![]() ![]() This gremlin-like creature was poetically described as a descendant of the Biblically accursed Cain, condemned to wander the earth and live in opposition to mankind. Grendel is a marsh-beast from the epic poetic masterpiece of Anglo-Saxon literature, Beouwolf. Facing Scylla, who was once a beautiful nymph, the two of them created a situation that gave rise to the ancient Greek version of our expression “between a rock and a hard place.” 11: Grendel In retribution, Zeus transformed her into a monstrous bladder that was doomed to a lifetime of drinking and burping. Charybdis was the daughter of Poseidon, and joined with him in a fight against Zeus. Its digestive process was said to create massive whirlpools that could pull ships down into the depths. ![]() These beasts were said to swallow large quantities of water every day, before burping it out again. 8:JörmungandrĬharybdis and Scylla were a pair of sea monsters in the Strait of Messina, a treacherous aquatic pass between Italy and the island of Sicily. When Odysseus and his crew sailed by unscathed, the Sirens leapt to their death in accordance with an ancient dictum that they would die if anyone escaped them. Meanwhile, he had himself tied to the mast, ears unplugged. ![]() He had his entire crew plug their ears, so they could row by the island of the sirens without being enticed. Odysseus, the hero of the Trojan War, came up with a ruse to hear their music and live. In the main, they were responsible for luring sailors to their death by singing alluring music that drew them too close to their rocky island-where their ships would crash and the sailors would drown. The Sirens were similar to mermaids, but may not have shared their fish-like properties. Mermaids were first written of by the Assyrians, who believed their goddess Atargatis transformed herself into a mermaid out of shame for killing her human lover. Anderson’s famous tale, “The Little Mermaid”). ![]() Sometimes they are associated with drowning, shipwrecks, and adverse weather, while other times they may give gifts or fall in love with humans (for example, in H.C. Half human and half fish, they appear in tales around the world, usually as enticing spirits of beauty that may be malignant or benign. Mermaids are one of the most popular mythological sea-creatures of all time. Sailors often mistake its back for a safe resting spot, only to have it submerge and leave them stranded in the open water-either far away from their ship, or having lost it entirely to the massive pull of the beast as it submerges. Though the name comes from ancient Greek words meaning “shield” and “turtle,” this monster has appeared in sources as disparate as The Arabian Nights, The Talmud, and allegorical Christian writings. This sea monster is a massive whale or turtle that is often mistaken for an island. The Aspidochelone is certainly a mouthful to say, but despite its unique and multi-syllabic name, you’ve probably run into it in at least one story you’ve read. One theory of their origin is that the Umibozu are the restless spirits of dead priests who have been murdered by villagers and tossed into the sea. Some accounts describe them as a cross between a dog and a sea-serpent, with wide-open eyes. Their appearance varies, but in the main they are black creatures whose lower halves are shrouded in mystery beneath the waves. Its modus operandi is to suddenly break out of calm seas and demand a bottomless bucket of water. The Umibozu is a sea-spirit that dwells in the waters around the Land of the Rising Sun. The fish that swallows the hapless protagonist in the Book of Jonah-dragging him down into the depths before spitting him out on dry land-may or may not be the Leviathan. Literary critics and folklorists have drawn parallels between the Leviathan and the world-circling serpent of Norse mythology. In several places throughout the prophetic writings and the Book of Job, this massive fish is used as a metaphor to describe a powerful enemy. It is described as one of the oldest beings in creation, living deep under the sea. The Leviathan is an enormous fish described in the Bible. The Kraken is the terror of sailors making passage across the Atlantic-at any moment it could emerge from the depths, wrap its huge tentacles around the ship, and snap it in half…before devouring sailors in its terrible beaked mouth. Coming from Viking lore, its appearance may be based on that of giant squids. The Kraken is an enormous octopus that lives off the coast of Greenland and Scandinavia. Take a look at these 13 mythological sea beasts, sprites, and other beings. While your odds of meeting a Kraken-like beast in the bathroom are slim, if you’re ever sailing about in the open water, walking along a river, or dipping into watering hole for a summer cool-off, odds are that you’ll run into one of these fantastic mythological water creatures. Monsters don’t just lurk in the closet…sometimes they lurk in the water. ![]()
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