+ Mythological Encyclopaedia Discover Europe through the world of mythology.

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Mythological Encyclopaedia

Discover Europe through the world of mythology

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Discover Europe through

the world of

mythology

LLP COMENIUS 2013 - 2015

TRITONE

POWERSAPPARENCE WAY OF LIFE WHAT IT DOES

With s scales and algae, his body was half fish and half

man, sometimes with horse paws.

Thanks to a magic horn he can cause sea storm or calm waves down,

according to the produced sounds.

He cuts through the sea helping

Neptune in realizing his will,

favouring or preventing the

sailors way.

He lives in the sea deep and rides waves thanks to his body shape.

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THE HAG (LAUMĖ)


They are weird long-haired

young women usually depicted as being naked. In very ancient

times it was believed that there existed

hags-cannibals with a very awful

appearance.

Hags can not only reward and be good

but also they can make harm and

bring death. While not having their own children, they gnaw bad mothers’ babies

or steal and exchange them.

They can tire out the men to death. Very often hags cut the

sheep, milk the cows to harm the family. With their spells hags can

cause rain, hail or storms.

Hags are very justice and they are keepers of moral. They

reward good and hard-working

people, but they punish those

who are bad or lazy.

Hags live in the forests, near the creeks, rivers or lakes, also near

swamps or stones. They

gather together, while being the

full moon at night, in wet

meadows and have fun dancing in circles. Every

Thursday evening they do the

laundry. They visit family’s bathhouse. BACK

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THE DEVIL (VELNIAS)


Usually devils are depicted as a young man or a short man with

the green hat, sometimes they may appear as a bird or an animal

(cat, horse, etc.).

While imitating the God, devil

pretends creating the world – God created the

lowlands and devil spitted on

it and threw stones and hills.

He has the power of turning

to anyone he wants and he is

very strong.

The main duty of the devil is to take care of Earth’s treasures, protect the poor and punish dishonest, greedy people, offenders, and drinkers. Devils tire out or deceive the way of people travelling at night.

Devils live in forests, swamps,

caves, under stones or under the ground. The

devil is careful as he always hides from his biggest

enemy the Thunder not to hit

him. Devils especially like

music that’s why they take

musicians to their feasts, weddings. While musicians play devils have

fun while dancing. BACK TO ALPHBET

THE KITE (AITVARAS)


It is conceived as a golden dragon with

huge wings or firing snake. At homes it can change the shape and

become a bird.

The Kite is immortal. While killing it, the Kite becomes a spark

and always causes the fire.

Most usually the man doesn’t even

guess that he has a Kite in his house as

he always has wealth and

richness that the Kite brings them secretly from a man. The Kite

usually protects good, not greedy people, those who are treated badly and brings them

riches: corns, flax, money that it

usually takes away from the rich

greedy people.

They live in homesteads or

barns of farmers who they choose.

The kite isn’t either good or

bad. If the farmer loves respects

and feeds it well, the Kite becomes his best friend and

brings lots of wealth. But for

those who behave bad to it the Kite revenges. It flies

above the trees in summer or

autumn evenings. Usually the Kite is

hatched from cock’s egg also it can be bought or domesticated.

The barn is the main dwelling of Kites

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ERLİK HAN


Erlik Han is a frightful man. His eyes and eyebrows are

black as coal, his beard is up to his knees,his

moustache is on his ears like wild boars molars, his

jaw is like a mallet ,and his horns are like tree roots. His

hair is dark black and curly..

He flies over the endless water

with the costume of the

geese and swan. He is the God of

underground world and makes

evil to the people.

Erlik Han has done evil against Tengri during the creation of the

world. Tengri has made him lord of the underground

world as a penalty.

Erlik Han has an underground

palace which its roof is made of

iron and its furnace is made of clay. He has a silver throne in

front of the palace.his sword is made of green

iron and the shield is made of flat iron.he has nine bulls, he has five sons

and two daughters.

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TULPAR


The horse is usually

described as white or black.

Tulpar opens his wings only in the dark and while

exceeding great obstacles and

distances

Tupar has white wings and created by

Kuday (God) to help the brave.

It is believed that If Tulpar’s wings are seen

by someone Tulpar would disappear.

