Mythological Coolness

[AzureWolf]

The dragon is a cool mythological creature, with the fire and the stomping and so forth; but so is the phoenix. [IMG]http://www.otakuboards.com/images/icons/puzzled.gif[/IMG] I was surprised that I could not decide between the two, so I wanted other people's opinion on their beast of choice and what they see in their preferred critter.

The dragon is a very popular creation, being frowned upon in the Medieval World, while being honored in Far Eastern lands. While I love the Occidental look of the dragon, I favor the symbolic view of their Oriental cousins. :)

The phoenix: can't say I have ever seen it depicted negatively. What could be cooler than an immortal bird that is created from fire? On top of that, it sleeps by extinguishing itself, only to return.

Anyway, yeah, what's your mythological creature of choice? I'd really like your input on one of these two, but feel free to bring others to my attention. :)

[Manic Webb]

The Phoenix is also one of my all-time favorite mythological creatures. I was a big fan of fire-birds, and X-Men's Phoenix just clinched the deal for me. It's so majestic. A symbol of power, but not a symbol of fear. It's something that just seems so respectful. A bird that rises from its own ashes. Something that cannot be destroyed. A giver of life. Everytime I've seen the Phoenix represented in some form of media entertainment, its always made fire look more beautiful than dangerous.

My other favorite mythological creature is the mermaid. I've always felt somewhat attached to water in some way. I love swimming, and the thought of living among the fish and other creatures of the see seems so...
You know, I can't describe it. I just want to live at the bottom of the sea without breathing apparatus or getting the bends. Water is life. What can I say?

Although the idea of "sexual intercourse" involving my mate dropping off her eggs and me fertilizing them after she leaves is a real turn-off.

And who can forget the elf? Roughly 1000 years of life, all those gnarly skills you find in Tolkien stories. I especially liked elves the moment I heard that they were normal size and not gnome-sized.

[Guest Crimson Spider]

I prefer the European Dragon over the Chinese Dragon, but I prefer both over the pheonix.

However, the Pheonix is used even less and less lately, so I would say go with that one. It isn't like it's bad or anything.

[pbfrontmanvdp]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Manic [/i]
[B]Although the idea of "sexual intercourse" involving my mate dropping off her eggs and me fertilizing them after she leaves is a real turn-off.[/B][/QUOTE]

Ok after just reading that...laughing a few times...fall of my chair and then catch my breath, i think i have made a choice. Manic i swear you ruined it i was going to pick the Phoenix but you changed my mind.

Nah j/k Phoenixes are really cool(like the example you gave about X-Men) but i would have to go and say my all time favorite is the dragon. Just to be a huge creature with the wingspan of a commercial jet makes the dragon superior. The colors are great, i dont think there is any color they dont come in. And they live forever and therefore are extremely wise. The short attitude is also a plus and their cleverness just seals it as my choice. Im not sure how they do intercourse....nor do i want to know that answer so ill leave that off to Manic to explain...in great detail.

[Semjaza]

I'd go with the Nephilim, honestly. That also ties in the various forms of angels as well, but that depends on what you think is myth and what you don't. Even if you do believe in angels, some of the odd forms spoken of in the Old Testament and lore back then are just really bizarre.

[SadClown]

I would go with the Phoenix instead of the dragon, it's just more majestic. But elves beat the phoenix hands down, especially, like Manic said, how they are depicted in the Tolkien books. Elves are eternally beautiful, always more fair than their human counter parts, and they live so much longer, don't become ill and...yea! They rule.

[Transtic Nerve]

The Wolf.... even though it's a real creature, his mytholical ideals are there.... he's typically the trickster (Little Red Riding Hood, Three Pigs, etc) and he's clever and witty. However he lacks common sense and strength. He's usually stronger than normal, but not strong enough. I liek the trickster quality. He always gets all the sex too. Read the original Little Red Riding Hood, LRRH is the prostitude, the wolf is his client. ANd the Wolf wins that one, he actually kills her grandmother, feeds her to LRRH, and then eats LRRH (a sexual connotation, he probably raped her first lol, suchs a lovely story). In the Brother's Grim version, that stupid woodsman comes in and saves LRRH and her grandmother by pulling them out of the wolfs stomach after he kills the wolf.

