Φανταστικά όντα (του Μπόρχες και όχι μόνο)

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Το 1957 ο Μπόρχες έγραψε το Βιβλίο των φανταστικών όντων (ισπανικός τίτλος της πλήρους έκδοσης του 1969: El libro de los seres imaginarios, αγγλ.: Book of Imaginary Beings). Περιλαμβάνει κάπου 120 τέρατα, φανταστικά πλάσματα, μυθικά όντα από το χώρο της λαϊκής παράδοσης και της λογοτεχνίας. Στα μηνύματα που θα ακολουθήσουν έχω παντρέψει, με τη βοήθεια του Daeman, τα φανταστικά όντα του καταλόγου στην αγγλική σελίδα της Wikipedia με τις αποδόσεις των ονομάτων στην ελληνική μετάφραση του Γιώργου Βέη (Libro, 1983). Αν λείπουν κάποιες αποδόσεις, δεν αποκλείεται να βαρέθηκα, αλλά το πιο πιθανό είναι ότι δεν υπάρχουν στη μετάφραση. Γι’ αυτό στα συνημμένα πρόσθεσα το ευρετήριο της ελληνικής μετάφρασης για όποιον το χρειάζεται.

Το ισπανικό πρωτότυπο υπάρχει σε διάφορες διευθύνσεις, π.χ. http://www.librosgratisweb.com/pdf/borges-jorge-luis/el-libro-de-los-seres-imaginarios.pdf.

Στον ιστότοπο Fantastic Zoology υπάρχει η αγγλική μετάφραση, με εικονογράφηση από φοιτητές της Σχολής Βακαλό. Δεν έχουν το απαραίτητο σφρίγος που θέλουν τα τέρατα, δείτε π.χ. τα σκίτσα των φοιτητών σε σχέση με τον ουροβόρο του Lucas Jennis (του φοιτητή είναι, πάντως, πιστό στον αρχικό μύθο) ή τον Τάλω σε νόμισμα της Φαιστού.

Ουροβόρος

Τάλως​

Το βιβλίο του Μπόρχες κυκλοφόρησε χωρίς εικονογράφηση, ενώ τα όντα που περιγράφει έχουν εμπνεύσει εκπληκτικά έργα — μια έλλειψη που οφείλουμε να εκμεταλλευτούμε.

Καταθέτω αυτό το υλικό για ξεκίνημα μιας συζήτησης για τα φανταστικά όντα, όπως έχουν καταγραφεί από τον Μπόρχες, για άλλα που του ξέφυγαν (δεν πρόλαβε π.χ. τους ιππότες που λένε Νι

) και άλλα που μπορεί να δημιουργήσει η γόνιμη φαντασία των λεξιλόγων. Σαν μια πρώτη και ελάχιστη προσωπική νότα θα αναφέρω (μετά τον υπαρκτό τιγρολέοντα) τον ανύπαρκτο μυρμηγκολέοντα (μα πώς έγινε εφικτή αυτή η διασταύρωση; δεν σας θυμίζει το ανέκδοτο με τον χιμπαντζή και την καμηλοπάρδαλη;), θα συστήσω στις κυρίες να δώσουν ιδιαίτερη προσοχή στο λήμμα Heavenly-κάτι και θα διορθώσω ένα χοντρό λάθος της ελληνικής μετάφρασης: στο πρωτότυπο έχουμε τον Mono de la tinta, που στο αγγλικό έγινε Monkey of the Inkpot. Στα ελληνικά διαβάζω για το «Γαϊδούρι του μελανοδοχείου», ενώ προφανώς έχουμε να κάνουμε με μαϊμού (για την ακρίβεια, «Μαϊμού της σινικής») και όχι με donkey. Καταλαβαίνει κανείς ότι η μετάφραση έγινε από το αγγλικό — πού και πού απρόσεχτα.

The Monkey of the inkpot​

 

[nickel]

