Fantasy Survey for readers/writers: How do you envision mythological creatures? (+BQ)?

1) Nymph - I always picture Waterhouse's painting The Nymphs

2) Centaur - strong men with a human torso attached to a horse's body

3) Elf - Either LOTR type or Norse mythology creatures that live in mountain rocks and are malicious and ugly.

4) Dwarf - small bearded men

5) Phoenix - beautiful colorful exotic bird, similar to a peacock, but with a smaller tail, more elegant, able to fly and perch up trees and that gets reborn from its ashes.

6) Fairy- Tinkerbell

7) Pixie - small beings similar to fairies but without wings, not quite so beautiful. Like in Pan's Labyrinth

8) Faun - Ugly man with a goat's legs and horns and a little beard

9) Boggart - The HP thing. Can't remember what they were.

10) Bogeyman - I don't picture it at all. I see it as the unseen undefined thing that hides in children's closets.

11) Brownie/Hobgoblin - not sure what they are.

12) Cyclops - giants with a single eye on their forehead.

13) Cerberus - Large three-headed dog that guards the doors of the Underworld.

14) Demon - red and black men with pitchforks and pointy tails

15) Angel - sexless beautiful beings with white wings and halos who sing and play music in heaven. Guardian angels will be more like heaven-sent warriors, wielding gleaming swords. I think it was in one of the Prophecy movie that they say something about angels being close to God, but always having a wing dipped in blood. That idea fascinates me.

16) Genie - Like in Disney's Aladdin

17) Troll - Largish ugly beings who live under bridges and drown travellers in rivers.

18) Giants - Men big enough to crush me under their shoes.

19) Ghost - like a person but see through, without actual corporeal form.

20) Ghoul - don't know

21) Goblin - like a troll, but not under a bridge?

22) Hag - evil old woman with an evil laugh. Not entirely sure what they do anymore.

23) Kelpie - Beautiful women from Irish and Scottish folklore, similar to mermaids but with a seal's tail. They can shed their tail like a coat to walk the earth, and if you find their seal coat, they have to stay with you seven years.

24) Medusa - one of the three gorgons. Beautiful woman who was cursed by a jealous Athena or Aphrodite - can't remember - and now has serpents instead of hair. Her gaze will turn you into a statue.

25) Mermaid - Disney's Little Mermaid

26) Pegasus - Beautiful winged white horse

27) Shade - don't know

28) sphinx - Like in this painting by Ingres, but larger

http://www.utexas.edu/courses/larrymyth/images/oed...

29) sprite - tiny pixies?

30) Hydra - I know that one but can't remember. Some kind of dragon with multiple heads?

31) Minotaur - Enormous man with the head of a bull and possibly the legs too, the offspring of Zeus changed into a bull and Europa. Lives in a labyrinth.

32) Manticore - can't remember

33) Harpe - harpy?

34) Roc - dunno

35) Vampire - Ann Rice's Interview with the Vampire.

36) Werewolf - Man who turns into a wofish creature on a full moon. It will still be similar to a man in stature, but will have hair all over, a snout, ears, clawed paws, fangs and so on, like a wolf. If that man turns into a wolf that looks exactly like a wolf, then it's a shape-shifter to me.

37) Witch/wizard - any person who can perform magical spells.

38) Werecat - a shapeshifter who turns into a cat?

39) Zombie - dead looking person who walks around and thinks of nothing besides attacking the living.

40) Basalisk - huge HP style snake.

BQ: Which mythological creatures are your favorite and why?

You have not mentioned the Bean Sidhe (Banshee), which the most fascinating creature of Irish folklore to me. Not the screaming banshee thing they've turned it into in the US, but any of the original versions. There has been many of them. My favourite one is the representation of a beautiful woman who wanders by the house of any Irish person due to die the next day and weeps for that person. She partakes in the family's grief and announces the death to come. I have written many many poems about her. The idea of a woman whose sole purpose in existence is to weep for others' deaths is just so beautiful to me.

BQ2: How would you feel if a sci-fi book had a mythological creature in it?

That would be fantasy, not sci-fi, unless it's the result of a biological experiment that looks like a mythological creature rather than the actual creature.

BQ3: How many of you watched the Royal Wedding between Kate Middleton and Prince William?

Oh for the love of God, enough already!

BQ4: Do you prefer to drive or to ride as a passenger

Passenger. i can't drive. I tried to learn, but I'm phobis and I break down in hysterics when I try to drive (not kidding).

BQ5: If you could be any mythological creature listed above, which would you choose?

I'd be a vampire. It seems like it would be fun.

