The depths of the modern World Ocean is a terrible place teeming with barracudas, sharks, giant squids and the monster Cthulhu. But whatever creatures we find in sea waters today, none of them can be compared with the gigantic, fearsome monsters that flooded the oceans of the Earth in the distant past: giant sea lizards, huge sharks and even superpredatory whales. For most of these monsters, humans would be nothing more than a snack.

So, before you - ten of the most terrible prehistoric underwater monsters that have ever lived in the ocean.

10. Megalodon (Carcharodon megalodon)

It is arguably the most famous underwater prehistoric creature on this list. It's hard to imagine a shark the size of a 10-16 meter wagon, but that is exactly what these 40-ton monsters were like. In addition, entertainment and educational resources such as the Discovery Channel love to share creatures that look like monsters from horror movies.

Despite the widespread belief that megalodons existed at the same time as dinosaurs, they actually lived 25-1.5 million years ago, which means that, at best, they are 40 million years apart from the last dinosaur. On the other hand, this means that they could have existed even when the first people appeared on Earth. Oh!

Megalodons lived in warm oceans that were around the globe until the last ice age at the beginning of the Pleistocene, as a result of which, probably, these creatures lost their food and stopped reproducing. Sometimes one gets the impression that nature is covering us.

9. Liopleurodon


If there was an underwater scene in the movie "Jurassic Park" in which as many animals as possible that lived on our planet during that period were shown, then lyopleurodons would most likely be present in it.

Although the actual length of these animals is still disputed by scientists (some of them claim that this monster was more than 15 meters), most agree that they were almost 6 meters long, and about 1.2 meters of them is a head with sharp teeth.

If the mouth of the "smaller" supposed monster is already big enough to eat a whole person, one can imagine the huge mouth of the larger one.


Scientists examined the structure of these creatures' flippers using small floating robots and found that while they were not very fast, they were incredibly flexible. In addition, they were also able to make short, quick and sudden attack movements like crocodiles, which in no way makes them less intimidating.

8. Basilosaurus


Despite its name and appearance, this is actually not a reptile, but a whale (moreover, not the scariest one on this list). Basilosaurs are the predatory ancestors of modern whales, the length of which reached 15 to 26 meters!

They are described as whales closest to snakes due to their length and ability to wriggle. Imagine swimming in the ocean with an alligator-snake whale over 24 meters long! Now, having presented this, you hardly want to swim in the sea again.

Physical evidence suggests that basilosaurs had neither the cognitive abilities of modern whales, nor the ability to echolocate: they could only move in two directions (without swimming inland or jumping out of the water). So these huge whales were more stupid than a bag of prehistoric axes, and they could never have chased a person, either in water or on land.

7. Crayfish species Jaekelopterus rhenaniae


Agree, in the phrase "sea scorpion" there can be nothing comforting, so this creature quite rightly seems to you creepy and terrible. It was one of the two largest arthropods to ever live on Earth, reaching over 2 meters in length as an armored horror with claws.

Most people already begin to fear at the thought of centimeter ants and meter spiders, so it is easy to imagine a cry that could come from a person who accidentally stumbled upon such a creature, if they lived until now.


The good news is that sea scorpions (crustaceans) became extinct even before the dinosaurs, being destroyed during the massive Permian extinction (which resulted in 90% of aquatic and terrestrial animal species on the planet).

In part, only horseshoe crabs survived, which are much less of a threat than ordinary crabs. There is no evidence that sea scorpions were venomous, but their tail structure is similar to that of modern scorpions, suggesting that they may well have been venomous.

6. Mauisaurus, a genus of gigantic sizes of the Elasmosaurus family of the Plesiosaurus order (Mauisaurus)


The Mauisaurs were named after Maui, the Maori demigod who, according to legend, pulled the New Zealand islands from the seabed with a fish hook, so you might guess that these creatures were incredibly huge.

The Mauisaur's neck reached 15 meters in length: it is the longest neck in proportion to the body of all animals that have ever lived on the planet, with the exception of some species of sauropods (sauropods).

The total body length of this monster was almost 20 meters, and this absurdly long neck had many vertebrae, which suggests that it was flexible. Imagine a snake with a tortoise body without a shell, and you will have a rough idea of \u200b\u200bwhat this giant looked like.


The Mauisaurs lived in the Cretaceous period, which means that creatures that jumped into the water to avoid encountering Velociraptors and Tyrannosaurs had to confront them; the competition for the title of the best ended long ago.

As far as science knows, Mauisaurs were endemic to New Zealand, suggesting that the territory that once became Australia and its neighbors has always been a land of terror.

5. Dunkleosteus


The Dunkleostei were 9-meter high carnivorous "tanks". Instead of teeth, they had bone plates, like turtles. It was estimated that the pressure of their jaws was 55 MPa, putting them on a par with crocodiles and tyrannosaurs in terms of owners of the most powerful jaws in history.

They also, as scientists believe, had powerful jaw muscles, thanks to which they could open their mouths in 1/50 of a second, which means that the stream of water literally sucked the victim inside.


The plates, which served as "teeth," evolved as the fish's hard, stiff jaw evolved into segments that made it easier for it to hold onto its prey and that were more effective at crushing the shells of other shellfish. In the "arms race" that was the prehistoric ocean, the dunkleosteus was a predatory super tank.

4. Kronosaurus


The Kronosaurus is a short-necked pliosaur whose length, as in the case of Liopleurodon, is a subject of controversy in the world of scientists. Their torso was "only" 9 meters long, and the longest tooth in their powerful mouth was 28 centimeters long. This is why these creatures were named after Cronus, king of the ancient Greek titans.


Guess where the kronosaurs lived? If you said that in Australia, then you are careful (and right). The head of this monster was up to 3 meters long. They could eat modern man whole, and they would still have room for half the other.

In addition, it is assumed that because their swimming membranes are very similar in structure to those of modern sea turtles, they could crawl out onto land to lay their eggs. You can be sure that no one dared to dig the nests of these animals in order to feast on their eggs.

