We research the possible origins of 7 mythical creatures that influenced people’s imagination in the past

Did you know that the New Zealand parrot is capable of hunting sheep and, because of its size, could easily pass off the impression of some winged monster? Or that platypuses were widely considered fictitious, and that when the first platypus skin arrived in England in 1797, it was considered an artificial creation handcrafted by a skilled charlatan taxidermist who supposedly had sewn a duck’s beak into the skin of a beaver ( or some similar animal)?

We, from awesome.club, we were curious to find out which animals supposedly gave rise to some mythical creatures and popular legends, and we’re ready to share our discoveries with you. Check out!

The Kraken is mentioned in countless myths and literary creations throughout history. This sea monster is mentioned both in Scandinavian mythology and in the works of Aristotle and Pliny the Elder, and is also used extensively in the tales of renowned 20th-century horror writer H. P. Lovecraft.

Generally, the Kraken was described as a giant sea monster capable of capturing a ship with its tentacles and dragging it to the bottom of the ocean. However, most likely, this creature was inspired by the image of the squid. Architeuthis (giant squid) — the largest species of squid known so far (can reach a size of up to 8 meters in length).

Stories about the mythical wild man circulated until the mid-19th century, and all kinds of researchers, and even the military, reported encounters with this rather furry and misunderstood creature.

It is likely that his inspiration came from gorillas. By the way, the very word “gorilla” can be translated as “woman covered with hair”🇧🇷 The first scientific description of this animal was made by the American physician and missionary Thomas Staughton Savage and the naturalist Jeffries Wyman in 1847.

Salamanders are amphibians often referenced in mythology. And since antiquity they have been associated with the element of fire by both ancient Greek thinkers and medieval alchemists. The myths surrounding this amphibian are certainly related to our ancestors’ lack of understanding of how salamanders seemed to spontaneously “emerge” from fire.

In fact, everything is very simple: the sudden “emergence” of fire salamanders is due to the fact that these amphibians often live in trees, and often found themselves inside the stem or logs thrown over a fire. The salamanders, of course, ran for their lives.

The Roca Bird was first depicted in Arabic folklore. It was described as a huge creature capable of capturing a full-grown elephant in its claws and flying away. Residents of Middle Eastern countries believed that this colossal animal lived in China, while the ancient Chinese claimed that its home was in Madagascar.

This creature’s connection with Madagascar is explained by the fact that until the 17th century a species of giant bird of the family aepyornithidae inhabited the island🇧🇷 Its weight could reach the mark of 500 kg, measuring about 3 meters in length. It is, therefore, possible that travelers have confused them with newborn Rocbird chicks.

You elasmotherium belonged to the genus of mammals, and are extinct members of the rhinoceros family. They were distinguished from their modern relatives not only by their enormous size (measuring up to 6 meters long and 2.5 meters high, and weighing up to 5 tons), but, as you can imagine, by having a horn of up to 1 meter and a half.

Some scientists attribute the origin of the mythical unicorn to these amazing ancient animals, with which our ancestors lived in the remote past.

The dire wolves of game of Thrones they are not entirely the product of the imagination of the author of the books and the writers of the series. Most likely, they were inspired by prehistoric wolves, or canis dirus — an extinct species of voracious predators that reached up to 1.7 meters in length and weighed around 70 kg. These ancient wolves inhabited the territory of North America from about 125 thousand to 9,500 years ago.

Legends about mermaids appeared in folklore almost simultaneously with the beginning of man’s conquest and exploration of the seas. Many sailors told of their encounters with beings who were half woman and half fish.

And the number of such reports was such that scientists around the world tried to prove the impossibility of the existence of such a creature in the real world. Most likely, the origin of mermaids is related to a misinterpretation of the manatee. — a marine herbivorous mammal that under moonlight can be mistaken for a person.

Do you know the origin of any other popular myth or folkloric character? Do you agree with the theories presented in the post? Tell us in the comments section.