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Hybrid beasts in folklore

June 05, 2023

Further information: Human–animal hybrid

Hybrid beasts are creatures composed of parts from different animals, including humans, appearing in the folklore of a variety of cultures as legendary creatures.

Assyrian shedu from the entrance to the throne room of the palace of Sargon II at Dur-Sharrukin (late 8th century BC), excavated by Paul-Émile Botta, 1843–1844, now at the Department of Oriental antiquities, Richelieu wing of the Louvre.

In burial sites

Remains similar to those of mythological hybrids have been found in burial sites discovered by archaeologists. Known combinations include horse-cows, sheep-cows, and a six-legged sheep. The skeletons were formed by ancient peoples who joined together body parts from animal carcasses of different species. The practice is believed to have been done as an offering to their gods.[1]

Description

These forms' motifs appear across cultures in many mythologies around the world.

Such hybrids can be classified as partly human hybrids (such as mermaids or centaurs) or non-human hybrids combining two or more non-human animal species (such as the griffin or the chimera). Hybrids often originate as zoomorphic deities who, over time, are given an anthropomorphic aspect.

Paleolithic

Partly human hybrids appear in petroglyphs or cave paintings from the Upper Paleolithic, in shamanistic or totemistic contexts. Ethnologist Ivar Lissner theorized that cave paintings of beings combining human and animal features were not physical representations of mythical hybrids, but were instead attempts to depict shamans in the process of acquiring the mental and spiritual attributes of various beasts or power animals.[2] Religious historian Mircea Eliade has observed that beliefs regarding animal identity and transformation into animals are widespread.[3] The iconography of the Vinca culture of Neolithic Europe in particular is noted for its frequent depiction of an owl-beaked "bird goddess",[4] although this interpretation is being criticized as feminist archeology.[5]

Ancient Egypt

 
The falcon-headed Horus and crane-headed Seth.

Examples of humans with animal heads (theriocephaly) in the ancient Egyptian pantheon include jackal-headed Anubis, cobra-headed Amunet, lion-headed Sekhmet, and falcon-headed Horus. Most of these deities also have a purely zoomorphic and a purely anthropomorphic aspect, with the hybrid representation seeking to capture aspects of both of which at once. Similarly, the Gaulish Artio sculpture found in Berne, Switzerland shows a juxtaposition of a bear and a woman figure, interpreted as representations of the theriomorphic and the anthropomorphic aspect of the same goddess.

Non-human hybrids also appear in ancient Egyptian iconography, as in Ammit (combining the crocodile, lion, and hippopotamus).

Ancient Middle East

Mythological hybrids became very popular in Luwian and Assyrian art of the Late Bronze Age to Early Iron Age. The angel (human with birds' wings, see winged genie) the mermaid (part human part fish, see Enki, Atargatis, and Apkallu) and the shedu all trace their origins to Assyro-Babylonian art. In Mesopotamian mythology the urmahlullu, or lion-man, served as a guardian spirit, especially of bathrooms.[6][7]

The Old Babylonian Lilitu demon, particularly as shown in the Burney Relief (part-woman, part-owl) prefigures the harpy/siren motif.

Harpies were human sized birds with the faces of human women. They were once considered beautiful creatures but over time were then considered to be ugly and hideous. Harpies were used for torture; their most known torture was that of Phineus who was said to have offended the heavens. They would torture their victims by taking food from them and polluting what was left with their feces. They would leave just enough for their victims to stay alive.

Mediterranean

 
Zeus darting his lightning at Typhon, shown as a hybrid with a human torso, bird's wings and a reptilian lower body (Chalcidian black-figured hydria, c. c. 550 BC, Staatliche Antikensammlungen Inv. 596).

In Archaic Greece, Luwian and Assyrian motifs were imitated, during the Orientalizing period (9th to 8th centuries BC), inspiring the monsters of the mythology of the Classical Greek period, such as the chimera, harpy, centaur, griffin, hippocampus, Talos, and Pegasus.

The motif of the winged man appears in the Assyrian winged genie, and is taken up in the Biblical seraphim and Chayot, Etruscan Vanth, Hellenistic Eros-Cupid, and ultimately the Christian iconography of angels.

The motif of otherwise human figures sporting horns may derive from partly goat hybrids (as in Pan in Greek mythology and the Devil in Christian iconography) or as partly bull hybrids (Minotaur). The Gundestrup cauldron and the Pashupati figure have stag's antlers (see also Horned God, horned helmet). The Christian representation of Moses with horns, however, is due to a mistranslation of the Hebrew text of Exodus 34:29–35 by Jerome.

