|Christmas '23 Questions
|Christmas '23 Answers
|Pegasus: is a winged horse in Greek mythology, usually depicted as a white stallion. He was sired by Poseidon, in his role as horse-god, and foaled by the Gorgon Medusa. Pegasus was the brother of Chrysaor, both born when their mother was decapitated by Perseus. Greco-Roman poets wrote about his ascent to heaven after his birth and his obeisance to Zeus, who instructed him to bring lightning and thunder from Olympus.
|Banshee: (“Woman of the fairies”) is a supernatural being in Irish and other Celtic folklore whose mournful keening, or wailing screaming or lamentation, at night was believed to foretell the death of a member of the family of the person who heard the spirit.
|Manticore: is a Persian legendary creature similar to the Egyptian sphinx. It has the head of a human, the body of a lion and the tail of a scorpion or a tail of venomous spines similar to porcupine quills which can be launched like arrows. It eats its victims whole, using its three rows of teeth, and leaves no bones behind.
|Fairy: Fairies are generally described as human in appearance and having magical powers. Descriptions vary greatly across different cultures. Many are small but some can expand their sizes greatly. In some folklore, fairies have green eyes, many have wings, some fly by means of magic and others on backs of birds or the backs of butterflies, dragonflies etc.
|Hydra: In Greek legend, the offspring of Typhon and Echidna, the Hydra was a gigantic water-snake-like monster with nine heads (the number varies), one of which was immortal. The monster’s haunt was the marshes of Lerna, near Árgos, from which he periodically emerged to harass the people and livestock of Lerna. Anyone who attempted to behead the Hydra found that as soon as one head was cut off, two more heads would emerge from the fresh wound.
|Medusa: is generally described as a human female with living venomous snakes in place of hair. Those who gazed into her eyes would turn to stone. Most sources describe her as the daughter of Phorcys and Ceto although the author Hyginus makes her the daughter of Gorgon and Ceto.
|Amarok: is a giant solitary wolf used in Inuit mythology either as a benevolent guardian, dangerous predator, or test of strength. Some tales talk of them appearing from nowhere to pick off sick reindeer when the herds get too large. This helps the herds grow in strength and be better sources of food for the people.
|Werewolf: is a widespread concept in European culture, existing in many variants. In folklore, a werewolf is an individual who can shape-shift into a wolf (or, wolf-like creature), either purposely or after being placed under a curse or affliction (often a bite or the occasional scratch from another werewolf),
|Dragon: is a large magical legendary creature that appears in the folklore of multiple cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in Western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as winged, horned, and capable of breathing fire. Dragons in eastern cultures are usually depicted as wingless, four-legged, serpentine creatures with above-average intelligence.
|Unicorn: Western folklore describes the unicorn as a white horse-like or goat-like animal with a long straight horn with spiralling grooves, cloven hooves, and sometimes a goat's beard. In the Middle Ages and Renaissance, it was commonly described as an extremely wild woodland creature, a symbol of purity and grace, which could be captured only by a virgin. Its horn has the power to purify poisoned water and to heal sickness.
|Troll: is a being in Nordic folklore, including Norse mythology.Trolls dwell in isolated areas of rocks, mountains, or caves, live together in small family units, and are rarely helpful to human beings. Their appearance varies greatly and they may be ugly, have grotesque features and be slow-witted or may look and behave exactly like humans.
|Leviathan: is a sea serpent noted in theology and mythology. It is referenced in several books of the Hebrew Bible and is often an embodiment of chaos threatening to eat the damned after their life. Christian theologians identified Leviathan with the demon of the deadly sin envy.
|Wendigo: is a mythological creature or evil spirit originating from the folklore of Plains and Great Lakes Natives as well as some First Nations. It is a malevolent spirit which possesses human beings and invokes feelings of insatiable greed or hunger. It is described as a giant humanoid with a heart of ice with a foul stench or unseasonable chill preceding its approach. The desire to cannibalize other humans and to commit murder exists in those that fall under its influence.
|Kelpie: A kelpie, or water kelpie is a shape-shifting spirit inhabiting lochs in Irish and Scottish folklore. It is usually described as a black horse-like creature, able to adopt human form. In some cases the kelpie retains its hooves when appearing in human form.
|Chimera: According to Greek mythology, the Chimera, was a monstrous fire-breathing hybrid creature composed of different animal parts. It is usually depicted as a lion, with the head of a goat protruding from its back, and a tail that might end with a snake's head. It was an offspring of Typhon and Echidna and a sibling of monsters like Cerberus and the Hydra. Chimera often describes any mythical creature with parts taken from various animals.
|Bunyip: is part of traditional Aboriginal beliefs and stories. It has been described as amphibious, almost entirely aquatic and inhabiting lakes, rivers, swamps, lagoons, billabongs, creeks and waterholes. Physical descriptions of bunyips vary widely. In Ngarrindjeri dreaming it is a water spirit called the Mulyawonk, which would get anyone who took more than their fair share of fish from the waterways.
