by Andrea Mills
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The most magical of
mythical creatures is the
unicorn. This white horselike
creature has a single twisted horn
on its head. Touching the horn can
heal people and bring good luck.
Legend has it that if the unicorn
dips its horn in water, the liquid
instantly becomes pure.
The myth of the unicorn is found in
many different countries. European
stories describe it as a wild and
free-roaming creature. Asian
tales say that it has a shy
and sweet nature. Some
people claim that sightings
of unicorns are really just
other horned animals.
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Some cultures believed that unicorn
horns could be used to detect poison.
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The Haechi [hay-CHAI] of Korea
is a monstrous mix of lion and dog.
People thought that it liked to eat
children! It was also thought that
Haechi could swallow fire and would
always punish those who did evil deeds.
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Haechi has become a symbol of
protection. Many buildings in Korea
have statues of Haechi at their entrances.
People think that the stone watchdog
will protect buildings from fire and
other disasters.
A Haechi statue at the
Gyeongbokgung Palace
in South Korea.
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Make way for the mighty master of
mazes—the Minotaur! This ancient Greek
monster combined a human body with the
head and tail of a bull. King Minos of
Crete ordered the construction of a maze,
so that the Minotaur could be locked
inside, unable to escape. People were
sacrificed to feed the bull-headed beast.
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The Greek hero Theseus didn’t agree
with this and took revenge on the
Minotaur. He entered the maze and
killed the Minotaur in a deadly duel.
Minotaur
Theseus and the Minotaur
fighting in the maze.
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Local Legends
There have been many reported
sightings of creatures from myths.
Here are some of the most famous ones.
Yeti
Hairy and scary, the Yeti lives high
in Asia’s Himalayan Mountains.
Climbers have reported seeing this
apelike animal. However, its existence
has never been proved.
Mothman
This flying figure haunted
Point Pleasant in Virginia,
USA, in the 1960s. People
reported seeing a man-sized
bird with devilish red eyes.
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Beast of Bodmin Moor
In England in 1995 there were many
sightings of a black panther with
scary white eyes. The government
investigated but no evidence of the
beast was ever found.
Bigfoot
Bigfoot is the Yeti equivalent
in North America. This forest
dweller is also known by its Native
American name, “sasquatch.”
A footprint that is believed to be
Bigfoot’s was found at the Rouge
National Urban Park, Canada.
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Chapter 4
Water Wonders
A Scottish lake, or loch, is home to one
of the world’s most famous monsters—
the Loch Ness Monster. The lake is
deep, dark, and mysterious, the perfect
home for the shy beast. People have
described it as a long-necked, dinosaur-
like creature up to 30 ft (9 m) long.
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Sightings increased when a road
was built next to the loch in the 1930s.
Hundreds of photographs taken by
monster spotters were later proved to
be fake. Experts searched the waters
of Loch Ness using sonar and cameras.
However, even this special equipment
found nothing. There is no proof the
Loch Ness Monster exists, but people
still claim to have seen her.
No one has been able to
prove that the Loch Ness
Monster exists.
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The Kraken may have been a
giant squid. Giant squids can
grow up to 50 ft (15 m) long.
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In the sea near Norway and
Greenland lurks a super-sized sea
monster called the Kraken. The legend
goes that sailors thought the Kraken
was an island. When they got closer,
the Kraken grabbed hold of their ships.
Whole crews were pulled underwater.
When near the surface, the Kraken
was very dangerous. It could cause
just as much trouble when it swum
down to the seabed. It could suck
the seawater down and around,
causing a deadly whirlpool.
Many people say the Kraken never
existed. They suggest sailors were
more likely to have spotted real-life
sea creatures, such as giant squid
or huge octopuses.
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Water demons are said to live in
the depths of lakes and rivers in Japan.
For centuries, kappas have hidden
underwater, waiting to cause problems.
Most reports describe them as scaly green
imps the size of young children. Kappas’
heads have dents in them, which
fill with water and give them
special powers.
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Some people think kappas are naughty
little imps playing harmless tricks. They
are often described as being very polite.
If you bow to them they will bow back.
This makes them spill the water from
their heads and lose their powers.
Kappa statues next
to a pond in Japan.
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Greek myths tell of a many-headed
serpent that hid under the surface of
Lake Lerna. It was called the Hydra
and its foul breath polluted the water.
If one of its heads was chopped off,
more grew back in its place.
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The Hydra was killed by a Greek hero
called Hercules. This fearless warrior
sliced off the Hydra’s heads one at a
time. He then quickly burned the necks,
so no more heads could grow back.
The Hydra was snakelike,
with many heads.
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Throughout history, sailors have talked
about creatures with the head, body, and
arms of a human, and the tail of a fish.
They are called mermaids and are
beautiful but dangerous. They should
never be approached and their sweet
songs mean trouble.