1) Nymph: sexy, nature-themed faerie (ie: water, wood, air)

2) Centaur: half man, half horse :D

3) Elf: different kind of Elves - LOTR elves and Sidhe type elves

4) Dwarf: - LOTR type Dwarf

5) Phoenix: firebird

6) Fairy: all encompassing term - nature faeries, folklore faeries (ie: Nixie, Kelpie, Selkie etc)

7) Pixie: flower fairie

8) Faun: Narnia satyr

9) Boggart: dark/unseelie faerie/goblin

10) Bogeyman: unseelie faerie/goblin that feeds on fear

11) Brownie/Hobgoblin: seelie faerie/goblin for the most part, but don't make them mad

12) Cyclops: giant ogre with one eye

13) Cerberus: three-headed dog from regular size to larger sizes

14) Demon: 2 types - Christian demons from Hell or Demons from other dimensions with horns and magic

15) Angel: Christian angels

16) Genie: I usually picture more of the true Arabian DJinn than Disney's Genie / I Dream of Jeanie

17) Troll (Not the YA version who love following us around and thumbing down our answers):

Unseelie faerie that usually lives close to bridges and preys upon unsuspecting travelers

18) Giants: giant men/ogres

19) Ghost: just a normal ghost

20) Ghoul: undead/unseelie monster that feeds on people and the dead

21) Goblin: type of faerie - can be unseelie or seelie

22) Hag: unseelie faerie - a night terror that feeds on fear and people

23) Kelpie: a water horse that lures unsuspecting travelers and children to ride them, where upon he promptly drowns them in the nearest body of water - usually black with a dripping mane

24) Medusa: classical medusa with snakes for hair - may sometimes have snake bottom but not always

25) Mermaid: classical mermaid / Little Mermaid description

26) Pegasus: classical winged horse

27) Shade: an unseelie wight that lives in shadows and preys upon people who wonder close to it / ghosts that lure travelers

28) sphinx: classical Egyptian sphinx

29) sprite: little faerie that glows

30) Hydra: many headed seaserpent

31) Minotaur: classical depiction of Minotaur

32) Manticore: classical depiction of Manticore (like Xanth)

33) Harpie: classical depiction, but I've seen Harpies represented in many different ways

34) Roc: Giant bird - huge! like the Eagles from LOTR

35) Vampire: sad to say, but I picture these like Anita Blake universe / Paranormal Romance books

36) Werewolf: like Anita Blake universe

37) Witch/wizard: Not like Harry Potter, but more like Discworld or traditional views of witches and wizards

38) Werecat: like AB werewolves only cats

39) Zombie: traditional / Resident Evil zombies

40) Basalisk: like a cockatrice

BQ: Which mythological creatures are your favorite and why?

* werewolf - cus I've always liked werewolves (like Anita Blake universe though)

* Elves - LOTR elves (ethereal and almost angelic), Sidhe (more beautiful, deadly, naturalistic, wider variation)

BQ2: How would you feel if a sci-fi book had a mythological creature in it?

Fine, I've read some like that: Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey, Angel series by Sharon Shinn

BQ3: How many of you watched the Royal Wedding between Kate Middleton and Prince William?

I watched some of it, had to run to work though that morning ( and was late cus I was watching it) :D

BQ4: Do you prefer to drive or to ride as a passenger

Both? But maybe a smidge more as a passenger so I can look out the window

BQ5: If you could be any mythological creature listed above, which would you choose?

I'd be some kind of Faerie - maybe a Seelie Sidhe, or Selkie :)

1) Nymph- tall, graceful, beautiful; rather relaxed

2) Centaur- half horse, half man; regal and noble, considered a great honor to be able to ride one, although rather uncomfortable (narnia-influenced view)

3) Elf- small creature that wears a green costume; likes playing tricks

4) Dwarf- Short (around 3 feet tall); good at metal-crafts

5) Phoenix- bird which rises from the ashes of it's predecessor; fire

6) Fairy- looks like a nymph except has magical abilities

7) Pixie- small creature, like an elf

8) Faun- has goat feet instead of human legs; likes to offer tea on a wintery afternoon

9) Boggart- a brownie gone bad

10) Bogeyman- weird swamp monster??

11) Brownie/Hobgoblin- brownie: related to an elf

12) Cyclops- a one eyed monster who keeps a herd of sheep

13) Cerberus- three headed dog that guards the gates of hades' realm; likes playing with red rubber balls from a closed-down water park (percy jackson!)

