examination station: Fabulous Beast & Hybrid Creatures

The centaur, chimera, wyvern and griffin feature in many cultures. They also feature in the work of artists, illustrators and film makers. Consider appropriate examples and create your own work.

image courtesy of : http://www.scott-eaton.com/centaur-sketches-gallery

In Greek mythology, a centaur or hippocentaur is a member of a composite race of creatures, part human and part horse.

image courtesy of: http://www.sandrocastelli.com/works_paginas/chimera2.htm

The Chimera (also Chimaera or Chimæra) was, according to Greek mythology, a monstrous fire-breathing female creature of Lycia in Asia Minor, composed of the parts of three animals: a lion, a serpent and a goat. Usually depicted as a lion, with the head of a goat arising from its back, and a tail that ended in a snake's head. The term chimera has come to describe any mythical or fictional animal with parts taken from various animals.

Image coutesy of: http://www.dragons-gate.com

A wyvern is a legendary winged creature with a dragon's head, reptilian body, two legs (sometimes none), and a barbed tail. Depending on the cultural specifications, wyverns can breathe fire, or possess a venomous bite, or possess neither or both of these. The wyvern is found in heraldry.There exists a purely sea-dwelling variant, termed the Sea-Wyvern which has a fish tail in place of a barbed dragon's tail.

Image courtsey of: http://www.eaudrey.com/myth/griffin.htm

There are a couple descriptions for Griffins: one is that it is part bird and part lion. Sometimes it is specified as part lion, part eagle. Occasionally, it is represented as a lion's body with an eagles head (without wings.) Griffins are frequently large, capable of carrying a man and horse, or an elephant, in its talons.

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