This 17-foot-long dragon with a wingspan of over 19 feet guards the entrance to Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids. Image courtesy of D. Finnin, AMNH

There lay the dragon in wait. Although I had anticipated this moment, nothing could have prepared me for it. Eagerly, I walked forward to examine the amazing creature. Its toothy grin seemed to welcome me as its eyes met my gaze. Despite the chill in the air, I was certain that the dragon’s warm breath surrounded me like a blanket. My heart raced. I looked up to see its wings extended high above, while its limbs seemed poised to pounce. I stopped, transfixed by the beauty of its iridescent skin. Awestruck, I examined its slender horns and long, elegant tail. All the while, it stood quietly like a sentinel at the gateway to a magical realm. By the time I reached the doorway beyond, I could barely contain my excitement. For centuries dragons have roamed imaginary landscapes, but today I had met one face-to-face.

On the morning of my dragon encounter, I was restlessly seeking an escape from my daily routine. The special exhibit Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids at the American Museum of Natural History promised to be the perfect retreat. In one afternoon, I would have the opportunity to meet mythic creatures from all corners of the globe. My journey would take me into the depths of the ocean, through ancient landscapes on earth, and into the skies above. Although some faces would be familiar, I would encounter other beings that were completely unknown to me. To bring these creatures to life, the curators of the exhibit presented artwork, artifacts, and fossils from around the world. They also designed large-scale models, interactive stations, and video presentations to help relay these tales.

My expedition began on the high seas. On the open ocean, one can easily lose sight of reality, especially in the blackness of night. As the ship is tossed about, the very waves take on a personality of their own. Often, I found myself looking toward the horizon for stability. It is the only constant in an ever-changing world. Wait…what was that? I called my shipmates over. It’s gone. Not to worry, they told me. If it was the kraken, it was too far to harm us. I soon learned that the kraken of Scandinavia is the largest of the mythic sea creatures at 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) in diameter. If the model on display was any indication, this beast could easily take down an unsuspecting vessel with its long tentacles. Luckily for us, the kraken is more interested in fish than human flesh.

Although the kraken may have existed only in the imagination of sailors, nature has provided sea monsters of its own. For centuries, sailors in northern Europe swapped stories of the devilfish. Over time, evidence of this elusive creature would surface as scars on the skin of whales and bits of tentacles in their stomachs. In the 1850s, a giant squid washed ashore in Denmark, and the devilfish moved from myth to reality. A jar in the exhibit contained an impressive two-meter (six-foot) tentacle from a giant squid caught in the late 1990s. The ocean still held a secret, however, as the giant squid at twenty meters (seventy feet) is not the largest. In 2007, a fisherman in New Zealand hauled aboard the first adult specimen of the colossal squid. This squid is so large that it is classified in its own genus Mesonychoteuthis.

As we continued on our journey across the ocean, I learned that not all sea creatures were monsters. Upon entering a port in West Africa, we were greeted by Mami Wata. I was instantly mesmerized by her beauty and mystery. On the walls, I saw various portraits of this powerful water spirit. Although each differed slightly, all of the artists captured her exotic nature. While Mami Wata is derived from the English words “Mommy Water,” her roots are African. Before Europeans introduced mermaid imagery via statues on the bows of their ships, Mami Wata was often depicted as a snake. For this reason, modern incarnations of this spirit include a mermaid holding a snake. Images of Mami Wata are now found in over twenty countries in Africa. She is believed to bring good fortune, but she has been known to drown those who disobey. Aside from the wild imaginations of lonely sailors at sea, it is hard to say what continued to inspire stories of mermaids around the globe. Although for some, including Columbus, perhaps it was manatees. Indeed, Columbus wrote in his journal that mermaids were “not as pretty as depicted, for somehow in the face they look like men.”

Having enjoyed my journey on the open seas, I returned to land where it is rumored that massive creatures with wings and horns abound. As I crossed the Gobi desert, I encountered a unique animal. The statuesque beast appeared to have the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion. It is a Griffin, a mysterious creature that lives near gold mines. A few feet away, I saw the skeleton of a Griffin, but the display indicated that these were the fossils of the dinosaur Protoceratops. By closely examining the bones, one could see how the Griffin first came to life in the mind’s eye. Like the Griffin, the Protoceratops had a bird-like beak, four limbs, and elongated shoulder blades (giving the impression of wings). In ancient times, their skeletons could be found throughout the Gobi desert where the Griffins are said to nest.