Hinduism

 
Street festivities in Hyderabad, India, during the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi.

The most prominent hybrid in Hindu iconography is elephant-headed Ganesha, god of wisdom, knowledge and new beginnings.

Both Nāga and Garuda are non-hybrid mythical animals (snake and bird, respectively) in their early attestations, but become partly human hybrids in later iconography.

The god Vishnu is believed to have taken his first four incarnations in human-animal form, namely: Matsya (human form with fish's body below waist), Kurma (human form with turtle's body below waist), Varaha (human form with a boar's head), and Narasimha (human form with lion's head).

Kamadhenu, the mythical cow which is considered to be the mother of all other cattle, is often portrayed as a cow with human head, peacock tail and bird wings.

Known mythological hybrids

Main article: List of hybrid creatures in folklore

See also

References

  1. ^ Geggel, Laura (July 21, 2015). "Horse-Cows? Bizarre 'Hybrid' Animals Found in Ancient Burials in England". LiveScience.
  2. ^ Steiger, B. (1999). The Werewolf Book: The Encyclopedia of Shape-Shifting Beings. Farmington Hills, MI: Visible Ink. ISBN 978-1-57859-078-0.
  3. ^ Eliade, Mircea (1965). Rites and Symbols of Initiation: the mysteries of birth and rebirth. Harper & Row.
  4. ^ a term of Marija Gimbutas', see e.g. The language of the goddess: unearthing the hidden symbols of western civilization San Francisco: Harper & Row; London: Thames and Hudson (1989).
  5. ^ Talalay, Lauren E. (October 1999). "Review of: The Living Goddesses". Bryn Mawr Classical Review. ISSN 1055-7660.
  6. ^ Black, Jeremy A. and Anthony Green (1992). Gods, Demons and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia. University of Texas Press. ISBN 978-0-292-70794-8.
  7. ^ Wiggermann, F. A. M. (1992). Mesopotamian Protective Spirits: The Ritual Texts. Styx. ISBN 978-90-72371-52-2.

Sources

  • Frey-Anthes H. (2007). "Mischwesen". Wissenschaftliche Bibellexikon (WiBiLex) (in German). Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft. Retrieved 2015-12-28.
  • Evslin, Bernard. "Monsters of Greek Mythology Volume One ." 2014. Hornung E. Komposite Gottheiten in der ägyptischen Ikonographie // Uehlinger C. (Hg.), Images as media. Sources for the cultural history of the Near East and the eastern Mediterranean (1st millennium BCE) (OBO 175), Freiburg (Schweiz) / Göttingen, 1–20. 2000. (in German)
  • Evslin, Bernard. "Monsters of Greek Mythology Volume One ." 2014.Nash H. Judgment of the humanness/animality of mythological hybrid (part-human, part-animal) figures // The Journal of Social Psychology. 1974. Т. 92. №. 1. pp. 91–102.
  • Lawrence, Elizabeth. "The Centaur: Its History and Meaning in Human Culture." 27 Apr. 1994, ProQuest 195357938
  • Murgatroyd, Paul. "5. Other Winged Monsters ." Mythical Monsters in Classical Literature, Bloomsbury, pp. 10–69.
  • Nash H. Human/Animal Body Imagery: Judgment of Mythological Hybrid (Part-Human, Part-Animal) Figures // The Journal of General Psychology. 1980. Т. 103. №. 1. pp. 49–108.
  • Nash H. How Preschool Children View Mythological Hybrid Figures: A Study of Human/animal Body Imagery. University Press of America, 1982. 214 p. ISBN 0819123242, ISBN 9780819123244
  • Nash H., Pieszko H. The multidimensional structure of mythological hybrid (part-human, part-animal) figures // The Journal of General Psychology. 1982. Т. 106. №. 1. pp. 35–55.
  • Nash H. The Centaur’s Origin: A Psychological Perspective // The Classical World. 1984. pp. 273–291.
  • Pires B. ANATOMY AND GRAFTS: From Ancient Myths, to Modern Reality [1][2] / Pires M. A., Casal D., Arrobas da Silva F., Ritto I C., Furtado I A., Pais D., Goyri ONeill J E. / Nova Medical School, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portuguese Anatomical Society, (AAP/SAP), PORTUGAL.
  • Posthumus L. Hybrid monsters in the Classical World: the nature and function of hybrid monsters in Greek mythology, literature and art. Stellenbosch: University of Stellenbosch, 2011.

