Monster Encyclopedia - K

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kappa

The Kappa is a Japanese creature that has the body of a tortoise, the head of a monkey and limbs that are lined with scales. If treated with courtesy, this river dwelling creature is harmless. However, if it is ill-treated, it will prey on humans.

kelpie

A Kelpie, in Scottish legend is a creature, that is said to be in league with the devil. Usually it is a black beast, part horse and part bull, with two sharp horns. It has the ability to change its shape and usually when it did, it would take the form of a beautiful white horse. If passersby mounted the horse it would immediately gallop into the water and drown the rider. The Kelpie would then eat the flesh of the drowned victim. In other stories, the Kelpie would take the form of a handsome young man. However, the man would always have wet hair with waterweed tangled in it. If a young woman did not notice this, she would go to the man that is wooing her, and lead her to a watery grave.

keres

In Greek mythology, when the fates had decided the hour of death for a man, they would send the Keres to do their bidding. They were most often seen hovering over the battlefields, wearing red robes and had dark skin. They had sparkling eyes and vicious white teeth. At the moment of death the Keres would let out a chilling cry and descend down to the victim. They would then drink the blood from his wounds and carry him off to Hades.

ki-lin

Although the Chinese have many types of Unicorn, the Ki-Lin is the most famous. Japan has two types of unicorn, the Ki-Rin which is based upon the Ki-Lin and resembles it and the Sin-U which has lion-like features. The Chinese Ki-Lin is associated only with positive traits. It symbolizes wisdom, justice and rectitude. It appears only during the time of an upright ruler, or before the birth or death of a sage. It is depicted as having the head of a dragon with one horn, the mane of a lion, the body of a stag and the tail of an ox. The Ki-Lin has such care for living things that it will not step on a blade of grass or hurt an insect.

ki-rin

The Ki-Rin is based on the Chinese Ki-Lin.

kobold

Kobold are small creatures that are very old and wrinkled. They work tirelessly doing chores for the family whose house the kobold resides in. They only ask for, in return, scraps of food from the dinner table. If they are not given this, they will turn malicious and harmful.

kraken

Far, far beneath the abysmal sea, the Kraken sleepeth...

There hath he lain for ages and will lie

Battening upon huge sea-worms in his sleep,

Until the latter fire shall heat the deep:

Then once by men and angels to be seen,

In roaring he shall rise and on the surface die

-- Alfred Lord Tennyson

The Kraken, which is found primarily in Scandinavian myth, was a huge sea creature. It was said to lie at the bottom of the sea for a long time and then it would rest at the surface. When it was at the surface, sailors would mistake the creature for a chain of small islands, sometimes even landing on the creature and building camp, only to be drowned when the creature submerged. The kraken was supposed to have very large tentacles, which could seize even the largest ships. Like the Midgard serpent in the Norse myths, the Kraken was supposed to rise to the surface at the end of the world.

kujata

The Kujata is a gigantic bull that has 4000 eyes, mouths, ears, nostrils and feet. This creature that comes from Moslem cosmology, and it stands on the giant fish Bahamut. On Kujata's back is a rock of ruby on which stands an angel. The body of the earth rests on the angel's shoulders. Under bahamut, lies an ocean; under the ocean an abyss of air; under that realm is fire; under that a serpent so omnipotent that, if it wasn't for its fear of Allah, it would swallow all creation. It is said that Kujata is so large that to travel from one ear to another or from on eye to another, it would take a journey of 500 years.

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