List of megafauna in mythology and folklore

For giant animals in science and history, see Megafauna.

A giant animal in mythology is unusually large, either for their species or in relation to humans. The term giant carries some ambiguity; however, in mythology, definitions of what constitutes 'large' vary, with definitions ranging from 40 kg (88 lb) upwards.^[1] At the upper end of this scale, they may be further subdivided into small (250–500 kg (550–1,100 lb)), medium (500–1,000 kg (1,100–2,200 lb)) and large (over 1,000 kg (2,200 lb)). Megafauna often form one of the mythemes of a story. The narrative may revolve around a real animal or a primordial archetype of a gigantic creature, such as a dragon, sea monsters,^[2] or the Midgard snake.

A Hydra. The 16th-century German illustration.

Examples of megafauna

Numerous myths and folklore exist depicting giant animals, including Australian,^[3][4] Greek,^[5] Native American,^[6][7] among others.

Africa megafauna mythology Dingonek Nandi bear Mokele-mbembe Grootslang Salawa Oceania megafauna mythology Abaia Gazeka Tiddalik Rainbow Serpent Central and South America megafauna mythology Headless Mule Mapinguari Peuchen Yacumama North America megafauna mythology Amarok Altamaha-ha Akhlut Jersey devil Mothman Mugwump Ogopogo Thunderbird Tizheruk Snallygaster Wechuge Hidebehind Hodag Hugag Underwater panther

Eurasian megafauna mythology Akkorokamui Bai Hu Bake-kujira Baku Bakunawa Beast of Gevaudan Behemoth Brosno dragon Dragon Chinese dragons Chimera Japanese dragons Gashadokuro Genbu Griffin Cerberus Hydra Manticore Minokawa Mongolian death worm Nāga Nue Karkadann Kraken Leviathan Loch Ness Monster Midgard snake Ushi-Oni Qilin Shadhavar Shisa Sphinx Raiju Roc Timingila Ziz Zaratan

References

1. Stuart, Anthony J. (2021). Vanished giants: the lost world of the Ice Age. Chicago London: The University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-43298-4.
2. Mazzoldi, Carlotta; Bearzi, Giovanni; Brito, Cristina; Carvalho, Inês; Desiderà, Elena; Endrizzi, Lara; Freitas, Luis; Giacomello, Eva; Giovos, Ioannis; Guidetti, Paolo; Ressurreição, Adriana; Tull, Malcolm; MacDiarmid, Alison (2019-12-31). "From sea monsters to charismatic megafauna: Changes in perception and use of large marine animals". PLOS ONE. 14 (12): e0226810. Bibcode:2019PLoSO..1426810M. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0226810. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 6938407. PMID 31891944.
3. Spriggs, Matthew; Blench, R, eds. (1997). Archaeology and Language: Theoretical and methodological orientations. Routledge. pp. 357–358.
4. Darlington, Robert; Mraz, Judy; Benson, Cathy; Rood, Benjamin; Richardson, Matthew; Phelan, Simon (2023). Jacaranda Humanities Alive 7 Australian Curriculum 3e LearnON and Print. Wiley. pp. 52–53. ISBN 9781394150939.
5. McPhee, Ross D E (2018). End of the Megafauna: The Fate of the World's Hugest, Fiercest, and Strangest Animals. W. W. Norton. ISBN 9780393249309.
6. Deloris, Jr., Vine (2018). Red Earth, White Lies: Native Americans and the Myth of Scientific Fact. Fulcrum Publishing. ISBN 9781682752418.
7. Bastian, Dawn E.; Bastian, Dawn Elaine; Mitchell, Judy K. (2004). Handbook of Native American mythology. Handbooks of world mythology. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO. p. 30. ISBN 978-1-85109-538-4.