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Harry Potter - by J.K. Rowlings The Sorcerer's (or Philosopher's) Stone; The Chamber of Secrets; The Prisoner of Azkaban; The Goblet of Fire; The Order of the Phoenix; The Half Blood Prince.
A. Asian Mythology 1. Kappa § HP: A creature that resembles a scaly monkey, live in ponds and rivers and feed on human blood. They have a hollow in the top of their head which holds water and is the key to their strength. If it can be tricked into bowing, the water will tip out and its strength gone. § Originally: From Japanese Shinto-religion, they are water spirits with long hair, the body of a tortoise and face of an ape. They pull children into the water and drown them and also attack travelers and animals. They cannot live very long on land as they must always keep their heads wet. They feed on cucumbers and blood and are very intelligent. They have been known to befriend wise men and teach them how to set bones. 2. Nagas/Nagini § HP: Nagini is the name of Lord Voldemort’s pet snake. She is about 12ft long with a diamond pattern. § Originally: Nagas are a race of divine serpent-people from Hindu Mythology who are half human and half serpent. They are still worshipped today, especially in southern India, as the bringers of rain and thus, fertility. They protect springs, rivers, and wells but also cause disasters like floods and droughts. 3. Parvati § HP: Parvati Patil, student at Hogwarts who goes with Harry to the Yule Ball but Harry isn't very interested. § Originally: Mountain goddess from Hindu Mythology; one of the wives of Shiva, the Destroyer.
B. Arthurian Legend 1. Merlin/Dumbledore § HP: Dumbledore is an old, wise, and powerful wizard with a long grey/white beard and glasses. Everyone looks to him for help, guidance, protection and assurance. § Originally: Not the first time a fantasy story has used a Merlin figure. Merlin was the wizard King Arthur looked to for guidance, assurance and protection. He is often depicted as an old man with a long grey or white beard. Merlin himself is based on a late sixth century northern bard named Myrddin (Welsh) said to have the gift of sight and predicted a Celtic uprising. The Latin version of Myrddin is Merlinus which is then obviously shortened to Merlin. The Merlin we know is probably the most famous wizard in mythology.
C. Celtic Mythology/Irish Folklore 1. Banshee § HP: A skeletal-like woman whose wail is said to foretell death. § Originally: Another name for the Bean Sidhe (woman of the hills), a spirit or fairy whose wail is a warning of death. If caught, she must reveal the name of the doomed. They have long hair with red eyes from weeping and dressed in a grey cloak or green dress. In Scotland, they are called the Bean Nighe and have one nostril, one protruding tooth, webbed feet, and long hanging breasts. 2. Elves § See General Folklore. 3. Giants § See General Folklore. 4. Leprechauns § HP: Mascots for the Irish Quidditch Team, they are small human-like creatures who give our fake gold which disappears after a few hours. § Originally: Small creatures from Irish Folklore usually dressed in old fashioned green clothes with buckled shoes. They sometimes live in farmhouses or wine cellars and aid humans in small tasks. Occasionally, they ask humans for supplies and in return bring good luck. They make shoes for elves but only one, never a pair, which is an example of their sometimes prankster nature. They are said to possess treasure (pot of gold) which humans can obtain if they are able to catch the leprechaun, which is difficult. Even then, a person can not take their eyes off the creature or it will vanish. 5. Rosmerta § HP: Madam Rosmerta, Bartender of the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade. § Originally: Goddess of fire, warmth, and abundance from Celtic Mythology.
D. Christianity 1. Apollyon § HP: Apollyon Pringle, previous Hogwarts caretaker who had permission to whip the students when they misbehaved. § Originally: "The Destroyer". In the New Testament, Apollyon is the angel of a bottomless pit and in early Christian literature is the name for the devil. Possible Christian attempt to turn the Greek god Apollo/Apollon into evil. 2. Christmas § HP: Despite being wizards and witches, who are normally associated with some kind of Paganism, everyone in the magical world of Harry Potter still celebrate Christmas in modern day traditions. § Originally: The Christian day of celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Look it up on Google if you want to know the origins of modern day Christmas because it's far too extensive and detailed to get into on here. 3. Griffin § See General Folklore.
