For 500 years BC. e. Ctesias, a young native of Sparta, was captured by the Persians. There it occurred to him to write historical works about different countries. The sources of information were slaves of different nationalities. Returning to his homeland, Ctesias designed his works into several historical treatises. In a work called Indica, he mentioned a terrible monster called the manticore.

general description

Even in antiquity, the works of Ctesias raised doubts for their authenticity. The ancient Greek philosopher Plutarch openly declared the distortion of facts by the historian. The writings of Ctesias have survived to this day in a rewritten form. The researchers proved that the bulk of the text is fictitious. In this case, questions arise: did the manticore exist and could Ctesias confuse it with other mythical creatures.

Appearance

According to the descriptions, the manticore looked like this:

• human head;
• torso and paws of a lion;
• scorpion tail;
• red mane;
• blood red coat;
• 3 rows of sharp teeth;
• claw-daggers;
• Blue eyes.

The size of the monster was like a large horse. The voice of the manticore was like the sounds of a flute and a trumpet at the same time. She could hiss like a snake. The scorpion's tail, 30 cm long, was completely dotted with poisonous spikes, the size of reed stems.

Later, the monster acquired wings and a skin that reflects magical spells. Blue eyes turned red, and teeth moved from mouth to throat. Manticore began to be depicted with a part of the human body in her teeth, confirming her cannibalistic inclinations.

Interpretation of the role of the manticore in myths

There are several versions of the interpretation of the role of such a creature as a manticore.

1. Beast-eater.
2. Avatar of god Vishnu.
3. Sphinx.
4. Chimera.

Due to the fact that the sources in which this creature is described are definitely doubtful, each version has the right to exist.

Beast Manticore

Based on this version, it can be argued that the manticore is an ancient creature, a fiend. The animal's favorite delicacy was fresh human flesh. The only way to tame a monster was with the help of magic. Black magicians used her as a watchman. But the guard from the manticore was not very good: having caught a man, she did not give him to the sorcerers, but immediately devoured him. The monster had the following qualities:

• high speed of movement in space;
• mastery of hypnosis;
• throwing poisonous spikes at a distance;
• instant regeneration of lost spikes;
• silent movement;
• so much power that you can rip a person's body with claws;
• cunning and cunning.

In the Middle Ages, the beast was considered a real creature living in India. It was believed that the monster lives in crowded places. At night, the insidious beast tracked down a lonely victim and devoured it, leaving not even a piece of clothing. All the missing people were attributed to the tricks of the manticore.

According to legend, the monster was afraid only of lions, and willingly fought with all other animals. A medieval source describes a case of killing a basilisk by a manticore. People believed that if the monster's poisonous tail was cut off, it would die, so the bravest men in India hunted the manticore.

The fourth avatar of the god Vishnu

Hindus believed that before the creation of the world, 3 strong gods united in Trimurti (Hindu trinity). Brahma created the universe, Shiva brought evil into it, and Vishnu brought good. The duty of the god Vishnu was to maintain the balance of good and evil in the universe. Each time, descending to earth to restore justice, he took on a new appearance (avatar). There are 9 avatars of the god Vishnu:

• Matsya fish;
• turtle Kurma;
• boar Vasakha;
• manticore Narasimha;
• dwarf Vamana;
• the common man Parashurama;
• Prince Rama;
• warrior Krishna;
• Buddha.

Hindus believe that there will be a tenth reincarnation. God Vishnu in his usual form will descend to earth on a white horse with a sword of justice in his hands. With this sword, he will forever bring order to the earth. In Indian legends there is a legend about the Fourth Avatar. According to her, Vishnu took the form of a lion-man. This reincarnation was called the Narasimha manticore.

When Hiranyakasipu satisfied Brahma, he endowed him with unlimited power: with the exception of the trinity of Trimurti, all the gods were subordinate to Hiranyakasipu. The demon reveled in power, bathed in luxury, repaired lawlessness and debauchery.

