Mythic Beings from Murky Depths

Those Embodied with Flesh and Scale

Fantasy equal: Kraken

Some scientists believe mankind knows less about the deep waters of our own planet than what they know of the closest of celestial bodies out in space. What lies deep down the earth’s crust and deep within its oceans is the epitome of the unknown. It is no wonder many a mythological monsters and beings originate from the deep dark depths of our world.

Most of these monsters are usually decorated in scales; an array of colours and patterns. They are awe-inspiring, beautiful and sometimes deadly. We’ve dealt with mermen up till this stage. They are an obvious choice for this collection and most of the material used is attributed to these wonderful creatures. What other scale-clad creatures can be defined as mythic beings from murky depths then? Here’s a list;

Kraken
“Kraken are legendary sea monsters of gargantuan size, said to have dwelt off the coasts of Norway and Iceland. The sheer size and fearsome appearance attributed to the beasts have made them common ocean-dwelling monsters in various fictional works (see Kraken in popular culture).

The legend may actually have originated from sightings of real giant squid that are variously estimated to grow to 13–15 m (40–50 ft) in length, including the tentacles. These creatures normally live at great depths, but have been sighted at the surface and have reportedly attacked ships.

In modern German, Krake (plural and declined singular: Kraken) means octopus but can also refer to the legendary Kraken.”
http://villains.wikia.com/wiki/Kraken_%28Mythology%29

Nāga
“Nāga is the Sanskrit and Pāli word for a deity or class of entity or being, taking the form of a very great snake—specifically the King Cobra, found in Hinduism and Buddhism. The use of the term nāga is often ambiguous, as the word may also refer, in similar contexts, to one of several human tribes known as or nicknamed "Nāgas"; to elephants; and to ordinary snakes, particularly the King Cobra and the Indian Cobra, the latter of which is still called nāg in Hindi and other languages of India. A female nāga is a nāgī or nāginī.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%C4%81ga



Leviathan
“Leviathan is a sea monster referred to in the Bible. In Demonology, Leviathan is one of the seven princes of Hell and its gatekeeper (see Hellmouth). The word has become synonymous with any large sea monster or creature. In classical literature (such as the novel Moby-Dick) it refers to great whales, and in Modern Hebrew, it means simply "whale." It is described extensively in Job 41.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leviathan

Hipocampus
“HIPPOKAMPOI (or Hippocamps) were the horses of the sea. They were depicted as composite creatures with the head and fore-parts of a horse and the serpentine tail of a fish. In mosaic art they were often covered with green scales and had fish-fin manes and appendages. The ancients believed they were the adult-form of the fish we call the "sea-horse". Hippokampoi were the mounts of Nereid nymphs and sea-gods, and Poseidon drove a chariot drawn by two or four of the beasts.

Other fish-tailed land animals which appear in ancient art include the "Leokampos" (fish-tailed lion), "Taurokampos" (fish-tailed bull), "Pardalokampos" (fish-tailed leopard), and "Aigikampos" (fish-tailed goat). The last was the form of the constellation Capricorn. Fabulous creatures of this type were also believed to inhabit the Indian Ocean, see Ketea Indikoi.”
http://www.theoi.com/Ther/Hippokampoi.html

Nereids
“In Greek mythology, the Nereids are sea nymphs, the fifty daughters of Nereus and Doris, sisters to Nerites. They often accompany Poseidon and can be friendly and helpful to sailors fighting perilous storms. They are particularly associated with the Aegean Sea, where they dwelt with their father in the depths within a silvery cave. The most notable of them are Thetis, wife of Peleus and mother of Achilles; Amphitrite, wife of Poseidon; and Galatea, love of the Cyclops Polyphemus.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nereid

From the above mentioned I choose the Kraken as the fantasy equal for this collection. Why this great monster specifically? Simply put, it’s the most magnificent and badass of all the creatures that slumber in the deep; awaiting the summons of a great god to cause havoc and destruction. Below you would find more creatures you would find in places you would not dare to go. Some are good, some are bad and some probably just want to be left alone...

“The Kraken (originally known in Greek as Cetus the Whale) is a mythical sea monster of tremendous size and strength. Its tentacles are large enough to be able to pull entire ships under the water and destroy cities with relative ease. The creature possessed endurance to match its strength. In addition to tentacles it was armed with gaping maw full of many sharp teeth. The creature's many tentacles afforded it great speed in swimming.

The Kraken plays a much more major role in the 1981 Clash of the Titans movie. In this movie, it is the pet of Poseidon, and Zeus orders it to destroy Argos to punish Acrisus, the king of Argos, from casting his wife and Perseus into the sea. The goddess of the sea, Thetis, then unleashes it on the city of Joppa as an excuse to punish Perseus. Andromeda was offered to be sacrificed on Thetis' decree as Poseidon releases the Kraken. Perseus uses Medusa's Head turns the Kraken to stone.”

http://clash-of-the-titans.wikia.com/wiki/Kraken

Mythic Beings of Divine Divinity

Those of Godly Splendour

Fantasy equal: Greek Pantheon

I am personally thankful that in many of today’s role-playing games almighty gods beseech you to perform an essential quest on their behalf. Something that must be done and only you can perform or finding an ancient relic they simply cannot live without. Sometimes even they demand you to take on a malevolent god and its followers. I love the idea of a higher power choosing you, a mere mortal, to locate a certain relic or perhaps watch over a certain person or item dear to them. Once these quests are fulfilled, that particular god always bestows you with some sort of power or a wondrous item (weapon or piece of armour) that would enhance your abilities.

