The Real World Origins of Mythical Creatures

Tom Blank of Weird History takes a forthright look at the real world origins of mythical creatures that have been imagined in folklore, rumors, fiction, and film. These origins include medical conditions (cyclops), zoological features (narwhal, unicorn), animal remains (Bigfoot, Yeti).

Creatures like the narwhal, okapi, and Komodo dragon are on the short list of mythical creatures proven real. Yet, while scientifically interesting, these examples aren’t in the realm of more fanciful and legendary animals like unicorns, Bigfoot, or the more hilarious mythical creatures that cryptozoologists fawn over.