Manticore , also Mantichore ( Latin Manticora, Epibouleus Oxisor ) - a mythical creature , a monster with the body of a lion , a human head and a scorpion's tail; according to some descriptions has a red mane and three rows of teeth, as well as blue eyes. Manticore tail ends with spikes, the poison of which kills instantly. In the Middle Ages, it was believed that the manticore is a predator and can hunt people, so miniatures can often be seen as an image of a manticore with a human hand or foot in the teeth .
| Manticore | |
|---|---|
 | |
| First mention | Books Ctesia |
| Occupation | cannibalism |
| Prototype | tiger |
Content
History and Description
The first mention of the manticore is found in the books of the Greek physician Ctesias , thanks to which many Persian myths became known to the Greeks. Aristotle and Pliny the Elder in their writings directly refer to Ctesias.
He (Ctesias) assures that the Indian beast "martihore" has a triple row of teeth on both, the lower and upper jaws, and it is as big as a lion and is just as hairy, its legs resemble the legs of a lion; his face and ears resemble human ones; his eyes are blue and he is bright red; its tail is the same as that of an earthen scorpion - in the tail it has a sting and it has the ability to shoot, like arrows, with needles attached to its tail; his voice is a cross between the sound of the pipe and the pipe; he can run as fast as a deer and he is a wild and eater.
- Aristotle "History of Animals"
The most complete of the ancient descriptions of Manticore made in the II century AD. er Claudius Elian ("On the Nature of Animals"). He cites several curious details: "Anyone who approaches her, she amazes with her sting ... The poisonous thorns on her tail are comparable in thickness to the stem of reed, and they are about 30 centimeters in length ... She is able to defeat any of the animals, except for the lion" . In the II century BC. er Flavius Philostratus the Elder mentions the manticore as one of the miracles Apollonius of Tyana asks Jarh on the hill of sages.
The Greek geographer Pausanias , however, was skeptical of the stories about the manticore, and in the book Description of Hellas noted that the mythical manticore (martihora) is most likely just a tiger . From the point of view of Pausania, the red monochromatic color of the manticore skin is the result of the observation of striped tigers at sunset and in motion, and the fantastic details like a triple row of teeth and shooting with poisonous tail blades are simply fabrications by superstitious Indians who fear tigers [1] .
Although the manticore is rarely mentioned in ancient scientific books, medieval bestiaries abound in its descriptions. From there the manticore migrated to folklore works. So, in the XIII century Bartholomew English wrote about it, in the XIV - William Caxton in the book “The Mirror of the World”. At Caxton, the three rows of Manticore's teeth turned into a "palisade of huge teeth in her throat," and her voice, like the melody of a flute, became "a sweet snake hiss, with which she draws people to her, then to devour them."
In modern culture
In the 20th century, ideas about the manticore continued to develop:
- In the bestiary of Polish science fiction writer Andrzej Sapkowski [2], the manticore acquired wings and learned to “shoot” in any direction with its poisoned spikes.
- In the novel of the English writer J. Rowling “ Magic creatures and where to find them, ” the manticore “begins to quietly purr after absorbing another victim”. Also, according to Rowling, "the skin of a manticore reflects almost all known spells."
- In Olga Gromyko 's novels “Profession: Witch” and “Witch-Keeper”, the manticore represents “a cross between a lynx, a bat and a scorpion”, that is, it looks like a huge cat with leathery wings, tassels on its ears and a poisonous sting with a cutting edge on the tail.
- In the story of the domestic science fiction writer Nikolai Basov, “The Demon Hunter”, the manticore has the ability to heal its wounds almost instantly.
- Manticore is one of the key characters in the eponymous novel by Canadian writer Robertson Davis .
- In the TV movie “Manticore” (2005), the manticore cannot be killed, and only the look of another manticore (or its reflection) can turn it into stone.
- In the television series Grimm , the Manticore are depicted as dangerous and deadly creatures, devoid of the fear of death.
The image of the Manticore is also found in modern animation and computer games:
- In one of the episodes in the American series “The Amazing Flapjack Flapjack ”, the manticore is presented in the form of a lion with a man’s face and small wings, which becomes meek if you tickle it.
- Manticore is featured in computer games of the “ Disciples ”, “ Dark Souls ” and “ Might and Magic ” series; in “ Heroes of Might and Magic III ” and “ Might and Magic VII ” looks like a lion with a scorpion tail and wings; in Heroes of Might and Magic V , a human face is added to the image; is also a non-player monster in Allods Online .
Other mentions:
- One of the albums of the popular British group “ Cradle Of Filth ”, namely the composition “ The Manticore And Other Horrors ”.
- Currently in Ivano-Frankivsk ( Ukraine ) an almanac of the metarealistic literature “Mantyora” is published ( editor-in-chief - writer Vladimir Eshkilev ); Since 2011 , the Carpathian Manticore fiction and metarealistic literature festival has been held in the Ivano-Frankivsk region with the participation of famous authors from Ukraine, Russia and European countries.
Notes
- ↑ Pausanias. IX Boeotia, XXI. 4-5 // Description of Hellas. In 2 t. / Trans. from the ancient Greek S. P. Kondratiev, ed. E.V. Nikityuk. - LLC Publishing AST: Ladomir, 2002. - 492 p. - ISBN 5-86218-274-8 .
- ↑ Bestiary of Sapkovsky part 1
Links
- Manticore - Harry Potter Wiki - Wikia