Was that a Sasquatch?!: Cryptozoology & Mythology

[wolfloversk]

(Sorry for the delay, this is posted with Mod permission)

Any cryptid hunters out there? Or even just lovers of myth, legend and folklore? For generations men have been telling stories of beasts, dragons, serpents and such. And whether you believe them to be real or not, no doubt many such icons and tales can be easily pictured in your mind. But one must wonder is there any basis to the myth?

Feel free to talk about anything related to cryptids, myth and folklore... whether you're a skeptic or a believer...

Let's start off with some vocab:

Cryptozoology literally means "the study of hidden animals". It is considered by many people a pseudoscience, but basically Cryptozoologists spend there time searching out many folkloric legends to see if an actual animal could be behind the tales (such as Bigfoot). They are also interested in seeing if any animals thought to be extinct could still be alive (like the famous Ceolocanth)

Cryptobotany literally means "the study of hidden plants" and is essentially the same as the above except relating to plants instead of animals

Cryptid used to refer to any creature being focused on by cryptozoologists

and some questions to get the discussion going:

1. Do you prefer Greek, Nordic, Roman, or Egyptian mythology, or something else entirely?

2. Do you think there could be a logical explanation or even a real creature behind some of the mythical beasts? Why or why not?

3. How do you think most myths and legends start?

4. What's you're favorite myth or legend?

5. What's you're favorite mythical character or creature

6. Which cryptid is most likely to be a real animal/plant? Which is least likely to be real?

7. If you could see any mythical creature or cryptid, what would it be?

(Note I'm likely going to edit this post at some point with some links and more definitions, but my internet is being wonky at the moment.)

[DiGoRyKiRkE]

YAY!!! I love cryptozoology!!!

Here are my answers to the questions (hopefully they'll spark some good debates/conversations)

1. I prefer Celtic mythology. I think that a lot of the creatures in it are really intriguing, and that they have a good deal of backstory involved with them. Of course, there are elements of other cultures that I love as well.

2. Absolutely! Being a Creationist (and hence believing that humans and dinosaurs lived together on the same planet at one time) I believe that that is how a lot of the "dragon" myths began (possibly by large pteranadons such as Rhamphorhyncoids like Quetzlcoatulus)

3. I think a lot of them start out for fun. Deep down, I bet that a lot of people know that the stories are not true, but the stories themselves become so real to people, that the creatures living within those stories become real as well.

4. Oh good grief! There are so many wonderful stories! I couldn't possibly pick just one.

5. I would probably say the firebird (which is not the same thing as a phoenix). Firebirds are large silver (or golden) birds from Russian mythology. Their songs can heal the sick, and when they sing, pearls drop from their mouths. Their feathers can also be used to illuminate dark places better than any torch.

6. I honestly have no idea. A part of me wouldn't want any of them to be proven real. . . it would make them lose their magic

7. I would love to see a gryphon or a dragon!

[Princess Anna]

Ohh, what an interesting topic!

Hmm, I don't seem as well versed in this as you or Digsy, but I'll give the questions a shot.

1. Do you prefer Greek, Nordic, Roman, or Egyptian mythology, or something else entirely?

To be honest, my mythological knowledge isn't very vast. I only know of the Greek and Roman ones (which are essentially the same thing, different names... if I remember correctly). Well, and maybe a tiny bit of Egyptian.

I'd like to know about the others, though! Where should I start?

2. Do you think there could be a logical explanation or even a real creature behind some of the mythical beasts? Why or why not?

I agree with Digsy... I believe dinosaurs once existed (but died in the flood), and that this is one of the reasons we have stories about dragons.

3. How do you think most myths and legends start?

Well, at least in the case of the Greek/Roman myths, I think they were trying to answer the big questions. Like, why are we here... and why do the seasons change? etc. They didn't believe in our God (the true one), so they came up with these stories to help answer things they had no answers to.

That, and they make fascinating bedtime stories. (IMHO)

4. What's you're favorite myth or legend?

Oh, gosh... I don't know if I could narrow it down to one!

Not to mention, it's been simply ages since I've read any of them! Could I get back to you at a later time, once I've reaquainted (sp?) myself with them?

5. What's you're favorite mythical character or creature

Hmm... maybe unicorns, gryphons, dragons, or the phoenix. (see what I mean about me being indecisive? )

6. Which cryptid is most likely to be a real animal/plant? Which is least likely to be real?

I think I (again) agree with Digs here.