Krishna is a particular favourite of mine, he got all the girls lol. Ofcourse thats not my place, but yeah, it's just funny. Also, tricksters are more likely to include women and men in their roles, where other mythological people are only one sex, ie: God, or the main God, Noah's character (Utnapishtim for Mesopatania), and several others.

You'd be surprised what Mythology holds. Not just ccreatures, but people... and "types" of people.... oh yeah... I also like the centaurs.

[Lady Asphyxia]

[size=1]Personally, I prefer the Phoenix above the Dragon, because the Phoenix to me is...magestic, I suppose.

However, my favorite mythological creature is the Selkie. A female Selkie can shed her skin and come ashore as a beautiful woman. When a man finds the skin, he can force the Selkie to be a good, if somewhat sad, wife. Should she ever recover the skin, she will immediately return to sea, leaving her husband behind.

The male Selkies are responsible for storms and also for the sinking of ships, which is their way of avenging the hunting of seals.

To me, it's like Manic with a mermaid. I love the sea, and the folklore behind selkies is just irresistable to me.[/size]

[Frankie]

I prefer dragons myself. I draw them in my spare time and base msot of my own creations on them. Its not the flame and the size. Its the flight and wisdom. In many of the books i have read all the dragons seem to be very wise... kind helpfull and have that awsome flight power. Sure what i read is not real mythology stuff but hey i love dragons just the same. Sure humans in some books use dragons as tools of war.. i dont like those books.

If i were in charge it would be the other way around. Dragons using humans as tools of war.. Ha!

I am taking Mythology in school this year so i wont sound so stupid later one when i talk about dragons and stuff.

[TheShinje]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Transtic Nerve [/i]
[B]Read the original Little Red Riding Hood, LRRH is the prostitude, the wolf is his client. ANd the Wolf wins that one, he actually kills her grandmother, feeds her to LRRH, and then eats LRRH (a sexual connotation, he probably raped her first lol, suchs a lovely story). [/B][/QUOTE]

[size=1] That's gruesome :p Something tells me I'd enjoy the original stroy the most of all.

Who would have thought that LRRH would be that sadistic? Unless of course, it was a well timed joke. If it was, you certainly fooled me

Dragons would be my favourite mythological beast. Dragons have that aurora about them, mysterious, firce and amazing.

They call them dinosaurs nowdays. :O [/size]

[Manic Webb]

Actually, I don't think a phoenix would mate at all. The way I understand the myth, there has been and always will be only one phoenix. I know I've never heard of there being more than one at a time.

While we're on the topic of sex, let's talk about the succubus(female) / incubus(male). A creature that swoops down on you in the middle of the night and [boing]s you. Sounds interesting, to say the least. With crimes like that happening out there, it really makes you wonder if succubi are real.

[Fall]

Well, to put it simply, my favourite mythical creature is the dragon, maybe because I was born in the Year of the Dragon. Chinese or something...

I've never really looked into the phoenix, all I know is it's a bird to do with fire. And I know that's cool.

[RPCrazy]

I've always liked Cerberus, Satan's monsterious three-headed dog that guards the gates of Hell. As well as Pegasus (Pegasis? Am I even close? >_< )... And must not forget The Last Unicorn...dear god, what a wonderful movie...

I used to pretend I was a mermaid when I was little and taking a bath. Hippocampus are also [I]very[/I] interesting...if I have my story straight, they are mystic marine horse-demons who can turn into a young maiden, seduce a man, and lead him out to his watery death where they feed on his decaying flesh.

