Ogopogo (from Native American mythology).Gogmagog (from Anglican/Celtic mythology).Erymanthian Boar (from Greek mythology).Aqrabuamelu (from Mesopotamian mythology).Among its powers we can find walking on water and walking over flowers without flattening any of them. According to Chinese folklore, the qilin announces the birth or death of leaders and philosophers, and so it has an important role in society. The strongest mythological animals aren't always evil, and the qilin is proof of that. It is considered lucky to see a qilin, and it is normally depicted surrounded by flames, which it uses to protect those who have pure hearts. This hybrid creature, which has the body and horns of a deer, the head of a lion or dragon, the tail of an ox and the hooves of a horse, is highly intelligent and considered to be sociable. However, it doesn't look at all like an European unicorn. Because of its peculiar appearance, the qilin is sometimes known as the "Chinese unicorn". It is one of the four sacred animals of Ancient China, along with the dragon, the tortoise and the phoenix. Fortunately, the qilin is not a deadly beast, so you have nothing to worry about. Here we have another very powerful legendary creature. This dragon is depicted in the Ishtar gate of Babylon, and it was considered to be very dangerous not just for its ferocity, but also for its intelligence. Mušḫuššu or Sirrush: this dragon hybrid has scales, but also long horns, cat-like forelegs and eagle-like hind legs, and it is of Mesopotamian origin.It was highly respected, as it was responsible for causing storms and droughts and thus had power over agriculture. Shenlong: of Chinese origin, Shen-lung or Shenlong is the sky-blue imperial dragon that rules over the wind, the water and the storms.Luckily, Hina's son Maui drove him away by throwing lava into the river.
However, the large dragon Mo'o Kuna (who is described as lizard-like or as a shapeshifter) tried to drown her out of spite.
In the Western tradition, which includes Europe but also Western Asia, dragons are winged and legged reptiles and are presented as incredibly strong, but not particularly bright: you can see this latter type in the picture below. In the Eastern tradition, which includes the mythology of China, Korea and Japan among other countries, dragons are usually four-legged reptiles with no wings, and they are extremely clever.
They appear in many myths around the world, and also in popular modern stories such as Harry Potter, The Hobbit or Game of Thrones. Don't forget to share your favorites in the comments section!ĭragons are usually reptiles although they vary in size and characteristics depending on their origin, they are certainly one of the most powerful legendary creatures. Human cultures have created them by the thousands, but we have selected only 6. In this AnimalWised article we'll stray away from science to talk about the most powerful legendary creatures.
Each mythological creature has its own attributes, and some are notable for being very intelligent and dangerous. Others have become more popular with "recent" fantasy stories such as The Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter. Some legendary creatures are very famous, like the unicorn, the dragon or the Minotaur, while others are more obscure. In other cases, different species have been mixed to create mythological hybrids. In some cases, real animals have become legendary and gained all sorts of supernatural attributes in stories that have been passed down through generations. Since these creatures never really existed - or, at least, their existence has not been proven scientifically - their origin is rooted in a culture's ancient mythology. When we talk about "legendary creatures" we refer to the fantastic animals and hybrids that play a leading role as villains, heroes or helpers in the myths and legends that form part of our culture's folklore, and therefore of our history.
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