The Eastern or Chinese calendar consists of five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal and water) and 12 animals (rat, bull, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig). The full cycle of such a calendar is 60 years. The current cycle began in 1984 - the year of the wood rat.
Let's figure it out: Why every year in Chinese calendar corresponds to a certain animal? Why exactly twelve of them? And why are they arranged in this order?
There are several legends about this:
Legend one
The first legend is about how the Jade Emperor - the supreme deity of the Taoist pantheon, the lord of heaven - chose twelve animals, each of which rules a year once every twelve years.
The Jade Emperor ruled the sky and everything in the heavens. And he never went down to earth, so he was interested in appearance all creatures living on earth. One day the emperor summoned his chief adviser.
- I have already for a long time“I rule the heavens,” the emperor said to the adviser, “but I have never seen these strange animals and I don’t know what they look like.” I would like to know them character traits and properties. I would like to see how they move and hear the sounds they make. How smart are they and how do they help people?
“There are thousands of different creatures on earth,” the adviser answered the emperor, “some of them run, others fly, and others crawl.” It will take a very long time to collect all earthly creatures. Do you really want to see them all?
- No, I can’t waste so much time. Select twelve of the most interesting animals and bring them to me so that I can sort them by color and shape.
The adviser went through all the animals he knew in his head and decided, first, to invite the rat, but asked her to also convey the invitation to her friend the cat. He also sent invitations to the bull, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster and dog and ordered them to appear before the emperor tomorrow at 6 o'clock in the morning.
The Rat was very flattered by this invitation, she immediately went to convey good news friend's cat. The cat was also very happy, but was worried that at 6 am it was very early and he might oversleep. Therefore, he asked the rat to wake him up in time. All night the rat thought about how cute and shiny the cat was and how ugly she would look in comparison to him in front of the emperor. And I decided that the only way The best way to prevent the cat from getting all the praise is to not wake him up in the morning.
At six o'clock in the morning, all the animals except the cat lined up in front of the Jade Emperor, who began to slowly examine them. Having reached the last animal, he turned to the adviser and said:
- All animals are interesting, but why are there only eleven of them?
The adviser could not answer and immediately sent a servant to earth, ordering him to deliver to heaven the first animal that he met. The servant went down the country road and saw a peasant carrying a pig to the market.
“Please, stop,” the servant begged. - I need your pig. The Jade Emperor wishes to see this creature immediately. Think of the great honor - after all, your pig will appear before the ruler of heaven himself.
The peasant appreciated the servant's words and gave him his pig. And she was immediately taken to heaven.
And at this time the rat, afraid that it would go unnoticed, jumped on the back of the bull and began to play the flute. The emperor liked this unusual animal so much that he gave him first place. The emperor gave second place to the bull - after all, he was so generous that he allowed the rat to sit on his back. The tiger received third place for his brave appearance, and the rabbit for his gentle appearance. white fur got fourth place. The emperor decided that the dragon looked like a powerful snake with paws, and placed him in fifth place. The snake received sixth place for its flexible body, the horse - seventh for its elegant posture, and the ram - eighth for its strong horns. The agile and restless monkey got ninth place, the rooster got tenth place for its beautiful feathers, and the vigilant guard dog got eleventh place. The pig stood at the end: it may not have been as interesting as the other animals, but it still made it to heaven and was therefore awarded last place.
When the ceremony came to an end, a cat ran into the palace and began to beg the emperor to evaluate him too, but it was too late: the emperor had already chosen twelve animals. Seeing the rat standing in first place, the cat rushed at her with the intention of killing her because she did not wake him up. That is why, to this day, the cat and the rat remain bitter enemies.
Legend two
One day Buddha invited him to his New Year all the animals that inhabit the earth. To those who came first to congratulate him and express their respect, he promised to give a whole year, which will henceforth be called by their names. The mouse was ahead of everyone. A bull came for her, then a tiger, a cat, a dragon, a snake, a horse, a goat, a monkey, a rooster, and a dog. The pig came twelfth. Having received its own year, each animal, as it were, passed on typical traits of its character to it, and man acquired the properties inherent in the animal in whose year he was born.
Legend three
Before Buddha left the Earth, he called all the animals to him to say goodbye to them. But only 12 of them came to this call: the cunning Rat, the diligent Ox, the brave Tiger, the quiet Rabbit, the strong Dragon, the wise Snake, the elegant Horse, the artistic Goat, the quick-witted Monkey, the colorful Rooster and the faithful Dog. The last one to run out into the sacred clearing was the happy Pig. She was a little late, but was not at all embarrassed by this circumstance.
Parting with the animals, the enlightened Buddha gave each of them one year of reign as a sign of gratitude for coming to say goodbye to him.
Wise Snake
Basilisk - a mythological monster with the head of a rooster
Basilisk - a monster with the head of a rooster, the eyes of a toad, and wings bat and the body of a dragon that exists in the mythologies of many peoples. His gaze turns all living things to stone. Basilisk - born from an egg laid by a seven-year-old black rooster (in some sources from an egg hatched by a toad) into a warm dung heap. According to legend, if the Basilisk sees its reflection in the mirror, it will die. The Basilisk's habitat is caves, which are also its source of food, since the Basilisk only eats stones. He can only leave his shelter at night because he cannot stand the crowing of a rooster. And he is also afraid of unicorns because they are too “pure” animals.
Unlike, for example, a werewolf and a dragon, which the human imagination invariably gave birth to on all continents, and independently of each other, the basilisk is a “local” fantasy, a creation of the minds of Europeans and existed exclusively in Europe. This fiend of the Libyan desert embodied the very specific fear of the ancient Romans and Greeks of the unpredictable dangers of the sandy expanses. All the fears of the warriors and travelers were united into one common fear of meeting with a certain mysterious ruler of the desert - “basiliskos”, that is, “king” (in Greek). And although the formidable reptile was not awarded the respectful “basileus” - “king”, the horror before him was genuine. As for the Romans, they occasionally used the word “regulus” - a tracing paper from Greek, flavoring their fear with a mockery that was perceptible to the Roman ear; The empire, which had crushed so many kingdoms under itself, habitually called many formidable rulers kings.