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AKANA


It has a body of light, (non-corporeal).

It has elegant horns

symbolizing the begining of

power which is smiliar to the

crown.It has avery long light bluish tail like a mermaid.

It is believed that it started

the life cycle by giving spirit to

all which is about the

begining of life.

Yet nothing has been created

and there is only when a vast water. Akana

inspired by the endless waters

immersed in creating to

Ülgenhan and come back

waters again.

It lives in the endless waters

and starfish circulates around it.

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ÜLGENHAN


While describing these adjectives are used ; white,

bright, loud, burning, lightning.

In his hand he has a large shield and a bow which sends lightning.

Thunderbolts and lightning are his

weapons.The places become

holy which he hits with lightning. Manages air events and

unknown kinds of shapes in the

space.

Ulgenhan came to the land with two pieces of stones which, one is white

other is black and taught

people to make fire.

Ulgenhan lived in a gold palace which has a gold

door in “Gold Mountain” on

the 16th floor of the sky. It sits on a golden throne. Likes to do good.

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HIISI (GOBLIN)


Usually, they are black or grey and small in

size, on some occasions gigantic.

They cause diseases and all kind of troubles.

Travels in a noisy

procession, and attacks people

who did not give way to it. If

someone left the door open from

their house, Hiisi could come

inside and steal something.

They live in forests or in the

water.

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TUONEN TYTTI (DAUGHTER OF DEATH, DEATH’S MAID)


Long black hair and ragged

dress.

She decides who can enter the Underworld.

Lets dead people pass to Tuonela.

She lets only those to pass to

Tuonela (The Underworld),

who she believes are

dead. She is like a ferryman (similar to Charon)

between Tuonela and the earth.

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IELELE


They are beautiful women, usually

virgins, dressed in white from head to toe, with flowers in their long hair and

bells on their ankles. Ielele appear

sometimes with bodies or only as immaterial spirits.

They are young and beautiful, voluptuous

immortals, their frenzy causing

delirium in onlookers, and with

bad tempers, but not being necessarily

evil.

Ielele can fly without wings, traveling with

incredible speed. Anyone who refuse their invitation to

dance, or dares to mimic their

movements will be subject to

terrible punishment – paralyzed or

crippled.

These spirits like to remain in the forests and

mountains, enjoying the freedom to fly through the sky .

When they want to punish a man, Ielele used to charm him by their songs, to make him sleep in

sweet dreams, then they would dance around him and start cursing. In

order to keep this type of fairies away, people used to put

a horse skull in their fence.

They are spirits who grow up in groups of three

or seven of other iele and said to live in forests,

caves, skies and isolated cliffs or marshes. They appear at night as dancing hora (a type of circle

dance originating in the

Balkans) and enjoy

eating flowers.BACK TO ALPHBET

NÄKKI (NECK)


A shapeshifting water spirit who usually appears in human form. Näkki is very beautiful from the front, his

backside is hairy and extremely

ugly.

He could change himself into a

beautiful woman who attemptes to get children to the water.

Näkki tries to temptate the

young children into the depths.

Näkki resides in murky pools,

wells, piers and under bridges

that cross rivers.

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BALAUR


A Balaur is, in Romanian

mythology, a fantastic animal of huge size that often takes the

form of a serpent with

wings, legs and heads of a snake (three, seven, or

even twelve), representing an embodiment of evil and present

in most Romanian fairy

tales.

Some legends accredit them

with the common dragon

ability of fire-breathing, they can influence weather and

cause thunder and lightning.

Almost universally, the

Balaur represented evil,

being strong, wicked and cruel

.

Most of Romanian tales

deal with the conflict between the balaur and

their enemy, Fàt Frumos, the Romanian

equivalent of Prince

Charming–a heroic,

handsome figure of good.

The Balaur was considered as a creature of epic proportions, one that planted its footsteps on the mountain and touched the

violet skies with its lofty crest.

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MUMA PĂDURII


Muma Pădurii (lit. mother of

the woods) appears as a crone, with

wrinkled skin that is peculiarly similar to tree bark. In other

areas, her natural

appearance is that of a very

beautiful woman.

However, she is a shape shifter in both cases, assuming any

form she desires.

