The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures: The Ultimate A–Z of Fantastic Beings from Myth and Magic. John Matthews

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СКАЧАТЬ saw Medusa and was turned to stone. Andromeda was rescued, becoming the wife of Perseus. The rock where Andromeda was chained is still visible at the port of Joppa (Jaffa), the old part of the modern city of Tel Aviv in Israel.

      CHAC

      Also called Tlaloc, this central American rain god lived at the top of mountains where he ruled over a realm for those warriors who died in battle and of women who died in childbirth. He was the ruler of those who drowned and the god who brought fertility to the maize fields. Chac had the head of two intertwined serpents.

      CHAMELEON

      The ability of the chameleon to change colour has fascinated people for centuries. Throughout Africa, myths about the wise Chameleon abound. In Zaire, people look upon Chameleon as a shapeshifting god who can appear in many forms. There are a number of stories about Chameleon, all of which are variations on the creation myth.

      Since the creator was pleased with the outcome of his efforts, as an after-thought he sent Chameleon down to Earth to tell them that they were not to die for ever but would come back to life like the moon. Chameleon set out but he was very slow. Since no response had come back, the creator sent Hare with the same message. He travelled much faster on his long leaping legs, but he could not remember the words properly, telling people that they would all die for ever. By the time Chameleon arrived it was too late, since the creator’s message cannot be altered after it has been delivered. The moral of the story is that it is best to make haste slowly

      The chameleon was the model for all messengers who, in the days before a postal service, had to run from place to place with important tribal messages from their chiefs. Among the Zulu, the chameleon is known as Unwabu or ‘Mr Slow’.

      CHAMP

      According to North American folk tradition, Champ is the monster that lives in the depths of Lake Champlain, which lies between Quebec in Canada and Vermont in the United States. The Abenaki Iroquois people call this creature Tatoskok and see it as a horned serpent. It has been sighted many times: its thick serpentine body is about 30-ft long with humps along its back, and some have reported a horse-like head. For the local communities around the lake, Champ is regarded as the Loch Ness Monster of their lake, drawing a vast tourist industry. Scientists have explored the possibilities of Champ, suggesting that he might be a plesiosaur, zeuglodon or basilosaurus – a prehistoric snake-like whale, remains of which have been unearthed near Charlotte, Vermont, only a stone’s throw from the lake itself. There is a good deal of cryptozoological interest in Champ’s movements, which are as closely monitored and reported as those of Nessie.

      CHAMROSH

      In Mesopotamian myth, the Chamrosh is a creature with a dog’s body and the wings of a bird. It lives beneath the soma tree where the Senmurv roosted. Whenever the Senmurv flew off, the soma tree let fall its ripe seeds, which were gathered by the Chamrosh to be distributed around the Earth.

      CHAN

      In Chinese legend, the Chan was a sea monster in the shape of a huge clam. The out-breathings of the Chan were said to make coral reefs in the shape of wondrous palaces.

      CH’ANG O

      In Chinese mythology, Ch’ang O was the king of the snakes. He had the ability to change in size from tiny to enormous in order to match his enemies. He was finally defeated at the celestial battle of Mu which was fought between the gods and immortals.

      CHANG LUNG

      In Chinese folklore, Chang Lung was originally a magistrate during the reign of Chung Tsung in the 7th century. Through his practice of pious meditation in the local temple, he began to metamorphose into a dragon protector. His son became anxious about his father’s long absences and finally discovered what was happening. Chang Lung confessed to his son that he was being challenged by another dragon and required the help of all his sons to overcome him. His sons made Chang Lung wear a red ribbon about his arm so that they might tell which dragon was which. The rival dragon was finally shot and killed by the arrows of Chang Lung’s sons. From that time onwards, Chang Lung remained in dragon form as a protector of the temple and his community.

      CHAPALU

      In medieval French legend, Chapalu was the name of an enormous and insatiable cat which preyed upon the unwary. In French Arthurian legend, Chapalu was overcome by Sir Kay. The supernatural cat is associated with the Savoie region of France where it is supposed to live on Mont de Chat. (See Cath Palug.)

      CHARADRIUS

      The Charadrius is a bird, a kind of white, unspotted plover. According to the Physiologus, it symbolizes the sinless incarnation of Christ. If one were brought to the bed of an invalid, it was able to predict life or death. It had the ability to look into the face of the sick and draw out illness by flying up to the sun with the residue of the disease so that it might be melted by the solar flames. In the late Middle Ages, it was associated with jaundice, which was considered to be a royal or courtly disease caused by too much rich living. In missals and Psalters, the Charadrius was often depicted as the bird that cures spiritual blindness or indifference, such as in the case of Saul, who was smitten with temporary physical blindness and spiritual illumination on the Damascus road, after which he changed his name to Paul, later becoming St Paul.

      CHARUN

      In Etruscan myth, Charun was an animal-headed god with tusks and flaming eyes who presided over death and torment. He took particular delight in the writhings of those in pain or in the grip of their death-agony. Later Roman belief took his name for the ferryman over the river to Hades, calling him Charon, but they did not retain the character of the early god.

      CHARYBDIS

      In Greek mythology, Charybdis was the daughter of the Earth goddess Gaia and the sea god Poseidon. She stole the cattle of Hercules, offending Zeus who punished her by sending a thunderbolt. She became turned into a monstrous, formless sea entity like a whirlpool who three times a day sucked the sea into herself and three times spat it out again. She was never seen, but remained in the deep sea. In the Odyssey, Odysseus had to pass between the twin terrors of Charybdis and Scylla.

      CHATURDANTA

      In Indian tradition, Chaturdanta is the name of the elephant who led his herd to the only source of water in the middle of drought. As the elephants came to the lake, they trampled many animals including the hares. Silimukha, the king of the hares, sent his eloquent hare messenger, Vijaya, to persuade the elephants to seek some other place. Vijaya climbed up onto a rock and spoke to Chaturdanta saying, ‘I am the ambassador of Silimukha, the moon, who says to you that you have defiled the cool waters of my lake and killed my people. If you do this again, you shall receive my punishment.’ ’ Chaturdanta swore never to do this again, so Vijaya took him to visit Silimukha but instead led the great elephant to the still lake. Looking into СКАЧАТЬ