Well, still, who is the prototype? Scientists call the source material of fantasy either the Egyptian cobra, or the horned viper, or the helmet-bearing chameleon. There is reason for this: the cobra of this species moves semi-erectly - with its head and front part of the body raised above the ground, and in the horned viper and chameleon the growths on the head look like a crown. In this case, on the forehead of sculptured or painted Egyptian pharaohs and gods we see, perhaps, not just a snake with a raised head - a symbol eternal life and power, namely the basilisk.
Aristotle commemorated the basilisk-snake, Heliodorus painted the Libyan reptile, and Claudius Aelian (a Roman sophist who wrote in Greek) invariably compared a man who is dangerous even from a distance to a basilisk. And yet not a single ancient author was inflamed by the image of the basilisk and did not deign to give it truly detailed artistic description. But in popular beliefs, the basilisk had its own strong place: in ancient Roman temples the skin of the “king” hung to scare away snakes and scorpions, and no one doubted that it was enough to rub silver with the ashes of a properly burned basilisk for it to turn into gold (in the future this will be reflected in experiments medieval alchemists, their reverence for the basilisk and its active use in alchemical emblems).
What is known about the basilisk beyond its appearance? Only one thing: mortality. The “king” of the serpentine world truly reigned only in heraldry - as a symbol of formidable power, royalty, ferocity (and alchemy). Where only the appearance of a monster was needed, where form prevailed over content, the basilisk was at home.
Baby animals sometimes have names that aren't obvious, and you may have even asked yourself questions like:
- What is a female ferret called?
- What is the name of a female deer, wood grouse, giraffe, peacock, woodpecker, wild boar?
- What is the name of a baby seal, walrus, swan, sheep, elk, badger?
- What is the name of a male duck, squirrel, cuckoo, pig, panther?
- What is the name of baby animals? For example, elephants, eagles and so on.
In a word, in this article we have collected the names of females - mothers, males - fathers, as well as the names of baby animals, including animals (aka mammals), birds, fish, insects, reptiles and amphibians.
If you haven’t found someone, be sure to write about it in the comments, and we will add this material as soon as possible.
The collected material is presented in the form of a table with 4 columns. The first column is the name of the male, the 2nd is the name of the female, the 3rd is the name of the baby animal, and in the last column is the name of the baby animal in the plural.
Note also that there are both colloquial names , which are acceptable in speech, but use them in a scientific report, or when preparing an essay, it will be incorrect .
Names of baby animals
| Parents | Cub (child) singular | Plural cubs | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Father (male) | Mother (female) | ||
| Ram | Sheep or ewe | Lamb | Lambs |
| Walrus | Walrus | Walrus | Walrus |
| Giraffe | Giraffe, in colloquial speech there is a name - giraffe. | A calf is the name given to all young artiodactyl animals, but there is also a baby giraffe. | Calves or colloquially - giraffes. |
| Elk | Moose | Elk calf | Elk calves |
| Seal | Female seal; in colloquial speech you can find the name seal. | Belek, and in the scientific literature a baby seal is usually called a puppy. | Squirrels, and in scientific literature, seal pups are usually called puppies. |
| Badger | Badger | Badger | Badgers |
| Zebra | Zebra | Foal | Foals |
| Hedgehog | Hedgehog | Hedgehog | Hedgehogs |
| Deer | That's right - a deer (Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary), and not a deer, as it might seem. The name Lanka also appears in Efremova’s dictionary. | Fawn | Fawns |
| Wild reindeer or sokzha is the name given to reindeer by the peoples inhabiting the tundra. | Wild female reindeer or female reindeer. | A fawn up to one year old is called “neblyuy” or “non-spitter”, and only the baby that is born is called “fawn”. | Fawns up to one year old are called “neblyui” or “non-spitting”, and only those born are called “fawns”. |
| Serpent | Snake | Snake | Baby snakes |
| Rhinoceros | Female rhinoceros | Calf, in colloquial speech there is also a rhinoceros. | Calves, colloquially known as rhinoceroses. |
| A boar is a male pig. Descendant of the boar. You can also meet a boar, but a boar cannot reproduce, since it is a castrated boar. | Pig | Piglet | Piglets |
| Male lynx | Lynx | A lynx cub or a kitten, since the lynx is from the cat family. | Lynx cubs or kittens. |
| Stallion (Horse) | Horse (Mare) | Foal | Foals |
| Ostrich | Ostrich | Baby Ostrich | Ostrich chicks |
| Swan | Swan | A chick, and in simple colloquial speech it is called a swan or a swan. | Chicks, swans. |
| Male panda | Panda | Panda cub, panda bear, since the panda belongs to the bear family. You can find the names “pandenok” or “pandenysh”, but the terms are not used in the scientific literature - only in common parlance. When a panda cub grows a little, it is called a little panda. | Panda cubs, panda bears. |
| Fish | Malek | Fry or juveniles | |
| Crocodile | Crocodile | Crocodile | Crocodiles |
| Raccoon | The correct word would be a female raccoon, but you can also find the names raccoon or raccoon. | Puppy | Puppies |
| Eagle | Eagle | Eaglet | eaglets |
| Male monkey | Monkey | A baby monkey, and colloquially a baby monkey can be called a “monkey.” | Baby monkeys |
| Bull | Cow | Calf | Calves |
| Whale | Female whale | In scientific publications they use either the phrase “baby whale” or “calf”; in colloquial speech you can find a baby whale. | Baby whales, calves, whales |
| Male squirrel | Squirrel | Little squirrel | Squirrels |
| Leopard | Female leopard | Kitty | Kittens |
| Donkey | Donkey | Foal | Donkeys |
| Wolf | She-wolf | Teen Wolf | Wolf cubs |
