Old monsters

[manuelgv]

ok this are not the kind of monsters like dracula and stuff
well,kinda
I had an idea for a paper or probably my thesis(some time left but it was a good idea) from a teacher who found out I played D&D and on class we were checking the medieval monsters.
So he told me to check the D&D monsters manual and check the medieval ones to see which monsters and beasts have survived from medieval times to the present.
the purpose of this thread:
we are all from different countries,or at least lots of us,so do you know of any medieval or before this century beliefs in monsters or beasts that have survived thru time?
because that would help a lot to know where I can start looking at and which traditional books to check.

 

[aegis]

1950 years of christianity have killed most of the old legends here
in my region, we had the Graoully, killed by the first bishop from Metz in 47 AD
i have found only a few sites about that monster, and they didn't agree about the description of the beast

translation of the most complete description i have found :

it says it was a beast with a giant crocodile body, with a long neck, a flattened mouth with 2 rows of sharpened teeths and red eyes ... it had small paws with sharp claws, which made he move slowly ... It had wings who authorized him to fly and to glide and made him lively ...

in the square of the cathedral of Metz, there is drawing of a Graoully with 2 tails (which doesn't match at all with the description picture

here there are some explainations about his legend (still in french sorry) and some medievals drawings about the legend

i don't have anything more consistent ...
the biggest monsters of the region must be Joan of Arc (born at 50 km of my home) or a small noble, who was in jail near Jerusalem who woke up in the basilica of Saint-Nicolas-de-Port (at 5 km of my home) after having prayed Saint-Nicolas during most of the night

 

[Morgana]

It looks more like Graoully was a red dragon...

 

[aegis]

but it was supposed to be green

i have only found contradictories news about Graoully ...
if the old president ot the football (soccer) team of Metz (who liked old legends) didn't decide to put his old heraldic representation, everybody here would have forgotten the beast

 

[Vanir]

*cough*
*ahem*
Troll?

 

[manuelgv]

well for france I took one of the old celtic monsters called Tarasque,I think
that is also in D&D
but the classic monsters are the basilisks and stuff like that so I was looking for more references
tho that groully thing is good,gotta find stuff from it in english

 

[Karldin]

*nods* Trolls are very much alive .
Others would be huldra, draugen, nøkken and those other little
forest spirits.

 

[Vanir]

Well, I wouldn't call Huldra a monster...
then again, I have this thing for S&M, entrapment, kinky stuff like that

 

[Blackspirit]

What about that Lochness monster? I'm not sure
about the spelling.... It's supposed to be in some
lake or whatever in Norway, but also outside
Scotland if I'm not way off.... I just remembered
the Lochness name P Hehe...

 

[Morgana]

Oh, you talking about Nessie

 

[Lordenlil]

Originally posted by Blackspirit
What about that Lochness monster? I'm not sure
about the spelling.... It's supposed to be in some
lake or whatever in Norway, but also outside
Scotland if I'm not way off.... I just remembered
the Lochness name P Hehe...

The lake in Scotland would be.... Loch Ness

 

[Blackspirit]

Originally posted by Lordenlil


The lake in Scotland would be.... Loch Ness

Ya, I just wasn't sure... I remember seeing some
Norwegian programme about it and I also
remember a Norwegian newspaper article about
some people having seen the lochness thing,
and that was i Norway actually.... But I might
remember wrong P Hehe...

 

[Lordenlil]

Oh, I forgot: The one supposedly in Norway is in Seljordsvatnet.

 

[Morgana]

http://www.lochness.scotland.net/camera.cfm

If ya try to see Nessie...

 

[manuelgv]

well I can't put the loch ness monster because it's not on the medieval bestiaries(sp?)
since I study medieval literature I have to put stuff like giants,trolls,elves,dwarves and those kinda creatures
then I have to check the D&D and other fantasy monster's manuals and see if they are there as well
it is more of like the imaginative and fantastic monsters that have stayed in culture for years
and maybe some folk legends from different countries
maybe mr. V should have an album like that.
hey mr. V I still have 2 years for my thesis so you can record an album with folk legends and give me a hand

 

[Vanir]

I wouldn't exactly say Nessia is a "modern" monster... the first sightings were around year 1000AD, if I'm not mistaken.

 

[Jim LotFP]

The GURPS Bestiary (another RPG) uses only historical and mythological monsters... nothing made up themselves or by other game companies.

 

[WorldEater]

What about a hippogriff or chimera? or a hydra?