The last straw of his lawlessness was an attempt to kill his own son, an adherent of the god Vishnu. A moment before the massacre, Vishnu appeared from the column in the form of a manticore. He attacked Hiranyakasipu with lightning speed and devoured him. Manticore restored justice.

The image of the Sphinx

In the myths of Persia, the manticore is described as a creature that loved to make riddles to lonely wanderers. If the traveler guessed the riddle, the monster let him go; if not, he devoured him. This description is very reminiscent of the Greek Sphinx - a relative of the popular Egyptian watchman of the same name.

According to ancient Greek myths, the Thebean king Lai brought down the wrath of the goddess Hera, the patroness of the family and marriage, for sodomy. As punishment, Hera sent the Sphinx to Thebes to guard the only road leading to the city. The inhabitants of Thebes were cut off from other places, and very soon a famine began in the city.

The only opportunity to pass by the Sphinx was provided to the one who guessed her tricky riddle: “Who walks on 4 legs in the morning, 2 in the afternoon, and 3 in the evening?” Such a riddle for the Sphinx was invented by 9 muses - the goddesses of art and reason, but none of the Thebes could find the right solution, and they were strangled by a monster. When the wise Oedipus answered the Sphinx that the answer is a man, the proud creature threw himself off the cliff, freeing the city.

In addition to the passion for guessing deadly riddles, the Sphinx and the manticore have similarities in appearance. The ancient Greeks portrayed a mythical creature with the body of a lion, which symbolized extraordinary physical strength, and the head of a woman, as a symbol of intelligence and cunning.

Manticore and Chimera

Still the same Ancient Greece knew another creature that could be confused with a manticore. Daughter of Typhon and Echidna, sister of Cerberus, Hydra and Sphinx, Chimera is the most ridiculous mythical creature from ancient times. Greek mythology. The evil creature spent his whole life doing dirty work for people, destroying fields, gardens and livestock.

The Chimera had the body of a goat and the head of a lion. Like the manticore, she had a red lion's mane and a poisonous tail. True, in the description of the ancient Greek mythical monster, the tail is similar to that of a snake, but given the length of the manticore's tail, they can be safely identified.

The chimera could spew flames from its mouth, which it used to destroy the human economy. When the king was tired of her next trick, he sent the hero Bellerophon to destroy the monster. To help the noble husband, the king gave the winged Pegasus. According to legend, Bellerophon soared into the sky so high that the fiery breath of the Chimera could not reach him. Then the hero began to shoot arrows at the monster and every one of them dug into the body of the Chimera. IN terrible agony the monster fell on a rock and died.

In the description of the death of the Chimera, one can also draw analogies with the manticore. At the beginning of the fight, she growled menacingly, then hissed furiously, and struck by the arrows of Bellerophon, squealed like a goat. The manticore could make trumpet sounds like a growl and flute sounds like a goat bleating. A manticore's hiss is like a snake's. In the myth, the Chimera, studded with arrows, from a height of flight seems to the hero to be a creature bristling with black needles.

The image of a creature in art

Indian mythology is still considered a little-studied area. This is due to its lack of system. Similar new ones are added to the old mythical creatures, but under different names. One gets the feeling that the Indians themselves do not remember their myths.

The image of the manticore is still a mystery. One can only imagine what a manticore looks like, but it is impossible to understand what kind of animal it is. On the one hand, this is a cruel bloodthirsty monster, on the other, an implacable fighter for justice.

Nowadays, the image of the manticore is actively used in literature and cinema in the genre of mysticism and fantasy. The popular English writer JK Rowling used this image in her latest book, and in the sensational TV series Game of Thrones, the dragon lord Daenerys Stormborn in one of the episodes talks about manticores as sacred magical creatures.

Manticore (monster) Manticore (monster)

Although the manticore is rarely mentioned in ancient scientific books, its descriptions abound in medieval bestiaries. From there, the manticore migrated to folklore. So, in the XIII century, Bartholomew of England wrote about it, in the XIV century - William Caxton in the book "Mirror of the World". In Caxton, the manticore's three rows of teeth became "a stockade of huge teeth in her throat", and her flute-like voice became "a sweet serpentine hiss, with which she draws people to her in order to then devour them."

