• QuantumSparkles@sh.itjust.works
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    8 months ago

    Great meme but does anyone have the original image without the text? This picture fucken rules, it’s like a turn based battle from the best rpg ever

    • DragonTypeWyvern
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      8 months ago

      There’s a difference between mythological creatures and modern cryptids, but I also don’t know what has the French bothered these days.

      Something about fairies in Ireland and Iceland and that’s it.

      • Holyhandgrenade@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        Icelandic folklore doesn’t have fairies, we have elves.
        Also there’s some very disturbing Icelandic cryptids, like Jólakötturinn, a giant cat that eats children on Christmas, and Nykur, a backward-hoofed horse that hypnotizes you to ride it and then it walks you into the sea.

          • Holyhandgrenade@lemmy.world
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            8 months ago

            Those “elf houses” is actually a more recent thing we do for tourists. But according to folk belief, the elves live inside certain rocks and cliffs. Some road constructions have been derailed because an elf rock was in the way and the people were having none of that.

            • DragonTypeWyvern
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              8 months ago

              Well, obviously those aren’t their real houses, they’re above the hills, not under them.

      • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        I’m pretty sure “mythological creatures” is a subcategory of cryptids, or the other way around.

        Either way, the meme didn’t say “modern” and I’m pretty sure the rich tradition of terrifying east- and central European cryptids extends well into modernity lol

      • Evil_Shrubbery@lemm.ee
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        8 months ago

        Like every European village has it’s own weirdly specific cryptid of sorts, they go extinct all the time.

        Some are weirdly eldritch horrory, but most are just things that kill people, usually attracted by specific (positive or negative) actions or events.

        I think one is just a floating bloody (unspecific) tigh. No additional explanation. Poor thing prob popped into existence and promptly got captured by SCP foundation before even doing anything.

      • Aqarius@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        Is the difference that Europe’s population density is so high it’s obvious centaurs aren’t real, because we’d have found them by now?

  • AwkwardLookMonkeyPuppet@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    What? Europe has vampires, and werewolves, and trolls, and Grendel, and sirens, and Medusa, and the kraken, and all kinds of scary shit. What do we have, Big Foot?

  • IninewCrow@lemmy.ca
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    8 months ago

    I think it’s just a matter of timing and development. Europeans had the same or similar legends a thousand years ago. Indigenous cultures here in North America have the same folklore but we are more closer to it than our European friends.

    I’m Indigenous Canadian in northern Ontario. My first language is Ojibway/Cree and for the first ten years of my life, I was surrounded by my culture and history from my Elders and other traditional people.

    Sure it was all stories of how characters saved humanity, how humanity saved itself and all those saviour / hero type story lines. They were fun stories … but over half of those old tales are just messed up freakish stories of death, destruction, fear and horror. The characters of the land, the water, the sky, the gods, the talking animals, good spirits and bad spirits are portrayed as equally good and equally bad. They are seen as more human and they are capable of doing enormous good or conducting terrible evil.

    It’s a lot like Greek mythology or Scandinavian mythology … there is superstition, belief and godlike power to everything … but the beings of other worlds and realms can be as good, holy, wholesome, loving and just as we want them to be … but they are also just as flawed, stupid, jealous, angry, violent and terrible as we are.

    I still spend a lot of time alone on the land at my wilderness cottage and as much as I like it out there … there are times when it does scare the shit out of me. A quiet still silent bright summer day alone with no other people around can at times be just as frightening as a lonely dark autumn night. Sometimes when you know you are alone out there … you can’t help but feel like someone is watching you.

    • RatBin@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      That and we are fairly well accostumated to any european cryptid (which is a modern concept) to the point of seeing them as a regular character in tales and legends, games and rpg alike. But, to tell you the truth, the original stories of those creatures were scary. Now we think of witches in a more positive light, a witch in a folk tale is one of the most dangerous entities out there. Werewolves…vampires were not fictional either.

