Mythical Creatures

Characters that seem quite mythical to us are very real and very powerful to those who believed (or still believe) in them. These characters can be something as popular as a werewolf, but there are less popular ones that are just as interesting to think about. The belief in such a creature can tell you a lot about a person or culture. Here's a few more obscure mythical creatures to think about.

Cats have been associated with witches since the Inquisition. The association was so strong that some cats were actually burned at the stake. The book Beware the Cat!, written in 1540, confirms the then popular belief that witches could shapeshift into cats. These shapeshifters, known as cat people, were supposedly encountered by a Navajo named Michael. His experience allegedly occurred in 1909.

Creatures known as gill men are thought to be a cross between a man and some aquatic life, possibly a fish. The idea of a gill man is popular among those who believe all life began in the ocean, and that there is some link between a prehuman aquatic humanoid and the modern man. This idea was popularized in the film Creature From the Black Lagoon.

The nasnas appears as an old man or woman, often near a riverbank. The nasnas is actually a shapeshifting demon, who asks for help across the river. Once a stranger agrees to help the nasnas, they end up being drowned by the mythical creature.

The term "nix" has come to mean stop what you are doing. There was a time, however, in German folklore when nixes were shapeshifting beings. The nixes enjoyed music and dancing, and could be drawn by a party. If they join a human party, they appear as attractive humans. The nixes may enjoy themselves enough to bed someone; whoever they bed awakes to find their lover has turned into a green-skinned creature. The nix then drowns the victim.

Pan was the son of the Greek god Hermes and was a symbol of fertility to witch cults. The horned god Pan eventually was seen as an enemy, concerned only with sexual indulgence and materialism.

Mythical creatures have been around for a long time, and by learning about them you can learn about the beliefs of a culture. Some of these creatures have a very long shelf life; the cat people have been believed in by many people for over 400 years.