In the 20th century, ideas about the manticore continued to develop. For example, in the bestiary of the Polish science fiction writer Andrzej Sapkowski, the manticore acquired wings and learned to shoot in any direction with its poisoned spikes. And in the novel by the English writer J. Rowling "Magical Creatures and Where to Find Them", the manticore "begins to purr softly after absorbing another victim." Also, according to Rowling, "the skin of a manticore reflects almost all known spells." In the story of the Russian science fiction writer Nikolai Basov "Demon Hunter", the manticore has the ability to heal its wounds almost instantly. In the movie " Manticore" (2005), it is impossible to kill a manticore, and only the look of another manticore (or its reflection) can turn it into stone. In the Grimm series (s3e11 "The Good Soldier" and s4e12 "The Gendarme"), manticores are depicted as dangerous and deadly creatures, devoid of the fear of death. The image of Manticore is also found in modern animation. For example, in the animated American series The Amazing Misadventures of Flapjack, in one of the episodes, the manticore is presented in the form of a lion with a man's face and small wings, which becomes meek when tickled. The manticore met in the computer games of the Disciples, Dark Souls and Might and Magic series - in Heroes of Might and Magic III and Might and Magic 7 it looked like a lion with a scorpion tail and wings (looks similar in the animated series "My little pony" (s1e2 and s5e6)), in "Heroes of Might and Magic V" a human face was added to the image, and is also a non-playable monster in the game "Allods Online" (also a lion with a scorpion tail and wings). Manticore is one of key characters in the novel of the same name by Canadian writer Robertson Davis. Manticore is also reflected in one of the albums of the popular British band (Cradle Of Filth), namely in the 2012 album "The Manticore And Other Horrors".

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Notes

Links

• Manticore - Fantasy Creatures Wiki - Wikia

An excerpt characterizing the Manticore (monster)

“These are perfect robbers, especially Dolokhov,” said the guest. - He is the son of Marya Ivanovna Dolokhova, such a respectable lady, and what? You can imagine: the three of them got a bear somewhere, put it in a carriage with them and took it to the actresses. The police came to take them down. They caught the guard and tied him back to back to the bear and let the bear into the Moika; the bear swims, and the quarter on it.
- Good, ma chere, the figure of the quarterly, - the count shouted, dying with laughter.
- Oh, what a horror! What's there to laugh at, Count?
But the ladies involuntarily laughed themselves.
“They rescued this unfortunate man by force,” continued the guest. - And this is the son of Count Kirill Vladimirovich Bezukhov, who is so cleverly amused! she added. - And they said that he was so well educated and smart. That's all the upbringing abroad has brought. I hope that no one will accept him here, despite his wealth. I wanted to introduce him. I resolutely refused: I have daughters.
Why do you say this young man is so rich? asked the countess, bending down from the girls, who immediately pretended not to listen. “He only has illegitimate children. It seems ... and Pierre is illegal.
The guest waved her hand.
“He has twenty illegal ones, I think.
Princess Anna Mikhailovna intervened in the conversation, apparently wishing to show her connections and her knowledge of all secular circumstances.
"Here's the thing," she said significantly, and also in a whisper. - The reputation of Count Kirill Vladimirovich is known ... He lost count of his children, but this Pierre was his favorite.
“How good the old man was,” said the countess, “even last year!” I have never seen a more beautiful man.
“Now he has changed a lot,” said Anna Mikhailovna. “So I wanted to say,” she continued, “by his wife, the direct heir to the entire estate, Prince Vasily, but Pierre was very fond of his father, was engaged in his upbringing and wrote to the sovereign ... so no one knows if he dies (he is so bad that they expect it every minute, and Lorrain came from St. Petersburg), who will get this huge fortune, Pierre or Prince Vasily. Forty thousand souls and millions. I know this very well, because Prince Vasily himself told me this. Yes, and Kirill Vladimirovich is my maternal second cousin. It was he who baptized Borya, ”she added, as if not attributing any significance to this circumstance.
– Prince Vasily arrived in Moscow yesterday. He goes to the audit, they told me, - said the guest.
“Yes, but, entre nous, [between us],” said the princess, “this is a pretext, he actually came to Count Kirill Vladimirovich, having learned that he was so bad.
“However, ma chere, this is a nice thing,” said the count, and, noticing that the elder guest did not listen to him, he turned to the young ladies. - The quarterman had a good figure, I imagine.
And he, imagining how the blockman waved his hands, again burst out laughing with sonorous and bassy laughter, shaking his whole full body, how people laugh, who always eat well and especially drink. “So, please, have dinner with us,” he said.

