Lambton Worm

The Lambton Worm is a legendary creature from North East England.The myth takes place around the River Wear near County Durham.It is one of the most prominent myth of the area, having been adapted from written and oral traditions into pantomime and song formats.

Legend:

The story states that the young John Lambton was a rebellious character who missed his duties to go fishing in the River Wear. John Lambton does not catch anything until the time the church service finishes , at which point he fishes out a small eel- or lamprey-like creature with nine holes on each side of its salamander-like head. Depending on the version of the story the worm is no bigger than a thumb, or about 3 feet long. At this point, John declares that he has caught a demon and decides to dispose of his catch by dumping it down a nearby well. A local old man then issues warnings about the nature of the beast. John then forgets about the creature and eventually grows up. As a penance for his rebellious early years, he joins the crusades. Eventually, the worm grows extremely large and the well becomes poisonous. The villagers start to notice livestock going missing and discover that the fully-grown worm has emerged from the well and coiled itself around a local hill.

In some versions of the story the hill is Penshaw Hill, that on which the Penshaw Monument now stands, but locally the credit goes to the nearby Worm Hill, in Fatfield. In most versions of the story, the worm is large enough to wrap itself around the hill 7 times. It is said that one can still see the marks of the worm on Worm Hill. The worm terrorizes the nearby villages, eating sheep, preventing cows from producing milk and snatching away small children. It then heads towards Lambton Castle where the Lord (John Lambton's aged father) manages to sedate the creature in what becomes a daily ritual of offering the worm, milk of nine good cows, twenty gallons, or a filled wooden/stone trough. A number of brave villagers try to slaughter the beast but are quickly dispatched. When a chunk is cut off the worm it simply reattaches the missing piece. Visiting knights also try to assault the beast but none survive. When annoyed the worm would uproot trees by coiling its tail around them. It then created devastation by waving around the uprooted trees like a club.

After seven years, John Lambton returns from the Crusades to find his father's estates almost destitute because of the worm. John decides to fight it, but first seeks the guidance of a wise woman or witch near Durham.

The witch hardens John's resolution to kill the beast by explaining his responsibility for the worm. She tells him to cover his armor in spearheads and fight the worm in the River Wear, where it now spends its days wrapped around a great rock. The witch also tells John that after killing the worm he must then kill the first living thing he sees, or else his family will be cursed for nine generations and will not die in their beds.

John prepares his armor according to the witch's instructions and arranges with his father that, when he has killed the worm, he will sound his hunting horn three times. On this signal, his father is to release his favorite hound so that it will run to John, who can then kill the dog and thus avoid the curse.

John Lambton then fights the worm by the river. The worm tries to crush him, wrapping him in its coils, but it cuts itself on his armor's spikes, the pieces of the worm fall into the river, and are washed away before they can join up again . Eventually, the worm is dead and John sounds his hunting horn three times.

Unfortunately, John's father is so excited that the beast is dead that he forgets to release the hound and rushes out to congratulate his son. John cannot bear to kill his father and so, after they meet, the hound is released and dutifully dispatched. But it is too late and nine generations of Lambtons are cursed so they shall not die peacefully in their beds. That is how the story ends. This curse affect to nine generation of Lambton. This curse seems to have held true for at least three generations, possibly helping to contribute to the popularity of the story.

1st generation: Robert Lambton, drowned at Newrig.

2nd: Sir William Lambton, a Colonel of Foot, killed at Marston Moor.

3rd: William Lambton, died in battle at Wakefield.

9th: Henry Lambton, died in his carriage crossing Lambton Bridge on June 26, 1761.

Reality:

Some parts of the story are rooted in reality. Though the present Lambton Castle in County Durham did not exist at the time of the legend, is seems likely that a Lambton estate has been at the same location for several centuries. The castle, in its present form, was built byJohn George Lambton, the first Earl of Durham, in the early 19th century. During that period the Lambton family made a lot of money from the coal mining business and put it into reconstructing the castle. Ironically, the castle suffered substantial damage when the very coal mines that had paid for it collapsed underneath the structure in the 1930's.

Lambton Castle as it appeared in the 19th century.

The river Wear, where John Lambton supposedly caught the monster, does really run through Durham County. The hill mentioned in the legend as the creatures resting place is said to be either Penshaw Hill or Worm Hill. Penshaw Hill, which is topped by a replica of a Greek doric temple built to honor the first Earl of Durham, is often pictured in modern drawings of the worm. This is an anachronism, as the temple wasn't built until 1844, several centuries after the legendary monster was dead. More likely the actual hill involved in the story is Worm Hill located several miles away. It is said that for several years afterward the marks the worm made while wrapped around that hill could be seen by those passing by.