| Male toad | Toad | Zhabyonka (feminine), zhabyonok (masculine) according to Dahl’s dictionary | Toads |
| Hippopotamus (hippopotamus) | Hippopotamus | Baby hippopotamus, or you can also call the baby a hippopotamus. We also note that hippos belong to the artiodactyl family. In scientific language, the young of all artiodactyls are called calves. | Hippopotamus cubs, calves |
| Fox | Fox, fox | little fox | Fox cubs |
| Nerpa (a type of seal) | Seal | Belek (belek), and in the scientific literature seal cubs are usually called puppies. | Squirrels, and in the scientific literature seal cubs are usually called puppies. |
| Kangaroo | Kangaroo | Kangaroo | Kanguryat |
| Goat | Goat | Kid | Goats |
| Camel | camel | baby camel | Camels |
| Arctic fox | Female Arctic fox | A cub of an arctic fox, but it can also be called a puppy, since the arctic fox is a mammal of the canine family, and a puppy is called a cub not only of a dog, but also of a wolf, fox and other canids. | Arctic fox cubs or puppies |
| Male turtle | Turtle | Turtle | |
| Fur seal | Female fur seal | Puppy | Puppies |
| Male marten | Marten | Puppy | Puppies |
| Pigeon | Dove | A dove chick, colloquially known as a baby dove. | Dove chicks, colloquially - pigeons. |
| Gusak (Goose) | Goose | Gosling | Goslings |
| Elephant | Elephant | Baby elephant | baby elephants |
| Male magpie | Magpie | Magpie | Sorochata |
| Martin | Swallow chick. In Dahl's dictionary the name swallowtail is found. | Swallow chicks. | |
| a lion | Lioness | Lion cub | Lion cubs |
| Male mouse - colloquial version | Mouse | Mouse | Little mice |
| Male panther | Panther | A kitten, since a panther is from the cat family. In colloquial speech you can sometimes find: panther cub or little panther. | Kittens |
| Male frog | Frog | Tadpole (frog larva emerging from the egg). After the process of metamorphosis, he becomes a frog. Little frog is a young frog. | Tadpoles, frogs |
| Dolphin | Female dolphin | Baby dolphin agrees explanatory dictionary Efremova from 2000. | Baby dolphins |
| Dog | Dog | Puppy | Puppies |
| Sable | Female sable | Puppy, sable is also used in colloquial speech. | Puppies |
| Crow | Female crow (accent on 1 syllable - crow) or crow | Baby crow or chick raven. | Crows or raven chicks. |
| Male crow or corvid | Crow | Crow chick, crow. | Crow chicks, crows. |
| Stork | Stork in colloquial speech. | stork | Storks |
| Cheetah | Female cheetah | A kitten, since a cheetah is a member of the cat family. | Kittens |
| Male shark | Shark | baby shark | Baby shark |
| Hare | hare | little hare | Bunnies. In general, hares have offspring 3 times a year. First brood at the end of March. They are called “Nastoviks”, the second brood is born in June, and they are called “Kolosoviks” and “Travniks”. Autumn hares are called “deciduous ones,” and they appear in September. Thus, late hares are called “deciduous”. |
| Tiger | Tigress | Tiger cub | Tiger cubs |
| Male red panda | Red panda | Baby panda or baby red panda | Panda cubs or red panda cubs |
| A male cuckoo, and names like: cuckoo, cuckoo, cuckoo, cuckoo are not correct. | Cuckoo | Cuckoo | Kukushata |
| A male roe deer, and the Altai people call him kuran or guran. Hunters call a male roe deer a goat. | Roe deer or roe deer. You can also find the Altai name for the female - kerekshin. And in some places the name is used - goat. | Kosulenok in Efremova's dictionary. | Roe deer |
| Lizard | Lizard | Lizard | Lizards |
| Male heron | Heron | Heron chick | Heron chicks |
| Ferret | Female ferret | Puppy | Puppies |
| Male antelope | Antelope | Calf, although in colloquial speech you can find such names as “antelope”, “antelope” or “antelope”, which in literary speech should not be consumed. | Calves |
| Male doe | Doe | Calf | Calves |
| Male killer whale | Killer whale, sometimes you can find the spelling killer whale, but the correct option is still killer whale. | In colloquial speech, you can use killer whale, or rather orca calf, but in general killer whale calves are called that way - baby orca. | Baby killer whales |
| Starling | Female starling | little bird | Starlings |
| Male mink | Mink | Puppy | Puppies |
| Turkey | Turkey, but when cooked, for example, fried it will be turkey. | Turkey | Turkey poults |
| Penguin | Penguin | Little Penguin | Little penguins |
| Male gorilla | Gorilla | Baby Gorilla | Baby Gorilla |
| Male weasel | Weasel | Puppy | Puppies |
| Gopher | The female is a gopher, and options like gopher, gopher, gopher are not correct. | Baby gopher. But the name like gophers is not correct. | Baby gopher |
| Mole | A female mole, but in colloquial speech a mole is allowed. | Krotenok or mole in accordance with Dahl's dictionary. | Moles |
| Sparrow or diminutive for sparrow - sparrow, sparrow | Sparrow - according to Ozhegov's dictionary | A little sparrow or colloquially a little sparrow or little sparrow and you can even find a little sparrow. | sparrow |
| Male otter | Otter | Puppy | Puppies |
| Rabbit | Rabbit | Little rabbit | Baby rabbits |
| Crane | Female crane, female crane, female crane | baby crane | Cranes |
| Polar bear | Polar bear | Teddy Bear | Bear cubs |
| Male jackdaw | Jackdaw | Galchonok | Galchata |
| Rook | Rook | Rook | Grachata |
| Buffalo | Buffalo | buffalo | Buffalo cubs |
| Bear | Ursa | Teddy Bear | Bear cubs |
| Rooster | Chicken | Chick | Chickens |
| Chipmunk | Chipmunk | Chipmunk | Burmunkata |
| Cat | Cat | Kitty | Kittens |
| Drake | Duck | Duckling | Ducklings |
| Buffalo | Buffalo | Calf | Calves |
| Beaver is also a beaver, but the word “beaver” means the animal itself, but “beaver” means the fur of this beautiful animal. Beaver is used in scientific literature, and beaver in colloquial literature. | Beaver | Beaver | Beavers |
| Goat | Goat | Kid | Goats |
| Male tit | Tit | Tit chick, colloquially known as titmouse | Tit chicks, also used colloquially as titmouse |
| Woodpecker | Woodpecker female | Woodpecker chick, woodpecker calf is used in zoology | Woodpecker chicks, zoologists use - woodpeckers |
