Myths and
Folklore
Dragons and their kin appear in the myths and art of
many peoples, taking on the aspects of whatever
emotion or thought the artist chooses to represent
them as.
In Egyptian mythology the dragon Apophis was the
enemy of the Sun God, Re. Various dragons are found
in the art and mythology of the Canaanite peoples.
(you know, the ones from the Bible.)
Hercules
fought a dragon in the Garden of the Hesperides, and
Perseus while liberating Andromeda. The Roman Legions
used a dragon tabard that was taken over from the
barbarians they fought.
Christian legend portrays Satan as a great dragon,
leading to numerous tales in that vein. St. George,
for instance, tames the dragon with the sign of the
cross before slaying it to rescue the daughter of the
King of Libya, who was to be sacrificed.
A treasure Dragon is found in the Nordic story of
Lindwurm, the guardian of the treasure of the
Rheingold, who is killed by the hero of the story.
In Chinese traditon and Art the dragon is a symbol
of well-being, power, and fertility. Representation
of the dragon appears on Chinese pottery, in art, and
in folk pageants presented anually around the
country.
In Bali (i'm not sure where Bali is, other than
Bali Hi in 'South Pacific', which is obviously in the
South Pacific) the dragon is represented as the good
force opposing the evil witch Rangda.
There are also representations of dragons, or
similar creatures found in the art of ancient peoples
such as the Aztecs of Mexico, and the Nazca culture
of Peru. Although the Nazca portrayed it as a great
cannibal monster.
In folklore and literature, Fairies are the
inhabitants of a lnd often locayed under a hill and
near a forest where they dance in mushroom fairy
rings and the grass is made greener by magic.
At times, Fairies are thought of as the remnants
of Heathen Gods. In other accounts they are the
spirits of the elements. Some religious accounts
indicate that they are fallen Angels that didn't fall
quite far enought to make it to Hell.
The major habitat of the Fairy is the old Celtic
regions of Britain, Ireland, and Breton,
France.
Kinds of
Fairies
Pixies
A small fairy, the Pixie is a mischevious household
spirit. They can be seen dancing by moonlight and
playing harmless pranks such as making strange noises
and helpfully getting people lost in the
woods.
Brownies (no, not the chocolate kind)
Another household spirit, the Brownie is closely
related to the Goblin. They are usually seen as
wizened old men dressed in brown hoods and coats.
Brownies attach themselves to certain families and
assist with the chores. The expected reward is a bowl
of milk or cream, or a special cake. When not treated
properly, Brownies would retaliate by spilling milk,
breaking bowls, and otherwise making life difficult
for the errant housewife. Any reward other than the
cream, or the cake would anger a Brownie, whereupon
it would dissapear, never to be seen
again.
Goblins
These are the french version
of a
Brownie. They help with the chores at night, while
the members of the household are sleeping, much as
the Brownies do. Goblins like pretty children, and
often give them gifts, but they punish disobedient
boys and girls. Goblins are erratic creatures, and
just as given to playung pranks as being helpful.
Housewives leave food out for the Goblins, although
it doesn't help much with their behavior.
Kobolds
Thought mischevious, and given to pranks, the Kobold is essentially good natured and will help with domestic chores if properly fed. It is fond of hiding things, but also clever at finding lost objects. This is a German variation on the Brownie.
Gnomes
Gnomes also look like little old men, but they live
in caves and mines. There are about three feet tall,
and often hunchbacked or stooped over, with wrinkled
skin and long beards. Gnomes are exelent metal
workers who fashiontreasures of jewels and precious
metals. Like most species of Fairy, Gnomes were
freindly when pleased with you, and vindictive when
not. Some Gnomes had the magical power to make
themselves invisible.
Leprechauns
This particular little old man is only about two feet tall, and is usally seen wearing a leather apron in keeping with his role as a shoemaker. Every Leprechaun is beleived to posses a hidden pot of gold. When caught, he can be forced to give up the treasure. However, if the captor takes his eyes off the Leprechaun for a single instant, the little man dissapears. Leprechauns who lose their pot of gold or allow it to be stolen become mortal if it is not found or returned.