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Ayia Napa Sea Monster

The Ayia Napa Sea Monster is a cryptid, claimed to inhabit the coast of Ayia Napa in Cyprus, a popular tourist resort on the Mediterranean.This giant sea monster has plagued the waters of Ayia Napa for years. The best evidence for this creature is the countless amount of people who claimed to have seen it. Most sightings occur around Cape Greco (Cavo Greko). It is known by the local fishermen as "To Filiko Teras", which translates as "The Friendly Monster". There have been no reports of it causing any harm, although it has been reported at times to rip and drag away fishing nets. There have been countless sightings of the "Creature from the Depths", with some local newspapers calling the mystery the "Cyprus Loch Ness". It has been speculated to be something like a crocodile or serpent.It’s lower body is that of a serpent, and has six snarling dog heads attached to it.

Many believers of the myth of the Ayia Napa Sea Monster link it with the common mythical sea monster of Greek mythology called Scylla, which is depicted in the mosaics that remain in the House of Dionysus, a Roman villa from the 2nd century AD in Paphos, Cyprus. Many ancient authorities describe it as a monstrous form of a giant maiden in torso, with a serpent for its lower body, having six snarling dog-heads issuing from its midriff, including their twelve forelimbs. This is the form described by Gaius Julius Hyginus, the Bibliotheca and the Suda, among so many others, and it is this form most often depicted on vase paintings. According to a description from Hyginus, a Latin author,actually it possessed “more heads than the vase-painters could paint”and, whoever encountered it was killed almost instantaneously.

Government officials have started an expedition to search the monster. The hope of spotting the Ayia Napa Sea Monster remains a highlight for many tourists. Many hotels boast to being close to sightings. There is no possible link to any such sea monster and any monster said to be living in Kouris Dam, which according to reports are more likely to be crocodiles that had been kept as pets but unlawfully released.

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Jackalope

The Jackalope is a mythical animal of North American folklore (a so-called "fearsome critter") described as a jackrabbit with antelope horns or deer antlers and sometimes a pheasant's tail (and often hind legs). The word jackalope is a portmanteau of "jackrabbit" and "antalope", an archaic spelling of antelope.The jackalope is an aggressive species, willing to use its antlers to fight. Thus, it is also sometimes called the "warrior rabbit."

Origin:

In Central America, mythological references to a horned rabbit creature can be found in Huichol legends. The Huichol oral tradition has passed down tales of a horned rabbit and of the deer getting horns from the rabbit.The rabbit and deer were paired, though not combined as a hybrid, as day signs in the calendar of the Mesoamerican period of the Aztecs, as twins, brothers, even the sun and moon.

Folklorists see the jackalope as one of a group of fabled creatures common to American culture since Colonial days.The Jackalope has bred the rise of many outlandish (and largely tongue-in-cheek) claims as to the creature’s habits. For example, it is said to be a hybrid of the pygmy deer and a species of “killer rabbit”. According to some reports, Jackalopes are extremely shy unless approached. They can run up to 90 miles per hour. Legend also has it that female jackanapes can be milked as they sleep belly up and that the milk can be used for a variety of medicinal purposes. It has also been said that the Jackalope can convincingly imitate any sound, including the human voice. It uses this ability to elude pursuers, chiefly by using phrases such as “There he goes! That way!”

During days of the Old West, when cowboys gathered by the campfires singing at night, jackanapes could often be heard mimicking their voices. It is said that a Jackalope may be caught by putting a flask of whiskey out at night. The Jackalope will drink its fill of whiskey and its intoxication will make it easier to hunt. In some parts of the United States it is said that Jackalope meat has a taste similar to lobster. However, legend has it that they are dangerous if approached. It has also been said that Jackanapes will only breed during electrical storms including hail, explaining its rarity. 

Whether or not the Jackalope exists and roamed is up for debate but the stories of the Jackalope will go on and with it also carry on the legacy of the Old West, a time of when legends ran wild.

Explanation:

It is possible that the tales of Jackalopes were inspired by sightings of rabbits infected with the Shope papilloma virus, which causes the growth of horn and antler-like tumors in various places on the rabbit’s head and body.However, the concept of an animal hybrid occurs in many cultures, for example as the griffin and the chimera. Indeed, the term chimera has become the categorical term for such composites within the English language.A common southwestern U.S. species of jackrabbit is called the antelope jackrabbit, because of its ability to run quickly like an antelope.

