June 20,2023
By Aswirbaad Das
For centuries, tales of mythological creatures from the Greek, Roman and other civilisations have fascinated us. We still gasp in wonder when we witness them in books, on television or even in video games! Let’s have a look at and learn more about 8 such creatures.
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Pegasus was an immortal, winged horse that sprang from the neck of the beheaded Gorgon Medusa. It was tamed by Bellerophon, who rode it into battle against the fire-breathing monster, Chimera.
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With the head of a bull and the body of a man, the Minotaur is an imposing creature. Trapped at the centre of a labyrinth built by the cruel King Minos of Crete, it was finally slain by the Athenian Theseus.
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Mermaids are legendary, aquatic creatures with the head, arms and torso of a female human and the tail of a fish. Depending on the story or locale, mermaids can be portrayed as either good and helpful, mischievous and playful or even destructive and territorial.
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In Greek mythology, centaurs are creatures with the body of a horse and the torso, head and arms of a man. Most of them were brutal, violent creatures known for their lawless behaviour, with the exception of Chiron, who was noble and a teacher to Achilles and other heroes.
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A universal symbol of resurrection, it is believed only one phoenix exists at any given time. These Roman folklore legends live for approximately 500 years, and then, when it is their time to pass, they burst into flames. From the ashes, a new phoenix is born!
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The most feared mythical sea monster of all, the Kraken resembles a gigantic octopus. According to myths, it haunts Norway and Greenland waters with its large, strong tentacles capable of tearing apart ships in half!
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The Chimaera, one of the terrifying offspring of Typhoeus and Echidna, was a hybrid monster made up of the body parts of a lion, a goat and a snake. Bellerophon, son of Poseidon, fought and slayed this monster while riding on the winged horse Pegasus.
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Also known as the ‘hound of Hades’, Cerberus was the three-headed dog that guarded the gates of the Underworld, preventing the dead from leaving or entering back. Only Heracles with his strength, Orpheus with his music and the Sybil of Cumae with a honey cake have tricked Cerberus.
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