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salamander

"When I was about five years of age, my father, happening to be in a little room in which they had been washing, and where there was a good fire of oak burning, looked into the flames and saw a little animal resembling a lizard, which could live in the hottest part of that element. Instantly perceiving what it was, he called for my sister and me, and after he had shown us the creature, he gave me a box on the ear. I fell a-crying while he, soothing me with caresses, spoke these words: 'My dear child, I do not give you that blow for any fault you have committed, but that you may recollect that the little creature you see in the fire is a salamander; such a one as never was beheld before to my knowledge.' So saying he embraced me, and gave me some money.

-- Benvenuto Cellini

The salamander (the name possibly coming from the Greek salambe meaning 'fireplace') was often visualized as a small dragon or lizard. But, what set the salamander apart from other lizards or serpents was the fact that it was a fire elemental. According to Aristotle and Pliny, the salamander not only resisted fire, but could extinguish it and would charge any flame that it saw as if it were an enemy. Some thought that the reason the salamander was able to withstand and extinguish fire, was that it was incredibly cold, and it would put out fire on contact. The salamander was also considered to be very poisonous, so much so, that a person would die from eating the fruit form a tree around which a salamander had entwined itself.

The foundation of its fire resistant powers may be based on the fact that the real salamander secretes milky juice form the pores of its body when its irritated. This would doubtless defend the animal for a few moments from fire. Salamanders also are hibernating creatures who often retire to hollow trees or other cavities in the winter, where it coils himself up and remains in a torpid state until the spring. It was therefore sometimes carried in with the fuel to the fire, and the salamander would wake up with only enough time to put for all of its faculties for its defense.

scorpion men

From the Sumero-Akkadian creation myth, scorpion men were born of Tiamat along with the viper, dragon, sphinx, great lion, and mad dog. They are human from the waist up and scorpion from the waist down. The astrological constellation comes from this creature. It often acted as a guard in Babylon.

scylla

A sea-monster that guards one side of the straits of Messina. Scylla had six heads, and around her waist is a ring of barking dogs. She seizes sailors as they pass through the strait. Originally she was a beautiful nymph who was transformed by the sorceress Circe out of jealousy. She did this by filling the sea where Scylla was bathing with terrible serpents and by enchantment, they became part of her body.

sefert

In Egyptian mythology, Sefert was the keeper of Osiris' body parts. He was depicted as having the head of a hawk and the body of a lion, and was also winged.

selkie

Living off the coasts of the Orkney and Sheltland islands, these seal-people live under the water. Also called Silkie and Selchie, their normal appearance is human, however, they have seal skins with which they swim through the sea. When Selkies come ashore, they hide this seal skin. If a man finds a selkie maiden's seal-skin and can successfully hide it from her, he can force her to marry him. If however, at any point, the selkie finds her skin, she will return to the sea. They say that male selkies can take human lovers. It is also said that people born with webbed hands or feet are selkie-born.

senmurv

In Persian mythology this is a creature that is part mammal and part bird. It is said to be the union of earth, sea and sky. Sometimes it has been called the same bird as the Simurgh.

shedu

Similar to the Lamassu, this beast that is from Assyrian-Babylonian mythology has a human's head, the body of a bull and wings. It guards temples and palaces.

simurgh

Related to the roc and the phoenix, this bird that lives for either 1700, 2000 years, or by some accounts is immortal is said to have a nest in the Tree of Knowledge. It is said that this bird is so old that it has seen the destruction of the world three times over. Sometimes it is shown with a human face, the senmurv is most likely the same bird. It is so large that it can carry an elephant or a camel. it is known to take children into its nest to nurse them or foster them.

A bird of the same name was an attendant to the Queen of Sheba. It had orange metallic feathers, a silver head, a human face, four wings, a vultures talons and a long peacock's tail.

siren

The name siren comes from the Greek meaning to bind. the Sirens originally had the bodies of birds and the faces of women. They also had beautiful voices that could seduce any sailor. In Greek origin, Sirens were the daughters of the river deity Achelous, magically born from drops of his blood. They challenged the muses to a musical duel and lost. In losing, the muses plucked out their wings stripping them of their power of flight. From these feathers, the muses made themselves crowns to remind them of their victory. So they were forced to the shore lines where the used there musical talents to lure sailors to them. They then ate the sailors. the island which they live on, just near the strait of Messina where the Scylla and Chaybdis reside, was white with the bones of dead sailors. In later legends, they are often transformed into mermaids who use their beautiful voices to lure mortals to them. When Odysseus on his fabled voyage came across the Sirens, her forced his sailors to put wax in their ears, thus blocking out the voices of the Sirens. Odysseus though, tied himself to the mast of his ship, forcing himself to hear the Sirens. After passing the Sirens, it is said that they dies, either by drowning themselves because of their defeat, or because of some prophecy. The only other person who was able to get past the Sirens was Orpheus, who drowned out the Sirens' voices by playing his lyre louder than them. In non-Homeric Greek legend, the Sirens are the companions of Persephone. They were punished for failing to prevent Hades from abducting her. in punishment they became escorts of the dead. The number of Sirens varies depending on the source. Most say that there are two or more, and some names of particular sirens are given: Teles, Raidne, Molpe, Thelxiope, Parthenope, Lecosia, Ligia, and Aglaophonus.

sirrush

This Babylonian creature is serpent-like, with the head a scaly head and skin of a snake, with the forefeet of a cat, and birds claws for hind feet.

sleipnir

In Norse mythology, this horse was the steed of Odin the Allfather. This gray horse had eight legs and therefore could run faster than the wind. It could travel in the air, on the earth and down into the regions of hell.

sphinx

"The riddling Sphinx compelled us to let slide

The dim past and attend to instant needs"

-- Sophocles in Oedipus Rex

Originally in Egyptian mythology, the sphinx was depicted as having the body of a lion, wings and a human face. It is invariably male and is a benevolent creature. It is seen as the embodiment of royalty. There are three types of sphinx. The androsphinx, which is the typical lion with a human face/head. There is the criosphinx which is a ram-headed lion. Finally, there is the hierocosphonx which has the body of a lion and the head of a hawk. In Greek myth the sphinx is female and a malevolent being. It usually represents a form of divine punishment. The name sphinx comes from the Greek sphiggein, meaning to draw tight. Hence, the Greek sphinx is envisioned as a strangler. She would sit on the top of a rock and stop all travelers that came in that direction, challenging them with a riddle. According to Apollodorus, the sphinx is a daughter of Echinda and Typhon. He also said that the riddle for which the sphinx was famous for asking was taught to it by the muses. This riddle,

What animal is that which in the morning goes on four feet, at noon on two, and in the evening upon three?

Had to be answered by the traveler to pass the sphinx. If the traveler did not answer correctly, he was eaten by the sphinx. However, Oedipus solved her riddle. When asked the riddle, he answered man, as a child crawls upon its hands and knees in childhood, walks upright as an adult, and walks aided with a cane in old age. Upon hearing the correct answer, the Sphinx, so mortified at the fact that someone had answered correctly, threw herself onto the rocks below, killing herself.

It is said that the human head on a sphinx represents intelligence and wisdom.

stymphalian birds

In Greek mythology, the Stymphalain birds are a destructive and death dealing creature. Their beaks and claws were made of brass, and they could shoot their feathers as if they were arrows. In some accounts, these birds are vicious man-eaters. It was one of Heracles' twelve labours to rid the lake Stymphalus of these birds.

sylph

Coming from the Greek word sylpha meaning butterfly, Sylphs are air elementals.

The Sz is a Malaysian unicorn.

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