People believe that mermaid’s songs
lead ships off-course, making them crash
into rocks and sink. Seeing a mermaid
means that you could drown. Mermaids
are also thought to call sailors down to
the bottom of the sea, never to return.
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Some myths suggest that
mermaids knew what would
happen in the future.
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Spectacular
Sea Creatures
There are many stories of sea creatures
that are part human and part animal.
Here are some of these creatures who
like to make a splash.
Triton
Like a mermaid, Triton
has a man’s head, chest, and
arms, with the tail of a fish.
A messenger of the sea in
Greek mythology, he used
seahorses to travel through
the waves.
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Sirens
The scariest sound in the sea
is the call of the Sirens. These
deadly women from Greek
mythology use their magical
music to lure sailors to them,
then drown them underwater.
Sobek
With gigantic jaws and an
appetite to match, this Egyptian
god has a man’s body with
a crocodile’s head. Ancient
Egyptians worshipped him, but
were also terrified of him.
Kelpie
In Celtic mythology, this
water horse roams the seas
of Scotland. It can also take
a human form. Kelpies are
devious creatures and
are best avoided!
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Chapter 5
Super Shapeshifters
Legend has it that some cursed people
transform into terrifying wolves in the
light of the full Moon. They are called
werewolves and they eat humans!
Werewolves are human by day but
wolf by night. They can only be
stopped if they are shot with a silver
bullet or arrow.
Werewolf stories began in medieval
times, when wolves lived in the woods
near people’s homes. In areas without
wolves, similar stories were told about
shapeshifting bears and lions.
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Werewolves look like a
mixture of humans and wolves.
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Watch out, coyotes on the prowl!
These wild dogs stalk the plains of
North America. The trickster Coyote,
who can change into human shape,
is the hero of many tales told by
Native American people.
One story tells how Coyote was
chosen by the first humans to be
the moon. He couldn’t resist spying
on the people below.
In another story, Coyote was the child
of the sun and the moon. He helped make
the animals, birds, and plants, and shape
the first people from clay. Coyote often got into trouble by being boastful or foolish.
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Real-life coyotes live all
over North America.
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Japanese cultures warn of big-nosed,
red-faced demons called tengu.
Tengu means “heavenly dog.” These
semi-human creatures have all kinds
of special gifts. They have super
strength, magical powers, and can fly.
Tengu have red faces and birdlike
features, such as feathers.
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Hiding out in wooded mountainsides,
tengu are very good at being bad.
They use fans to make wind and fly
away with people they have kidnapped.
Tengu also enjoy starting arguments
and making problems.
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Púcas were very clever,
and known for their
naughty schemes.
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Irish legends talk of little creatures
called Púca, which means “goblin.”
Scary Púcas are hard to spot because
they can take on many different forms.
Across Ireland, they are described
differently. Some stories feature a
golden-eyed horse. Other stories
describe a goat-headed human.
Whatever shape a Púca takes, it is
always best avoided. This is because
the Púca brings doom and disaster.
Always up to mischief, Púcas enjoy
telling stories and will often bend the
truth. They enjoy talking with humans
that they meet. However, their words
can’t always be trusted!
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The most famous shapeshifter is the
vampire. This monster can appear as
a person with sharp fangs, a flying bat,
or a chilling mist. Vampires bite people’s
necks and drink their blood. The ancient
vampire Prince Vlad of Romania
enjoyed putting human heads on
sticks outside his creepy castle.
Bran Castle in Transylvania,
Romania, is also called
“Dracula’s Castle.”
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In 1897 Bram Stoker made vampires
famous with his book Dracula. The story tells of a creepy count who lives in a
castle in Transylvania.
There are a few things that vampires
are scared of. These are mirrors, garlic,
and sunlight. A wooden spike through
the heart is the best way to make sure
that a vampire won’t rise again.
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Total Tricksters
Tricksters are mythical masters of
mischief and mayhem. They all
share a naughty streak and can bring
a touch of comedy to ancient legends
and folklore.
Anansi
Hare
The Ashanti people of West
Africa tell tales about the
spider trickster, Anansi. He
This trickster
is very clever and cunning.
is known
in the USA as Brer Rabbit.
He is quick-thinking and
good at outsmarting
other creatures.
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Raven
Maui
In Native American
legends, this busy bird
enjoys planning pranks. He
Known as Maui-of-a-
is famous for hanging the
thousand-tricks,
sun and moon in the sky.
Polynesian
hero Maui is a fisherman.
His best catch is the North
Island of New Zealand!
Bes
Eshu
Egyptian entertainment
came from this cheeky
Tricky to spot, West African
little god. Bes always
mischief-maker Eshu could
stuck out his tongue
appear as anything from
when faced with danger.
a giant to a tiny boy.
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Quiz
1
In Norse mythology, what was used
to build the wall between the gods
and the giants?
2
What gift did the phoenix give
to the sun god?
3
Which classic Arabian story
features the Roc?
4
In Indian mythology, what
is Airavata known as?
5
Which mythical beast stands guard
