Thursday, 19 October 2017

Merlin's chimaera - my fantastic bestiary

Meet my Chimaera! For the Kelpie's Heart series I'm creating a bestiary of Celtic and Brittonic mythological creatures (think more  The Witcher 3, less Newt Scamander).


The chimaera of mythology is originally of Greek origins. However several different cultures describe similar types of beasts in their folklore. The definition of chimaera is any organism containing a mixture of genetically different tissues. For my design I've stuck with the traditional mythological definition of a lion + goat + snake. I've added some leathery wings that fold into its side. Imagine seeing this guy roaming around the highlands on a foggy night or flying through the sky like a fiery comet?


He's one bad kitty!

In Merlin's bestiary that I'm designing the chimaera is defined as: A monstrous creature made of dark magic - stitching together different animals into one timorous beastie. Most commonly it has the body of a lion with a second head, that of a goat, growing out of its back. It’s tail is particular troublesome as it is a snake. All heads seem to operate independently making it impossible to sneak up on. What the heads have in common is that they are equally malicious and breathe fire. Depending on the magician who has conjured it they can have numberless extra abilities including wings, a hypnotic stare, poisonous claws and creating soporific mist. They often serve as a wizard’s guard.


What do you think? Are there any other interesting chimaera combinations that you can think of?

Check out more from the Bestiary here!

Hope you enjoy!




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