Art & Design,Visual ArtMAR 31, 2023

“The Ultimate Resource To Creatures Of Myths And Legends”: This Page Is Sharing How Mythical Creatures Actually Look, And They’re Both Fascinating And Spine-Chilling

Austėja Akavickaitė and Liucija Adomaite

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Have you ever heard of Mantabungal, Sannaja, or Colôrobètch? Don’t worry, me neither.

But this fascinating project called A Book Of Creatures shows the most unbelievable mythical creatures that were born in the folk and legend of different cultures.

“Our imagination has always been our greatest ally, and our worst enemy. In the face of the unknown, we populated it with creatures of all shapes and sizes, from minuscule spirits to gigantic cosmic monsters,” the description says and you can already pull your seat closer.

The creator of the project named Emile draws all the entities himself, sharing their stories and origins in every post on Instagram.

“One of the things I want to convey is just how imaginative we humans are, and how well we can create meaningful, understandable things to make sense of a complicated and confusing world,” the artist told Bored Panda. Scroll down for the full interview!

#21 The Aíǰe Is A Spirit-Tadpole From The Folklore Of The Bororo Of Brazil And Bolivia. It Produces A Buzzing Song, And Is Itself Fond Of Good Music And Dance. A Chief Who Can Impress It With Music And Dance Will Earn Its Favor

#22 The Chonchón Is An Owl Or An Evil Sorcerer Disguised As An Owl, With Oversized Ears That Allow It To Fly. Its Ominous Call Announces Mischief And It Sucks The Blood Of Sleepers, But It Can Be Neutralized By Various Rituals

#23 The Katthveli Or Catwhale Is One Of Many Evil Whales That Terrorize Icelandic Waters. Vicious And Aggressive, It Is Nonetheless Smaller And Less Aggressive Than Its Fellow Illhveli, And Has Been Tamed On Occasion. It Has Been Known To Purr And Meow

#24 The Stray Sod Is A Common Element Of British And French Fairy Folklore. It Is A Plant Or Clump Of Plants That, When Stepped On, Causes The Traveler To Lose Their Way. It Can Be Foiled By Turning Your Coat Inside Out, Or Using Certain Herbs That Counteract The Ill Effect

#25 The Abúhukü Is A Hairy, Foul-Smelling Ogre With A Face In The Back Of Its Head. It Hails From The Folklore Of The Cubeo Of Colombia. They Cut A Hole In Their Prey’s Skull Before Sucking Out The Contents Of The Body, Leaving An Empty Skin Draped Over A Branch

#26 The Rukh Or Roc Is A Gigantic Bird Of Prey That Lives On Madagascar. It Has Been Known To Carry Off Sailors And Destroy Ships By Dropping Boulders On Them. Sindbad The Sailor Met Them During His Voyages

#27 Baxbakwalanuxsiwae, The Cannibal At The North End Of The World, Is A Terrifying Ogre Whose Body Is Covered With Hungry Mouths Constantly Demanding To Eat. He Is A Central Figure In The Folklore Of The Pacific Northwest Cultures

#28 Perhaps The Oldest Horned Rabbit On Record, The Mi’raj Was Found On Dragon Island. It Was Very Fierce, But There Is No Evidence It Was Carnivorous. Confused With A Rhinoceros? Also, Al-Mi’raj Literally Means “The Mi’raj”. Keep Your Definite Articles Out Of Names!

#29 The Mantabungal Is A Mountain Demon From Palawan In The Philippines. Shaped Like A Shaggy Cow With Two Pairs Of Huge Fangs, It Is Known To Dismantle And Destroy Campsites And Tear People To Shreds

#30 The “Sarmatian Sea Snail” (No Official Name, But Known By A Number Of Local Names) Is A Giant Snail From The Baltic Sea With Whiskers And Branched Horns. It Was Reported By Thevet, Possibly From A Number Of Unrelated Accounts

#31 Munuanë Is A Monstrous Ogre From The Folklore Of The Guahibo. He Has No Eyes In His Face, But Rather Has Them In His Knees (And They Are His Weak Spot). He Kills And Eats Human Trespassers, But Protects The Rainforest And Its Inhabitants As Well

#32 The Skoffín Is One Of Several Icelandic Cat/Fox Hybrids. This Vile Creature Kills Anyone It Sees, But It Can Easily Be Killed With A Mirror To Reflect Its Gaze Back On It

#33 The Butatsch Cun Ilgs Is A Horrifying Swiss Lake Monster That Looks Like A Giant Cow Stomach Covered With Eyes That Shoot Fire. When It Crawls Out Of Its Watery Lair, It Causes Widespread Destruction And Calamity

#34 The Basilisk Or Cockatrice Is A Small Animal With A Fearsome Reputation. Originally A Highly Venomous Libyan Desert Snake, It Gained Rooster Characteristics Over Time. Hatched From A Rooster’s Egg, Its Very Gaze Is Deadly. It Only Fears Weasels And The Sound Of Roosters Crowing

#35 The Chimera Is A Firebreathing Monster From Greek Mythology. A Descendant Of Typhon, Part Lion, Part Goat, Part Dragon, It Terrorized Lycia And Was Slain By Bellerophon

#36 The Arragousets Are Guernsey Sea-Fairies That Invaded The Land Long Ago. In Retrospect It’s Implied That They’re Human In Appearance, But At The Time It Was A Good Excuse To Draw A Scowling Sea-Fairy Decked In Shell Armor

#37 The Vodyanoi Is A Shapeshifting Water Spirit From Slavic Folklore. It Haunts Millponds And Causes All Sorts Of Trouble If Upset. Various Sacrifices Are Made To Appease It

#38 The A-Mi’-Kuk (Or More Simply Amikuk) Is A Hideous Creature From Yupik Folklore. It Is Leathery-Skinned, With Four Long Tentacular Arms Which Grab Its Prey. It Swims As Easily Through Land As Through Water

#39 The Romŝiwamnari’ Are Demons Of The Serente People Of Brazil. They Are Large Birds With Scissor-Like Beaks And Flabby Bat’s Wings. They Can Even Consume The Souls Of The Dead

#40 The Marool Is The Anglerfish Or Monkfish In Shetland Folklore. It Has Many Eyes And Sings Wildly With Joy When A Ship Capsizes