• Á Bao A Qu = Το Α-Μπάο α-Κού = A creature that lives on the staircase of the Tower of Victory in Chittor. It may only move when a traveler climbs the staircase, and it follows close at the person's heels. Its form becomes more complete the closer it gets to the terrace at the tower's top. It can only achieve this ultimate form if the traveler has obtained Nirvana, otherwise it finds itself unable to continue.
• Abtu and Anet = Οι Αμπτού και Άνετ = Two identical fish that, according to Egyptian legend, swam in front of the prow of the sun god's ship on the lookout for danger.
• The Alicanto = A mine shaft dwelling bird that feeds upon gold. It is pursued by miners.
• The Amphisbaena = Η αμφίσβαινα = A two-headed snake, with one head being where its tail would normally be. It is venomous and, if chopped in half, its two parts can reunite.
• An Animal Imagined by Kafka = Ένα ζώο που φαντάστηκε ο Κάφκα = A kangaroo-like animal with a flat, human-like face and a very long tail.
• Singing Beast Imagined by C. S. Lewis = Ένα ζώο που φαντάστηκε ο C. S. Lewis = An animal that sits upon its haunches like a dog, but appears more like a horse. Its toes are camel-like, and, unable to produce its own milk, it raises its young by weaning them on the milk of other animals. It has an entrancing call that sounds almost like a glorious song. (from Perelandra)
• An Animal Imagined by Poe = Ένα ζώο που φαντάστηκε ο Πόε = A small, flat animal with pure white fur and bright red claws and teeth. Its head is feline, except for its canine-like ears.
• Animals in the Form of Spheres = Ζώα με σφαιρικό σχήμα = At the time of its writing, some believed that planets and stars were actually living beings, and that the movement of the heavenly bodies was voluntary.
• Antelopes with Six Legs = Οι αντιλόπες με τα έξι πόδια = According to Siberian myth, these six-legged antelopes were far too fast for human beings to catch. A divine huntsman, Tunk-poj, cut off the animal's rear-most legs to make the animal easier for humans to hunt.
• The Ass with Three Legs = Ο γάιδαρος με τα τρία πόδια = This massive creature is said to stand in the middle of the ocean. It has three legs, six eyes, nine mouths, and one golden horn.
• Axehandle Hound = The Axehandle Hound is an American fearsome critter of Minnesota and Wisconsin. Overall, it resembles a dog with a roughly axelike shape. It has a head shaped like an axe blade, complimented by a handle-shaped body atop short stubby legs. It subsists on a diet consisting entirely on the handles of axes which have been left unattended.
• Bahamut = Το Μπάχαμουτ = A huge, measureless fish which is often used to describe the spaces between heaven, earth, and hell.
• Baldanders = Ο Μπάλνταντερς = Also known as Soon-Another's, these creatures can assume many shapes. It appears to have a human head and torso, the tail of a fish, the leg of a goat, and the wings and claws of a bird.
• The Banshee = Η Μπάνσχη = The "woman of the fairies" does not have a distinct shape, but is instead described by her keening wails.
• Barometz = Το Μπάρομετζ = This "animal" is actually a plant in the shape of a lamb with golden fleece.
• Basilisk = Ο βασιλίσκος = The basilisk's appearance has changed over the ages, but it is most often considered a chicken-like serpent with anywhere from four to eight legs. It is extremely venomous, and its gaze can turn anyone into stone.
• Behemoth = Τα Βεεμώθ = A massive creature that is often likened to an elephant or hippopotamus.
• Brownies = Τα καφετιά καλικαντζαράκια = Small brown colored men that often visit homes while the inhabitants are asleep to perform various chores.
• Burak = Ο Μπούρακ = A horse-like creature with long ears and the wings and tail of a peacock. It may also have a man's face.
• The Calchona = A creature resembling a shaggy white Newfoundland dog, bearded like a billy goat, which attacks mountain travelers.
• Carbuncle = Το καρβουνάκι = This creature was alleged to be seen in Latin America. Legends say the Carbuncle has some sort of jewel on its head.
• Catoblepas = Ο Κατώβλεπας = Described as a black buffalo with a hog's head, this creature's head is so heavy that it constantly hangs low to the ground. It is also believed that, like the basilisk, looking into its eyes will kill you instantly.
• Celestial Cock = Ο Ουράνιος Κόκορας = The Celestial Cock, also known as the Cock of Dawn, has three legs and makes its home in the Fu-sang tree, a mile-tall tree that grows in "the region of dawn." It is said to crow three times each day: once at dawn, once at midday and once when the sun sets.
• Celestial Horse = A winged, white dog with a black head.
• Celestial Stag = Το Ουράνιο Αρσενικό Ελάφι = No one has ever seen a Celestial Stag. They live in underground mines, searching for the light of day. They will attempt to bribe, speak to, and even torture miners in their quest to reach the surface, where they turn into a deadly liquid form.
• Centaur = Ο Κένταυρος = A well-known beast with the torso of a man and the hindquarters of a horse. Most are portrayed as savage beasts, but others can be well learned in many arts.
• Cerberus = Ο Κέρβερος = A three-headed dog known to guard the gates of the underworld in Greek mythology.
• The Cheshire Cat = Η γάτα του Τσεσάιρ = A rather mischievous cat with a large, grinning face. It can also make itself invisible, leaving behind only its disembodied smile.
• The Chimera = Η Χίμαιρα = Although it may have several different forms, the chimera is most often described as a three-headed beast. Sprouting from its back is the head of a goat, a lion's head at its front, and a snake's head as its tail.
• The Chinese Dragon = Ο κινέζικος δράκοντας = Compared to the Western Dragon, this dragon is considered divine and holy. It is often seen with antler-like horns and protrusions running along its spine. The Chinese dragon is often pictured with a pearl: the source of its power.
• The Chinese Fox = Η κινέζικη αλεπού = These foxes appear like average foxes, but may sometimes be seen standing on their hind legs to walk. They presumably live about a thousand years, and are bad omens for their mischievous ways. They are known to shapeshift and are able to see into the future.
• The Chinese Phoenix = Ο κινέζικος φοίνικας = Two basic creatures are described as a symbol of eternal love: the male Feng and the female Huang. They are described as very beautiful birds similar to a peacock, have three legs, and live in the sun.
• Chonchon = The Chonchon is the magic transformation of the powerful kalkus (mapuche sorcerer), that knows the secret of the Kalkus, to become this feared creature. The Chonchon has the shape of a human head with feathers and talons; its ears, which are extremely large, serve as wings for its flight on moonless nights. Chonchons are supposed to be endowed with all the magic powers of and can only be seen by other kalkus, or by wizards that want this power.
• Ch'ou-T'i = A legendary Chinese creature with a head both front and back.
• Chronos or Heracles = Χρόνος ή Ηρακλής = This dragon-like creature is often known by two names. Like the chimera, it is made of three heads: a bull's head at its front, a god's head at its middle, and a lion's head at its rear.
• The Denizens of Ch'uan-T'ou = Creatures with human heads, beaks, and bat wings.
• An Insect Imagined by C. S. Lewis = A strange, jointed insect consisting of a cylindrical body and many thin legs.
• Crocotta and the Leucrocotta = Ο κροκότας και ο λευκοκρότας = The crocotta is described as a hybrid of a dog and a wolf, and may be able to imitate the voice of a person. The leucrocotta is similar, but described as an antelope and hyena hybrid.
• A Crossbreed = Μια διασταύρωση = An animal described by Kafka in "Description of a Struggle" that is half cat and half lamb. Its fur is woolly and soft, yet it has a cat's face and claws. It does not make any sounds, and refuses to chase after rats.
• Doppelgänger = Ο Διπλός = Also known as the Double, the Doppelgänger is best described as a man's exact counterpart.

