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

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СКАЧАТЬ Bicorne were frequently represented in allegorical sculptures and misericords in churches to represent the lot of wives and husbands. Sometimes Chichelvache (‘Scrawny Cow’) is called by the alternative Chichifache (‘Thin-Face’), which is how Chaucer spelled it in his ‘Clerk’s Tale’ in The Canterbury Tales.

      CHICKEN

      See Cockerel.

      CHIMAERA

      The Chimaera or Chimera was the creature with body of a goat, the fore-parts of a lion, the hind-parts of a serpent and, sometimes, is shown with the heads of all three animals ranged along its back. Chimaera was one of the many children of Echidna and Typhon. It spat fire and was responsible for killing everyone in the city of Lycia in Asia Minor. It was finally dispatched by the hero Bellerophon, who rode upon the back of Pegasus, and killed it by thrusting his spear into its mouth. As the metal of the spear melted in the heat of its gullet, the Chimaera choked to death.

      CHIN-CHIN KOBAKAMA

      In Japanese folklore, the Chin-Chin Kobakama are the fairies. The writer and traveller Lafcadio Herne wrote a book of stories about them of this same name.

      CHINESE LYCOPODIUM

      This is the alternative name for Barometz, the part-vegetable, part-animal creature of European legend. It is possible that the legends surrounding this intriguing creature are based upon the little understood formation of the mineral travertine which is built up by calcium carbonate deposited through the flow of thermal waters over plant matter. As these deposits build up so the branch or bush becomes slowly turned into stone. In botany, Lycopodium is now the Latin name for the genus of club mosses.

      CHIO-TUAN

      In Chinese mythology, Chio-Tuan is the Unicorn who appeared to Gengis Khan in the 13th century, warning him to stop his wars. He is the same as Ki-Lin and Ch’i Lin.

      CHITRA-RATHA

      Chitra-Ratha is the king of the Gandarvas in Hindu mythology, the centaur-like beings who are in charge of the divine soma of the gods. As well as brewing medicines, Chitra-Ratha is also the divine musician who provides music at the banquets of the gods. He is sometimes discovered in woodland clearings making music and dancing with the Apsaras. It was in such a place that the yogi Medhavi was seduced from his ascetic practices by the dancing girl, Manjughosha, as she danced to the divine music of Chitra-Ratha. He is the Hindu equivalent of Cheiron in bringing civilizing arts to humanity.

      CHIVATO

      Among the Araucanian people of Chile, Chivato was a cannibalistic monster. He had been a child who was abducted by witches. Over the years, he changed into a monster who had a taste for his own kind’s flesh. Several Chivatos were believed to live in the caverns beneath the towns of Ancud and Chiloc. The caverns were accessible by a tunnel leading from an islanded lake. They preyed upon young women who came to draw water from the lake.

      CHO’OS SHYON

      Cho’os Shyon is one of the eight giants of Buddhist Tibet who are known in India as the Dharmapalas or protectors of the dharma (teachings.) They are inimical to all enemies of Buddhism and protect the faithful.

      CHORTI

      In Guatamalan folklore, the Chorti is a gigantic wild man whose metal-clawed feet are backwards-pointing. The Yaqui of Mexico know of a similar giant creature who roams the uninhabited wastelands. Like Sasquatch and Yeti, he may be a memory of creatures who are the missing link between humans and animals.

      CH’OU T’I

      In Chinese mythology, Ch’ou T’i is a beast with a head at each end of its body. This creature is very like the Amphisbaena.

      CHRYSOMALLUS

      In Greek mythology, this is the name given to the flying ram with the Golden Fleece.

      CHUDO-YUDO

      In Russian folklore, Chudo-Yudo was the many-headed, fire-breathing dragon who is a child of Baba Yaga. Its brother was Koshchei the Deathless. It controlled the Waters of Life and Death.

      CHUPACABRAS

      This vampire animal, also known as the Goatsucker, has been reported since the mid-1990s throughout Latin America, especially round Mexico and on the island of Puerto Rico. There are a variety of reported descriptions: one is that of a lizard-like being with greenish skin and dorsal spines, standing 3–4-ft high, with a long nose and forked tongue, that hops like a kangaroo; another says that it hops like a kangaroo but has coarse grey fur and facial hair, and the head of a dog with long teeth; a third description is that of a hairless wild dog with a high dorsal ridge, deep eye sockets, long teeth and claws. Further reports say the Chupacabras is covered with black hair, has red eyes and bat-like wings, or that it can crawl on all fours and stand upright like a prairie dog. They move remarkably quickly and some say that it has basilisk-like eyes that paralyse its prey.

      The Chupacapras sucks the blood of livestock such as goats, horses, fowl and cattle. Sudden animal deaths are laid at its door, especially if two puncture wounds are found on their necks. In July 2004, a Texas rancher killed a hairless, dog-like creature that was attacking his livestock. Skeletal analysis of the creature is proceeding at the University of California. The Chupacabras may originate from Central American aboriginal myths concerning the ‘mosquito-man’ who sucks blood from animals through his long nose, just like a mosquito. (See Cryptozoology.)

      CICADA

      The cicada has been symbolic in many cultures. In Greek mythology, it is sacred to Apollo because of the way it pours out its song. The cicada came into being from the man Tithonous who obtained immortality – but forgot to ask for eternal youth to accompany it. Out of pity, he was changed into a cicada. Because they are so often associated with immortality, it was bad luck to kill one. Perhaps due to its incessant song, some say that the cicada is the representative of all bad and garrulous poets. It was also believed that cicadas lived on dew alone and were bloodless. In China, cicadas were kept in cages as pets. They were symbols of temperance, immortality and eternal youth, and jade cicadas were put into the mouth of the dead to signify immortality. Among the Polynesian peoples, it was believed that no one should make a noise while the cicada was making its song.

      According to the Andamanese Islanders in the Bay of Bengal, the Cicada was killed by the great hunting spider, Da Tengat. As he crushed the Cicada to death its dying shrill cry sounded, and the first darkness fell. СКАЧАТЬ