Magical Creatures are still with us

     Throughout folklore, Magical Creatures have enchanted and bewitched us with their extraordinary abilities, capturing our imaginations and leading us through their dangerous but whimsical world. Magical Creatures are so much a part of our legends and stories that they have managed to survive the arrival of the scientific age.  Legendary creatures like Elves, Fairies, Giants, and Dragons are still a major part of storytelling for all age groups. While most people no longer believe in the existence of most of these Magical Creatures, the creatures still show up in the oddest places.   

Magical Creatures can be divided into three basic categories. There are the creatures that are helpful, the ones that are malicious, and the ones that are ambivalent, and can use their magic to help or hurt. Have you ever had the type of day that makes you believe in gremlins, the mysterious, mischievous gnomes that appeared in the 1920’s, and are said to primarily infect machinery and create malfunctions? Or what about the day that just seems too miraculously good to be true, when it seems you must have a fairy godmother helping make every wish come true? What do you think that flash of movement or color at the edge of your vision really is? Back in the days when people had no logical explanation for these things, it was a dangerous world to live in. A person, who fell afoul of any of a wide range of Magical Creatures, even without realizing it, could be bewitched and suffer diabolic tortures until they found a witch or wizard to remove the enchantment.

     Most Magical Creatures were portrayed as tricksters, who would twist a person’s words or wishes to suit the creature’s goals. Many of the races of fairies and almost all giants fit this category. Notable exceptions to this were the most ancient stories of the dragons, which were said to be the wisest beings on Earth, and originally helped humanity to learn and grow. The Elves, although having a rather superior attitude about humans, would also help at great need.

     One of the most enchanting and miraculous of the mythical, Magical Creatures was the Unicorn. Unicorns were fierce but good, solitary beasts, selfless and beautiful, and could only be captured by a virgin or by unfair trickery. The Unicorn’s horn was believed to neutralize all poisons. Contrary to the popular current images, Unicorns were not just horses with a horn. The traditional unicorn was distinguished by a Billy-goat beard, lion’s tail, and cloven hooves. The Unicorns are one of the few truly good Magical Creatures in legend to have cloven hooves.

     The other side of the Magical Creature coin belongs to the creatures of darkness such as the satyrs, goblins and ogres, vampires and other night dwellers. These types of beasts were renowned for their diabolical tendencies. Satyrs were famed for being the archetypical rogue, though shy and faint-hearted, and reputedly could enchant any woman or boy, putting them under the satyr’s sexual spell and control. Satyrs were most often seen in company with Dionysus and Pan. Goblins and ogres haunted mountain passes and caves, waylaying travelers, who were usually eaten and whose treasure then went into the goblin hoard.

     To this day, legends of Magical Creatures influence us on a daily basis. If you’re watching for it, you can even see hints of magic and Magical Creatures in something as mundane as television commercials.

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