      Example:

      https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/lazzaretto-nuovo

      Analysis on the skull discovered with a brick wedged in the mouth revealed that it once belonged to a woman between 61 and 71 years old. Although her exact story is likely never to be known, it was thought that she must have been believed to be a “Shroud Eater,” a type of vampire associated particularly with Germany and related territories.

      The Shroud Eater is a different sort of vampire, not found biting the necks of voluptuous victims, but instead found still in their grave. Believed to>!!< be a sort of undead corpse, they were known for making hideous chewing sounds and were thought to cause death and destruction from a distance. There are several theories about how this particular myth came to be, but it seems to be particularly prevalent in times of plague or disease, when one death eventually leads to many more, often of friends and family members.

      If you were a regular person in the late 1500’s this would keep yoy awake at night. And it wasn’t fiction than. But then again we took these old myths and got past their scare fators as they became simple ideas. Vampires are not scary today, they wear fancy clothes and take part of teen dramas. Or just become ancient aztec deities of fitness. Whatever we want them to be. But if you look at the quoted description, well, I wouln’t want that thing. I’d rather fight a rake barehanded.

      • Aqarius@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        Hell, the word “vampire” came to English with news reports from the early 1700s about people in eastern Europe looking for vampires to kill.

  • someguy3@lemmy.ca
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    8 months ago

    I can’t be the only one, so:

    cryptid noun

    Any creature that may or may not exist. Sightings of various cryptids have been reported, but their reality has not been proved.

  • Kyrgizion@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    Laughs in Beast of Gevaudan and Tarrasque

    Not all European cryptids are meek. Especially the French ones apparently.

  • Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de
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    8 months ago

    then we have nordic cryptids, which is rocks that look like people and just literal actual gnomes except EVEN SMALLER

  • ekZepp@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    Dude, we had fucking DRAGONS! Werewolfes, vampires, human eating gigant spiders, and dozen on other horrible creature infesting our forests FOR CENTURIES!!!

    All you had before the boom of YouTube was a dude in an hairy furry costume walking in the woods.

    • CryptidBestiary@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      Obviously this is all for the meme and I agree with you that Europe has a lot of famous myths and folklore but you are daft if you think North America only has Big Foot/Sasquatch before creepypasta. Let me name a few for you: Jersey Devil, Wendigo, Mothman, UFO aliens, Flatwoods Monster, Skinwalker. Almost every state in the US has a cryptid. We got the Native American folklore to derive from. Not even including Mexico’s vast folklore and cryptids.

    • KidnappedByKitties@lemm.ee
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      8 months ago

      Werewolves, vampires, baba yaga, fae, bean sidhe, vättar, tomtar, will o the wisp, trolls, Näcken, sylphs, undines, changelings, sirens, cyclops, gorgons, demon boars galore, and loads more local legends

      • oce 🐆@jlai.lu
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        8 months ago

        Dragons, basilisks, unicorns, fire breathing salamanders were part of the average folk beliefs in the European middle ages and Renaissance. For example, in the gorgeous Lady and the Unicorn tapisseries from ~1500 you can see in Paris.

    • Prunebutt@slrpnk.net
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      8 months ago

      I’d say that cryptids are a modern iteration of the same phenomenon which used to be mythologic creatures.

  • Evil_Shrubbery@lemm.ee
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    8 months ago

    wiki/List_of_cryptids

    … I think the SCP is censuring the list. But I trust them, the memes told me that I do so.

    Anyway, focusing on European cryptids - this seems like a good list with 321 entries & detained descriptions and up-to-date sightings. Tho it does feel fairly light on the outer parts, like Greek, English, Russian, Moroccan (the Spain part) pets, I mean cryptids: cryptidz.fandom.com/wiki/European_cryptids

    This is a shorter list but does contain some additional entries: cryptozoologycryptids.fandom.com/wiki/European_Cryptids

    • Evil_Shrubbery@lemm.ee
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      8 months ago

      From cryptidz:

