Mythical Creatures

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 phoenix, with its great beauty, creates intense excitement and deathless inspiration." - The Feng Shui Handbook, feng shui Master Lam Kam Chuen

Classical Arabian Phoenix: Perhaps the most well known, the Arabian phoenix was a fabulous mythical bird, said to be as large as an eagle, with brilliant scarlet and gold plumage and a melodious cry. Making it's home near a cool well, the Phoenix would appear at dawn every morning to sing a song so enchanting that even the great sun god Apollo would stop to listen. It was said that only one phoenix existed at any one time, and it is very long-lived with a life span of 500 years, 540 years, 1000 years, 1461 years or even 12,994 years (according to various accounts). As the end of its life approached, the phoenix would build a pyre nest of aromatic branches and spices such as myrrh, sets it on fire, and is consumed in the flames. After three days the birth -- or as some legends say a rebirth -- the phoenix arises from the ashes. According to some sources, the phoenix arose from the midst of the flames. The young phoenix gathers the ashes of its predecessor into an egg of myrrh and takes it to Heliopolis, the city of the sun, to deposit it on the alter of the sun god. A symbolic representation of the Death and rebirth of the sun. It is also described as being either eagle like or heron like. It lives on dew, killing nothing and crushing nothing that it touches. Generally considered the king of birds. It has alternatively been called the bird of the sun, of Assyria, of Arabia, of the Ganges, the long-lived bird and the Egyptian bird...

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 repeated throughout parts of western Europe. It is a symbol of knightly purity and essential to the idea of chivalry. But this element of the legend is older than Christianity. Beowulf does battle withthe dragon, Grendel, in Saxon mythology.

The ancient Greeks had the Hydra. The Dragon is often a symbol of war, and it appears in legendary names such as Arthur Pendragon. It is clearly a symbol of something monstrous which was defeated. St michael is essential to the mythology. : He is the patron saint of chivalry and commands God's army. He is often depicted fighting the Devil in heaven, the Devil usually symbolized as a Dragon. St Michael has many churches in England today, and they are often associated with leys -ancient tracks, sometimes seen as possessing magical energies, at others simply ancient pagan trade routes. Do leys offer a hint of understanding?: In the east, the concept of ancient pathways are known as 'dragon paths', giving a clear association between the Dragon and theEarth itself. Earth and Dragon seem to be one and the same. Seeing the Dragon as a serpent can be illuminating. Indeed, all the Dragon is is a monstrous form of serpent. And if we do so, we will find serpents in ancient mythologies throughout the world. Usually, it is associated with creation.: Serpents are usually the vessel through which the spark of life is placed upon the land, often caused by the passing of blood or semen. In this sense, the serpent has a clear 'phallic' representation. Such mythologies are pagan.

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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 legends that got handed down through the generations. Monster of Glamis: Legend has it that the Monster of Glamis was a deformed member of the Bowes-Lyon family, who was kept in a secret chamber in Glamis Castle. The "monster" was alleged to be ThomasBowes-Lyon, the eldest child of the Queen Mother"s great great grandparents, who was born in 1821.

Official records suggest the child died in infancy but, over the years, rumours spread of his survival. According to the story, Thomas had an enormous chest with his head running straight into his body and had tiny arms and legs. Blue men of Minch: These mysterious sea creatures lived in the stretch of water between the Isle of Lewis and the mainland. They looked like humans but had blue skin and would swim alongside fishing boats, making their way through that stretch of water trying to lure sailors into the sea. Legend had it they would also conjure up storms to wreck ships and that they lived in underwater caves, where they were ruled over by a chief. It was said fisherman could escape them if they were good at rhyming. Brigadoon: Although the idea ofthe village that only appears once every 100 years is now considered a Scottish myth, it actually has its roots in the mythical cursed German village of Germelshausen. It was this story that inspired composers Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe but, in 1947, a musical set in Germany was a no-no, so they relocated the musical in Scotland. So the story of the Scots village where the passing of a century seems no longer than one night became part of our national folklore, with tourists still asking guides where they can find it.

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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.

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