3. Helicoprion (Helicoprion)


These sharks could grow up to 5 meters in length, and their lower jaw was shaped like a spiral. It's like a cross between a circular saw and a shark, and when a super predator connects with a powerful power tool, the world is shaken in fear.


The helicopryon's teeth were jagged (sorry for the tautology), which suggests that they were definitely predators. However, there is controversy as to whether their teeth were located in front of the mouth, as shown in the picture, or located a little further, which would suggest a milder diet, such as eating jellyfish.

However it was arranged, it clearly worked. Helicopryons survived the massive Permian extinction, which means that these creatures may have been smart enough to create "bomb shelters" for themselves. Or, perhaps they simply lived at great depths.

2.Livyatan melvillei

Remember we mentioned the super prey whales? This is it. Imagine a cross between a killer whale and a sperm whale. Melville's Leviathan is a whale that ate other whales!

Its teeth were larger than any other animal that has ever used them for food (and although elephants have larger fangs, they really only look impressive, and with their help elephants only break things, but do not eat). reaching an incredible 36 centimeters.

They lived in the same oceans and ate the same food as megalodons, so these whales, in fact, had to compete with the largest predatory sharks in history.


Not to mention their head, which was 3 meters long and had the same echolocation "equipment" as modern toothed whales, making them more effective in troubled waters.

In case it's not obvious, let's say that this animal was named after Leviathan, the giant biblical sea monster, and Herman Melville, author of the novel "Moby Dick, or the White Whale." And if the big white whale in the novel were one of Melville's leviathans, he would have eaten the Pequod whaling ship with everyone on board in one crunch.

1. Hymantura stingray of the species Himantura polylepis

What grows up to 5 meters in diameter, has a 25-centimeter poisonous spike located on the tail, and is strong enough to flip a boat full of people? In this case, it is a prehistoric superfish that still lurks in the fresh and salt waters from the Mekong River to northern Australia. Giant stingrays appeared there several million years after the extinction of the dinosaurs, and proved to be successful in their structure, like the sharks from which they descended.


Giant stingrays use their time-tested structure, and they somehow managed to survive several ice ages and even the catastrophic eruption of Toba volcano that occurred about 75 thousand years ago during the last ice age.

These creatures are notorious for being able to pierce a limb (bone) with their neurotoxin-coated spike. The good news is that, with all this, these prehistoric marine

With the many spineless, teenage and friendly vampire characters that are featured in modern books and movies, it's easy to forget that vampires were completely different from the beginning and much, oh, much more scary.

The world is full of legends and tales about mythical monsters, mysterious creatures and incredible animals. Some of these monsters were inspired by real animals or found fossils, while others are symbolic expressions of people's deepest fears.

Centuries ago, our ancestors trembled and were horrified at the very mention of the name of the monsters, which is not at all surprising, given how horrible their mythology could be.

In this small review, we will only talk about 20 of the most terrible, and sometimes even strange monsters - vampires, monstrous creatures and other undead, who, even by the standards of our ancestors, were one of the most terrible and disgusting creatures in the world.

Callikanzaro

Callikanzaro spends most of the year in the underworld (which is unknown where it is) and only appears for the period of 12 nights between Christmas and Epiphany, because he knows that on these holiday nights people are too drunk to run away. While the mere sight of his black, contorted face, red eyes, and mouth filled with fangs is enough to banish the festive mood from anyone, Callikanzaro is not content to rob everyone of the fun. The monster tears apart anyone it meets with its long claws, and then devours the torn body.

According to Greek tradition, any child born between Christmas and Epiphany will eventually become Callikanzaro. Scary, isn't it? But parents should not be afraid, because there is a cure. All you need to do is hold the newborn's feet over the fire until his toenails are scorched to remove the curse.

But what a holiday it would be without family reunification! Touchingly, Callikanzaro remembers his family from his time as a human, and is known to look forward to finding his former siblings. But only to devour them when he finally finds them.

Soukoyant

The Soukoyan in Caribbean mythology is a type of werewolf who belongs to the class of "jambi", local disembodied spirits. During the day, the Jambi Soukoyant looks like a feeble old woman, and at night this creature sheds its skin, places it in a mortar with a special solution and, turning into a flying ball of fire, goes in search of its victim. Soukoyant sucks out the night wanderers, and then exchanges it with the demons for mystical power.

Similar to European vampire myths, if the victim survives, then she becomes a cocoian as well. To kill a monster, you need to pour salt into the solution in which its skin lies, after which the creepy creature will die at dawn, since it will not be able to "put on" the skin back.

Penanggalan

It is quite possible that the creature that we will describe in this paragraph is the most disgusting of the entire list!

Penanggalan is a nightmarish monster that looks like a woman during the day. However, at night he "removes" his head and flies away in search of victims, while the spine and all internal organs of Penanggalan hang from his neck. And this is really a real Malaysian legend, and not an invention of modern filmmakers!

The internal organs of the monster glow in the dark and can be used as tentacles to clear the path of Penanggalan. In addition, the creature can grow hair at will in order to grab the victim.

When Penanggalan notices a suitable house, he tries to get inside with the help of "tentacles". With luck, the monster devours all the small children in the house. If there is no way to get into the house, the mystical creature stretches its incredibly long tongue under the house and tries to get to the sleeping inhabitants through the cracks in the floor. If the tongue of Penanggalan gets to the bedroom, then it digs into the body and sucks the victim's blood.

In the morning, Penanggalan soaks its insides in vinegar so that they decrease in size and can again fit into his body.

Kelpie

Kelpie is a water spirit that lives in the rivers and lakes of Scotland. Although the kelpie usually appears in the form of a horse, it can also take the form of a human. Often kelpies lure people to supposedly ride them on their backs, after which they drag the victims under the water and devour them. However, the tales of the evil water horse also served as a great warning to children to stay out of the water, and to women to be wary of beautiful strangers.

