Fantasy Mythical Creatures Myths or are there some truth to the folklore and stories?

The world of fantasy is one of the most interesting and intriguing popular cultures that have ever existed. Various myths and legends have given shape to the mythical world of fantasy and folklore as we know it today. Stories and adventures of mythological beasts like dragons, wizards, and the Pegasus have been around for many centuries, and we have loved them since then. The mythological fantasy world is not something you can learn or read about in a day, it is very wide and large, and everything in the mythical universe is interconnected, meaning that in order to truly understand a mythological element, you should also have the knowledge about other related characters and myths, and their connections with the element you are reading about.

As the mythological world is so deep and diverse, it becomes a little hectic to get all the information about something you need, and many important points may get skipped. We understand this problem, and we have curated a series of different articles on mythological creatures here at lair2000 to help you out. Reading these will give you deep insight into some magical beasts and how they have shaped the fantasy world.

Lair2000 is a 20 years old website that has been one of the best sources of diverse mythological information for a long time, we have given it a new look recently, and a lot of unique features and bonuses are yet to come. If you are into mythological fantasy, and if the folklore legends interest you, then you have come to the right place. The common folklore and different cultures are the originators of numerous fantasy creations, like fairies, unicorns, mermaids, and dragons.

The first mentions of these unique mythological beings were found in ancient scriptures thousands of years ago, and since then, they have been included in the cultures and common folklore of various communities. With time, the popularity of these mythical creatures increased as people started taking more and more interest in them. Everything went on connecting with each other, and thus a well-defined and organised mythological universe came into existence which changed the mythological and fantasy world forever.

Consider the Greek mythological world. For example, most of the popular mythological elements we commonly see today are believed to have originated from Greek scriptures and ancient texts. They are also mentioned and referred to in Greek art too. Everything seems connected in Greek mythology, and the mythical creatures seem very glorified. With time, we started taking more and more interest in these mythological creatures and fantasy beings, and slowly they became a part of our common culture and day to day life. This increasing popularity of mythological beings was then used by entertainment creators, who used these to create fantasy cinematic and gaming titles. Like Sweet Bonanza from Pragmatic as example. This game you can try for free to get an idea about the artworks and the colourful adventurous candy-theme.

One of the most popular mythological creatures of all time is the mighty dragon. Dragons are very popular, and you will see them in different references and parts of the modern entertainment universe. Dragons have been around for several years, and they have been influencing the mythological cultures and common folklore of popular groups and regions for many centuries.

Although the dragon is mentioned in the culture and scriptures of numerous groups and countries, dragons are very common in eastern areas like China, Korea, Japan, India, Indonesia, and other eastern Asian countries. Dragons are also popular in western cultures, and they have been an important part of the folklore and classical legends of several European countries. Just like other popular mythological creatures, the dragon is mentioned in popular Greek mythology too.

However, the representation of dragons in Greek mythology and European cultures is very different from the way they are depicted in eastern mythology. Although the basic few points of these creatures are the same in both the mythologies, but many details are contrasting, and the western view of dragons is very different from the eastern view. The body of dragons looks like a snake in the eastern sources, and they look a lot like snakes.However, eastern dragons also have four legs, unlike snakes.

The western view of dragons is quite different, and it is described as a mammal-like creature, which kind of looks like dinosaurs. Western dragons are giant creatures with a tail and four big legs, who are known to be very dangerous and untamable. Both western dragons and eastern dragons breathe fire, and they hold the potential to burn huge settlements of people in just seconds. They are very powerful and large and can fly over huge distances easily.

Western dragons sometimes have wings, and they use them for flying. However, eastern dragons usually don't have wings and can fly magically on their own. The eastern outlook towards dragons is of awe and respect. From the scriptures and classical artwork, we can understand that Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Indonesian people thought of dragons as mighty beings who were smart and intelligent.

Although they were not exactly described as peaceful creatures, they didn't usually create any problems unnecessarily. Dragon in Chinese culture is a symbol of power and imperialism, and they can be commonly seen in different forms in royal families and noble households. According to a popular legend, one great Chinese king was conceived when her mother thought of the mighty dragon. Being symbols of force and authority, many Chinese ruling families used dragons on their flags and gave great importance to them.