E. Egyptian Mythology 1. Phoenix § HP: Dumbledore's loyal bird who bursts into flames and is reborn from its own ashes. § Originally: Usually depicted as a heron but in classic literature, an eagle or peacock. Associated with Benu, the sun god, who is associated with the death and rebirth of Osiris (god of the underworld). A symbol of immortality, resurrection, and life after death. See Greek section for more info. 2. Sirius § HP: Sirius Black, best friend to James Potter, godfather to Harry, can turn himself into a big black dog § Originally: Sirius, the Dog Star, the brightest star in the sky found in the constellation Canis Major, was the embodiment of Isis, wife of Osiris who is often depicted with a dogs head. In Egypt, this star shines in the summer so the Egyptians believed it was responsible for the heat of summer since it was so bright. (Also see Black Dog in General Folklore). 3. Sphinx § HP: Winged lion who presents a riddle at the end of the Triwizdarding Tournament. § Originally: Male statue of a lion, sometimes with wings, but always with a human head. Represents kings in their appearance as the sun god.
F. General Folklore 1. Basilisk § HP: Giant snake dwelling in the Chamber of Secrets hidden in Hogwarts which kills anyone who looks it in the eye. Killed with the sword of Godric Gryffindor by Harry Potter. § Originally: Also called a Cockatrice. King of the serpents and depicted in many different ways, sometimes as a snake with the head of a rooster or human, sometimes with the body, legs, and head of a rooster, tongue of a snake, wings of a bat, and an arrow tipped tail of a snake. Two species, one which burns everything it approaches and the other kills any living thing (except the weasel) with a glance. It symbolized the devil and antichrist. To kill the latter of the two species one must hold a mirror in front of it so when the creature sees itself, it dies of fright. The only other way it can die is by the sound of a rooster’s crow. The egg of the Basilisk is laid during the days of Sirius, the Dog Star (See Sirius in Egyptian Mythology). An actual lizard found in Costa Rica is called the Double-Crested Basilisk and is probably named after the mythological creature. 2. Black Dog § HP: Sirius Black, best friend to James Potter, godfather to Harry, can turn himself into a big black dog. § Originally: From the British Isles, these dogs can usually be found in deserted roads and are certainly something to fear. They are the size of a calf and move in completely silence, with the exception of their clicking claws. In Yorkshire, it was believed that anyone who saw the black dog Barghest would die soon after. In Norfolk, Black Shuck was the name of a large black dog that was an omen for bad fortune approaching. (Also see Sirius in Egyptian Mythology). 3. Boggart § HP: A creature which hides in places like closets and when confronted, turns itself into whatever that person fears most. § Originally: A household spirit from northern England with malicious intent. Hairy and dressed in old, tattered clothes, they have meddling and clumsy hands and feet. A household with a boggart will have an unusual amount of unexplainable mishaps and strange noises. In the Isles of Man, it is called a Buggane. 4. Dragons § HP: Harry must steal a fake egg from the stereotypical form of a fire-breathing dragon. Charlie Weasley breeds them. § Originally: The dragon is a common occurrence in ancient mythology and modern day fantasy and although its characteristics vary slightly, there are many consistencies. They are usually depicted as lizard-like creatures, larger then an elephant, with long fangs, twin horns, sometimes with leathery skin but typically covered in scales, and most have the ability to breathe fire. They range in all colors but the most common are red, green, black, and gold. Western cultures usually include bat-like wings whereas eastern cultures give them a more magically means of flying without wings and are more snake-like looking. 5. Dwarfs § HP: Human-like creatures only reaching about 3-4ft tall. They live in mountain regions and are skilled miners. The women are indistinguishable from the men and even grow beards. § Originally: About half the size of a man, they live in caves, hollow trees, or holes in the ground. They can be hostile towards humans but also sometimes perform small labors and tasks for them. They work in mines and are skillful with their hands. 