I mean, it'd be fun if they were real. But it would kind of spoil it a bit too. Like he said... it would make them lose their magic. (and that'd be sad)

7. If you could see any mythical creature or cryptid, what would it be?

Hmm... gryphon or dragon? I don't know...

[wolfloversk]

I'm gonna give a shot at my own questions:

1. Do you prefer Greek, Nordic, Roman, or Egyptian mythology, or something else entirely?
I'm not the most versed in mythology outside of Greco-Roman... but I would love to learn more about Celtic or Nordic Myth... and Egyptian has always fascinated me

2. Do you think there could be a logical explanation or even a real creature behind some of the mythical beasts? Why or why not?
I think so... I agree with Dig's a lot about the Dinosaur theory (except I think there are still a few small ones hanging around I don't think they died out with the flood, since all the living ones were on the arc, though the biggest ones may have gone extinct before it.) Disease may play an aspect as well... they found a certain virus that causes antler like growths to form on the head region of some rabbit species- they think it may help explain the jackalope myth. (Sad part is the disease is almost always fatal).

3. How do you think most myths and legends start?
I like Tolkien's whole thing about the "Great Myth behind all myths." So I think a lot of them stemmed from historical events. Likewise I believe there may be real creatures involved as well (or at least a logical explanation, like the jackalopes) Someone might have seen a new species or a diseased animal and had no clue how to describe it without it seeming unreal.

4. What's you're favorite myth or legend? That's a toughy... I may have to come back to it

5. What's you're favorite mythical character or creature? Dragons, Griffons, unicorns.... I like the sea serpent (PS the serpent in VDT sounds a lot like Caddy)

6. Which cryptid is most likely to be a real animal/plant? Which is least likely to be real?

Most likely to be real: probably either something small, or something water borne- We've only explored 10% of the earth's ocean- who knows what's out there! Also Sasquatch- cuz there are sooo many Bigfoot like myths out there

Least likely: I don't know if it counts, but I'm voting Aliens that can get to Earth cuz they'd have to travel faster than the speed of light to get here

7. If you could see any mythical creature or cryptid, what would it be?
Toughy- probably Nessie, a living thylacine or a living dinosaur

[Louloudi the Centaur]

Oh my! I used to be terribly obsessed with cryptozoology! I have moved on from it as a major interest, but I still like checking for updates on occasion.

1. I like taking a look at each when I get the chance. Why? Because very similar creatures all around the world have been reported over the years. "Hairy men" in one country for example can translate to "Sasquatch" in another. I like looking at similar features. Mothman and the Owlman come in mind as well.

2. While I do think a lot of the creatures are real, I think some are often given a mistaken identity, or are exaggerated to a point. Dragons, for example, could have started from somebody sighting a large snake or a crocodile, and then features, like breathing fire and wings, were later added. Also as noted, a deformed animal could cause people to point and classify it as a monster. A deformed cow could be called a minotaur for example.

3. Most of this answer is given above.

4. I really like the myths of lake and sea monsters, though I do adore some of the reported living dinosaurs, like Mokele-Mbembe.

5. I absolutely adore unicorns, and centaurs are very cool too.

6. I believe sea monsters are the most likely to be real. Much of the ocean has yet to be explored, especially the dark deep bottom, an ideal dwelling place for a large squid or sea serpent.

7. I would like to see a unicorn. This one I think would just be so fierce, yet so beautiful. Hey, but I am a centaur after all, so I myself am a mythical creature.

[DiGoRyKiRkE]

Where should I start?

Everything I know came from this website:

Encylopedia Mythica

It has a bestiary with lists of hundreds of mythological beasts from all over the world. It has links to the mythologies of all major cultures, and has proved an invaluable tool for me as I do research for the books I'm writing

I don't think they died out with the flood, since all the living ones were on the arc, though the biggest ones may have gone extinct before it.