There was silence. The countess looked at the guest, smiling pleasantly, however, not hiding the fact that she would not be upset now if the guest got up and left. The daughter of the guest was already adjusting her dress, looking inquiringly at her mother, when suddenly from the next room there was heard running to the door of several male and female legs, the rumble of a hooked and thrown chair, and a thirteen-year-old girl ran into the room, wrapping something in a short muslin skirt, and stopped in the middle rooms. It was obvious that she accidentally, from an uncalculated run, jumped so far. At the same moment, a student with a crimson collar, a guards officer, a fifteen-year-old girl and a fat, ruddy boy in a child's jacket appeared at the door at the same moment.
The count jumped up and, swaying, spread his arms wide around the running girl.
- Ah, here she is! he shouted laughing. - Birthday girl! Ma chere, birthday girl!
- Ma chere, il y a un temps pour tout, [Darling, there is time for everything,] - said the countess, pretending to be strict. “You spoil her all the time, Elie,” she added to her husband.
- Bonjour, ma chere, je vous felicite, [Hello, my dear, I congratulate you,] - said the guest. - Quelle delicuse enfant! [What a lovely child!] she added, turning to her mother.
A dark-eyed, big-mouthed, ugly but lively girl, with her childlike open shoulders, which, shrinking, moved in her corsage from a quick run, with her black curls knocked back, thin bare arms and small legs in lace pantaloons and open shoes, was at that sweet age when the girl is no longer a child, and the child is not yet a girl. Turning away from her father, she ran up to her mother and, paying no attention to her stern remark, hid her flushed face in the lace of her mother's mantilla and laughed. She was laughing at something, talking abruptly about the doll she had taken out from under her skirt.
“See?… Doll… Mimi… See.
And Natasha could no longer talk (everything seemed ridiculous to her). She fell on her mother and burst out laughing so loudly and resoundingly that everyone, even the prim guest, laughed against their will.
- Well, go, go with your freak! - said the mother, pushing her daughter away in mock angrily. “This is my smaller one,” she turned to the guest.
Natasha, tearing her face away from her mother's lace scarf for a moment, looked at her from below through tears of laughter, and again hid her face.
The guest, forced to admire the family scene, considered it necessary to take some part in it.

Manticore - a creature from myths and legends

Manticore is an ancient mythical creature, a dangerous predator with a blood-red lion's body and a human head. Her tail is crowned with the sting of a scorpion.
This creature came to us from India, but for the first time in his writings he was described by Ctesias, a Greek physician. According to him, the manticore or "mantichora" (in the Indian manner) reached the size of a lion and had an equally thick coat that shone bright red, like blood, in color. The head of the manticore looked more like a human, its bright blue eyes hypnotized the victim so that she could not move from fear. Horror was inspired by her sharp teeth, three rows of which crowned the mouth of a terrible predator, and the tail of a scorpion, in the needle of which there was a terrible poison.

Ctesias also noted that in addition to the sting of a scorpion, there were needles on the tail of the manticore, with which the monster could pierce its victim from a distance, like arrows. The voice of the manticore was like the sounds of a flute and a trumpet at the same time. During the hunt, the manticore hid in the thickets of the jungle and attacked large animals and people passing by. Of all the creatures on earth, she was most afraid to fight a lion, because only he could defeat her. Many contemporaries of Ctesias, and even scientists of a later time, were skeptical of his words, suggesting that the frightened Indians mistook the most ordinary tiger for a terrible monster, because in the movement the stripes of this big cat merged, which made it seem that the skin of the tiger becomes red. shade. And the terrible teeth and tail are the inventions of the frightened inhabitants.

