Monster Encyclopedia - C

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calygreyhound

This creature from medieval heraldry has the body of an antelope, the claws of an eagle of its forelegs and the hooves of an ox on its hind legs. It symbolizes swiftness.

cameleopard

In Egyptian and Sumerian documentation and in records of medieval heraldry the cameleopard is the offspring of a camel and a leopard. The creature is about the size of a camel, but has the skin of a leopard. There is also documentation of a cameleopard that has two large curving horns.

catoblepas

In Greek, catoblepas means "that which looks downward". As its head is so heavy, this ironclad bull constantly looks downward. If it was not for this, the creature would have destroyed all life as its eyes cast immediate death, and its breath will do the same, much like the basilisk. This African creature is said to eat poisonous shrubs and bushes, and is quite sluggish. Some have compared it to the gnu, another African creature, as the gnu often holds its head near to the ground. In the middle ages, the catoblepas was sometimes called a gorgon, because of its ability to kill with sight.

ceasg

A Scottish mermaid, the ceasg are half-human, and half salmon. They are know to marry humans and the offspring of this combination are great sailors. If captured, a ceasg will grant three wishes. The ceasg is also known to use her beauty to lure sailors to her, and they never return.

cecrops

This legendary first king of Athens, was known to have the body of a human, and the tail of a serpent. The myths revolving around Cecrops can be found in Book 5 of Virgil's Aeneid, book 11 of Homer's Odyssey, book 2 of Pausanias' Description of Greece, and in Hesiod's Theogony.

The most famous centaurs are those from Greek mythology. In these myths, the centaurs were a race of creatures that were half man and half horse. They were sired by Ixion and a cloud. By definition, the centaur is a creature, half man and half horse. However, there are many variations of the centaur. Some had a human body terminating in human legs and feet with equine body and hind legs extended behind the waist. Another variation gave the centaur wings. Some times they have equine ears and sometimes they have both equine and human genitalia. Other variations include the onocentaur, bucentaur, and leontocentaurs. Aside from Chiron and to a lesser degree Pholos, the centaur population as a whole was associated with drunkenness and physical, especially sexual, violence. Nevertheless, the people of antiquity were too fond of horses to consider the union of horse and man as a degraded compound. In fact, the centaur is the only of the fancied monsters of this time to be given any good traits. Before the appearance of the Greek centaur there are earlier examples of man-horse creatures. For example, there are sculptures and tablets from the near east that pictured the centaur as guardian spirit. It is depicted as a hunter using a bow as it's principle weapon. After the Greek period it became a very popular symbol in art right through the middle ages, featured in the Bayeux Tapestry for example. The centaur from Greek myth can be found in Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, Apollodorus' Library, Ovid's Metamorphoses (book 12), Virgil's Aeneid (book 6), and Pausanias' Description of Greece

cerberus

The three headed dog from Greek mythology, was the offspring of Echinda and Typhon. It is the brother of Orthus. Cerberus acts as the guard of Hades. It is said to have a serpent for a tail. Some say that the Cerberus, instead of having three heads has fifty. It was one of Heracles' tasks to take the Cerberus out of Hades, which he succeeded in doing. The only other person to foil the Cerberus was Orpheus, who charmed the beast to sleep using his lyre. The Cerberus can be found in Greek myth in Virgil's Aeneid (book 5), Homer's Odyssey (book 11), Pausanias' Description of Greece (book 2), and Hesoid's Theogony.

cetus

In Greek mythology the sea-monster Cetus was created by the gods. In the myths, Cassiopea thought that she and her daughter Andromdea were more beautiful than the gods. In revenge, Poseidon demanded that Andromeda was to be chained to a rock where Cetus, creature with the body of a dolphin, a forked tail and the head of a greyhound was to eat her. However, Perseus saw the girl, iediately fell in love with her and defended her from the monster, eventually killing it and turing it to stone with the gorgon Medusa's head. This story can be found in Apollodorous' Library, book 2.

changeling

Changelings are the færie children that are left in the place of a stolen human baby. These babies are often deformed. A færie will raise the human child, though the child may be returned if the changeling can be made to laugh or if it is treated so badly that the færie parents are inclined to take it back. Although we associate tales of changelings with Celtic myth, tales of changelings are found in both Chinese and Native North American legend. Some have even associated the modern myth of alien abduction with changelings.

chimera

The chimera of Greek myth is the offspring of Echinda and Typhon. From the Greek meaning "she-goat" the Chimera is a fire breathing creature that has the body of a goat, the head of a lion and the tail of a serpent. Some have said that the Chimera has three heads, but the popular myth tells of the single, fire-vomiting head. The Chimera was slain by Belleraphone while he was on the winged horse Pegasus. Some say that the Chimera is the offspring of the Hydra, and others cite the chimera as the mother of the Sphinx and the Nemean Lion by Orthus. The myths of the Chimera canbe found in Apollodorous' Library (book 1), Vrigil's Aeneid (book 6), Homer's Iliad (book 6), Ovid's Metamorphoses (book 4) and Hesiod's Theogony.

chinese fox

Looking like a typical fox, the Chinese fox has a life span that is between 800 and 1000 years. Each part of this fox's anatomy has special powers. Its tail when struck on the ground can start fires, it can see into the future and it can change its shape. Often appearing as an old man, young girl or a scholar. The Chinese fox is a trickster and so its appearance can be a bad omen. These foxes often are found around graveyards and it is said that the souls of the dead can transmigrate with the body of this fox.

coblynau

This Welsh race of little people live in the mines, and guide miners to ore by their knocking. Although ugly, they are good-natured. If angered, they are known to throw stones at humans.

cockatrice

see basilisk

corrigan

A corrigan is a Celtic færie. A native of Brittany, this druidess is known to steal away healthy human babies and replace them with changelings. She is set on causing mischief and mayhem for Christians.

crocotta

Documented by Pliny, this offspring of a wolf and dog can be found in Ethiopia. It is said that this creature can break anything with its teeth and can also eat anything. It may be just an exaggeration of a hyena which has very powerful jaws.

cyclops

From Greek mythology, the cyclops were originally storm-gods, famous for having but one eye in the middle of their foreheads. They were titans or giants, and were put in and out of Tartarus on many occasions. Eventually they became great smiths, occasionally help Hephaestus with some of his work. It is said that the cyclops were the ones who fashioned Zeus' lightning bolt. Originally, it was said that there were only three of them, sons of Ouranos: Brontes (Thunder), Sterops (lightning), and Arges (thunderbolt). Later, they were called the sons of Poseidon. The cyclops were eventually made into a race of one-eyed beings. Cannibalistic and brutish, cyclops were feared and shunned. They can be found in Homer's Odyssey (book 9), and in Euripides' play The Cyclops

cyroeraeth

A variation of the Banshee legends, this Welsh creature was said to give warning of impending death. Heard only at crossroads or near a river, the cry of the Cyroeraeth was accompanied by splashing water. Although it was very rarely seen, the Cyroeraeth has been described as a woman with tangled hair and long withered arms. Its face was described as withered and ghastly, and it had long black teeth.

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