We talked about an interesting theory concerning dinosaur extinction today in my Cell biology class. If dinosaurs reproduced in a similar manner to other archosaurs (like modern crocodillians) then they likely had a temperature dependent aspect to their sex determination. For those of you who aren't zoology majors, a crocodile's sex is determined, not by an X or Y chromosome (as it is with people) but rather by temperature. With high nest temperatures you get one sex, with low nest temperatures you the other. With the environment changing so dramtically after the flood, reproducing dinosaurs might have only given rise to one sex. Obviously, if all dinos born after the flood were male. . . . you might have a problem with a sustainable population

[Fire Fairy]

1. Do you prefer Greek, Nordic, Roman, or Egyptian mythology, or something else entirely? Just about anything I can learn about. I know most about Greek and Roman mythology, with a little bit of Egyptian, but I'm also interested in Aztec/Mayan, Native American, Japanese, and African. Anything I could learn, basically.

2. Do you think there could be a logical explanation or even a real creature behind some of the mythical beasts? Why or why not? I think that's highly possible. Some creatures, like the dragons, might have originated from actual creatures, be it dinosaur or alligator/crocodile.

3. How do you think most myths and legends start? I think most come from people trying to make sense of the world they live in. It might be something they saw and couldn't explain, or it might be a part of nature they wanted to understand (for example, a pig eating the sun to explain an eclipse). Others may have originated from wild imaginations, stories told around a campfire, so to speak, that were spread and taken to be truth.

4. What's your favorite myth or legend? I don't really have a favorite. I like them all, but one of my favorites is the story of Oedipus defeating the Sphinx by answering her riddle. That's just one of many, though. I also really like the Aztec/Mayan legends of Quetzlcoatl (feathered serpent).

5. What's your favorite mythical character or creature? Pegasus. And dragons (both the Eastern and Western varieties). And the Phoenix. I think they're tied.

6. Which cryptid is most likely to be a real animal/plant? Which is least likely to be real? Hmm, that's tough. Probably dragons, since they are in several different cultures across the world. Least likely would be half-man creatures like centaurs.

7. If you could see any mythical creature or cryptid, what would it be? Dragons, as long as I wasn't in any danger.

[AstroWolfD]

Great idea for a topic, wolf!
1. Do you prefer Greek, Nordic, Roman, or Egyptian mythology, or something else entirely?I'm particularly interested in Native American mythology, although I know more about Greek and Roman mythology. Also Cajun mythology, because I'm from Louisiana.

2. Do you think there could be a logical explanation or even a real creature behind some of the mythical beasts? Why or why not?I think so. I certainly agree with everyone about the Dinosaur-Dragon thing. My brother and I have always said that there is some small unexplored area on Earth where dinosaurs still exist.

3. How do you think most myths and legends start?I can easily see animals that we know well today coming in contact with people who, long ago, had absolutely no idea what to make of them, thereby creating some of the legends and stories we know well.

4. What's you're favorite myth or legend?There are a lot of Japanese legends involving foxes, so probably one of those.

5. What's you're favorite mythical character or creature? Probably the Loup Garou (A sort of Cajun Werewolf). Also Dragons, and the Phoenix.

6. Which cryptid is most likely to be a real animal/plant? Which is least likely to be real?I think the Loch Ness Monster and the Yeti (Bigfoot) are definitely real.

7. If you could see any mythical creature or cryptid, what would it be?I'm going to agree with wolf completely on this one. A dinosaur, Tasmanian wolf/tiger, and the Loch Ness Monster. And has anyone ever seen the movie The Water Horse?

[Lucy of Narnia]

GAH! *comes out of lurking* Yay!!

First off, I'm a skeptic. I think there's something to the bigfoot thing but I kinda doubt there are real mermaids, etc (sigh; too bad; whales and women who can hokd their breath aren't near as impressive ). I guess in my mind there's a 'logical' solution to this stuff, like bigfoot is some sort of dino or something. But I do believe in the Loch Ness Monster of sorts.

K, questions!

1. Do you prefer Greek, Nordic, Roman, or Egyptian mythology, or something else entirely?
Ur, um, ur...which ones has mermaids? Greek I think...right? XD

2. Do you think there could be a logical explanation or even a real creature behind some of the mythical beasts? Why or why not?
Yup yup, if there's so much evidence I think it's something, even if it's the 'oh...it's a manatee not a mermaid' thing.

3. How do you think most myths and legends start?

Overactive imaginations, maybe? Like Columbus spotting mermaids (can you tell I like mermaids yet? )

4. What's you're favorite myth or legend?

NEED I even say it? Mermaids being real!!

5. What's you're favorite mythical character or creature

Um yeah...mermaids.

