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!

Mythical bugs and spiders..

Do you like creepy crawlies? Ants, spiders, bees?

It may surprise to you to know, but there is an amazing array of insects and spiders that appear in mythology throughout the world. As with many of the lesser known myths, these creatures are have significantly faded from the human consciousness in the last century or so. Some such as the pelesit, (which appears in "Magical Redemption") I've already blogged about, but I'm going to introduce you to a few more...

Allow me to firstly introduce the Tsuchigumo. A rather fearsome Japanese shape-shifting demon, who mostly appears in the form of a gigantic hairy spider. The Tsuchigumos are adept at spinning illusions that draw victims into their webs, where they then feast like a vampire on the humans blood. Tsuchigumos can be male or female. There is a story about a legendary warrior named Raiko, who finds himself not once but twiced enmeshed in a Tsuchigumo web... rivetting stuff! These creatures particularly remind me of Agarog, from Harry Potter.

Second insect of the day is the Thriae. Those familar with Greek mythology may have heard of them. Basically, the Thriae are three nymphs, who possess the gift of prophecy. They have been depicted as having the head and upper body of a woman (a common feature I notice in a great number of myths - think the Naga, Harpy, Satyr, Glaistig, centaur etc) but the lower abdomen and legs of a bee. Their heads look as though they have been dusted with pollen... which if they are indeed 1/2 bee seems entirely understandable. The Thriae were the tutors in the art of divination to the God Apollo. They consume mostly (again unsurprisingly) honey. There is some debate as to whether the Thriae were actually human priestesses who acted as oracle/prophets after drinking an intoxicating honey drink...

Next,  is a myth some may be familiar with. This is Itzpapalotl, from Aztec mythology. Itzpapalotl is also know as Clawed Butterfly, or Obsidian Butterfly. There is some suggestion that the name did not refer to a butterfly at all, but a bat. Anyway, most descriptions of her are quite similar in that; her body is skeletal, with eagle or jaguar style claws, and the tips of butterfly wings are like razor sharp obsidian. To the Aztecs, Itzpapalotl was the protector of women in labour and midwives. She was also the ruler of a paradise world for babies who die at birth. She is sometimes described as being a powerful star demon. When in her Earthly manifestation, Izpapalotl was the leader of the 'demons of the dark' - the spirits of women who died in childbirth. These demons were believed to hunt at night, seducing men (I think we've found an Aztec Succubus!) and causing illnesses and madness.



real antlion

Image courtesy: Kaitlin Edlund
I also feel I really have to mention thee Ant-Lion because it is a seriously random insect mythological beast. Possibly the most ridiculous one I've ever encountered. This beast is is described in early beastiaries (these are collections of animals real and mythical that early biologists compiled). Ant-lion's father is a lion and its mother is an ant...Yep. Really. I told you this one is ridiculous. Anyway, the head and front of the ant-lion resembles the lion (except in miniature) and its rear parts are those of an ant. The early beastiaries talk about the ant-lion perishing soon after birth because its dual nature does not allow it to be an omnivore. Later books discarded this notion, and begin to describe a real insect 'ant-lions', which are a species of neuroptera lava. This lavae buries its body in the sand and feeds on insects that come its way...



As I'm really running out of time (and should be studying), I'm going to show you one last mythological beast.  It is the Spider woman. I remember seeing one of these in a "Doctor Who" show a few years ago (she was an alien however). In mythology, the Hopi Indians and  allegedly the pre-Columbian natives of Teotihuacan (Mexico) had a Spider Woman deity. According to Hopi legend Spider woman, or Spider Grandmother,  was considered to be creator and weaver of life,the great teacher, protector and Mother of all creation to several  south-western Native American cultures. She manifests as a sacred guardian, overseeing the welfare of all those in need. I personally think its refreshing that a spider creature could be so kindly revered. If I had the time, I'd do some more research on this topic.  Alas the time for blogging further has passed!

[All images unless otherwise stated are courtesy of, B. Rosen's "Mythical Creatures Bible", and F. Cowens "Dragons & Fantasy Beasts"]

Enjoy your weekend