Cryptids Book
This book is a small guide to some of the most famous cryptids, or mythical beings, in world history. Research was done on each cryptid so an accurate description and illustration could be made. The pages are a type of old parchment looking calligraphy paper and they are bound with a smooth stick and a red leather-like rope.
The text below is copied from the body copy of the book.
I personally do not believe in all of what the descriptions say, especially with vampires and werewolves because the description may sound far fetched or ridiculous, but I wanted to be accurate to the research I did instead of give my own ideals.
This book is dedicated to my parents and my sister Anna, Danielle Fuller for giving me the time to create this book, Jan Danosky and Nichole Kaplan-Rudolf for helping me improve my art, and all of my friends for supporting me all the way.
Illustration done in ink.
Cryptids – the creatures and beings, believed to be fictitious, whose existence has not yet been proven scientifically but still exhibit evidence of existing or once existing.
Dear Reader,
What you are about to read is a small guide to some of the best known cryptids of our time. They fire the imaginations of many and strike fear into the hearts of others. These cryptids have been tracked back to the earliest dates in world history and still appear in todays books, movies, games and art.
This book and the following descriptions and illustrations were created specially by me. I hope you enjoy the knowledge contained within these pages and come to understand these cryptids with the same passion that I have. So, without further ado, turn the page (or in this case scroll down) and enter a world of wonder.
Sincerely,
Martha
Illustration done in colored pencil and water color.
Dragons are the most well known creatures in Cryptozoology because their stories are found all over the world. But
what most people don't know is there are many different species of dragon. Just like humans, how a dragon looks and behaves varies depending on where it lives in the world. Dragons can be categorized into two main groups, Eastern and Western dragons.
Eastern dragons, or Oriental dragons, have long serpentine bodies, commonly have four legs, no wings, smooth scales and tufts of fur on their tails and legs, a mane, a rounded snout, ears similar to that of a cow, horns and long whiskers. Western dragons are very different. They can have common to lengthier bodies, two, four, or even no legs, full or vestigial wings, scales, feathers and/or fur, long horns and spikes, a variety of ear shapes and angular facial features. These features can differ from dragon to dragon, however, because of their location in the world, which create each subcategory of dragons.
Not only do dragon features vary but so do their abilities. Most people think all dragons breathe fire but the truth is, there are only a select few species that actually can. No one really knows how a dragon breathes fire but some of the hypothesis' say they create a spark with flint and iron pyrite, held in a special pouch in their mouths, to ignite venom that is naturally in their fangs, like some snakes, or they have certain chemicals in their lungs that builds up to allow the dragons to breathe fire. Besides fire breathing, a few dragons have a frosty breath and most dragons have venomous fangs.
Flight is a similar subject to fire breathing; most people think all dragons can fly. The dragons that have wings can obviously fly unless the wings are vestigial, meaning they exist but they have no function. The wings can bend and rotate in their sockets which enable dragons to fly though the laws of flight say dragons, like bees, cannot fly. In order to take off, a dragon must gain speed which requires them to leap from great heights or run then leap into the air, snapping down their tail and pushing off with their hind legs, if they have legs. Dragons that have no wings can sometimes fly as well but it is a complete mystery how they accomplish flight. Since dragons have the muscle structure of either cats or reptiles, they are very flexible and elegant especially in flight. as well as flight and fire breathing, some dragons are said to be shape shifters and others are said to have the ability to become invisible.
All dragons hatch from eggs which can be tended to or not, depending on the species. The dragon species that have caring parents learn and mature by copying their parents. The species that are not tended to as eggs must learn and fend for themselves. Most dragons go through mating rituals and then split up but some will mate for life. As for where they dwell, it can be anywhere that is well hidden and preferably uninhabited by humans, like old, abandoned castles, ruins, forests and mountains. Though dragons have all these differences they have one thing in common, hoarding treasure. Dragons, no matter which species, love to gather and store treasure. Sure each dragon species has different ideas about what "treasure" is but they all collect it; and then each dragon species varies depending on how protective they are over their hoards.
Furthermore, dragons are viewed differently depending on where you are in the world. In the western half of the globe dragons are feared, they are seen as the face of something evil and a creature that must be destroyed. In the eastern half of the globe dragons are loved and respected, they are seen as a symbol of good luck, determination, and prosperity.
Illustration done in colored pencil and water color.