On the other hand, dragons are thought of as wild and untamable creatures who eat humans and want to destroy the world in European culture. Great warriors and knights were called from all over Europe to hunt this mighty animal, and they used to lead huge expeditions to kill or conquer dragons. Dragons are considered the only popular mythological creatures that have influenced western mythology and eastern mythology together with the same force and intensity. Dragons are very interesting creatures, and you should understand in detail what they are and how they are portrayed in modern popular entertainment.

The one word that will surely come to your mind when somebody mentions mythology and fantasy is Greek culture. The Greek culture and mythology are two interconnected words that have numerous relations and connections to each other. The Greek mythological world is the widest and the largest collection of ancient scriptures, text and visual pieces of evidence of supernatural elements and is also the origin of many mythological creatures and ideas.

Greek mythology is so prevalent and popular around the world that you will find the reference of almost every mythical creature somewhere in the cultural and mythological world of Greek culture. Greek mythological references are available today in various forms, and there are texts that include the descriptions of creatures like the Pegasus, different greek heroes, mermaids, centaurs, and many other fantasy creatures.

You will get visual forms of mythological references and depictions like paintings, drawings, sculptures, statues, and many more. One thing that is unique to the Greek mythological universe is that they are very obsessed with horses, and many of their supernatural elements are somehow connected to horses. For example, the Pegasus and the Centaurs are very popular mythological beasts, and both of them originated from ancient Greek culture. Both of these creatures look identical to normal horses, except for the wings and the human heads.

One of the most popular stories in Greek mythology is about the great Pegasus, the mighty flying beast that ended up being the favourite horse and charioteer of the Greek King God Zeus. Pegasus' story is very popular and interesting, he was a wild horse-like beast roaming all around ancient Greece, and then Bellerophon, a powerful Greek god, captured him while drinking water from a fountain, and he became his ride.

Bellerophon and Pegasus did many adventures together, but they soon separated when Bellerophon fell off him and died. Eventually, Pegasus ended up being taken by Zeus and was very faithful to him. Zeus gave him the charge of pulling the chariot of his thunderbolts and awarded him with his own constellation. The grand fight between the Lapiths and Centaurs is also a popular story in the Greek culture, and different artists have portrayed it through their artworks like pictures, poems, novels, etc. In short, the Greek Mythology universe is like the handbook of the modern mythic world.

Every person who has even the slightest interest in supernatural elements should read about Greek culture and mythology. We have gathered a lot of information on Greek mythology and related culture, and all of it is available here at Lair2000, make sure you have a look around.

The Pegasus is a widely popular horse god of Greek mythology that has created a separate fan base for itself, thanks to its unique abilities and legendary story. The Pegasus, unlike most other mythological animals, is not a species of animals, and it is the name of a being who was the only individual of its kind in the entire history. The Pegasus is the star of Greek mythology, and it is one of the main Greek magical creatures.

The Pegasus is instantly recognisable, thanks to its unique body structure. Greek sources describe the Pegasus like a normal horse, and its body looks identical to a giant white horse, but it has a set of big wings that help him in flying over land masses and over big oceans and seas. The Pegasus used to fly over earth for years and was considered a very wild and untamable creature.

However, after some time, Bellerophon trapped Pegasus when he was drinking from a fountain. Bellerophon went on many adventures with Pegasus, and he defeated many Greek gods and monsters with the help of Pegasus' speed and power. After becoming a mighty hero of the Greek culture, Bellerophon wanted to do the next best thing, and he tried to fly on Pegasus to Mount Olympus, where several Greek gods and deities lived, and it was considered heaven on earth. Bellerophon failed to do this, and while trying to fly to Olympus, he fell off and died.

After his death, Pegasus ran wild all around the world for some time, and then he was eventually captured by the King God Zeus, who assigned Pegasus the task of pulling his thunderbolts. Happy at the loyalty of Pegasus, Zeus is known to have given him his own constellation.

Pegasus is an indispensable character of Greek mythology, and he has been the central theme of many books, games, and cinematic creations. Along with the Greeks, Pegasus is also mentioned in several other European cultures and folklore. Pegasus is a wonderful creature, and a lot of myths and legends are associated with it.

