THE MAP OF EUROPE’S MYTHICAL BEINGS

Millie Bance (WHS)

The map of Mythical Creatures of Europe gathers information on two hundred and thirteen mythical creatures that has been extracted from European folklore. In 2011, a group of students from Vilnius University (in Lithuania) created this extraordinary map, taking them a total of 1200 hours to create. They partly created it after recognising the lack of publications devoted to the analysis of mythical beings in European countries. As well as making the map, a guide was also assembled to make it more accessible for viewers, giving brief but interesting information about each creature. The reason that I chose this particular map, as opposed to a more Geological or realistic one, was simply down to my old fascination for folklore and hoping to potentially share some otherwise lesser-known mythological details with the reader. The origins of this map budded from an old Chinese legend about Huang Di (黄帝 - ‘Yellow Emperor’) and a beast called Bai Ze (白澤 – half man and half ox who only appears for virtuous leaders). This creature, who met the Emperor at the top of a mountain, told him about 11,520 different demons, monsters, shapeshifters and spirits. Bai Ze’s important information was said to have been published into a book with illustrations and rich details about each creature to help manage and understand them, however it unfortunately no longer exists. Therefore, the creators of this map wanted to help visualise the fascinating details of mythical beings in Europe and create a better understanding of some European countries’ culture.

A Japanese Painting: Hakutaku Hikai Zu (白澤避怪図 – Depiction of Bai Ze to Repel Prodigies) by Gogaku, F. and Bansen, S. (1785) While the one may think of scale guides or spot heights or roads and rivers when the word ‘map’ is mentioned, the Mythical Creatures of Europe map has a range of unconventional and quite bizarre data. First, each beast was put into one of five categories, whether they’re an animal, animal-animal hybrid, human-animal hybrid, animal-like being or human-like being. They were then also sorted by their dispositions towards humans; neutral, malicious, benevolent or ambivalent. They also took into account the environmental conditions of each creature by drawing moors and swamps or trees or mountains besides them. Finally, they also took into account the frequency of their ‘occurrences’ in the human world, however that information could not be represented on the map and was only used for the reliability of each creature ‘existence’. The creators of the map of Mythical Creatures of Europe went through a rigorous gathering process to make sure all information they included was as accurate as possible, and even set out rules for their categorising. This meant sourcing information from legends, tales, songs and anecdotes in nine different languages. To be included, the mythical creature must have been mentioned in multiple folklore plots, reside on a particular part of Earth, be seen by local people and have an identifiable shape. They could not be counted if they were fictional characters that were only in a small number of books, or if they were ghosts/ deities or beings made by adults for the sole purpose of scaring children (which there is a very surprisingly large number of). Delving deeper into the map itself, one can get a fascinating insight into mythical beings that you most likely did not know about before. For instance, the malicious Hound of Annwn, which is said to have appeared in England. The map tells one that this creature is a ‘nocturnal dog of hell’ whose ‘howling foretells death to anyone who hears it’. In addition to the land animals are various sea creatures, such as the Saratan, just off of the coast of Portugal. It is a ‘giant marine creature’ which carries ‘mountains, valleys and vegetation on its back’, making it appear like a ‘ghost island’.

Some may wonder why, in the 21st Century, was there any use in creating such a map, due to the fact that we know for sure that none of these creatures exist. However, it is incredibly useful for those studying or even just interested in mythology and ethnology, and could also be seen as a piece of art, rather than just a Geographical map. This beautiful piece sparks curiosity in the viewer and ay make them want to delve further into Europe’s various countries and their cultures. The creators themselves said their main goal for the project was to show the ‘possibility and advantages of a geographic approach in mythology and folk-lore studies’.

The map of ‘Mythical Creatures in Europe’, made by students of Vilnius University in Lithuania (2011)

Bibliography

Beconyte, G., Eismontaite, A., Zemaitiene, J. (2013). Mythical creatures of Europe. Taylor & Francis Online. Bai Ze 白澤. The British Museum.