Mythical Creatures
The Dragons play a bir role in the Chinese mythology
Christopher Columbus sailed near what is now Haiti in 1493. In the reports he written he wrote that he saw mermaids in his encounter. He stated that he saw them from the distance, and he showed his disappointment, as he wrote that he was not impressed by them.
The main reason why he was disappointed was because of the fact that the mermaids were not as beautiful as everyone said they were. In fact, he considered them to be very ugly. He stated that the mermaids had the face of a man. I know that this sounds surprising, but you should know that he did not actually saw mermaids, as you might have figured out by now. Most of the experts believe that what Columbus actually saw were manatees, which are aquatic animals that look like hippopotamus. The experts simulated what Columbus might have seen, by superimposing the picture of a mermaid atop of the picture of a manatee. Surprisingly, the two resemble each other a lot, and it is easy to understand why Columbus made this mistake.
One should also take in consideration the limitation of the people from that period. It is believed that many of the mythical creatures present all over the world, are nothing but real animals. The viewer might have seen the animals at night, or in a certain position which might have made him believe that he actually saw something else. In most of the cases, all that is needed is a story told by a single person, and in most of the cases people will follow that person claiming that they too have seen the creature. This is how Bigfoot, Nessie, Chupacabra, Yeti, and so on have been born. It has been discovered that the main reason why the people believe in these creatures is because we as humans are wired to do so. In cases when we encounter something strange we make strange assumptions first instead of thinking logically.
In 2007, the American Museum of Natural History created a special section in which they displayed the most famous mythological and fictional creatures. Ellen Futter, who is the president of the American Museum of Natural History, stated that the museum has a long history of presenting great stories from different domains. She said that the main reason why the museum decided to display the creatures is because it believes that the creatures are a mixture of culture and nature. She says that the people believe in the creatures, and in most of the cases the creatures belong to the culture of the people, and for that reason the museum wants to honor their cultures.
The first thing one can see when he enters the exhibition is a 17 foot long dragon. It is a replica of the dragon which is said that Saint George slew. The dragons belong to the Chinese culture, and to their traditions. They are seen as animals which have existed in their past, and because of it, they are celebrated. There is also a section for the water creatures, and in that room the mighty kraken is present. The kraken is considered to be a giant squid which sinks ships and it was often portrayed in mythological stories. These two creatures are just two of the most popular animals that belong to the field of cryptozoology, which is the study of the animals that are rumored to exist, and which no one has actually seen.
Various artifacts and fossils are presented at the museum as well, and the main reason for the presence of these items is to prove the way in which they could have tricked the people into believing that those creatures actually exist. In most of the cases the animals are the result of misidentification, speculation, imagination, and deception. Futter said that the human imagination can be very powerful, and that in most of the cases the creatures we consider to be real are nothing but imaginary. We as humans can make the most magical and beautiful creatures, but in the same time we can create real nightmares and beasts. For example for tens of years the people believed in the existence of the unicorns, which are the horses that have a tusk like bone on their foreheads.
Well, in reality the reason why the people believed in them was because they observed the tusks of the narwhals. So the unicorns were born because a person saw the tusk of a deceased narwhal and his mind started to make scenarios. It is unlikely how he made up that story, but you have to admit that he had imagination. The birth of the griffin, the creature which is supposed to have the head and the forelimbs of an eagle and the body of a lion is the result of the beaked skull of a protoceratop dinosaur. This is the main reason why many of these mythical creatures have been observed in many corners of the world.
For example the mermaids were first “seen” by the European sailors, and then as they traveled from coast to coast all over the world, it is very likely that they told the locals about their encounters. The stories of the sailors became the stories of the locals, who stated that they too have seen the mermaids. This is the main way through which many of these creatures are born. There are many creatures which can be only found in certain areas of the world. Such are the “Kappas,” the green monsters from Japan which like to eat children and cucumbers. Weird combination, I know. These creatures did not become popular in the other parts of the world, but that happens sometimes.
The creatures have existed for long periods of time. For example it is said that Genghis Kahn owned the feather of a Roc, which was giant creature that consumed elephants. It is believed that what he actually wore was a palm-tree frond.