14) Demon- fallen angels/satan's workers

15) Angel- created by God/ chose to follow him instead of satan, extremely powerful

16) Genie- something that comes from o lamp or ring and gives you three wishes or lets you decide how you want to be killed (depends on you)...Arabian nights

17) Troll- ugly, squat little creatures, strong, live under bridges or in castles east of the sun and west of the moon

18) Giants- tall (really tall) creatures, 12 feet? or taller, strong but not really smart

19) Ghost- demons pretending to be someone dead

20) Ghoul- zombie?

21) Goblin- green, squat/fat, greedy

22) Hag- ugly woman who dabbles in witch craft

23) Kelpie- scottish water spirit, appears when someone is going to die, usually horse-shaped

24) Medusa- beautiful woman turned ugly by athena (cuz she and her boyfriend dated in athena's temple) turns people into stone (percy jackson- influenced view)

25) Mermaid- has a long fish tail instead of legs. hmmm, views differ here, some say they are fun loving others are dark and sinister

26) Pegasus- horse with wings; can fly

27) Shade- ???

28) sphinx- body of a lion, head of a woman, gives a riddle to people who pass by her and devours them if they don't get the answer right.

29) sprite- related to an elf, mean

30) Hydra- has seven heads, a monster, head just grows back if you cut it. defeated by hercules

31) Minotaur- man with a bulls head. lives in the middle of a maze

32) Manticore- has a spiky tail that shoots spikes

33) Harpe- woman with wings/ looks a lot like a bird. likes to terrorize people

34) Roc- large bird, captured sinbad on one of his adventures

35) Vampire- pale, dark eyebags, beautiful/handsome, likes blood

36) Werewolf- turns into a wolf when it's full moon

37) Witch/wizard- wear pointy hats and use dark magic

38) Werecat-?? something like a were wolf?

39) Zombie- undead people who like invading gardens

40) Basalisk- snake like creature who can petrify you with their gaze/look

XD

1) Nymph

A beautiful creature, usually female, that lives in the forest. They have an attachment to nature and hate when it's damaged by humans.

2) Centaur

Top half human, bottom half horse. An average human stands up to about their waist.

3) Elf

Human in size, but with pointy ears. They often posses some magical talents, but not always.

4) Dwarf

A tiny person, whose ears are pointy. They're grumpy and are good at finding gold

5) Phoenix

A large bird of fire

6) Fairy

An extremely small mythical being, about the size of an adult humans hand. Usually good and helpful

7) Pixie

About the size of a fairy, and probably related to them. Often mischievous and love to play pranks, but can be helpful when they need to be

8) Faun

Bottom half goat, top half human

9) Boggart

An evil being, that often lurks in the dark and enjoys causing trouble. However, they're invisible, so cannot be seen without revealing themselves.

10) Bogeyman

They live under the bed and scare people (eh :'))

11) Brownie/Hobgoblin

A small creature, about the size of a small child and often covered in fur. They enjoy all sorts of mushrooms

12) Cyclops

A huge being with one eye in the middle of their head. Not smart, but not as dumb as trolls; hard workers

13) Cerberus

Hades' 3 headed dog

14) Demon

An evil being, that kills for the sake of killing. They can take on any form, and often have weapons such as acid, and even have their own hierarchy.

15) Angel

A good being that watches over people. Has magical powers the majority of the time.

16) Genie

Someone that lives inside a lamp, and when it's rub, grants the person 3 wishes

17) Troll (Not the YA version who love following us around and thumbing down our answers)

Large, dumb being, often carries around a club that it uses for a weapon

18) Giants

Extremely smart creatures, but also large - about the size of a fully grown redwood tree. Often live in 'packs'

19) Ghost

The dead that still have a mission/something they need to complete before they can move on

20) Ghoul

See boggart

21) Goblin

A small, often ugly creature, about the same size as a human child. Loves gold, almost as much as a dwarf

22) Hag

A sort of witch

23) Kelpie

Lives in lakes, about the size of a human child

24) Medusa

A once beautiful woman who was cursed, and anyone who looks directly into her eyes turns to stone

25) Mermaid

A half human, half fish. Lives in the sea in large colonies

26) Pegasus

A magical winged horse

27) Shade

I have no idea about this one

28) sphinx

A large creature, with the body of a lion and head of a man, often talks in riddles. It kills anybody who gets the riddle wrong

29) sprite

I know this, but don't

30) Hydra

A serpent whose head regrows twice for every time it's cut off

31) Minotaur

A bull type creature that stands on its 2 hind legs. Muscular, and uses weapons to fight

32) Manticore

I know this, but I don't know this one

33) Harpe

A human like creature with wings. Often evil

34) Roc

A magical bird

35) Vampire

A member of the living dead that must drink human blood little and often to survive, as well as eat human food

36) Werewolf

A person that transforms without any choice at the time of the full moon, but in the form of a wolf. Often dangerous and will kill anything without thought. Canine instincts

37) Witch/wizard

A human with magical powers

38) Werecat

A person that transforms without any choice at the time of the full moon, but in the form of a cat

39) Zombie

A member of the living dead, brought back to life by a mutated DNA that's often passed on by bodily fluids such as blood and/or saliva.

