Category
đł
AnimalsTranscript
00:00 There are so many urban legends and mythological creatures that it's hard to keep track.
00:05 From folklore to incredible tales meant to explain the world.
00:09 We have 20 mythical creatures today that all in some form or another existed in real life.
00:15 There are some incredible stories that all wow and shock and indeed have for centuries
00:20 or even millennia.
00:21 But what if these monsters really did walk the earth?
00:25 Make sure you watch through to the end for some creatures you'd be surprised to have
00:28 very humble beginnings.
00:32 Dire Wolves
00:36 Not just a thing of fantasy, Dire Wolves are a breed of extinct canine.
00:39 They're one of the most famous prehistoric carnivores of North America along with their
00:44 contemporary competitor, Slymadon.
00:47 They were an incredible predator, measuring nearly 5 feet from head to tail and weighing
00:51 150-200 pounds.
00:54 They were about 25% bigger than most giant dogs alive today and 25% heavier than the
01:00 most enormous grey wolves.
01:04 Griffins
01:08 Stuff of legends, Griffins are said to be a creature with a lion's body and an eagle's
01:12 head and wings.
01:14 While what we understand as a griffin might not exist, not explicitly, there are similar
01:19 creatures out there that may have led ancient people to this understandable conclusion.
01:24 Skyvian nomads mining gold in Central Asia as of the first millennium BC told stories
01:30 of the fierce, eagle-beaked, lion-sized griffin that wandered in the mines, guarding the gold.
01:36 Instead, these miners may have found skeletons of the Proceratops dinosaur and came up with
01:41 their own backstory.
01:43 Similar dinosaurs including Tyrannosaurotops and Cynoceratops were found in the same mines.
01:50 These creatures all had a different neck shield and the Protoceratops had a bird-like beak.
01:55 However, it was all about the size of a sheep.
01:58 The Tyrannosaurotops were similar, with the distinct difference being the size and its
02:02 two front horns.
02:04 In contrast, the Cynoceratops had just one horn on the front and was roughly the size
02:09 of an elephant.
02:10 While it's not as exciting as a lion-bodied eagle creature, this is pretty consistent
02:15 with most depictions of griffins throughout history and cultures.
02:19 Meaning the chances are this is the actual creature behind the myth.
02:25 Camelopard
02:29 Like one other on the list, the Camelopard is actually a real but misidentified creature.
02:35 They were considered monsters, camel and leopard hybrid, and dangerous.
02:39 However, the Camelopard is similarly the medieval name for the beast we now call a giraffe.
02:45 There are no magical properties, just a unique look and a strange marking that scared medieval
02:50 travelers and explorers alike.
02:53 Are you a cryptid lover?
02:54 Do you love the idea of these mythological creatures really existing?
02:59 Let us know your thoughts down in the comments.
03:02 Blimie
03:06 One of the more strange stories on our list today is that of the Blimie.
03:10 Instead, these creatures were a nomadic kingdom of African people in northern Nubia between
03:15 600 and 300 AD.
03:17 However, ever since the early origins, stories have been told of their headless nature.
03:23 Legends told of the people with broad shoulders covered in hair, ears beneath their armpits
03:27 and most notably on the upper chest.
03:30 They featured two large bulging eyes and a face.
03:33 Modern understanding suggests the headless legends came from their combat tactic of keeping
03:38 their heads pressed close to the chest while half squatting and knee to the ground.
03:44 Dobhar Chu
03:48 A creature of Irish folklore, the Dobhar Chu is said to resemble both a dog and an otter
03:54 but sometimes is described as a half dog, half fish.
03:58 The creature lives in water and has fur with protective properties.
04:02 We're likely looking at a formidable relative to the otter, which had been a predator around
04:06 six million years ago.
04:08 This is the Samalgal Malutra and it was the size of a wolf at about 50 kg.
04:14 These creatures had a powerful bite which would have allowed them to crush shells or
04:17 the bones of birds and other mammals.
04:20 Truthfully, little is known about the creature, but it was likely more of a formidable predator
04:25 and easily could have been the stuff of legends.
04:30 Nine-Tailed Fox
04:34 The tale of the nine-tailed fox is that of Asian folklore across many cultures.
04:39 This is simpler to explain than a simple misunderstanding.
04:42 The nine-tailed fox is as accurate as any other fox because they were simply ancient
04:48 foxes.
