The Fantasy genre contains elements of the supernatural and the fantastic. Creatures from folklore and mythology are featured in most works of fantasy. How well do you know your mystical and mythical creatures? We’ve selected twenty-five creatures commonly found in works of fantasy. Can you match them to their descriptions? Good luck!

Answers to this quiz can be found at the end of this issue in the article, “Next Month in This Awful Awesome Life – May 2024.” You can read through this issue or click on this link to get there faster, https://www.thisawfulawesomelife.com/home/2024/4/6/next-month-in-this-awul-awesome-life-may-2024-by-fran-joyce

Word Bank:

Banshee                                         Jackalope                                                    

Basilisk                                           Mer People (Mermaid/Merman)

Centaur                                          Minotaur

Chimera                                         Nymph

Cyclops                                          Ogre

Dragon                                            Pegasus

Elf                                                     Phoenix                                          

Fairy                                                Redcap

Goblin                                             Selkie

Golem                                            Sylph

Griffin                                              Unicorn

Hippogriff                                       Wolpertinger

Hydra

1.      _________________________ - a legendary creature with the body, tail, and back legs of a lion. The front legs have talons, and it has the wings and head of an eagle.            

2.      _________________________ - a mythical animal of North American folklore which looks like a jackrabbit with antelope horns. Earlier depictions of this creature have been found in Persian literature and Bavarian folktales.

3.      __________________________ - a winged horse usually depicted as white in coloring.

4.      _________________________ - a monstrous fire-breathing hybrid creature composed of the parts of multiple animals. Typically, a lion with the head of a goat protruding from its body – sometimes with dragon wings and a tail that ends with a snake’s head.

5.      _________________________ - the personification of air. An air spirit or fairy that can assume different forms including cloud shapes and forms of light.

6.      _________________________ - a female spirit who heralds the death of a family member usually by screaming, keening, wailing, or shrieking.

7.      _________________________ - a creature made of the wings, antlers, tail, and fangs of multiple creatures attached to the body of a small mammal. It may have the head of a rabbit, the body of a squirrel, the antlers of a deer, and the wings and legs of a pheasant.

8.      _________________________ - a fire-breathing reptile usually depicted with wings, a powerful spiked tail, and talons.

9.      __________________________ - a shapeshifter that takes the form of a seal in water, and a human on land. They have a dual nature and can be friendly and helpful or dangerous and vengeful.

10.  __________________________ - magical creatures with a humanoid appearance. They are often playful and sometimes mischievous.

11.  __________________________ - sea dwelling creature with a humanoid upper body and the lower body of a fish.

12.  __________________________ - a creature formed from a lifeless substance like mud or dust which is brought to life by a ritual incantation. It helps the person who creates it or becomes its companion.

13.  __________________________ - a many headed serpent or monster. If one head is cut off it’s replaced by two new heads.

14.  __________________________ - a reptile reputed to be a serpent king. It can cause death to anyone who looks it in the eyes.

15.  __________________________ - an animal resembling a horse with a single horn protruding from the center of its head.

16.  __________________________ - a man-eating giant.

17.  __________________________ - a malevolent , murderous goblin believed to inhabit ruined castles.

18.  __________________________ - a creature that is half-horse and half-human.

19.  __________________________ - a creature with the front half of an eagle and the hind half of a horse.

20.  __________________________ - a creature with the head and tail of a bull and the body of a human.

21.  __________________________ - a creature similar to a human, but with keener senses and intelligence, longer live expectancy, magical powers, and pointed ears.

22.  __________________________ - a minor female deity, a beautiful creature that inhabits rivers, woods, and forests and is usually regarded as the personification of nature.

23.  __________________________ - giant one-eyed creatures.

24.  __________________________ - an ugly, evil, or mischievous elf-like creature.

25.  __________________________ - a colorful bird with a long life that spontaneously combusts and is capable of being reborn by rising from the ashes of its predecessor.