Cryptids: Human-Animal Hybrids

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Satyrs

satyr

Half-man and half-goat, Satyrs don’t really run with the same crowd as the Centaurs and Minotaurs. They’re more into pipe playing, wine drinking, and maintaining constant erections (as depicted in countless works of art). “As Dionysiac creatures they are lovers of wine and women, and they are ready for every physical pleasure.”

Mermaids/Mermen

mer-man

Fish on the bottom, human on top. That’s mermaids and mermen for you. Add a quick hyphen and we get Mer-Man from He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. The Universe, in this case, definitely extended into the sea, where Mer-Man ruled all.

Sirens

sirens

As half-human and half-bird, Sirens could probably be categorized with what we’ve come to think of as angels if it weren’t for the whole part about luring sailors to their deaths through the magic of song. Seems pretty un-angelic. Sirens have been likened to both mermaids and the Sphinx and were at first depicted as birds with human heads and then later as good-lookin’ ladies. The back story is kind of all over the place, but that Sirens were eventually depicted as good-lookin’ ladies makes the idea of being seduced to your death work better. There’s nothing seductive about birds with lady heads.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

tmnt

Of all human-animal hybrids, the story of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is the creepiest and darkest. It goes far beyond some spilled green ooze, into a world of backdoor deals between people in positions of power and an alien race known as the Utrom. Not only were they just hanging around here, “They are responsible for creating and losing the canister of mutagen that transformed Splinter and the Turtles.” Oh but yet they’re “usually extremely peaceful and non-interfering.” Fellas, you dropped space ooze into a New York sewer. You’re lucky it just hit a pile of turtles and a rat. That’s definitely interfering! There are alligators and bums down there.

More on Techland:

Splicing Species, Genres and Sex Organs: Vincenzo Natali on His Mutant Thriller

Cryptids: Orang-Bati/Batsquatch

Cryptids: The Mothman

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