The Manticore [Persian mythology]
Possibly the most well-known creature on my list thanks to its frequent appearance in modern fiction, the Manticore is a recurring mythological monster in medieval bestiaries. As such, it is described with multiple different names such as Mantichora, Mantichore, Martichoras, Merthykhuwar, Mardykhor etc. In this article, I used the name ‘Manticore’ because it is the most commonly used one in modern times, even though ‘Merthykhuwar’ seems to be the original name.
Originating from ancient Persia, this creature was described by several ancient zoologists including Plinius Maior, (in)famous for his Naturalis Historia, the ancient encyclopedias that contained a great amount of information about the world, people and animals, even though he seldom bothered to fact-check his sources.
These monsters resemble lions, but with vaguely humanoid faces and wings. Depending on which ancient bestiary you’re reading, they are armed with either porcupine-like quills or a scorpion tail. The wings seem to be a modern addition however, as I did not find any old sources that describe the Manticores with wings.
Claudius Aelianus (2nd century) claims the beasts originated from India and have three rows of teeth in their (human) mouth, and that their fur is red. The ears of the creature supposedly have a blue-greyish tint and resemble those of a human but much larger. Its tail stinger is highly dangerous and can kill a man immediately, and the sides of the tail are also equipped with secondary, smaller stingers. It is as swift as a stag and can easily kill groups of humans.
Also according to Aelianus, these monsters are able to defeat all of nature’s beasts except for the lion: in a one-on-one fight, the lion will always emerge victorious. I do not know the reason for this. Also, the voice of a Manticore supposedly sounds like a trumpet.
In reference to the third image: what I find odd is that several medieval bestiaries depict the monster with a little hat. How does a Manticore put on his hat? They have no humanoid hands and they have no thumbs. Do they sneak into human settlements and ask people to put a little hat on their heads? For some reason, it appears medieval monks neglected to answer the important questions.
(image source 1: Arvalis on Deviantart) (image source 2: Edward Topsell, 1607. Note the creepy teeth and the fancy moustache.) (image source 3: unknown manuscript, I could find no source with a named credit. Going by artstyle, I’d say 12th to 14th century).
