5 Famous Mythical Creatures Inspired By Real Animals

Mythical Creatures Inspired by Real Animals We start with the Kraken. For centuries, sailors navigating the cold waters of Northern Europe told stories of a colossal monster they called the Kraken. It was described as a squid-like creature, so enormous that its back looked like a small island, and that it could drag entire ships underwater with its massive tentacles. Many historians believe that these legends were inspired by real sightings of the giant squids. Although they are far smaller than the mythical Kraken, giant squids can still reach over 13 meters in length, making them one of the largest creatures to inhabit the deep ocean. Next we have mermaids. Stories of half-human, half-fish creatures exist in almost every culture. Many theories suggest that these legends were actually inspired by encounters with manatees, also known as sea cows. Early sailors, after spending months at sea, may have mistaken these sea mammals for half-human, half-fish creatures, especially from a distance or in poor weather conditions. Over time, these sightings were exaggerated, evolving into the mermaid legends that spread across the globe. In 1492, Christopher Columbus documented seeing three mermaids during his voyage, though many marine biologists conclude that he actually spotted manatees. Moving on to cyclops. In Greek mythology, these cyclops are a terrifying race of one-eyed giants. Many historians believe that this myth may have started with a simple misidentification of the skull of extinct dwarf elephants that once lived on Mediterranean islands. The large opening in the center of the skull where the trunk was attached could easily have been mistaken for a giant eye socket, especially by early people who had never seen elephants before or at least had never seen what an elephant's skull looked like. Next, we have the unicorn. The unicorn appears in many medieval legends as a magical beast with extraordinary healing powers. For centuries, many people actually believed that the unicorn was a real creature, but the animal that inspired this legendary beast was none other than the rhino. In ancient and medieval times, most people only knew the animals that lived in their own region. Exotic creatures were described through stories and artists often had to rely on those descriptions. We can see this in many medieval illustrations of lions, elephants and crocodiles, which often look bizarre or inaccurate, so it's not hard to imagine how a rhino described from memory or second-hand accounts could eventually be transformed into the elegant horse-like creature we know today. Moving on to dragons. Dragons are found almost in every culture around the globe, making the dragon the most famous mythical creature in history. Unlike the other creatures on this list, dragons did not have a single origin. Instead, there are a number of theories that try to explain how we invented them. The first theory suggests that ancient people may have stumbled upon dinosaur fossils while farming, digging wells or searching for metals. Because they had no idea what dinosaurs actually were, they believed these mysterious bones belonged to giants, monsters or powerful beasts from a forgotten age. In ancient Greek sources, fossils were sometimes thought to be signs of the failed creations of the gods. In ancient China, they were viewed as the remains of dragons and were even used in traditional medicine. The second theory suggests that stories about extinct animals were passed down from generation to generation. As people retold these tales over centuries, these animals became bigger, more powerful and more magical. Another theory suggests that dragons have been inspired by crocodiles, giant snakes and large lizards, with mythical features and abilities added over time. Now, the same theories we just explored with dragons could also explain the origins of many other legendary creatures, from giant birds and sea serpents to countless other monsters found in myths around the world. Thanks for watching and see you next time.