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i love mythical creatures so heres some info on some of my faves
ELF
Aka : Elb, Erl, Mannikin (Germany)

Race : Elves

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Elves is often used as a general term for fairies especially in the XIXth anglo-saxon litterature. The king of the elves, Oberon, and his wife Titania appear in some very important works of medieval literature, such as Huon de Bordeaux and Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.

In this section, we mainly deal with the celtic elf, even if we have incorporated features from other cultures. There are quantities of descriptions that may vary from Monstrous’, especially in RPG games.

You may also be interested in how Tolkien rendered the elfic concept in his own mythical saga.





Origin : Elves were a very mysterious race from the beginning of time. Later they became supernatural beings, mainly shaped as humans. They were worshipped in trees, mountains and waterfalls.



Description : Elves vary in size from 4'10" and 5'8". However, according to their delicate bodies they seem much taller than they really are. Often male and female elves are hard to discern, at first glance. Both sexes usually have big, expressive eyes (in the most splendid colors). They wear their hair uncut and open, have graceful, fragile features and are of extraordinary beauty. Male elves also don't have any beard growth. Very typical for elves are their pointed ears, and high cheekbones. In modern descriptions, elves are either light or dark, the light elves having starlike eyes, faces brighter than the sun, and golden-colored hair; the dark elves are pitch black and have sometimes fluorescent eyes, this quality being indicative of their dealing with black magic. Both are attractive, in appearance at least. Elves prefer greens and greenish-greys while dark elves prefer blacks, dark grey, and sometimes silver.

Species: Dark or light, the elfic race is rarely seen and if so, elves only appear on certain times and on special places in the untouched nature. During the course of time elves moved to other places in the world and in many tribes their spiritual shape was lost completely and elves changed to beings consisting of blood and flesh. The light elves are a peaceful, nature-loving who love beautiful things and often try themselves in the arts of drawing and music. The black or dark elves are also called "Drow". Beautiful, agile, proud, dexterous and extremely deadly, they are the Drow, Elves of the underground. Very few is know about them.

Powers: In comparison to humans elves are stronger in spirit and in limb and have an exceptional constitution and endurance. When they grow older they seldom get weaker, instead they become wiser and even more fair. Elven senses, especially of hearing and sight, are much keener and intense than those of Men and are highly resitant to extremes of temperatures and also have several natural defenses against magical influences. The long life-spans of elves may be accounted to one of the main reasons that elves are very calm and patient in all their actions.

Even if some elves are said to be immortal, elves of all other tribes die a natural death after long lives. The amount of years elves live indeed varies enormously, ranging from 100 years to over 1000. It is also known that very often elves end their lives of their own will when they see a necessity to do so or if they think that their life's goal has been reached. Of course elves may also die when they are wounded severely, but in general elves heal very fast when they are tended to quickly. Death on the other hand is nothing an elf fears. The fact of death is interpreted by the elves as a return to nature.

Lore: Elves live in forests while dark elves live in deep underground caves. In spring they are viewed celebrating the blossoms and during the summer they swim in the rivers with their friends ondines. Elves usually settle in dense forests or at wooded lakes and lead quiet lives without interfering directly in other races activities and struggle for domination.

DRAGON
drag.on 'drag-en n dracon-,draco serpent,dragon, [fr.GK drakon;akin to OE torht bright,Gk derkesthai to see,look at]

1 archaic: a huge serpent

2:a fabulous animal usually represented as a monstrous winged and scaly serpent or saurian with a crested head and enormous claws.



Tormont Illustrated Encyclopedia
drag'en n.

1. a. A fabulous monster, represented usually as a gigantic reptile breathing fire and having a lion's claws, the tail of a serpent, wings and scaly skin.

b. A figure or other representation of this creature.

2. Archaic. A large snake or serpent [Middle English drago(u)n, from Old French dragon, from Latin draco (stem dracon-), dragon, serpent, from Greek drakon, serpent]



According to the dictionary the stereotype of the dragon is a monstrous winged and scaly saurian breathing fire and having a lion's claws, the tail of a serpent, four feets wings and scaly skin with a crested head and enormous claws. But all the dragon do not look the same and there appears to be many different specimen

FARIES
From the XVIII century onwards, the fairies have been said to have departured or to be in decline. People do not see them any more and some argue that the Faeries will eventually disappear as men have stopped believing in them. Other put forward pollution, urbanization, science as the main causes for their disparition. Yet, however often they may be reported as gone, the fairies still linger. In Ireland the fairy beliefs are still part of the normal texture of life; in the Highlands, Islands or Brittany the traditions continue.

Somewhere at the beginning of the 19th century, Hugh Miller recorded what was supposed to be the final departure of the fairies from Scotland at Burn of Eathie.

On a Sabbath morning... the inmates of this little hamlet had all gone to church, all except a herd-boy, and a little girl, his sister, who were lounging beside one of the cottages; when, just as the shadow of the garden-dial had fallen on the line of noon, they saw a long cavalcade ascending out of the ravine through the wooded hollow. It winded among the knolls and bushes; and, turning round the northern gable of the cottage beside which the sole spectators of the scene were stationed, began to ascend the eminence toward the south. The horses were shaggy, diminutive things, speckled dun and grey; the riders, stunted, misgrown, ugly creatures, attired in antique jerkins of plaid, long grey cloaks, and little red caps, from under which their wild uncombed locks shot out over their cheeks and foreheads. The boy and his sister stood gazing in utter dismay and astonishment, as rider after rider, each one more uncouth and dwarfish than the one that had preceded it, passed the cottage, and disappeared among the brushwood which at that period covered the hill, until at length the entire rout, except the last rider, who lingered a few yards behind the others, had gone by. 'What are ye, little mannie? and where are ye going?' inquired the boy, his curiosity getting the better of his fears and his prudence. 'Not of the race of Adam,' said the creature, turning for a moment in his saddle: 'the People of Peace shall never more be seen in Scotland.'

Hugh Miller, The Old Red Sandstone

this isnt a mythical creatur but i love it anyway
GHOST
Hauntings are spirits of deceased human beings appearing frequently in certain places. Poltergeists may not be spirits at all. Some theories are that poltergeists are mass forms of energy that a living person is unknowingly controlling. In some cases extreme poltergeists activity has been linked to demons. Hauntings are usually related to a specific place or tragic way of death.

The differences between Poltergeist activity and a Haunting can be hard to distinguish. In the early stages of a poltergeist is may be impossible. Haunts and poltergeists do share basic aspects, (apparitions, strange noises, odors, moving or disappearing objects, etc.).

There are also some points that make them very different: Poltergeists however, are usually linked directly to a specific person or object. Hauntings are appearances of ghost(s) in areas known to the deceased before their deaths. Poltergeists can be triggered by a living person's trauma in any area, at any time. Haunting activities are continuous over time, concentrated in the same area..

Poltergeists build up over time to a climax, then start over. They can travel anywhere. Haunting are not violent. Most poltergeists nearing the climax of their energy can become dangerous to the living. Inflicting both mental and physical terror in extreme cases. If you happen to meet with one of this kind, deal with it with the utmost care.