Hybrid Beasts in Folklore

[The Old Ref Himself]

Hybrid beasts in folklore

Hybrid beasts appear in the folklore of a variety of cultures as legendary creatures.

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]

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, falcon-headed Horus, etc. 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 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, the lion, and the 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, 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.[5][6]

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

Mediterranean

Zeus darting his lightning at Typhon, shown as a hide with a human torso, bird's wings and a reptilian lower body (Chalcidian black-figured hydria, 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, the Harpy, the Centaur, the Griffin, the Hippocampus, Talos, Pegasus, etc.

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

The motif of otherwise human figures sporting horns may derive from partly goat hybrids (as in Pan 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 Ganesha 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), 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.

[The Old Ref Himself]

List of hybrid creatures in folklore

Partly human

Upper part human

Human-Horse Hybrids (Centauroid)

A Centaur fighting a man

Anggitay – A strictly-female creature that has the upper body of a human with the lower body of a horse and is sometimes portrayed with a horn.

Centaur – A creature that has the upper body of a human with the lower body of a horse.

Onocentaur – A creature that has the upper body of a human with the lower body of a donkey.

Ipotane – A human with the hindquarters of a horse.

Satyr – Originally an ancient Greek nature spirit with the body of a man, but the long tail and pointed ears of a horse. From the beginning, satyrs were inextricably associated with drunkenness and ribaldry, known for their love of wine, music, and women. By the Hellenistic Period, satyrs gradually began to the be depicted as men with the horns and legs of goats, likely due to conflation with Pan. They were eventually conflated with the Roman fauns and, since roughly the second century AD, they have been indistinguishable from each other.

Silenos - Virtually identical to satyrs and normally indistinguishable, although sometimes depicted as more elderly.

Human-Goat Hybrids

Satyr men, satyr women, and satyr children.

Goat people are a class of mythological beings who physically resemble humans from the waist up, and had goat-like features usually including the hind legs of goats. They fall into various categories, such as sprites, gods, demons, and demigods.

Faun – An ancient Roman nature spirit with the body of a man, but the legs and horns of a goat. Originally they differed from the Greek satyrs because they were less frequently associated with drunkenness and ribaldry and were instead seen as "shy, woodland creatures". Starting in the first century BC, the Romans frequently conflated them with satyrs and, after the second century AD, the two are virtually indistinguishable.

Glaistig – A ghost with the form of half-goat, half-woman.

Pan – The god of the wild and protector of shepherds, who has the body of a man, but the legs and horns of a goat. He is often heard playing a flute.

Human-Bird Hybrids

A medieval depiction of a harpy as a bird-woman

Harpy – A half-bird, half-woman creature of Greek mythology, portrayed sometimes as a woman with bird wings and legs.

Lilitu – A woman with bird legs sometimes with wings found in Mesopotamian mythology.

Inmyeonjo – A human face with bird body creature in ancient Korean mythology.

Kinnara – Half-human, half-bird in later Indian mythology.

Siren – Half-bird, half-woman creature of Greek mythology, who lured sailors to their deaths with their singing voices.

Human-Fish Hybrids

Ichthyocentaurs – Creatures that have the torsos of a man or woman, the front legs of a horse, and the tails of a fish.

Mermaid/Merman – A race of half-human, half-fish creatures.

Triton - A Greek God who has the same description as the Merman. Some depictions have him with two fish tails.

Jengu – A water spirit

Matsya – An avatar of Lord Vishnu that is half-man half-fish.

Sirena – A mermaid from Philippine folklore.

Siyokoy – Mermen with scaled but humanoid bodies from Philippine folklore. It is the male counterpart of the Sirena.

Human-Snake Hybrids

A nure-onna as depicted in Sawaki Suushi's Hyakkai-Zukan

Echidna – A half-woman and half-snake monster that lives inside a cave.

Fu Xi – A god said to have been made by Nu Wa.

Lamia – Like a mermaid but with the lower body like that of a snake and is usually female.

Nü Wa – A woman with the lower body of a serpent in Chinese folklore.

Ketu – An Asura who has the lower parts of a snake and said to have four arms.

Nāga – A term referring to human/snake mixes of all kinds.

Nure-onna – A creature with the head of a woman and body of a snake.

