Every culture has legends about strange creatures or monsters and this is understandable—when we witness a new, previously unseen phenomenon, we try to come up with a reason behind its existence, for the known is always a little less frightening.
Let’s figure out whether these legendary creatures from around the world were real or completely made up.
1. European Dragons
You’ve probably heard of dragons before, right? You know, the classic European ones with leathery wings that eat virgins for breakfast and breathe fire? Thematically, dragons symbolize the test that must be passed to get the “goal.” Among other things and tropes, they’re also associated with immortality, which can be obtained by eating the heart of the dragon. But that’s all myths and legends.
In reality, stories about dragons most likely originated from fossil remains of big lizards, aka dinosaurs, that people found and mistook for “dragons.” But was there a creature that could pass for a dragon? For example, Megalania was the largest of the land lizards to ever walk the earth. It lived during the Pleistocene era in the grassy savannas and sparse forests of Australia, where it hunted mammals. Megalania definitely didn’t survive till the Dark Ages, but seeing as it was close to a 9-meter-long lizard weighing up to 2 tons, you can see how its fossils could be mistaken for a dragon.
2. Hydra
In ancient Greek mythology, the Lernaean Hydra was a snake-like, multi-headed monster that terrorized the locals until Hercules defeated it. It was not only its appearance that was horrifying but also its perceived invincibility, with its heads regrowing and even multiplying.
The legendary beast could be based on a less fantastic but quite remarkable natural phenomenon called polycephaly. Polycephalic snakes, like other animals with this mutation, are very rare, but once you see one or two, they stick to you. Considering that tissue regeneration in reptiles is pretty common, it makes sense that a legend of a Hydra was created.
3. Kraken
The Kraken is a legendary sea monster from the fishermen’s tales in Norway and Greenland. It is said to be a huge, slimy beast with tentacles capable of dragging an entire ship to the bottom of the ocean. Sounds fun!
In reality, giant squids are believed to be at the core of this legend. However, sailors have “slightly” exaggerated their size. The largest specimens only reach around 13 m in length and weigh about 275 kg. The squid can definitely overturn a small boat, mistaking it for prey, but dragging it to the bottom is not an option.
4. Griffon
Griffons are winged creatures with the body of a lion and the head of an eagle. They have sharp claws and snow-white, sometimes golden wings. Their role, according to various myths and literature, is quite ambiguous, as griffons often can be kindhearted defenders or evil, feral beasts.
But the real story of griffons is just as fascinating as the myths about them. Historian Adrienne Mayor suggested that the image of the griffon was inspired by the stories of Scythian gold seekers of Altai, who potentially found the fossilized bones of protoceratops in the Gobi Desert. If you look at the size of the dino, the bird-like beak, the proximity to gold deposits, and its collar, which could have created the illusion of wings, it’s not that strange to imagine it as a majestic eagle cat.
5. Cyclops
In ancient Greek mythology, the Cyclopes were a group of one-eyed giants who loved munching on sheep and people. Among them, the most famous was the fierce son of Poseidon, Polyphemus, who was blinded by Odysseus.
Now, as for the real story, in 1914, paleontologist Otenio Abel suggested that skulls of dwarf elephants were the myth’s origins since the central nasal opening in the elephant’s skull could be easily mistaken for a giant eye socket. Interestingly, these elephants were found precisely on the Mediterranean islands of Cyprus, Malta, Crete, Sicily, Sardinia, the Cyclades, and the Dodecanese.
6. Chinese Dragons
Unlike many other dragons, the Chinese dragon does not have wings, but it does have a long beard, among a thousand other qualities. While most dragons in Western mythology are usually associated with fire and destruction, Chinese dragons in myths usually appear as benevolent creatures protecting the land.
And if the myths about European dragons are potentially rooted in dinosaur fossils, the Chinese dragon’s origins are even more ethereal. Not so long ago, the fossil remains of a gigantic snake called Titanoboa were discovered in Colombia. After conducting a comparative analysis of the skeleton, scientists came to the conclusion that the snake could reach 13 meters in length and weigh more than a ton. Titanoboa lived around 60 million years ago in the tropical forests of modern Colombia. But it is quite possible that it had similar huge relatives on other continents, like Vasuki indicus, for example.
7. Bunyip
Bunyip is a mythical creature from the stories of Australian Aborigines. Its name means “devil” or “spirit.” Bunyip resembles something between an alligator and a platypus and is about the size of a horse. If a person went missing in the swamps, everyone believed it was the work of a bunyip.
In 1871, Dr. George Bennett of the Australian Museum linked the bunyip to extinct marsupials that once lived in Australia, such as Diprotodon. This swamp-dwelling creature resembled a wombat but was about the size of a rhinoceros. Despite its herbivorous nature, Diprotodon was probably terrifying when something scared it, just like a hippo. The animal became extinct 20,000–40,000 years ago, so the overlap between its last descendants and the early ancestors of the Australian Aborigines was quite big. And so the cultural memory of the huge swamp beast turned out to be so strong that Australians have preserved stories about bunyips to this day.
8. Sea Serpents
Sailors from different countries and cultures have one common myth: huge sea serpents that can crack the ships in half in a couple of seconds. In Scandinavian mythology, a monster nicknamed Jormungandr was so huge that its tail encircled the entire world.
Modern researchers have two theories about the origin of this legend—a simple one and a scary one. According to the first, sailors simply exaggerated stories about eels and oarfish seen in the sea. According to the second one, it could be one of the most ancient shark species—the frilled shark. Like all deep-sea creatures without access to the sun, it looks creepy! No pointy fins, several rows of sharp teeth, perfect for tearing apart prey—it will definitely give you nightmares if you see one bump against your boat.