She steals human children, replacing them with her own.

She takes care of trees, as a mother takes care of her

children. She governs their

destinies, she is the one who

decides which tree will live and which will be cut

down.

She lives in the darkest depths

of forests, making tree hollows her

home.

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SPIRIDUȘ


A spiriduş in Moldavian and

Romanian mythology

represent a little creature that can be either

good or evil and is very similar to the leprechauns

It has to work and help his

owner to obtain money or other goods. A sum of money or a gift

handed by Spiriduş to

another person will always

return to the owner in a

magical way.

According Moldavian

territory legends Spiriduş,

although is a servant of his

owner and does good things for his master, is sent by the

Devil, and after the owner’s

death , his soul will belong to

the devil.

It is usually kept in a bottle.

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ILEANA COSÂNZEANA


She is represented as a beautiful good-natured princess.

Ileana is the original concept of feminine

beauty, the most beautiful amongst

the fairies: her eyes look like the sun,

her body is like the sea and her

garments are made of flowers. Pearls

and gold flow out of her mouth when

she sings.

She is said to use her power of white magic to heal or revive.

Ileana Cosânzeana succeeds in

defeating the evil forces only because she is

very brave, smart, modest.

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MEDUSA

APPEARENCE

In greek mythology, Medusa is a very ugly

creature and has snakes instead of hair. Her

eyes are terrifying. Her sisters, the Gorgons, are

also very ugly.In the Archaic period

Medusa and the Gorgons are often depicted with

wings. Their face usually has big eyes and a sticking

out tongue.

ORIGIN

Medusa is the only mortal out of the three Gorgons. She is not only hideous (=ugly), but also very

dangerous. Medusa lives away from other people, hiding herself. But she is

desperate and furious because of her looks. If

someone looks at her eyes, he will turn immediately

into a stone statue.

CHARACTERISTICS and POWERS

Medusa is the daughter of Phorkys and Keto, the

children of Gaea (Earth) and Oceanus (Ocean). She is

one of the three sisters known as the Gorgons. The

other two sisters were Sthenno and Euryale.

LOCATION The Gorgons are living either in a place called the Night (Nyx) beyond the Ocean (Oceanus), either somewhere in

Libya.

MYTH

In the beginning, Medusa is a pretty young lady but a jealous goddess (Athena) transforms her into a monster.

Perseus, the founder of Mycenae, is sent to kill the monster Medusa and bring back her head.

The goddess Athena helps Perseus; she gives him a sword and a shield and advices him not to look at

Medusa because her ugliness will turn him to stone. Instead he must use the shield as a mirror and look

in that to cut off Medusa's head. After cutting off the head of Medusa, Perseus gives

it to Athena to place it on her shield

SYMBOL and LEGACY The Gorgoneion showing Medusa’s head is a symbol since the Ancient times. It was used for

protection against evil. For artists Medusa’s head continue to be a powerful source of inspiration. We can see it today in works of

art, logos, fashion, tattoos, comics and design.

MEDUSA

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The SIRENS

APPEARENCECHARACTERISTICS and

POWERS

MYTH

In greek mythology,

Sirens are sea nymphs half

human, half bird. They have the head, arms and

the bust of a young woman; they also have the wings, and

lower part of the body of a bird.

LOCATION

Sirens probably lived on the flowery island

of Anthemoessa, placed in the

Tyrrhenian Sea or in the gulf of Naples, in

Italy.

Charming and malicious, they are attracting with their

beautiful music and their sweet voices the sailors and lead

them to death. Their voices are calling the sailors to join them with promises of pleasure and happiness. Once sailors hear the Sirens song, they can’t resist jumping into the sea

where the Sirens let them die. The Sirens are cannibals; they are eating their victims after they die.

In Homers Odyssey, Circe warns Odysseus about the dangerous Sirens but he wants to hear their song.

When his ship is approaching the Sirens coast, he puts wax in the ears of his companions and let them tie him to

the mast of the ship. When he hears the Sirens' song, Odysseus looses his mind

and wants to jump into the sea. Hopefully he can’t because he is tied. But the Sirens feel so desperate that

they kill themselves.

A siren falling from the rock.

