“The Ultimate Resource To Creatures Of Myths And Legends”: This Page Is Sharing How Mythical Creatures Actually Look, And They’re Both Fascinating And Spine-Chilling

Have you ever heard of Mantabungal, Sannaja, or Colôrobètch? Don’t worry, me neither.

But this fascinating project called A Book Of Creatures shows the most unbelievable mythical creatures that were born in the folk and legend of different cultures.

“Our imagination has always been our greatest ally, and our worst enemy. In the face of the unknown, we populated it with creatures of all shapes and sizes, from minuscule spirits to gigantic cosmic monsters,” the description says and you can already pull your seat closer.

The creator of the project named Emile draws all the entities himself, sharing their stories and origins in every post on Instagram.

“One of the things I want to convey is just how imaginative we humans are, and how well we can create meaningful, understandable things to make sense of a complicated and confusing world,” the artist told Bored Panda. Scroll down for the full interview!

More info: ABookOfCreatures.com | Facebook

#1 I’m Really Glad To Find That Dijiang Is Getting More Popular! Identified With Hundun By Some, It Has No Face But Has Six Legs And Four Wings (Like An Insect?) And Resembles A Sac Of Cinnabar. And It Lives In A Perpetual State Of Confusion, But Can Sing! And Dance! A Real Triple Threat! And It’s Cute Too!

“The Ultimate Resource To Creatures Of Myths And Legends”: This Page Is Sharing How Mythical Creatures Actually Look, And They’re Both Fascinating And Spine-Chilling

“The Ultimate Resource To Creatures Of Myths And Legends”: This Page Is Sharing How Mythical Creatures Actually Look, And They’re Both Fascinating And Spine-Chilling

#2 Usilosimapundu Is A Colossal Creature From Zulu Folklore. He Literally Carries Ecosystems On His Back, And His Head Is An Enormous Boulder. A Swallowing Monster, He Is A Personification Of Landslides

#3 The Nurikabe Is A Japanese Yokai That Is Little More Than A Living Wall. It Loves Nothing More Than Obstructing People’s Paths By Night And Being A General Nuisance

#4 The Brethmechin Is A Sea Creature That Looks Like A Cross Between A Fish And A Panther, And Is Red With Blue Markings. One Was Found Washed Up On Java On April 14, 1551

#6 The Yamabiko Lives In The High Mountains Of Japan. When People Call Out, It Responds With A Mocking Echo

#7 The Wolpertinger Is A Taxidermist’s Chimera From Bavaria, Germany. Stick Wings And Antlers And Fangs On A Hare, And Done! It Has A Bunch Of Relatives Throughout Germany Too, And All Of Them Are Much Like The American Jackalope

#8 The Tabib Al-Bahr Or Doctor Of The Sea Is A Gentle Marine Creature From Middle Eastern Alchemical Texts. It Can Shapeshift Into A Giant Sea Monster, But Its Good Nature Leads It To Healing Others With The Magical Gemstone On Its Forehead

#9 The Yedua Or Adne Hasadeh (Lord Of The Field) Is A Plant-Animal Hybrid From Jewish Folklore. It Is Connected To The Ground By A Stem Attached To Its Navel. It Is Very Fierce, But It Dies If Its Umbilical Stem Is Cut. Its Bones Are Useful For Divination

#10 The Saratan (Also Incorrectly Known As Zaratan), Literally “Crab”, Is A Gigantic Sea-Going Crustacean Described By Al-Damiri. It Pretends To Be An Island, And When Sailors Land On It, It Sinks And Drowns Them

#11 The Kamaitachi Is The Yokai Of Unexplained Cuts. Found Primarily In Chilly Honshu, It Is A Weasel With Sickle-Like Claws That Travels In Whirlwinds And Inflicts Cuts On People

#12 The Sannaja Is An Enormous And Ridiculous Basilisk-Like Creature From Middle Eastern Folklore. It Is Said To Live In The Himalayas. If You See It, You Die… But If It Sees You, It Dies. Therefore Coming Up To It With Your Eyes Closed Will Kill It Easily

#13 The Eintykára Are Stingless Bees From The Folklore Of The Chamacoco Of Paraguay. Not Only Do They Produce Delicious Honey And Build Suggestive Hives, But A Swarm Of The Bees Can Shapeshift Into A Beautiful Man Who Will Provide Honey And Beeswax For The Tribe

#14 The Jaculus Is A Snake That Flings Itself From Trees Like A Dart Or Javelin, Puncturing Clothing And Flesh Alike. It Comes From Superstitions Around Vipers, Believed To “Jump” At Victims

#15 Tiddalik Was An Australian Frog Who Once Swallowed Up All The World’s Water, Swelling Up To An Enormous Size In The Process. He Only Released The Water After Laughing At An Eel’s Goofy Gyrations. He’s Had A Chip On His Shoulder Ever Since

#16 The Colôrobètch Is A Bogey That Personifies The Bise Or Icy Wind. Known From Namur, Belgium, It Nips Unprotected Children With Its Red Beak Until Their Skin Becomes Red, Cracked, And Bleeding

#17 Mourioche Is A Shapeshifting Waterhorse From Brittany, France. He Disguises Himself As All Sorts Of Livestock, Often With An Extra Pair Of Muscular Arms, And Plays Cruel Tricks On People He Encounters

#18 The Shadawar, Shad-Hawar, Shadhahvar (Or Any Of A Number Of Spellings) Is An Antelope With A Single, Hollow, Branching Horn. When Wind Goes Through That Horn, It Produces Beautiful Music. It May Be Found Around Greece And Byzantium. It Is (Unjustly) Accused Of Eating People