6. Elves § HP: House elves are slaves who do any work their masters ask of them, usually cooking and cleaning. House elves find this work to be an honor and being freed is shameful, they are extremely loyal to their masters no matter how badly they are treated. § Originally: Elves of Norse and Teutonic origin are spirits of the dead who bring fertility. They later became supernatural beings shaped as humans who can be very beautiful (elves of light) or very ugly (dark elves) and live in trees, mountains, and waterfalls. Danish Elves are beautiful with hollow backs and Celtic elves are the size of humans. Elves from the British Isles in the 8th and 9th century where called fairies. 7. Fairies § HP: Small woodland human looking creatures about one to five inches tall with wings on their backs. Weak magical abilities and communicate with high pitched buzzing noises. § Originally: Very small usually magical creatures who can fly and can only been seen by humans during the full moon on midsummer eve, by looking through a self made hole in a rock, or if the fairies uses their magic to allow it. Originally, they bestowed gifts on newborns but later their activities expanded into meddling in other types of human affairs. 8. Giants § HP: Enormous, violent, unintelligent creatures who do not like humans. Hagrid, Hogwarts gamekeeper and Care of Magical Creatures teacher is half-giant (his father was human, mother a giantess). § Originally: Enormous creatures, usually the enemies of humans, they often existed before the times of the gods and humans and battled for power when the gods came to be as with the Greek Titans, the Irish-Celtic Fomorians and the Norse giants of Jotunheim. 9. Gnomes § HP: Garden Gnomes dwell under the earth and have to be "weeded" out. § Originally: Small dwarf-like creature that live under the earth where they guard treasures. Some sources say light turns them to stone, other sources say in daylight they appear as toads. 10. Goblins § HP: Ugly and not the kindest of creatures who run Gringotts, the safest bank in the magical world. § Originally: Grotesque creatures which can be playful but sometimes with an evil intent with tricks that can harm. They originated in France but quickly spread all over Europe. They usually live in the mossy clefts of rocks or roots of trees but never stay in one place very long. 11. Griffin § HP: The mascot/symbol for the Hogwarts Student House Gryffindor, named after Godric Gryffindor, one of the four founders of Hogwarts. § Originally: Creature depicted with the head, beak and wings of an eagle, the body of a lion and sometimes the tail of a serpent or scorpion. Originates somewhere from the Middle East where artwork of it has been found in ancient Babylonians, Assyrians and Persians areas. In Greek Mythology, they stole gold from the Arimaspias stream and Romans used them for decoration which continued into Christian times with Griffins often used as gargoyles on medieval churches and buildings. 12. Hippogriff § HP: The body of a horse and wings and head of an eagle, this creature is very proud and you must show it respect. § Originally: A symbol of love, the creature is half horse, half griffin and can be found in ancient Greek art and medieval legends. 13. Imps § HP: Mischievous human-like creatures only about 8 inches tall much like Pixies but brown or black in color and do not fly. They live in marshy areas and eat insects. § Originally: Much like a genie, the imp was a spirit which lived in a bottle or ring and served its master in magical, alchemic, and healing ways. There were both good and evil imps. During the witch-hunts of the Middle Ages, Imps were sent by witches to do evil deeds and in return, the witch allowed the Imp to suck her blood. Witch-hunters then looked for warts, lumps, or anything else that may have served as the suckling spot. 14. Mandrakes § HP: A plant-creature which body lives underground as the roots and it's "hair" grows above ground as a plant. Its cry is fatal to human ears and the root could be used to heal someone who had been petrified. § Originally: The mandrake or mandrogora is regarded as a magical plant based on the idea that its roots are roughly shaped as a human body. It grew under the feet of a hanged man and special rituals had to be performed before pulling it out of the ground. The mandrake scream could cause deafness so wax was placed in the ears to prevent it. The root was used for invulnerability, discovering treasures, as an aphrodisiac, and a charm for pregnancy. 