Mythological Watery
Beasts and Places
Water can hold many powerful mysteries and treasures; some of these show up in the form of sea beasts and creatures. The majority of these creatures are formidable and larger than life, and they tell of the dangers and formidable power of water. Traditionally, these were time-tested stories told to children and others, primarily to make sure they treated the waters around them with respect, care, and caution.
In this chapter you will find just about everything from ashrays to water nymphs. There are watery beasts that seem to come either from someone’s wildest dreams or worst nightmares. The second half of the chapter is dedicated to mythical places. Featuring sunken cities and even a lost continent, the opportunity is given to examine what lies beneath.
Mythological Watery Beasts
Ashrays: These Scottish creatures are said to be translucent and unable to survive on land. Some believe them to be fairies (or fair folk, as they prefer to be called). They take on the appearance of young men or women and spend their lives underwater. They are also completely nocturnal and if exposed to sunlight are said to quickly melt into a puddle.
Bäckahästen: The word bäckahästen translates roughly to the words “brook horse.”17 These mystical horses are from the German and Scandinavian traditions and are said to reside in brooks and rivers, luring passersby into the water.
Bunyip: A mythical water beast found in the stories of indigenous Australians, the bunyip is quite terrifying. It is said to make its home in the swamps, creeks, riverbeds, and waterholes of Australia. Described as both aggressive and very hairy, it has a great fondness for human flesh (especially that of young women and children). As if its gruesome appearance wasn’t enough, the scary beast is also thought to possess great magical powers. In some stories the bunyip is said to be the original source of evil on the planet.
Chessie: Similar to Nessie, Chessie is the sea monster that is said to reside in Chesapeake Bay in the United States. There have been numerous reports of sightings over the years, and in 1982 a couple even captured the creature on video. It is said to resemble a great sea serpent with a hump on its back.18
Fossie Grim: In Scandinavian countries some see the Fossie Grim (also Fossegrim) as a handsome water spirit who is said to lure people to a watery grave with his delightful violin music. Others uphold that this is a beneficial energy that can bestow blessings. Fossie Grim are said to be partial to waterfalls, which are their sacred spaces. Their appearance takes the form of fair-haired youth whose feet meld into the watery foam found at the base of the waterfall. In addition to the violin, they are said to be adept at playing the harp, and those wishing to master that instrument can leave them offerings at the water.
Grindylows: Grindylows have long, thin arms and long, bony fingers. The grindylows are known to use these scary limbs to drag children and others down to the watery depths. They appear in myths and folktales from Lancashire and Yorkshire in England. There is even a grindylow in the popular Harry Potter series, which has introduced this folkloric beast to a whole new generation.
Hippocamp: In Greek mythology the hippocamp was a formidable sea creature with the head of a horse and the tail of a fish or dolphin. A team of these beasts is said to have the honor of pulling Poseidon’s chariot.
Jenny Greenteeth: This formidable figure comes to us from British folktales and legends. Lurking at the bottom of lakes and ponds, this creepy sea hag is said to pull unsuspecting children to their death. Sometimes she is seen as a fairy. Most of her stories date from the nineteenth century. There are similar stories about Peg Powler, a green-skinned water witch also from England and the surrounding areas. Some say that Greenteeth specifically inhabited lakes that were covered in the plant duckweed. In fact, in some areas the common name of duckweed is Jenny Greenteeth.19
Kappas: Kappas appear in Japanese mythology and are seen as water goblins or vampires. They are said to be the size of a nine- or ten-year-old child yet are incredibly strong. There are some reports of them looking a bit like monkeys. By all accounts they are terrifying and occupy lakes, rivers, streams, and oceans. Kappas are said to attack livestock and horses, sucking the blood from their anuses. If you meet one, you must be polite and well mannered; it may also help to offer it a cucumber with your name carved into it.20
Kelpie: The water horses of Celtic legend are called kelpie. Residing near freshwater lakes, rivers, and streams, they have the ability to shapeshift whenever they choose. Like many shapeshifters, they can use this ability to seduce humans. They can be identified, however, by the remains of seaweed in their hair.