#19 The Bo Is A Sawtoothed Carnivorous Unicorn With Tiger’s Feet. It Lives In China And, Being Of A Noble And Just Nature, Feeds On Other Carnivorous Animals

#21 The Aíǰe Is A Spirit-Tadpole From The Folklore Of The Bororo Of Brazil And Bolivia. It Produces A Buzzing Song, And Is Itself Fond Of Good Music And Dance. A Chief Who Can Impress It With Music And Dance Will Earn Its Favor

#22 The Chonchón Is An Owl Or An Evil Sorcerer Disguised As An Owl, With Oversized Ears That Allow It To Fly. Its Ominous Call Announces Mischief And It Sucks The Blood Of Sleepers, But It Can Be Neutralized By Various Rituals

#23 The Katthveli Or Catwhale Is One Of Many Evil Whales That Terrorize Icelandic Waters. Vicious And Aggressive, It Is Nonetheless Smaller And Less Aggressive Than Its Fellow Illhveli, And Has Been Tamed On Occasion. It Has Been Known To Purr And Meow

#24 The Stray Sod Is A Common Element Of British And French Fairy Folklore. It Is A Plant Or Clump Of Plants That, When Stepped On, Causes The Traveler To Lose Their Way. It Can Be Foiled By Turning Your Coat Inside Out, Or Using Certain Herbs That Counteract The Ill Effect

#25 The Abúhukü Is A Hairy, Foul-Smelling Ogre With A Face In The Back Of Its Head. It Hails From The Folklore Of The Cubeo Of Colombia. They Cut A Hole In Their Prey’s Skull Before Sucking Out The Contents Of The Body, Leaving An Empty Skin Draped Over A Branch

#26 The Rukh Or Roc Is A Gigantic Bird Of Prey That Lives On Madagascar. It Has Been Known To Carry Off Sailors And Destroy Ships By Dropping Boulders On Them. Sindbad The Sailor Met Them During His Voyages

#27 Baxbakwalanuxsiwae, The Cannibal At The North End Of The World, Is A Terrifying Ogre Whose Body Is Covered With Hungry Mouths Constantly Demanding To Eat. He Is A Central Figure In The Folklore Of The Pacific Northwest Cultures

#28 Perhaps The Oldest Horned Rabbit On Record, The Mi’raj Was Found On Dragon Island. It Was Very Fierce, But There Is No Evidence It Was Carnivorous. Confused With A Rhinoceros? Also, Al-Mi’raj Literally Means “The Mi’raj”. Keep Your Definite Articles Out Of Names!

#29 The Mantabungal Is A Mountain Demon From Palawan In The Philippines. Shaped Like A Shaggy Cow With Two Pairs Of Huge Fangs, It Is Known To Dismantle And Destroy Campsites And Tear People To Shreds

#30 The “Sarmatian Sea Snail” (No Official Name, But Known By A Number Of Local Names) Is A Giant Snail From The Baltic Sea With Whiskers And Branched Horns. It Was Reported By Thevet, Possibly From A Number Of Unrelated Accounts

#31 Munuanë Is A Monstrous Ogre From The Folklore Of The Guahibo. He Has No Eyes In His Face, But Rather Has Them In His Knees (And They Are His Weak Spot). He Kills And Eats Human Trespassers, But Protects The Rainforest And Its Inhabitants As Well

#32 The Skoffín Is One Of Several Icelandic Cat/Fox Hybrids. This Vile Creature Kills Anyone It Sees, But It Can Easily Be Killed With A Mirror To Reflect Its Gaze Back On It

#33 The Butatsch Cun Ilgs Is A Horrifying Swiss Lake Monster That Looks Like A Giant Cow Stomach Covered With Eyes That Shoot Fire. When It Crawls Out Of Its Watery Lair, It Causes Widespread Destruction And Calamity

#34 The Basilisk Or Cockatrice Is A Small Animal With A Fearsome Reputation. Originally A Highly Venomous Libyan Desert Snake, It Gained Rooster Characteristics Over Time. Hatched From A Rooster’s Egg, Its Very Gaze Is Deadly. It Only Fears Weasels And The Sound Of Roosters Crowing

#35 The Chimera Is A Firebreathing Monster From Greek Mythology. A Descendant Of Typhon, Part Lion, Part Goat, Part Dragon, It Terrorized Lycia And Was Slain By Bellerophon

#36 The Arragousets Are Guernsey Sea-Fairies That Invaded The Land Long Ago. In Retrospect It’s Implied That They’re Human In Appearance, But At The Time It Was A Good Excuse To Draw A Scowling Sea-Fairy Decked In Shell Armor

#37 The Vodyanoi Is A Shapeshifting Water Spirit From Slavic Folklore. It Haunts Millponds And Causes All Sorts Of Trouble If Upset. Various Sacrifices Are Made To Appease It

#38 The A-Mi’-Kuk (Or More Simply Amikuk) Is A Hideous Creature From Yupik Folklore. It Is Leathery-Skinned, With Four Long Tentacular Arms Which Grab Its Prey. It Swims As Easily Through Land As Through Water

#39 The Romŝiwamnari’ Are Demons Of The Serente People Of Brazil. They Are Large Birds With Scissor-Like Beaks And Flabby Bat’s Wings. They Can Even Consume The Souls Of The Dead

#40 The Marool Is The Anglerfish Or Monkfish In Shetland Folklore. It Has Many Eyes And Sings Wildly With Joy When A Ship Capsizes