| Boar | Kabanikha | Little boar | Boars |
| Mammoth | Mammoth or female mammoth | baby mammoth | Baby mammoths |
| Thrush | A female blackbird or a female blackbird. In colloquial speech it is found - thrush. | Thrush chick, colloquially a blackbird. | Thrush chicks |
| Muskrat or Ukrainian muskrat | Female muskrat | A baby muskrat, colloquially a muskrat calf. | Cubs muskrats, colloquially - muskrat pups. |
| Teretev, kosach, aka polyuh. | Female black grouse, you can also find names - black grouse, black grouse, female black grouse, hen. | Black grouse chick | Black grouse chicks, popular name - porshki. |
| The male owl is called owl by hunters. | Owl | Owl | Owls |
| Male partridge. Ornithologists call the male a rooster, hunters call it a partridge. Among the local names there are the following names: drummer, pitun. | Partridge, there are also many local names: hen, partridge, partridge, white grouse, talovka, alder, birch. | Partridge chick | Ptarmigan chicks |
| Skunk | Female skunk | Puppy, colloquially - skunk | Puppies |
| Ant-eater | Female anteater, colloquially an anteater | Baby anteater | Baby anteater |
| Vulture | Female vulture | Vulture chick | Vulture chicks |
| Toucan | Female toucan | Toucan chick | Toucan chicks |
| Tapir | Female tapir | Tapir foal or baby | Tapir foals or cubs |
| Male nosuhi or male coati | Nosuha, scientific name - coati. | Baby Nose or Baby Coati | Nosi babies or coati babies |
| Meerkat | Female meerkat, colloquially meerkatiha | A baby meerkat, colloquially a meerkat. | Meerkat cubs, colloquially - meerkats. |
| Tamarin or saguin | Female tamarin | Baby tamarin | Baby tamarin |
| Jackal | Female jackal | Jackal puppy or cub | Jackal puppies or cubs |
| Ermine | Female ermine | Baby stoat | Baby ermine |
| Bison or European bison | A female bison, also called a cow, colloquially known as a bison. | A calf or baby bison, colloquially known as a bison. | Calves or young bison, colloquially known as bison. |
| Male bat | Bat | Bat pup or baby | Puppies or baby bats |
| Snow leopard, snow leopard or snow leopard | Female snow leopard either a female snow leopard or a female snow leopard | Snow leopard kitten or cub, or snow leopard cub, or snow leopard cub | Snow leopard kittens or cubs, or snow leopard cubs, or snow leopard cubs |
| Jerboa | A female jerboa, in colloquial speech you can sometimes find a jerboa | Baby jerboa. Also on the Internet you can find the name - jerboa. This option can be considered conversational. | Baby jerboas, colloquially known as jerboas. |
| Hamster | Female hamster, female hamster. | A baby hamster, or colloquially a baby hamster. | Baby hamsters, colloquially known as hamsters. |
| Yak. Tibetans call it g-yak. | Female yak. Tibetans call a female yak dri. | Calf, baby yak or baby egg. | Calves, baby yak or baby yak. |
| Male heron | Heron | Heron chick | Heron chicks |
| Male gull or male gull. And no seagulls or gulls! | Gull | Seagull chick, chabar (outdated version from Dahl's dictionary). In colloquial speech you can find - chayonysh. A seagull chick is also called a gull chick. This name also applies to goslings and ducklings, but is used very rarely. | Seagull chicks, chabars, gulls. |
| A male pike, and in Ukraine a male pike is called a shupak. | Pike | Little pike, baby pike, there is also a name for pike. | Pike pikes, pike babies. In the fairy tale "Po pike command"The name of pike fish appears. |
| Fennec or fennec or male fennec | Fennec female | Fennec puppy or baby fennec | Fennec puppies or fennec babies |
| Male gazelle | Gazelle | Baby gazelle, colloquial version - gazelle | Baby gazelles, colloquially - gazelles |
| Parrot | Female parrot, colloquially - parrot | Parrot chick, colloquial version - parrot, little parrot | Parrot chicks, colloquial version - parrots |
| Male echidna | Echidna | Baby echidna, in English language Echidna cubs are called puggle, which translated into Russian means “cutie” or “cute”, also the name puggle is a zoological name. In colloquial speech you can find the name - baby viper. | Baby echidnas, colloquially called echidnas. |
| Platypus | A female platypus, colloquially known as a platypus. | Baby platypus. In colloquial speech you can find the name - platypus, which is a diminutive of the name platypus. | Baby platypuses, colloquially known as platypuses. |
| Bullfinch, people call them mockingbirds. | The female bullfinch, colloquially known as the bullfinch, is also popularly known as the female snow maiden. | A bullfinch chick, colloquially a bullfinch. | Bullfinch chicks, colloquially known as bullfinches. |
| Kinglet | Female kinglet | Kinglet chick | Kinglet chicks |
| Quail | Quail | Quail chick | Quail chicks |
| Swift | Strizhikha - in colloquial speech. | Haircut - in colloquial speech. | Haircuts - in colloquial speech. |
| Perch | Female perch | Perch - colloquially | Perch |
“Basilisk... is the king of snakes. People, seeing him, run for their lives, because he is capable of killing with just his smell. Even looking at a person, he kills..."
This is what was written in the medieval bestiary (a medieval book that includes information about the kingdom of real and fictional creatures) about the mysterious basilisk. The basilisk was considered a mythical, fictional creature, but, as you know, there is some truth in every fiction. I propose to plunge into the fascinating world of fairy tales and myths and find out who the basilisk is and what amazing abilities people have endowed it with.
Under the name basilisk, the ancient Greeks and Romans imagined a terrible monster, shaped like a snake and gifted with supernatural power. The very birth of this monster, in their opinion, occurred in an unnatural way: the rooster laid ugly eggs, and snakes and toads hatched them, and in this way the basilisk was born - a winged ugly monster; he had four rooster legs, a snake tail, sparkling eyes, one glance of which was fatally poisonous to a person.