40) Basalisk

A large snake that can kill with its look

BQ: Which mythological creatures are your favorite and why?

Dragons. I love them, and always used to think the were real when I was a kid

BQ2: How would you feel if a sci-fi book had a mythological creature in it?

Err, usually I would think it's more fantasy, but I wouldn't see any reason not to read it

BQ3: How many of you watched the Royal Wedding between Kate Middleton and Prince William?

Nope. I royally slept through the entire thing

BQ4: Do you prefer to drive or to ride as a passenger

Passenger, but only because I can't drive

BQ5: If you could be any mythological creature listed above, which would you choose?

A demon, 'cause I'm awesome xD

My goodness, Gemi. Someone's playing researcher. :)

1) Nymph - I immediately think of a water nymph (Iliad). Somewhat Goddess like and humanoid.

2) Centaur - Again, I think of Chiron. The distinct half-human, half horse. No animal savagery.

3) Elf - Tolkien style. A pale, white (I'm not trying to be racist) humanoid with pointed ears. Long, straight hair. Calm and collected. Disciplined.

4) Dwarf - A mix of Tolkien and Norse. Short and bearded. Loyal to those above them and industrious. Very skilled workers of industry.

5) Phoenix - Red, magnificent bird. Large wingspan and sharp talons. Aggressive and curious.

6) Fairy - Small, near human like form with wings (insect like, similar to a dragon fly's). Eye proportions are larger than in humans.

7) Pixie - See Fairy

8) Faun - Pan's Labyrinth. Old, wise sage type character. Tall and lengthy with stretched limbs

9) Boggart - What ever I'm afraid of? May look like Snape in a dress.

10) Bogeyman - A figure made of darkness and shadows. Clever and cocky. A silhouette

11) Brownie/Hobgoblin - Sounds familiar (I'm thinking of Labyrinth, but can't quite get the picture there.

12) Cyclops - Muscular semi-giant with one, central, eye. A single horn protruding from forehead. Low intelligence.

13) Cerberus - Three-headed dog of Hell. Vicious and snarling. I tend to think of a wolf/German Shepherd mix

14) Demon - Sooooo many different types (I know my religious creatures a bit more than my fantasy). Generic: near mocking face, staunch body with abnormal joints and limbs. Excess of appendages.

15) Angel - Human with divine beauty. Wings and all that...

16) Genie - Aladdin's Genie. Wisp of smoke tail that leads to the lamp, protruding chest, etc.

17) Troll (Not the YA version who love following us around and thumbing down our answers) - Short, angry, violent creature. Gray and hunched. Matted hair.

18) Giants - dim-witted and... well... giant

19) Ghost - Human form with an aura

20) Ghoul - evil ghost. "Evil colored" aura

21) Goblin - short, mean creature with violent tendencies

22) Hag - Only thing I'm thinking of are hagfish (Google them)

23) Kelpie - sounds familiar, but I can't draw a picture quite yet.

24) Medusa - Gorgon. Snake like body with a human like torso and head. Snakes for hair. Face slightly reptilian.

25) Mermaid - The Little Mermaid, but not quite so "clear cut", with a bit more of transition from fish to human.

26) Pegasus - White stallion with large, bird like wings. Loyal and smart.

27) Shade -

28) sphinx - A lioness' body with the head of a female human. Clever and intelligent, but dangerous and aggressive.

29) sprite -

30) Hydra - Multi-headed reptile with elongated necks. Aggressive and deadly.

31) Minotaur - Aggressive and violent being. Muscular and with the head of a bull.

32) Manticore - Similar to the sphinx, but with more teeth and claws and more violent. Also has a bifurcated tail.

33) Harpe - Annoying, violent being. Mid sized with fleshed wings and body. Screams loudly and has sharp teeth and nails.

34) Roc - Giant Egyptian bird that carries a with it a tent or cage. Similar to a hawk (in appearance)

35) Vampire - "Bleh! I want to suck your blood!"

36) Werewolf - Moon comes out. Guy runs into the woods. His clothes tear. He's a giant wolf with a somewhat human shape.

37) Witch/wizard - Albus Dumbledore

38) Werecat - See werewolf

39) Zombie - A living dead human that craves flesh. Not sentient.

40) Basalisk - Chamber of Secrets. Giant snake with giant fangs.

