CREATURES IN

MYTHOLOGY:
THEN & NOW
 A mythological creature, also referred to as a legendary
creature or mythical creature, is a fictional, supernatural
and imaginary animal or hybrid being (meaning it can
sometimes be part human). The existence of legendary
creatures or mythological creatures referred to in ancient
traditional circles has not been proven.

However, the presence of these creatures has often

been described in folklore, legends, fables, poetry,
mythology, fairy tales, novels, myths and other varied
forms of fiction. Purists are of the opinion that mythical
creatures have been described in historical accounts long
before history emerged as a branch of science. The
beliefs and mindsets associated with mythical beasts are
varied and bring to life a plethora of theories about their
existence or non-existence.
 Argus Panoptes or Argos
was a hundred-eyed giant
in Greek mythology. He was
a giant, the son of Arestor,
whose name "Panoptes"
meant "the all-seeing one".
He was a servant of Hera;
one of the tasks that were
given to him was to slay the
fearsome monster Echidna,
wife of Typhon, which he
successfully completed.
 Arion was an immortal horse in Greek
mythology, which was very fast and bred by the
gods. According to a source, it also had the
ability to speak. The various sources differ on
how the horse was bred. Some say that it was
foaled by the goddess Demeter after sleeping
with Poseidon, while others that it was the
goddess of Earth, Gaea, that gave birth to it. Its
most notable owner was Adrastus, king of
Argos. Arion is also mentioned in the myth of
Heracles against the Eleans, in which the
demigod took the stallion from Oncus. He then
rode on Arion during the war, and gifted it to
Adrastus afterwards. During the battle of the
Seven Against Thebes, in which the brothers
Eteocles and Polynices killed each other while
vying for the Theban throne, Adrastus was the
only attacker to survive thanks to
Arion's intervention.
 Centaurs are half-human,
half-horse creatures in Greek
mythology. They have the body
of a horse and the torso, head
and arms of a man. They were
considered to be the children of
Ixion, king of the Lapiths, and
Nephele, a cloud made in the
image of Hera. According to a
different myth, however, they
were all born from the union of a
single Centaurus with the
Magnesian mares.
 Cerberus – also known as the
“hound of Hades” – was the multi-
headed dog who guarded the gates of
the Underworld, preventing the dead
from leaving, and making sure that
those who entered never left. A child
of Typhon and Echidna, he was part of
a monstrous family, which included
Orthus, the Lernaean Hydra, and the
Chimaera as well. Only on three
occasions Cerberus was tricked by
visitors of Hades: Heracles did it with
his strength, Orpheus with his music,
and the Sybil of Cumae with a honey-
cake.
 Chiron was the most important Centaur
in Greek mythology, famous for his teaching
ability. He was the son of the Titan god
Cronus and the nymph Philyra.

Chiron's Portayal
Although centaurs had the upper body of
a man and the lower body of a horse,
Chiron's front legs were also human,
showing that he was different and higher in
class than the rest. Other differences
between Chiron and his brethren were that
he was far more civilised in nature, not
indulging in drinking and being overcome
with lust. He had superior knowledge, and
he had a different lineage to the other
centaurs, who were created by the union of
Ixion and Nephele.
 The Cyclopes (singular: Cyclops) were gigantic, one-
eyed beings with enormous strength. Originally, there
were three of them: Arges, Steropes, and Brontes;
capable blacksmiths, these were the sons of Uranus and
Gaea and the brothers of the Hecatoncheires and the
Titans. They were imprisoned by Cronus but released by
his son Zeus, for whom they forged his famous
thunderbolt as a sign of gratitude. However, at a later
time, poets spoke of a different type of Cyclopes, a race
of dim-witted and violent one-eyed shepherds dwelling in
the caves of the island of Sicily. The most famous among
them was Polyphemus, the Cyclops who fell in love with
Galatea and was eventually blinded by Odysseus.

