This page is about Mythical Creatures

Here are the top 10 Mythical Creatures

Unicorns
Sphinx
Hydra
Sirens
Pegasus
Dragons
Leviathan
Mermaids
Centaur
Phoenix

Unicorns

Unicorns are often associated with rainbows and fair maidens. According to legend, unicorns can only be captured by maidens alone in the forest. Unlike most mythical animals, which seem to be based on humanity's deepest fears, most unicorn tales convey an animal that is quite gentle and good. Unicorn lore dates back several thousand years, and occasional "sightings" are still being reported today.

Sphinx

The legend of the sphinx has its origin in ancient Egyptian mythology dating back about 4,000 years. Often associated with guardianship, this creature is frequently placed architecturally at the entrance to a building or a city. The oldest and most famous sphinx is probably the Great Sphinx of Giza, which is situated along the west bank of the Nile River near the city of Cairo in Egypt as a guardian of the ancient tombs. One of the most intellectual of all the mythical creatures, the sphinx is known for its fondness of riddles. According to legend, anyone who was unable to solve the riddle of the sphinx was not only forbidden to pass, they were immediately devoured.

Hydra

As the legend goes, it was impossible to win a battle with Hydra because cutting off one of its heads meant that two more would grow back in its place. Then the hero Hercules came along and figured out a strategy for winning a fight with Hydra. After chopping off one of the beasts' heads, he quickly burned the stump so a new one could not regenerate. He proceeded to unburden the monster of its remaining heads, cauterizing each wound as he cut.

Sirens

Sirens are beautiful yet dangerous creatures, who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island. Roman poets placed them on some small islands called Sirenum scopuli.

Pegasus

This mythical animal is the son of Poseidon, god of the sea, and the monster Medusa. He is portrayed as a beautiful winged horse, sometimes white, sometimes white with gold wings and sometimes gold all over. There are a couple of versions of the birth of Pegasus in Greek mythology. In one, he sprang from Medusa's neck when the hero Perseus beheaded her. In another, Pegasus was born of the droplets of blood that spilled from Medusa upon her death. The image of Pegasus has been a favorite of artist for centuries; his likeness has inspired countless paintings and sculpture. There is also a constellation for Pegasus, a gift from Zeus upon his death.

Dragons

They are commonly depicted as large flying reptiles that breathe fire or shoot deadly poison from their nostrils. Tales of these giant beasts date to the dawn of human existence. They've also inspired many a young warrior to take up arms, bravely trying to prevent a malevolent dragon from consuming a fair maiden.

According to legend, the Leviathan was a fire-breathing dragon of such immense size that the sea boils when it swims in the surface. it ruthlessly and fearlessly rules over all the creatures of the sea. The Leviathan's skin is like a double coat of metal, with overlapping scales as large as shields on its back, and as sharp and hard as broken pottery on its under parts. Swords and harpons will simply bounce off its skin. It breaths smoke from its nostrils and flames from its mouth which is rimmed with teeth. Its fins radiate brillant light and its eyes are like glimmerings of dawn.

Mermaids

Beautiful fish-maidens with long flowing hair and incredible powers of seduction. These exquisite creatures are described as irresistibly attractive with the torso and head of a young woman and the lower body of a fish.

Being part man and part horse, the centaur is stuck between two worlds: that of the wild beast and that of the civilized human being. Not only were centaurs part animal, they are also described as rowdy warrior types prone to heavy drinking and other primal excesses, which often brought them into conflict with their more cultured cousin, man. One exception is the great and wise Chiron, a centaur who was also a gifted healer and respected intellectual.

Phoenix

No creature symbolizes eternal life more than the phoenix, a mythical bird known as much for its beauty as its immortality. The legend of the phoenix appears in a variety of ancient mythologies, including Greek, Egyptian and Indian. It is usually depicted as an eagle or other bird of prey, but may also resemble a heron in its delicate majesty. In most mythologies, the phoenix is associated with the rising of the sun and has a close relationship with the sun-god Ra. Another feature of the phoenix is that only one can exist at a time. When it senses that its life is coming to an end - about once every thousand years - the phoenix builds itself a funeral pyre made of cinnamon or other aromatic material and allows itself to be consumed by the flames. Then, as the old phoenix is reduced to ashes, a new one rises to begin its life on Earth