Ghoul

A ghoul may just look like an ordinary Russian person. He may even have the ability to walk in broad daylight like a Russian. However, he is not Russian. Behind its inoffensive façade is a vicious vampire who will happily refuse all the vodka in the world if they give him at least one drop of blood for it. What's more, his love for blood is so great that after he rips you apart with his metal teeth, he might just eat your heart for fun.

The ghoul also loves children (although, you guessed it, not parental love), preferring the taste of their blood, and always drinking their blood before proceeding to drain their parents. He is also not disgusted with the taste of frozen mud, as according to legend, he uses his metal teeth to gnaw his way out of his grave in the late winter, when his hands freeze due to poor insulation in the coffin.

Basilisk

The basilisk is generally described as a crested snake, although descriptions of a rooster with a snake's tail are sometimes found. This creature can kill birds with fire breath, people with a gaze, and other living creatures with ordinary hiss. Legends say that the basilisk is born from a snake or toad egg that was hatched by a rooster. The word “basilisk” is translated from Greek as “little king”, therefore this creature is often called “the serpent king”. During the Middle Ages, Basilisks were accused of causing plague epidemics and mysterious murders.

Asasabonsam

Chances are, you are familiar with the old urban legend of the Hook Man. So, as it turned out, representatives of the Ashanti people in Ghana tell a similar (albeit much more creepy) story about Asasabonsam, a strange vampire with curved iron hooks instead of legs, who lives in the depths of African forests. He hunts by hanging from tree branches and thrusting the aforementioned hooks into the bodies of those unfortunates who pass under this tree. Once he drags you up a tree, he devours you alive with his iron teeth, and then presumably spends most of the night removing your blood stains from his hooks to keep them from rusting.

Unlike most vampires, it feeds on both humans and animals (so someone has to warn the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) organization). The strangest thing about Asasabonsam is that when a human is his prey, he bites off his thumb first before moving on to the rest of his body, perhaps to prevent you from stopping the ride and getting home if you like- someday it will be possible to escape from his hooks.

Asmodeus

Asmodeus is a demon of lust who is mostly known for the Book of Tobit (the second canonical book of the Old Testament). He pursues a woman named Sarah and kills seven of her husbands out of jealousy. In the Talmud, Asmodeus is mentioned as the prince of demons who expelled King Solomon from his kingdom. Some folklorists believe that Asmodeus is the son of Lilith and Adam. Legend has it that it is he who is responsible for perverting people's sexual desires.

Varakolach

Varakolach (s) is perhaps the most powerful of all vampires, so it's not at all clear why so little is known about him other than having a difficult to pronounce name (seriously, try saying it out loud). According to legend, his skin is the worst nightmare of a dermatologist - it is terribly pale and dry, and no amount of body lotion can cure it, but otherwise he looks like an ordinary person.

Oddly enough, such a terrifying creature like the Romanian Varakolach has only one superpower, but what a superpower! It can absorb the sun and the moon (in other words, it can cause solar and lunar eclipses at will), which is the coolest of all tricks in itself. However, in order to do this, he must fall asleep, because, apparently, the induction of astrological phenomena that can scare us today, and which must have instilled terrible terror in people of more primitive cultures, takes up a huge amount of his energy.

Yorogumo

There are perhaps more bizarre cryptozoological creatures in Japanese myths than are found in all seasons of The X-Files. One of the most bizarre is the Yogorumo or "harlot" - a spider-like monster of the Yokai family (goblins). The legend of Yogorumo originated during the Edo period in Japan. It is believed that when a spider reaches the age of 400 years, it gains magical powers. In most legends, the spider transforms into a beautiful woman, seduces men and lures them to her home, plays the biwa (Japanese lute) for them, and then entangles them in cobwebs and devours them.

Upier

The Russian ghoul (see above) has a nightmarish Polish cousin named Upier, who is famous for being even more bloodthirsty. Moreover, his thirst for blood is so strong and insatiable that in addition to consuming huge amounts of it internally, Upier loves to swim and sleep in it. His body is filled with so much blood that if you stick a stake into him, he will explode in a huge geyser of blood, worthy of the scene at the elevator from The Shining.

He takes a special pleasure in sucking the blood of friends and family members who were dear to him during his human life, so if one of your friends or relatives recently turned into Upier, you should know that, most likely, you are already recorded as a dish on his menu. When he finally finds you, he immobilizes you with a powerful hug (a kind of goodbye bear hug) and then digs his spiked tongue into your neck and sucks every last drop of blood out of you.

Black Annis

A ghostly witch from English folklore, Black Annis is an old woman with a blue face and iron claws who haunted the peasants in Leicestershire. Legend has it that she lives in a cave in Dane Hills, and at night she wanders in search of children to devour. If Black Annis catches a child, she tan his skin and then wears it wrapped around the waist. Needless to say, Black Annis' parents scared their children when they misbehaved.

Neuntother

Attention! If you are a hypochondriac by nature, then you probably better not read about this monster!

The Neuntother is a walking biological weapon of mass destruction that does one thing and one thing only - it brings death wherever it goes. Neuntother lives in the myths of Germany and is the carrier of an endless number of terrible types of plague and deadly diseases, which he spreads around him like candy, in whatever city he is, infecting everyone and everything that comes his way. Therefore, it is not surprising that according to legend, it appears only during massive and terrible epidemics.

Neuntother's body is covered with open sores and wounds, from which pus is constantly oozing out, and which, most likely, play an important role in the spread of deadly bacteria (if reading this sentence made you an irresistible desire to immediately bathe in a disinfectant, then you are not alone) ... His aptly chosen German name literally translates to "Killer of the Nine," a reference to the fact that it takes nine days for a corpse to be completely transformed into Neuntother.

Nabau

In 2009, two aerial photographs taken by researchers in Borneo, Indonesia showed a 30-meter snake floating down the river. There is still controversy over the veracity of these photographs, as well as over whether they actually represent a snake. Some argue that this is a log or a large boat. However, the locals living along the Balekh River insist that the creature is Nabau, an ancient dragon-like monster from Indonesian folklore.

According to legends, the length of the Nabau is more than 30 meters, it has a head with seven nostrils and can take the form of several different animals.