Between the phoenix and the dragon? As mentioned by others, I've always loved the idea of the Bird of Fire continuously being reborn from its own ashes. However, the dragon is the all ruling, supreme master of mythical creatures. ^_^

Here's an interesting theory I heard once about dragons and their obsession with virgin maidens and money : Dragon males, being hot headed and pompous pricks, grow to enourmous sizes with the fire and the fangs and claws..yada yada. Females, however, grow to be twice as large and are birthed with this incredible control over many different types of magic (depending on their "element"). The one trick all females can do is turn themselves into beautiful women in order to walk through the world of mortal men. Thusly they win the favors of knights, princes, and kings across the land and become very well supported, their collections serving as both currency and a bed (being a dragon, normal bedding materials catch fire and other metals are too hard to sleep on). They're incredibly intelegent, all the better to manage their horde of gold and jewels. And the "damsel in distress" is nothing more than a female dragon in human guise being wooed by her suitors.

What other animals do I know? The Hyrda! Oh god, how in the world could I forget the Hydra?? The only thing better than a dragon! ^_^ The Kracken(SP?), I think it was...whatever creature that Poisiden(SP?) kept locked up that destroyed some Greek (or Romain? I think it was Greek...) city. Medusa, Harpies, Siren...ummm...there's more, but it's early where I am and my brain isn't shifting through the information fast enough. >_<

Vampires. How could I forget vampires? And werevoles....but definately vampires.

[Baron Samedi]

DRagon and Basilisk. Phoenix is cool, but i love serpents. Srepents are ... well they seem to be cunn9ing and crafty, and sneaky. Not necessarily nice attributes, but useful ones. And they are so cool. A dragon would be so much fun..... Just they idea. They are always depicted as being noble, and loyal, and fierce etc. Im sure you know what i mean.

[Zidargh]

[size=1][color=darkblue] I love Mythology, I have around a few hundred books portraying stories of Mythology in my household. Their mystical tales make as thing if they did exist, yet my imagination just runs wild on the subject. I have many Myths that I favor.

These are in no order but what I find interesting. First of all, Talos. The almighty crafted giant that acts as a sentinel to the tresures nearby with its only weakness being at its ankle where it would leak a chemical such as Mercury when even though perishing, it would burn the surrounding enemies to death. Lovely stuff there. ^_~

Then there's Kraken. The sea 'guardian' as a huge octopus like creature that held a huge grudge against human life fighting alongside other sea myths with the ability to pick up a man and throw him for miles inevitably killing him. While Kraken gained a huge advantage against ships but crushing them with all its strength.

Now the one that I fear the most is the Minotaur. I dont know who would enjoy being chased by a half man half bull that feasted upon human flesh and would not halt as it knew the catacombs off by hard where humans would be condemned too.

Seeing as I am a Dragon in the Chinese calendar thing I'd say I adore the Chinese dragon yet the Phoenix stands equal due to its mystery.[/color][/size]

[Spikey]

[size=1]I prefer the Minatour. That being he is strong, healthy smart, and big. He has been known to man as the Destroyer. I just explained what my favorite Mythological creature is.

If I could have to, I would choose the Dragons from england, such as the Dragons from Reign of Fire.[/size]

[Sara]

[size=1]*hugs Asphy* I always thought the story of Selkies was hauntingly beautiful.

Kelpies also intrigue me. Come to think of it, so do sirens and mermaids...

I guess I have a penchant for water spirits. /

[/size]

[Luminaire]