6. Which cryptid is most likely to be a real animal/plant? Which is least likely to be real?

I'm gonna go with the Loch Ness Monster. Bigfoot taking second.

7. If you could see any mythical creature or cryptid, what would it be?

Oh oh....mermaids!

BTW, too bad there's not a REAL Kracken...or is there?

[DiGoRyKiRkE]

BTW, too bad there's not a REAL Kracken...or is there?

Well. . . not as was portrayed in the latest version of "Clash of the Titans," but researchers have discovered giant squid that are more than 60 feet long.

[Lucy of Narnia]

Oh cool! I was talking about from PotC BTW. Davy Jones.

[wolfloversk]

BTW, too bad there's not a REAL Kracken...or is there?

Well....

Most people think the Kraken myths were based off the real life giant squid:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news ... ant_squid/

[Puddleglum]

While I am interested in the subject of undiscovered, or rarely seen, creatures I can honestly say I seldom watch any of those programs that supposedly are looking for them. Spend far too much time bumping around in the dark with night vision cameras, or cutting to a commercial just when something is to be revealed. (Only for it to be someone tripping over something while wearing night vision goggles )
On to the questions.
1) Know more of the Greek, and Roman,(though to be fair Rome stole, and modified most of the Greek's ), so I'm naturally biased.


2) I must agree with the Dinosaur/dragon theory. Sorry Lucy, but I think the mermaids can be better explained by a sailer's many months at sea, and a daily quota of rum. Others like the Chubacabra, at least in the USA, can be explained by an infestation of mange in the coyote population. While I doubt all have explanations we are still learning.

3) I have to agree with Fire fairy about people trying to explain natural events. Most of what I know of the differnt pantheons around the world people were more, or less making gods in their image by giving them human qualities. Then trying to explain natural events by them.
Then we have the occasional writer that bases a creature on someone he knows. Like a gardener

4) Now if I had a favorit all the rest might feel left out Used to like the whole UFO story when I was an impressionable pollywog But after learning a few things I stopped worrying about green men invading

5) Dragons seem to be taken already. I guess I might go with the Jackalope, especially the Pixar pictures version.

6) My money would be on Sea serpents. Nessie, and her kin as most likely.
Least. Well, I still don't believe in little green men.

7) A Griffin, provided they were fed before we met

[Ithilwen]

1. Do you prefer Greek, Nordic, Roman, or Egyptian mythology, or something else entirely?
I don't have much expertise in these areas, so I would probably have to research it more before telling my favorite accurately. But lately, I've been taking an interest in Egyptian mythology.

2. Do you think there could be a logical explanation or even a real creature behind some of the mythical beasts? Why or why not?
Well, everything has a logical explanation. The question is, what is the logical explanation. Really, I think it's different in each case. Sometimes things are hoaxes, sometimes people are just mistaken, and other times they are real. I see nothing far-fetched about the idea that there are animals out there which scientists haven't discovered yet. It's a big world and we don't know everything. There are places -- such as deep jungles and deep oceans -- we have never seen. They would be perfectly normal, God-made animals, but they might seem pretty peculiar to us if we had never seen them before. After all, if we had never seen an elephant or giraffe before, and someone who had seen them described them to us, we would say they were mad and think no such thing could ever exist. A mammal with a hose-like nose? A horse-like creature with a neck as long as a house is tall? Impossible.

3. How do you think most myths and legends start?
I was actually just about to say, "It would be interesting to find out how these legends get started." But I guess you want me to answer that question. I imagine it's different with each one. As others have said, over-active imaginations, and wanting to explain the world around them. Plus, a lot of people tell fictional stories, and the listeners pass them on as fact.

What is interesting is when there's some truth behind the legends (though it's usually much different than the legend itself). I would love to find out which ones have bits of truth and which ones don't. Mythical gods, for example. Where did the idea of them originate? Were they made up by people, or were they actual humans who just became glorified at their time of life and slowly made into gods as the stories spread?

4. What's you're favorite myth or legend?
I like the eerie, spooky legends that come from places like Ireland, about people being spirited away. Or legends of tragic figures who now haunt their castles. Anything that makes a good story, really. (And as long as it is just a story and not some demonic activity or something. ) I've always loved a good mystery or the occasional spooky tale.

5. What's you're favorite mythical character or creature?
Man-eating trees are always a blast. So is the Sphinx and Manticore. I like ones that, like I said before, make a good story -- the sort of thing that's fascinating to watch the hero of a book go up against.