Yara-ma-yha-hu

Grab onto your didgeridoo, so that creature is truly strange. Australian aboriginal legends describe Yara-ma-yha-hu as a humanoid being 125 centimeters tall, with red skin and a huge head. Yara-ma-yha-hu spends most of his time in the trees. If you are not lucky enough to walk under such a tree, Yara-ma-yha-hu will jump on you and attach to your body with small suction cups that cover his fingers and toes, so no matter how hard you try, you cannot shake off.

Further it gets worse. Yara-ma-yha-hu got into this list primarily due to the peculiarities of his feeding method. Due to the fact that it does not have any fangs, it sucks your blood through the suction cups on your arms and legs until you are weakened to the point that you cannot run anywhere or even move. After that, he leaves you lying on the ground like a discarded, half-empty juice jar, while he himself leaves, presumably to have fun with kangaroos and koalas.

When he returns from his evening of entertainment, he gets down to business and swallows you whole with his huge mouth, then vomits you up after a while, still alive and well (yes, it's a vomiting vampire). This process repeats over and over again, and each time you become less and more red as a result of the fact that he digests you. In the end, yes, you guessed it, you yourself turn into Yara-ma-yha-hu. So yes!

Dullahan

Most people are familiar with Washington Irving's story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and the story of the Headless Horseman. The Irish dullahan, or "dark man," is essentially the forerunner of the ghost of the decapitated Hessian soldier who pursued Ichabod Crane. In Celtic mythology, dullahan is a harbinger of death. He rides a large black horse with glowing eyes and carries his head under his arm.

Some stories say that the dullahan shouts out the name of the person who is about to die, while others say that he marks the person by pouring a bucket of blood on him. Like many monsters and mythical creatures, the dullahan has one weakness: gold.

Nelapsy

This time the Czechs came up with something really disgusting. Nelapsy is a walking corpse that does not care about putting on clothes, so he goes hunting in what his mother gave birth to. Lack of clothing, combined with glowing red eyes, long messy black hair, and needle-thin teeth is enough to make you leave the light on overnight, but unfortunately, that's just the tip of the iceberg.

In fact, Nelapsy can easily win the competition for the most powerful and prohibitively evil of all vampires. He can destroy entire villages at once, and like the guy who is forbidden to approach the buffet, he does not stop until the morning, no matter how much he already ate in the night. He is not at all a picky eater and feeds on cattle, as well as humans, and kills his victims either by tearing them apart with his teeth or crushing them with his "Embrace of Death" which is so powerful that it can shatter bones with ease. However, if given the opportunity, he will try to keep you alive as long as possible and happily torture his victims for weeks before killing them (because in order to be called a real villain, you need to torture people for weeks ). However, even that is not all. If Nelapsy for some reason leaves the exhausted people alive (this is very unlikely, you guessed it), they are quickly brought to the next world by a deadly plague in the style of Neuntother, which will follow the surviving person wherever he goes.

Finally, if all of the above doesn't seem terrifying enough, Nelapsi can also kill people just by looking at them. One of his favorite pastimes is playing "I spy on you with one eye" from the tops of church spiers, causing any person who Nelapsy's gaze falls on dies on the spot. We may have gone overboard with mentioning how evil Nelapsy is, but he is such a scoundrel that it is impossible not to emphasize this once again.

Goblins "Red Caps"

Evil goblins in red caps live on the border between England and Scotland. According to legends, they usually live in ruined castles and kill lost travelers by throwing boulders from the cliffs onto them. The goblins then paint the caps with the blood of their victims. The red caps are forced to kill as often as possible, because if the blood on their caps dries up, they die.

The evil creatures are usually depicted as old men with red eyes, large teeth, claws, and a staff in hand. They are faster and stronger than humans. Legend has it that the only way to escape such a goblin is by shouting a quote from the Bible.

Manticore

This is a fabulous creature that looks like a sphinx. He has the body of a red lion, a human head with 3 rows of sharp teeth and a very loud voice, a dragon or scorpion tail. The manticore shoots poisoned needles at the victim and then eats it whole, leaving nothing behind. From a distance, she can often be confused with a bearded man. This will most likely be the victim's last mistake.

Indian vampire brahmaparusha

Brahmaparusha is a vampire, but he is not ordinary at all. These evil spirits, which are narrated in Hindu mythology, have a passion for human brains. Unlike the suave, dapper vampires who live in Romania, the brahmaparusha is a grotesque creature that wears the guts of its victims around its neck and head. He also carries a human skull with him and when he kills a new victim, he pours her blood into this skull and drinks from it.

In fact, not two unfortunate dozen have invented truly nightmarish monsters in their history (and continues to invent!) There are just 20 monsters in our selection. But there is also the ugly Japanese sea spirit Umibozu, the American forest hunter Hydebehind, a relative of the famous and no less terrible Wendigo, the huge cat Bakeneko, the incredibly fast Wendigo cannibal, the Scandinavian super-strong undead Draugr, the ancient Babylonian Tiamat and many, many others!

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List of monsters, demons, giants, and magical creatures of ancient Greek mythology

Cyclops - in ancient Greek mythology, giants with a large, round, fiery eye in the middle of their forehead. The first three Cyclops were born by the goddess Gaia (Earth) from Uranus (Heaven). In ancient times, the Cyclops were personifications of thunderclouds, from which the "eye" of lightning sparkles.

Cyclops Polyphemus. Tishbein painting, 1802

Hecatoncheira - children of Gaia and Uranus, one hundred-handed giants, against whose terrible power nothing can resist. Mythical incarnations of terrible earthquakes and floods. The Cyclops and Hecatoncheires were so powerful that Uranus himself was horrified by their power. He tied them up and threw them deep into the earth, where they raged, causing volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. Earth-Gaia began to inflict terrible suffering on the presence of these giants in her womb, and she persuaded her youngest son, the titan Kron ("Time"), to take revenge on his father, Uranus, emasculating him. Cronus did it with a sickle.

