There are certain legendary creatures that are truly legendary. These are reused so often in books, TV shows, and movies that everyone has at least a basic understanding of them. The phoenix is one example; there are also dragons, griffins, centaurs, satyrs, mermaids, and of course, unicorns. However, for every popular legend there are about a hundred obscure legends that are well worth looking into. Here are 5 of my personal favorites.
1. Kitsune
Kitsune is the Japanese word for fox. Foxes are common in Japanese folklore, and are portrayed as intelligent beings with magical abilities. One of these is the ability to shift into a human form. In some stories, Kitsune ally with humans, but in many they're tricksters who use their cunning and magic to take advantage of others. Supposedly the number of tails a Kitsune had (they could have up to nine) determined their age, the amount of wisdom they had, and their level of magical power.
2. Basan
Another creature from Japanese mythology, the Basan was said be a giant rooster-like bird that breathed fire. This fire glowed the typical bright red and orange, but it had no heat. That meant it couldn't set things alight. Supposedly Basan lived in bamboo forests in the mountains, only sometimes appearing in human villages. They were apparently very shy, because according to the stories they would vanish suddenly when gazed upon by a human.
3. Undine
With the recent release of the video game 'Undertale,' many people recognize this word as a name. One of the characters in Undertale is named Undyne. However, there are probably lots of people who don't know where the name comes from, and what its significance is in relation to the character. Undines are feminine elemental beings associated with water. The name comes from the Latin word 'unda,' meaning 'wave.' Undines looked like humans, but they had no souls, and could gain souls only by marrying human men. In the original story by Hans Christian Andersen, the little mermaid was technically an undine, not a mermaid. Fans of Undertale will note that Undyne's name was not chosen at random, because she is associated with water as well; she looks like a cross between a human and a fish.
4. Manananggal
The manananggal is a vampire-like creature from the Philippines. Its name means something like 'one who separates itself,' and that is exactly what it does, according to legend. This creature is said to take the form of a human woman during the day, but during the night it separates its torso from its lower half, sprouts wings, and flies away in search of its victims. Supposedly, the best way to get rid of a manananggal is to put garlic or salt on its lower half, ensuring that the creature cannot reform when the sun rises. If it cannot reform by then, the sunlight will kill it.
5. Akaname
The Akaname is perhaps the strangest (and most entertaining) creature on this list. It is also from Japan, and its name translates simply to 'filth-licker.' According to the stories, it lurks in unclean bathrooms and emerges at night to lick dirt and grime off the walls. It's supposed to be frightening to those who hate using dark bathrooms at night. Personally, I wouldn't mind having a few of these things in my house. Imagine waking up to mysteriously clean bathrooms every morning!
These are only a small selection of the bizarre creatures that are out there. There are many, many more from all over the world. I don't have nearly the space to cover all of them here, or even to cover all of my favorites, but they are a fascinating thing to study. You'd be surprised by the variety of strangeness we humans have cooked up over time.