Kraken: Hailing from the lands of Iceland and Norway, the kraken is the infamous giant octopus. The earliest sightings of the beast date back to the thirteenth century. Since then it has been a star of literature and screen. The kraken appears in works by Herman Melville, Jules Verne, and even H. P. Lovecraft. It is probably best remembered because of the line in the 1981 film Clash of the Titans to “release the kraken.” The word itself means “unhealthy animal,” which they certainly are, being covered with tentacles, spikes, and suckers.21
In a letter from Herman Melville to Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1851, Melville writes:
Lord, when shall we be done growing? As long as we have anything more to do, we have done nothing. So, now, let us add Moby Dick to our blessing, and step from that. Leviathan is not the biggest fish;—I have heard of Krakens.22
Leviathan: Leviathan is a sea serpent of epic proportions. It appears in the Bible in the Old Testament, and even before that in Mesopotamian myths and in a Canaanite poem from ancient Ugarit. Oftentimes it is depicted as a serpent or water dragon, but in ancient Hungary there are legends that describe it as a whale. By all accounts it is a monster, and a dangerous beast at that.
In the book of Job in the King James version of the Bible, it says,
Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down?…Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out. Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a seething pot or cauldron. His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth.23
Some early Kabbalists equate tales of the leviathan and its mate with Samael and Lilith, probably because of its depiction as a serpent.
Lorelei: Also spelled Loreley, this name is given both to a cliff that sits above the Rhine River and a mythical spirit of the sea. In some tales she is called the maiden or the queen of the Rhine, and she can be depicted as benevolent or treacherous, much like the river itself. Her earliest appearance in literature was in the mid-eighteenth century. She later became famous in 1801 when German author Brentano expanded the legend of Lorelei with his Zu Bacharach am Rheine.24
Mermaids, Mermen, and Merfolk: Merfolk have been in existence for thousands of years. They are featured in the sacred stories and myths of Africa, Indonesia, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, and the Americas. Some of the earliest recorded evidence of these watery people date back to around 200 BCE with Oannes of the early Babylonians. Oannes was said to have the complete body of a fish but also the head and feet of a man. In his contact with humans, he gave them great knowledge and helped them create dwellings and also gather food and resources. He was said to return to the sea each night to sleep.
One of the most popular tales of merfolk is one of Scandinavian or possibly German origin called “Agnes and the Merman.” The date for the original story is unclear, but in it is the line:
Agnes she walked on the edge of the steep,
And up came a Merman out from the deep.—Ha ha.25
Agnes was captured by this merman and brought down below the waters, where she birthed seven of his sons. One day he agreed to let her go back to the land to go to church, but she does not return. The story is immortalized in a series of sculptures in Copenhagen called “Agnete and the Mermen.”
However, the most famous mermaid tale of all is The Little Mermaid written by Hans Christian Andersen in 1837. It draws on folklore and mythology from earlier times such as “Agnes and the Merman” and “Undine,” which was written in 1811 by Freidrich de la Motte Fouqué.26 In the story, the mermaid rescues a drowning prince and takes him safely to land. She wishes to return to him and live on the land. In order to do this, she must strike a bargain with the sea witch and relinquish her beautiful voice. Andersen here presents the iconic figure of the sea witch, saying:
The sea witch’s house sat in a strange forest. It was surrounded by bushes that were half plant and half animal. They looked like wriggling snakes with hundreds of heads and slimy, wormlike fingers. If those fingers caught something, they would never let go.27
Another condition is that in order to keep her soul (or gain one), she must make the prince fall madly in love with her. The mermaid’s efforts are complicated and mostly futile, and her mermaid sisters urge her to kill the prince. She is unable to do this and throws herself into the sea, where she is lifted up to the realm of the immortals.
Christopher Columbus reported seeing mermaids on his journey in 1492, and in 1614 Captain John Smith made similar reports.28 There are mermaids from Scotland that are said to rise from the sea to tell people about the healing powers of mugwort, among other things. In Java there is the mermaid goddess Loro Kidul (also known as Nyai Roro Kidul), called the bride of the endless sea. Most myths say that this goddess was born a princess who was cursed by an evil stepmother or a jealous wife and given leprosy or another skin disease. Because of this disease she fled into the forest, where she heard the voices of spirits who told her she could regain her former beauty if she threw herself into the sea. Once in the sea, she was elevated to the level of queen and goddess. It is said that the color green is hers, and travelers in Indonesia are cautioned not to wear this color, as she may be called to take them to the sea to live with her. The people in the area are highly respectful of her legacy; in fact, there is even a room reserved for her permanently in the Samudra Beach Hotel in Pelabuhan Ratu, Java, where room 308 is forever reserved for her, decorated with her favorite colors of green and gold and scented with jasmine. If you would like to see it for yourself, visitors are permitted to reserve the room for meditation sessions.