Read the complete Pegasus guide and understand everything about this magnificent beast.

The Mythological universe is very wide, and it has a lot of unique and fascinating magical beasts. One such fantasy creature is the Centaur. Centaurs are horse-like looking mythical creatures that are an important part of several European cultures, mainly the Greek mythological universe. Centaurs are half-human and half horses. The lower body of a Centaur is that of a horse, and it has all horse body parts except its head, and the upper part of a Centaur's body is that of a man.

This combination of human and horse is alone enough to make many minds run wild, just like Centaurs themselves. As Centaurs have both the abilities of a human and a horse, they are considered excellent soldiers and are very deadly and overwhelming in fights. Maybe this is the reason why Centaurs are often portrayed as mindless beasts that live a very savage way of life and can't live a civil life alongside humans.

In common entertainment and folklore, Centaurs are not known for any civil or intelligent feats. The most popular legend associated with Centaurs is the famous fight between Lapiths and Centaurs, in which Centaurs were eventually defeated, and they had to leave their home. Centaurs are considered so wild that according to myths, they can not even handle wine, and even from small consumption, they go completely out of control.

In fact, the main reason behind the famous fight between Lapiths and Centaurs was that Centaurs became excessively drunk, and they misbehaved with Lapith women and the bride herself. Although, in a rare event in the past, the intelligent and mindful abilities of Centaurs are depicted. Chiron was a Centaur who was a noted academician, he had astonishing abilities to teach and research, and to much fascination, he taught Achillies, one of the greatest heroes of mythological literature.

There are many different depictions of these wildlings, and Centaurs have inspired many popular entertainment titles and literary works. You will find a complete article on Centaurs information here, which explains their role in mythology and different cultures.

Irish mythology is very diverse and deep, and it is one of the oldest mythologies and common folklore cultures around the world. Irish folklore includes a lot of folktales, dance, music, ballads, and other popular elements of folk culture. Irish culture is very warm and welcoming. Wherever you talk about it to someone, the mind usually revolves around lovely fairy tales, irish leprechauns, warm gatherings, banshees, and group storytelling sessions.

Technically speaking, Irish mythology means the popular mythological culture of the island of Ireland. Most cultural elements and folklore of Ireland is preserved in oral tradition and through common storytelling. In the recent past, many ancient Celtic scriptures have been discovered in Irish lands, and they have given important information about Irish mythology. As we compare Irish folklore over time, it appears that popular elements and characters of Irish folklore have greatly developed, but the main important characters and popular themes have not lost their original essence.

Numerous Gods and Goddesses are mentioned in Irish mythology, and these characters are derived from well-rounded natural humans, who are experts in certain skills and talents. A lot of Irish folk tales and popular mythological legends contain many adventure stories, and voyage inspired tales. The most famous adventure story mentioned in popular Irish folklore is the "Oisin in Tir na nÓg", there are other stories like The Adventure of Conle, The Voyage of Bran mac Ferbail, and The Adventure of Lóegaire, which collectively talk about an Irish outer world. Now the mystery that amuses many people is about this outer world, which is commonly mentioned in different Irish mythology texts and scriptures.

Many of these adventures are done through the sea, and different versions of these adventure stories depict that many of them were, in fact, voyages. Several experts and historians believe that by the other world, land discoveries in different directions are being talked about. On the other hand, many people share the belief that this outer world means a hidden underground land that can be accessed at night, and a plot also hints towards the existence of a supernatural world that normal people can't see or feel.

Folk stories are an important part of any tradition and culture, and the Irish culture and mythology are no different. A lot of information and insights into the Irish culture comes from the folk stories and legends staple to the common folklore of the region. There are not many ancient written texts that contain references to folk tales and cultural stories, as most of them were circulated and told orally. In the starting years of the 20th century, a writer, Herminie T Kavanagh, wrote down numerous folk tales and popular legends on paper.

Her work was published in different forms, including publications in popular magazines and in two dedicated books, "Darby O'Gill and the Good People" and "Ashes of Old Wishes". These books have also been transformed into cinematic representations, and it has helped the Irish culture in reaching different places and corners of the earth. We understand the importance of Irish mythology in the overall mythological universe, and we have given Irish folklore its due importance and respect.