 

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• Eastern Dragon = Ο δράκοντας της Ανατολής = Quite similar to the Chinese dragon of the same region, the Eastern dragon takes roughly the same form, but may be lacking wings. The pearl is also the source of its power, and they can make themselves invisible if they so wish.
• Eater of the Dead = Ο Νεκροφάγος = Most commonly associated with Egyptian myth, the Eater attends to the "wicked". It is described as having the head of a crocodile, the midsection of a lion, and the hindquarters of a hippo.
• Eight-Forked Serpent = Ο όφις με τις οχτώ διχάλες = A massive serpent with eight heads and eight tails. Its eyes are a deep red, and trees are said to grow along its back.
• The Elephant That Foretold the Birth of the Buddha = Ο ελέφαντας που πρόβλεψε τη γέννηση του Βούδα = A white elephant with six tusks that appeared in a dream to, as its namesake suggests, foretell the birth of Buddha.
• The Eloi and the Morlocks = Οι Ελόι και οι Μόρλοκ = In the setting of H. G. Wells' The Time Machine, it is suggested that humans evolve (or devolve) into two distinct species. The Eloi are thin and fragile artisans, living on fruits. The Morlocks are blind laborers, living underground and rising to the surface on moonless nights to feed on the Eloi.
• Elves = Τα Έλφα = Little is known about the actual appearance of elves, but they seem to be very small people, and are often portrayed as having pointed ears. They are known for causing all sorts of mischief, such as tangling hair and stealing cattle.
• The Wonders of God's Creation Manifested in the Variety of Eight = A mysterious creature that lives in the world of Bliss. Allegedly, all sounds, sights, and smells to this creature are divine.
• The Fairies = Οι νεράιδες = Fairies are described as beautiful, tiny people that like to meddle in the affairs of humans.
• Fastitocalon = Το Φαστιτόκαλον = A massive whale that many sailors often mistake for an island.
• Fauna of Mirrors = Η πανίδα των καθρεφτών = It was believed that another world existed behind all mirrors, inhabited by a wide amount of unknown and strange creatures. Luckily, our worlds are now cut off from one another.
• Garuda = Ο Γκαρούντα = This beast is the mount of the god Vishnu. It is half man and half vulture, with a white face, deep red wings, and a golden body.
• Gillygaloo = A bird which nests on mountain slopes and lays square eggs, which lumberjacks use as dice.
• Goofang = A fish ("about the size of a sunfish but much bigger") which swims backwards to keep the water out of its eyes.
• Goofus Bird = A bird that builds its nest upside down and flies backwards.
• Gnomes = Οι Γνώμοι = Sprites of the earth and hills, gnomes are often shown as bearded dwarves, often with rough features. They often watch over treasure as well.
• Golem = Ο Γκόλεμ = This creature was created for the purpose of doing menial chores, and was controlled by a magic tablet placed under its tongue. Normally apathetic and unaware, if uncontrolled the creature enters a wild frenzy.
• Griffin = Ο γρύπας = The griffin is best described as an eagle with the body of a lion, and it is very strong.
• Haniel, Kafziel, Azriel, and Aniel = Οι Χάνιελ, Κάφζιελ, Άζριελ και Άνιελ = Sometimes referred to as angels, these four beasts also possessed four faces: a man's, a lion's, an ox's, and an eagle's. They also possessed four wings.
• Haokah, the Thunder God = Ο Χαοκάχ ο θεός της βροντής = He appears as a man with large antlers, using the wind to beat his thunder drum.
• Harpies = Οι άρπυιες = Creatures with a vulture's body, a woman's face, and an insatiable hunger. They are described as having filthy genitalia and a foul smell about them.
• Heavenly Cock = Ο ουράνιος κόκορας = Also known as the Bird of Dawn, this Chinese rooster has three legs and crows three times a day, to signal dawn, noon, and dusk.
• Hide = A many-eyed octopus-like creature shaped like an animal's hide.
• Hidebehind = A strong, nocturnal creature which feeds off the intestines of its prey. It captures and hides from wayfarers in the woods by sucking in its body so that it can hide behind the trunk of any tree, or the person trying to look at it. It is said they have an aversion to alcohol.
• Hippogriff = Ο ιππόγρυπας = A creature invented by Ludovico Ariosto in the 16th century in his epic Orlando Furioso, based on an expression of Virgil's denoting the impossible, "to cross griffons with horses"; the griffon [see above] being a cross between a lion and an eagle believed by Virgil's commentator Servius to loathe horses.
• Hochigan = Ο Χοτσιγκάν = A long-ago bushman who stole the animals' gift of speech. Borges links this to Descartes' idea that monkeys stay silent to avoid having to work, and to a story by Argentinian author Lugones about a chimpanzee killed by the strain of learning to talk.
• Hsiao = An owl-like creature with a man's face, an ape's body, and a dog's tail.
• Hsing-T'ien = A headless creature with eyes on its chest and its mouth on its belly.
• Hua-Fish = A flying snake-fish that foretells drought.
• Huallepen = A swift-moving dog with a human head, which laughs maliciously.
• Hui = An amphibious sheep-like animal, which can mate with cows to produce deformed offspring; if a pregnant woman sees one, her child will also be deformed.
• Humbaba = Ο Χουμπαμπά = A giant in the Assyrian epic Gilgamesh that guards mountain cedars, he is scaly, with vulture claws, lion paws, bull's horns and a tail and penis with snakes' heads at the ends. Men-scorpions from the poem, which guard the mountain Mashu, are also mentioned.
• Hundred-Heads = Το Εκατοντακέφαλο = The hundred heads was said to be a gigantic fish with many heads, each one that of a different animal. Legend holds that the fish was the reincarnated spirit of a monk who had often called others "monkey-head" or something similar. The karma of these insults had made him return as a monster.
• The Hydra of Lernaea = Η Λερναία Ύδρα = In Greek mythology, the Lernaean Hydra was an ancient nameless serpent-like chthonic water beast (as its name evinces) that possessed seven heads — and for each head cut off it grew two more — and poisonous breath so virulent even her tracks were deadly.
• Ichthyocentaur = Ο ιχθυοκένταυρος = from the waist up, this creature has the form of a man, but below the waist they have the fins and tail of a fish. Their forefeet are either in the form of a lion's or a horse's.
• Jewish Demons = Οι δαίμονες των Εβραίων = In Jewish tradition the world between those of the body and spirit is that of angels and devils, densely populated and including creatures from many other cultures. One of the devils is Keteb Mereri, Lord of the Noontide and of Scorching Summers.
• Jinn = Τα Τζιν = One of the three kinds of intelligent creatures created by Allah in Muslim tradition, Jinn are formed from smoke of fire, have five orders, can be good or evil and of either sex and can appear as clouds or in various forms or be invisible. Borges mentions various legends about them, as well as Victor Hugo's poem "Les Djinns", and the possible link between the Latin genius and Jinn.
• Kami = Το Κάμι = this beast is said to be a giant cat-fish that lives beneath the surface of the earth, and causes earthquakes with its movements.
• the Kilkenny Cats = Οι γάτες του Κιλκένι = These cats often fight with each other, devouring everything but the other's tail.
• A King of Fire and his Steed = Ένας βασιλιάς της φωτιάς και το άτι του = These were beings formed completely of the constantly changing flames of fire.
• Kraken = Τα Κράκεν = Kraken are mythical sea monsters of gargantuan size, said to have dwelt off the coasts of Norway and Iceland.
• Kujata = Ο Κουτζάτα = A giant bull with thousands of eyes, nostrils, mouths, and feet, which helps to support the world (perched atop Bahamut).