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The Erlking

The Erlking (from Elf-King) or Lord Herne is a name from Danish and German folklore for the figure of a spirit or "king of the fairies".The Erlking comes from Scandinavian folklore, from a time when, as in England, elves had become depicted as creatures of dread. The character is most famous as the antagonist in Goethe's poem Der Erlkönig and Schubert's musical adaptation of the same name. 

Origin:

The Erlking as a character has its origins in a common European folklore, the seductive but deadly fairy or siren (compare La Belle Dame sans Merci and the nix). In its original form in Scandinavian folklore, the character was a female spirit, the elf-king's daughter (Elverkongens datter). Similar stories existed in numerous ballads throughout Scandinavia in which an elverpige (female elf) was responsible for ensnaring human beings to satisfy her desire, jealousy or lust for revenge.

According to Jacob Grimm, the term originates with a Scandinavian (Danish) word, ellekonge "king of the elves", or for a female spirit elverkongens datter "the elven king's daughter", who is responsible for ensnaring human beings to satisfy her desire, jealousy or lust for revenge.The New Oxford American Dictionary follows this explanation, describing the Erlking as "a bearded giant or goblin who lures little children to the land of death", mistranslated as Erlkönig in the late 18th century from ellerkonge.

The Erlking's Daughter:

Johann Gottfried von Herder introduced this character into German literature in Erlkönigs Tochter, a ballad published in his 1778 volume Stimmen der Völker in Liedern. It was based on the Danish folk ballad Hr. Oluf han rider "Sir Oluf he rides" published in the 1739 Danske Kæmpeviser. Herder undertook a free translation where he translated the Danish elvermø ("elf maid") as Erlkönigs Tochter; according to Danish legend old burial mounds are the residence of the elverkonge, dialectically elle(r)konge, the latter has later been misunderstood in Denmark by some antiquarians as "alder king",  Danish elletræ "alder tree". It has generally been assumed that the mistranslation was the result of error, but it has also been suggested (Herder does actually also refer to elfs in his translation) that he was imaginatively trying to identify the malevolent sprite of the original tale with a woodland demon (hence the alder king).

The story portrays Sir Oluf riding to his marriage but being entranced by the music of the elves. An elf maiden, in Herder's translation the Elverkonge's daughter, appears and invites him to dance with her. He refuses and spurns her offers of gifts and gold. Angered, she strikes him and sends him on his way, deathly pale. The following morning, on the day of his wedding, his bride finds him lying dead under his scarlet cloak.

Goethe's Erlkönig:

Although inspired by Herder's ballad, Goethe departed significantly from both Herder's rendering of the Erlking and the Scandinavian original. The antagonist in Goethe's "Der Erlkonig" is, as the title suggests, the Erlking himself instead of his daughter. Goethe's Erlking differs in other ways as well: his version preys on children, rather than adults of the opposite gender, and the Erlking's motives are never made clear. Goethe's Erlking is much more akin to the Germanic portrayal of elves and valkyries – a force of death rather than simply a magical spirit.

Goethe’s poem tells of a father riding through the forest with his feverish young son. The son is aware of the presence of the foreboding presence of the Erlking, who calls to him to leave his father and join him in his faery abode. The father, however, believes the son is merely hallucinating. In the end, the father arrives at home, but not before his son dies in his arms.Franz Schubert used Der Erlkönig as the text for a Lied or art song for solo voice and piano in 1815

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Minhocão

The Minhocão ("big earthworm" in Brazilian Portuguese) is a large earthworm-like cryptid that allegedly exists in the forests of Central and South America.Although this species is principally fossorial, it also has aquatic habits. It has been reported to prey on large surface animals, including cattle, by suddenly capturing them from below the water.It reportedly resides in the wettest and warmest areas of South and Central America, and is a feared part of the culture in that region. The ancient Mayans depicted, through cave carvings and paintings, an extremely large serpent who was believed to eat humans. Some believe these drawings to be of the Minhocão. The possibility that the Minhocão still exists deep in the unexplored forests of South and Central America is debated, though there have been rumored sightings of the ancient serpent as recent as 2013. The Minhocão burrows massive trenches in which it will hide or live in.

Appearance:

It reportedly resembles a giant worm like Mongolian Death Worm, with scaly black skin covering its entire body,a visible mouth and a pair of tentacle-like structures protruding from its head. The Minhocão is said to resemble a 20 to 50 meter worm or serpent, with scaly black skin covering its entire body.It is reported to be ectothermic and have highly mobile jaws and is thought to be a burrowing animal, dwelling in enormous trenches or caves beneath the jungle floor.