History takes us back to ancient times to distant Africa, or rather to the Libyan Desert. There lives a small one, but it’s scary poisonous snake with a white mark on his head. Local residents and travelers were very afraid to meet her on their way, since the snake’s bite was fatal, and she was also frightened by her amazing ability to move with her head raised, leaning on her tail. The exact name of the snake is unknown, but the Greeks called it basilisk, which means "king".
Rumor about the strange snake reached Europe and, of course, along the way it acquired terrible details. This is what Pliny the Elder (Roman writer, 1st century AD) wrote about this miracle of the desert: “The basilisk has an amazing ability: whoever sees it dies immediately. On his head - White spot, resembling a diadem. Its length is no more than 30 centimeters. He puts other snakes to flight with his hissing and moves without bending his whole body, but by raising his middle part. Not only from the touch, but also from the breath of the basilisk, the bushes and grass dry up, and the stones ignite ... " The latest information reveals the history of the desert; it is the basilisk that is to blame for the death of all living things around and the appearance of sands.
The Greeks, calling the snake a king, attributed to it the role of ruler over reptiles: snakes, lizards, crocodiles. The Romans translated the name of the basilisk into Latin, and it became regulus(Regulus), which also means “king”.
The basilisk was credited with the ability to kill all living things not only with its breath, but also with its gaze, just like the Gorgon Medusa. By the way, the Roman author Marcus Annaeus Lucan believed that the basilisk appeared from the blood of the murdered Medusa, which is quite logical, because on the Gorgon’s head there were snakes instead of hair. You also can’t look a basilisk in the eye, otherwise you’ll turn to stone, but you could overcome it with the help of a mirror - so that the basilisk’s poisonous gaze would be turned against itself.
There is an animal in the world that is capable of defeating the basilisk - it is the weasel, a small predator from the weasel family. Weasel is completely indifferent to all the deadly tricks of the basilisk. The basilisk is afraid of the crow of a cock, it takes flight from it, and may even die.
The confrontation between the basilisk and the rooster is interesting, because the legend of the birth of the basilisk is associated with the rooster. The bestiary of Pierre de Beauvais (1218) tells that a basilisk egg begins to form in the body of an old rooster. The rooster lays it in a secluded place on a pile of manure, where the toad incubates it. The egg hatches into a creature with the head of a rooster, the body of a toad, and a long snake tail. According to other sources, it is not the basilisk that is born from the egg, but Kurolisk or cockatrice, his relative. But the kurolisk is less powerful than the basilisk; snakes and other reptiles do not obey it.
There was such a creature in Rus', sometimes it was also called yard worker. A courtyard or dvorovik was a close relative of a brownie who lived in the courtyard of a house. During the day he looked like a snake with a rooster's head and a crest, and at night he took on an appearance similar to the owner of the house. The dvorovik was the spirit of the house and yard. But whether he made friends with snakes or not is not known.
During the Renaissance, many stuffed basilisks were created from parts of sea animals. The basilisk was depicted on church bas-reliefs, medallions and coats of arms. In heraldic books, the basilisk has the head and claws of a rooster, a bird's body covered with scales, and a snake's tail.
And now you can find images of a basilisk. For example, in the city of Basel (Switzerland) there is a monument to the basilisk, and the city residents consider it their patron. (For information: in Greek, the letter “b” (beta) subsequently turned into the letter “v”, so that the original word “basilisk” sounded like “basilisk” - basiliskos).
The basilisk often becomes the hero of novels. In JK Rowling's book Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the basilisk is presented as a classic snake king, only big size(almost 20 meters), which is why it differs from the ancient basilisks, but otherwise it has all the qualities mentioned above.
And here is how Sergei Drugal, a Russian science fiction writer, describes the snake king in the story “Basilisk” (1986): “He moves his horns, his eyes are so green with a violet tint, his warty hood is swelling. And he himself was purple and black with a spiked tail. The triangular head with a black and pink mouth opened wide... Its saliva is extremely poisonous and if it gets on living matter, it will immediately replace carbon with silicon. Simply put, everything living turns into stone and dies, although there are disputes that the gaze of the Basilisk also petrifies, but those who wanted to check this did not return back ... "
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In fact, the basilisk is not scary mythical monster, but a completely harmless American lizard that belongs to the iguana family. Only four species of these animals are known. They live in Central America. The height of the basilisk reaches 80 cm, of which 56 is in the tail. The appearance justifies the terrible name that scientists gave to the basilisk. The head and neck of this amazing animal are very short, the body is thin and flattened at the sides. On the back and tail, males have a leathery ridge, which is supported by the processes of the vertebrae. The basilisk has a huge number of teeth - as many as a hundred of them.
Basilisks live in trees and are always near the river. At every extraneous noise, this “monster” puffs up its throat with a menacing look and fixes a fierce look on you, then quickly jumps from the tree. But don't be afraid, the basilisk is a very shy animal! He quickly dives into the water and swims away. This lizard is also called the Christ lizard; it has one amazing ability: it can run on water. To do this, it accelerates strongly and runs through the water, bouncing like a pebble. For this ability, the lizard received the name Christ's lizard.
I already told you once in a section about this and even provided comprehensive evidence in the form of photographs in this article. Why did I talk about mermaids, yes because mermaid is a mythical creature found in many stories and fairy tales. And this time I want to talk about mythical creatures
that existed at one time according to legends: Grants, Dryads, Kraken, Griffins, Mandrake, Hippogriff, Pegasus, Lernaean Hydra, Sphinx, Chimera, Cerberus, Phoenix, Basilisk, Unicorn, Wyvern. Let's get to know these creatures better.
Video from the channel " Interesting Facts"
1. Wyvern
Wyvern-This creature is considered a "relative" of the dragon, but it only has two legs. instead of the front one there are bat wings. It is characterized by a long snake-like neck and a very long, movable tail, ending with a sting in the form of a heart-shaped arrow or spear tip. With this sting, the wyvern manages to cut or stab the victim, and under the right conditions, even pierce it right through. In addition, the sting is poisonous.