And yet the description of the predator is found in the writings of such great people as Aristotle in his History of Animals, Pausanias in the pages of the Description of Hellas, Pliny in the Natural History and Solinus in the Collection of Landmarks. WITH light hand the last two authors, the formidable predator of the manticore lost its tail, studded with sharp spikes, with which it could hit a target at a distance. It remains for the poor predator to be content with the scorpion sting, but Solin immediately notes in his work that this feline (and the manticore can well be classified as a cat family), is distinguished by incredible jumping ability and its jump is so far away that no distances and no obstacles can stop it. On the pages of the Middle Ages, Manticore has been firmly rooted in many books over the past centuries, especially in medieval bestiaries. And although it has undergone some changes over the years, the main features of this mythical creature have remained unchanged - a blood-red skin, rows of knife-sharp teeth, a scorpion tail and a love of human meat. In medieval miniatures, this predator was most often depicted with some part of a person in its teeth, in order to emphasize its nature as a cannibal.

A lot of information has been preserved about the creature called "manticore", only thanks to the ancient Greek doctor Ctesias, who allegedly saw him at the court of the Persians. The Greek described the monster as a lion with the face of a man who devoured people and overtook the victim at great distances with one jump. There is a version that supposedly this creation is one of the images.

Manticore - who is it?

Manticore is a creature with a lion's body, a male face and a scorpion tail, a striking feature of which were three rows of teeth and blue eyes. It was believed that this monster hunts people and eats their meat, so he was often depicted with human body parts in his teeth. The tail was crowned with huge spikes, with which the monster could also kill, so there was no chance of salvation.

Manticore - Greek mythology

Manticore - who is she? Although, judging by the description and habits of the monster, many researchers suggest that he comes from Persia or India, appearance very reminiscent of the huge size of the tiger. Even the name translated from Farsi means "cannibal", and such large wild cats were also found in the jungle. But the discoverer of the creation is considered not the Indians, but the doctor from Greece Ctesias, who described the nightmarish creation in his books. According to his version, the manticore is an evil creature that has:

• the body of a lion and the face of a man;
• three rows of teeth;
• claw at the tip of the tail;
• mustache filled with poison.

Such a manticore was described in their writings by the ancient Hellenes. Later, Greek scientists formed their own version of this creation. The geographer Pausanias was sure that we were talking about a giant tiger, and the setting sun gave him the red color of the skin in the eyes of the Hindus. And already a triple row of teeth and a tail that shoots poisonous arrows are the inventions of hunters who were afraid to defeat a huge beast.

What does a manticore look like?

According to the descriptions of the ancient Greeks, which they received from the Persians, the manticore was a symbiosis of different creatures:

• the body of a lion, but not yellow, but red;
• a scorpion stinger on its tail that shoots needles;
• lightning jumps, fast running;
• the voice is similar to the sounds of a trumpet and a flute at the same time.

Whose body does the manticore have? Judging by the descriptions, then a large lion or a giant cat, it was feature monster. In subsequent centuries, her image was significantly supplemented by other features:

1. Middle Ages. Huge teeth were no longer in the mouth, but in the throat, and the voice was like the hiss of a snake, with which the monster lured people.
2. 20th century, science fiction books. The manticore has acquired wings and poisonous spikes that shoot, the voice is more like a purr. It instantly healed its wounds, the skin had the ability to reflect any spells.

What is the difference between a manticore and a chimera?

Some researchers associate the manticore and chimera by outward signs, but there is a difference between them. Chimera is a creature from Greek mythology, her mother was Echidna, and her father was the son of Gaia and Tartarus Cypheus, according to another version, she was born from Horta and Hydra. It was believed that the chimera lived in Lycia, and Prince Bellerophon slew her. This creature is from the pantheon of gods native to the Greeks, and the manticore is a guest from foreign legends. and the manticore had one common external feature: the body of a lion, otherwise the monster of the Hellenes was different:

• the ability to spit fire;
• the back of the goat's body;
• snake tail;
• three heads: goat, snake and dragon.