Other Hybrids

Kurma – Upper-half human, lower half tortoise.

Scorpion Man – Half-man half-scorpion.

Human-headed

Atargatis – Human face, fish body.

Bai Ze – The descriptions vary for this beast.

Buraq – A creature from Persian iconography that has the head of a man and the body of a winged horse.

Draconope (snake-feet) – "Snake-feet are large and powerful serpents, with faces very like those of human maidens and necks ending in serpent bodies" as described by Vincent of Beauvais.

Hatuibwari – A dragon-like creature with the head of a human with four eyes, the body of a serpent, and the wings of a bat.

Kamadhenu – A bovine goddess creature with the head of a human, the body of a cow, the wings of a bird, and the tail of a peacock.

Kusarikku – A demon with the head, arms, and torso of a human and the ears, horns, and hindquarters of a bovine.

Manticore – A Persian legendary creature similar to the Egyptian sphinx. It has the body of a red lion, a human head with three rows of sharp teeth (like a shark), sometimes bat-like wings, and a trumpet-like voice. Other aspects of the creature vary from story to story. It may be horned, winged, or both. The tail is that of either a dragon or a scorpion, and it may shoot venomous spines to either paralyze or kill its victims.

Meduza – A sea creature from Russian folklore with the head of maiden and the body of the stripped beast, having the dragon tail with a snake mouth and the elephant legs with the same snake mouths.

Penghou – A creature with the face of a man and the body of a dog.

Sphinx – A creature with the head of a human, the body of a lion, and occasional wings of a bird.

Shedu – A deity that is often depicted with a human head, a bull's body or lion's body, and a bird's wings.

Zhuyin – It has the face of a man and the body of a snake.

Avian (Bird):

Alkonost – A creature from Russian folklore with the head of a woman with the body of a bird, said to make beautiful sounds that make anyone who hears them forget all that they know and not want anything more ever again. Counterpart of the Sirin, which it lives with in the underworld.

Angel – Called Malachim in Judaism and Malaikah in Islam. A human like creature generally depicted with wings on its back. In Abrahamic mythology (Christianity, Islam, and Judaism) and Zoroastrianism mythology (Angle types are: Amesha Spentas, Yazatas, and Fravashis), angels are often depicted as benevolent celestial beings who act as messengers between God or Heaven and Humanity. Angels also exist in Western Esotericism and Brahma Kumaris mythology.

Gamayun – A creature portrayed with the head a woman with the body of a bird from Russian mythology.

Harpy – A half-bird, half-woman creature of Greek mythology, portrayed often as a woman with a body of a bird and the head of a human.

Siren - A creature of Greek mythology with a bird body and a human's head. Other media appearances often depict it as a variation of a mermaid.

Sirin – Half-bird, half-human creature with the head and chest of a woman from Russian folklore. Its bird half is generally that of an owl's body.

See also Buraq, Hatuibwari, Sphinx, Inmyeonjo, and Shedu/Lamassu (all flying, but not with bird bodies)

Human with animal head

Ganesha, with Elephant's head

Horus, with Falcon's head

Abraxas – A god-like Gnostic creature with many different types of portrayals, many of which as different types of hybrids.

Anubis – The jackal-headed Egyptian God.

Baphomet – Traditinally depicted as an anthropomorphic creature with goat's head

Bastet – The cat-headed Egyptian Goddess.

Bird goddess – Vinca figures of a woman with a bird head

Cernunnos – An ancient Gaulish/Celtic God with a head of a stag.

Chi You – In some sources has the head of a bull.

Cynocephalus – A dog-headed creature.

Daksha – His head was replaced by a goat's after a beheading.

Ganesha – An elephant-headed God.

Hayagriva – A horse-headed avatar.

Heqet – The frog-headed Egyptian God.

Horse-Face – A horse-headed guardian or type of guardian of the Underworld in Chinese mythology.

Horus and Monthu – Each of these Egyptian Gods has the head of a falcon.

Karasu-tengu – A crow-type Tengu.

Karura – A divine creature of Japanese Hindu-Buddhist mythology with the head of a bird and the torso of a human.

Khepri – The dung beetle-headed Egyptian God.

Khnum – The ram-headed Egyptian God.