The wyvern is often found in alchemical iconography, in which (like most dragons) it personifies primordial, raw, unprocessed matter or metal. In religious iconography, it can be seen in paintings depicting the struggle of Saints Michael or George. The wyvern can also be found on heraldic coats of arms, for example, on the Polish coat of arms of the Latskys, the coat of arms of the Drake family or the Enmity of Kunvald.
2. Asp
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Aspid- In the ancient Alphabet Books there is a mention of the asp - this is a serpent (or snake, asp) “winged, with a bird’s nose and two trunks, and in the land in which it is committed, that land will be devastated.” That is, everything around will be destroyed and devastated. The famous scientist M. Zabylin says that the asp, according to popular belief, can be found in the gloomy northern mountains and that he never sits on the ground, but only on a stone. The only way to speak and exterminate the destroyer serpent is with a “trumpet voice” that makes the mountains shake. Then the sorcerer or healer grabbed the stunned asp with red-hot pincers and held it “until the snake died.”
3. Unicorn
Unicorn- Symbolizes chastity, and also serves as an emblem of the sword. Tradition usually presents it in the form white horse with one horn coming out of the forehead; however, according to esoteric beliefs, it has a white body, a red head and blue eyes. In early traditions, the unicorn was depicted with the body of a bull, in later traditions with the body of a goat, and only in later legends with the body of a horse. Legend claims that he is insatiable when pursued, but obediently lies down on the ground if a virgin approaches him. In general, it is impossible to catch a unicorn, but if you do, you can only hold it with a golden bridle.
"His back was curved and his ruby eyes glowed; at the withers he reached 2 meters. Just above his eyes, almost parallel to the ground, his horn grew; straight and thin. His manes and tail were scattered in small curls, and drooping and unnaturally for albinos were black eyelashes cast fluffy shadows on pink nostrils." (S. Drugal "Basilisk")
They feed on flowers, especially rosehip flowers, and honey, and drink morning dew. They also look for small lakes in the depths of the forest in which they swim and drink from there, and the water in these lakes usually becomes very clean and has the properties of living water. In Russian "alphabet books" of the 16th -17th centuries. The unicorn is described as a terrible and invincible beast, like a horse, all the strength of which lies in the horn. The horn of the unicorn was attributed healing properties(according to folklore, a unicorn uses its horn to purify water poisoned by a snake). The unicorn is a creature of another world and most often foreshadows happiness.
4. Basilisk
Basilisk- a monster with the head of a rooster, the eyes of a toad, the wings of a bat and the body of a dragon (according to some sources, a huge lizard) that exists in the mythologies of many peoples. His gaze turns all living things to stone. Basilisk - is born from an egg laid by a seven-year-old black rooster (in some sources from an egg hatched by a toad) into a warm dung heap. According to legend, if the Basilisk sees its reflection in the mirror, it will die. The Basilisk's habitat is caves, which are also its source of food, since the Basilisk only eats stones. He can only leave his shelter at night because he cannot stand the crowing of a rooster. And he is also afraid of unicorns because they are too “pure” animals.
“He moved his horns, his eyes were so green with a purple tint, his warty hood was swelling. And he himself was purple-black with a spiky tail. The triangular head with a black-pink mouth opened wide...
Its saliva is extremely poisonous and if it gets on living matter, it will immediately replace carbon with silicon. Simply put, all living things turn into stone and die, although there are disputes that the Basilisk’s gaze also petrifies, but those who wanted to check this did not return...” (“S. Drugal “Basilisk”).
5. Manticore
Manticore- The story about this creepy creature can be found in Aristotle (IV century BC) and Pliny the Elder (1st century AD). The manticore is the size of a horse and has human face, three rows of teeth, a lion's body and a scorpion's tail, red eyes, bloodshot. The manticore runs so fast that it covers any distance in the blink of an eye. This makes it extremely dangerous - after all, it is almost impossible to escape from it, and the monster feeds only on fresh human meat. Therefore, in medieval miniatures you can often see an image of a manticore with a human hand or foot in its teeth. In medieval works on natural history, the manticore was considered to be real, but living in deserted places.
6. Valkyries
Valkyries- beautiful warrior maidens who fulfill the will of Odin and are his companions. They invisibly take part in every battle, granting victory to those to whom the gods award it, and then take the dead warriors to Valhala, the castle of the extra-celestial Asgard, and serve them at the table there. Legends also call heavenly Valkyries, who determine the fate of each person.
7. Anka
Anka- In Muslim mythology, wonderful birds created by Allah and hostile to people. It is believed that anka exist to this day: there are simply so few of them that they are extremely rare. Anka is in many ways similar in its properties to the phoenix bird that lived in the Arabian desert (one can assume that anka is a phoenix).
8. Phoenix
Phoenix- In monumental sculptures, stone pyramids and buried mummies, the Egyptians sought to find eternity; It is quite natural that it was in their country that the myth of a cyclically reborn, immortal bird should have arisen, although the subsequent development of the myth was carried out by the Greeks and Romans. Adolv Erman writes that in the mythology of Heliopolis, the Phoenix is the patron of anniversaries, or large time cycles. Herodotus, in a famous passage, expounds with marked skepticism the original version of the legend:
"There's another one there sacred bird, her name is Phoenix. I myself have never seen it, except as a drawing, for in Egypt it appears rarely, once every 500 years, as the inhabitants of Heliopolis say. According to them, she flies when her father (that is, herself) dies. If the images correctly show her size and size and appearance, her plumage is partly golden, partly red. Its appearance and size resemble an eagle."
9. Echidna
Echidna- half-woman, half-snake, daughter of Tartarus and Rhea, gave birth to Typhon and many monsters (Lernaean Hydra, Cerberus, Chimera, Nemean Lion, Sphinx)
10. Sinister
Sinister- pagan evil spirits of the ancient Slavs. They are also called krixes or khmyri - swamp spirits, which are dangerous because they can stick to a person, even move into him, especially in old age, if the person has never loved anyone in his life and has not had children. Sinister has an indefinite appearance (speaks, but is invisible). She can turn into a little man, a small child, or an old beggar. In the Christmas game, the evil one personifies poverty, misery, and winter darkness. In the house, evil spirits most often settle behind the stove, but they also love to suddenly jump on a person’s back or shoulders and “ride” him. There may be several more evil ones. However, with some ingenuity, you can catch them by locking them in some kind of container.
