2/20/2023 0 Comments Folktale examples unheard ofThe villagers would live in terror over the winter, but over time they learned that the ferocious Nian was afraid of three things: the color red, fire, and noise. It was believed that after the Nian ate the food they prepared, it wouldn’t attack any more people. To protect themselves, the villagers would put food in front of their doors at the beginning of every year. Towards the end of winter when there was nothing to eat, Nian would come on the first day of New Year to the villages to eat livestock, crops, and even villagers - especially children. It was said to be a ferocious animal that lived in the mountains and hunted for a living. The Legend of NianĪccording to tales and legends, the beginning of Chinese New Year started with the fight against a mythical beast called Nian, which had the body of a bull and the head of a lion. However, others maintain it is much more likely that the legend of the Kappa is connected with sightings of the Japanese Giant Salamander, or ‘hanzaki’, which is known to be aggressive and to grab its prey with its powerful jaws. In fact, there are signs near some lakes in Japan warning people of their presence. ![]() The Kappa is one of the most well-known folk legends in Japan and many believe the mythical creature to be real. According to legend, the head cavity must be kept wet when the Kappa ventures out of the water, or he will lose his powers. While they are primarily water creatures, they are believed to occasionally venture onto land. The Kappa, a word meaning ‘river child’, is usually depicted with the body of a tortoise, a beak, and the limbs of a frog, and has a hole filled with water on top of his head. In ancient Japanese folklore, the Kappa is a water demon that inhabits rivers and lakes and devours disobedient little children. Accounts of the Kraken are believed by many historians to have originated from sightings of the giant squid, which can reach 59 feet (18 meters) in length. Although any mention to Kraken was omitted in later editions of the Systema Naturae, Linnaeus described it in his later work, Fauna Suecica, as a "unique monster" that "is said to inhabit the seas of Norway”. He classified the Kraken as a cephalopod, designating the scientific name Microcosmus marinus. ![]() The existence of the Kraken was even acknowledged in scientific texts, including the first edition of Systema Naturae, a taxonomic classification of living organisms by the Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist Carolus Linnaeus. The Hafgufa is supposed to be a reference to the Kraken. It is first mentioned in the Örvar-Oddr, a 13th century Icelandic saga involving two sea monsters, the Hafgufa (sea mist) and the Lyngbakr (heather-back). The Legendary KrakenĪccording to Scandinavian mythology, the Kraken is a giant sea creature (said to be 1 mile (1.61 km) long) that attacks ships and is so huge that its body could be mistaken for an island. Whether they truly exist in physical form is indeed secondary to their existence in the minds of so many people throughout the world and history. ![]() While the origins of fabulous creatures are varied, and often disputed, they have played significant roles in human society, and have served to stimulate the imagination and desire that is ingrained in human nature to experience more than this physical world. Some, such as the Loch Ness Monster or Sasquatch, continue to be "sighted" and sought out. Even today, these beings, from the powerful dragon to the soaring phoenix, continue to thrill, terrify, entertain, and inspire us. Sometimes living animals or fossils have inspired these mythological creatures. They have filled folklore, stories, songs, and works of art. Mythical creatures, legendary beasts, and supernatural, mystical, and god-like beings have fascinated us since ancient times.
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