You should have a look around the site, and you will get a lot of intriguing insights into the popular Irish culture and folklore.

It is not possible to talk about the mythological and fantasy world without mentioning the cutest and most loved members of the mythological universe, fairies. Fairies are common in different cultures around the world, and popular folklore stories are common, which give fairy references. The amusing thing about fairies is that there are no stringent fixed standards related to fairies, and different cultures have portrayed fairies in slightly changed and different depictions.

Some civilisations and groups have termed fairies as witches and evil children of demons that carry magical arms and the ability to turn good situations into remorseful ones. Fairies are also called"faeries" in some cultures, and this word is also usually accepted as a synonym of fairies.

Fairies are mystic beings who have deep knowledge of magic and supernatural powers. You will find many forms of fairies all around the mythological world. A myth says that a fairy is small but can live for as long as seven years, and another myth says that they have pale skin with the ability to increase their size. One common feature you will find similar in fairies in the popular imagination and the mythological world is that a fairy is usually small in size and commonly appears like a human and sometimes children.

Fairies are generally considered benevolent creatures, and they don't trouble humans first-hand. Other sources reveal that if a human or animal tries to disturb and hurt a fairy in any way, then they don't tolerate that, and they forcefully retaliate. Fairies are known to have mythical powers like sensing emotions, detecting bad dreams, getting invisible, flying, and other certain abilities. Fairies are mentioned in a number of cultures, including the popular Greek mythical world, English culture, German folklore, French stories, and the popular culture of many other regions.

Irish culture, however, dominates the mythological universe when fairies are considered, and they are a very important part of common Irish folklore and tradition. You can read about fairies in detail here, we have dedicated an entire article to fairies, and you will get all the information you want on faeries.

Mermaids are beautiful aquatic humanoids who have been ruling different forms of marine fantasy for several centuries. Mermaids are mythical aquatic creatures that look like fish from the waist down and look like humans from the waist to the head. Mermaids are one of the oldest mythical creatures, which means that mermaids were one of the first few mythical creatures mentioned in ancient texts and scriptures.

Sources reveal that mermaids were first mentioned in ancient Greek mythology references, just like most popular mythical creatures. In Greek mythology, mermaids were not exactly mentioned and depicted as the harmless cute creatures popular entertainment forms portray them these days. Modern entertainment creators have shown mermaids as harmless animals that are extremely beautiful and have melodious voices.

As this form of representation has been done in different cinematic representations for several decades, it has become very common. However, the actual portrayal of mermaids in the ancient Greek scriptures was very negative and devilish. The mythical aquatic creatures that were found in Greek sources were known as Sirens, these Sirens used to lure innocent sailors by their enchanting voice, hypnotising them into jumping in the water, and then they used to eat them alive.

This portrayal of mermaids became quite popular in several European cultures too, and we can see this in several movies as well, like in the popular Pirates of Caribbean series. The mermaid is known to have several magical abilities, it is believed in some folklores that the mermaid is the symbol of purity and truth, and they represent the sea gods.

Thus, many sailors and traders used to pray to them and ask for their blessings, and mermaids used to calm the seas for them. Haitian culture is highly influenced by mermaids, and the people of that region believe that a mermaid is the goddess of the sea. Several Haitian people have claimed that they and their relatives have seen mermaids swimming in the coastal waters.

We don't know whether a mermaid is a real fantasy animal or not, but what we know is that they are widely popular amongst us, and it is going to be like this for many more years to come. Impressed by the mysticism and uniqueness of the mermaid, we have curated a special article on them, which contains a lot of popular mermaid myths and beliefs.

No discussion about the fantasy world is complete without talking about the beautiful, magical horses with a long spiral horn emerging out of their forehead. A unicorn can be called one of the most beautiful mythical creatures that ever existed. A unicorn looks precisely like a beautiful white horse, and the only difference between the looks of the two creatures is the horn on a unicorn.

Unicorn first appeared in our culture many millenniums ago, and it has since been an important part of the mythological universe. The unicorn is mentioned in the folklore and popular culture of many different regions and groups, including the popular Greek mythological universe as well. Unicorns are also an important part of the African culture, and they keep unicorns in very high regard.