The legend of the manticore

The Greek Ctesias did not bring legends about the manticore, limiting himself to general rumors about its existence. In the myths of Persia, there is a mention that this terrible monster, when meeting with a person, likes to make riddles, and if the traveler answers everything, then he lets go. Researchers are inclined to believe that the manticore, a monster that devours people, arose in the stories of India, and then migrated to Persia, where the Greek Ctesias heard about it.

There is also a version that supposedly such a monster was born by a legend about the god Vishnu, who could turn into different creatures. In the form of one of them - a lion with a human face - he defeated the evil demon Hiranyakasipu. After that, the Hindus began to call the man-lion Vishnu the Narasimha manticore. In legend, he is described with the body of a lion, the tail of a scorpion, and the teeth of a shark. In the Middle Ages, the manticore became a symbol of tyranny and evil.

The bestiary of ancient mythology is rich in interesting creatures. Manticore is an image of a beast that originated in Greek mythology. Since ancient times, a lot of information has been preserved about this mysterious creature related to predatory zoomorphs.

Origin

The Predator first appeared in India. There, its name is slightly different - the Indians call the creature a mantichora. The first records of a mythical creature belong to the Greek physician Xetius. He conveyed knowledge about the appearance of the beast, the voice and manner of hunting. He pursued the prey, hiding in the thickets, and silently attacked the victim, using not only the sting on the tail, but also powerful claws and teeth for quick reprisal.

For a long time, Xetius' notes were not taken seriously - zoologists believed that the Indians were afraid of an ordinary tiger and invented a new beast. This point of view was supported by the geographer Pausanias. He wrote that the frightened Indians confused the standard tiger color with bright red in the sunset light, and invented mystical differences in appearance to justify their defeat.

The idea of ​​the artificial origin of the predator is refuted by the appearance of references to it in the annals of other famous personalities. Aristotle and Solin wrote about the manticore, referring to the notes of Xetius and adding new information. The description of the creature is slightly different for different authors, but they always contain the most striking features inherent in a mythical animal.

Appearance of the beast

Mentions of what a manticore looks like can be found, but each of them necessarily contains the main characteristics of appearance.

• body size comparable to the size of a large horse;
• the body of the creature resembles that of a lion, and the face is similar to a human;
• rich solid color, blood red;
• strong teeth, placed in three rows and characterized by a special sharpness;
• scorpion tail, with a sharp sting at the tip, 30 cm long.

Authors involved in the study of the beast note the piercing gaze of blue eyes, which fascinated with depth and humanity. In ancient painting, a mythical creature was depicted with some part of the human body in its teeth, which emphasized its hunting abilities and terrified. Pliny described it as follows:

“Ctesias informs us that among the same Ethiopians, there is a beast, which he calls the manticore; he has a triple row of teeth that go into each other like combs, a face and ears like a man, blue eyes, he himself is the color of blood; he has the body of a lion, and a tail ending in a sting like that of a scorpion. His voice is a mixture of flute and trumpet; he is amazingly fast, and has a particular fondness for human meat.

Yuba tells us that the manticore in Ethiopia can also imitate the human voice."

The work of Claudius Elian from Rome describes the ancient creature more accurately, taking into account the smallest details. The author noted the creature's hairy ears, similar to human ones. He also clarified the action of the sting - it was released both at close range and over a long distance in different directions.

Mythologists noted the special hairiness of the beast and the incredible speed of movement, comparing it with the speed of a wild deer. The voice was considered to be like a mixture of sounds made by a flute and a trumpet.

Modern researchers and science fiction writers attribute to him large leathery and membranous wings, with the help of which the manticore quickly disappears from the hunting ground and becomes inaccessible.

Manticore and Chimera

Chimera is an entity from Greek mythology. According to one version, she The creature lived in Lycia and was neutralized by Bellerophon.

