Charon, archeron of the Styx

Charon is the ferryman of the river Styx. In ancient Greek/Roman mythology, the dead are buried with coins over their or in their mouths to pay for passage into the underworld.

Harpy

Harpies originally came from Greek mythology. They are depicted as hideous winged creatures, with the top half of a woman but with legs and taloned feet of a monstrous bird. Harpies were instrumental in the punishment of Phineas, by snatching away and spoiling his food.

The term "Harpy" has since come to describe any evil or mean spirited woman.

Al-mi'Raj

The Al-mi'Raj is a dangerous predator that lives on the island of Jezîrat al-Tennyn within the Indian ocean. The creature appears as a large, yellow rabbit with a black spiral horn growing from the center of it's head. The creature uses it's spiral horn to kill and feast upon animals several times it's own size.

Medusa

In Greek mythology, Medusa is one of the three Gorgons. In traditional mythology she his depicted with a head full of snakes, winged, and with a gaze that can turn those who look upon it into stone. She is beheaded by the hero Perseus, and her head is used as a weapon until it is finally given to the goddess Athena and placed on her shield. This image became a protective talisman known as the Gorgoneion.

Makara

The Makara is an aquatic animal represented in Hindu Mythology, usually envisioned as a fish with an Elephant's head. The creature is often depicted as a mount for various Hindu deities. Theories of the creature's origin suggest it may be a misrepresentation of a type of seal, dolphin, crocodile, or an as of yet undiscovered species.

Hecatonchires

The Hecatonchires were the offspring of Gaia in Greek myth. They were towering giants with 100 hands and immense strength. Because they were imprisoned by the Titan Chronus, they sided with the Olympians during the War of the Titans.

Jimmy Squarefoot

Jimmy Squarefoot is an ogreish figure from Irish mythology. He is thought to originally be one of the Faowar, which were an indigenous race of giants who built the various stone circles throughout Britain and Ireland. He is described as huge, with a pig head, one eye, horns, and feet wrapped in calico bands, which give them a squareish appearance.

Centaur

Centaurs are a hybrid monster of half-man, half- horse from Greek mythology. They are depicted with a wild, untamed, "horse-like" nature, with excessive sexual appetites. However there are also moral and wise Centaurs as well, such as Chiron the teacher. The most prevalent theory on the origin of Centaurs is that it is a misinterpretation of a riding culture by a those who are unfamiliar with horses. A man mounted on a horse would appear as one animal at a distance.

Chimera

An aberration of science, named after the mythical beast of Greek legend.

(Artwork for a top secret project, although it might not get used.)

Greek Sphinx

In Greek mythology, the Sphinx was a giant lion with a woman's head an breasts that guarded the entrance to the city of Thebes. She is also depicted with wings or a serpent's tail. Those who wished entry into Thebes would have to solve a riddle; Those who failed were devoured. The riddle was thus:

“Which creature in the morning goes on four legs, at mid-day on two, and in the evening upon three, and the more legs it has, the weaker it be?”

When the Greek hero Odepius answered the riddle correctly, the Spinx threw herself from a high rock and died.

Demon

Demons are universal in all cultures and come in many shapes and sizes. In earlier western pagan religions they were seen as agents or messengers of the Gods, and were generally blamed as the causes of accidents, diseases, famines, etc. In later monotheistic religions demons are a convenient scapegoat for the existence of evil, and thus became the enemies of heaven and punishers of mankind. Eastern religions such as Hinduism have a slightly different outlook on demonic entities, while they are still generally "evil," they are depicted as also caught up in the same karmic struggle as ordinary humans are, with their evil as a result of such negative choices.

Mazzikim, the Harmers

In early Judaism, the Mazzikim is a class of demon akin to imps in later belief. They are akin to leprechauns or brownies, more mischievous than evil, and are responsible for ill health and bad fortune. In later medieval belief they became more identified as the traditional demonic figure, spawned from transformed souls of the dead who taunt and torture the recently deceased.

Ogre

Tales of Ogres can be found in all cultures. They are generally depicted as overly large, strong, and ugly human beings, usually cannibalistic, and sometimes with features of various animals (horns, pig noses, fangs, etc.) They are also usually not so smart, and most often than not are outwitted rather than defeated in open combat. Despite their intelligence handicap they also posses a deeper understanding of various magics and curses, especially the female Ogress. They share a lot in common with Giants and Trolls.

I picture them as larger, more brutal human beings, perhaps an evolutionary offshoot of Neanderthals.

Pzuzu, Lord of the Storm

Pazuzu was an Assyrian storm god and king of demons. He is usually represented in a human like form, with a dog's or lion's head, a serpent's or scorpion's tail, horns, and two pairs of wings. In ancient times he was often invoked to drive away other demons, most notably his arch nemesis the Lamashtu. He is often depicted with his right hand in the air.

Pazuzu is the demon who possesses the girl in the 1971 movie "The Exorcist."

Faun

Fauns are woodland spirits, associated with the Greek God Pan. They are generally depicted with a human head and torso, horns, and goat's legs, and may also be shown with a goat's head. The difference between Fauns and Saytrs is the latter are shown with human feet and legs.

Fauns are usually shown as mischievous as apposed to evil, with a very "randy" disposition. Much of the imagery depicting Fauns in Greek statuary and vasework show them reveling with drink and women (and men.) In late antiquity and the middle ages Fauns were used symbolically to represent those with an aggressive sex drive.

Salamander

In times past the Salamander was associated with the element of fire. References to the Salamander as a fire elemental go back to antiquity, and was common by the middle ages to use ingredients derived from Salamanders in alchemical potions and the like. Their skin was supposedly so cold it could put out fire.

This association of the Salamander to fire may have been born from observations of a piece of wood being burned in which a Salamander just happened to be hibernating, as the creature would crawl from the wood it would appear to be "born" from it. Certain species of Salamanders also excrete toxic milky substances from their skin when threatened, which may have lead to the belief they could withstand the flames.

Sphinx

The Sphinx is a composite animal made of up a lion's body with the head of an man, eagle, or ram. In ancient Egypt statues of the Sphinx were used as temple guardians, the most famous of which is the Great Sphinx of the Giza plateau. Rulers would often have their own heads carved onto the heads of Sphinx statues to gain favor with the gods. The Sphinx began appearing in the artwork and mythology of other nearby cultures, including Greece, India, and Mesopotamia.

Gorganite

Bizarre offspring of the Gorgan Medusa, the Gorganites share her reptilian characteristics. They sprang to life when the toxic blood form the monster's severed head dripped into the sea. Unlike their famous mother, the gorganites cannot turn people to stone with a mere look. They are still ugly though.

Minotaur

The Minotaur is the hideous offspring between the wife of King Minos and the Cretan Bull, a revenge orchestrated by the god Poseidon. The man-bull grew ferocious and was isolated in a vast labyrinth beneath the palace. Every nine years seven young men and seven unwed maidens were forced into the labyrinth to be hunted down by the Minotaur as sacrifice. The beast was eventually destroyed by the Greek hero Theseus with the help of the Princess Ariadne.

The Hydra

The Hydra was a huge, multi-headed dragon, the guardian of an underwater passage to the Underworld. The Greek demigod Hercules was tasked to kill the Hydra as one of his twelve labors. As he decapitated each head another grew in it's place, it wasn't until he cauterized each stump that the beast was finally slain. Hercules dipped his arrows in the Hydra's poison blood, and the pollution caused by this act made all of the fish in the river Anigrus inedible.