Kuk – Kuk's male form has a frog head while his female form has a snake head.

Maahes, Pakhet, Sekhmet, and Tefnut – Each of these Egyptian Gods has the head of a lion.

Meretseger – The cobra-headed Egyptian Goddess.

Minotaur – A creature with the head of a bull and the body of a man. Some depictions have it also sporting the tail and/or hindquarters of a bull.

Narasimha – A Hindu deity with a lion-like face.

Ox-Head – An ox-headed guardian or type of guardian of the Underworld in Chinese mythology.

Pratyangira – A Hindu Goddess having the head of a lion.

Ra and Seker – Each of these Egyptian Gods has the head of a hawk.

Sekmet – The lioness-headed Egyptian Goddess.

Set – The sha-headed Egyptian God.

Sobek – The crocodile-headed Egyptian God.

Taweret – The hippopotamus-headed Egyptian Goddess.

Thoth – The ibis-headed Egyptian God.

Varaha – A boar-headed avatar.

Zhu Bajie – A pig-headed major character of the novel Journey to the West.

Human with added animal parts

Horns of a goat and a ram, goat's fur and ears, nose and canines of a pig, a typical depiction of the devil in Christian art. The goat, ram and pig are consistently associated with the Devil. 

Winged

Angel – Called Malachim in Judaism and Malaikah in Islam. A human like creature generally depicted with bird-like wings on its back. In Abrahamic mythology (Christianity, Islam, and Judaism) and Zoroastrianism mythology (Angle types are: Amesha Spentas, Yazatas, and Fravashis), angels are often depicted as benevolent celestial beings who act as messengers between God or Heaven and Humanity. Angels also exist in Western Esotericism and Brahma Kumaris mythology.

Drakaina – A female species from Greek mythology that is draconian in nature, primarily depicted as a woman with dragon features.

Fairy – A humanoid with insect-like wings.

Mothman – A humanoid moth.

Seraph – An elite angel that is described with multiple wings.

Winged Genie – A genie with bird wings.

Legs

Adlet – A human with dog legs.

Anansi - A West African god, also known as Ananse, Kwaku Ananse, and Anancy. In the Americas he is known as Nancy, Aunt Nancy and Sis' Nancy. Anansi is considered to be the spirit of all knowledge of stories. He is also one of the most important characters of West African and Caribbean folklore. Anansi is depicted in many different ways. Sometimes he looks like an ordinary spider, sometimes he is a spider wearing clothes or with a human face and sometimes he looks much more like a human with spider elements, such as eight legs.

Horned

Hathor – An Egyptian Goddess with cow horns.

Horned God – A god with horns.

Snake-haired

Gorgon – Each of them has snakes in place of their hair; sometimes also depicted with a snake-like lower body.

Part animal, part human

Garuda carrying his master Vishnu. Garuda has an eagle's head, wings and legs

Anansi - A West African god, also known as Ananse, Kwaku Ananse, and Anancy. In the Americas he is known as Nancy, Aunt Nancy and Sis' Nancy. Anansi is considered to be the spirit of all knowledge of stories. He is also one of the most important characters of West African and Caribbean folklore. Anansi is depicted in many different ways. Sometimes he looks like an ordinary spider, sometimes he is a spider wearing clothes or with a human face and sometimes he looks much more like a human with spider elements, such as eight legs.

Avatea – A god that has the right half a man and the left half a fish.

Bat – An Egyptian Goddess with the horns and ears of a cow.

Bes – An Egyptian God with the hindquarters of a lion.

Garuda – A creature that has the head and wings of an eagle and body of a man.

Hanuman – A humanoid monkey God.

Jambavan – A humanoid bear depicted in Ramayana.

Nandi – Some Puranas describe Nandi or Nandikeshvara as bull-faced, with a human body that resembles that of Shiva in proportion and aspect.

Selkie – A creature that a seal becomes a human by shedding its skin on land.

Werecat – A creature that is part cat, part human, or switches from between the two.

Werewolf – A creature that becomes a wolf/human-like beast during the nights of full moons, but is human otherwise.

Non-human

Quadrupeds with the wings of a bird

Pegasus, as the horse of Muses, was put on the roof of Poznań Opera House (Max Littmann, 1910)

Pegasus – A horse with the wings of a bird.