 

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• The Lamed Wufniks = Οι κουτσοί Βούφνικς = There are precisely thirty-six Lamed Wufniks in existence. It is said that, without knowing it, they support the universe and affirm god. If one comes to realize their purpose, they immediately die and are replaced by another unsuspecting man.
• Lamia = Οι λάμιες = Half woman and half serpent, these creatures are said to have sprung from one of Zeus's varied love interests. They are thought to be sorceresses, and although they cannot speak they whistle sweetly.
• Laudatores Temporis Acti = Praisers of time past
• Lemuri = Οι Λεμούρ = The Lemuri were the souls of the evil dead, created by Romulus to subdue the restless spirit of his brother Remus.
• The Leveler = Ο ισοπεδωτής = Reputed to live on the planet Neptune, this creature is 10 times the size of an elephant, and looks quite a bit like it. Its most remarkable features are its conical legs (which are flat on the bottom). Bricklayers employ the leveler to flatten hilly areas for construction projects. It is herbivorous and has few enemies.
• Lilith = Η Λίλιθ = A woman created before Eve, according to a Hebrew document. Dante Gabriel Rossetti imagined her as a snake in Eden Bower and the similarity of her name with the Hebrew layil or night produced the Middle Age idea of her as a creature of the night.
• The Lunar Hare = Ο λαγός της Σελήνης = Ideas of the shapes seen in the moon range include the English "man in the moon", the legend of Cain eternally carrying thorns there, and the Chinese legend of the Lunar Hare: It jumped into a fire to feed the Buddha, who sent its soul to the moon, where it mixes the elixir of life.
• Mandrake = Ο Μανδραγόρας = In myth, mandragoras are familiar demons who appear in the figures of little men without beards. Mandragoras are thought to be little dolls or figures given to sorcerers by the Devil for the purpose of being consulted by them in time of need; and it would seem as if this conception had sprung directly from that of the fetish, which is nothing else than a dwelling-place made by a shaman or medicine-man for the reception of any wandering spirit who chooses to take up his abode therein.
• Manticore = Το Μαντιχώρα = The manticore (Early Middle Persian Martyaxwar) is a legendary creature similar to the Egyptian sphinx. It has the body of a red lion, a human head with three rows of sharp teeth (like a shark), and a trumpet-like voice. Other aspects of the creature vary from story to story. It may be horned, winged, or both. The tail is that of either a dragon or a scorpion, and it may shoot poisonous spines to either paralyze or kill its victims. The creature's feet may be those of a dragon, but are most often described as the paws of a lion.
• Mermecolion = Ο Μυρμηγκολέων = An ant/lion hybrid which inevitably starves because it cannot eat either meat or grains, although its lion half craves the former and its ant half craves the latter.
• Minotaur = Ο Μινώταυρος = In Greek mythology, the Minotaur (Greek: Μινώταυρος, Latin: Minotaurus, Etruscan Θevrumineś), as the Greeks imagined him, was a creature with the head of a bull on the body of a man or, as described by Ovid, "part man and part bull".[
• The Monkey of the Inkpot = Η μαϊμού του μελανοδοχείου = An extract from Wang Tai-Hai describes a small creature with black fur and scarlet eyes that sits by writers and drinks their leftover ink.
• The Monster Acheron = Ο Αχέροντας = A giant, taller than a mountain, with three mouths and all of Hell in his stomach, described in the Vision of Tundale.
• The Mother of Tortoises = Η μητέρα των χελωνών = A giant tortoise made of water and fire, on whose shell is written the "Universal Rule", a divine treatise.
• Musical Serpent = A four-winged serpent which makes sounds similar to those of the "Musical Stone".
• Nāga = Τα Νάγκα = A half human half snake creature
• Nasnas = Ο Νέσνα = A creature shaped like half a man, with one leg, one arm, one eye, and half a heart.
• The Norns = Οι Νόρνες = The Norns (Old Norse: norn, plural: nornir) are a kind of dísir in Norse mythology, numerous female beings who rule the destiny of gods and men, comparable to the Fates in classical mythology.
• The Nymphs = Οι Νύμφες = A nymph in Greek mythology is a minor nature goddess typically associated with a particular location or landform. Other nymphs, always in the shape of young nubile maidens, were part of the retinue of a god, such as Dionysus, Hermes, or Pan, or a goddess, generally Artemis.
• Odradek = Το Οντραντέκ = "The Cares of a Family Man" ("Die Sorge des Hausvaters") is a short story by Franz Kafka which deals mostly with a small creature called Odradek:
