Pegasus

Pegasus and Bellerophon vs. the Chimera

We'll close off this iteration of Mythical Creatures Week with one of the best known out there-- Pegasus. This winged horse has its origins in Greek Mythology and has been featured in stories, art, and emblems for several thousand years.

The origin story of Pegasus is as follows-- a beautiful woman named Medusa was punished by Athena for cavorting with the god Poseidon in Athena's temple (though some stories say she was being raped... either way, she was punished). Her curse was was to have a face so terrible that it would turn onlookers to stone, and to have hair made from live snakes.

The hero Perseus was sent on a quest to kill Medusa, and did so with help from a mirrored shield that was a gift from Athena. When he beheaded the Gorgon, Pegasus was born. One story says that the winged horse (and his brother, the gold giant Chrysaor) sprung from Medusa's severed neck. Another says the the two brothers were born when her blood mixed with sea form. Either way, Medusa and Poseidon (who is, among other titles, the god of Horses) are the parents of Pegasus.

Pegasus was instrumental in Bellerophon's fight with the Amazons and the Chimera. The hero tamed him with a golden bridle and the two went to battle. After defeating their foes, Bellerophon attempted to ride to the heavens, but was bucked off by Pegasus. The horse continued to fly upward, and became a steed in Zeus's stables. He would eventually be given his own constellation.

Pegasus is typically depicted as a white horse with giant wings. He has appeared in sculpture, pottery, and art, and is the emblem of several groups and companies, including TriStar Pictures and Mobil Gasoline.

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Jörmungandr

Jörmungandr with Hel and Fenrir

Jörmungandr, also known as the World Serpent or the Midgard Serpent, is a creature from Norse Mythology. He is the middle child of Loki and the giantess Angrboða, which makes him the sibling to Fenrir and Hel.

In the 13th century Prose Edda, it is said that Odin took Jörmungandr and threw him into the sea. There, the serpent grew so long that he could circle the entire earth and grasp his tail with his mouth. This is the source of the "World Serpent" name, since he literally can circle the globe.

Jörmungandr is an enemy to Thor, and it is said that the two will battle during Ragnarok. During the battle, Thor will kill the serpent, but then will himself collapse, poisoned by Jörmungandr.

There are other stories of the rivalry between Thor and Jörmungandr, including the tale of an unsuccessful fishing trip. Thor and the giant Hymir go fishing, and despite Hymirs warning, Thor wants to go very far out to sea. Once there, he takes the head of an ox and puts it on a line-- Jörmungandr bites. The two fight, but Hymir is so scared that he cuts the line and releases the serpent.

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Griffin

Griffin

The Griffin (or Gryphon) is a well known legendary creature that has the head and talons of an Eagle, but the body and hind legs of a Lion. Sometimes they are also shown having a snake for a tail, and oftentimes only the female have wings-- makes have large spikes.

These animals show up in art that dates back more than 5,500 years. The first Griffin-type creatures appear in Persian and Egyptian art over five millennia ago, about by about 1,500BCE full Griffins as we know them today were popping up in Greece and Central Asia. For the past several thousand years they have been featured in various works of art, including sculpture and architecture, and they have shown up in numerous writings as well (including those of Pliny the Elder).

In most mythologies, Griffins are wise and powerful creatures that command a great deal of respect. They are often said to seek out and guard various treasures, and their strength and wisdom has led them to become popular figures in heraldry. Don't confuse them with Hippgriffs though! Those are very different animals, with the bodies of horses rather than lions. Hippogriffs are said to me the crosses of Griffins and Mares.

There is actually a pretty decent theory surrounding the origin of the Griffin myth. Folklorist Adrianne Mayor has speculated that fossils of Protoceratops confused the ancient people, leading to the invention of this mythical beast.

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Nandi Bear

Nandi Bear?

Asia and North America have Bigfoots and Yetis. Africa has the Nandi Bears-- cryptids that have been "sighted" for well over 100 years. The first Western sighting was reported in 1912, but native accounts date back even further.

Nandi Bears are named for the Nandi People of western Africa, who believe that the Bears take human lives in order to eat their brains. In fact, brains seem to be their favorite meal, as they are said to wipe out entire livestock herds for just the brains.