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mythological hybrids.
  • Religionswissenschaft.uzh.ch., Iconography of Deities and Demons in the Ancient Near East (University of Zurich)

June 05, 2023
hybrid, beasts, folklore, further, information, human, animal, hybrid, this, article, includes, list, general, references, lacks, sufficient, corresponding, inline, citations, please, help, improve, this, article, introducing, more, precise, citations, january. Further information Human animal hybrid This article includes a list of general references but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations January 2016 Learn how and when to remove this template message Hybrid beasts are creatures composed of parts from different animals including humans appearing in the folklore of a variety of cultures as legendary creatures Assyrian shedu from the entrance to the throne room of the palace of Sargon II at Dur Sharrukin late 8th century BC excavated by Paul Emile Botta 1843 1844 now at the Department of Oriental antiquities Richelieu wing of the Louvre Contents 1 In burial sites 2 Description 2 1 Paleolithic 2 2 Ancient Egypt 2 3 Ancient Middle East 2 4 Mediterranean 2 5 Hinduism 3 Known mythological hybrids 4 See also 5 References 5 1 Sources 6 External linksIn burial sites EditRemains similar to those of mythological hybrids have been found in burial sites discovered by archaeologists Known combinations include horse cows sheep cows and a six legged sheep The skeletons were formed by ancient peoples who joined together body parts from animal carcasses of different species The practice is believed to have been done as an offering to their gods 1 Description EditThese forms motifs appear across cultures in many mythologies around the world Such hybrids can be classified as partly human hybrids such as mermaids or centaurs or non human hybrids combining two or more non human animal species such as the griffin or the chimera Hybrids often originate as zoomorphic deities who over time are given an anthropomorphic aspect Paleolithic Edit Partly human hybrids appear in petroglyphs or cave paintings from the Upper Paleolithic in shamanistic or totemistic contexts Ethnologist Ivar Lissner theorized that cave paintings of beings combining human and animal features were not physical representations of mythical hybrids but were instead attempts to depict shamans in the process of acquiring the mental and spiritual attributes of various beasts or power animals 2 Religious historian Mircea Eliade has observed that beliefs regarding animal identity and transformation into animals are widespread 3 The iconography of the Vinca culture of Neolithic Europe in particular is noted for its frequent depiction of an owl beaked bird goddess 4 although this interpretation is being criticized as feminist archeology 5 Ancient Egypt Edit The falcon headed Horus and crane headed Seth Examples of humans with animal heads theriocephaly in the ancient Egyptian pantheon include jackal headed Anubis cobra headed Amunet lion headed Sekhmet and falcon headed Horus Most of these deities also have a purely zoomorphic and a purely anthropomorphic aspect with the hybrid representation seeking to capture aspects of both of which at once Similarly the Gaulish Artio sculpture found in Berne Switzerland shows a juxtaposition of a bear and a woman figure interpreted as representations of the theriomorphic and the anthropomorphic aspect of the same goddess Non human hybrids also appear in ancient Egyptian iconography as in Ammit combining the crocodile lion and hippopotamus Ancient Middle East Edit Mythological hybrids became very popular in Luwian and Assyrian art of the Late Bronze Age to Early Iron Age The angel human with birds wings see winged genie the mermaid part human part fish see Enki Atargatis and Apkallu and the shedu all trace their origins to Assyro Babylonian art In Mesopotamian mythology the urmahlullu or lion man served as a guardian spirit especially of bathrooms 6 7 The Old Babylonian Lilitu demon particularly as shown in the Burney Relief part woman part owl prefigures the harpy siren motif Harpies were human sized birds with the faces of human women They were once considered beautiful creatures but over time were then considered to be ugly and hideous Harpies were used for torture their most known torture was that of Phineus who was said to have offended the heavens They would torture their victims by taking food from them and polluting what was left with their feces They would leave just enough for their victims to stay alive Mediterranean Edit Zeus darting his lightning at Typhon shown as a hybrid with a human torso bird s wings and a reptilian lower body Chalcidian black figured hydria c c 550 BC Staatliche Antikensammlungen code deu promoted to code de Inv 596 In Archaic Greece Luwian and Assyrian motifs were imitated during the Orientalizing period 9th to 8th centuries BC inspiring the