From the drops of blood of Uranus shed during emasculation, Gaia conceived and gave birth to three Erinnius - goddesses of vengeance with snakes on their heads instead of hair. Erinnius' names are Tisiphona (the killing avenger), Alecto (the tireless pursuer) and Vixen (the terrible one).

The Goddess of Night (Nyukta), in anger at the iniquity committed by Cronus, gave birth to terrible, monstrous creatures: Thanata (Death), Eridu (Discord) Apatu (Cheating) Ker (goddesses of violent death), Hypnos (Sleep), Nemesis (Revenge), Gerasa (Old age), Charon (the carrier of the dead to the underworld).

Forky - the evil god of the stormy sea and storms. In ancient Greek mythology, the monsters of the gorgon, graya, siren, Echidna and Skilla were considered the children of Forkias.

Keto - the evil goddess of the deep sea, sister and wife of Porkia. Both of them personified the majestic and terrible phenomena of the sea.

Graia - the personification of Old Age. Three ugly sisters: Deino (trembling), Pemphedo (anxiety) and Enio (anger, horror). Gray from birth, they have one eye and one tooth for three. This eye was once stolen from them by the hero Perseus. In exchange for the return of the eye, the Grays had to show Perseus the way to Medusa Gorgon.

Skilla (Scylla - "Barking") is a terrible monster with 12 legs, six necks and six heads, each of which has three rows of teeth. Scylla lets out a continuous, piercing bark.

Charybdis - the personification of the all-consuming deep sea. A terrible whirlpool that absorbs and spews sea moisture three times a day. The ancient Greeks believed that Scylla and Charybdis lived on opposite sides of the Strait of Messina (between Italy and Sicily). Odysseus sailed between Scylla and Charybdis during his wanderings

Gorgons - three sisters, three winged serpentine monsters. The names of the Gorgons: Euryale ("leaping far"), Sfeno ("mighty") and Medusa ("sovereign, guardian"). Of the three sisters, only Medusa was mortal, who had the ability to turn everything into stone with her terrible gaze. She was killed by the hero Perseus. The gaze of the dead Gorgon Medusa, which retained its magical power, later helped Perseus defeat the sea monster and save the beautiful Andromeda.

Medusa's head. Painting by Rubens, c. 1617-1618

Pegasus - a winged horse, a favorite of the muses. Conceived by Medusa the Gorgon from the god Poseidon. During the murder of Medusa, Perseus jumped out of her body.

Sirens - in ancient Greek myths, monsters, which have a beautiful female head, and the body and legs are of a bird's (according to other stories, fish). With the enchanting singing of sirens, they lured sailors to their magical island, where they were torn to pieces and devoured. Only Odysseus' ship passed safely by this island. He told all his companions to cover their ears with wax so as not to hear the voices of the sirens. He himself enjoyed their singing, tightly tied to the mast.

Odysseus and the sirens. Painting by J.W. Waterhouse, 1891

Echidna ("Viper") - a gigantic half-woman, half-snake of a fierce character, with a beautiful face and a spotted snake body.

Tavmant - god of sea wonders, underwater giant. Harpies were considered his daughters.

Harpies - in ancient Greek mythology - the personification of destructive storms and whirlwinds. Monsters that have wings and clawed vulture legs, but feminine breasts and heads. Suddenly swoop in and out. Children and human souls are abducted.

Typhon ("Smoke, Chad") - a terrible monster born of Gaia-Earth. The personification of gases that burst from the depths of the earth and cause volcanic eruptions. Typhon entered into a struggle with Zeus for power over the universe and almost won a victory in it. In ancient Greek myths, Typhon is a giant who had a hundred hissing dragon heads with black tongues and flaming eyes. Zeus blew Typhon's heads off with lightning and threw his body into the abyss of Tartarus.

Zeus throws lightning at Typhon

Kerber (Cerberus) is a terrible three-headed dog, the son of Typhon and Echidna. The guardian of the exit from the underworld of Hades, which does not release anyone from there. Hercules, during his eleventh feat, took Kerberus from the bowels of the earth, but then he was returned back

Orff - a monstrous two-headed dog, the son of Typhon and Echidna, the father of the Sphinx and the Nemean lion. It belonged to the giant Geryon and guarded his magic bulls. Killed by Hercules during the abduction of these bulls (tenth feat).

("Strangler") - in ancient Greek mythology (as opposed to Egyptian) - a monstrous maiden with the body of a dog, the wings of a bird and a woman's head. Having settled near the city of Thebes in Boeotia, the Sphinx devoured young men who could not solve her riddle: "who walks on four legs in the morning, two in the afternoon, and three in the evening." The hero Oedipus solved the riddle, and the Sphinx then threw herself into the abyss.

Sphinx. Detail of the painting by F.C. Fabre. Late 18th - early 19th centuries

Empusa - in ancient Greek mythology, a night ghost, a woman with donkey legs, who knew how to take on a wide variety of guises (most often a cow, a beautiful girl or a dog with one copper leg, and the other made of dung). It sucked blood from sleeping people, often devoured their meat.

Lamia - in ancient Greek myths, the daughter of Poseidon, with whom Zeus entered into a relationship. The wife of Zeus, Hera, enraged at this, deprived Lamia of her beauty, made her an ugly monster and killed her children. In desperation, Lamia began to take children away from other mothers. She ate these children. She has since returned her beauty only to seduce men, and then kill them and drink their blood. Coming into a mad frenzy, Lamia can only fall asleep after taking out her own eyes and placing them in a bowl. In later fairy tales, lamias were called a special kind of creatures close to medieval vampires.

Nemean lion - the son of Typhon and Echidna. A lion of enormous size with a skin that could not be pierced by any weapon. Strangled by Hercules during the first feat.

Hercules kills the Nemean lion. Copy from the statue of Lysippos

Lernaean hydra - the daughter of Typhon and Echidna. A huge snake with nine heads, in which three new ones grew instead of one severed. Killed by Hercules during the second feat: the hero, chopping off Hydra's head, burned the severed place with a burning brand, which made new heads stop growing.

