Truth be told, myth dies hard. You may almost prefer not to know the realities behind such imaginary creatures as the powerful griffin, the one-eyed Cyclops, hybrid chimeras, Pegasus, the Sphinx, Bigfoot, Quetzalcoatl, giant roc birds and Mami Wata and her sister mermaids of all sorts from Africa to the Arctic.
Mankind has always been captivated by tales of mystery and supernatural forces, combat and heroism, power and success.
Most European legends are centred around these ideas – intriguing but predatory females (sirens and witches), strange blends of animals (dragons, unicorns), and strong men whose amazing deeds defy logical explanation (King Arthur, Robin Hood).
Other myths and legends from around the world reflect this same fascination for uncharted territory, mystical beings and outstanding achievement in the face of incredible odds.
What I find most interesting about this article is that the travelling exhibition currently in Kentucky, USA, presents us with a basis for understanding how we’ve come to ‘create’ some of these wondrous creatures from myths and legends. The article I read about it, ‘Exhibit Unveils Mythic Creatures’, from the Kentucky Courier Journal (courier-journal.com) shows how the origins of some have been linked to (misinterpretation of) ancient animal skeletal remains (Cyclops, griffins), while others have been cleverly fabricated (P.T. Barnum’s mermaid and the Puerto Rican fanged Chupacabra).
The descriptions of several of these creatures of myth and legend and their continuing intrigue, lends itself to the idea of tantalising a film audience with sightings of them.
This more or less shatters any dreams of most children or anyone who believes in ‘magic’. It’s a sad truth, but one that is interesting to point out, in such a way as a travelling exhibition.
Extra:
Several variations might be possible. One is to introduce a series of ‘mind tricks’. For instance, a lady wearing flippers might appear to be a mermaid from just getting a glimpse of her at a particular angle. Or a lion and a bird in the same shadowy line of sight could momentarily suggest a griffin. Filming techniques could be used to enhance the apparent metamorphosis while leaving the viewers not sure of the extent to which they’ve misinterpreted a genuinely ambiguous situation or been fooled by the camera.
‘Exhibit Unveils Mythic Creatures’ <-- Link
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