11. Cerberus
Cerberus- one of Echidna's children. Three headed dog, on whose neck snakes move with a menacing hiss, and instead of a tail he has a poisonous snake... Serves Hades (god of the Kingdom of the Dead) stands on the threshold of Hell and guards its entrance. He made sure that no one left the underground kingdom of the dead, because there is no return from the kingdom of the dead. When Cerberus was on earth (This happened because of Hercules, who, on the instructions of King Eurystheus, brought him from Hades) the monstrous dog dropped drops of bloody foam from his mouth; from which the poisonous grass aconite grew.
12. Chimera
Chimera- V Greek mythology a monster spewing fire with the head and neck of a lion, the body of a goat and the tail of a dragon (according to another version, the Chimera had three heads - a lion, a goat and a dragon) Apparently, Chimera is the personification of a fire-breathing volcano. IN figuratively chimera - fantasy, unfulfilled desire or action. In sculpture, chimeras are images of fantastic monsters (for example, chimeras of the cathedral Notre Dame of Paris) but it is believed that stone chimeras can come to life to terrify people.
13. Sphinx
Sphinx s or Sphinga in ancient Greek mythology, a winged monster with the face and breasts of a woman and the body of a lion. She is the offspring of the hundred-headed dragon Typhon and Echidna. The name of the Sphinx is associated with the verb "sphingo" - "to squeeze, suffocate." Sent by Hero to Thebes as punishment. The Sphinx was located on a mountain near Thebes (or in the city square) and asked everyone who passed a riddle (“Which living creature walks on four legs in the morning, on two in the afternoon, and on three in the evening?”). The Sphinx killed the one who was unable to give a solution and thus killed many noble Thebans, including the son of King Creon. The king, overcome with grief, announced that he would give the kingdom and the hand of his sister Jocasta to the one who would deliver Thebes from the Sphinx. Oedipus solved the riddle, the Sphinx in despair threw herself into the abyss and fell to her death, and Oedipus became the Theban king.
14. Lernaean Hydra
Lernaean Hydra- a monster with the body of a snake and nine heads of a dragon. The hydra lived in a swamp near the city of Lerna. She crawled out of her lair and destroyed entire herds. The victory over the hydra was one of the labors of Hercules.
15. Naiads
Naiads- Every river, every source or stream in Greek mythology had its own leader - a naiad. This cheerful tribe of water patrons, prophetesses and healers was not covered by any statistics; every Greek with a poetic streak heard the carefree chatter of the naiads in the murmur of the waters. They belong to the descendants of Oceanus and Tethys; there are up to three thousand of them.
“No one can name all their names. Only those who live nearby know the name of the stream.”
16. Rukhh
Rukhh- In the East, people have long been talking about the giant bird Rukh (or Ruk, Fear-rah, Nogoi, Nagai). Some people even met her. For example, the hero of Arabian fairy tales, Sinbad the Sailor. One day he found himself on a desert island. Looking around, he saw a huge white dome without windows or doors, so large that he could not climb onto it.
“And I,” Sinbad narrates, “walked around the dome, measuring its circumference, and counted fifty full steps. Suddenly the sun disappeared, and the air darkened, and the light was blocked from me. And I thought that a cloud had come over the sun (and it was summer time), and was surprised, and raised his head, and saw a bird with a huge body and wide wings that was flying through the air - and it was she who covered the sun and blocked it over the island. And I remembered one story that was told long ago by people wandering and traveling, namely: on some islands there is a bird called Rukh, which feeds its children with elephants. And I became convinced that the dome I walked around was the Rukh egg. And I began to marvel at what the great Allah has created. And at this time the bird suddenly landed on the dome, and hugged it with its wings, and stretched out its legs on the ground behind it, and fell asleep on it, may Allah be praised, who never sleeps! And then I, untying my turban, tied myself to the feet of this bird, saying to myself: “Perhaps she will take me to countries with cities and populations. It will be better than sitting here on this island." And when the dawn rose and the day rose, the bird took off from the egg and soared into the air with me. And then it began to descend and landed on some ground, and, having reached the ground, I I quickly got rid of her legs, afraid of the bird, but the bird didn’t know about me and didn’t feel me.”
Not only the fabulous Sinbad the Sailor, but also the very real Florentine traveler Marco Polo, who visited Persia, India and China in the 13th century, heard about this bird. He said that the Mongol Khan Kublai Khan once sent loyal people to catch a bird. The messengers found her homeland: the African island of Madagascar. They did not see the bird itself, but they brought its feather: it was twelve steps long, and the diameter of the feather shaft was equal to two palm trunks. They said that the wind produced by the wings of Rukh knocks a person down, her claws are like bull horns, and her meat restores youth. But try to catch this Rukh if she can carry off a unicorn along with three elephants impaled on her horn! author of the encyclopedia Alexandrova Anastasia They knew this monstrous bird in Rus', they called it Fear, Nog or Noga, and gave it even new fabulous features.
“The leg-bird is so strong that it can lift an ox, flies through the air and walks on the ground with four legs,” says the ancient Russian “Azbukovnik” of the 16th century.
The famous traveler Marco Polo tried to explain the mystery of the winged giant: “They call this bird on the islands Ruk, but they don’t call it in our language, but it’s a vulture!” Only... greatly grown in the human imagination.
17. Khukhlik
Khukhlik in Russian superstitions there is a water devil; mummer. The name hukhlyak, hukhlik, apparently comes from the Karelian huhlakka - “to weird”, tus - “ghost, ghost”, “strangely dressed” (Cherepanova 1983). The appearance of the hukhlyak is unclear, but they say that it is similar to the shilikun. This unclean spirit most often appears from water and becomes especially active during Christmas time. Likes to make fun of people.
