Difference between revisions of "Wilder"

Revision as of 13:50, 11 May 2011

How to Fuse

Garm

Main article: Garm

A hunting dog that appears in Germanic mythology.

Garm guards Eljudnir, Hel's hall in Niflheim, and is chained in the cave of Gnipahellir. He chases away all who approach the underworld, allowing only Odin to pass. At Ragnarok, he will be released from his chain, and his howl will announce the beginning of the end. After an epic battle with Tyr, the dying Garm will sink his teeth into Tyr's throat, sending both to their deaths.

Although he appears vicious at first glance, Garm is actually a big softie. Timid and lonely, he is sometimes identified with Fenrir.

Bicorn

Main article: Bicorn

A monster with two sharp, spiraling horns on its forehead. Considered the counterpart of the unicorn. Males are called bicorns, while females are called chichevaches ("thin cows").

If unicorns are considered holy, then bicorns are considered unholy, reviled as filthy beasts. The number 1 is said to signify the purity of man, while the number 2 represents the seduction brought by the arrival of women. This dualistic nature has proved especially influential in Japan.

Unicorns are said to have originated from bicorns, and once had two horns themselves. They are also thought to have been invented later as symbols of good to oppose the "evil" bicorns.

Bicorns are said to symbolize adultery, one of the Seven Deadly Sins.

Gyuki

Main article: Gyuki

Also known as Ushioni. A monster with the head of a bull and the body of a spider. It is vicious, brutal, and extremely belligerent, and is said to attack and devour humans who walk along beaches. Its superhuman strength and relentless nature mean that once it sets its sights on you, there is no escape.

Today, there is a festival in Uwajima, Ehime, Japan featuring a parade dedicated to Gyuki. Many shrines throughout Japan also pay tribute to Gyuki.

Raiju

Main article: Raiju

Raijū ("thunder animal" or "thunder beast") is a legendary creature from Japanese mythology. Its body is composed of either lightning or fire and may be in the shape of a cat, tanuki, monkey, or weasel. The form of a white and blue wolf (or even a wolf wrapped in lightning) is also common. It may also fly about as a ball of lightning or fire (in fact, the creature may be an attempt to explain the phenomenon of ball lightning). Its cry sounds like thunder.

Nue

Main article: Nue

A nūe (鵺) is a legendary creature found in Japanese folklore. It is described as having the head of a monkey, the body of a raccoon dog, the legs of a tiger, and a snake as a tail. According to the legend, a nūe can metamorphose into a black cloud and fly. Due to its appearance, it is sometimes referred to as a Japanese chimera. Nūe are supposed to be bringers of misfortune and illness.

Mothman

Main article: Mothman

A cryptid sighted in West Virginia from the 60s to 80s. Named for the finlike appendages on the sides of his body. Said to keenly sense blood, so as to track the source and feed on it.

Catoblepas

Main article: Catoblepas

The catoblepas is a legendary creature from Ethiopia, described first by Pliny the Elder and later by Claudius Aelianus. It is said to have the body of a buffalo and the head of a hog. Its back has scales that protect the beast, and its head is always pointing downwards. Its stare or breath could either turn people into stone, or kill them. The catoblepas is often thought to be based on real-life encounters with wildebeest, such that some dictionaries say that the word is synonymous with "gnu."

Fenrir

Main article: Fenrir

In Norse mythology, Fenris or Fenrir, Fenrisúlfr, Hróðvitnir or Vánagandr is a monstrous wolf. Fenrir is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda and Heimskringla, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson. In both the Poetic Edda and Prose Edda, Fenrir is the father of the wolves Sköll and Hati Hróðvitnisson, is a son of Loki, and is foretold to kill the god Odin during the events of Ragnarök, but will in turn be killed by Odin's son Víðarr.

Tao Wu

Main article: Tao Wu

"One of the Si-xiong from the west side of China, it is believed to carry the blood of a great emperor. Its stubborn personality leads it to fight until it can no longer stand."

— SMT Compendium Info 

According to the book "The Monster That is History" by David Der-wei Wang, the Taowu is a monster of Ancient China that, while skillful in divination and able to see the past and the future, is fierce and violent. The Taowu is said to appear with "a human face, a tiger's feet, a pig's feet and a tail 18 feet long". It is said to be thoroughly stubborn that it would refuse to back down from a fight.