• “At first glance it looks like a flat star-shaped spool for thread, and indeed it does seem to have thread wound upon it; to be sure, they are only old, broken-off bits of thread, knotted and tangled together, of the most varied sorts and colors. But it is not only a spool, for a small wooden crossbar sticks out of the middle of the star, and another small rod is joined to that at a right angle.”
• An Offspring of Leviathan = Ένα απόγονος του Λεβιάθαν = A creature of medieval legend, "a dragon that was half beast and half fish".
• Ocean Men - Merman = Like creatures of Chinese legend, who cause storms.
• One-Eyed Beings = Μονόφθαλμα όντα = In Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, a cyclops, is a member of a primordial race of giants, each with a single eye in the middle of its forehead.
• The Ouroboros = Ο Ουροβόρος = The Ouroboros or Uroborus is an ancient symbol depicting a serpent or dragon swallowing its own tail and forming a circle. The Ouroboros often represents self-reflexivity or cyclicality, especially in the sense of something constantly re-creating itself, the eternal return, and other things perceived as cycles that begin anew as soon as they end (compare with phoenix).
• The Panther = Ο Πάνθηρ = A Panther is a creature out of ancient myth that resembles a big cat with a multicoloured hide. Under medieval belief after feasting the panther will sleep in a cave for a total of three days. After this period ends, the panther roars, in the process emitting a sweet smelling odor. This odor draws in any creatures who smell it (the dragon being the only creature immune) and the cycle begins again. The ancient Greeks believed the panther was one of the favored mounts of the god Dionysus.
• The Pelican = Ο πελεκάνος = The Pelican of everyday zoology is a water bird with a wingspan of some six feet and a very long bill whose lower mandible distends to form a pouch for holding fish. The Pelican of fable is smaller and its bill is accordingly shorter and sharper.
• Peryton = Ο Πέριτον = The peryton is a legendary creature combining physical features of a stag and a bird. Often depicted as a winged deer, the peryton was said to have the head, neck, forelegs and antlers of a stag, combined with the plumage, wings and hindquarters of a large bird, although some interpretations portray the peryton as a deer in all but coloration and bird's wings. It was said to hail from the lost continent of Atlantis.
• The Phoenix = Ο Φοίνικας = The Phoenix (Ancient Greek: Φοῖνιξ) is a mythical sacred firebird that can be found in the mythologies of the Persians, Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Chinese, and (according to Sanchuniathon) Phoenicians. A phoenix is a mythical bird that is a fire spirit with a colorful plumage and a tail of gold and scarlet (or purple, blue, and green according to some legends). It has a 500 to 1000 year life-cycle, near the end of which it builds itself a nest of twigs that then ignites; both nest and bird burn fiercely and are reduced to ashes, from which a new, young phoenix or phoenix egg arises, reborn anew to live again. The new phoenix is destined to live as long as its old self.
• Ping Feng = A black pig with a head at each end.
• Pinnacle Grouse = Has only one wing, and flies in a continuous circle around the top of a mountain.
• Pygmies = Οι Πυγμαίοι = 27-inch dwarfs mentioned by Pliny and Aristotle who inhabited the mountains beyond India, waging war on the cranes that attacked them for three months a year. The Carthaginians also had a god called Pygmy who was used as figurhead on warships.
• Queer Arm People = People with a single arm and three eyes, who build flying chariots.
• The Rain Bird = Το Πουλί της Βροχής = Also called the shang yang, this bird creates rain by carrying water from rivers in its beak.
• Remora = Το Ρεμόρα = In ancient times, the remora was believed to stop a ship from sailing. In Latin remora means "delay," while the genus name Echeneis comes from Greek echein ("to hold") and naus ("a ship"). Particularly notable is the account of Pliny the Younger, in which the remora is blamed for the defeat of Mark Antony at the Battle of Actium and (indirectly) for the death of Caligula.
• Roperite = A pony-sized animal which uses its lariat-like beak to ensnare rabbits.
• Rukh = Το Ρουκχ = A roc or rukh (from the Arabic and Persian rokh, asserted by Louis Charles Casartelli to be an abbreviated form of Persian simurgh) is an enormous legendary bird of prey, often white, reputed to have been able to carry off and eat elephants.