Six-year-olds Aidan Obstler and Sophie Edelman use magnets to arrange mammoth “bones” to form the skeleton of a mythical giant. Image courtesy of R. Mickens, AMNH

Mysterious fossils have long sparked myths throughout the world. In Greece, the countryside was littered with evidence of strange creatures from the past. When the ancient Greeks saw the skulls of dwarf elephants in Sicily, they conjured stories of cyclopes. Similarly, the long bones, vertebrae, and ribs of mammoths, mastodons, and woolly rhinoceroses became giants on the outskirts of town. Even geologic features seemed to hint at their existence. In Ireland, interlocking basalt rocks along the coast were believed to be the remnants of a bridge built by a giant.

Towards the end of my journey on terra firma, I stopped to rest by a stream. Suddenly, I caught a glimpse of a creature at the edge of the water. I was struck by its elegance and the slender horn that protruded from its delicate face. It moved silently through the brush with the ease of a dancer. As quickly as it appeared, the majestic animal was gone. The placard beside the stately white model indicated that I may have seen the elusive unicorn. Tales of these mythic creatures have been recounted by both European and Asian cultures.

Unicorns are believed to be magical, benevolent animals, whose horns have curative powers. This widespread conviction led whalers to hunt narwhals, small whales in the arctic that sport a singular tusk up to three meters (eight feet) in length, in order to sell their teeth as unicorn horns. As an example, a sign from a German apothecary using a narwhal tusk as a unicorn’s horn was hung above the exhibit. Although the European unicorn originated with the Greeks, the Asian unicorn is far more ancient. The qilin is said to have given the sage Fu Hsi the first symbols for the written Chinese language. Contrary to the image of the European unicorn as a white horse with one long horn, the qilin has a scaly coat with one or more flesh-covered horns. In modern day Japan, the unicorn lives on as the symbol for a popular brand of beer—Kirin.

For the next leg of my journey, I hopped on to a helicopter to explore the magical realm of the sky. As we ascended into the heavens, we were plunged into darkness. I looked up to see that a bird with a twenty-foot wingspan had blotted out the sun. This is the Roc, an enormous bird that is rumored to live in Madagascar. It is believed that the Roc could carry off elephants with its enormous talons. In reality, the display indicated that the Roc suspended above was imagined after giant bones and eggs were discovered on the island. These fossils are all that remains of the extinct Aepyornis, a flightless bird that bore some resemblance to an ostrich. This bird could grow to over three meters (ten feet) in height and lay eggs that were up to eight liters (two gallons) in size.

Garuda, a minor deity in the Hindu pantheon, serves as Vishnu’s mount. Tibet, nineteenth or twentieth century, metal, bronze, and gilt. Image courtesy of D. Finnin, AMNH

Over the varied landscape of Asia, I came across a curious pair. Each day, the bird-like Garuda battles with snake-like Nagas. Although they share the same father, the feud begun by their mothers is perpetuated through Garuda and Nagas for eternity. Stories associate this pair with natural events. For example, the wings of Garuda can spark the formation of a hurricane, while the Naga king is said to support the world and cause earthquakes. These creatures are found in both Hinduism and Buddhism, and they are celebrated as deities. In fact, Garuda has become so entrenched in Asian popular culture that he has inspired characters on television and in comic books.

As the helicopter landed, I realized that my journey had come full circle. I had explored the myths of the sea, land, and air. Before my visit ended, however, I returned to the creature that first welcomed me into the exhibit—the dragon. The dragon is not constrained to any one realm. It can soar through the clouds, traverse the terrain, or lie submerged in the sea. These serpent-like creatures are found in every culture. Dragons have existed in the collective imagination of humanity for thousands of years.

For Europeans, the dragon is often a symbol of evil. It stalks the countryside or lurks in caves killing humans with its fiery breath. In the Christian legends of the Middle Ages, slaying a dragon was the ultimate sign of bravery. On the other hand, Asian dragons are extremely powerful and intricately tied to the landscape. In Chinese tradition, it is said that dragons reside underwater in the winter only to rise up in the spring to bring clouds and rain. The parade dragon suspended from the ceiling is a reminder that this mythic creature is an integral part of Chinese culture. Without the dragon, the seasons could not change, and the rains would abandon the people.

Amid the dazzling collection of ancient art, clothing, and statues, I could not help to think about our modern society. In our continual pursuit of knowledge, have we abandoned all myths in favor of facts? One last look around at the exhibit allayed my fears. Mythic creatures are very much alive in our minds and hearts today. They are still a part of our literature, popular culture, folklore, and traditional celebrations. It seems that no matter how far our technology may have advanced, the capacity for human imagination is infinite. Just ask my friends Nessie and Bigfoot.

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