DR. BLACK’S NOTES REFERENCE DIFFERENT KINDS OF SATYRS AND MENTION ONE THAT HE CLAIMS TO HAVE FOUND IN FINLAND; HOWEVER, THERE ARE NO KNOWN REMAINS OF ANY SPECIMEN THAT BLACK MAY HAVE STUDIED. HE REFERS TO THE SATYR IN A JOURNAL ENTRY DATED SEPTEMBER 1906: “THERE ARE PHYSIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF THIS BEING THAT I, WITH MY LIMITED KNOWLEDGE, COULD NEVER QUANTIFY—ONLY SPECULATE. I SUSPECT IT HELD A HEAVENLY SONG IN ITS THROAT, A DANCER’S WEIGHT IN ITS GAIT, AND A CHILD’S MISCHIEF.”
* * *
SATYRUS HIRCINUS
* * *
* * *
KINGDOM Animalia
PHYLUM Vertebrata
CLASS Mammalia
ORDER Artiodactyla
FAMILY Faunus
GENUS Satyrus
SPECIES Satyrus hircinus
SHOWING MANY SIMILARITIES TO a minotaur, as a common goat does to a bull, the satyr’s most important distinctions from the minotaur are its head and superior intelligence. I am well acquainted with the many interpretations of this creature; it has been portrayed in countless works of literature and stories for the stage. The species I studied (represented here) had the ears of a human, though goat-eared species are believed to exist. There may be other variations as well. I discovered a specimen resembling a ram near the border of Finland; there was too little remaining of the beast and, regrettably, it was not in a condition that permitted useful study or accurate representation. I have not yet come upon another like it.
BLACK’S MINOTAUR APPEARS TO BE A TRAGIC BEAST INDEED. IT IS BESTOWED WITH THE WORST TRAITS OF TWO CREATURES, AND NONE OF THEIR GIFTS. WHAT GOOD IS THE HUMAN BODY WITHOUT THE HUMAN INTELLECT TO COMMAND IT? WHAT GOOD IS THE MIND OF A BULL WITHOUT THAT CREATURE’S POWERFUL WEIGHT AND CHARGING FORCE?
There are additional shortcomings, as well. The minotaur has no claws for attacking or defense; it cannot fly or swim. The existence of this beast seems difficult to conceive.
—SPENCER BLACK
* * *
MINOTAURUS ASTERION
* * *
* * *
KINGDOM Animalia
PHYLUM Vertebrata
CLASS Mammalia
ORDER Asterius
FAMILY Minos
GENUS Minotaurus
SPECIES Minotaurus asterion
THIS SPECIMEN DEMONSTRATES the unique musculature necessary to support the minotaur’s head in all of its possible functions, including combat. I have gathered incomplete segments of what appear to be creatures of the same species; thus far, I cannot conclude the existence of any variant to the species analyzed herein. The minotaur must have been unique despite conflicting accounts of its historical pedigree. It is important to consider the very real question of its ancestors, some of which may have possessed six limbs—four legs and two arms—as does the centaur. However, I have not yet come to know such a thing to be true.
Like many of the animals I have excavated or acquired from private collections, this specimen’s preservation and condition have not allowed me to support a complete survey of the body. The soft tissues were so badly decomposed that I could ascertain nothing from the remains.
I would surmise that the ancient minotaur did not have a four-chambered stomach like its bovine cousin. I would consider it impractical to be a ruminant, having an upright disposition and two arms for the gathering and preparation of food. The minotaur was likely an omnivore; given its size, its disposition for predation may have been engendered by a scarcity of food. It is likely that it did not evolve balanced enough to adequately compete for food or defend itself: having only a simple brain and being bipedal, it would not have been able to run from an animal attack or devise a strategy or weapon to protect itself, as a beast with a greater propensity for intellect might have done.
THERE ARE MANY INTERESTING LEGENDS SURROUNDING THE ORIGIN OF THE GANESHA. IN ONE STORY, THE GODDESS PARVATI CREATED A BOY FROM DUST TO GUARD HER WHILE SHE WAS BATHING. HER HUSBAND, SHIVA, CAME ALONG AND FOUND A STRANGER WAITING OUTSIDE HIS WIFE’S QUARTERS; HE ATTACKED THE BOY, DECAPITATING HIM. UPON LEARNING THE CHILD WAS IN FACT PARVATI’S SON, SHIVA RESTORED THE BOY, USING THE HEAD OF AN ELEPHANT, AND MADE HIM A LEADER.