 

[nickel]

• Salamander = Η σαλαμάνδρα = The salamander is an amphibian of the order Urodela. As with many real creatures, pre-modern authors often ascribed fantastic qualities to it (compare the allegorical descriptions of animals in medieval bestiaries), and in recent times some have come to identify a legendary salamander as a distinct concept from the real organism. This idea is most highly developed in the occult. Where the two concepts can be distinguished, the legendary salamander is most often depicted much like a typical salamander in shape, with a lizard-like form, but it is usually ascribed an affinity with fire (sometimes specifically elemental fire).
• The Satyrs = Οι Σάτυροι = In Greek mythology, satyrs are a troop of male companions of Pan and Dionysus — "satyresses" were a late invention of poets — that roamed the woods and mountains. In mythology they are often associated with pipe playing. Attic painted vases depict mature satyrs as being strongly built with flat noses, large pointed ears, long curly hair, and full beards, with wreaths of vine or ivy circling their balding heads. Satyrs often carry the thyrsus: the rod of Dionysus tipped with a pine cone.
• Scylla = Η Σκύλλα = In Greek mythology, Scylla was a monster that lived on one side of a narrow channel of water, opposite its counterpart Charybdis. The two sides of the strait were within an arrow's range of each other—so close that sailors attempting to avoid Charybdis would pass too close to Scylla and vice versa. Scylla was a horrible sea monster with six long necks equipped with grisly heads, each of which contained three rows of sharp teeth. Her body consisted of twelve tentacle-like legs and a cat's tail and with four to six dog-heads ringing her waist.
• The Sea Horse = Το άλογο της θάλασσας = An aquatic horse, which sometimes surfaces to mate with land horses.
• The Shaggy Beast of La Ferte-Bernard = Το Μαλλιαρό Τέρας της Φερτέ-Μπερνάρ = The Peluda (sometimes called the "Shaggy Beast" or La Velue which is French for "Hairy One") is a supposed dragon or mythical beast that terrorized La Ferté-Bernard, France, in medieval times. It is said to have come from and lived near the Huisne river near the town. Despite the French origins, its more recognized name is Occitan —or any latine origin— for "hairy". Depending on the account, it had either an ox-sized porcupine-like body or a mess of green hair-like projections hanging from its body that were actually stinger-tipped tentacles which could erect into quills. Its name is derived from this shaggy appearance. Consistently, it was said to have these poisonous stingers that it could also shoot off its body, a snake's scaly neck, head, and tail, large, tortoise-like feet, and a green color.
• Simurgh = Το Σιμούργκ = Simurgh, also spelled simorgh, simurg, simoorg or simourv, also known as Angha, is the modern Persian name for a fabulous, benevolent, mythical flying creature. The simurgh is depicted in Iranian art as a winged creature in the shape of a bird, gigantic enough to carry off an elephant or a whale. It appears as a kind of peacock with the head of a dog and the claws of a lion; sometimes however also with a human face. The simurgh is inherently benevolent and unambiguously female. Being part mammal, she suckles her young. The simurgh has teeth. It has an enmity towards snakes and its natural habitat is a place with plenty of water. Its feathers are said to be the colour of copper, and though it was originally described as being a Dog-Bird, later it was shown with either the head of a man or a dog.
• Sirens = Οι Σειρήνες = In Greek mythology, the Sirens were three dangerous bird-women, portrayed as seductresses who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island. Sirens combine women and birds in various ways. In early Greek art Sirens were represented as birds with large women's heads, bird feathers and scaly feet. Later, they were represented as female figures with the legs of birds, with or without wings, playing a variety of musical instruments, especially harps. The tenth century Byzantine encyclopedia Suda says that from their chests up Sirens had the form of sparrows, below they were women, or, alternatively, that they were little birds with women's faces. Birds were chosen because of their beautiful voices. Later Sirens were sometimes depicted as beautiful women, whose bodies, not only their voices, are seductive.
• The Sow Harnessed with Chains = Η αλυσοδεμένη γουρούνα της Αργεντινής = Also called the Tin Pig, this creature is heard rattling its chains on railroad tracks by night, but is never seen.
• Sphinx = Η Σφίγγα = A sphinx (Ancient Greek: Σφίγξ) is a mythological creature that is depicted as a recumbent feline with a human head. It has its origins in sculpted figures of lionesses with female human heads (unless the pharaoh was depicted as the son of the deity) of Old Kingdom Egypt in association with their solar deities, Bast or Sekhmet. The ancient Greeks adapted this image and applied their own name for a male monster, the "strangler", an archaic figure of Greek mythology. Similar creatures of either gender appear throughout South and South-East Asia.
• Squonk = Το Σκουόνκ = The Squonk is a legendary creature reputed to live in the Hemlock forests of northern Pennsylvania. The legend holds that the creature's skin is ill-fitting, and covered with warts and other blemishes, and so it hides from plain sight and spends much of its time weeping. Hunters who have attempted to catch squonks have found that the creature is capable of evading capture by dissolving completely into a pool of tears and bubbles when cornered. The "scientific name" of the squonk, Lacrimacorpus dissolvens, comes from Latin words meaning "tear", "body", and "dissolve".
• Strong Toad = Distinguished from other toads by its turtle-like shell, the Strong Toad glows like a firefly, cannot be killed except by burning, and can attract or repel anyone nearby with its stare.
