MythicMay Creatures 3
Third batch of drawings from the MythicMay challenge by Audre Schutte that I'm participating. I'm going for a more naturalistic look in my interpretations, trying to think of what kind of creature could inspire the myths and folktales that are told of them.
In Scandinavian mythology #huldra are described as beautiful wood nymphs with hollow/tree-bark backs and a cow-like tail, but male huldra, hulderkall, are considered grotesque. Seems I'm doing anything to avoid drawing humanoids, so I made a big moo.
Nunda originates from East Africa and in the story it ate lots, grew lots, ate all the townspeople and was eventually killed by 1,000 arrows. I gave this chonker a more prehistoric look. I just love large extinct mammals. They were so big and cool.
Peryton is described to be a creature with the body and wings of a bird but limbs and head of a deer and it's said to prey on humans. I made mine more bird than deer but I think with the ego of a pheasant and size of a deer it makes an intimidating beast.
Selkie are shapeshifters who turn into seals by going into water donning a seal skin. My idea was to create a seal creature that could be mistaken for a humanoid or that looked mysterious enough to arouse such myths.
Llamhiygm Y Dwr, "the water leaper", is a Welsh creature described as a huge toad with limbs for arms and a tail and it preys on fishermen. Maybe larger arms would help it leap and glide onto boats, but at least fishermen's stories would exaggerate them.