These creatures are generally described as being about 4ft tall at the shoulder, with higher front shoulders and powerful legs. The faces tend to be bear-like, but interestingly, Bears are not found on the continent of Africa.

So if it is real, what is the Nandi Bear? Is it really a lost African Bear species (making it very unique), or is it something else? One theory is that these creatures are actually relatives to Hyenas, since there were once very large Hyenas roaming about Africa. Another  is that they are exceptionally large Babboons. Additionally, some think they make even be descendants of the extinct Chalicotherium, a large herbivore that walked on its knuckles.

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Gandaberunda

Emblem of Gandaberunda

The Gandaberunda is a two-headed bird that is found within the Hindu mythology. It is an incarnation of the god Vishnu, and is said to possess magical strength.

The story behind this legendary creatures goes like this-- Lord Vishnu took the form of Narasimha in order to slay the demon Hiranyakashipu. However, Narasimha/Vishnu became so powerful after this battle that the rest of the world feared destruction. The people prayed for Lord Shiva to intervene-- and he did, taking the form of Sharabha (half beast/half bird).

Sharabha was able to pacify Narasimha, but the destructive energy turned Vishnu into an even more powerful form-- Gandaberunda. The two aspects fought for 18 days before Vishnu was able to regain control and end the fight.

The Gandaberunda is an official state insignia of Karnataka, and has appeared on minted coins and emblems for the past 500 years.  It is also a popular motif on temples, and can be found on several Hindu sites dating back even further.

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Champ

The Mansi Photograph of Champ

We've all heard about the Loch Ness Monster, but what about some of the other, similar sea creatures that are said to be hiding in the waters of the world?

Champ is just one of the creatures. He (or she?) calls Lake Champlain home. This 100 mile long lake stretches between the United States and Canada, and creates a border between the states of Vermont and New York.

The very first published report of a creature in the lake came in 1819, when a "Captain Crum" claimed to see a 187ft long monster with the head of a seahorse. If there ever was a creature fitting this description, it stayed hidden for nearly 50 years. Then, around 1873, new reports started to pop up, and they've been rolling in ever since.

These reports vary in their descriptions, with Champ being anywhere from 10 to the aforementioned 187ft long. Its head shape is also all over the place. Seahorse? Alligator? Antlers? The colors are at least somewhat consistent, with most reports giving it a dark grey-green-brown color.

The most famous Champ sighting came in 1977, when a photograph was taken by Sandra Mansi. Mansi, her fiance, and her two children were stopped at an overlook when they saw something breach the surface of the water. The group watched the creature before it submerged, and Sandra was able to get a photograph. Of course, skeptics think that the image is just of a log risen to the surface during the decaying process.

Like Nessie, there are many theories out there on what Champ could be. Plesiosaurs, Eels, Seals, and Sea Snakes are all in the running. While we may never know the truth, the legend has been lucrative for the surrounding area. Vermont even has a minor league baseball team called the Lake Monsters!

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Hippocampus

Hippokampoi pulling Poseidon's Chariot

The Hippocampus is also known as the Sea-Horse, and these half horse/half fish creatures are found in Green, Phoenician, and Etruscan mythology.

These aquatic equines are depicted as having the bodies of horses, but the long, scaly tails of fish or serpents.   They were even sometimes drawn having fin-like manes. Some ancient people believed them to be the adult forms of actual seahorses, rather than a separate creature altogether.

17th Century Depiction

Interestingly, one of the first depictions of the Hippokampoi (the plural) was found within the hotly contested Lydian Hoard, a collection of 7th century BCE artifacts from Turkey that were once owned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. A small golden Hippocampus was a part of this collection, though it was stolen around 2007 and has not yet been recovered.

Hippokampoi were the mounts of the sea nymphs and the steeds that pulled Poseidon's chariot (he usually used four of them). They have appeared in these roles through countless works of art spanning centuries. They were popular in bathhouse mosaics, they were used in heraldry during Medieval times by maritime families, and they continued to be painted and sculpted in the Renaissance and beyond. Winged Hippokampoi are even found in the famed 17th century Trevi Fountain of Rome.

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