18. Pegasus
Pegasus- V Greek mythology winged horse. Son of Poseidon and the gorgon Medusa. He was born from the body of the gorgon killed by Perseus. He received the name Pegasus because he was born at the source of the Ocean (Greek “source”). Pegasus ascended to Olympus, where he delivered thunder and lightning to Zeus. Pegasus is also called the horse of the muses, since he knocked Hippocrene out of the ground with his hoof - the source of the muses, which has the property of inspiring poets. Pegasus, like a unicorn, can only be caught with a golden bridle. According to another myth, the gods gave Pegasus. Bellerophon, and he, taking off on it, killed the winged monster chimera, which was devastating the country.
19 Hippogriff
Hippogriff- in the mythology of the European Middle Ages, wanting to indicate the impossibility or incongruity, Virgil speaks of an attempt to cross a horse and a vulture. Four centuries later, his commentator Servius claims that vultures or griffins are animals whose front part is eagle-like and the back part lion-like. To support his statement, he adds that they hate horses. Over time, the expression “Jungentur jam grypes eguis” (“crossing vultures with horses”) became a proverb; at the beginning of the sixteenth century, Ludovico Ariosto remembered him and invented the hippogriff. Pietro Michelli notes that the hippogriff is a more harmonious creature, even than the winged Pegasus. In "Roland Furious" it is given detailed description hippogriff, as if intended for a textbook of fantastic zoology:
Not a ghostly horse under the magician - a mare
Born into the world, his father was a vulture;
Like his father, he was a wide-winged bird, -
He was in front of his father: like that one, zealous;
Everything else was like the uterus,
And that horse was called a hippogriff.
The borders of the Riphean mountains are glorious for them,
Far beyond the icy seas
20 Mandrake
Mandrake. The role of Mandrake in mythopoetic ideas is explained by the presence of certain hypnotic and aphrodisiac properties in this plant, as well as the similarity of its root to the lower part of the human body (Pythagoras called Mandrake a “human-like plant”, and Columella - a “semi-human grass”). In some folk traditions Based on the type of Mandrake root, they distinguish between male and female plants and even give them appropriate names. In old herbalists, Mandrake roots are depicted as male or female forms, with a tuft of leaves growing from the head, sometimes with a dog on a chain or a dog in agony. According to legends, anyone who hears the groan made by the Mandrake as it is dug out of the ground must die; to avoid the death of a person and at the same time satisfy the thirst for blood supposedly inherent in Mandrake. When digging Mandrake, they tied a dog, which was believed to die in agony.
21. Griffins
Griffin- winged monsters with a lion's body and an eagle's head, guardians of gold. In particular, it is known that the treasures of the Riphean Mountains are protected. From his scream the flowers wither and the grass withers, and if there is anyone alive, then everyone falls dead. The griffin's eyes have a golden tint. The head was the size of a wolf's with a huge, terrifying-looking beak a foot long. Wings with a strange second joint to make them easier to fold. In Slavic mythology, all approaches to the Irian Garden, Alatyr Mountain and an apple tree with golden apples are guarded by griffins and basilisks. Whoever tries these golden apples will receive eternal youth and power over the Universe. And the apple tree itself with golden apples is guarded by the dragon Ladon. There is no passage here for either foot or horse.
22. Kraken
Kraken- this is the Scandinavian version of Saratan and the Arabian dragon, or sea serpent. The Kraken's back is one and a half miles wide, its tentacles can cover the most big ship. This huge back protrudes from the sea, like a huge island. The Kraken has a habit of obscuring sea water eruption of some liquid. This statement gave rise to the hypothesis that the Kraken is an octopus, only enlarged. Among Tenison's youthful works one can find a poem dedicated to this remarkable creature:
From time immemorial in the depths of the ocean
The giant Kraken sleeps soundly
He is blind and deaf, over the carcass of a giant
Only from time to time a pale ray glides.
Giant sponges sway above him,
And from deep, dark holes
Polyps innumerable choir
Extends tentacles like hands.
The Kraken will rest there for thousands of years,
So it was and so it will be in the future,
Until the last fire burns through the abyss
And the heat will scorch the living firmament.
Then he will wake up from sleep,
Will appear before angels and people
And, emerging with a howl, he will meet death.
23. Golden dog
golden dog.- This is a dog made of gold that guarded Zeus when he was pursued by Kronos. The fact that Tantalus did not want to give up this dog was his first strong offense before the gods, which the gods later took into account when choosing his punishment.
“...In Crete, the homeland of the Thunderer, there was a golden dog. She once guarded the newborn Zeus and the wonderful goat Amalthea who fed him. When Zeus grew up and took away the power over the world from Cronus, he left this dog in Crete to guard his sanctuary. The king of Ephesus, Pandareus, seduced by the beauty and strength of this dog, secretly came to Crete and took it away on his ship from Crete. But where to hide this wonderful animal? Pandarey thought about this for a long time during his journey across the sea and finally decided to give the golden dog to Tantalus for safekeeping. King Sipila hid the wonderful animal from the gods. Zeus was angry. He called his son, the messenger of the gods Hermes, and sent him to Tantalus to demand the return of the golden dog. In the blink of an eye, fast Hermes rushed from Olympus to Sipylus, appeared before Tantalus and said to him:
- The king of Ephesus, Pandareus, stole a golden dog from the sanctuary of Zeus in Crete and gave it to you for safekeeping. The gods of Olympus know everything, mortals cannot hide anything from them! Return the dog to Zeus. Beware of incurring the wrath of the Thunderer!
Tantalus answered the messenger of the gods this way:
- It is in vain that you threaten me with the wrath of Zeus. I have not seen a golden dog. The gods are wrong, I don’t have it.
Tantalus swore a terrible oath that he was telling the truth. With this oath he angered Zeus even more. This was the first insult inflicted by tantalum on the gods...
24. Dryads
Dryads- in Greek mythology, female tree spirits (nymphs). they live in a tree which they protect and often die along with this tree. Dryads are the only nymphs who are mortal. Tree nymphs are inseparable from the tree in which they live. It was believed that those who plant and care for trees enjoy the special protection of dryads.
25. Grants
Grant- In English folklore, a werewolf, who most often appears as a mortal in the guise of a horse. At the same time, he walks on his hind legs, and his eyes glow with fire. Grant is a city fairy, he can often be seen on the street, at noon or towards sunset. Meeting with a grant portends misfortune - a fire or something else in the same spirit.