SIRENS

SYMBOL

Sirens symbolize beautiful, seductive but dangerous

women. The siren song (or siren call) is

used as a metaphor for temptations.

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APPEARENCE


MYTH

In Greek mythology,

the Minotaur is a monstrous creature with the head of

a bull and the body of a man.

LOCATION

King Minos imprisons the Minotaur in a

labyrinth constructed by the architect

Daedalus in Knossos palace, in the island of

Crete (South of Greece). The labyrinth

is an enormous and complex construction

from which nobody can find his way out.

Poseidon sent a beautiful bull to King Minos of

Crete but Pasiphae, the

king’s wife, fell in love with the bull and gave birth to

the Minotaur.

Athens, after a long war with king Minos of Crete, is forced to make a treaty: the city has to send every 9 years, 7 young girls

and 7 young men, to be given as a sacrifice to the Minotaur. Years later, Theseus of Athens decides to take the place of

one young man in order to kill the Minotaur and deliver Athens.

In Crete, Theseus meets Ariadne who falls in love with him. Ariadne who is the daughter of king Minos and Pasiphae helps Theseus to kill the Minotaur: she gives him a ball of string and

a sword. Theseus ties the string at the entrance of the labyrinth. Then he goes in and kills the Minotaur with the

sword. After that he finds easily his way out and leaves Crete with Ariadne.

BIRTH

When the Minotaur grew up, he became ferocious.

He was eating human flesh, preferably ...

Athenians.

In reality Knossos palace was a complex construction, like a labyrinth.

Young Athenians waiting for their sacrifice in the Labyrinth.

MINOTAUR

Knossos coin

Sacred Minotaur horns are the symbol of Knossos palace.

SYMBOL

The Minotaur in art represents man's bestiality. The creature continue to inspire artists.

The MINOTAUR

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The Lernaean HYDRA

APPEARENCE


MYTHIn greek mythology, the Lernaean Hydra is a terrifying snake-like monster with numerous heads.

LOCATION The Hydra is living in the swamps (lake) near to the ancient city of Lerna in Argolis (Peloponnese, Greece)

The Hydra is invincible. If any of its heads is cut, another one - or even two - will grow in its place. The venom (=poison) of the monster is enough to kill a man or an animal. When it comes out from the swamp (=lake), it attacks the animals and local people, devouring them with its numerous heads.

Hercules decides to kill the beast that is terrorizing the area around the lake. He goes to the hiding place of the monster and draw it out of his hole with flaming arrows. When he attacks the beast with his sword, he realizes that, for each head he’s cutting, two more grow up in its place. So Hercules asks help from his companion Iolaos, who uses firebrands to cauterise (= to burn) each part cut by Hercules until the monster dies. As the monster’s blood is poisonous, Hercules keeps some to tip his arrows.

ORIGIN

The Hydra is the daughter of Echidna and Typhon and the half-sister of the Nemean Lion.

LEGACY

The name Hydra was given to:

• a constellation of stars, because it has the shape of a snake.

• a natural satellite of Pluto discovered in 2005

• a very small fresh water animal considered to be biological immortal because it reproduces its

cells.

2 pounds coin of Gibraltar

The Lernaean HYDRA

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SCILLA

POWERSAPPARENCE WAY OF LIFE WHAT SHE DOES

Scilla is a greedy woman, she

stole Gerion’ s beef and for this

reason was transformed by

Zeus in a woman with five legs

ending with dogs heads.

Through her five mouths she

eats at the same time the soilors

up.She is well

known to have eating six of

Ulisses’ fellows.

She checksThe entrance of the strait eating

up sailors.

She lives on a promontory by the sea, on the Calabria side of

the Messina straits.

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CARIDDI

POWERSAPPARENCE WAY OF LIFE WHAT SHE DOES

She was a beautiful woman loved by Glauco and turned into a monster by

Circe’s jealousy.Sometimes she is represented embedded in a rock from which only her head

comes out.

She swallows and vomit the sea waters,

making terrible vortex in which

ships are attracted and

sunken.

She checks together with

Scilla Messina’s entrance. She

decides the fate of who crosses

it.

She lives on a promontory on the Sicilian side of the Messina

Channel.