Here in my hometown of Brooklyn, New York, is probably the most famous display of mermaids anywhere in the form of the Mermaid Parade. Thousands of people dress in their finest mermaid gear and parade through the streets near the beach at Coney Island. It allows people to flaunt their wet and wild goodness that comes from the sea.
Naiads, Nymphs, and Sprites: In both Greek and Roman mythology we find reference to water naiads, nymphs, and sprites. They are seen as otherworldly beings that are specifically associated with a watery locale, such as fountains, wells, and streams. Nymphs, however, could be found on either land or water.
Nereids: Nereids are sea nymphs immortalized in both literature and myth. They are said to be the fifty daughters of Nereus and Doris and are an important component in religious thought in Greek history. Appearing in art as early as the fourth century BCE, they are frequently shown riding sea creatures such as dolphins. Some theorists, such as Barringer, have posited that they serve as a metaphor for journeys, specifically both marriage and death.29
Nessie: Nessie, or the Loch Ness Monster, is arguably the most infamous sea creature of all. Despite any concrete evidence, there have been over a thousand sightings of this watery creature said to reside in Loch Ness in Scotland. Some believe it to be an eel or even a prehistoric reptile.
Rusalka: Rusalka are female ghosts that come to us through Slavic mythology. Most often they are water maidens similar to sirens and mermaids whose objective is to drive individuals under the water to their death.
Scylla: Scylla is the word used to describe a mythological creature and also the location where this creature resides. That place is generally thought to be the narrow strait of Messina between Calabria and Sicily. The other side of the strait was said to be inhabited by the dangerous beast Charybdis. The expression “between Scylla and Charybdis”30 comes from these tales and means an individual is caught between two very difficult dangers. Described as a canine beast, Scylla is the daughter of Hecate, according to some. She is described in the classical literature of Apollodorus, Apollonius, Ovid, and Homer. In Ovid’s take, Scylla is a water nymph who was poisoned in a sea pool by a jealous rival. This poisoning results in her gruesome transformation. She is depicted in classical art by painters J. M. W. Turner, John William Waterhouse, Agostino Carracci, and others.
Selkies: Selkies are one of the most popular beings of Celtic mythology. They are featured in many folktales, books, games, and even a few films. Selkies are shapeshifters, most often assuming the form of seals. They are said to reside in underwater caves in the waters surrounding the Orkney and Shetland Islands. Unlike many of the creatures described in this book, selkies are thought to be beneficial beings who can be helpful in their interactions with humans. Some legends state that they are the souls of drowned individuals, while others see them as angels fallen out of heaven but too pure for hell. The selkies are said to take human lovers. Crying seven tears into the sea is believed to be one way to call them. If they have found love, selkies often make the decision to discard their seal skins and live on land.
Sirens: There is an intoxicating song that can be heard on the seas; it is the song of sirens. But what exactly are these beings? Depending on where and when they are found, sirens can be human or otherworldly; they may lure you to your death or give you the delicious kiss of everlasting life.
These siren stories and sightings appear throughout the world. In Central and South America, the “Weeping Woman,” called La Llorona, occasionally appears on water too. In Mexico, in particular, there is a story of a woman whose child drowned in a lake, and now she appears in that lake, luring lovers to her and laughing as they both go down under the water to the deadly depths.
One of the earliest artistic representations of sirens is the Siren Vase housed in the British Museum. This Greek vase dates from approximately 480 BCE and features the ship of Odysseus passing the sirens. These sirens are winged beings with female heads.
In the thirteenth century, Guillaume le Clerc de Normandie wrote of these beings in his Bestiaries and Lapidaries:
The siren is a monster of strange fashion, for from the waist up it is the most beautiful thing in the world, formed in the shape of a woman. The rest of the body is like a fish or a bird. So sweetly and beautifully does she sing that they who go sailing over the sea, as soon as they hear the song, cannot keep from going towards her. Entranced by the music, they fall asleep in their boat, and are killed by the siren before they can utter a cry.31
Titans: According to Greek mythology, the Titans were gods even before gods existed. They were credited with all creation. Comprising six sisters named Thea, Rhea, Themis, Mnemosyne, Phoebe, and Tethys, and six brothers called Oceanus (god of fresh water), Coeus, Hyperion, Iapetus, Crius, and Cronus, they are the children of Heaven and Earth. Of these deities, two—namely Phoebe and Themis—were said to have the gift of prophecy and were regarded as oracles.
Uncegila: This horned water serpent comes from Lakota mythology. She was said to be enormous, with shiny scales, spots, and a sparkling crest down her back. Looking at the serpent is said to bring on blindness and eventually death. One watery tale says she rose from the primal waters and flooded the land. Revenge for this destruction was enacted by Thunderbird, who summoned a great storm with lightning that dried up the water and sent Uncegila to her death.