Sorry it's not very detailed. I may come back and clean some things up.

1) Nymph - Creatures that sit at base of a tree to play on their reed pipes. Attached to nature.

2) Centaur - Body of horse, torso of a human. Aggressive when provoked. Armed with bow and arrows.

3) Elf - A small human with pointed ears, often seen wearing a green tunic. Tricky creatures.

4) Dwarf - Humanoid wearing potato sack. Hard workers, but greedy.

5) Phoenix - Parrot-like bird with long tail feathers that are on fire. Wise creatures.

6) Fairy - Human with wings the length of their entire body. Enjoys helping their allies.

7) Pixie - Winged girls that could fit in the palm of your hand. Vain, jealous creatures.

8) Faun - Goat-like human. Attached to nature.

9) Boggart - Shrek-like creature that hides in dark places. Takes pride in their ability to shape-shift into their victim's worst fear.

10) Bogeyman - Cloaked figure. Likes to scare people. Found lurking under beds of misbehaving children.

11) Brownie/Hobgoblin - Red-eyed monster with pitchfork. Enjoys wreaking havoc and are found in the fields.

12) Cyclops - Humanoid with one eye in center of forehead. Aggressive. Hates Greek sailors.

13) Cerberus - Oily dog with three heads. Aggressive, but you can play him to sleep with a lyre.

14) Demon - Horned creature with evil smirk. Has a forked tail. Enjoys posessing innocent people.

15) Angel - Winged woman with white robe. Messenger and protector to the people.

16) Genie - Man sliding out of somebody's lamp in the Middle East. Grants three wishes.

17) Troll - Hides under a bridge, waiting for goats to pass by. Wears a loincloth and holds a club. Enjoys tormenting others.

18) Giants - A person, only fifty times larger. Hoards treasure in his lair and is very clumsy.

19) Ghost - Resembles wisp of smoke, has black holes for eyes. Pops out of nowhere and says, "Boo!"

20) Ghoul - A decomposing corpse with glowing red eyes. Staggers around looking for people to ruin. Easy to destroy.

21) Goblin - Green-skinned little person. Mischievous creatures, often causing chaos for the victim.

22) Hag - Cloaked old woman with claw-like hands. Likes to think up ways to kill beautiful maidens.

23) Kelpie - Horse-like creature. When people ride it and Kelpie pulls them underwater where they drown.

24) Medusa - Woman with snakes for hair. Eyes can turn people into stone. Formerly beautiful.

25) Mermaid - Person with a fish tail. Vain, often found perched on top of rocks,combing their hair. 26) Pegasus - Horse with wings the length of its body. Helpful creature.

27) Shade - I don't think I've heard of this before.

28) sphinx - Lion-like creature. Makes riddles, eats people who candon't have the correct answer.

29) sprite - Magical, elf-like creature that thrives near water. Helpful when they want to be.

30) Hydra - Dragon-like monster. When one head is cut off, two more appear in its place.

31) Minotaur - A hahuman/bull monster that can be found lurking in the Labyrinth.

32) Manticore - Combination of several animal parts, swallows people whole.

33) Harpe

34) Roc - I’ve heard of the Harpe and Roc before, but I can’t seem to remember what they are…

35) Vampire - Cloaked, fanged creature with greasy black hair and widow's peak. Preys on human blood.

36) Werewolf - Turns into a wolf at the full moon. A danger to people.

37) Witch/wizard - Humans with magical powers. Seen with pointed hats and cloaks.

38) Werecat - Someone who can turn into a cat during the full moon

39) Zombie - A reanimated corpse, out to eat brains.

40) Basalisk - Lizard-like creature. Eyes kill those who look into them.

41) Dragon - Fire-breathing, oversized lizard that lives in a cave, guarding treasure. Threat to medieval villages.

BQ: Which mythological creatures are your favorite and why?

*Looks around to make sure no one else is listening*

Vampires. I've liked them since reading "Dracula" a few years ago and there was the phase I went through after that *shudders*. I still like them, despite the current explosion of vampire romance books triggered by a certain fad. The hype is going to die down someday.

BQ2: How would you feel if a sci-fi book had a mythological creature in it?

I would think that the book is leaning towards fantasy rather than sci-fi, but that wouldn't stop me from reading it.

BQ3: How many of you watched the Royal Wedding between Kate Middleton and Prince William?

I only saw a few clips, but the wedding looked quite nice.

BQ4: Do you prefer to drive or to ride as a passenger

Ride as a passenger. I can’t drive yet.

BQ5: If you could be any mythological creature listed above, which would you choose?

A werecat. I’d love to turn into my favorite animal every full moon.