Medieval Magical Creatures

Manticore, (Martyaxwar) Sphinx.
The Persians tell of this beast as having a human head with three rows of
sharpest teeth, the body of a great lion and a tail with spikes and barbs
such as those of a dragon or scorpion. This creature is a man eater and
common nightmare fuel. This creature may exist in Thought Form as it has
never been proven a true creature of The Earth though it was once believed
to be.

Chimera
The fearsome monster child of Typhon is a three headed fire breathing horror.
Being a creature of many parts the Chimera has a lionlike body terminating on
one end in a snakelike tail and at the head being goatlike or sometimes as
having the body of a Leonid and the heads of a snake, a goat, and a lion.
The Chimera is also a fully formed Hermaphrodite capable of reproducing
itself.

The term "Chimera" is currently used in the modern medical community to classify
a person who's body contains two separate sets of genes.

Centaur
The body of a horse and the torso of a man combine to produce a magnificent
being. Both wise teacher and great warrior, the pinnacle of both man and beast.
Centaurs are liminal beings of two natures who dwell in caves and oak groves.
Some Centaurs are well known to us from ancient accounts and were very famous
in their time as well. Though the Centaurs in literature are all male there are
also beautiful, strong Centurides with whom they mate and raise their kin.

Basilisk (Also, Cockatrice)
The Basilisk is the King of Serpents, a crested reptilian beast so venomous
it oozes poison wherever it goes. So deadly that even its gaze will paralyze
and kill. In fact, the best way to kill a Basilisk is with the reflection of its
own gaze. Said to be born of a rooster and a serpents egg it was once thought
that the ashes of the Basilisk would turn silver into gold. These are most
likely accounts of Cobras mixed with fear and fancy.

Griphyon, Griffin
This King of Creatures is a hybrid of the lion and the eagle having the body,
back legs and tail of the lion and the wings, head and front talons of an eagle.
The Griffin stands as a symbol of Divine Power and as The Guardian of the Divine.
This magical animal's spirit can be invoked to guard great treasures and knowledge
from the ignorant, greedy and unskilled.

Roc, Simurgh
The gigantic Persian bird creature known as the Roc is said to be like an eagle
but that it is large enough to be mistaken for a mountain when seen hovering out
to sea and that he could carry away an elephant for prey. Stories are told of
mother Rocs destroying entire ships in order to retrieve their stolen eggs. The
Roc was seen carrying away children so often that a sardonic rumor was started
that the birds were bringing new born babies to their parents. It is mentioned in
The Bible as bringing aid to King Solomon and was envisioned by authors as having
been aboard the Ark with Noah.

Unicorn
In the old times there was no more beloved and revered magical animal than the
Unicorn. The otherworldy horned horse that could sometimes be glimpsed in some
particularly enchanted grove or island. In appearance they are likened to the
very best of horses and goats and even then more beautiful with a little
goatlike beard. From their forehead issued a magnificent, slender, spiraling horn.
Its horn itself was thought to be intensely magical and this is why there are
countless reference to them in magical texts. It is a fact though that all of
the treasured "Unicorn Horns" in existence, such as the one in the Hapsberg
Collection of the Royal Court of Rudolf IV are the tusks of the Narwhal. This
is because Unicorns belong to the Otherworld and they are not truly material,
though they may materialize for a time. If a magician dared to remove a Unicorn's
horn he no doubt did it astrally. The Unicorn is most likely a type of Fae from
the Otherworld and as such they are sometimes seen in our World as well.

The Unicorn has become a symbol for magic as well as a later association with
purity. It is said that only a pure and virginal person or perhaps a child could
approach a Unicorn and on occasion pet, feed or ride one. The Unicorn is used
extensively in Heraldry and indeed there is a Unicorn on the Royal Coat of Arms of
The United Kingdom.

Pegasus
Pegusus is known to have been sired by the Sea God Poseidon. He is a magnificent
Horse God of the purest white with wings like that of a swan. He became a God of
Poetry and Fame. He allowed Belerophone to ride him into his fatal battle.

Phoenix, Firebird, Garuda, Benu
The Phoenix is a great birdlike Solar Fire Spirit with beautiful reddish-purple
plumage and a golden tail. It takes only frankincense and myrrh for sustenance.
It is said that the song of the Phoenix is beautifully enchanting. Its life cycle
of birth, death and rebirth is said to be thus; The Phoenix lives for 1,000 years
and near the end of that time he builds for himself a nest of cinnamon and kindling
in a mighty oak. As the Phoenix dies it immolates spontaneously ignighting nest
and all. The heat and flames of his father's pyre hatch the Phoenix egg and The new
Phoenix arises from the smoldering ashes of the old Phoenix. The hatchling Phoenix
uses the ashes to create another egg that will only hatch when he himself burns.

Wyvern
A Wyvern, as the name suggests is a dragon like creature. Though like any
dragon in appearance, winged and firebreathing the Wyvern has only two legs.
They have long serpentine tails that terminate in a large barb. While the Wyvern
on land have wings those at sea do not. The Wyvern is a particularly popular
Dragon among the people of Wales and the National Symbol, The Welsh Red Dragon
was originally a Wyvern as can still be seen if one looks.

Leviathan
The greatest sea beast featured in the Bible is called the Leviathan.
His eyes as coalbrands and his breath of smoke and fire, scaled with impenetrable
armor so stony hard that no weapon can avail and so well meshed that nothing may
pass between the scales themselves. The size of this emence beast is such that he
encircles the entire World and holds it fast in his mighty grip. His claim is that
he owns the World itself and none can challenge it.

The Leviathan and Jormungand are probably one in the same. Jormungand is The World
Serpent of Norse lore. Jormungand is said to have been thrown into the sea and grew
so large as to encircle the World. His thrashing was is violent as to cause the the
great waves of the ocean. At Ragnarok it is Thor alone among the Gods who is strong
enough to slay The World Serpent and is killed by its poison.

Behemoth
Described along with the Leviathan in The Bible as a Chaos Monster that existed
even before the time of the creation. The Behemoth is a massive land beast who;s
sizes is such that he can draw the river Jordan into his mouth without trouble.
His shadow is said to be in the shadow of everything on Earth. He eats grass like
cattle. So strong is he that his massive body is likened to copper and to load
iron. It is said that only God could kill the beast as it was he who made him.
At the end of the World it is said that The Behemoth and The Leviathan will grapple
with one another in mortal combat untill they each die in the fray. The righteous
will be fed for eternity on the meat of The Behemoth.