Peryton – A deer with the wings of a bird.

Winged Cat – A cat with the wings of a bird.

Winged Lion – A lion with the wings of a bird.

Winged Unicorn – A unicorn with the wings of a bird. Also called a Unisus (You-nih-sis).

Two kinds of animal parts

Allocamelus – A Heraldic creature that has the head of a donkey and the body of a camel.

Cockatrice – A mix between a chicken and a reptile.

Cerberus – A Greek mythological dog that guarded the gates of the underworld, almost always portrayed with three heads and occasionally having a mane of serpents, as well as the front half of one for a tail.

Criosphinx – A Sphinx that has the head of a ram.

Gajamina – A creature with the head of an elephant and body of a fish.

Gajasimha – A creature that has the head of an elephant and the body of a lion.

Griffin – A creature that has the front quarters of an eagle and the hind quarters of a lion.

Gwazi – A creature with the head of a tiger and the body of a lion.

Gye-lyong – A creature with the head of a chicken and the body of a dragon.

Hieracosphinx – A type of Sphinx that had a falcon head.

Hippalectryon – The front half is that of a horse and the rear half has a rooster's wings, tail, and legs.

Hippocampus (or Hippocamp) – A Greek mythological creature that is half-horse half-fish.

Hippogriff – A creature that has the front quarters of an eagle and hind quarters of a horse.

Krampus – A half goat half demon who punishes bad children during Christmas.

Longma – A winged horse with dragon scales.

Merlion – A creature with the head of a lion and the body of a fish.

Ophiotaurus – A creature that is half-bull half-serpent.

Sea-goat – A creature that is half-goat half-fish. Identified with the constellation Capricornus. Used in Roman imperial coinage.

Sea-lion – A creature that is half-lion half-fish.

Serpopard – A creature that is part snake and part African leopard.

Shug Monkey – A creature that is part monkey and part dog.

Skvader – A Swedish creature that has the forequarters and hind-legs of a hare and the back, wings and tail of a female wood grouse.

Ushi-oni – A Yōkai with a horned bovine head and often depicted with a spider-like body.

Davo – Collie with mechanical wings

Larka – Wolf with wings

Three kinds of animal parts

Ammit – An Egyptian creature that has the head of a crocodile, the front legs of a lion, and the back legs and hindquarters of a hippopotamus.

Chimera – A Greek mythology creature that has the head and front legs of a lion, the head and back legs of a goat, and the head of a snake for a tail. Said to be able to breathe fire from lion's mouth.

Jackalope – A jackrabbit with the horns of a pronghorn and sometimes the tail and/or legs of a pheasant.

Sharabha – A Hindu mythological creature deity having the head of a lion, the legs of deer, and the wings of bird.

Simurgh – A griffin-like exclusively-female creature of Persian mythology with the head of a dog and the claws of a lion (although sometimes with a human face).

Wyvern – A creature with dragon's head and wings, a reptilian body, two legs, and a tail often ending in a diamond- or arrow-shaped tip.

Four kinds of animal parts

Enfield – A Heraldic creature with the head of a fox, the forelegs and sometimes wings of an eagle, the body of a lion, and the tail of a wolf.

Hatsadiling – A mythical creature with the head and body of a lion, trunk and tusks of an elephant, the comb of a cock, and the wings of a bird.[12]

Monoceros – Medieval bestiaries describe this creature as having the head of a stag, the body of a horse, the feet of an elephant, and the tail of a boar.

Nue – A Japanese creature with a monkey head, tiger's legs, Tanuki body, and the front half of a snake for a tail.

Questing Beast – A creature that has the head and tail of a serpent, the feet of a deer, the body of a lion, and the haunches of a leopard.

Tarasque – A French dragon with the head of a lion, six short legs similar to that of bear legs, the body of a ox, the shell of a turtle, and a scorpion stinger-tipped tail.

Wolpertinger – A creature that has the head of a rabbit, the antlers of a deer, and the legs and wings of a bird.

Yali – A Hindu creature that has head of a lion, the tusks of an elephant, the body of a cat, and the tail of a serpent.