15. Manticore § HP: Dangerous creature with the head of a man, the body of a lion, and tail of a scorpion which can instantly kill. § Originally: Monstrous creature stalking the forests of Asia with the body of a lion, a head that resembles a human (though holds three rows of razor sharp teeth), and a scaly tail that ends in a ball and fires poisonous darts. 16. Mermaids/Merpeople § HP: Ugly creatures that dwell at the bottom of the lake at Hogwarts, the bottom half of their body is a fish tail, the top half human. Also called Sirens (see Greek Mythology). § Originally: Female creatures with the upper body of humans and lower body of a fish. Male counterparts are called Mermen. Tales of mermaids are found all over the world, in India they are called the Apsara, but mostly its origins come from sailors around the world who claimed to have seen them. Their appearance became bad luck and a prediction of drowning. Babylonian Mythology included fish gods who were half human, half fish. 17. Mirrors § HP: The Mirror of Erised showed anyone who looked at it the deepest desires of their hearts. Two way mirrors could allow two people to see and speak to one another through the mirrors no matter where they were. And some other mirrors are known to speak to its viewer, sometimes making comments on the viewer’s appearance. § Originally: Although there are no references directly related to the specific uses and powers of the mirrors in HP, mirrors and reflections play many important roles from various origins. In Folklore, the creature Basilisk can be killed by holding a mirror in front of it and Vampires are known not to have reflections and thus do not like mirrors. In Aztec Myth, the god of night held a mirror that gave off smoke and killed enemies. And in Greek Myth, Narcissus starred at his reflection in the water so long he turned into a flower and Perseus beheaded Medusa by watching her reflection in his shield so that her gaze would not turn him to stone. 18. Pigwidgin/Pigwigdeon § HP: Pigwigdeon is Ron's small, grey, energetic and enthusiastic owl. He is very cute but Ron finds him annoying. § Originally: A fairy, dwarf or any creature that is very small. 19. Pixies § HP: Mischievous creatures only growing about 8 inches tall and can fly without wings. They communicate in a high-pitched babble. § Originally: Small creatures that live in the downs and moors of Cornwall, England. They steal horses and entangle their manes and enjoy other such annoyances but are also hard workers and will work on the fields through the night for some food. 20. Sea Serpent § HP: Huge snake-like creatures in the sea reaching up to 100ft long with a horse-like head. Not a danger to humans at all. § Originally: Monstrous snake-like creatures that dwell in the deep sea and were thought to be accountable for sinking ships. Find their way into various mythologies. 21. Sprites § HP: Water dwelling demon. Females (Water Nymphs) lure men with their beauty into a lake or river to drown. § Originally: Creatures of water, they resemble fairies and are used in many folktales. They like to play with nymphs and butterflies and are responsible for changing the colors of tree leaves in autumn with paint. They are creative and often considered muses, artists, and poets. 22. Trolls § HP: Large (but not as large as Giants), ugly, unintelligent creatures who are fairly dangerous. § Originally: From Scandinavian myth, they are ugly, large, strong creatures who are enemies to humans and will often feed on human flesh. They leave their caves only at night as sunlight will turn them to stone. In later myths, they were closer to the size of a human or even smaller. 23. Unicorns § HP: Stereotypical white magical horse with one spiral shaped horn on its forehead. Drinking the blood of a Unicorn will prolong ones life but killing something so pure is equivalent to selling a part of your soul. More accepting of females to approach it then males. § Originally: Usually portrayed as a white horse with one spiraling horn on its forehead. In the west, it was considered untamable whereas in the Orient it was peaceful and meek, the bringer of good luck, and more like a goat with a beard and cloven hooves. In the Middle Ages, its horn was thought to have magical and healing powers but the Unicorn could only be tamed or caught by a virgin. 