• Swedenborg's Angels = Οι άγγελοι του Σβέτενμποργκ = The perfected souls of the blessed and wise, living in a Heaven of ideal things, each reflecting the perfection of this realm.
• Swedenborg's Devils = Οι δαίμονες του Σβέτενμποργκ = These are people who, after dying, choose to go to hell rather than to heaven. They are not happy there, but they are reputed to be more content in hell than they would have been in heaven.
• Sylph = Οι Συλφίδες = Sylph (also called sylphid) is a mythological creature in the Western tradition. The term originates in Paracelsus, who describes sylphs as invisible beings of the air, his elementals of air. There is no known substantial mythos associated with them.
• Talos = Ο Τάλως = Talos or Talon was, according to the Cretan tales incorporated into Greek mythology, a giant man of bronze who protected Europa in Crete from pirates and invaders by circling the island's shores three times daily while guarding it. Talos had one vein, which went from his neck to his ankle, bound shut by only one bronze nail. The Argo, transporting Jason and the Argonauts, approached Crete after obtaining the Golden Fleece. As guardian of the island, Talos kept the Argo at bay by hurling great boulders at it.
• The T'ao T'ieh = Ο Τ’αο Τ’ιέχ = A dog with one(often monstrous) head attached to two bodies, which symbolizes the sins of gluttony and greed.
• Teakettler = The Teakettler is a legendary creature from American folklore with origins in lumberjack culture, specifically the lumber camps of Minnesota and Wisconsin. It is part of a group of similar folklore creatures known collectively as Fearsome critters. Overall, it resembles a small stubby legged dog with the ears of a cat. It gets its name from the sound it makes, which is akin to that of a boiling tea kettle. It only walks backwards (by choice) and steam issues from its mouth as it makes its whistle. Only a few lumberjacks have seen one, as they are very shy, but if a boiling kettle is heard and nowhere to be found, it is sure that a Teakettler is nearby.
• Thermal Beings = Τα θερμικά όντα = Entities composed solely of heat, from an earlier stage of the world's creation.
• Ti-chiang = A faceless, supernatural bird with six feet and four wings.
• The Tigers of Annam = Οι τίγρεις του Αννάμ = Tigers who rule over the four cardinal directions, with the Yellow Tiger commanding them from the world's center.
• The Trolls = Οι Τρολς = Due to the arrival of Christianity in Scandinavia, pagan giants were diminished into small, malevolent, stupid, mountain-dwelling elves. The Elder Edda states that the giants would cross Bifrost, a great rainbow, at the Twilight of the Gods, breaking it with their weight and so destroying the world. Trolls figure in Ibsen's Peer Gynt as 'nationalist' creatures that view their squalour as luxury and suggest putting out Peer Gynt's eyes so he can avoid seeing the ugliness he is confronted with.
• Two Metaphysical Beings = Condillac's sensitive statue inhabited by a new-formed soul which becomes human through sensory perception (starting with smell); a creature that can only sense the outside world through a moveable feeler.
• Unicorn = Ο μονόκερος = A unicorn (from Latin unus 'one' and cornu 'horn') is a mythological creature. Though the modern popular image of the unicorn is sometimes that of a horse differing only in the horn on its forehead, the traditional unicorn also has a billy-goat beard, a lion's tail, and cloven hooves—these distinguish it from a horse.
• The Unicorn of China = Ο μονόκερος της Κίνας = The Qilin. also spelled Kirin (from Japanese) or sometimes Kyrin, is a mythical hooved Chinese chimerical creature known throughout various East Asian cultures, and is said to appear in conjunction with the arrival of a sage. It is a good omen that brings rui (roughly translated as "serenity" or "prosperity"). It is often depicted with what looks like fire all over its body. It is sometimes called the "Chinese unicorn" due to conflation with the unicorn by Westerners. Although it looks fearsome, the Qilin only punishes the wicked. It can walk on grass yet not trample the blades and it can also walk on water. As it is a peaceful creature, its diet does not include flesh. It takes great care when it walks never to tread on any living thing, and it is said to appear only in areas ruled by a wise and benevolent leader (some say even if this area is only a house). It is normally gentle but can become fierce if a pure person is threatened by a sinner, spouting flames from its mouth and exercising other fearsome powers that vary from story to story.
• Upland Trout = Flying fish which nest in trees and fear water.
• Valkyrie = Οι Βαλκυρίες = In Norse mythology, a valkyrie (from Old Norse, "chooser of the slain") is one of a host of female figures who decide who will die in battle. The valkyries bring their chosen to the afterlife hall of the slain, Valhalla, ruled over by the god Odin, where the deceased warriors become einherjar. There, when the einherjar are not preparing for the events of Ragnarök, the valkyries bear them mead. Valkyries also appear as lovers of heroes and other mortals, where they are sometimes described as the daughters of royalty, sometimes accompanied by ravens, and sometimes connected to swans.
• The Western Dragon = Ο δράκοντας της Δύσης = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dragons_in_mythology_and_folklore
• Youwarkee = Η Γιουγουόρκη = The half-bird half-woman heroine of the 1751 novel Peter Wilkins by Robert Paltock, Youwarkee is one of the winged glumms that inhabit an Antarctic island. Peter Wilkins is a shipwrecked sailor who marries her and converts them to Christianity.
• Zaratan = Το Ζαρατάν = The Zaratan is a grandiose sea turtle found in literature and folk lore. Zaratans are notable for their long-life span and impossible size. Zaratan shells are easily mistaken for small islands, similar to the whale-like Fastitocalon.

