Our childhood days were so exciting with the fantastical mythical stories we read and heard about. But, as we grew up, we realized that the real world is not what we thought about. Neither are demons real in the metaphysical sense, nor does Santa Claus exist. But, just because Demons do not exist and Santa Claus isn’t real, does not mean that every fantasy was fake. Some fantasies were inspired by real life creatures, and in this article, we list 10 mythical creatures that may have actually existed. Read on, to know more.
We have heard a lot of stories revolving around Dragons. Those big, gigantic mammoth creatures which we were afraid of since childhood were for real. There are many theories as to what actually inspired the writers about Dragon. Scientific theories state that Crocodiles and other Reptiles are the descendants of Dragon. But, another alternative theory states, Megalania is what inspired thousands of writers to write about Dragon. Megalania is a prehistoric creature, which terrorized Australia in the Pleistocene. Megalania poisoned its prey by its saliva which was poisonous and thinned the blood of the victim, causing instant death. Megalania is the predecessor of Komodo Dragon.
Recent excavations in a limestone cave in Indonesia has given rise to some theories about the Hobbits. Though, the name “Hobbits” has been given by J.J Tolkien, there happens to be a creature which we can actually relate with the Hobbits. Recently, in the Indonesian Island of Flores, during an excavation, a skeleton one third of the size of Human Skull has been found, with a three-foot-tall skeleton. Carbon tests has revealed that the bones date back to about 12000 years. While skeptics believe that these are bones of Human beings who had hormonal problems such as microcephaly, the alternative theory is that, these are the bones of a different species like the Neanderthals but with same ancestors.
Kraken is a legendary sea monster, which is said to have dwelled in the seas between Norway and Greenland. There have been many literary works revolving the Kraken. Jules Verne in his classic “Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea” has wrote about Kraken as a type of a giant squid. But, Giant Squid lacks the devilish features of a Kraken. Until now, there has been reported sightings of Kraken by sailors, but no solid evidence has been put forward. But, recently, a large colossal squid washed up in the Southern Ocean. Estimated to be around 46 feet, it matches the description of a Kraken. Its eyes and beaks are larger than a giant squid. The amazing part about this squid is, in addition to the suckers that squids have, this one had sharp hooks lined over its limbs, which can do serious damage.
We all have heard of the Amazon women. Greek Mythology has a wide coverage of the Amazon Women getting wild with Hercules. The Greek Historian Herodotus actually wrote about the fate of the Amazon Women, and he was backed by Archeological evidence, and proved that the Amazon Women were real. Herodotus writes that, the Amazon women were captured and then they overcame their captors, and shipwrecked in the Eurasian Steppe. In the Eurasian Steppe, they fought with the Scythians. Scythians on failing to defeat them in a physical battle, tried the battle of love to defeat the Amazon women. The Amazon women agreed to marry them, but on one condition, that their daughters will be allowed to keep up the warrior culture. Yes, and Herodotus was backed by Archeological evidence. Excavations in the Eurasian Steppe has revealed that, most of the Scythian women had battle damaged bones, and they were buried with their weapons.
Perhaps we all have seen them in the famous TV Series Game of Thrones. But, the story of Direwolf is much more than a fantasy. Thought to be a rival of the famous Siberian Tiger, it actually existed around 10000 years back in the North American region. They were much larger than the ordinary grey wolf and had sharper teeth’s and claws. But, after the Pleistocene age, when the large animals started to go extinct, the Dire Wolf died out because of deficiency of prey. The Dire Wolves couldn’t prey on the smaller animals, because they were too slow, and therefore they were enforced to become scavengers, which they were not meant to be.
5.Scylla and Charybdis
Scylla and Charybdis are the two monsters, which is said to have dwelled in the narrow strait between Sicily and Italian mainland. Odysseus, on his voyage, was said to have crossed the Strait of Messina, which had Scylla and Charybdis on both the shores. While Scylla was a sea monster which used to pluck sailors off the boat, Charybdis was a monster who created a whirlpool in the sea, and sucked entire boats. Odysseus chose Scylla, because he thought that, losing some sailors is more beneficial than losing his entire boat.
In real life, there is a whirlpool in the Strait of Messina, but it is a lot weaker than what it is in the legend. The other side of the shore, has giant rocky shoals, which is maybe Scylla’s head.
People who have played Skyrim is very familiar with the term ‘Berserkers’. Berserkers are battle thirsty people who had supernatural strengths and was invulnerable. But, Berserkers isn’t really the imagination of the game-makers of Skyrim. Berserkers first appeared in the old Norse Poems, and the stories about them were true. They attained their wild behaviors from chasing dragons of different sorts. They also took a special type of drug before each battle, which made them invulnerable and fearless. The drugs made them stronger, and dull to pain and fear. Scientists have discovered that maybe, the drug the Berserkers used was Bufotenine.
Krishna is a Hindu God, who is said to be the re-incarnation of Vishnu. It is also said that the, Bhagavad Gita has been written by Krishna. Alternatively, Krishna is the ‘Hindu’ version of Jesus Christ. Initially, Krishna was the ruler of Dwarka and he ruled the city until it was swallowed by the Sea. Up till, the 20th century, Dwarka was thought of as a myth. But, recently, excavations in the sea bed, has revealed an ancient submerged city, which archeologists have confirmed to be Dwarka. Not only that, they have also confirmed that, it was actually ruled by a blood and flesh emporer whose name was also Krishna.
The recent adaptation of Moby Dick in a motion picture named “In the Heart of the Sea”, made the story of Moby Dick more famous. While, many skeptics may not believe this, but there was actually a giant white sperm whale which is said to have destroyed many whaling ships, sending some to the bottom of the sea. The actual whale was named Mocha Dick, and as the story goes, was substantially more badass. Mocha Dick also took on three ships at once, and happened to be victorious against them.
As with Captain Ahab, he was also adapted from a blood and flesh man. He was adapted from a man named Captain Pollard, but Captain Pollard didn’t seek revenge from the whale. But, he did go out again with a new ship for whaling, which also sunk due to a storm. After this, Captain Pollard spend the rest of his life as a night watchman.
Imoogi is a creature that often appeared in Korean Legends. Imoogi is a giant python that is believed to be a smaller version of Dragon. It is said that, they lived in caves, and lived for thousand odd years before they ascended to heaven and became Dragons. Recently, a giant python skeleton has been found in South America and not Korea which matches the description of a Imoogi. The Species has been named as a Titanoboa, and has a height of 46 feet and weight of approximately 1 ton. Though, they went extinct a long ago, scientists believe that with the changing geological forms, they can come back one day.