A unicorn is believed to have a lot of magical abilities and powers. The horn on the unicorn's head is considered very powerful, there are myths that say that if you drink, the powdered unicorn horn works as an antidote to all types of poison, and drinking unicorn tears will heal up any wounds on your body. Some rumours also say that the unicorn's blood is also very pure and holy, and drinking it can extend your life.

Regardless of how amusing these claims may look life, there is no scientific evidence to support any of them. These claims did lead to the death of many real-world animals that have horns, as some believed that they too will have magical powers. Different references and depictions show that the unicorn is widely connected to rainbows, as according to a myth, the whole worldly dirt and humans were washed off the earth by a flood, and only a unicorn remained.

This showed that unicorns were extremely pure and pious, god became very happy with this, and he put all that water into the sky for celebrating, which then turned into a rainbow. There are many such interesting and intriguing unicorn myths and stories. Check out our detailed article and read all about them.

Now that you have read everything about different mythological elements and characters, you know how interesting and exciting the mythological entertainment universe is and how everything is connected with each other and perfectly syncs. You now understand how different magical creatures are shown in and portrayed in different cultures and how eastern and western thoughts sometimes conflict on certain factors related to mythology.

This astonishing thing was perfectly understood by modern entertainment creators, and they have been including mythological references in their products for a very long time. You will find mythological elements in almost every form of popular entertainment today, like movies, novels, tv shows, tv games, and even in popular songs. Mythological magic has enchanted literally everything today.

The best example of this can be the legendary Harry Potter Wizards series. Rowling knew how amazing the mythological world is, and she created a big volume of mythological stories. The whole story of Harry Potter is based around a child who is destined to be the greatest wizard this world has ever seen. Another citation of the mythological world into popular entertainment form is the Game of Thrones tv series.

Game of Thrones is a popular fantasy tv series in which there are many houses and families that fight with each other to capture the city capital. This fantasy tv series included almost every fictional element you can think of, and all of them have been artistically represented in the show by the directors. Dragons are the main show stoppers of Game of Thrones, and whoever controls them in the series kind of gets control of everything.

This is a reference showing how entertainment forms acknowledge the might and power of the great dragons. The magical world is not just limited to action-packed entertainment, and creators are using mythological characters in developing children movies and products for young audiences too. Tinkerbell, the most famous fairy in the world, created a fan base for herself even bigger than the main character of the animated film she was featured in (Peter Pan).

Tinkerbell became so popular and famous that her creators had to introduce a new lineup of movies and tv shows just because the audience was crazy over Tinkerbell and wanted to see her more on the big screen. When entertainment creators first started including mythological elements in their creations, it was a long time ago, and there was no such genre as fantasy. Now, after years of prosperity in the mythological entertainment universe, mythology and fantasy are considered one of the most important genres of popular entertainment, and more and more titles are being created in different forms and themes.

Video game creators are also not very behind in this field, and a lot of gaming houses and production groups have made several interesting fantasy-based gaming titles that pack a strong supernatural punch to surprise the players at every turn of the games. The best feature of the fantasy genre is that it is very flexible and mouldable, which allows a creator to be creative and use his/her full potential in creating the perfect mythological game.

Games like The Witcher, The Elders Scroll, Divine Fortune, and Final Fantasy titles let the mythological horses of players' minds run wild and free, and they get an amazing and fulfilling gaming experience. These gaming titles let you do things that you can't even imagine. In these games, you fight mythological spirits, take the help of dragons, and try to please the gods to give you supernatural weapons. In short, you experience the true mythological world through these interactive games.

The mythological world is like an infinite universe of astonishing secrets and discoveries. There are many unique myths and legends in different folklore and cultures, and many of them are still undiscovered in unfound and lost texts and artworks.

Here on Lair2000.net we have investigated the mythological world deeply, and we have made a collection of some really striking myths and legends that contain supernatural references. It is recommend that you to explore the mythical world we have curated just for you here in the lair, and we are sure that you will like it!

Warm and Magical Wishes
Shazzy Davies Founder of Lair2000.net