      A	
      	Aatxe
      	Achlis
      	Afanc
      	Afonya
      	Aiatar
      	Air Rods
      	Aitvaras
      	Akerbeltz
      	Alderney Yellow Light
      	Alien Big Cats
      	Alien Octopoids
      	Alien Sightings of Croatia
      	Alien sightings of Portugal
      	Alien Sightings of Spain
      	Alien Sightings of Sweden
      	Allier River Monster
      	Almas
      	Amphisbaena
      	Arre River Monster
      	Arzamassian Monster
      	Avians
      B	
      	Baba Yaga
      	Banshee
      	Banyoles Monster
      	Bar Juchne
      	Bare-Fronted Hoodwink
      	Barghest
      	Barguest
      	Barmouth Monster
      	Barnacle Tree
      	Basajaun
      	Basilisk
      	Bat Beast of Kent
      	Bauk
      	Beast of Bevendean
      	Beast of Bodmin Moor
      	Beast of Brassknocker Hill
      	Beast of Dartmoor
      	Beast of Dean
      	Beast of Gevaudan
      	Beast of Ljig
      	Beast of Neamt
      	Beast Of Tenby
      	Beast of Tunbridge Wells
      	Behemoth
      	Belarussian Shore Muddler
      	Belorussian Sky Squid
      	Bergkonge
      	Biosbardo
      	Bird Beast of Var
      	Black Beast of Exmoor
      	Black Bird of Chernobyl
      	Black Goat-Man of Wittingau
      	Black Shuck
      	Bogeyman
      	Bonnacon
      	Bownessie
      	British Dragon
      	British Flying Rods
      	Brosno Dragon
      	Brownie
      	Bugbear
      	Bukavac
      	Buratsche-Al-Llgs
      C	
      	Calopus
      	Calygreyhound
      	Camacrusa
      	Canvey Island Monster
      	Centaurs
      	Classic Dragons (Western Cultures)
      	Cockatrice
      	Cocollona
      	Corfu Island Creature
      	Crimean Creature
      	Cumberland Spaceman (Solway Firth Spaceman)
      	Cussac Aliens
      	Cuélebre
      	Cyclops
      	Cynocephali
      	Cù-sìth
      D	
      	Dahu
      	Dalby Spook
      	Dard
      	Dark Faerie
      	Dobhar-chu
      	Domsten Blobs
      	Donestre
      	Doppelgänger
      	Dragon
      	Dragons of Rabka
      	Drekavac
      	Dutch Flying Jellyfish
      	Dwarves
      E	
      	Eachy
      	Elwetritsch
      	European Wildman
      F	
      	Fachen
      	Fear Liath Moor
      	Felixstowe Fire Demon
      	Fern Flower
      	Fish-man of Liérganes
      	Fiskerton Phantom
      G	
      	Galley-Trot
      	Gargouille
      	Gargoyle
      	Gensou Hyouhon Hakubutsukan
      	Germakochi
      	Getzko
      	Ghillie Dhu
      	Ghoul
      	Giant Catfish
      	Giant Goldfish
      	Giant of Castelnau
      	Giant Rat
      	Giglioli's Whale
      	Girona Gremlin
      	Girt Dog of Ennerdale
      	Gizotso
      	Gnome
      	Goatman
      	Goayr Heddagh
      	Goblins
      	Gog-Magog
      	Grampus
      	Great Auk
      	Greece
      	Greek dolphin
      	Gremlin
      	Griffins
      	Grindylow
      	Grotte Cosquer Animal
      	Gruagach
      	Gryttie
      	Gulon
      H	
      	Hat Man
      	Hebrides Blob
      	Hellhounds
      	Herensuge
      	High-Finned Sperm Whale
      	Hippocampus
      	Hippocerf
      	Homo Gardarensis
      	Horned Cats
      	Hrökkáll
      	Hungry Grass
      I	
      	Imap Umassoursua
      J	
      	Jaculus
      	Jimmy Squarefoot
      	Jure Grando
      K	
      	Kallikantzaros
      	Karakonjul
      	Kellas Cat