The Ganesha was a drastic evolutionary juxtaposition of the natural physical form; man and elephant. Though Ganesha’s origin is mere legend—it did not arise from the dust—truth is always hidden in the past.
—SPENCER BLACK
* * *
GANESHA ORIENTIS
* * *
* * *
KINGDOM Animalia
PHYLUM Vertebrata
CLASS Mammalia
ORDER Proboscidea
FAMILY Homoeboreus
GENUS Ganesha
SPECIES Ganesha orientis
MY STUDY OF THE ganesha answered one of my most persistent questions regarding the bone matter in a host of creatures: How can such small and slight bones support such massive appendages and disproportionately sized heads? It seems the ganesha had a sinewy fiber woven throughout its bone structure, independent of the ligament and tendon systems. This sinew acted as a resistance barrier for undue or excessive strain—much as a splint protects a broken limb. The sinew functioned not unlike an external skeletal structure for the bone; this material helps explain how many animals could withstand excess strain and torsion. Unfortunately, I do not know of any living creature that evolved with this material.
My specimen is one of the great treasures of the east. Though only a portion of the creature was recovered, it was well-preserved, and wrapped in hundreds of yards of decayed cloth. Future discoveries are a possibility. I happened upon chance to come to the tomb of one, and surely there are many more.
The ganesha’s skull would not have housed what would be classified as either a human or an elephant brain; however, the shape and position of the brain, especially the cerebral cortex, is cause for more extensive study and additional research. I can conclude that the animal was more than likely of a high intellect, confounding one who considers why it failed to prosper as a species.
TODAY THERE ARE NO KNOWN SPECIES WITH MULTIPLE HEADS, ALTHOUGH TWO- OR THREE-HEADED MUTATIONS OF EXISTING CREATURES ARE NOT UNCOMMON (THIS CONDITION IS KNOWN AS “POLYCEPHALY”). OFTEN THE MUTATIONS ARE BORN WITH THEIR HEADS FUSED TOGETHER. SADLY, THESE MUTATIONS RARELY LIVE FOR VERY LONG.
IN THE NEXT TWO CHAPTERS, DR. BLACK EXPLORES A PAIR OF THREE-HEADED CREATURES—THE CHIMÆRA AND THE CERBERUS. HE WAS ADAMANT THAT THESE SPECIES WERE NOT RANDOM MUTATIONS BUT RATHER FULLY FORMED ANIMAL.
* * *
CHIMÆRA INCENDIARIUS
* * *
* * *
KINGDOM Animalia
PHYLUM Vertebrata
CLASS Echidnæ
ORDER Praesidium
FAMILY Incendium
GENUS Chimæra
SPECIES Chimæra incendiarius
WHAT CHALLENGE LIES before whoever ponders this beast! Why would nature require it to be shaped in such a fashion? Its form is confounding and distasteful. Nonetheless, all mysteries ought to be solved; their secrets should be revealed.
Without having the great privilege and scientific benefit of studying the creature whilst it was alive and moving before me, I am unable to understand how it managed the apparent dilemma of three brains, three wills, and only one body to command. This is a great point of intrigue to me, and a burden on my ever-increasingly curious studies.
I find it baffling that the tail of the creature has the structure of that belonging to a serpent, and yet the chimæra has none of a serpent’s functionality; it could neither slither nor coil upon the ground. I suspect that the tail is merely a system used for balance.
The musculature of the lion’s head seems to outweigh (by measure of weight, proportion, and tension) the other two heads. I concluded that the central vertebral joint, the trithoracic vertebra, can resist enough torsion to accommodate the animal moderately but not effectively.
The diet is another curiosity. All three heads, whose origins are from creatures of differing diets
, must surely share a common digestive tract and other similar requirements for basic functionality. I imagine there must have been ample opportunity to benefit from such an arrangement; the goat could graze whilst the lion rested, perhaps.
It is likely that a more modest, necessary, and adaptable animal evolved from the chimæra, though I have no evidence to that end. It is my belief that the chimæra could not have survived a respectable length of time in its environment.