 

[nickel]

Να σημειώσω ότι λάθη μπορεί να υπάρχουν όχι μόνο στις ελληνικές αποδόσεις, αλλά και στα αγγλικά. Έχω διορθώσει ελάχιστα, έγιναν προσθήκες από κύριες σελίδες λημμάτων εκεί που ο κατάλογος είχε μόνο ένα όνομα και μόλις διόρθωσε ο ντόκτορ το *Dopplegänger στο σωστό Doppelgänger. Οπότε τα φανταστικά όντα μπορεί να συνοδεύονται από φανταστικές ορθογραφίες, φανταστικές πληροφορίες και φανταστικές μεταφράσεις.

 

[Leximaniac]

Ένα θα πω μόνο: Ρισπέκτ (ή αλλιώς Σπέκια)! :)

 

[drsiebenmal]

Να καταθέσω κι εγώ τα σέβη μου για το έργο και (αφού με κάρφωσες, δεν ήταν ανάγκη :)) να συνεισφέρω ότι στα γερμανικά Doppelgänger είναι, κατά βάση, ο σωσίας (όπως και στα αγγλικά, μού λέει η Ματζέντα μου).

 

[Elsa]

Υπερφυσική προσπάθεια, αλλά την άξιζε τέτοιο τερατώδες νήμα, Νικ!

Είδα τον Κέρβερο και τα αδερφάκια του αλλά μου φαίνεται οτι η μαμά Έχιδνα απουσιάζει όπως και η Μέδουσα.

 

[daeman]

Απίστευτα, κυριολεκτικά!
Μας έδωσες τροφή για μήνες! Καλά, δεν τρώγονται όλα, μερικά είναι εντελώς αχώνευτα.
Δεν ξέρω από πού ν' αρχίσω. Ανασκουμπωθείς, βούλομαι εν τω νήματι τούτω πολλάκις αναρτήσαι. Αμήν.
And may the twin Cocks, Celestial and Heavenly, guide my steps. Can't miss them...

 

[drsiebenmal]

Και πριν έρθει να μας το θυμίσει ο Felis catus Zazulus:

behemoth = βεεμώθ

 

[azimuthios]

Εκπληκτικό! Για έναν λάτρη του φανταστικού σαν κι εμένα, είναι ταμάμ που θα έλεγαν και οι γείτονες...

Μπράβο, νίκελ! Αυτό το νήμα και ο Γκρέιβς, με έκαναν να χαμογελάσω πλατιά αυτές τις μέρες...

 

[azimuthios]

Με μια πρόχειρη ματιά, ο/η/το Τσουπακάμπρα, οι Banshees (χωρίς τη Siouxsie) και η Μόρα έχουν πάει μάλλον διακοπές και δεν αναφέρονται στον κατάλογο...

The Elephant That Foretold the Birth of the Buddha = Ο ελέφαντας που πρόβλεψε τη γέννηση του Βούδα

Και ο Paul, the Octopus That Foretold the Win of Spain in the World Cup Final στο πηγάδι κατούρησε ή μήπως τον έριξαν εκεί οι Γερμανοί;

 

[drsiebenmal]

Η Banshee υπάρχει...

 

[Rogerios]

Εξαιρετική δουλειά!!!:)

Να επισημάνω, πάντως, ότι ο "Γκόλεμ" απαντά συχνότατα και ως ουδέτερο και με τονισμό στη λήγουσα (πιθανώς εσφαλμένο, αλλά...).

 

[nickel]

Στις εγγραφές του βιβλίου έκανα ελάχιστες παρεμβάσεις. Προφανής εξαίρεση ο γάιδαρος, που δεν μπορούσε να περάσει έτσι, πιο εύκολα θα περνούσε καμήλα από το μάτι βελόνας. Και όμως πέρασαν αρκετά. Μόλις είδα το ωραίο της Βίκι «The Hydra of Lernaea». Το σωστό, βέβαια, εκτός από το Lernaean Hydra, είναι «The Hydra of Lerna», από τη Λέρνη. Στο κανονικό λήμμα της Βίκι είναι σωστό. Δεν τα διορθώνω, όμως. Τα αφήνω, για να έχουν νόημα και τα σχόλια που ακολουθούν. Όταν κάποτε προχωρήσει το νήμα, κάποιος φιλότιμος θα τα συμμαζέψει όλα. Ή θα έρθει το ΔΝΤ και θα μας βάλει να το κάνουμε.

 

[daeman]

Το ΔΝΤ; Τι, ξαφνικά θα γίνουν Αστυνομία Λέξεων; Όχι, κύριοι ΔΝΤάδες, τα λόγια δεν φορολογούνται, αν και για κάποιους οξαποδώ-μακριά-από-μας θα 'πρεπε. Άσε που η μόνη σχέση ΔΝΤ και λέξεων που μπορώ να σκεφτώ είναι στη φράση: who coined this term? ;)

 

[daeman]

Πριν καταπιαστώ με το λουκούλλειο τσιμπούσι των φανταστικών όντων που μας ετοίμασες, Νικέλ, ένα μουσικό διάλειμμα για τις Βαλκυρίες και τη Βαλχάλα, με κατάλληλη εικονογράφηση.

​

The Ride of the Valkyries, by Richard Wagner, in a classic recording with Wilhelm Furtwangler and the Vienna Philharmonic. Illustrations are by Arthur Rackham.
"One golden summer in adolescence... I heard the 'Ride of the Valkyries' on a gramophone and saw Arthur Rackham's illustrations to The Ring." (C.S.Lewis)

​

Apocalypse Now

---

Cold wind to Valhalla - Jethro Tull

Περισσότερα εδώ.​

 

[drsiebenmal]

Αυτά τα αποπάνω δεν έπρεπε να τα στείλεις εκειπέρα; ;)

 

[daeman]

Σωστά και το θυμήθηκα εκ των υστέρων, εξού και το λίνκι στο τέλος, αλλά ποιος μετακομίζει με τέτοια ζέστη;