31 Monsters!
Oct. 12th, 2010 08:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
vivienWe are back to a North American monster - the Underwater Panther, a powerful underworld being of Native American tribes.
According to Wikipedia:
Underwater panthers were powerful creatures in the mythological traditions of some Native American tribes, particularly tribes of the Great Lakes region. In Ojibwe, the creature is sometimes called Mishibizhiw ("Mishipizhiw", "Mishipizheu", "Mishupishu", "Mishepishu"), which translates as "Great Lynx," or Gichi-anami'e-bizhiw ("Gitche-anahmi-bezheu"), which translates as "the fabulous night panther."
"The fabulous night panther". That is a fabulous translation. (I am not mocking; I honestly love this translation.)
The underwater panther was an amalgam of features from many animals: the horns of deer or bison; snake scales; bird feathers; the body and tail of a mountain lion; and parts from other animals as well, depending on the particular myth.
Mishipizheu were said to live in the deepest parts of lakes and rivers. Some traditions believed the underwater panthers to be helpful, protective creatures, but more often they were viewed as malevolent beasts that brought death and misfortune.
According to Wikipedia:
Underwater panthers were powerful creatures in the mythological traditions of some Native American tribes, particularly tribes of the Great Lakes region. In Ojibwe, the creature is sometimes called Mishibizhiw ("Mishipizhiw", "Mishipizheu", "Mishupishu", "Mishepishu"), which translates as "Great Lynx," or Gichi-anami'e-bizhiw ("Gitche-anahmi-bezheu"), which translates as "the fabulous night panther."
"The fabulous night panther". That is a fabulous translation. (I am not mocking; I honestly love this translation.)
The underwater panther was an amalgam of features from many animals: the horns of deer or bison; snake scales; bird feathers; the body and tail of a mountain lion; and parts from other animals as well, depending on the particular myth.
Mishipizheu were said to live in the deepest parts of lakes and rivers. Some traditions believed the underwater panthers to be helpful, protective creatures, but more often they were viewed as malevolent beasts that brought death and misfortune.