      	Kelpie
      	Kemza
      	Kinnula Humanoid
      	Knucker
      	Koskolteras rhombopterix
      	Kraken
      	Kędzierzyn-Koźle Undead
      L	
      	Lagarfljot Worm
      	Lake Ladoga Monster
      	Lake Van Monster
      	Lambton Worm
      	Lariosauro
      	Lavellan
      	Le Loyon
      	Leprechaun
      	Leshy
      	Leviathan
      	Lindworm
      	List of Jinn Types
      	Lizard Men
      	Lizzie
      	Loberno
      	Loch Awe Monster
      	Loch Ness Monster
      	Loch Oich Monster
      	Lou Carcolh
      	Lough Dubh monster
      	Lough Foyle monster
      	Lynx
      M	
      	Magician's Monster
      	Manticore
      	Marabbecca
      	Mari Lwyd
      	Marine Lion
      	Marked Hominids
      	Meeribiu
      	Meeting With Monsters (book)
      	Men in Black
      	Mermaids (Merfolks)
      	Mirygdy
      	Moddey Dhoo
      	Moha Moha
      	Moly
      	Mongitore's Monstrous Fish
      	Monster of Bor Lake
      	Monster of Gračanica Lake
      	Monster of Lake Fagua
      	Monster of Silver Lake
      	Monuca
      	Mora
      	Morag
      	Morgawr
      	Muc-sheilch
      	Muckie
      	Muladona
      N	
      	Nameless Thing of Berkeley Square
      	Nissi
      	Nixie
      	Nuckelavee
      	Nymph
      	Nyruk
      O	
      	Octo-squatch
      	Ogre
      	On the Map
      	Ophiotaurus
      	Oracular Trees
      	Oude Rode Ogen
      	Owlman
      P	
      	Pale Crawlers
      	Panther
      	Paparrasolla
      	Peluda
      	Peryton
      	Pesanta
      	Phantom Kangaroo
      	Pilou
      	Plant-Eating Crocodile
      	Po Orangutan
      	Polypus
      	Pomórnik
      	Porphyrios
      	Poskok
      	Prespan lake monster
      	Pérák
      Q	
      	Quickfoot
      	Quinotaur
      R	
      	Ramidreju
      	Raskovnik
      	Ratman of Southend
      	Redcap
      	Rephaite
      	Rijeka Reaper
      	Roc
      	Roch Ness Monster
      	Runan-shah
      	Russian Sirins
      S	
      	Sakhalin Island Sea Wolf
      	Salamander
      	Sam Harris
      	Sarmatian Sea Snail
      	Sea Monk
      	Seljordsormen
      	Shadow People
      	Shellycoat
      	Shore Laddie
      	Shug Monkey
      	Silphium
      	Sirens
      	Skeljaskrímsli
      	Skvader
      	Sky Serpents
      	Spaghetti tree
      	Sphinx
      	Spring-Heeled Jack
      	Storsjöodjuret
      	Strigoi
      	Stronsay Beast
      	Surrey Puma
      	Swan Maidens
      	Switzerland
      T	
      	Tarasque
      	Tatzelwurm
      	Teggie
      	Thames River Monster
      	The Merman
      	The Pig-Man of Cannock Chase
      	The Sandown Clown
      	Troll
      U	
      	UFO
      	Undead
      	Unicorn
      	Unknown Norwegian Creature
      	Urco
      V	
      	Vampire
      	Varberg Fortress Moat Monster
      	Vatnagedda
      	Ved
      	Vedi
      	Villaricos Horned Serpent
      	Vine of Sodom
      	Voronezh Aliens
      	Vorota Beast
      W	
      	Wanderlight
      	Werebear
      	Werehyena
      	Werewolf
      	Whale Eater
      	White Stag
      	Wild Haggis
      	Wolpertinger
      	Woodwose
      	Wulver
      	Wyrm
      	Wyvern
      Y	
      	Yale
      	Yggdrasil
      Z	
      	Zanfretta's Aliens
      	Zmeu
      Ú	
      	Útburður
      Š	
      	Šumske Dekle