you have it, some interesting and strangely familiar mythological beasties to whet your appetite for the paranormal.

 

Enjoy your Week and Happy New Year!