Greek, Roman, and British Mythology

Greek, Roman, and British cultures were very much predominant in ancient Europe. The myths and tales of each of these countries are historically integrated in each other, in fact, it is difficult for historians to accurately pinpoint what Roman mythology was like before it was introduced to Greek mythology because of its immediate influence on the former. Most aspects of Roman mythology were not recorded, but instead kept in the memories of people who knew the stories well. This made it very easy for Roman mythology to change and distort as the Roman citizens heard of other myths. Because of this cultural integration, Greek and Roman myths became increasingly similar as the two cultures became more and more involved with each other.

Roman mythology often centered around the deification of significant Roman figures, such as emperors and heroes of war. The stories themselves often romanticize the history of Rome, and the beasts explained in such stories often appeared physically as hybrids of two or more animals. For example, the Roman harpy was a bird with the head and chest of a woman and was believed to control the winds. Ancient Greek literature also uses this animal hybridization to create creatures, but Greek monsters are built less around a story and more around an inexplicable phenomenon that needs explaining.

British mythology is more human-centric. Most of the monsters out of British mythology are humanoid in form or based off of man's best friend, the dog. Humanoid monsters, such as the green man, a man with foliage sprouting out of his face who is largely responsible for springtime, mermaids, people with fish tails that lure sailors to their doom, and selkies, seal people, seemed to have the same purpose as Greek and Roman monsters did- to explain the unexplainable or to add a sense of mystery and fear to a dangerous place. Dog-based monsters, such as Faerie dogs, which are banshee-like barking omens of death that live in the dark parts of the forest.

For my product, I will be creating a new mythological creature by taking reference and influence from these three cultures. I will begin with a phenomenon, like the Greeks, use the hybrid characteristic coined by the Romans, and the human base that the British were fond of.

I began with the question of deaths in the desert. Ancient peoples did not know much about dehydration, so I've created a beast that roams the desert in packs and picks off unprepared travelers. The species is a centaur with a tiger's body. Possible additions include tribal head tattoos, small wings behind ears, and pincer-like sharp teeth.


(Progress: I have tons of concept sketches but no working scanner at the moment, I will upload the final product and its progress as it will be done digitally! References used)


Works Cited
Hargraves, Richard, Elaine Kenzel, and Miami, FL. Dade County Public Schools. Greek And Roman Mythology: English, Mythology. n.p.: 1971. ERIC. Web. 6 Jan. 2015.
Hayman, Richard. "Ballad Of The Green Man." History Today 60.4 (2010): 37-44. Academic Search Elite. Print. 30 Dec, 2014
Morford, Mark P.O. "Classical Mythology, 8th Edition," 2007. Web. 30 Dec, 2014
"Roman Mythology." Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia (2014): 1p. 1. Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia. Print. 29 Dec, 2014.