The appearance of the chimera is somewhat similar to the manticore. The chimera is distinguished by a goat's body, a lion's head and a snake's tail. Mythologists have conducted many studies on the similarities of the two mythical creatures, and found differences not only in appearance, but also in special abilities. The Chimera had the ability to fight not only with fangs, claws and tail, she knew how to spit fire, which made her no less terrible beast than a manticore.

Manticore in the Middle Ages

The medieval bestiary could not do without a manticore. During this mysterious time, the beast was endowed with a special snake hiss, which was used to lure potential victims - both animals and humans. At the same time, rows of sharp teeth were replaced with a palisade emanating from the throat of the animal.

The hunt of the beast amazed the imagination with bloodiness and cruelty. The animal tore apart the victim with powerful claws, tore the body with sharp teeth and stung those who resisted with the help of a formidable tail. The sting reached its target even at great distances, which excluded any chance of salvation.

The Middle Ages endowed the predatory beast with special bloodthirstiness, the creature became a kind of symbol of evil and war. At that time, the predator was especially popular; it could be found in the bestiaries of various nations. In some of them, the mythical creature was endowed with new abilities, special details of appearance and sophisticated methods of luring victims to its lair.

In the Middle Ages, the animal was considered to exist in the real world, and the lack of documented encounters with it was explained by the commitment of creatures to a lonely life in uninhabited places.

Legends of the manticore

The mysterious creature is almost never mentioned in world-famous legends, but in many countries their own versions of its origin and skills were put forward. The absence of well-known legends is explained by the impossibility of escaping from an angry beast - there was simply no one to describe the meetings and compose legends.

So, in Persia, the manticore is considered a terrible monster that releases potential victims only if they manage to guess the riddle.

Another option is the origin of the mythical creature from the god Vishnu, who was endowed with the ability to transform into any unusual beast. Choosing the image of a lion with a human face, Vishnu defeated the demon Hiranyakasipu in battle, after which this image of God began to be called Narasimha manticore.

Manticore in contemporary art

The mention of a mysterious animal can also be found in modern literature. JK Rowling endowed the beast with the ability to fly, added the ability to purr cutely after defeating another victim. The manticore in Rowling's work is immune to magic and is a particularly dangerous predator according to a fictional classification.

You can read more about this type of animal in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Olga Gromko in the book "Profession: Witch" added tassels on the ears to the creature, and Nikolai Basov endowed the animal with an important ability to regenerate.

In the cult book "Game of Thrones" and in the series based on it, the manticore is present in a completely unusual form. In the series, it is an insect that is found on the continent of Essos. One of the body parts of the insect resembles a human face. With the help of a small monster, the sorcerers of Qarth tried to kill Daenerys Targaryen.

In the book, the manticores lived on the islands of the Jade Sea and had a poisonous sting that killed a person at the same instant that the poison reached the heart of the victim. But scientists have come up with a special antidote that allows you to delay the death of the stung.

The series "Grimm" presents an entity in the form of a werewolf that can turn into a human. The point of view of the scriptwriters is supported by Kirill Korolev, author of the Encyclopedia of Supernatural Beings:

"It is believed that some people have the ability to turn into a manticore: at night they run around the settlements in search of victims."

The mythical creature is mentioned in cartoons and computer games, in world literature and music. In Ukraine, a huge almanac is being created dedicated to the history and capabilities of the legendary beast.

In the real world, there is a predatory insect called the "lumpy manticore". It represents a large bug Brown, its body length reaches 7 cm. These insects are found in Africa, they are especially active at night. They have strong jaws with teeth. This species is specifically mentioned in Jules Verne's book "The Fifteen-Year-Old Captain". There, an entomologist meets the manticore, who flees in horror from her captivity.

Conclusion

Ancient myths endow the manticore with a special frightening appearance, a tendency to bloodthirstiness and cannibalism. The mythical animal was not lost in ancient records, it is mentioned in modern works, endowing it with new skills and increasing the significance of the beast. Research on this creature is ongoing, and scientists do not lose hope of finding new information about such a mysterious and interesting creature.