Identity:

Cryptozoologist Karl Shuker has suggested that this animal may be an example of a giant caecilian. Caecilians are a poorly known group of amphibians with worm-like, limbless bodies, subterranean/aquatic habits and tentacle-like sense organs on the head. Also, most caecilians do inhabit the forests of South America. which fits the description of the minhocão well. However, known caecilians do not even begin to approach the supposed size of this animal.

In On the Track of Unknown Animals, Bernard Heuvelmans suggests that the animal may be a surviving glyptodont. However, unlike their modern relatives, the armadillos, there is no evidence that glyptodonts had burrowing habits. Whatever kind of creature the minhocão was, if real, it appears to be extinct now, as there have been no reported minhocão sightings in the past 130 years.

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Nemean Lion

The Nemean Lion was a vicious monstrous lion, born to Orthos and Khimaira (Chimera).  It lived around Nemea and terrorized the nearby villages, often killing the cattle and sheep. It lived inside a cave with two entrances. One swipe from its paws was able to kill a man. On top of this, its skin, which appeared normal, acted as an armor that no man-made weapon could pierce.

Legend:

The Nemean Lion was the fearsome offspring of the legendary Typhon and its mate, Echidna, and participated with both monsters in the battle against the Gods. When the Typhon was defeated by Zeus, the Nemean Lion, along with its siblings Cerberus, Chimaera, Sphinx, Hydra, Ladon, and Orthus were allowed to live to pose challenges to future heroes.

Slaying the Nemean Lion was the first task that King Eurystheus asked of the Hercules during his myth of famous labors, Hercules was tasked to kill the Nemean Lion, which no weapon could kill. Hercules shot the beast with arrows. Since they had no affect the Lion did not even notice them, aside one which fell before him. The Lion charged the demi-God after seeing the arrow, and Heracles hit his head with a club made of oak. The weapon temporarly blinded the monster yet shattered to pieces. Half blind and suffering from vertigo the Lion retreated into its cave. Heracles blocked one of the two entrances, rushed inside and suffocated the beast to death. From that point on, he wore the Nemean Lion's skin as a mantle, protecting it from harm.

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Mngwa or Nundu

The Mngwa, also known as the Nunda is a mysterious creature sighted in Tanzania.Folklore from eastern Africa (especially Tanzania) describes a big cat that natives insist is a different species than the lion. 

Appearance:

It is described by both natives and white hunters as a creature larger than a leopard, with dark grayish, brindled fur. Brindling is the rough, intersperse and indistinct striping seen on many breeds of dogs. Brindling tends to look like one color from a distance. 

Chronology:

It was first mentioned in a Swahili song dating from the year 1150 which also mentions the Lion (Simba) the Leopard (Nsui) and the Mngwa as three different creatures. The legend says that this big cat is stronger than a lion and deadlier than a leopard. It moves silently, comes out to kill humans, and then disappears. No hunter has ever achieved success in killing one.  About 700 years ago, leaders of native tribes organized hunting parties to find the Mngwa, but there is no record of them catching any.

In early 1900s, famous British scientific journal Discovery, William Hichens, a British administrator working in Tanzania reported that several natives stated that they were attacked by this beast.He wrote about the mangled bodies of several natives that were said to have been attacked by the legendary monster; the victims were found clutching tufts of grey fur in their hands. He thought it to be a giant, man-eating lion that was responsible for the attacks, but both fur-samples and tracks were different from those of a lion.In 1937, Hichens wrote that the attacks had begun again:

 "Not long ago a man was brought in to me at Mchinga on a litter and terribly mauled by some great beast. He said it was a mngwa ... One well-known hunting-song tells of the Simba [lion], Nsui [leopard], and the Mngwa all in one verse, plainly showing that there is no confusion in the native mind between these three great carnivores."

In Frank W. Lane's 1954 issue of Nature Parade, Patrick Bowen, a hunter who tracked the Mngwa at one time, remarked that the animal's tracks were like those of the leopard, but much larger.  Lane believed that the attacks reported in the 19th century by the Chimiset, associated with the Nandi Bear, might actually have been attacks by the Mngwa.

Bernard Heuvelmans in his book “ On the Track of Unknown Animals” speculated that the creature may possibly have been an abnormally coloured variation. He later,in a 1986 Cryptozoology article, proposed that it may be a larger subspecies of the golden cat (Profelis aurata).

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