Vampires are found wherever there are people. However, it is difficult to tell a vampire from a human because vampires are the reanimated corpses of humans. The prominent features of a vampire are undeniable beauty, pale skin that is cold to the touch, intense, nocturnal eyes that can be any color, long nails and, of course, sharp teeth which can be either twin fangs or a complete set of savage teeth. The also cast no shadow and have no reflection; the reasoning behind this is that shadows and reflections are often described as images of ones soul, but vampires don't have souls. Despite these common features, each vampire looks very different because they can be Asian, African American, white American, Native American, male, female, adults, children...in other words, anyone from around the world.
In order to survive, vampires must drink blood or draw life energy from human victims. Victims who are bitten are automatically infected with vampirism, this means when the victim dies, whether of natural causes or repeated visits from a vampire or instant death from a vampire attack, he or she will become a vampire. The infection of vampirism can cause vampire epidemics. In only three weeks, if all the victims die immediately, there can be at least 1,048,576 new vampires.
Besides vampirism infection, legends say liars and wicked people, people who consorted with demons, anyone who ate the flesh of a sheep that was killed by a wolf, the seventh son or daughter when all the children are the same sex, a baby born with teeth or a distinctive birthmark, a baby with red hair and blue eyes, the child of a werewolf and a vampire or children cursed by their parents were said to become vampires after death. Murder victims, until their killer is punished, and people who commit suicide, until the time they would have naturally died, are also said to become vampires. Some legends even tell of werewolves becoming vampires once they die.
Vampires have many powers that leave us mortals terrified and awe struck. They can live forever without aging and transform into large or small bats, black or brown rats, red or grey squirrels, wolves, foxes, crows, ravens, rooks, large black spiders, mist and dust. They can command bats, wolves, foxes, owls, and moths; they can also climb walls like an insect and travel with supernatural speed and grace. Vampires have supernatural strength and a hypnotic gaze that renders victims helpless and under the vampire's control.
Vampires also have many weaknesses. They can't stand the smell of garlic or garlic flowers. They avoid poppy seeds, which causes drowsiness and the desire to rest, thorns, which they can get their cloths tangled in until daylight, which they must keep out of, and holy symbols. Also, they can't resist counting multiple objects such as scattered seeds, they can't cross running water, except an ebbing or rising tide, or salt water so they must be carried across, and they must sleep by day on a protective layer of hallowed ground from their native land. Finally, they can't enter a private home or building without an invitation from someone who lives there, once invited they can return and enter at will; they can enter public buildings because they are open to everyone. However, these weaknesses are not foolproof.
These creatures of the night create their dwellings in cemeteries, abandoned manors or ruined castles. They usually sleep in a coffin, which is kept in an out-of-the-way part of a castle or manor. They will decorate a castle or manor with extravagant furniture and expensive artwork that they gather over the years from their victims. Vampires tend to be loners but they occasionally form family groups. These groups are made up of a vampire lord or lady and followers, of whom are the lord or lady's past victims. The followers serve the lord or lady until he or she "dies" and then the followers continue their lives alone.
Legends tell of many different ways of getting rid of a vampire including driving a wooden stake clean through the body, shooting it with a silver bullet, dismembering ti entirely and burning the pieces or stabbing it with a silver dagger. In one part of Greece, the people transported all of the corpses that were suspected of being vampires to an uninhabited island and buried them during the day.
Vampire are thought of as intelligent and charming killers with impeccable manners and good breeding or mindless, soulless killers, but there are also good vampires who are essentially decent but tortured by the terrible things they must do to survive. Some, classified as moral vampires, can survive on tiny amounts of blood, acquire bottled blood, or choose to drink the blood of animals.
Illustration done in colored pencil and water color.
Werewolves are generally described as people who transform into wolves at night, particularly under a full moon. Just like a vampire, a werewolf can be anyone, male or female, from around the world so it is nearly impossible to tell a werewolf from a normal person when the werewolf is in human form. However, there are some werewolves that keep some of their wolf features when they change back to their human form, such as thick, shaggy hair on the head and fur remaining on the body, penetrating eyes, eyebrows that meet in the center, claw-like nails, long canine teeth, a liking for raw meat, bruises, scratches or injuries acquired in wolf form, and/or a vulpine appearance. In wolf form, a werewolf is bigger, meaner, stronger, faster and smarter than regular wolves. They have an eerie, yet mystical, howl that can travel for miles, and they can travel on either four or two legs, depending, especially, on if their front limbs resemble human arms and hands or a wolf's legs and paws.
The most common way of becoming a werewolf is to be bitten by another werewolf. Some other ways of becoming a werewolf would be to be cursed, eating the brains of a wolf, drinking from a stream where wolves drink, drinking from a wolf's paw print, picking a magical flower in the Balkan Mountains, wearing a magical wolf skin belt, covering ones body with magic salve and wearing the whole skin of a wolf, making a deal with the devil, sleeping with the light of the full moon shining on ones face on a Wednesday or Friday night in the summer and other complicated rituals. Becoming a werewolf can also be genetic. These werewolves are born of two werewolf parents. They can transform at will and are called natural werewolves.