Cyclopes Name
The word “cyclops” can be literally translated as “round-
eyed,” but many authors feel that it is derived from a
much older word which originally meant “sheep thief.”
Both etymologies describe the Cyclopes suspiciously
well, and, in fact, it’s entirely possible that the very name
of the Cyclopes may have influenced and, slowly but
surely, distorted their original portrayal.
 In Greek mythology, Pegasus
was an immortal winged horse, one
of the two children of Poseidon and
Medusa. Along with his brother, the
golden-sworded Chrysaor,
Pegasus sprang forth most
miraculously from his pregnant
mother’s neck after Perseus had
beheaded her. He belonged to the
Greek hero Bellerophon for some
time, before being stabled by Zeus
and tasked with drawing the chariot
of his thunderbolts.
 Basic Philippine mythical
creature is the multo, which is a
ghost. There are quite a number of
locations in the country where you
can go ghost-hunting, but Baguio
should be on top of your list. From
the Diplomat Hotel, the Laperal
Mansion, to Teacher's Village,
you're sure to have a frightening
good time!
 Another mythological creature that
comes to mind immediately is the
aswang, which is a creature that
consumes the innards of a cadaver. The
term aswang is also used as a catch-all
name for various viscera-sucking
creatures in Philippine mythology.

While every region has their own

version of the aswang, it's most closely
associated with the province of Capiz. In
fact, the province has leaned in on this
reputation and holds an annual Aswang
Festival to celebrate it.
 Any promdi knows that if you've got
an ailment that can't be explained, it's
probably the fault of a mangkukulam. If
you cross a mangkukulam and you're
careless with your personal effects,
beware.

They'll probably perform a "kulam"

using your personal effects and a doll or
photograph. If you want to go on a
mangkukulam hunt, head on over to the
island of Siquijor, which has long had
the reputation of being the home of
mangkukulams.
 Just because the
creature doesn't look
frightening, it doesn't
mean they aren't powerful
or should be taken lightly.
Over the years, diwatas
have come to stand for
forest spirits who can be
benevolent to the good
and vengeful to those who
cross them. One of the
more well-known diwatas
is Mariang Makiling,
whose mountain you can
visit in Laguna.
 This creature may not be
familiar to people from Luzon,
but Boholanos definitely know
of the sigbin. It's said to look
like a small kangaroo, with
flapping ears, burning eyes, a
whip-like tail, and the ability to
walk backwards.