24. Vampires § HP: Humanoid creatures who live completely in the dark and only emerge at night to drink the blood of humans for sunlight can cause them pain or death. § Originally: A creature with origins rooting from literally all over the world, it is an undead human rising from the grave during the night in order to drink the blood of the living. Slavic folklore sees the most references to Vampires though. They usually can take the form of a bat or sometimes another animal or mist. Garlic, hawthorn, mountain ash and the Christian crucifix repel them and scattering seeds distracts them with an uncontrollable need to count or pick them all up. Sunlight, cremation, beheading or a stake through the heart will destroy them. 25. Werewolf § HP: A human who has been bitten by another werewolf, then turns into a werewolf as well. A werewolf will turn into an ugly human/wolf cross creature during the full moon at night. A certain potion can be taken to prevent the monthly transformation. § Originally: A human who transforms into a wolf by night during the full moon and in this state, devours infants and corpses. It can only be killed by a silver bullet. Its origins stem from Lycaon, king of Arcadia, who tried to win Zeus' favor by offering him the flesh of a young child but Zeus punished him by turning him into a wolf. By the Middle Ages, the Church had deemed the wolf a symbol of evil and a servant of Satan. They charged schizophrenics, epileptics and the mentally disabled as being werewolves in the 13th century and it was considered absurd not to believe in werewolves. 26. Wood Nymph § HP: Small creatures resembling fairies, able to speak and sing and are pleased to interact with wizards and sometimes do their bidding. § Originally: Nymphs of all kinds (including wood nymphs) found there way into various Mythologies and Folklore. Nymphs are usually beautiful female spirits generally associated with nature or elements of nature. 27. Yeti § HP: Native to the mountains of Tibet, they grow up to 15ft tall and are covered in white hair. They will eat any human or animal they come across. § Originally: Name means “magical creature” but the west renamed it the Abominable Snowman. Stories date back to 4th century BCE but regular claims of sightings have occurred since 1832 and in 1951, expeditions came back with photographs of footprints though the authenticity of them could not be assured. Dwelling in the Himalayas, legend states there are three species which are similar in appearance except for their size (ranging from 5 to 15ft). Some say they have reddish hair and some say grey but all agree they smell terrible and are very strong. They make whistling and roaring sounds and are fond of alcohol. The government of Nepal declared it to exist and made it their national symbol though it was most likely for tourist reasons, not because there is any reliable proof it exists. 28. Zombie/Inferius § HP: An Inferius is a corpse bewitched by dark magic and does the bidding of wizard or witch controlling it. Zombies are also briefly mentioned. § Originally: From Haitian Mythology, the zombie is a soulless body serving a sorcerer as a slave. A zombie loses its soul either through death or it might be removed from a living body by the sorcerer.
G. Greek/Roman Mythology 1. Abraxas/Abraxan § HP: Abraxas Malfoy, Draco's grandfather. An Abraxan is a huge winged Palomino horse with red eyes. § Originally: Abraxas is one of Helios's (god of the sun) horses that pull his Chariot (the sun). 2. Alastor § HP: Alastor Moody, Auror (See Aurora/Auror below). § Originally: Mortal son of Neleus, King of Pylos, slain by Hercules and became an avenging demon. 3. Alecto § HP: One of the Death Eaters. § Originally: One of the Furies. 4. Ambrosia/Ambrosius § HP: Ambrosius Flume, founder of Honeydukes (a candy/sweets shop in Hogsmeade). § Originally: Ambrosia, the food/drink of the Gods which reinforces their immortality. 