monsters of the mythology of the Classical Greek period such as the chimera harpy centaur griffin hippocampus Talos and Pegasus The motif of the winged man appears in the Assyrian winged genie and is taken up in the Biblical seraphim and Chayot Etruscan Vanth Hellenistic Eros Cupid and ultimately the Christian iconography of angels The motif of otherwise human figures sporting horns may derive from partly goat hybrids as in Pan in Greek mythology and the Devil in Christian iconography or as partly bull hybrids Minotaur The Gundestrup cauldron and the Pashupati figure have stag s antlers see also Horned God horned helmet The Christian representation of Moses with horns however is due to a mistranslation of the Hebrew text of Exodus 34 29 35 by Jerome Hinduism Edit Street festivities in Hyderabad India during the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi The most prominent hybrid in Hindu iconography is elephant headed Ganesha god of wisdom knowledge and new beginnings Both Naga and Garuda are non hybrid mythical animals snake and bird respectively in their early attestations but become partly human hybrids in later iconography The god Vishnu is believed to have taken his first four incarnations in human animal form namely Matsya human form with fish s body below waist Kurma human form with turtle s body below waist Varaha human form with a boar s head and Narasimha human form with lion s head Kamadhenu the mythical cow which is considered to be the mother of all other cattle is often portrayed as a cow with human head peacock tail and bird wings Known mythological hybrids EditMain article List of hybrid creatures in folkloreSee also EditAnimal worship Bestiary Human animal hybrid Hybrid Liminal being Monster Power animal Shapeshifting Therianthropy TheriocephalyReferences Edit Geggel Laura July 21 2015 Horse Cows Bizarre Hybrid Animals Found in Ancient Burials in England LiveScience Steiger B 1999 The Werewolf Book The Encyclopedia of Shape Shifting Beings Farmington Hills MI Visible Ink ISBN 978 1 57859 078 0 Eliade Mircea 1965 Rites and Symbols of Initiation the mysteries of birth and rebirth Harper amp Row a term of Marija Gimbutas see e g The language of the goddess unearthing the hidden symbols of western civilization San Francisco Harper amp Row London Thames and Hudson 1989 Talalay Lauren E October 1999 Review of The Living Goddesses Bryn Mawr Classical Review ISSN 1055 7660 Black Jeremy A and Anthony Green 1992 Gods Demons and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia University of Texas Press ISBN 978 0 292 70794 8 Wiggermann F A M 1992 Mesopotamian Protective Spirits The Ritual Texts Styx ISBN 978 90 72371 52 2 Sources Edit Frey Anthes H 2007 Mischwesen Wissenschaftliche Bibellexikon WiBiLex in German Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft Retrieved 2015 12 28 Evslin Bernard Monsters of Greek Mythology Volume One 2014 Hornung E Komposite Gottheiten in der agyptischen Ikonographie Uehlinger C Hg Images as media Sources for the cultural history of the Near East and the eastern Mediterranean 1st millennium BCE OBO 175 Freiburg Schweiz Gottingen 1 20 2000 in German Evslin Bernard Monsters of Greek Mythology Volume One 2014 Nash H Judgment of the humanness animality of mythological hybrid part human part animal figures The Journal of Social Psychology 1974 T 92 1 pp 91 102 Lawrence Elizabeth The Centaur Its History and Meaning in Human Culture 27 Apr 1994 ProQuest 195357938 Murgatroyd Paul 5 Other Winged Monsters Mythical Monsters in Classical Literature Bloomsbury pp 10 69 Nash H Human Animal Body Imagery Judgment of Mythological Hybrid Part Human Part Animal Figures The Journal of General Psychology 1980 T 103 1 pp 49 108 Nash H How Preschool Children View Mythological Hybrid Figures A Study of Human animal Body Imagery University Press of America 1982 214 p ISBN 0819123242 ISBN 9780819123244 Nash H Pieszko H The multidimensional structure of mythological hybrid part human part animal figures The Journal of General Psychology 1982 T 106 1 pp 35 55 Nash H The Centaur s Origin A Psychological Perspective The Classical World 1984 pp 273 291 Pires B ANATOMY AND GRAFTS From Ancient Myths to Modern Reality 1 2 Pires M A Casal D Arrobas da Silva F Ritto I C Furtado I A Pais D Goyri ONeill J E Nova Medical School Universidade Nova de Lisboa Portuguese Anatomical Society AAP SAP PORTUGAL Posthumus L Hybrid monsters in the Classical World the nature and function of hybrid monsters in Greek mythology literature and art Stellenbosch University of Stellenbosch 2011 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mythological hybrids Religionswissenschaft uzh ch Iconography of Deities and Demons in the Ancient Near East University of Zurich Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Hybrid beasts in folklore amp oldid 1145459894, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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