Werewolves, vampires, baba yaga, fae, bean sidhe, vättar, tomtar, will o the wisp, trolls, Näcken, sylphs, undines, changelings, sirens, cyclops, gorgons, demon boars galore, and loads more local legends
Dragons, basilisks, unicorns, fire breathing salamanders were part of the average folk beliefs in the European middle ages and Renaissance. For example, in the gorgeous Lady and the Unicorn tapisseries from ~1500 you can see in Paris.
Europe even have cryptic outside mythology? Nessie doesn’t count.
Werewolves, vampires, baba yaga, fae, bean sidhe, vättar, tomtar, will o the wisp, trolls, Näcken, sylphs, undines, changelings, sirens, cyclops, gorgons, demon boars galore, and loads more local legends
Italians
Terrifying
I heard once that they supposedly have to speak with their hands. Sounds horrific.
Dragons, basilisks, unicorns, fire breathing salamanders were part of the average folk beliefs in the European middle ages and Renaissance. For example, in the gorgeous Lady and the Unicorn tapisseries from ~1500 you can see in Paris.
Where salamander
Symbol of Francis I of France, visible in his castle in Blois.
Very cool.
I was searching the tapestry like where’s waldo.
I’d say that cryptids are a modern iteration of the same phenomenon which used to be mythologic creatures.
Now they call it angels, demons and the book of Revelations