Every culture has legends about strange creatures or monsters and this is understandable—when we witness a new, previously unseen phenomenon, we try to come up with a reason behind its existence, for the known is always a little less frightening.
Let’s figure out whether these legendary creatures from around the world were real or completely made up.
1. European Dragons
You’ve probably heard of dragons before, right? You know, the classic European ones with leathery wings that eat virgins for breakfast and breathe fire? Thematically, dragons symbolize the test that must be passed to get the “goal.” Among other things and tropes, they’re also associated with immortality, which can be obtained by eating the heart of the dragon. But that’s all myths and legends.
In reality, stories about dragons most likely originated from fossil remains of big lizards, aka dinosaurs, that people found and mistook for “dragons.” But was there a creature that could pass for a dragon? For example, Megalania was the largest of the land lizards to ever walk the earth. It lived during the Pleistocene era in the grassy savannas and sparse forests of Australia, where it hunted mammals. Megalania definitely didn’t survive till the Dark Ages, but seeing as it was close to a 9-meter-long lizard weighing up to 2 tons, you can see how its fossils could be mistaken for a dragon.
2. Hydra
In ancient Greek mythology, the Lernaean Hydra was a snake-like, multi-headed monster that terrorized the locals until Hercules defeated it. It was not only its appearance that was horrifying but also its perceived invincibility, with its heads regrowing and even multiplying.
The legendary beast could be based on a less fantastic but quite remarkable natural phenomenon called polycephaly. Polycephalic snakes, like other animals with this mutation, are very rare, but once you see one or two, they stick to you. Considering that tissue regeneration in reptiles is pretty common, it makes sense that a legend of a Hydra was created.
3. Kraken
The Kraken is a legendary sea monster from the fishermen’s tales in Norway and Greenland. It is said to be a huge, slimy beast with tentacles capable of dragging an entire ship to the bottom of the ocean. Sounds fun!
In reality, giant squids are believed to be at the core of this legend. However, sailors have “slightly” exaggerated their size. The largest specimens only reach around 13 m in length and weigh about 275 kg. The squid can definitely overturn a small boat, mistaking it for prey, but dragging it to the bottom is not an option.
4. Griffon
Griffons are winged creatures with the body of a lion and the head of an eagle. They have sharp claws and snow-white, sometimes golden wings. Their role, according to various myths and literature, is quite ambiguous, as griffons often can be kindhearted defenders or evil, feral beasts.
But the real story of griffons is just as fascinating as the myths about them. Historian Adrienne Mayor suggested that the image of the griffon was inspired by the stories of Scythian gold seekers of Altai, who potentially found the fossilized bones of protoceratops in the Gobi Desert. If you look at the size of the dino, the bird-like beak, the proximity to gold deposits, and its collar, which could have created the illusion of wings, it’s not that strange to imagine it as a majestic eagle cat.