Sylphs, Salamanders, and Undines
Elementals that serves as a link between material and immaterial beings. These beings are said to have magical powers, but no souls, although they could aquire a soul by marrying a mortal. Sylphs are air elementals, Salamanders are beings of fire, and Undines, beings of water. The element of earth is served by Gnomes or Dwarfs.
Nymphs
These are lesser gods, who live in quiet places,
attuned with nature. They are generally on good terms
with the greater gods. They have great beauty, and
are loved and respected by most men and gods. Nymphs
spend their time in pleasurable pursuits, such as
weaving, spinning, song and dance, and bathing. Being
only lesser gods, Nymphs were not immortal. They did
live longer than the mere mortals, however. Nymphs
can be classified as follows:
Dryades and Hamadryades
Forest Nymphs who inhabit
groves, ravines, and wooded valleys, the Hamadryades
are the guardians of the Oak trees. Other Dryades,
the Meliae, are the guardians of fruit and ash trees.
Dryads rarely associated with other cultures; their
lives are inexplicably bound to the tree they
inhabit. When the tree dies, the Dryad dies with
it.
Oreades, Nymphs of mountains and grottoes;
Limoniades, of meadows and flowers;
Napaeae, found in
vales with grazing herds;
Potameides; Nymphs of
rivers;
Oceanides, of fountains and streams;
Pleiades
Seven daughters of Atlas and Pleione,
(Maia, Electra, Taygete, Alcyone, Celaeno, Merope,
and Sterope) who were companions of the Greek Goddess
Artemis. Fleeing the advances of the hunter Orion,
they sought the help of the gods, who changed them
into doves, wherupon they flew up into the sky and
became stars.
Atlantadeis, another offspring of Atlas (he certainly
got around for someone who carried the world on his
shoulders, didn't he?)
Nereids
The fifty daughters of Nerial, the Wise old God of
the Sea, and the nymph, Doris. (Unfortunately, that
really was her name. Innapropriate, isn't it?). The
Nereides are Water Nymphs of the Mediterranean Sea
bottom. They were shapeshifters, and had their
fathers' gift of prophesy. They occasionally aided
storm tossed sailors. The most famous Nereid was
Thetis, the mother of Achilles. The Nereids are
generally depicted as Beautiful Naked Ladies riding
sea beasts. Tales of Nereides most often arose in
seaports. (Which is probably why they're always
naked.)
Limniades (different from Limoniades) are of lakes,
marshes and swamps, and are dangerous to travelers.
Naiades
Daughters of Zeus, they are beautiful
water Nymphs who inhabit fountains. wells, springs,
rivers and lakes. They are benevolent fairies, and
are sometimes patronesses of peotry and song. The
waters of their domains posses curative or prophetic
powers.
Hyades
Daughters of Atlas (there he is
again) and Aethra, and half-sisters to the Pleiades
and Atlantadeis, they were changed into stars by
Zeus. (maybe he was jealous on behalf of his own
kids)
Pygmies and Sprites
I couldn't find any information of mythical Pygmies or sprites. any suggestions?
Dwarfs
Beings of
short stature and varied magical powers, Dwarfs
started out as demonic beings in Christian folklore.
More recently, they have been relegated to characters
in children's stories and fantasy books, where they
have much the same role as Humans, with the exception
that they are almost always miners and warriors.
Dwarfs almost inevitably live underground.
Trolls
Gnome-like creatures of Norse mythology, Trolls are giants in Icelandic literature, and Dwarfs in Scandanavian folklore. They are thought of as kind to the Human race, but occasionally steal provisions, with which women and children are often confused. In more modern literature, they've become the bad guys in most Fantasy Realms.
Elves
Small, generally mischevious creatures that posess great magical powers. All elves in folklore posses shape shifting ability and can vanish in a puff of smoke at will. They can be good or evil, although evil elves are often ugly and misshapen. These elves dwell in the ground and avoid sunlight. Good elves are pleasant in manner and appearance, dancing in fairy circles to the music of magical harps, particularly during the full moon. The more modern elves are human sized, and rarely shape shifters. Their powers are, for the most part, elemental, and the differences in appearance are slight, but noticeable. They appear to be very delicate, but are not. Fine bone structure, long limbs, and a superb sense of balance give them a grace that humans lack, and the pointed ears round out the alien appearance.