5. Andromeda § HP: Mother to Nymphadora Tonks (Member of the Order of the Phoenix). § Originally: Two Andromeda's. One is the Queen of the Amazons. The other, the daughter of the king of the Ethiopians (Cepheus) and his wife (Cassiopeia). She was to be sacrificed to a sea monster to stop it from destroying the kingdom on Poseidon’s order but Perseus saved her with the head of Medusa, turning the monster to stone. Phineus tried to kidnap her but suffered the same fate as the sea monster and Andromeda and Perseus were married. 6. Antigone § HP: Rosalind Antigone Bungs, Hermione found this witches name when searching the initials R.A.B. § Originally: Opedius' daughter. 7. Argus § HP: Argus Filch, Hogwarts caretaker and a Squib (non-magic off-spring of magic parents). § Originally: Hundred-eyed servant of Hera. 8. Artemis/Artemisia § HP: Artemisia Lufkin, first female Minster of Magic. § Originally: Goddess of the hunt, wilderness, childbirth and fertility. Apollo's twin sister; associated with Selene, goddess of the moon (See Luna, below). 9. Aurora/Auror § HP: Aurors hunt down, fight, and catch Dark Wizards. § Originally: Aurora is the Roman name for Eos, the personification of dawn. 10. Cassandra § HP: Cassandra Vablatsky, Author of "Unfogging the Future" § Originally: Given the gift of prophecy by Apollo because he wished to seduce her but when she refused, he punished her by depriving her from the ability to persuade people her prophecies were true. Predicted all the events of the Trojan War but no one would believe her. 11. Centaurs § HP: Creatures with the head and torso of a human and body of a horse; hate humans; very intelligent and wise; exception was Firenze who did not look down on humans and taught the children at Hogwarts Divination. § Originally: Creatures with the head and torso of a human and body of a horse; followers of Dionysus (God of wine); known for drunkenness and violating young maidens; exception was the kind and wise Chiron, teacher of Jason and Achilles. 12. Cerberus § HP: Three headed dog called "Fluffy" guarding a trap door in the floor; can be lulled to sleep with music. § Originally: Three headed dog guarding the entrance to the underworld; can be lulled to sleep with music. 13. Chimera § HP: Dangerous creature with the head of a lion, body of a goat, and tail of a dragon. § Originally: Monster with the head of a lion (sometimes with multiple heads), body of a she-goat, and tail of a dragon. 14. Daedalus/Dedalus § HP: Dedalus Diggle, member of the Order of the Phoenix. § Originally: Athenian inventor and architect who created the wooden cow for Queen Pasiphae as well as the Labyrinth at Knossos and the wings for he and his son to escape from it. 15. Daphne § HP: Hogwarts student. § Originally: Daughter of a river god whom Apollo lusted after, she ran from him, calling out to her father for help and he turned her into a laurel tree. Apollo then claimed the tree as his own and the laurel tree is still one of his symbols. 16. Galatea § HP: Galatea Merrythought, the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor at Hogwarts who retired while Tom Riddle was there. § Originally: Two Galatea's. The first was one of the 50 Nereid’s and beloved by two men, Acis and Polyphemus; Polyphemus killed Acis out of jealousy and from his blood, Galatea created the river Acis in Sicily. The other was a statue carved in ivory by Pygmalion who fell in love with the statue and begged Aphrodite to bring her to life; Aphrodite, flattered that the statue bore a resemblance to her, granted his wish. 17. Giants § See General Folklore. 18. Griffin § See General Folklore. 19. Hector § HP: Hector Dagworth-Granger, Founder of the Most Extraordinary Society of Potioneers. § Originally: Brother of Paris, of Troy. One of the key players in the Trojan War. 20. Helios/Heliopath § HP: Heliopaths are fire spirits which are considered mythological even in the wizarding world. § Originally: Helios/Helius was the Greek God of the Sun. 21. Hermes § HP: Percy's Owl (Owls are used as a mail/post system to send messages to other wizards and witches.) § Originally: Messenger God. Usually portrayed with winged sandals. 22. Hermione § HP: One of the main characters, one of Harry's best friends, very clever and academic. § Originally: Daughter of Helen and Menelaus. 23. Hestia § HP: Hestia Jones, member of the Order of the Phoenix. § Originally: Gentle goddess of domestic life, a virgin. 