04:49 Foxes are commonplace in Japan and the belief is that as the fox advanced in age, it would
04:54 grow more tails over the years.
04:56 While the magical properties likely don't exist in these creatures, it's easy to explain
05:00 that these creatures exist, they're just not the stuff of legends.
05:07 Gigantic Squid
05:10 No talk of mythological creatures and cryptids would be complete without sea monsters.
05:16 The Greeks spoke of a six-headed sea goddess named Skyla, while cultures in the Bahamas
05:20 had a half-shark, half-octopus creature called a Lusca.
05:24 This isn't even to mention Nordic legends of the Kraken, described as recently as the
05:29 18th century in Europe's first modern scientific world surveys.
05:33 Finally, in 1853, Norwegian naturalists described the creature as a giant squid which existed
05:39 deep beneath the depths.
05:41 This is not a single squid, but a subspecies of deep ocean-dwelling squid, growing around
05:47 10-13 meters in length, from posterior fins to the top of the two longest tentacles.
05:53 It is the single largest invertebrate on Earth, but it also has some of the largest eyes of
05:57 any animal, larger than even great whales.
06:00 They exist primarily in Antarctica's deep sea, but we can likely assume they could have
06:04 lived all over due to changing ocean temperatures.
06:10 Kraken
06:14 If not for giant squids, we may not have Kraken stories, but not all theories have to do with
06:18 an actual creature.
06:20 The Kraken in a sense might be real, but instead of a giant, deep-sea-dwelling cephalopod,
06:26 a treacherous whirlpool.
06:29 Thanks to literature by the likes of Jules Verne, it's described as a legendary sea
06:33 monster seen off the coast of Norway.
06:36 This would lead to comparing the Kraken's boat-engulfing whirlpool when it submerged,
06:40 compared to Norway's famed Moskvramund, known commonly as the Maelstrom.
06:45 While it may have been just a giant squid in the waters to unseen eyes, the consistency
06:50 with the Kraken's association with whirlpools leads many to believe that the real Kraken
06:55 was just treacherous waters deep below.
07:01 Moby Dick
07:05 Of course, Herman Melville's story Moby Dick is a work of fiction, but it was inspired
07:10 by real-life events of an American whaling ship named Essex.
07:14 The boat was rammed by a sperm whale on November 20, 1820, and later sank.
07:20 All 20 crewmen initially survived the shipwreck, but only 8 survived after their journey eventually
07:26 devolved into cannibalism.
07:28 While the whale might not have been quite the same, the encounter was what the climactic
07:33 scene was based on and would long since be famous for.
07:39 Sharbatus
07:43 Another distinct but similar sea creature includes the sea monsters Sharbatus and Skyla, who
07:48 appear as challenges to epic creatures like Odysseus, Jason, and Arrhenus.
07:53 She is said to be located in the Strait of Messina.
07:56 One claims Sharbatus lives under a small rock on one side of the narrow channel, while Skyla
08:02 lives under another.
08:03 To be between Skyla and Sharbatus means to be presented with two opposite dangers.
08:09 The task for these heroes was to find a way through safely.
08:12 Similar to the Kraken of Norway, Sharbatus was said to be simply a giant whirlpool.
08:17 A whirlpool in fact does not exist there and is caused by currents meeting there.
08:22 However, it's not an epic danger as the story claims, it's dangerous only to small crafts
08:28 in the worst conditions.
08:31 While nearly all of these last three can be linked to a different thing, primarily whirlpools
08:35 or giant squids, it's interesting to see how the creature's interpretation came up throughout
08:40 cultures.
08:41 Do you have one similar that you think we missed?
08:44 There are plenty of sea monster stories to choose from, and if you think we missed an
08:48 opportunity we'd love to hear it from you down below.
08:51 We're about midway through our video, just a few more creatures to go before seeing who
08:55 made number one.
08:56 Do you have any guesses?
08:58 Leave them in the comments now and check back and see how it holds up at the end.
09:04 Emogi
09:08 The Emogi is a mysterious creature said to have taken birth in a millennium, resembling
09:12 a giant serpent and having defensive scales and acidic toxins.
09:17 These creatures were more similar to dragons, though unlike the depictions of dragons, meant
09:22 to be kind water and cave spirits in Korean folklore, the Emoji depicted viciousness,
09:28 destruction, cruelness and despair.
09:31 Instead of a real-life dragon, however, the Emoji was likely tied more to monstrous snakes
09:36 known as the Titanoboa.