Ypotryll – A Heraldic creature with the tusked head of a boar, the humped body of a camel, the legs and hooves of an ox or goat, and the tail of a snake.

Five or more kinds of animal parts

Navagunjara, has limb representing eight animals, including a human hand.

Alebrije – A brightly colored creature from Mexican folk art and mythology.

Baku – A Japanese creature that has the head of an elephant, the eyes of a rhinoceros, the legs of a tiger, the body of a bear and the tail of an ox.

Calygreyhound – A mythical creature that appears on Medieval heraldry. It is described as having the head of a wildcat, the torso of a deer or antelope, the claws of an eagle as its forefeet, ox hooves, antlers or horns on its head, the hind legs of a lion or ox and its tail like a lion or poodle. May sometimes be depicted with wings.

Fenghuang – A Chinese creature that has the head of a golden pheasant, the body of a mandarin duck, the tail of a peacock, the legs of a crane, the mouth of a parrot and the wings of a swallow.

Navagunjara – A Hindu creature with head of a rooster, neck of a peacock, back of a bull, tail as a serpent, three legs of an elephant, tiger and deer or horse, fourth limb being a human hand holding a lotus.

Pulgasari (ko)/Bulgasari - see Pulgasari for modern rendering

Pyinsarupa – a Burmese creature made of a bullock, carp, elephant, horse and the dragon

Qilin – A Chinese creature with the head of a dragon, the antlers of a deer, the scales of a fish, the hooves of an ox, and the tail of a lion. The Japanese version is described as a deer-shaped dragon with the tail of an ox.

Modern fiction

The following hybrid creatures appear in modern fiction:

Cecaelia – Half-human, half-octopus.

Cheetaur – Half-man, half-cheetah.

Cervitaur – A deer-type centaur.

Dracotaur – Half-man, half-dragon. It debuted in Dungeons & Dragons. It also has a counterpart in the form of the Dragonspawn from the Warcraft franchise. Dragoon from the Monster Rancher franchise also fits this description due to it being a fusion of a Dragon and a Centaur.

Drider – Half-Drow half-spider. It debuted in Dungeons & Dragons.

Gnoll – A creature that is part-hyena, part-man. It debuted in Dungeons & Dragons and was also featured in World of Warcraft.

Gorilla bear – A creature with the head, body, and legs of a gorilla, and the teeth and arms of a bear. It debuted in Dungeons & Dragons.

Jaquin – A creature that resembles a jaguar with the wings and feathers of macaws. It is featured in Elena of Avalor.[citation needed]

ManBearPig – half man half bear half pig this creature is depicted in the show South Park.

Miga - A mythical sea bear that is half-orca, half-Kermode bear who is one of the mascots of the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Owlbear – A create that is half-bear half-owl. It debuted in Dungeons & Dragons.

Posleen – A crocodile-headed reptilian centaur from Legacy of the Aldenata.

Sumi – A half-thunderbird, half-black bear who is one of the mascot of the 2010 Winter Paralympics.[citation needed]

Unitaur – A unicorn-type centaur.[citation needed]

Vinicius – Part-cat, part-monkey, part-bird from Rio 2016.

Wemic – Half-man, half-lion. It debuted in Dungeons & Dragons. It also has a counterpart in the form of the Liontaur from the Quest for Glory video games.

Vampire-werewolf hybrid – These half-vampire half-werewolf hybrids had been shown in various media appearances like AdventureQuest, AdventureQuest Worlds (as a Werepyre), Axe Cop (as a Wolvye), Supernatural, The Elder Scrolls, The Vampire Diaries, the Underworld franchise (Lycan), and Werewolf: The Apocalypse.

Wolftaur – Half-man, half-wolf. It debuted in Dungeons & Dragons. Some depictions of this creature also have wolf heads like Celious from the Monster Rancher franchise (who is depicted as a fusion of a Tiger and a Centaur) and AdventureQuest 3D (as a Lychimera).[citation needed]

Ursagryph – A creature with the body of a bear and the claws, wings and head of a bird of prey (often an eagle), the Predacon Darksteel from Transformers Prime Beast Hunters: Predacons Rising transforms into a mechanical Ursagryph.

[El Borak]

Awesome resource!

[Morose]

I love this thread and I love these kinds of monsters.