The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures: The Ultimate A–Z of Fantastic Beings from Myth and Magic. John Matthews
Kuang and Ao Shun. (See Ao Chin.)
AO SHUN
One of the four great Dragon Kings of Chinese mythology, who together control the rain and the waters of the sea. The others are Ao Chin, Ao Kuang, and Ao Ping. (See Ao Chin.)
AONBARR/ENBARR
In Irish mythology, the magical horse belonging to Manannan mac Lír, the god of the sea and the Otherworld. Aonbarr could gallop across land or sea and its name means ‘unique supremacy’. Its alternative name is Enbarr, meaning ‘froth’ or ‘singular foam’ – from which one may imagine it was connected to the breakers which strike the shores along the coastline of Ireland.
APALALA
A terrifying water monster from Buddhist mythology in the state of Pashawa in India. Apalala both inhabited and controlled the river Swat in the Highlands of Pashawa, which are now in Pakistan. A favourite subject for the Buddhist art of this region is a scene showing the monster in the act of being tamed by Buddha.
APER CALYDONIUS
An alternative name for the Calydonian Boar of classical Greek mythology.
APIS
The bull god of Ancient Egyptian mythology. Apis is sometimes called the Son of Ptah and he acts as an intermediary between mankind and the creator god of Memphis. Oracles are also received through his priests. The sacred bull is black with a small white diamond patch on its forehead; between its horns it carries the emblem of the Sun Disc and the Uraeus, though at other times these may be replaced by the Moon. On its back it has the protective wings of a vulture, and the hairs of its tail are divided into two strands, representing the original two kingdoms of ancient Egypt. According to the Greek writer Herodotus, the scarab beetle, sacred to the creator god, was to be found under the tongue of Apis.
Real bulls were culled from a special herd and treated as sacred. In Memphis, these bulls lived in palatial quarters close to the temple of Ptah, where there were also many statues of the bull god, represented as human in shape with a bull’s head. The pharaohs of Egypt were identified closely with Apis and bull imagery, with its inherent notion of strength and fertility, was a characteristic of the stories of the god-king who was often known by epithets such as ‘Victorious Bull’.
During the funerary rites of the pharaohs, the link with Apis are further emphasized when the king is seen ascending to the sun god protected by a bull. The lifespan of a bull was approximately 14 years, during which period festivals would be held at Memphis honouring it. At its death, all Egypt mourned as for the loss of the king himself. The bull was mummified and its funeral was celebrated with great pomp. Men dragged the sledge on which the embalmed and bejewelled animal had been placed. Its burial place was in the northern quarter of a desert plateau overlooking Memphis. Vast underground catacombs, hollowed out of the rock, contained successive bull burials. Discovered in the 19th century, in some instances huge sarcophagi of granite weighing over 70 tons had been placed to protect the remains of the animals.
APKALLU
An alternative name for the Abgal of Sumerian mythology.
APOATAMKIN
A strange, malicious creature, found in the folklore of the Maliseet-Pasamaquaddy people of the north-east coastal area of the United States. Apoatamkin is generally described as human in shape but covered with long hair and possessing enormous teeth. It acts as a means of frightening children, ensuring that they do not wander away from adult supervision. Bogeys of this kind are known all over the world.
APOPHIS
In Egyptian mythology, Apophis is the name of the great cosmic moon serpent that coils around the heavens. It emerged from the great abyss at the time of the creation, omitting a great roar that still echoes across the universe. Every night it tries to deny light to the world by capturing the sun god as he journeys in his celestial boat across the sky. With the help of the guardian serpent Mehen, Ra always escapes – and in the struggle that follows, Apophis’ blood stains the sky red. Occasionally Ra may be captured briefly, resulting in an eclipse of the sun.
Tomb paintings from the earliest period of Egyptian history depict the god sailing in his sun boat through a gap in the Western mountains, behind which Apophis lurks, its vast mouth open wide. Apophis is represented in a number of different ways, each more terrifying than the last. Sometimes he is a serpent with the head of a man, and sometimes he is a crocodile, his body strangely twisted and contorted. So terrible is Apophis’ nature that he is said to represent darkness, storms and death. He is also an ally of Set, the god of evil. Eventually, Apophis is captured and bound by the god Horus. The god Osiris then chopped him into small pieces, which were allowed to float away on the Nile. (See also Mehen, Nagas, Rahu and Tiamat.)
Apocalyptic Beasts
The idea of the Apocalypse, the end of the world, has been associated in many cultures with the appearance of great beasts that consume the whole of creation and bring an end to time. The best known in the West are undoubtedly the four Beasts of the Apocalypse described by St John. The implication is that there are many of these, but only three are described in detail. The first beast rises from the sea and has the body of a leopard, the feet of a bear and seven heads like those of the hydra, each with lion’s jaws. Each head has ten horns, bearing ten crowns. The second beast comes from the earth, and is described as having a similar appearance to the first but with a single head. Its horns are shorter and it has the voice of a dragon. The third creature is called the ‘Scarlet Beast’, and shares its appearance with that of the beasts from the sea and the land, except that it is red. The precise meanings of these creatures remains the subject of speculation.
Other apocalyptic creatures described in the Bible include the Tetramorphs, an ox, a man, a lion and an eagle, who together surround the throne of Christ; later they were to be seen as symbols of the four evangelists: Mark (the lion) representing Christ’s dignity, Luke (the winged ox) signifying sacrifice, Matthew (the man) representing the priesthood of Christ, and John (the eagle) symbolizing the Ascension and divinity of Christ. There are also four great horses: the white horse (conquest), the red horse (war), the black horse (famine) and the pale horse (death). Together these represent divine wrath and retribution and are ridden by the Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
The Old Testament mentions such mythical creatures as Leviathan, Behemoth and the Hayoth, all of which have apocalyptic aspects. In Greek mythology, the Titans, and in Hindu myths, the Asuras, are creatures that seem to represent the forces of creation out of control and rising up to overwhelm humanity.
In Islamic tradition, it is the heavenly cockerel, whose feet are upon the first sphere of heaven and whose head is in the seventh heaven just below the throne of Allah, who announces the world’s end. On the final day, the heavenly cockerel will crow for the last time and that will be the signal for the announcing angel to command that the dead rise up.
APOTHARNI
An estranged race of centaur-like beings, referred to in a work published in the 16th century, that are half human, half horse, like the centaurs of classical Greek and Roman mythology. Unlike centaurs the Apotharni are both male and female (centaurs are only male). The females are bald but have hair on their chins in a similar fashion to goats