09:38 These massive creatures were 45 feet long and weighed more than 2,200 pounds.
09:44 They easily could have been mistaken as dragons to unknowing observers.
09:48 Titanoboa became extinct years ago but was first described in 2009 after being discovered
09:53 in rocks exposed in Colombia in 2004.
09:59 Werewolf
10:03 There have been many stories about man-to-werewolf transformation from 2100 BC with the epic
10:08 of Gilgamesh.
10:09 However, Ancient Greece and Rome had the first werewolves as we now know it.
10:14 There have been plenty of accounts of real-life werewolves, though one in particular was the
10:19 Beast of Gavaldon, first spotted by a woman in the 18th century who was tending cattle
10:24 in the forest of Langone in the summer.
10:27 Her bulls scared the creature off but the attacks terrorized the small province of France
10:33 with 210 attacks, 113 being fatal.
10:37 It's believed that this was a wolf at the time but more contemporary accounts claim
10:42 it had been several wolves as the slayings continued despite a wolf-killing campaign.
10:48 While the initial scare could have been a larger than average wolf, any werewolf accounts
10:52 were just misclassified animal attacks over the years or attempts to sabotage ill-fated
10:58 people through religious persecution similar to the witch trials.
11:04 Bunyip
11:08 Said to inhabit the swamps, billabongs, creeks, riverbeds and waterholes in Aboriginal mythology
11:13 of southeastern Australia, it's generally accepted that the Bunyip is a cryptid that
11:19 does not exist.
11:21 The name usually means devil or evil spirit, though the original meaning may have been
11:25 slightly different due to linguistic changes.
11:28 The word came about first in 1812, describing a large black animal like a seal with a terrible
11:34 voice that creates terror.
11:36 There are several creatures that this legendary one might be based off of.
11:40 Australian fur seals often get trapped inland during flooding and make a cry that is similar
11:45 to the one associated with the Bunyip.
11:48 Another possibility is that the creature is based on fossilized animal skeletons like
11:53 that of a prehistoric kangaroo relative, Procopodon.
11:57 These creatures were supposedly giant, over 500 pounds in weight and could have raised
12:02 their arms well above their heads, creating something that would be altogether unfamiliar
12:06 to an explorer who saw it.
12:10 Vampire Deer
12:15 This mysterious animal is not as gruesome as the name and appearances suggest.
12:20 The Vampire Deer or Musk Deer are real and inhabit the mountainous lands of Asia.
12:25 However, these endangered creatures are best known for their fierce saber teeth, which
12:29 gives them a terrible reputation.
12:32 Rather than blood-sucking ghouls, the Musk Deer found outside in the hills of Pyeongchang
12:37 are fewer horror stories than just harmless herbivores with surprisingly long teeth.
12:44 Nemean Lion
12:50 Many strange, incredible, mythological creatures in Greek mythology, none more than the amazing,
12:55 ferocious lion of great size and strength that terrorized Peloponnese farmers.
13:01 It was said to only have fallen when pitted against Hercules, who likely beat the lion.
13:06 While obviously many of these stories are less one-to-one recreations of events than
13:10 allegories for lessons to be taught, there may be some basis for a massive, ferocious
13:16 lion.
13:17 Perhaps surprising for most modern readers, lions didn't exist in Greece until classical
13:22 times.
13:23 The Asiatic lion had a much more extensive range than it does today.
13:26 They did live in the Peloponnese in 1000 BC, but survived in Greece until as late as the
13:32 4th century AD.
13:34 As there is little doubt that lions existed in the vicinity of Nema centuries ago, it's
13:38 totally plausible that the story of the Nemean lion had some basis in reality, similar to
13:44 how Hercules was likely based on either folk memories of the Neolithic period or a natural
13:50 person or people who had their stories embellished over the years.
13:54 The story of the Nemean lion, stripped of mythical elements, may simply be a folk record
13:59 of man versus beast between the humans and lions of the early Neolithic period.
14:07 Rocks
14:11 Most closely related to the emus or ostriches, the elephant bird evolved when the bird ruled
14:16 the earth and likely existed on Madagascar for 60 million years.
14:21 Explorers around the rock told of a giant bird large enough to carry an elephant in
14:25 its claws, which seems incredible but may not be that far from the truth.
14:29 Famous explorers like Marco Polo described the rock in their traveler's tales.
