Joshua Dowidat

Mythical Creatures: Tupilak

Hello Everyone,

We got another land based mythical creature today known as the Tupilak. Although there are similar types of mystical creatures we are going to focus on the ones in the Arctic Circle regions.

Tupilak:

Very similar to the Voodoo Doll, in a sense, the Tupilak is a small effigy formed from the remains of animals or humans. Sometimes these are dressed with hair, or cloth or even other body parts. They are designed to look like the native wildlife of the Arctic and some more resembled humans themselves.

The Inuit Tribes of the North were those most responsible for the little carvings. Their shaman or medicine man, known as angakuit, would be the ones to usually fashion these dolls. The problem is that not all angakuits made these dolls for good.

They were exactly what they were made of until the angakuit summoned them to life. Often a Continue reading →

Mythical Creatures: Mara

Hello Everyone,

Wow, indeed. I have been lacking. Utmost apologies for that but perhaps as the more eerie time of year is starting to set in and everyone’s creepy level begins to climb a good blog about nightmares will redeem myself. Actually it’s not so much about the nightmares themselves but about a creature that helps cause them, known as the Mara.

Sleep Paralysis:

Most people these days are familiar with the term ‘sleep paralysis.’ This is because of modern science and studies that have shown that many people have this occur and some more than others. But back in the days before these studies this was considered to be caused by different aspects in one’s life. The Mara.

rem sleep paralysis

Mara:

Mara are evil spirits that attack when the victim is asleep. They press down, or sit, on the chest of the victim and interfere within the dreams of the person. Continue reading →

Mythical Creatures: Amphisbaena

Hello Everyone,

Interesting how so many of the mythical creatures can seem very much alike but share completely different origins like with the Amphisbaena. A creature that is typically a specialized dragon, or at least some type or reptilian creature with two heads. Although there is some tales of other forms of Amphisbaena we are going to focus a little more on the reptilian or snake-like version.

Amphisbaena...a dragon?

Amphisbaena:

Known mostly to inhabit the Libyan deserts, the Amphisbaena was a poisonous foe of anyone who happened to cross its path. The stories seem to start with Greek mythology. A traveler speaking about mysterious beasts with venom and of course there name “amphisbaena” two ways. In this case its head.

The Amphisbaena was fast. Moving with stealth and cunning speeds it would confuse its enemy buy making you think there was only one set of eyes watching you. Once again, Pliny the Continue reading →

Mythical Creatures: Basilisk & Cockatrice

Hello Everyone,

This week’s blog is a little different as we discuss the Basilisk & Cockatrice. Although the Basilisk is bound to slither on the Earth’s surface the Cockatrice, however, has the ability to fly.

Basilisk:

Many of us are familiar with the Basilisk from the Harry Potter series but that particular Basilisk was much different than the more historical myth of the Basilisk. To start that one was huge. Slithered through large caverns like a serpent-like dragon. The mythical creature itself, according to Pliny the Elder, was merely a foot long.

It was, of course, a small slithering, and reptilian creature. Very much resembling a snake with a white spot on its head. But it didn’t need to strike to inflict damage. Looking at the Basilisk alone was immediate death. It could burn through grass while it slithered around. It could smash rocks apart just by being in their Continue reading →

Mythical Creatures: Mandrake

Hello Everyone,

Well many of us have seen some form of the Mandrake in movies or heard of them in tales. Unfortunately we have just experienced them as another part of a tale or as a character that has little explanation.

The Mandrake:

Any of you who have a little knowledge of the Mandrake know that it is a plant. More specifically a type of vegetable. And even more specifically an evil and conniving vegetable that is most often noted as a species of Mandragora. In America it is sometimes associated with the Mayapple.

The plant itself is poisonous to some extent. Used for concoctions to induce sleep or as an anesthetic. Tales are told of how an army abandoned their town to the invaders and left wine that contained some extract of mandrake. When the seizing army found it and celebrated their victory the town’s army returned and slaughtered Continue reading →