During the Holy Week,

sigbins are said to go out and
hunt for the hearts of children.
They'll then turn these hearts
into amulets. If that hasn't
frightened you off, search for
sigbins in Bohol.
 Being an archipelago, there's no
shortage of water creatures in our
mythology. An example of such is the
berberoka, who lives in freshwater and
preys on fishermen. The berberoka will
suck water from lakes until schools of
fish become visible to fishermen. Once
the fishermen are drawn to the fish, the
berberoka will use the water it sucked to
drown the helpless victim. If you're
hunting this fearsome creature, head
over to Ilocos Norte.
 When you hear the word bungisngis,
terror isn't the word you associate with
it. After all, it translates to giggling in
English. But in Bataan, the bungisngis is
a one-eyed creature with huge upper
lips, humongous teeth, and tusks that
resemble those of an elephant. Even
worse, they prey on livestock.
 Arguably the most popular aswang, the
manananggal has achieved recognition even
beyond our borders. It's feature in Marvel Anime:
Blade and in a novel tie-in to popular television
series Supernatural. Fantasy author Neil Gaiman
considers it his favorite Filipino mythological
creature. While you can probably find them
anywhere, their stories originated in the Visayas,
specifically in the provinces of Iloilo, Capiz, and
Antique.
 The Tiyanak (also
Tianak or Tianac) is a
vampiric creature in
Philippine mythology that
takes on the form of a
toddler or baby. Although
there are various types, it
typically takes the form of
a newborn baby and cries
in the jungle to attract
unwary travelers.
In some Philippine
traditions, the
Manananggal is
accompanied by a bird
called the Tiktik. It makes
a sound “tik-tik-tik-tik” or
“ik-ik-ik-ik” while flying
alongside the
Manananggal. It is said
that the fainter the call of
the bird the nearer the
Manananggal is to you
which is meant to confuse
victims.
Tikbalang (also written as
Tigbalang, Tigbalan, or
Tikbalan) is a bipedal
horse creature of
Philippine folklore said to
lurk in the mountains and
forests of the Philippines.
It is sometimes believed to
be a transformation of an
aborted fetus which has
been sent to earth from
limbo.
The Siyokoy (Syokoy) are
creatures in Philippine
mythology which were
members of Bantay Tubig
(merfolk). They are usually
illustrated as green-
skinned humanoids with
scales, webbed limbs, and
fins.
 In Philippine mythology,
the Sirena is a
mythological aquatic
creature with the head and
torso of a human female
and the tail of a fish. The
Sirena is an Engkanto –'
the Filipino counterpart of
English mermaids.
Engkantos are classified
as one of the Bantay
Tubig, a Filipino term for
mythical guardians of the
water.
 In Philippine folklore,
the kapre is a creature that
may be described as a
tree giant, being a tall (7–9
ft (2.1–2.7 m)), dark-
coloured, hairy, and
muscular creature. Kapres
are also said to have a
very strong body odour
and to sit in tree branches
to smoke.
 Duwendes are little
elves in Filipino
mythology. They are
known to be quite small,
and look similar to the
common image of an elf,
or a goblin.
 A leprechaun (Irish
Gaelic: leipreachán) is a
fairy-like creature in Irish
mythology. They are often
mischievous creatures
who spend their time
making shoes or hiding
away their coins in hidden
pots of gold at the end of
rainbows. Leprechauns
may grant wishes to
humans who capture
them.
The chupacabra or
chupacabras (Spanish
pronunciation: [tʃupaˈkaβɾas],
literally 'goat-sucker'; from
Spanish: chupar, 'to suck',
and cabras, 'goats') is a
legendary creature in the
folklore of parts of the
Americas, with its first
purported sightings reported
in Puerto Rico in 1995. The
name comes from the
animal's reported vampirism—
the chupacabra is said to
attack and drink the blood of
livestock, including goats.
Bigfoot, also commonly referred to as
Sasquatch, is a purported ape-like
creature said to inhabit the forests of
North America. Many dubious articles
have been offered in attempts to
prove the existence of Bigfoot,
including anecdotal claims of visual
observations as well as alleged video
and audio recordings, photographs,
and casts of large footprints. Some
are known or admitted hoaxes. Tales
of wild, hairy humanoids exist
throughout the world,[4] and such
creatures appear in the folklore of
North America,including the
mythologies of indigenous people.
Bigfoot is an icon within the fringe
subculture of cryptozoology,and an
enduring element of popular culture.
 The earliest preserved
descriptions of elves
comes from Norse
mythology, where they are
known as álfar. They are
commonly described as
semi-divine beings
associated with fertility and
the cult of the ancestors.
Just like ghosts, the elves
were not bound by all
physical laws and could
pass through walls and
doors.
 It is believed that
Nicholas was born
sometime around 280 A.D.
in Patara, near Myra in
modern-day Turkey. Much
admired for his piety and
kindness, St. Nicholas
became the subject of many
legends. It is said that he
gave away all of his
inherited wealth and
traveled the countryside
helping the poor and sick.
 The Sandman is a
mythical spiritual being
originating from European
folklore. Typically a
character in children's
fables, he is said to put
people to sleep and bring
good dreams by sprinkling
magic sand into people's
eyes at night. The grit in
people's eyes when they
wake from sleep is
supposedly the
Sandman's doing.
 A fairy (also fay, fae,
fey, fair folk, or faerie) is a
type of mythical being or
legendary creature found
in the folklore of multiple
European cultures
(including Celtic, Slavic,
Germanic, English, and
French folklore), a form of
spirit, often described as
metaphysical,
supernatural, or
preternatural.