Stymphalian birds - monstrous birds fed by the god Ares with copper beaks, claws and feathers, which they could scatter to the ground like arrows. They ate people and crops. Partially exterminated, partially chased away by Hercules during his third feat.

Kerinean doe - a fallow deer with golden horns and brass legs that never knew fatigue. It was sent as punishment to the people by the goddess Artemis to the ancient Greek region of Arcadia, where she rushed through the fields, devastating crops. Caught by Hercules during his fourth feat. The hero chased the doe at a run for a whole year and overtook her far in the north, at the head of the Istra (Danube).

Erymanth boar - a huge boar that lived in Arcadia, on Mount Erimanth, and terrified the entire area. The fifth feat of Hercules was that he drove this boar into deep snow. When the boar got stuck there, Hercules tied him up and took him to King Eurystheus.

Hercules and the Erymanthian boar. Statue of L. Tuayon, 1904

Horses of diomedes - the mares of the Thracian king Diomedes ate human meat and were chained to stalls with iron chains, for no other fetters could hold them. During his eighth feat, Hercules took possession of these monstrous horses, but they torn apart his companion, Abder.

Geryon - a giant from the island of Erifia located on the western edge of the earth. He had three torsos, three heads, six arms and six legs. Making his tenth feat, Hercules reached Erythia on the golden boat of the sun god Helios and entered into battle with Geryon, who threw three spears at him at once. Hercules killed the giant and the two-headed dog Orff that belonged to him, after which he drove the magic cows of Geryon to Greece.

Periphet - in ancient Greek mythology, a lame giant, the son of the god Hephaestus. He lived in the mountains near the cities of Epidaurus and Tresena and killed all passing travelers with an iron club. Killed by the hero Theseus, who since then carried the club of Periphetes with him everywhere, like Hercules the skin of the Nemean lion.

Sinid - a fierce giant robber who killed the people he met, tying them to two bent pines, which he then released. The pines, straightening, tore apart the unfortunate. Killed by the hero Theseus.

Sciron - a giant robber who lived on the edge of one of the rocks of the Greek isthmus of Isthm. He made passers-by wash their feet. As soon as the traveler bent down to do this, Skiron kicked him off the cliff into the sea with a kick of his foot. The bodies of the dead were devoured by a gigantic turtle. Skiron was killed by Theseus.

Kerkion - a monstrous giant who challenged Theseus to a wrestling match. Theseus strangled him with his hands in the air, as once Hercules Anthea.

Procrustes ("Puller") - (another name - Damast) a fierce villain who put people who fell into his hands on his bed. If the bed was short, Procrustes chopped off the unfortunate legs, and if it was long, he pulled him to the required size. Killed by Theseus. The expression "Procrustean bed" has become a household word.

Minotaur - a son born to the wife of a Cretan king Minos, Pasiphae, from an unnatural passion for the bull. The Minotaur was a monster with a human body and a bull's head. Minos kept it in the Labyrinth, which was built by the great master Daedalus in the capital of Crete, Knossos. The Minotaur was a cannibal and ate criminals sentenced to death, as well as young men and women who were sent to Crete from Athens in the form of tribute. Killed by Theseus: he voluntarily went to Minos among the doomed "tributaries", killed Minos in the Labyrinth, and then safely left this tangled structure with the help of the Minotaur's sister, Ariadne, who was in love with him, and her thread.

Theseus kills the Minotaur. Drawing on an ancient greek vase

Lestrigones - in ancient Greek myths, a tribe of cannibal giants that lived on one of the islands, past which Odysseus sailed. Captured seafarers were strung by the Laestrigones on stakes, like fish, and carried away to be devoured, and their ships were smashed, throwing huge stones from the rocks.

Pick (among the Romans, Circe) - the daughter of the sun god Helios, the sister of the evil king of Colchis Eet, from whom the Argonauts stole the golden fleece. An evil sorceress who lived on the island of Ee. Welcoming travelers to her home, she treated them to delicious dishes mixed with a magic potion. This potion turned people into animals (most often - into pigs). Odysseus, who visited Kirka, escaped her witchcraft with the help of a "moth" flower received from the god Hermes. Odysseus had an affair with Kirk, and she had three sons by him.

Kirk hands Odysseus a bowl of witchcraft. Painting by J.W. Waterhouse

Chimera ("Young goat") - in ancient Greek mythology, a monster with the head and neck of a lion, the body of a goat and a snake's tail. Killed by the hero Bellerophon.

Styx (from the common Indo-European root "cold", "horror") - the personification of primitive horror and darkness and the goddess of the river of the same name in the underground kingdom of Hades. Lives in the far west, in the abode of the night. Lives in a luxurious palace, whose silver pillars rest against the sky.

Charon - among the ancient Greeks, the carrier of the souls of the dead across the Styx River. A gloomy old man in rags, with feverishly looking eyes. The name is sometimes translated as "having a keen eye."

Python (from the word "fester") - a terrible dragon who owned the Delphic sanctuary in ancient times. Python, like Typhon, was the son of Gaia. Python wrapped around Delphi with seven or nine rings of his long body. The god Apollo fought with him and killed Python by firing 100 (according to other ancient Greek myths - 1000) arrows. After that, the Delphic sanctuary became the temple of Apollo. By the name of Python, his soothsayer is named - Pythia.

Giants - the sons of Gaia-Earth. 150 horrible monsters with dragon tails instead of legs and human bodies. The giants were covered in thick hair and long beards. Gaia gave birth to them either from drops of blood from the severed genital organ of Uranus, or from the seed of Tartarus, or by herself, angry at the fact that

Most of the monsters from the myths of Ancient Greece were the personification of the destructive forces of nature or the victim of the machinations of the gods. In addition, many of them were related to each other.

Python

A giant fire-breathing dragon that lives in a cave near Delphi (the religious center of the Greeks) and kills people and livestock. Python was Hera's pet and, by order of the jealous goddess, pursued Latona, the mother of Apollo, for which he was shot with a bow.