The spooky ones are quite fun. For example, the Jersey Devil. Anything with a horse head gives me the creeps. Unless... it's a real horse. Of course. *ahem* Yeah.

I also really like the outrageous ones that are mostly just good for a laugh. Take for example the Loveland Frog which walks on two legs, and, as Wikipedia says --

They were described as having wrinkles instead of hair on their heads, lopsided chests, and wide mouths without lips, like frogs. One of them is said to have held up a bar device that shed sparks. A strong odor of alfalfa and almonds was reportedly left behind.

Or the Haggis, which is --

a small Scottish animal with legs on one side longer than those on the other, so that it can run around the steep hills of the Scottish Highlands without falling over.

And of course, we know the Grootslang must be real:



Not to mention the Canvey Island Monster:




6. Which cryptid is most likely to be a real animal/plant? Which is least likely to be real?
I think there's a good chance some of the Sea Monsters are real. The more normal, dinosaur-like ones, I mean. As for which ones are least likely to be real, see my answer for the previous question.

7. If you could see any mythical creature or cryptid, what would it be?
Hmm... One that wouldn't kill me? But in a hypothetical situation where I nor anyone else could be harmed by it, I think it would be quite adventurous of me to see the legendary Will-o'-the-wisp -- the nefarious ghostly light that draws travelers off of safe paths. It may not be as epic or outrageous as some of the other strange cryptids, but it has that certain spooky edge to it that makes it all the more terrifying than the others to me.


~Riella

[stargazer]

Encyclopedia Mythica is a resource I like to use too, Digs.

...I seldom watch any of those programs that supposedly are looking for them. Spend far too much time bumping around in the dark with night vision cameras, or cutting to a commercial just when something is to be revealed. (Only for it to be someone tripping over something while wearing night vision goggles)

I don't watch a lot of TV so I really wasn't aware of these. But during a recent visit to relatives, I found my sister-in-law likes to watch some of these...including Animal Planet's Finding Bigfoot. Truth be told, we had trouble deciding whether or not to take it seriously - not because we don't accept the possibility of mythical creatures, but because of their approach, as you noted in your quote.

They did have some rather cool glow-in-the-dark powder in one episode...and they used donuts as bait! They did get some excellent raccoon pawprints, however.

(And the term Woodbooger - apparently a southwestern Virginia Bigfoot term - was referred to around the house frequently thereafter. )

1. Do you prefer Greek, Nordic, Roman, or Egyptian mythology, or something else entirely?

My interest in mythology was originally a consequence of my interest in astronomy; the sky is filled with mythical creatures that have great backstories. At a young age I devoured kid versions of Greek and Roman mythology and soon 'graduated' to classics like Ovid's Metamorposes and Edith Hamilton's Mythology. I also enjoyed reading Norse and Celtic mythology - and still do today.

3. How do you think most myths and legends start?

Others have made good points about the stories as attempts to explain things in nature, and the sky-stories are great examples: the whole Perseus-Andromeda-Medusa story is loosely told in constellations which fill almost all of the Northern autumn sky.

And a Native American story ties the fall colors with the sinking of the Big Dipper (the Great Bear) toward the horizon at the same time: hunters pursue the Bear, wounding (or even killing it) in the autumn, and its blood causes the trees to change colors. But in the dead of winter it retreats to its den (the constellation is near the horizon) and is healed (or reborn), and in the spring it lives again as the Great Bear rises into the sky once more.

But I digress.

4 and 5. Favorite story and creature?

It's hard to pick! As I kid I liked some of the metamorphoses (the astronomical tie-in is that Jupiter's moons are named after people he transformed. Poor Io - turned into a cow). Some of the Norse stories are pretty cool.

Dragons and unicorns are among my favorite critters.

7. Creature to see?

Other than dragons and unicorns (and Ithilwen's will-o-the-wisp), centaurs! They're stargazers, after all!

[Fire Fairy]

I was reading in Isaiah and noticed that he mentions satyrs and dragons. (I forgot the reference. I'll get it later). So I couldn't help wondering, were there satyrs and dragons in his time? Were they real creatures with those names? Or did he have names for animals that the English didn't know how to translate when they translated the bible, and so they just used familiar animals from mythology? Definitely something to think about.