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Where did the idea of mythical creatures come from?

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Centuries ago, mythological creatures like unicorns and mermaids were thought to be as real as horses or dolphins. read more

Paul Barber speculates extensively on the origins of European vampire myths in his Vampires, Burial, and Death, coming to the conclusion that the myth comes from a combination of the behavior of plagues, the human tendency to look for a human or human-like cause for things, and unfamiliarity with how bodies actually decayed, caused by the fact that they were normally buried quickly to get rid of the smell and unpleasantness. read more

Nobody knows for certain when or where dragons first entered into the popular culture, although tales of dragons existed in ancient Greece and ancient Samaria. read more

The myth of the Roc, the bird that feasted on elephants, could have been based on the existence of the Aepyornis birds, which were 500 kg (1,250 pounds) heavy and 4 m (13 ft) tall, living in Madagascar and which were seen by Arab sailors. read more

Encyclopedia Research

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Further Research

The Mystery of Unicorn Myths
www.gods-and-monsters.com

Where Did Dragons Come From?
www.smithsonianmag.com