Typhon

A hundred-headed monster with snake tails instead of legs, possessing fiery breath (apparently the embodiment of volcanic activity). Son of Gaia. Pithon's ward. Defeated by Zeus and sent to Tartarus. When Typhon rages underground, earthquakes begin and volcanoes revive.

Echidna

Daughter of Gaia, sister of Typhon. Half woman, half snake. According to one version of the myth, she was killed by the hero Bellerophontrm (who flew in Pegasus). She gave birth to Cerberus, Nemean lion, Chimera, Lernean hydra, Colchis dragon, eagle who tortured Prometheus, etc.

Lernaean hydra

A monster with many snake-like heads. Daughter of Echidna and Typhon. If one head was cut off, then three grew in its place. Killed by Hercules (with the help of Iolaus, so King Herkaklu did not count this feat).

Minotaur

The son of Minos' wife Pasiphai and the bull. A monster with a bull's head and a man's body. Cannibal. Lived in the Knossos labyrinth and was killed by Theseus.

Scylla and Charybdis

Monsters that live in the narrow Strait of Messina (between Sicily and the Apennine Peninsula). Scylla is a monster with twelve legs and six heads on long necks. Lives in a cave above the strait and devours sailors sailing by. Charybdis is a monster that lives in a whirlpool and pulls ships into it. Odysseus, forced to pass through the strait, had to choose which of them to swim past (chose Scylla). Children of either Echidna or Gaia.

Cerberus

Son of Echidna and Typhon. Three-headed dog, guardian of the underworld of Hades. Tamed by Hercules.

Nemean lion

Son of Echidna and Typhon. A giant lion with an impenetrable skin that lives in the cave of Mount Tret (near the city of Nemea). Hercules, unable to pierce the skin with a sword and arrows, hit him with a club and strangled him.

Stymphalian birds

Birds with copper claws, copper beaks and bronze feathers. Cannibals. They killed people by dropping their sharp feathers on them (or simply pecked at them). Pets of Ares. They were afraid of noises and were driven out of Stymphalus (the Arcadian city) by Hercules.

Medusa Gorgon

A winged woman, daughter of the sea gods Forkia and Keto, with snakes for hair, wings and brass hands with steel claws. Medusa was a beautiful girl, but Athena turned her into a monster. Medusa's gaze turns all living things to stone. Killed by Perseus.

Cyclops Polyphemus

One-eyed man-eating giant, son of Poseidon. He was a shepherd of sheep until he was blinded by Odysseus. By the way, other Cyclops did not like Polyphemus for his bad temper.

Chimera

Daughter of Echidna and Typhon. A monster with three heads: a lion, a goat and a snake. Moreover, the goat's head grew from the back, and the snake's on the tail. In addition, the Chimera could spew fire. Killed by Bellerofront.

Sphinx

Another offspring of Echidna and Typhon. Monster with the body of a lion, the head of a woman and the wings of a bird. Hera (under another version - Ares) sent the Sphinx to Thebes.

Hecatoncheires (hundred-handed)

Giant brothers with fifty heads and one hundred arms (Briareus, Gyes and Cott). Children of Gaia and Uranus, living in Tartarus. They helped Zeus defeat the titans in a great battle (they threw rocks at them). They represent the forces of the earth, volcanoes and earthquakes.

Harpies

Winged birds of prey with female heads. They flew very quickly and kidnapped people. They spread a terrible stench.

Lamia

Half woman, half snake, kidnapping and eating children. Possibly a vampire. Once Lamia was the beloved of Zeus himself, but Hera, his wife, turned her into a monster.

Empusa

Vampire woman with donkey legs. Sucked blood from sleeping people. She was part of the retinue of the goddess of the underworld Hecate and was a tool for intimidating people.

If you think that Baba Yaga and Serpent Gorynych were the most terrible in Slavic mythology, constantly appearing in fairy tales, then you are clearly not familiar with ancient Russian folklore. In the mythology of our ancestors, there were truly scary and evil creatures that you would hardly want to meet. Here are 10 of the most creepy and interesting monsters of Slavic mythology.

1. Aspid.

A winged snake with two trunks and a bird's beak. Lives high in the mountains and periodically makes devastating raids on villages. Gravitates towards rocks so much that he cannot even sit on damp ground - only on a stone. Asp is invulnerable to conventional weapons, it cannot be killed with a sword or arrow, but can only be burned. However, the snake will never fly up to the fire, and it does not land on the ground. Only a trumpet sound is able to infuriate the asp, in this state he rushes to everything that makes this sound, therefore, the Asp can be defeated only by luring him into a fiery trap with the help of pipes.

2. Volot.

Volots are a small race of mighty giants that inhabited the territory of ancient Russia. Volots were once one of the most widespread races, but by the beginning of the historical era they were practically extinct, driven out by people. The giants are considered the ancestors of the Slavs, which is confirmed by the appearance of heroes in the human race. Volots try not to contact or interfere with people, settling in hard-to-reach places, preferring to choose high-mountain areas or hard-to-reach forest thickets for housing, much less often they settle in steppe regions.

3. Sinister.

Sinister is an evil spirit that brings poverty to the house in which it has settled. These spirits are subordinate to the navia. Sinister is invisible, but you can hear him, sometimes he even talks to people in whose house he settled. It is difficult for an evil spirit to get into the house, since the brownie will not let him there, but if he has already managed to slip into the dwelling, then it is very difficult to get rid of him. If a sinister made his way into the house, then he is very active, in addition to talking, the spirit can climb on the inhabitants of the house and ride them. Sinister people often settle in groups, so there can be up to 12 of them in one house. Sinister people prefer to settle in human houses behind the stove, in chests or closets. Sometimes, if they cannot find a suitable home for themselves, they settle in the forest near a reservoir, where they wait until a suitable person passes by in order to follow him and get to the traveler's home.

4. Ghoul.

A ghoul is a living corpse who has risen from the grave. Outwardly, ghouls practically do not differ from humans, their only difference is sharp teeth, so all the teeth of a ghoul are pointed and more like a shark's mouth than a human. Usually, after death, sorcerers and wolves turn into ghouls, but a living person who has become a victim of a curse can also become a living dead. Usually the living dead settle in cemeteries and do not go far from their graves, but sometimes in search of food or, fleeing from pursuers, ghouls can settle in the forest or even in villages, where they choose dark places for living where sunlight does not penetrate.