24. Hippocampus § HP: Creature with the head and front legs of a horse and the body and tail of a fish. § Originally: A sea creature which had the front half of a horse and rear half of a fish or dolphin. Poseidon’s chariot was pulled by one. 25. Janus § HP: Janus Thickey, Wizard who faked his own death to leave his family for the woman he loved. § Originally: Roman god of beginnings and endings, doors and gates. Depicted with a double-faced head looking in opposite directions. Also represents transitions between primitive and civilized life, country side and city, war and peace, and child and adult. 26. Luna § HP: Unpopular, dreamy, eccentric Hogwarts student who makes friends with Harry and his friends even though they think she's a bit weird. § Originally: Roman name for Selene, the moon goddess. 27. Minerva § HP: Minerva McGonagall, Professor of Transfiguration, later becomes Headmistress of Hogwarts. § Originally: Roman name for Athena, goddess of wisdom, war, justice and skill. The virgin goddess and Zeus' favorite child. One of three who can resist the charms and spells of Aphrodite. 28. Narcissus/Narcissia § HP: Narcissia Malfoy, Draco's mother. § Originally: Narcissus fell in love with his own reflection in the water, unable to pull himself away, he eventually died and a flower grew in his place. 29. Phoenix § HP: Dumbledore's loyal bird who bursts into flames and is reborn from its own ashes. § Originally: Lives in Arabia near a cool well; there exists only one at a time. Each morning at dawn, it sings a song so beautiful that the sun god stops his chariot to listen. When it feels death approaching, it builds a nest of aromatic wood and sets it on fire, burning with it until a new Phoenix arises from the pyre. 30. Pomona § HP: Pomona Sprout, Professor of Herbology at Hogwarts. § Originally: Goddess of fruit trees, her attribute is the pruning knife. 31. Sibyl/Sibyll § HP: Sibyll Trelawney, Professor of Divinations at Hogwarts. Most of the time she makes fake predictions but once in a while has a true seeing without even realizing it. § Originally: Sibyl was a prophetess under influence of Apollo. 32. Sirens/Veelas § HP: Veelas are beautiful women with silver hair who put men into a trance-like state with their mesmerizing singing. Siren is also an alternative name for Merpeople (See General Folklore). § Originally: Creatures with the head of a woman and body of a bird who live on an island and lure mariners into the rocks with the irresistible charm of their song. 33. Sphinx § HP: Winged lion who presents a riddle at the end of the Triwizdarding Tournament. § Originally: A female demon of death, destruction, and bad luck depicted sometimes as a winged lion with a woman’s head and sometimes also with a female breast and snake tail. Sat on the high rocks of Thebes and posed this riddle to those who passed: "What animal is that which in the morning goes on four feet, at noon on two, and in the evening upon three?” Those who could not answer correctly where strangled. Only Oedipus answered correctly: "A Man, who in childhood creeps on hands and knees, in manhood walks erect, and in old age with the aid of a staff." The Sphinx was so distraught that her riddle was solved, she threw herself off the rocks and died.
H. Middle Eastern Mythology 1. Ghouls § HP: A fairly harmless but ugly and slimy creature that lives in attics and barns, eating insects. It will sometimes moan or throw things around but poses no real danger to humans. § Originally: The origin is disputed but has roots in Arabic and Persian folklore. It is a monster or demon that dwells in graveyards or the desert and sometimes has the ability to take the form of an animal. They rob graves and eat the flesh of the dead. The Arabic Ghoul is the personification of the terror of the desert.
I. Norse Mythology 1. Elves § See General Folklore. 2. Fenrir § HP: Evil werewolf who purposely sets out to bite people while still in human form. § Originally: Wolf monster; eldest child of Loki and giantess Angrboda who is imprisoned with the magic chains of Dwarf-made soft thin ribbons called Gleipnir because it is prophesized he will be responsible for the destruction of the world. On the day of Ragnarok ("Doom of the gods"), Fenrir will break free, eat Odin (King of the Gods) and then be killed by Odin's son, Vidar. 3. Giants § See General Folklore.
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