In the game Oblivion, many shrines dedicated to specific deities are erected all across the terrain. If you were to be favoured by a particular god, he/she would grant you an audience. This was no easy feat, however, since all these gods had certain prerequisites, some of which were impossible to meet. In some cases you had to be a particular race or class for the god to consider you worthy. This allowed for some degree of replay-ability.

There is one game however, that revolves around gaining the favour of your gods, and that is the ancient Greek building game, called Zeus, Master of Olympus. (There is in fact another game, called Age of Mythology, which is similar in concept to Zeus) Zeus is a game I don’t believe many people played, or got quickly bored of due to no feature of killing something by launching a rocket at it. In Zeus you are a governor who builds up a city from scratch. Not only do you prosper by satisfying the needs of your people, but you have to satisfy the needs of your gods as well. Were you to dissatisfy your people, they would rebel and cause riots, but anger a god, and he/she would strike your city with plague, a monster or a curse, which can cause havoc to your city’s hygiene, economy and/or army.

The aspect of Zeus I liked the most, is that if you were to build a sanctuary in the name of a particular god, he/she would actually grace your city with his/her presence; walk down your streets amongst your people and even bless some of your buildings! Blessed buildings produce more than double the actual amounts of produce, for example. I used to build Apollo’s Oracle, not for the benefits of having him in your city (the other gods had better benefits), but because he was this giant, attractive, glowing half naked god. Many ladies and several gents must have severely swooned at the sight of him!

This collection is a tribute to the skilful artists out there who delight us with illustrations of the splendorous physiques of great deities.

“Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece. Modern scholars refer to the myths and study them in an attempt to throw light on the religious and political institutions of Ancient Greece, its civilization, and to gain understanding of the nature of myth-making itself.

Greek mythology is embodied explicitly in a large collection of narratives and implicitly in representational arts, such as vase-paintings and votive gifts. Greek myth explains the origins of the world and details the lives and adventures of a wide variety of gods, goddesses, heroes, heroines, and other mythological creatures. These accounts initially were disseminated in an oral-poetic tradition; today the Greek myths are known primarily from Greek literature.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_mythology

Mythic Beings of Beast and Man

Those of Half-breed Pedigree

Fantasy equal: Satyrs, Minotaurs and Centaurs

Many of the mythical beings shaped by the minds of the ancient Greeks are part man and part beast. Some of these creatures’ appearances are based on farm animals, which makes one wonder whether the minds of perhaps lazy shepherd boys conjured these wondrous creatures and the great tales they feature in. I can identify three of these farm animal creatures; the centaur, the minotaur and the satyr/faun, all of which form a fantasy equal of a collection I posted previously.

The Satyr or Faun is part man (top half) and part goat (lower half) complete with a little tail and a pair of horns. In the world of animation, you can find fauns in the movies Narnia. The top half of the faun is portrayed by an actor, where the lower half is computer generated. You will also cross paths with them early on in the PC game called Titan Quest where they try to pierce you with arrows, impale you with javelins or zap you with shaman magic.

The Minotaur is part man (torso and arms) and part bull (lower half and head). The tale of the Minotaur is a classic tale of how the gods reward and just as easy punish mortals for their deeds. Minos, the Ruler of Crete, prayed for a white bull from Poseidon, God of the Seas. This he was granted, but at Poseidon’s bequest, had to sacrifice the bull in his name. Minos, however, decided to keep the bull. As punishment, Poseidon made Minos’ wife fall deeply in love with the bull. So much so that she copulated with the bull. As the gods would have it, she bore the bull’s offspring and so the fearsome Minotaur was born.

The Minotaur can also be found in Narnia. The White Witch’s commander is portrayed by one. The Minotaur also makes his appearance in the games of Titan Quest, Neverwinter Nights and Heroes of Might and Magic.

The centaur is part man and part horse. This creature is simply magnificent with the torso, head and arms of a man substituting a horse’s head and neck. Where the Minotaur was the commander of the forces of darkness in Narnia, so is a centaur the commander of the forces of good. Titan Quest features all Greek mythological beings and creatures, so you’d definitely find them there, opposing you unfortunately. Furthermore they form part of the Stronghold faction in the game of Heroes of Might and Magic V. I would have liked them to be on the side of the Sylvans rather, as was the case with the game’s predecessors; Heroes of Might and Magic III and IV.

The following collection depicts these creatures in an animated design we all enjoy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_legendary_creatures