|Centaur: is a creature from Greek mythology with the upper body of a human and the lower body and legs of a horse. Centaurs were known for being extremely strong and having exceptional stamina. They were often described as being chaotic, barbaric and primitive, unable to be trusted around alcohol: with even its aroma sending them into a frenzy
|Phoenix: is an immortal bird that cyclically regenerates or is otherwise born again. While it is part of Greek mythology, it has equivalents in many cultures such as Egyptian and Persian. Associated with the sun, a phoenix obtains new life by rising from the ashes of its predecessor. Some legends say it dies in a show of flames and combustion, others that it simply dies and decomposes before being born again.
|Kraken: is one of the most fearsome and famous legendary sea monsters to terrorize sailors on the high seas. This beast is often described as a gigantic cephalopod-like creature. It resembles an enormous octopus or giant squid with many strong tentacles. In some Scandinavian stories, the Kraken terrorizes ships and sailors, dragging crews to the bottom of the sea.
|Hippogriff: is supposedly the offspring of a Griffin and a mare. Like a Griffin, it has the head of an eagle, claws armed with talons, and wings covered with feathers, the rest of its body being that of a horse.The reason for its great rarity is that Griffins regard horses as prey.
|Drop Bear: is Australian folklore and features a predatory, carnivorous version of the koala. This animal is commonly spoken about in tall tales designed to scare tourists. While koalas are typically docile herbivores (and are not bears), drop bears are described as unusually large and vicious marsupials that inhabit treetops and attack unsuspecting people (or other prey) that walk beneath them by dropping onto their heads from above.
|Chupacabra: literally 'goat-sucker; from Spanish chupa, 'sucks', and cabras, 'goats' is a legendary creature in the folklore of parts of the Americas. The name comes from the animal's reported vampirism, it is said to attack and drink the blood of livestock, including goats. It is generally described as a heavy creature, reptilian and alien-like, roughly the size of a small bear, and with a row of spines reaching from the neck to the base of the tail.
|Manananggal: comes from the Tagalog word tanggal, which iterally translates as "remover" or "separator". In this case, "one who separates itself". The manananggal is described as scary, often hideous, usually depicted as female, and always capable of severing its upper torso with its intestines trailing out and sprouting huge bat-like wings to fly into the night in search of its victims. The manananggal favours preying on sleeping, pregnant women, using an elongated proboscis-like tongue to suck out foetuses or the blood of someone who is sleeping.
|Baba Yaga: is a character from Slavic folklore (or one of a trio of sisters of the same name) who has two opposite roles. In some stories she is described as a repulsive, ferocious-looking old woman who fries and eats children, while in others she is a nice old woman, who helps out . She is often associated with forest wildlife and her distinctive traits are flying around in a mortar, wielding a pestle, and dwelling deep in the forest in a hut standing on chicken legs.
|Jackalope: is a mythical animal hybrid of North American folklore. The animals are described as a hare/jackrabbit with antelope horns or, more commonly, deer-like antlers. Legends of horned rabbits date as far back as the Huichol myth, where they were described as mysterious creatures that gave the deer their horns. They were described as virile, but hostile creatures that could mimic human voices and sing along in campfire songs. They would attack humans by goring their legs with their antlers and the only way to calm an angry jackalope is to offer it whiskey to drink.
|Oni: is a kind of yōkai, demon, orc, ogre, or troll in Japanese folklore. They are believed to live in caves or deep in the mountains. Oni are known for their superhuman strength and have been associated with powers like thunder and lightning. Their evil nature manifests in their propensity for murder and cannibalism. They are typically hulking figures with one or more horns growing out of their heads, massive teeth, and occasionally a third eye in the centre of the forehead.
|Yeti: is a large, bipedal ape-like creature that is covered with brown, grey, or white hair. It has large, sharp teeth and is purported to inhabit the Himalayan mountain range in Asia. In Western popular culture, the creature is commonly referred to as the Abominable Snowman. The Yeti is commonly compared to Bigfoot of North America, as the two often have similar physical appearances.
|Gremlin: is similar to a fairy or goblin coming to prominence during the World Wars, in which they were said to cause havoc on aircraft - a trait which they have been continually given since their creation, though in time their destructive nature has come to include almost any type of technology. Gremlins showed humanity how to create machinery, leading humanity to an invention boom .But humans ignored these little creatures thus angering them and leading them to sabotage all types of man-made machines thus causing breakdowns and accidents, sometimes with fatal results
|Jabberwock: is a large winged mixture of several animals with the body of a dragon, a whiskered, fish-like head, insectile antennae and a pair of talon-like hands on both its arms and its wings, which may also serve as forelegs when it walked on the ground. It also wears a vest. It presumably lived within a place known as the Tulgey Wood until it was slain by an unnamed hero wielding a vorpal sword.
|Quetzalcoatl: was an Aztec and Mayan creator god, who was also the patron of rain, science, agriculture, and much more. His name means Feathered Serpent in Nahuatl, the Aztec language, and he was depicted as a combination of the green quetzal bird and a serpent.
|Qilin: is a legendary hooved chimerical creature that appears in Chinese mythology, and is said to appear with the imminent arrival or passing of a sage or illustrious ruler
|Caladrius: according to Roman mythology it is a snow-white bird that lives in the king's house. It is said to be able to take the sickness into itself and then fly away, dispersing the sickness whilst healing both itself and the sick person.