Vodianoi: The vodianoi are said to be old men with green beards, covered in hair, scales, and slime. Slavic in origin, they are said to live underwater inside sunken ships.
Mythological Watery Places
Water is so powerful it is no wonder that there are numerous mythological places that are intricately connected to the element. There are magical healing isles, as well as sunken cities and even an underwater continent. Each contains its own magic, lore, and deep mystery.
Atlantis: The origin of this famed lost civilization traces back to Plato and his dialogues the Timaeus and the Critias, written around 360 BCE. The city was said to be a paradise filled with elaborate constructions, geological treasures, and exotic flora and fauna. The society there became greedy and corrupt, and the gods sent violent fires and earthquakes, after which it sunk to the depths of the sea. While no respectable scientists now believe that the place actually existed, it does serve as an elaborate cautionary tale as to what can happen if people get too out of hand. In Plato’s works Atlantis is seen as the antithesis of Athens, which was said to be ruled with modesty, logic, and science.
Avalon: Said to be the home of the Lady of the Lake, Avalon has graced Celtic mythology for centuries. The first mention of the mythic isle in literature was by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his Historia Regum Britanniae, or History of the Kings of Britain, written back in AD 1136. It was also called the Isle of Apples or the Isle of Glass. The location was said to have great healing powers. People there lived extraordinarily long lives and time was said to function differently in this place. It has a special connection to the dead and was also said to be the home of the legendary Morgan le Fay. Some scholars think its name Isle of Glass may have been based on the actual site of Glastonbury in England.
Lemuria: This sunken continent first got its name from English zoologist Philip L. Sclater in 1864. He used the word to describe the sunken land mass that he envisioned connected the areas of Africa, Asia, and Madagascar. Sclater proposed that Lemuria was responsible for the exotic species of animals distributed throughout the areas, such as the lemur. However, others have pointed out that Lemuria was the name of the Roman feast of the Lemures, an ancient festival for the spirits of the dead. These dead were fearsome and said to devour the souls of the living. Lemuria took place on May 9, 11, and 13, and was designed to cast out these negative energies.
Modern New Age and occult practices have taken up the banner of this locale, exclaiming that it is the source of much ancient knowledge and information. For them the place was a utopia, fertile with animals, plants, and sacred wisdom. Many believe that this was the same legendary site as the island of Mu, or even Atlantis. The people there were said to have extraordinary psychic powers and abilities. These beliefs carry over into the use of special Lemurian quartz crystals. Also known as Lemurian seed crystals or star seeds, they are seen as being able to impart the ancient knowledge of Lemurians and can be useful in accessing higher realms and also realigning and rebalancing chakras.
The interesting thing about this “lost continent” of Lemuria is that recently scientists, including Professor Lewis Ashwal at South Africa’s University of the Whitwatersrand, found evidence of a continent in approximately the same location. Discovered under the popular island of Mauritius, the lava-covered piece of land was given the name Mauritia.32
Water in many ways represents the unknown. It can be filled with magical creatures and even mystical places. Individuals can be left chasing water dragons like Nessie or searching for lost places like Lemuria. This watery unknown is a liminal space, a place of in-between where things are not always what they seem.
17. Eason, Fabulous Creatures, 146.
18. Boffey, “Chessie Back in the Swim Again.”
19. Vickery, “Lemna Minor and Jenny Greenteeth.”
20. Eiichirô, “The ‘Kappa’ Legend.”
21. Newton, Hidden Animals, 83.
22. Parker, Herman Melville, 865.
23. The Holy Bible (King James Version), Job 41.
24. Mustard, “Siren-Mermaid.”
25. Waugh, “The Folklore of the Merfolk.”
26. Mortensen, “The Little Mermaid: Icon and Disneyfication.”
27. Sarah Hines-Stephens, retold from Hans Christian Andersen, The Little Mermaid and Other Stories, 19.
28. Banse, “Mermaids.”
29. Barringer, “Europa and the Nereids: Wedding or Funeral?”
30. “Between Scylla and Charybdis,” Encyclopedia Britannica, last modified June 10, 2019, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Scylla-and-Charybdis.
31. Warner, The Library of the World’s Best Literature.
32. Wits University, “Researchers confirm the existence of a ‘lost continent’ under Mauritius,” https://phys.org/news/2017-01-lost-continent-mauritius.html.