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Isn’t it a good feeling to know that the ungodliest of creatures we cover in our mythology
series are exactly that – myths and impossibilities?
Not to burst your bubble of flowers and puppies, but it turns out that some of those fabled
beasts may have existed in some shape or form.
Were they the nightmarish or gigantic fiends we know them as?
Now is just a good a time as any to find out!
But before we start dredging for the truth about these mythical beings, why not hit that
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10.
Bunyip In the inland waters of Australia once lived
a real monstrosity that could dwarf the horror of any real deadly beast down under.
During the 1800s up until its last sighting in 1890, the bunyip was believed to live in
the billabongs and swamps of Australia, preying on anyone or anything that came too close
to its abode.
Despite the discovery and disappearance of a skull said to belong to the bunyip, its
real origins remain a mystery, with researchers pegging the creature as a giant otter, freshwater
seal, an unidentified aquatic marsupial, or even the last living diprotodon.
9.
Kappa Nothing validates a mythical creature’s
existence more than its skeletal remains being put on display for all to see.
At least that’s what the people of Kyuushuu, Japan must have believed when the alleged
remains of the Kappa were showcased at the Miyakonojo Shimazu Residence in 2014.
What was said to be the arm and foot of the mythical creature solidified for many the
stories of the Japanese “water demon,” which was known for terrorizing rivers and
lakes and nabbing children that got too close.
8.
Imoogi Sorry ophidiophobics.
While we’d love to tell you the imoogi was a creature of legend, it’s quite possible
that the Korean dragon was based on an oversized python, maybe even a relative of the Titanoboa
found in South America.
According to imoogi lore, these juvenile serpents lived in aquatic environments or caves and
were either believed to be cursed to remain adolescent or would ascend to heaven and evolve
into an adult dragon after 1,000 years of life.
Ironically, though it could eat you alive, spotting an imoogi was considered lucky.
7.
Chupacabra Livestock start keeling over, allegedly drained
of their blood, and immediately everybody thinks there’s some devilish beast afoot.
Sightings of el chupacabra started in the mid-90’s in Puerto Rico, but the blood-thirsty
species has been seen across the United States, Chile, and even in parts of Russia.
Is it an epidemic?
Paranoia?
Or is the chupacabra a real entity frightening farmers across the globe?
How about all of the above.
Though the appearance has been exaggerated greatly, it’s believed that the chupacabra
was really a coyote with mange. 6.
Werewolves Early werewolf mythology stemmed from Native
American lore, when animal spirits were thought to inhabit tribesmen and transform them into
a beast.
Add in the hallucinogens Native American’s were known for using and you have yourself
a recipe for shapeshifters.
Tales of people claiming to be werewolves date back to the 11th century with the case
of Vseslav of Polotsk and the poem about him titled The Tale of Igor’ s Campaign.
There was also the Bulgarian farmer who claimed to have dug up a werewolf skull in 2014, but
take that one with a grain of salt.
5.
Black Shuck As early as the mid-16th century, the region
of East Anglia was terrorized by what many thought to be a hound of hell, a beast with
red eyes that, when on its hind legs, stood taller than any man.
The ghost dog was famously known for a 1577 attack at the Holy Trinity Church in Blythburgh,
where it slaughtered two before vanishing into the night.
Though believed to be a monster of legend, in 2014, archaeologists dug up the bones of
an oversized dog that may have been linked to the stories of Black Shuck.
4.
Roc Marco Polo told plenty of tales of his travels
across the world, but his most fantastical may be that of the Roc, a giant bird with
a 48’ (14 m) wingspan and forked tongue.
Known for its immense strength and ability to pick up prey as large as baby elephants,
the Roc was believed to terrorize parts of Asia.
Surely an oversized avian with a near-50’ wingspan couldn’t have ruled the skies,
but stories of the Roc were believed to have actually been exaggerations on the strength
of eagles or even the extinct Aepyornis elephant bird.
Some even theorize the African ostrich was mistaken as a flightless juvenile of the Roc.
3.
Satyr Could it be that the lustful half-man, half-goat
of Greek mythology once roamed Earth?
Maybe not in its hybrid form, but an archaeological find from 2007 suggested that the concept
of the satyr may have stemmed from prehistoric man.
The mummified head discovered in an Iranian salt mine near Zanjan was found sporting the
same hair, stubby nose, and protruding jaw often seen in Grecian and Roman depictions.
Where the more popular portrayal of the satyr came from is unknown, though it’s suggested
to have just been an artistic addition from the ancient worlds.
2.
Vampires Early Slavic lore was known for popularizing
the concept of the human bloodsucker, but depictions of vampiric tendencies date back
to ancient cave paintings of the 30th century BC that portrayed demonic figures drinking
blood from goblets.
While those may be completely rooted in mythology, it’s likely that the legends that spawned
movies like The Lost Boys and Twilight may actually be linked to porphyria.
Also known as “The Vampire’s Disease,” the disorder causes a malfunction in hemoglobin
production which causes symptoms like sunlight sensitivity, receding gums that make teeth
stick out like fangs, and a reaction to garlic.
Sound familiar?
1.
Zombies Before you scoff, hear us out.
We’re not saying George Romero’s mindless, flesh eating, walking corpses were a real
thing… but they may have been derived from Haitian tradition.
Haitian voodoo priests known as bokors or houngans could bring people back to life,
typically to be used as slave labor.
Enter Wade Davis, a Canadian anthropologist and author of The Serpent and the Rainbow,
who hypothesized that these zombies were linked to a powder made from tetrodotoxin, a neurotoxin
found in pufferfish and other toxic animals.
Despite skeptics refuting his claims, Davis remained steadfast that the powder, mixed
with an intense belief in witchcraft, bred the concept of the zombie.
Thanks for watching!
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