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+HAG HIISI HYDRA

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+

TULPAR TUONEN TYTTI

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TRITONE

THE TREASURER

+IELELE ILEANA COSÂNZEANA

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+

MEDUSAMINOTAUR MUMA PĂDURII

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+

SIRENS SPIRIDUȘ SCILLA

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+

BASILISK BORUTA

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BALAUR

BASILISK


Its appearance was frightening.

The creature was similar to a crocodile, but instead of the mouth it had a

cock head.Its eyes

resembled the frog’s eyes. To defend itself Basilisk used

sharp fangs and toxic breath.

Whoever looks at its eyes - is

just turned into stone.

It stayed in the old house in

Warsaw, scaring the inhabitants

of the city.

Basilisk was born from an

egg which was laid by a seven - year - old cock. He could live a

number of centuries.

Its place of living are ruins of a old

house in Warsaw.

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Place of living

BORUTA

POWERS

APPARENCE WAY OF LIFE WHAT HE DOES

He is usually depicted as a well dressed noble, in 17th century Polish

clothes, with big black

moustache. He had a tail and horns that were hidden under his

clothes.

Boruta is a devil. He can

transform himself into

animals, a bird with huge wings,

appearing in meadows and

swamps, a huge fish with horns,

appearing inBzura river,

a very fast black horse, running

around the Łęczyca castle,

an owl, appearing in the castle as well, people, fire. He was extremely strong, smart and clever.

He used to annoy people,

especially nobles. He

played tricks on them using his special powers,

outsmarting them with his

enormous wisdom,

strength and cleverness.At the same

time, according to many

legends, he helped the poor giving them flour

for bread.

Boruta devil is the hero of

numerous Polish legends. He lives

in a castle in Łęczyca (a city

in Poland) The devil is a

nobleman.

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DROWNERS

POWERS

APPARENCE WAY OF LIFE WHAT THEY DO

Drowners were very thin and high people.

They had green slimy skin. Their heads were big

and covered with long hair.

When the full moon was

coming they liked playing riddles with

people. They could transform themselves into

young handsome men or young pretty women. Then they attracted people to play with them. The

person who tried to cheat was immediately

drowned.

They were cruel and vicious creatures.

They drowned people who went swimming and animals which were crossing

rivers. They were also responsible of

flooding.

They lived in every reservoir of water even in wells and street

ditches.

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+DEVIL DROWNERS

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LICZYRZEPA

POWERS

APPARENCE WAY OF LIFE WHAT IT DOES

First he was shown as a

powerful, scary demon with

wings and horns.But most often

he was depicted as a man

advanced in years, medium-

height and stoop-

shouldered. His hair and his

beard were grey. Because of his age, he had to use a stick. He wore very dirty

clothes..

He could turn objects into

other objects or people by magic. He

created some people out of

turnips. Also, he created some parts of the Karkonosze mountains.

He was a mountain spirit.

With good people he was friendly, taught medicine and

gave presents. But if someone laughed at him, he took revenge.

.

Liczyrzepa was a character from

the Polish mountains - Karkonosze.

He didn’t have permanent place

of living, because he was

a vagrant, he went from one

place to another.

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THE MOUNTAIN SPIRIT

THE TREASURER

POWERS

APPARENCE WAY OF LIFE WHAT HE DOES

The Treasurer was most often presented as an old, bearded man, smoking a pipe, with a small pickaxe and a candle in his hand. However, he had a power to turn into different forms, for example, the mouse.

He knew in advance about

possible dangers in coal mines.

Then he appeared, out of nowhere, giving

help.He was able to transform into

other animals or creatures. For

example, in case of a rubble – he

became a mouse, which

wass necessary to quickly get

through narrow holes.

He was a friendly spirit,

who warned and helped miners in dangers. Miners

really appreciated his

help because he gave a hand

when someone got lost in an old mine, tunnels or was buried by

rubble..

The Treasurer could be found in all the mines

of Silesia.

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Discover Europe through

the world of

mythology

LLP COMENIUS 2013 - 2015

+ Mythological Encyclopaedia Discover Europe through the world of mythology.

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Transcript of + Mythological Encyclopaedia Discover Europe through the world of mythology.