The new eye-popping Field Museum exhibition Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids uses paintings, life-size models, and cultural objects from around the world to shed light on the ways people have been inspired by nature to depict strange and wonderful creatures. From Pliny the Elder who, in 77 C.E., asserted that mermaids were "no fabulous tale," to today's sightings of Scotland's famous yet unsubstantiated Loch Ness Monster, mythiccreatures delight and mystify us all.Mythic Creatures features fossils of prehistoric animals and preserved specimens to investigate and illustrate how they could have—through imagination, speculation and even fear—inspired the development of some legendary creatures.
For instance, Scythian nomads of southeastern Europe may have mistaken dinosaur fossils for the remains of griffins and narwhal tusks from the North Sea likely offered credibility to the belief in the unicorn.Throughout the exhibition, models of mythical creatures astound and delight. Come face-to-face with a 17-foot-long dragon with a wingspan of over 19 feet; a 10-foot-longunicorn; an 11-foot-long Roc with a wingspan of nearly 20 feet and huge talons sweeping overhead; and a kraken, whose 12-foot-long tentacles appear to rise out of the floor of the exhibition as if surfacing from the sea.
The
exhibition also includes two life-sized models of real creatures: an
over-six-foot tall extinct primate called Gigantopithecus; and the
largest bird ever to have lived, the over-nine-foot tall, extinct
Aepyornis. The exhibition will be on view from March 19 through
September 1, 2008.
Rise of the Phoenix:
There are Chinese, Japanese, Russian,
Egyptian, and Native American counterparts of the Phoenix. (Fêng-Huang, Ho-oo,
Firebird, Benu, and Yel respectively). All of these birds are identified with
the sun."A mythical bird that never dies, the phoenix flies far ahead to the
front, always scanning the landscape and distant space. It represents our
capacity for vision, for collecting sensory information about our environment
and the events unfolding within it. The...The surprising realites of mythical creatures
While sailing the ocean near Haiti, Christopher Columbus in 1493 reported seeing three mermaids from a distance. The Genoese explorer was not impressed.Up close, the sea maidens were "not as pretty as they are depicted," he wrote in his journal, "for somehow in the face they look like men."Many scientists now think that what Columbus probably saw was a manatee, an aquatic mammal that resembles a flippered hippo.In a new exhibition opening at the American Museum of Natural His...Sea cow `sirens' fuel mermaid mythology
The poor, portly manatee, having to endure this gibe time and again: "The early explorers thought manatees were mermaids. Guess they'd been at sea a little too long!"Local tour guides have their own versions of the line and the Internet offers dozens more.Even an estimable literary journal, The Believer, lampooned recently that the female Florida manatee's tail, forelimbs and "prominent nipples" make it "a likely progenitor of the mermaid myth; however, the m...The Complete Story of Unicorns through the Ages
The Mystery of the Unicorn
: The Unicorn is one of the most mysterious of all animals. It has been
glorified in folk tales, songs, poems, and stories for centuries; and it
remains one of the great "unsolved mysteries" of the world. Despite the widely
held belief in its existence, it has not been seen in centuries ; and the
popular Eastern image from Chinese folklore is very different from the
familiar Western image of a white horse-like creature. The only consis...History of the Unicorn
Today the unicorn is legendary, or mythical. But this was not always so. At one time the unicorn existed--or, at least, was thought to exist. As described in ancient scientific writings and depicted in painting and tapestry, the unicorn was a beautiful horse-like creature with a single long horn thought to have medicinal properties. Respected ancient scholars, such as Aristotle and Pliny, mention them existing in their day. But today unicorns have gone the way of fairies, elves, and trolls. Beli...UT professor debunks chupacabra myth
UT professor Pamela Owen can add one more title to her resume: educator, scientist and supernatural investigator. The producers of "Mystery Hunters," an educational TV program for kids, asked Owen to help identify bones reported to belong to the mythical chupacabra. The chupacabra, whose name means goat-sucker in Spanish, is a fabled creature which attacks and mutilates live-stock, sucking the blood of its prey.The bones belong to rancher Devin Macanally who shot the animal while it wa...Monsters from Scottish folklore brought back to life
From ghosts and goblins to sea monsters and cannibals, Scottish history is littered with tales of the weird and wonderful. While some Scottish legends have become much-loved parts of our culture, other stories have disappeared into obscurity over the centuries. Now Glasgow University is set to revive Scotland"s folklore thanks to a new postgraduate course examining mythical creatures, superstitions, beliefs and the storytelling that kept them alive. Here"s a look at just some of the myths and le...How to explain dragons
Anthony North: We have all heard of the Dragon. Known in culture worldwide, it is usually depicted as a huge reptile or snake with two pairs of legs and wings. Often associated with spirituality, it can also breath fire. In eastern mythology it is often seen as benevolent, whereas to western culture, it is malevolent. Often known as a 'worm', warrior knights fight it, usually rescuing a fair maiden whom it had been guarding. This is the story of george and the dragon.: And the legend is ...Dragons and Serpents
Written by Megan Balanck
Introduction: Are dragons and serpents merely fabrications of
the boundless human imagination, or do they represent something of great
spiritual significance for all cultures?
Many are the fabulous beasts created in the stories by human kind. For thousands
of years, we have told of fantastic creatures of supernatural powers, some of
the forces of good and others of the forces of evil. But of all these
sensational monsters, none has slithered into as many of...The Chinese Dragon
Most of us are all to familiar with the classic
western concept of the dragon, but not all have a great insight into probably
one of the most recognised dragons, the Chinese dragon. In Chinese mythology there are five types of
dragon:-Those guarding the gods and emperors, Those controlling the wind and
rain, Earthly dragons which deepened the rivers and seas, Guardians of hidden
treasure, The first dragon
The First dragon appeared to the mythical
emperor Fu-hsi, and filled the hol...
All our articles are sorted under categories and topics, making it easier to cross reference different subjects. Below are all the different categories the articles are sorted under alphabetically.
48(47/1) 
Phoenix - The Mythological Brid of Fire
The surprising realites of mythical creatures
Sea cow `sirens' fuel mermaid mythology
The Complete Story of Unicorns through the Ages
History of the Unicorn
UT professor debunks chupacabra myth
Monsters from Scottish folklore brought back to life
How to explain dragons
Dragons and Serpents
