Welcome back to Charles E. Yallowitz, today he chats about mythical creatures.
TOP TEN MYTHICAL BEASTS
- Vampires– I’m putting this here entirely because my current series revolves around them. I love how there are so many versions of vampires. You can tinker with the mythos so much as long as you keep some of the basics or explain why your breed doesn’t follow the norm. Also, it’s fun to have immortals get into fights because you pull off some wild moves that more fragile species could never accomplish.
- Griffin– At some point in my life, I gravitated towards the griffin. Funny considering I’m afraid of heights. I think part of it is that they have the majesty of eagles combined with the regal presence of lions. They come off as mythical beast royalty to me.
- Perytons– This one is going to be obscure to most, but I got hooked on them while researching monsters for my books. These are flying stags, which makes them similar to griffins. I always saw them as vicious and feral as they travelled in flocks or herds. Not sure what you would call them. I don’t get to use perytons often, so I save them for special occasions.
- Trickster Gods– Not sure if they would really fall into the category of mythical beasts. Gods tend to be closer to characters, but there are animalistic ones here. Being someone who enjoys humour, I like reading about beings that exist to pull pranks and cause mischief.
- Trolls– When you really need to throw a terrifying monster at your heroes, look no further. These creatures are the stuff of nightmares to me because I always see them as top of the food chain. They aren’t smart in the same way as orcs and ogres, but they have this primitive intelligence to go along with their power.
- Lycanthropes– I feel it’s better to go with this instead of werewolves. This becomes an umbrella term for any person who is cursed to transform into an animal or hybrid. Many would argue against it and design a -thrope for each species though. As far as this list goes, it’s easier to use this and say that I enjoy the tragic existence of them. They aren’t human or animal, so they’re trapped in the middle of both worlds.
- Krakens– Feels like a cop out thanks to the overused pop culture phrase, but I’ve always been amazed by enormous squid monsters. They’re simply terrifying with their tentacles, arms, beak, and crushing strength. Being that they’re ocean predators, I see them as even more dangerous. Humans can’t do much against them once their boat is gone.
- Pegasus– It’s another flying beast and one that many pick, but I have it on the list for nostalgia. Long ago, when I was a little kid, my grandfather would tell me stories about Pegasus. He was a flying horse who escaped a carousel, went on adventures, and always ended up visiting Davey Jones’s locker. It’s surprising that I don’t use Pegasus in my stories that often, but that might be because it’s a rather special and personal monster. It would feel weird if I kept throwing it into my more violent tales.
- Black Dogs– In high school, I got really interested in crypto-zoology and tried to come up with stories revolving around them. They never worked out, but I always tried to slip the Black Dogs into them. The reason is because the thought of running into a large, black dog at night gave me chills. It wasn’t even the idea of them being aggressive, but they came off as being a source of fear. They are omens of death, which helps that. Maybe part of it is that I always imagined they looked like Great Danes or Rottweilers.
- Jackalope– I was sitting here thinking of so many monsters and not being sure which to end the list on. Then, I remembered this one that gets looked at as a joke at times. It’s a rabbit with antlers, which doesn’t seem that dangerous or even monstrous. This appeals to my own habit of creating beasts by slapping animal parts together until I’m satisfied. Makes me believe that I’m carrying on the human tradition of making monsters.
Bio-
Charles Yallowitz was born and raised on Long Island, NY, but he has spent most of his life wandering his own imagination in a blissful haze. Occasionally, he would return from this world for the necessities such as food, showers, and Saturday morning cartoons. One day he returned from his imagination and decided he would share his stories with the world. After spending many years fiddling with his thoughts and notebooks, he decided that it was time to follow his dream of being a fantasy author. So, locked within the house with only pizza and seltzer to sustain him, Charles brings you tales from the world of Windemere. He looks forward to sharing all of his stories with you and drawing you into a world of magic.
Social Media-
Blog: www.legendsofwindemere.com
Twitter: @cyallowitz
Facebook: Charles Yallowitz
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cyallowitz/
Links etc
Library of Erana 