LIKE THE CHIMÆRA, THE CREATURE KNOWN AS THE CERBERUS ALSO HAS THREE HEADS—ONLY IN THIS CASE, THE HEADS ALL BELONG TO THE SAME SPECIES. BLACK EXPERIMENTED WITH DOGS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. WE KNOW OF THE WORK DONE WITH DARWIN’S BEAGLE, BUT WE DO NOT KNOW THE FULL EXTENT OF BLACK’S EXPERIMENTATION WITH POLYCEPHALOUS CREATURES.
* * *
CANIS HADES
* * *
* * *
KINGDOM Animalia
PHYLUM Vertebrata
CLASS Echidnæ
ORDER Praesidium
FAMILY Canidæ
GENUS Canis
SPECIES Canis hades
I ORIGINALLY BELIEVED THE hell-hound was a singular creation, much like the ganesha and the chimæra. However, I had the peculiar fortune to come into the possession of eight beasts, all of which appeared to have perished together as a pack. Several of the beasts had two or three heads, and one of the dogs possessed six. A specimen with three heads and a serpent tail is the case for study here.
There must be some element in the bone, blood, or brain of the cerberus and the chimæra that allowed for the growth of multiple heads. These creatures are not mere mutations born of unnatural conditions; their design is far too deliberate and intentional. Despite their superficial similarities I have no evidence that these two creatures are closely related. I am not related to a fish simply because we both have a single head.
The cerberus would have been warm blooded with many traits likened to other mammals: a four-chambered heart, normal-sized organs, mammary glands, et cetera. A natural conclusion to draw would be that the serpent auxiliary to the body of the cerberus (as well as the chimæra) had adapted appropriately, losing the need for cold-blooded temperature regulatory systems. Similar adaptations are found in other reptiles, such as the Dermochelys coriacea, the leather-back turtle. There may be a shared ancestry among these reptiles, suggesting that the bloodlines are vast and still flourishing in regions yet unknown.
CREATING THE PEGASUS WAS A MASSIVE UNDERTAKING; IT IS EASILY THE LARGEST OF DR. BLACK’S CREATIONS. HE HAD TO DESIGN AN ELABORATE HOIST-AND-PULLEY SYSTEM JUST TO MOVE THE ANIMAL TO HIS OPERATING TABLE. MORE RIGGING WOULD BE NEEDED TO SUPPORT THE CREATURE IN ITS DESIRED POSTURE WHILE ON DISPLAY (IT WAS LIKELY IN THE SAME POSITION AS WAS DRAWN AT RIGHT).
Months of labor used to construct wings that can never work. I have sewn the muscle carefully to their respective locations; I have taken care with the nerves and skin and all of the fibers of the tissues of the beast’s flesh … but it does not live. I do this, only to show that it could have and once did live.
—SPENCER BLACK
* * *
PEGASUS GORGONIS
* * *
* * *
KINGDOM Animalia
PHYLUM Vertebrata
CLASS Gorgonis
ORDER Perissodactyla
FAMILY Equialatus
GENUS Pegasus
SPECIES Pegasus gorgonis
FAMED FOR ITS ASCENT to Mount Olympus, the pegasus has inspired many tales of wonderment.
The size and breadth of the animal’s wings afford it a greater capacity for flight than might seem possible; certainly the riddle is simple once one peers beyond the veil of the flesh. The air sacs throughout the animal’s body would have to be more than twice (by measure of proportion) the size of any bird’s, thus allowing tremendous breathing potential. This would be an evolutionary necessity.
The muscles governing the wings were likely very large. If given the opportunity to view genuine pegasus cells under a microscope, I believe we would unravel the secret of their extraordinary strength. These types of cells are not absent from human muscle tissue; they are merely less active. If human cells could be trained to perform with the same functionality as those of the pegasus, then all would marvel at the greatness achievable by man.
The skeletal structure of the animal will seem familiar to any anatomist familiar with the Aves and Equus forms. Surprisingly, there is no structural deviance from the horse or from the wing structure typical of a common bird. I speculate that this could be quite different among different species of this family.