[color=crimson]Uh oh...this is my kind of topic. I am really into...any and all kinds of mythology. Greek, Roman(exactly like the Greek with different names), English Folklore, Norse, you name it.
Let's see now...Nymphs, I have always liked the Nymphs. Wood Nymphs especially. If a traveler were to take the wood of a tree ruled by a Nymph without first asking permission, s/he would be strangled by the other branches of the tree. Water Nymphs are cool too, if a traveler drinks from their pool of water without asking, the water will turn to poison and the traveler will die. Nymphs are very pretty and in Greek Mythology, even the Olympus Gods would fall in love with their beauty(coughApollocough).
Hmmmm, from Norse Myth, there is the Munin(sp? couldn't find it). This is an almost raven-like bird that is magical. Odin was known for keeping one as a "pet". The actual bird itself looks almost exactly like a raven, but whatever magical properties it has, makes it a VERY different bird. Also, I believe in one story, a man needed a Munin tail feather and was forced to ask Odin, who said "no"(duh!). Love that Munin! ^_^
>thinks< Dragons are very cool. In Norse myth, there was the dragon Nidhogg, the Devourer of the Dead; the Eater Beneath the Tree of Life, Yggdrasil. In Norse, Nidhogg is the most terrible of all dragons. Ever chewing at the roots of Yggdrasil, he is the mortality of the world, a sign of its coming demise...Ragnarok, the end of the world. Very cool myth for a very cool dragon.
I think this sorta counts. In Norse myth, there was the wolf god, Fenrir(no, not the FFIX summon XD). I thought Fenrir was very cool, though I can't remember the exact myth. I think Fenrir was able to change into a human at one point or another.
Pheonix...I like the Pheonix. Bird of the Flame of Rebirth(long name), Bringer of New Life, many of titles I don't want to type. The actual Pheonix itself is a very beautiful creature. I want one!
I'll leave it at that. I could write more if anyone needs ideas or what not, or you want to hear more about my favorite mythogical creatures, I do like ALOT of them.

~Lumi ^_^[/color]

[Guest Amarant]

I like the mytholicol sirens personally. I wouldn't mind being pulled in by a beautiful woman.lol :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[lea]

hmm...i really like the phoenix, because i believe the life cycle has deeper meaning (at least to me)
when they are born, they grow up, things are good. then, they die in a puff of fire, and they are a heap of ashes ( when somthing bad happends) then, they are born out of their ashes, and grow again (you will get out of your bad/sad/difficult situation, and you will be stronger for it
know what i mean?

[GrimmFang]

[quote]The Wolf.... even though it's a real creature, his mythological ideals are there....[/quote]

Great choice!

Ok mythological wise I like Dragons but Gnoll's are pretty cool to.

[quote]I think this sorta counts. In Norse myth, there was the wolf god, Fenrir(no, not the FFIX summon XD). I thought Fenrir was very cool, though I can't remember the exact myth. I think Fenrir was able to change into a human at one point or another.[/quote]

I know a tiny bit about the myth I am pretty sure Fenrir was imprisoned by one of the Norse gods can't remember after killing Odin. I have to look it up again.

[SadClown]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Lady Asphyxia [/i]
[B][size=1]
However, my favorite mythological creature is the Selkie. A female Selkie can shed her skin and come ashore as a beautiful woman. When a man finds the skin, he can force the Selkie to be a good, if somewhat sad, wife. Should she ever recover the skin, she will immediately return to sea, leaving her husband behind.
[/size] [/B][/QUOTE]

I'm assuming you've seen the movie "Ron Inish" then?

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by RPCrazy [/i]
[B]I've always liked Cerberus, Satan's monsterious three-headed dog that guards the gates of Hell. [/B][/QUOTE]

Cerberus belongs to Hade's not Satan. Two different Mythologies. >_<

[RPCrazy]

I've seen it as both...however, I think Greek/Romain mythologies (I always get the two mixed up, forgive me. >_<) have enough interesting myth creatures, so I go with it being Satan's. ^_^

[Fyxe]

I love dragons, there are so many types with so many cool powers. But out to other mythical I like elves to, elves and dragons are awsome.
Elves, they are folk who live in the woods... well some don't :P... They are very good at archery and you never know what other powers they could have. I think most evf eyes are so cool and their ears... all pointy and such.
But those are my two favorite, that I can think of. I know there are more that I like, but I just can't think straight.

[Rhys Mayiessen]

[color=indigo]I like the dragon...always have, though not really the oriental dragon. I like the ones in medievil times, though I don't know why they always have to be evil^^ Some can be good^^ I also like the Pheonix though. So they're both really cool^^;;[/color]