5 Obscure Mythical Creatures You Should Know

In all folklore and legends from all the corners of the earth exists many mythical creatures. Every culture and society has their own version of certain beasts that you probably have heard of, but what about those creatures that are not as popular? It's time to bring their identities to the limelight and share their origins with everyone.

The Ouroboros is the serpent that bites its own tail and is an ancient sign of eternity. It symbolizes the endless succession of incarnations which form the wheel of eternal life. The Gnostics, worshipped it because it was a serpent that gave man the yearning for knowledge. Medieval alchemists changed the Ouroboros symbol to the Hermetic Dragon, which prevented the transmutation of the elements. Those ancient alchemists believed the snake had to be killed before any alchemic experiment could be successfully completed. Ancient astrologers believed it was a symbol of wisdom, while the Hindu religion adopted it as Asootee, symbolizing the eternal path of the sun.

The Manticora of the ancient Tataric origin, was said to be a vampiric, man-killing monster. Greek physician Ktesias first mentioned it during the fifth century B.C. and later accepted by Greek philosopher Aristotle. Drawings of the Manticora appear throughout history as a fearful beast, about the size of a horse. It has the body and claws of a lion, sometimes being drawn with scales. The talons resemble a griffin and sometimes has a man's head with three rows of teeth, and usually the tail of a scorpion.

From Germanic folklore, there is the Lindwurm, a winger monster serpent. The scaly armor of this magnificent beast glowed green, gold, and silver. In old German folklore and epic poems, this beast guarded hidden treasures and damsels in distress.

The Tatzlwurm also came from Germanic folklore, but there are many differences between it and the Lindwurm. The Tatlzwurm had four legs and claws, wings and breathed fire. It was said to live in the Alpine mountains of Austria, Bavaria, and Switzerland. Alpine peasants were terrified of this beast, as it would prey on their cattle and on lost children.

A helpful creature in legend was from Japanese folklore was the Baku. It lives on human dreams and can be willed to eat a bad dream before it becomes a nightmare. This creature has a long trunk-like nose, resembling an elephant. It was fashioned after the tapir, a real nocturnal animal of the pachyderm family.

These are just a sampling of beasts from cultures all over the world. Taking a look at these monsters, you get a glimpse of what society was like thousands of years ago. Even though these creatures aren't as popular as many that are well-known today, they shaped cultures and belief systems during ancient times.