THE EASTERN DRAGON IS CERTAINLY ONE OF DR. BLACK’S MOST PLAUSIBLE CREATIONS. HE BELIEVED THAT THE CREATURE—AND MANY LIKE IT—STILL EXIST. HE DESCRIBED THE DRAGON AS A SORT OF LARGE AMPHIBIAN, ANATOMICALLY SIMILAR TO OTHER CREATURES IN ITS CLASS. HE BELIEVED THAT THE DRAGON WAS ONE OF THE WORLD’S GREATEST BEASTS, HAVING NO PREDATORS AND NO GEOGRAPHICAL BOUNDARIES.
INTERESTINGLY, DR. BLACKMENTIONS THE WESTERN (FIRE-BREATHING) VARIETY OF DRAGON IN HIS NOTES. THIS REFLECTS HIS WILLINGNESS TO CONSIDER ALL POSSIBILITIES OF LIFE, NO MATTER HOW FAR-FETCHED THEY MIGHT SEEM.
* * *
DRACONIS ORIENTIS
* * *
* * *
KINGDOM Animalia
PHYLUM Vertebrata
CLASS Amphibia
ORDER Caudata
FAMILY Monsdraconis
GENUS Draconis
SPECIES Draconis orientis
THIS SPECIMEN WAS DISCOVERED in an old monastery on the island of Nakanotorishima, east of Japan. I was the only one among my companions who believed in its authenticity. I purchased the remains, giving the impression it was nothing more than a large serpent, and indeed it really isn’t much more than that. It measures forty feet in length, and though I had only partial skeletal remains, I reconstructed the image of this impressive and august animal. Its size, spine protrusions, clearly advanced claws, and defensive capabilities would have lent it a great advantage in its surroundings.
Other dragons, especially the Western variety, are possible ancient ancestors, though I believe the relationship is likely to be distant. With its wings and phosphorous breath, the Western dragon seems more closely related to the leviathan or the hydra than the Eastern dragon shown here. However, since I have not studied the Western species as of yet, I am unable to scientifically confirm this assertion.
The legends of the Far East offer elaborate and thoughtful descriptions of the area’s native dragons, suggesting that the authors had an intimate knowledge of the species. Like many of the smaller varieties of serpent, lizard, and amphibian, the dragon must have had many shapes and personalities finely adapted to its specific needs and environment. Certainly many of the species are extinct, but not all; I cannot believe this animal no longer exists. Surely it continues to thrive in the deepest of waters or the darkest of swamps.
BECAUSE OF THE CENTAUR’S EXCEPTIONAL WEIGHT, BLACK LIKELY EMPLOYED THE SAME ELABORATE PULLEY SYSTEM USED DURING THE CREATION OF THE PEGASUS. IT IS BELIEVED THAT MOST OF HIS TAXIDERMY CREATIONS ARE STILL IN EXISTENCE, BUT ONLY HIDDEN AWAY IN PRIVATE COLLECTIONS. BLACK WAS CONSIDERED AN EXCELLENT TAXIDERMIST, AND ANY COLLECTOR WOULD SEEK HIS WORK, LIKELY AT A CONSIDERABLY HIGH PRICE.
BLACK MENTIONS FINDING EVIDENCE IN A insert BULGARIAN VILLAGE, BUT THERE ARE NO ACCOUNTS FROM OTHER ARCHEOLOGISTS TO CORROBORATE THESE REPORTS.
* * *
CENTAURUS CABALLUS
* * *
* * *
KINGDOM Animalia
PHYLUM Vertebrata
CLASS Mammalia
ORDER Perissodactyla
FAMILY Homoequidæ
GENUS Centaurus
SPECIES Centaurus caballus
THE LEGENDS REGARDING these animals are richly colored and decidedly unfavorable. It is possible the centaur was hunted to extinction. Their remains have been found cut into pieces and then ceremonially buried, which suggests they had acquired enemies with a fervor for extravagant punishment. Neve
rtheless, the centaur prospered long enough to allow for many descendants in its natural history: the centarus ipotane (humans with horse feet); pterocentaur (winged centaur); onocentaur (half man and half bull or ass); and possibly many others.
I acquired the research for my specimen in a small village in Bulgaria, east of Sofia, in the Balkans. There I found a great deal of evidence to suggest that any further excavation and research will bear great and many anthropological fruits. I was unable to homestead in the beautiful countryside for as long as I would have desired. Perhaps one day the research of another scientist will bestow upon the world the secrets of this civilization and the power of the great centaur.
The Resurrectionist Page 7