Werewolves live in cave-like dwellings, over abandoned homes or move from place to place in caravans; which created the suspicion of gypsies to be werewolves. Over time, some werewolves can learn to control their animal instincts and choose to live among normal people. They are solitary creatures but will live in packs occasionally.
Werewolves are vulnerable to silver weapons and some legends say they cannot climb an ash tree or enter a field of rye. Over the ages, people have been trying to find methods for curing a werewolf but none are very effective. Killing a werewolf also killed the person, steeling the clothes left by a werewolf was said to create a permanent wolf form, though most werewolves change back to human form at dawn no matter what, and throwing a piece of cloth at a werewolf to try forcing it to change back into human form is really just ridiculous. The only procedures that were said to work were either catch the werewolf in wolf form, tie it up and cut tree cuts on the wolf's forehead with a knife or, if the werewolf became a werewolf by being bitten, the werewolf could seek out the werewolf that originally bit them and bite that werewolf back so they will both be cured. Legend also says that when a werewolf dies it becomes a vampire.
Werewolves that never wanted to be werewolves are constantly tortured by what they are. Some try everything they can to prevent themselves from causing harm to others. This includes taming their animal instincts and/or having themselves locked in a strong cell or room with specific instructions not to open the door until dawn.
Since wolves are not found everywhere on earth, there are stories of other wereanimals. In Russia there are stories of werebears, in Africa there are wereleopards, –lions and –hyenas, in South America there are werejaguars, in japan there are werefoxes, in India there are weretigers and in other places there are wereboars/–pigs, –dogs, –crocodiles, –rats
and –hares.
Illustration don in colored pencil and water color.
These two creatures are interconnected. Vampires and werewolves both have the ability to turn into wolves and change back into human form, they have similar speed and strength, they both kill people and they both drink blood. They are so similar that legends say that werewolves become vampires when they die and there are a few stories of vampires and werewolves finding each other attractive and mating. However, the majority of legends say vampires and werewolves
are enemies.
How can two creatures be so similar and still hate each other? One theory is that werewolves are jealous of how beautiful vampires are. Though this theory makes some sense, it is not very likely. A more logical theory is since vampires have the power to control wolves they can also control werewolves, who they treat like slaves. Because of this treatment, werewolves hate vampires. Another logical theory is they could have the same hunting ground. If a vampire and a werewolf make their home in the same area, they will fight over the same source of food.
Vampires and werewolves typically will not prey on each other. A werewolf would not prey on a vampire because there is too small amount of blood in a vampire's body. Furthermore, a regular vampire would not prey on a werewolf because of the wolf blood running through a werewolf's veins.
Illustration done in colored pencil and water color.
Gryphons (Griffins/Griffons) are one of the oldest creatures known to human kind. They have the head, wings and talons of an eagle, the hind quarters of a lion an pointed, usually feathered ears. The front of a gryphon's body is covered in tawny to gold colored feathers and may be spotted like a leopard. The hind quarters are covered in gold to cream colored fur with scarlet flecks. Some gryphons have a second eagle's tail running along their hind quarters and over their lion's tail.
Gryphons are proud, regal, brave and mighty creatures but they can also be very fierce, vicious and protective. They live in prides like lions, mate for life and guard their young no matter what the costs. Gryphons usually live in or near deserts or plains lands in the rocky caves of mountains.
They have a keen sense of smell, the strength and nobility of a lion and the swiftness, sharp eye sight and voice of an eagle. Gryphons hunt mainly horses or horse-like beasts but they will attack humans in they are in the way or if threatened; they usually attack with their fore claws and hooked beak.
Just like dragons, gryphons will hoard and protect treasure. They prefer gold and precious stones but especially emeralds. Gryphons cannot be tamed but they can be befriended.
Research References
Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet the Wolfman
Cowan, Finlay. Dragons and Fantasy Beasts
Cowan, Finlay. Incredible Characters
Drake, Dr. Ernest. Dragonology: The Complete Book of Dragons
Drake, Dr. Ernest. Monsterology: The Complete Book of Monstrous Beasts
Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet the Wolfman
Cowan, Finlay. Dragons and Fantasy Beasts
Cowan, Finlay. Incredible Characters
Drake, Dr. Ernest. Dragonology: The Complete Book of Dragons
Drake, Dr. Ernest. Monsterology: The Complete Book of Monstrous Beasts
The Dragonology Handbook: A Practical Course in Dragons
