The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures: The Ultimate A–Z of Fantastic Beings from Myth and Magic. John Matthews
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was sacred to the goddess Isis and at times represented both Osiris and Horus. As a desert animal it was also sacrificed to Set. Throughout Asia Minor, the antelope was associated with the moon and the Great Mother. In Hinduism, it is an emblem of Shiva, and the gods Soma and Chandra have chariots drawn by antelopes. The Greek writer Strabo described it as being somewhere between a stag and a ram but swifter than either. Among the Native Americans, the antelope is a totem animal, particularly for the Plains Indians and the Comanche tribe. The Hopi tribe have a yearly ceremony in which societies representing Antelope and Snake enact a ritual in which antelope boys greet snake maidens. A mystical marriage is then enacted between these representatives of the animals. Antelopes running are said to stimulate thunder and rain-bearing clouds and, for this reason, they are considered symbols of fertility. The fast-running Antelope was one of the animals that helped Coyote steal fire from the Fire People in a story from British Columbia in Canada.
Several tribes in Africa regard the antelope as a significant animal as it is known to be a form taken by gods and only the creature itself knows where these gods are to be found. The bushmen of the Kalahari desert tell how Mantis created the antelope known as the Eland.
In heraldry, the antelope appears as a supporter, but has little resemblance to the actual creature, since it has the body of a stag, the tail of a Unicorn and the head of a heraldic tiger with serrated horns and a tusk protruding from its nose. In the language of heraldry, it is said to represent strength and fierceness.
ANT-LION
In Middle Eastern lore, the Ant-Lion had the face and front body of a lion and the back parts of an ant. This beast was said to have had a carnivorous father and a vegetarian mother, but because the Ant-Lion had the tendencies of both parents, it died because there was no food that suited its condition. As a creature of two natures, it is said to be symbolic of ‘double-minded man, unstable in all his ways’. The Ant-Lion derives from a mistranslation from the Book of Job (4: 4) from the Septuagint which uses the Arabian word myrmex for ‘lion’ in the verse, ‘The old lion perishes for lack of prey.’ This was so like the Greek word for ‘ant’ that the mistranslation resulted in all kinds of speculation about this mysterious Biblical animal.
However, naturalists have identified a species of neuroptera (four-winged insects such as dragonflies and lace wings) by the name of Antlion after their extraordinary behaviour. The antlion larvae digs a pit in loose soil, lining the tunnel with fine sand so that escape is impossible. It then buries itself at the bottom of the tunnel with only its head and open jaws remaining above the surface. Any unwary prey falls into the tunnel straight into its mouth. When above the ground, antlion larvae leave trails that have helped give it the nickname of the ‘doodlebug’.
ANTUKAI
According to the Native American people of Oregon in the United States, this creature resembles an otter, but is of a gigantic size. It was originally a grizzly bear, but having fallen into the clutches of the lake serpent Amhuluk, it was transformed into its present shape.
ANUBIS
The great jackal-headed god of ancient Egyptian mythology. He was the guardian of tombs and patron of embalming, and shared with the god Thoth the task of conducting the dead into the judgment halls of Amenti. There he weighed the hearts of the dead against the father of truth. Anubis was originally seen as a god of the Underworld but was replaced later by Osiris, becoming, with his brother Upuaut, a son or attendant of the newer god. He is generally portrayed in canine form, though the species, whether dog or jackal, has yet to be accurately identified. He is always shown with a jet-black coat, which represents the discoloration of the body after it is soaked in a solution of the carbonate salt natron during the process of mummification. Black also suggests the fertility of the soil and is the colour of the alluvial Nile silt, which produces the rich harvests of the area.
Anubis sometimes appears anthropomorphically in the form of a man with an animal’s head. One Egyptian papyrus derives his name from the verb ‘to putrefy’; whether this is accurate or not, Anubis’ role probably began with an observation of desert dogs scavenging for bodies in the shallow graves dating from the pre-dynastic period. Anubis was seen as guarding the mummies of recently deceased people from evil forces, enabling them to make the journey to the Otherworld in safety, and his image is often found painted on the doors of tombs or the lids of sarcophagi. Priests responsible for the rituals of embalming often wore an Anubis mask and acted as the god’s earthly representative. In the oldest strata of Egyptian mythology, Anubis is a child of Nephthys, or, in later texts, of Isis and Osiris. In the story of the death and resurrection of Osiris, Anubis was responsible for embalming the body until Isis brings it back to life.
Anubis’ many titles not only indicate his importance in Egyptian religious traditions but also his function. He is known as Khenty-imentiu (‘The foremost of the Westerners’), suggesting his rulership over those buried in the cemeteries along the west bank of the Nile. One ancient text shows Anubis in the act of burying a body in a heap of sand facing west. He is also known as Khenty-seh-Netjer (‘One who presides over the gods’ pavilion’). The effigy of Anubis discovered in Tutankhamun’s tomb represents him crouching on a shrine or pavilion decorated with symbols representing the god. Another title is Tepy-dju-ef, meaning ‘One who is upon his mountain’. This suggests Anubis watching over the dead from the heights of the cliffs overlooking the cemeteries where they were buried. He is also known as the ‘Lord of the Sacred Land’, emphasizing again his connection to the landscape. Papyri from the Graeco-Roman period show that Anubis was eventually transformed into a cosmic deity ruling over the sky and Earth. He is even seen as bringing light to the human race, and latterly as manufacturing effective love potions. On the walls of the catacombs of Alexandria, Anubis is dressed in armour as a warrior and acts as a guardian to Osiris. The Greeks identified Anubis, with Hermes, as the being who represented wisdom.
ANZE
Another name for the Zu, the vast cosmic dragon of Mesopotamian, Sumerian and Babylonian myth.
ANZU
The Anzu or Imdugud was the Mesopotamian giant bird with the head of a lion and a saw-like beak. It stole the tablet of destinies from Ea and was eventually killed by Nunurta. Gudea, the ruler of Lagas, dreamt that Ningirsu, an early form of the god Nunurta, commanded him to rebuild a temple E-ninnu (‘House of the Fifty Mes’ – a me is a power). But Ningirsu appeared in the form of the Anzu bird. This seems to be an early legend told before the theft of the tablet of destinies.
AO CHIN
One of four great Dragon Kings described in Chinese mythology. The others are Ao Shun, Ao Kuang, and Ao Ping. Together they control the rain and the sea. They are under the command of the August Person of Jade. They live in great crystal palaces at the bottom of the ocean, and are tended by crayfish, lobsters and crabs as guards and by the fish as courtiers. Whenever there is a drought in China, the Dragon Kings are petitioned for aid. If they fail to respond, statues of them are brought out and left by the roadside to prompt them into action.
AO KUANG
The third of the four great Dragon Kings of Chinese mythology, who control the rain and the waters of the sea. The others are Ao Chin, Ao Shun and Ao Ping. (See Ao Chin.)
AO PING
The fourth of the four great Dragon Kings of Chinese mythology, who together control the rain and the sea.