14:34 Some stories claim the fearsome rock ate elephants, but these giant birds were strictly an herbivore.
14:40 They went extinct around 1000 to 1200 AD due to human activity.
14:49 El Chupacabra
14:53 As one of the most famous legendary monsters globally, in 1995 the El Chupacabra was the
14:58 go-to culprit for strange livestock deaths, creating media stir whenever sighted.
15:05 The dog-like creature is said to drink the blood of livestock and act like a vampire.
15:09 It goes after goats, sheep and other farm animals and pets.
15:13 These creatures have been described as hairless and wolf-like.
15:16 It's believed that these sightings were simply dogs infected with a parasite called mange,
15:21 which would cause them to lose their hair and create an otherworldly appearance.
15:26 Their attacking livestock makes sense as these animals would not be able to hunt in the wild
15:30 due to their condition, and farm animals are easier targets.
15:34 While you might not have to worry about a dog like Cryptid, try to avoid stray dogs
15:38 in Mexico and Puerto Rico just for safety's sake.
15:45 Unicorn Horns
15:49 There are a few different origins for what we now understand as the unicorn, one of which
15:53 is the narwhal.
15:54 Through the Middle Ages and Renaissance, unicorn horn was all the rage.
15:59 But the twisting, conical object that circulated around, and that we imagine in the iconic
16:05 horse image, was generally the tusk of a narwhal.
16:08 These are arctic whales hunted by Vikings who would then sell their tusk at an astronomical
16:13 price.
16:14 In 1577, an English explorer, Martin Frobisher, led an expedition where he happened upon a
16:20 dead narwhal, which he called a sea unicorn.
16:23 However, there's also the other origin, explaining why we have stories of unicorns worldwide.
16:30 Now known as the rhinoceros, some Indian legends told of a creature with the head of a stag
16:35 and feet of an elephant, and a single black horn coming from the middle of its forehead.
16:41 Just a little too similar to be a coincidence.
16:47 Hobbits
16:50 Tolkien may have imagined a world, wild world, but as it turns out it may not be otherworldly
16:56 and fantastical as it seems.
16:58 We once had our own species of hobbits on earth, as it turns out, by Homo Florensis.
17:04 This was an ancient species of hominin, human and our closest ancestor who lived on the
17:09 Indonesian island of Flores.
17:11 In 2004, a skeleton was found in Liangboa called LB1.
17:16 They stood at under 4 feet tall and had a mix of modern and more archaic bodies, including
17:22 a brain just one third the size of ours.
17:25 Archaeologists also found tools resembling the Oldowan style predominating around 2 million
17:30 years ago.
17:31 A popular theory for their size rests on a phenomenon known as island dwarfism.
17:36 Animals on islands tend to become smaller and smaller due to limited resources.
17:40 This is seen in the pygmy elephants of Malta, the dwarf Burmese python and some dinosaur
17:46 species.
17:47 It's believed that over their potential 700,000 lifespan, H. florensis over time.
17:54 We have our number one on the list next, but we've covered some incredible cryptids and
17:58 mythological creatures with very real backstories.
18:02 We're constantly discovering new things and we look forward to when someone can explain
18:06 the likes of Mothman or Nessie in the future.
18:09 Did you see a favorite on the list or do you think we missed a big one?
18:13 Let us know and maybe you'll see your choice in a future video.
18:17 If you want more unique, engaging and sometimes downright wild content, go ahead and subscribe
18:22 to the channel for us.
18:24 And while you're at it, make sure you hit the notification bell so you never miss a
18:27 single video.
18:30 6.
18:35 Now some animals are so weird that even seeing them in the flesh won't convince you.
18:39 In 1798, John Hunter, captain of the Royal Navy, sent a pelt and a sketch of the animal
18:45 back from his Australian travels.
18:47 However, European naturalists refused to believe that such an animal could exist.
18:52 Even when the platypus was described in scientific literature by George Shaw, he admitted apologetically
18:58 that skepticism was usual in this case, that even having seen it himself, he still doubted
19:04 it.
19:05 While not traditionally encrypted as some on the list, the platypus so thoroughly threw
19:10 European naturalists that they couldn't classify it for quite some time.
19:14 Even now, considering everything about a platypus is a strange endeavor in and of itself.
19:22 Alright that's it for today.
19:24 Don't forget to like the video, subscribe to Forever Green and hit that bell icon for
19:29 more.
19:30 See you in the next one.