Mythological Creature (Earth, paradise, tradition, eternal, Articles)

[Azakel]

Name a Mythological Creature you like here. Any one from any culture, I will start.
Phoenix:
by Micha F. Lindemans

In ancient Greek and Egyptian mythology, the phoenix is a mythical bird and associated with the Egyptian sun-god Re and the Greek Phoibos (Apollo). According to the Greeks the bird lives in Arabia, nearby a cool well. Each morning at dawn, it would bathe in the water and sing such a beautiful song, that the sun-god stops his chariot to listen. There exists only one phoenix at the time.

When it felt its death approaching (every 500 or 1461 years), it would build a nest of aromatic wood and set it on fire, and was consumed by the flames. When it was burned, a new phoenix sprang forth from the pyre. It then embalmed the ashes of its predecessor in an egg of myrrh and flew with it to Heliopolis ("city of the sun"). There it would deposit the egg on the altar of the sun god.

In Egypt is was usually depicted as a heron, but in the classic literature as a peacock, or an eagle. The phoenix symbolizes immortality, resurrection, and life after death. In that aspect it was often placed on sarcophagi. It is associated with the Egyptian Benu, the Garuda of the Hindus, and the Chinese Feng-huang.

Judaic lore mentions that the phoenix achieved its unique status as an immortal bird because it refrained from bothering the overburdened Noah during the Flood voyage (Sanh. 108b).

• Also known as: Phoinix
  
• Pronunciation: fee'-niks

[MidnightBlue]

SLEIPNIR

From Wikipedia:

In Norse mythology, Sleipnir is Odin's magical eight-legged steed, and the greatest of all horses. His name means smooth or gliding, and is related to the English word "slippery". One popular image of Sleipnir is from the Ardre image stones, which are a collection of ten rune and image stones, dated to the eighth through eleventh centuries.

Thor, the Giant-Slayer, was away from Asgard slaying giants in the north, when a hrimthurs disguised as a human stonemason appeared, offering to rebuild the wall all around Asgard in exchange for the sun, the moon, and fair Freyja. The gods agreed, thinking that it would be good, since part of the wall was crumbling, and also believing the giant would never be able to complete it in the agreed upon six month time frame. The giant asked one thing: the use of his gray stallion, Svadilfari (literally, "slave", or possibly "ill-fated"). Loki quickly agreed before any of the other gods could reply.

The work began. Using the stallion, the giant began building the wall, and was well on his way to receiving the sun, the moon, and Freyja. The gods, seeing this, became furious at Loki, and said if they lost the sun, the moon, and Freyja, they would torture Loki eternally (which happened later anyway). Then, as Svadilfari was dragging the final brick to complete the wall back to Asgard, Loki transformed into a beautiful white mare, and led the stallion away, angering the giant. When the giant began tearing down the wall, Thor appeared and smashed the giant on the head with his hammer, Mjollnir.

Loki later gave birth to Sleipnir, the eight-legged steed of Odin, the offspring of the gray stallion Svadilfari and Loki when "he" was the beautiful white mare.

According to the Prose Edda, Loki returned to Asgard and gave the eight-legged gray colt to Odin, telling him that the horse was the swiftest on earth, and could bear Odin over sea, through the air, and to and from the land of the dead. According to Sigrdrífumál in the Poetic Edda, Sleipnir has runes carved on his teeth.

[Francine]

The Lesbian Republican

(no photos available)

[Azakel]

Ki-lin

by Micha F. Lindemans
A mythical being of Chinese mythology, comparable with the western unicorn. Ki-lin personifies all that is good, pure, and peaceful. It lives in paradise and only visits the world at the birth of a wise philosopher. The unicorn, which can become one thousand year old, is portrayed as a deer with one horn, the tail of an ox, the hooves of a horse, and a body covered with the scales of a fish. It is one of the four Ling.

The name of the Ki-lin in traditional Chinese format.



Also known as: Qi-lin

[Seyorni]

I think Rocs are pretty cool. They originated, I believe, in Persian mythology, but spread pretty widely in oriental myth.

A Roc is a huge bird, a raptor of some sort, big enough to carry off elephants as prey. Of course, they will not hesitate to scoop up a human for dinner, should the opportunity present itelf.

I have a bird feeder in my back yard/garden and observe the activity there daily. So far, I've attracted nothing quite this large.

[millie153]

LOOONG CAT

[cant post pics ]

[Azakel]

Originally Posted by millie153

LOOONG CAT

[cant post pics ]

I don't know that one, can you tell us about it.

[millie153]

Originally Posted by Azakel

I don't know that one, can you tell us about it.

hmph cant post url's either :/
Long Cat (Longious Cattus , Feline Maximus) is a long carnivorous mammal. It is valued by humans as being exceedingly LONG. Although Long Cat is so long, fairly rare eye-witness reports and photographic evidence of the creature are on the increase. Long Cat is regarded by certain religious factions as a semi-messianic creature, whereas others consider Long Cat to be a treasured national symbol. The largest known Long Cat colony ever discovered was in Red Wood forest, California in 2004.
Long Cat is not affiliated with Caturday, a Cat-orientated celebration held habitually on SCaturday.

[Seyorni]

Just how long is this elongated feline? Are we talking dachshund long or snake long?

[rojse]

Cryptid - either an animal that is presumably extinct, or an animal that has been hypothesised to exist (ie a mythological creature, but somewhat more scientific).

List of cryptids - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Thought I would share.