As a Potterhead, there’s nothing you can teach me about mythical creatures, magic, and fantasy. But it turns out the many creatures of Hogwarts are just the tip of the iceberg. Let’s look at 17 of the most popular animals and creatures from ancient myths and tales.
1. Unicorn
Is a narwhal the unicorn of the sea, or is a unicorn the narwhal of the land? Unicorns would be the prettiest of all the horse breeds if they were real, don’t you think? That’s because they’re depicted as horses with a single spiral horn on their foreheads (just like a narwhal, except for the horse part). They’re symbols of magic, purity, innocence, and everything beautiful. Apparently, these creatures, who have been around since Mesopotamian times, have magical powers in their horns. These powers are always used for good, like to purify water. Oh, and did I mention that Lord Voldemort killed unicorns and drank their blood to stay alive?
2. Basilisk
The basilisk is one of the mythical creatures with real life roots. In fact, if it really existed you could definitely say it’s one of the deadliest reptiles on Earth. The real-life version of a basilisk is a lizard, while the mythical version ranges from a serpent to a lizard to a rooster-serpent-toad hybrid. Some aspects may be slightly exaggerated, but the mythical beast can kill or petrify anyone that looks into its eyes.
3. Griffin
You could look at the griffin as one of the many cats from myths and tales, but it’s only half cat. And that cat is a big cat. And the cat half is the back half. Anyway, the griffin’s half lion, half eagle. It’s got the body and back legs of a lion, while its front region consists of an eagle’s front legs, head, and wings. The lion symbolizes strength and courage, while the eagle is an intelligent figure with an ability to soar to great heights. Griffins are protectors and guardians of mythological treasure with origins from ancient Mesopotamia. They feature in many ancient tales and myths, like Greek Mythology, where the griffins pulled Apollo and Nemesis’ chariots and protected Zeus. In recent literature and fantasy, both the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts franchises had griffin appearances.
4. Dragon
We’re not talking bearded dragons here. We’re talking about massive reptile monsters with scary teeth, sharp claws, barbed tails, and huge wings. Oh, and if that’s not enough, they also breathe fire. Dragons are mythical creatures that appear in so many tales and myths that their exact origin has gotten lost along the road. Some dragons are purely evil, while others are just guardians of treasure. And not all of them end up getting married to donkeys like they do in Shrek.
5. Bigfoot
Is he from Greek Mythology or Ancient Egypt? Nope. Is he a mythical creature? Definitely. Sasquatch is a type of primate that may or may not exist. Legend has it that he really resembles a gorilla and lives in forests in the Pacific Northwest. So, is he real or not? Some people say that they’ve seen him for real; and others… well, they make fun of those people.
6. Phoenix
Many of the animals in this list are somewhat scary and evil. But this bird is different. Beautiful. In Harry Potter, Fawkes (the phoenix, of course) saves Harry’s life by dropping a tear onto the wound where the basilisk’s fang pierced him. The phoenix is an immortal bird from Greek Mythology and the legend behind the expression, rise from the ashes. The bird spontaneously bursts into flames when it dies and then a new phoenix is born from the ashes.
7. Werewolf
There are many real wolf species, like the maned wolf, the timberwolf, and the gray wolf. But there’s also the werewolf, which isn’t as real. It’s a human that transforms into a wolf or a sort of hybrid when there’s a full moon. The creature is a product of Greek and Roman folklore, and it’s got incredible strength, speed, and senses. The legend of the werewolf is so popular that a psychological disorder has sprouted from it. Lycanthropy is a disorder that leads people to believe that they’re turning into an animal, but mostly a wolf.
8. Loch Ness Monster
Nessie is a reptile, possibly the last remaining plesiosaur or a living relative, from Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. It’s Scottish folklore that has brought Nessie to our attention, while it’s FOMO or optical illusions that lead to these so-called ‘sightings’. At least it’s good for Scottish Tourism, right?
9. Mermaid
Mermaids, or mermen, are probably the most popular mythological creatures of the lot. They’re a symbol of beauty and the sea, but they also have some dangerous connotations surrounding their existence. They’re humans with fish tails, so they can’t exist on land. Apparently, mermaids look a lot like the sirens in Greek Mythology, but they had the lower body of a bird. And the ability to kill sailors with their enchanting voices, but that’s not as important.
10. Minotaur
The minotaur is the child of Greek Mythology’s King Minos of Crete’s wife and a white bull that Poseidon sent as a sacrifice. The king refused to sacrifice the bull, and Poseidon threw a fit. He made the wife, Pasiphae, fall in love with the bull and the minotaur was born. King Minos was ashamed of him, so he was imprisoned in a complex maze that Daedalus created, known as the Labyrinth. Here, he was fed human sacrifices in the form of Athenian children and maidens until Theseus slayed him.
11. Anubis
Of all the dogs from myths and tales, Anubis is probably the most popular. Technically, he was a human with a jackal head known for being the Egyptian deity of cemeteries and embalming and the protector of graves. In simple terms, he mummified and embalmed bodies and guided souls to the underworld, so they’d pass over safely.
12. Centaur
Centaurs are (or were, who knows?) humans with the lower body of a horse. They often got drunk, which made them wild and violent. Now, don’t come at me but I have to mention Harry Potter once more. It really is important to note that not all of the mythological creatures and animals on this list are evil and dangerous. Firenze the centaur is just another one of the many heroes in Harry’s story. Oh, and Chiron also was a really good mentor to Achilles in Greek Mythology.
13. Hippogriff
Hippogriffs are hybrids of horses and griffins. So, they’ve got the body, tail, and back legs of a horse, the head, wings and forelegs of a griffin. Now, why is it called a hippogriff if it doesn’t include a hippo body part? It’s a good question, but hippo actually comes from the Greek word for horses, which is hippos. And guess which fantasy series has a hippogriff? Poor Buckbeak was sentenced to death for attacking Draco Malfoy, but fortunately Harry Potter saved him. That was the last time, I promise.
14. Yeti
Oh look, another huge ape that may or may not exist. The Yeti, or Abominable Snowman, is a white ape-looking mythical creature from the Himalayan mountains. It’s one of those creatures that some people have ‘seen’ without any evidence to prove it. But it’s not a modern story, because it originated in Tibetan folklore. So, maybe it really does exist.
15. Faun
Roman mythology brought about some interesting creatures, and the faun is no exception. It’s a strange, yet cute creature that’s half goat and half human. They’ve got the little goat horns and tails, and they’re associated with nature and fields. In The Chronicles of Narnia, they were particularly wise and helpful.
16. Vampire
Bats are important for the environment, but what can we say about vampires? They’re humans that have been brought back from the dead to… suck blood? The vampires from European folklore can seriously harm humans because they need blood to exist. Modern works, on the other hand, depict them as… seductive? Think Twilight and Vampire Diaries. Other versions say that they turn into bats at night. Regardless of their origin and how you think of them, they’ve all got super speed, super strength, and serious hypnotizing skills. Fortunately, you can keep them away with garlic.
17. Pegasus
I couldn’t possibly conclude this list without mentioning Pegasus. He’s an immortal horse with wings from Greek Mythology that can fly very fast. He came from the Gorgon Medusa’s blood when Perseus beheaded her and played an important role on Mount Olympus, where he served the Gods.
