“If the sky could dream, it would dream of dragons.” ― Ilona Andrews
Gardens of Myth
All posts tagged Gardens of Myth
“The earliest truth that we're taught is that there's a world alongside this world, with spirits, not mortals, an enchanted universe of fairies, wizards, leprechauns and trolls. They are all around us. One has only to open his eyes.” — William Holman Hunt
The Kappa is a creature in Japanese Folklore. In places where it is rumored to roam, warning signs have been placed to ward away children and tourists. Kappa’s are water demons with incredible elastic arms. They lure people to their pools and drown them to eat them. There are two ways to stop this demon from eating you. The only thing they love to eat more than human flesh (particularly the livers) are cucumbers. They even sneak out of their habitat just to get a cucumber. Just carve your name and birth date in a cucumber and when they eat it, they’ll have to leave you alone. Another way is to take advantage of the hollow in their head. This hollow contains water. This water gives them their power. If you find a way to make them bow, the water will spill out and he will be powerless. *
"The ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Etruscans and Romans all used animal-shaped waterspouts. During the 12th century, when gargoyles appeared in Europe, the Roman Catholic Church was growing stronger and converting many new people. Most of the population at this time were illiterate, and therefore images were very important to convey ideas. Many early gargoyles depicted some version of a dragon, especially in France. In addition to serving as spouts for water, the gaping mouths of these gargoyles evoked the fearsome destructiveness of these legendary beasts, reminding the laity of the need for the church's protection." -- Gargoyle-Wikipedia
“The name “Bigfoot” for the creature appeared in the late 19th century. Spotted Elk, also called Chief Big Foot, was a well-known Lakota leader killed during the Wounded Knee Massacre in 1890. Famous in his time, his name likely inspired the name of two fabled attacking bears. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries at least two enormous marauding grizzly bears nicknamed “Bigfoot” were widely noted in the press, perhaps inspiring the common name of the ape-creature and may be a source of confusion in early stories.” Bigfoot (also known as Sasquatch). 👣
“Morning and evening
Maids heard the goblins cry:
‘Come buy our orchard fruits,
Come buy, come buy”
― Christina Rossetti, Goblin Market
“The minotaur more than justifies the existence of the labyrinth.” — Jorge Luis Borges
“The Labyrinth of Crete, The Minotaur and Theseus“. by Aquileana
The Unicorn
Rainer Maria Rilke
The saintly hermit, midway through his prayers
stopped suddenly, and raised his eyes to witness
the unbelievable: for there before him stood
the legendary creature, startling white, that
had approached, soundlessly, pleading with his eyes.
The legs, so delicately shaped, balanced a
body wrought of finest ivory. And as
he moved, his coat shone like reflected moonlight.
High on his forehead rose the magic horn, the sign
of his uniqueness: a tower held upright
by his alert, yet gentle, timid gait.
The mouth of softest tints of rose and grey, when
opened slightly, revealed his gleaming teeth,
whiter than snow. The nostrils quivered faintly:
he sought to quench his thirst, to rest and find repose.
His eyes looked far beyond the saint’s enclosure,
reflecting vistas and events long vanished,
and closed the circle of this ancient mystic legend.
“They call me Troll;
Gnawer of the Moon,
Giant of the Gale-blasts,
Curse of the rain-hall,
Companion of the Sibyl,
Nightroaming hag,
Swallower of the loaf of heaven.
What is a Troll but that?”
—Skáldskaparmal: 53