The origins of mythical monsters can be hard to pin down, but it becomes even harder when people start describing different beings in interchangeable terms. Consider the case of the siren and the mermaid. Most people think they're the same, but honestly? They couldn't be more different.
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The hydra was a threatening beast, but also a pretty good example of the ancient Greeks' excellent imagination. Or ... was it?
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The modern justice system is far from perfect. Innocent citizens are convicted unjustly, and the guilty are handed punishments disproportionate to their crimes. With that said, at least people don't still torture, behead, and cremate folks suspected of being werewolves.
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Coming from a Greek compound noun meaning "round eye," the cyclops is a monster defined by having one eye in the center of its forehead.
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When MTV was at the height of its influence on the music world, a guest spot on MTV Unplugged was a surefire sign that you'd made it as a band. For Nirvana, the nineties grunge music legend, their MTV performance doubled as one of their most successful albums.
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"Robert Smith is famous for three things: wearing make-up, having big hair, and writing and singing some of the loveliest songs in the English language," TimeOut London wrote about the vocalist in 2018. But personally, Smith wasn't always a huge fan of the style.
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The abolitionist John Brown strove to end slavery and became the first American hanged for treason. Here is the crazy true story of John Brown.
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Joni Mitchell was one of the biggest names in folk music. But where is she now?
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Many cultures have tales of women with fish tails, charming sailors with good looks or a magical singing voice. This is the legend of mermaids explained.
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Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell, two of the most recognizable voices of the sixties music scene, were born within two years of each other: he in 1941, she in 1943.
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The Loch Ness Monster has fascinated people for centuries, earning a distinguished role in the pantheon of famous mythic creatures like Bigfoot and the Chupacabra. Sadly, scientists are ready to burst your bubble — they think it's not a monster, at all.
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If ancient Mesopotamia was the cradle of civilization, Babylon was arguably its favorite baby. Nowadays, its name is synonymous with opulence and moral decay, but to quote the Evening Standard, "Babylon wasn't so bad."
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Pegasus was mostly horse, but with the addition of wings, therefore enabling flight for a creature that doesn't usually fly through the air with the greatest of ease.
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We've all heard tales of the yeti, but much of what you know is a fairly recent addition to the story. This is the legend of the yeti explained.
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The most terrifying sea monster of all was the kraken. Originating from the frightened whispers of Scandinavian seamen, this tentacled monstrosity was believed to be capable of taking down entire boats in its many-armed embrace. So, was the kraken real? This is the legend of the kraken explained.
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Throughout the entire world, fairies can take all shapes and forms. This is the legend of fairies explained.
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Remember the 1985 classic, Legend, in which the generically named hero, Jack (Tom Cruise), defeats the Lord of Darkness (Tim Curry) and stabs him in the abdomen with the horn of the last unicorn? You might assume the movie didn't know Jack about legends because Tim Curry isn't Satan ...
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If you're aware of a mythical snake king creature called the basilisk, it's probably thanks to J.K. Rowling's descriptions of a fifty-foot serpent with fangs as long as your arm and a taste for tender young Radcliffe flesh. But the truth about this creature may be a bit disappointing.
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Beyond vague images of pots of gold, wishes, and the general understanding that Colin Farrell is just three of them in a skin suit, what do we really know about leprechauns?
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The term "Minotaur" is a portmanteau derived from "Minos" and "taurus," the Greek word for "bull." Here's the legend of the Minotaur explained.
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John Wayne was famous for delivering a fairly predictable cinematic product: manly men of few words and much action. But his real name wasn't so manly.
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Many mythical monsters were metaphorical or pure figments of the imagination, but a few may have some foundation in reality and might have actually existed.
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Australia has a strange and fascinating history, particularly the part that involves the island once being one gigantic prison.
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In 1919, prohibition became, as they say, "a thing," and bootlegging became America's new favorite pastime.
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The legacy of Phineas Taylor Barnum is a cultural monolith built on murky ground.
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Zamboni driver David Ayers starred in his own inspirational sports story when he was brought in as a replacement goalie for the Carolina Hurricanes.
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