5. Volkolak.

Volkolak is a person who can turn into a wolf (bear). You can become a wolf voluntarily and against your will. Sorcerers often transform themselves into a wolf to gain the power of the beast. They are able to transform into a wolf and back into a human of their own free will. To do this, the sorcerer needs to roll over a stump, or 12 knives stuck into the ground with a tip, while if during the time the magician was in the guise of an animal, someone pulls out at least one knife from the ground, then the sorcerer will no longer be able to return to human appearance. A person can turn into a wolf and after a curse, then the damned is not able to regain his human form on his own. However, you can help him: in order to remove the curse from a person, he must be fed with consecrated food and a garment woven from nettles must be put on him, while the wolf will resist this rite in every possible way.

6. Anchutka.

Anchutka is a little evil spirit. Anchutki are only a few centimeters tall, their bodies are covered with hair and have a black color, and the heads of these evil spirits are bald. A characteristic feature of anchutka is the absence of heels. It is believed that you cannot pronounce the name of this evil spirit aloud, since the anchutka will immediately respond to it and will be right in front of the one who pronounced it. Anchutka can live almost everywhere: most often the spirit can be found in a field, in a bathhouse or on a pond, he also prefers to settle closer to people, but avoids encounters with stronger creatures. However, a different habitat imposes features on the appearance and behavior of evil spirits, so three main subspecies of anchutok can be distinguished: bath, field, water or marsh. Field anchuts are the most peaceful, they do not appear to people if they themselves did not call them. Bath and marsh anchuts love to play pranks, but their jokes are evil and dangerous, often leading to the death of a person, so a marsh anchut can grab a swimmer by the leg and drag him to the bottom. Bath anchuts often scare people with groans, appear to them in various guises, and they can simply make a person fall asleep or lose consciousness.

7. Dashing.

Dashing is an evil humanoid creature, there are both males and females. He is famously tall and thin in build, he has only one eye, so he sees in a narrow range. It famously feeds on the flesh and suffering of people and animals, usually it tries not to appear in large settlements, and most of its life lives in the forest, feeding on local animals and birds, which often angers the goblin. But if a lonely person or a small group of people is famously caught, then it will not miss its chance. Attacking one person, it plunges that person into despondency and feeds on negative emotions. Such a diet makes the creature even stronger, and the more negative emotions the "carrier" experiences, the more famously. If he cannot cope with the will of the person, then the creature will prefer to eat the victim than to let go. When a group of people comes across, he famously chooses one for himself, and kills the rest right in front of him, again to break the will of a person. If you famously seized a person, then getting rid of him is almost impossible. It will follow the victim everywhere, along the way attacking those who are near the "carrier" and so on until the unfortunate dies, which in principle comes pretty soon, after which it will dashingly start looking for a new victim.

8. Viy.

Wii is a character from the underworld whose gaze kills. His eyes are usually covered with huge eyelids and lashes, which he cannot lift without assistance. He looks like a terrible, ugly old man, very tall and powerful build. His eyes are very large, they are covered with even larger eyelids with long eyelashes. Viy is all overgrown with tree roots and moss, but the gaze of this creature is considered the most terrible, if someone helps him to open his eyelids, then with his gaze he will be able to kill not only a person, but also burn entire villages. Viy's voice is very scary and disgusting, his drawn-out monotonous sound can drive any person crazy.

9. Alkonost.

Alkonost is a half-bird, half-human. Alkonost has a bird's body, with a beautiful rainbow plumage. He has a human head, often a crown or wreath is put on it, and the alkonost also has human hands. The creature is patronized by the Slavic god Khors. Alkonost spends almost all his life in Iria, and only girls-alkonost once a year go down to earth to lay eggs, therefore in mythology the Alkonosts are depicted with a woman's face. Alkonost lays eggs in the water at the very bottom, most often chooses the seashore, but large rivers are also suitable. Eggs stay at the bottom for 7 days, after which they emerge and chicks hatch. All this time there is clear, calm weather around the nesting place, and the Alkonost-mother sings her wonderful songs, being nearby, hiding in the forest thicket. When the chicks hatch, the alkonost takes them and for another 7 days is with the offspring on the ground, until the chicks gain enough strength to fly to Iriy. There is no clear indication at what time of the year the alkonosts leave Iriy and descend to the ground: in some sources they indicate the period of the winter solstice, in others the autumn months.

By its nature, Alkonost is not aggressive and does not pose a direct danger to a person, but, nevertheless, it can accidentally harm him if he comes too close to the nest, or is near when the bird sings its song. Defending itself or its chicks, a half-bird-half-human is able to plunge everyone around into unconsciousness.

10. Kikimora.

Kikimora is an evil spirit that sends nightmares to a person. The kikimora looks very thin and small: her head is like a thimble, and her body is thin as a reed, she does not wear shoes or clothes, and most of the time remains invisible. During the day, the kikimors are inactive, and at night they begin to be naughty. For the most part, they do not cause serious harm to a person, mostly they only arrange small leprosy: either they knock with something at night, then they begin to creak. But if the kikimora disliked one of the family members, then the leprosy will become much more serious: the spirit will begin to break furniture, break dishes, harass livestock. The kikimora's favorite hobby is spinning yarn: sometimes he sits in the corner at night and starts working, and so on until the morning, but there is no sense in this work, it will only confuse the threads, and tear the yarn.

Kikimors prefer human houses as a habitat, choosing secluded places for living: behind the stove, under the threshold, in the attic, behind the chest, in the corner. Brownies often marry kikimor. Sometimes kikimors show themselves to people, foreshadowing imminent misfortunes: so if she cries, then trouble will soon happen, and if she spins, then soon one of the inhabitants of the house will die. The prediction can be clarified by asking the kikimora, then she will definitely answer, but only with a knock.