Mythical Creatures
14 guides · newest first
What is a tanuki gag? The shape-shifting pranks of the Japanese raccoon dog
A farmer in late-Edo Kyoto heard a sake bottle clink behind a shrine.
2026-08-17What is a satyr? A simple explanation
A Greek vase painter once showed a satyr with an erect phallus, pointed ears, and a horse's tail.
2026-08-17Cretan Bull symbolism: what does it represent?
The bull rose from the Aegean surf, white as the foam that birthed Aphrodite, and King Minos understood at once that this was no ordinary beast.
2026-08-17Forest spirits in mythology: meaning, history, symbols and practices
What is a forest spirit? Before entering a grove in ancient Greece, a traveler would tie a strip of wool to an oak branch.
2026-08-17Thunderbird symbology: a comprehensive guide
The Thunderbird is a spirit being of immense power in Indigenous North American traditions, embodying the storm itself.
2026-08-17Wendigo psychological symbolism: the monster within
We sat across from a client who could not stop eating.
2026-08-17Gnome (elemental spirit) in mythology: meaning, history, symbols and practices
The gnome is a chthonic earth spirit first named by the 16th-century alchemist Paracelsus as one of four elemental beings, bound to soil, stone and mineral
2026-08-16The meaning of dragon symbolism in the Bible
A Roman Catholic monk named Jerome sat translating the Book of Isaiah in the fourth century.
2026-08-16How do you pronounce Charybdis?
The correct pronunciation of Charybdis is kuh-RIB-dis (IPA: /kəˈrɪbdɪs/), with stress on the second syllable and a hard k sound, not a soft ch.
2026-08-16Basilisk teeth: what do they symbolize?
A medieval bestiary from the early 1200s shows the basilisk with a small crown on its head, its mouth open, and its teeth bared like a wolf’s.
2026-08-15Phoenix symbolism in alchemy: a deeper look
In a 1550 woodcut from the Rosarium Philosophorum, a bird with wings spread stands atop a flaming pyre.
2026-08-15The significance of dragons' teeth in mythology
In Greek myth, planting dragons’ teeth in plowed earth makes armed men spring up and fight each other to the death.
2026-08-15Comparing dragon symbolism in China and Japan
A Kyoto temple burns a wooden dragon tablet at New Year, its smoke carrying prayers upward.
2026-08-15How do mermaids and sharks compare in mythological contexts?
A mermaid is a human-fish hybrid built in our own image, a lure; a shark is the sea's own mouth, made after nothing human at all.
2026-08-15