With Halloween being this month lets take a look at ten different Mythological creatures/gods from cultures around the world.
1- Sisiutl – North Coast Native American God
Sisiutl is a god associated with warrior invincibility, is the guardian of the house of the sky people, and is able to transform into a submersible war canoe. He is also able to change into the forms of Salmon or a human being should it be required. He is able to traverse all three worlds (land, water, and air) and legend has it that if you look upon him you will turn to stone. Not only he is hazardous to gaze upon but by simply stepping on its residual slime trail or touching one you can become sick or die. He is often depicted as a two-headed sea serpent with a human head and hands in the middle of the body.
2- Agloolik- North American Inuit Nature Guardian Spirit
Agloolik is believed to live under the ice and will assist fisherman and hunters hunt fish for food if called upon. He will not however aid in hunting sea animals for sport and will exact vengeance should this occur, often in the form of hunting accidents. Agloolik also protects seals and their cubs from predators and aids hunter seals in gathering food for their families.
3- Geryon- Greek Mythology, Grandson of Medusa
There’s confusion as to whether Geryon was a giant winged monster who possessed three heads and one body, or three heads and three bodies. What isn’t confusing is that he owned a beautiful herd of red cattle, and a two-headed dog named Orthrus who was the brother to Cerberus- Guardian of the Underworld. When Heracles (Hercules) had to complete his legendary Labours, stealing cattle from Geryon to give to King Eurystheus was Labour ten. The myth states that when Geryon heard of how Heracles had killed his herdsman and Orthrus he immediately donned his three shields, helmets, and spears, and went to kill the mortal son of Zeus. Heracles, however, had smeared the blood of the Hydra on his arrows and when an arrow he shot pierced Geryon’s skull, the winged monster was killed.
4- Khyah- Nepalese Folklore
There are four types of Khyah in Nepalese folklore,
The Baray Khyah who appear in the rooms of girls being kept in seclusion as they endure their rite of passage.
The Bhakun Gwara Khyah who is shaped like a football and moves around by rolling all over the ground.
The Dhalapan Khyah- a very hairy breed of Khyah
The Lanpan Khyah who is known to block the passage of people on dark streets.
It is said that a friendly Khyah brings positivity and goodness to the home where a bad Khyah creates the opposite. A White Khyah is supposed to bear good luck while a black Khyah will happily create issues. These folkloric creatures are scared of electric lighting and prefer to hide in dark rooms.
5 – Ördög- Hungarian Mythology
Ördög is a creature that is suppose to be the personification of the worlds terrible darkness.He is known to make bets with humans to see if they can be corrupted and spends his time in the Underworld (hell) stirring a cauldron full of souls. When he came above ground he is said to have taken the shape of a fox, dark flame, or a Hungarian Shepherd. In Christian writings he goes by the name of The Devil.
6- Qilin- Chinese Mythology
The Qilin is a creature resembling a unicorn with a body of covered in green and blue scales, and has the hooves of a deer, tail of a bear, head of a dragon and horns. It is the symbol of longevity and prosperity and is thought to live for 2000 years. A Qilin is only seen at the birth and death of a great sage or during the reign of an exceptional ruler such as Emperors Huangdi or Yao, or the sage Confucius. Chinese Mythology claims that the birth of the Chinese written language occurred when an Emperor copied down the symbols he saw on the back of a Qilin he had encountered by the river.
7- Wati-Kutjara – Western Australian Aboriginal Mythology
Wati-Kutjara are two Lizard men who are Totemic ancestors and said to have come from the mountains during the “Dream Time” – a time in Australian Indigenous Lore when the ancestral spirits wandered the earth. Their names are Kurukadi and Mumba and Western Australian Indigenous law holds that when Kidili (the man in the moon) was found by the men attempting to rape a woman, they wounded him with their magical boomerang. Not long after Kidili died in a water hole from his wound and this is recorded as the first death in time. The women, free from her abuser, fled to the stars and became the constellation Pleiades. An alternative to this myth states that the men cut off Kidili’s penis, rather than wounding him with their Boomerang, and that a conical mound associated with this conflict actually represents Kidili’s lost phallus. Kurukadi and Mumba are also credited with having created trees, plants, and ceremonial objects during their travels.
8- Cihuateteo- Aztec Mythology
Cihuateteo are women in Aztec culture who have died in childbirth. Such a death was seen just as worthy as that of a fallen warrior’s and Cihuateteo were honored in much the same way, in fact childbirth was considered a battle in itself. The spirits of these woman are said to have taken over escorting the setting sun to the Underworld from midday and if they chose to return to earth four years after their death they could take the form of a moth or demon, only being allowed to appear of a night. Sighting their demon form ensured catastrophe came your way, while they could also be held responsible for the stealing of children, making children ill, and enticing men into sexual misconduct.
9- Clurichaun- Irish Mythology
A relative of the Leprechaun the Clurichaun is a surly little being who is in a constant state of
drunkenness from Southwest Ireland. They are said to live in the wine cellars of homes, often stealing the contents of the cellar for their own consumption, and like to ride sheep and dogs through the fields of a night until the animals are exhausted beyond measure. For all their bad though, they can be useful as they will protect your house from thieves and vandals, that is unless they are treated rudely, in which case they will leave and no Clurichaun will ever inhabit the home again.
10- Haugbui- Norse Mythology
In Norse mythology the Haugbui are the bodies of dead ancestors who live on within their tombs. They don’t like to roam about outside of their burial mounds and are jealous protectors of any treasure buried with them. For these reasons they satisfy their need for food by eating anyone who happens to walk by or attempts to rob their tomb. They are capable of changing their form in height and mass in order to make sure they out-muscled their prey enough so that there is no chance for the victim to escape. They are invincible unless their head is removed and placed between their feet.