Throughout time, many stories have been told of the mystical and magical creatures that may or may not exist. While most mythical creatures probably don’t exist, their features and attributes are usually based on real life animals that either used to exist, or still do to this day.
Sea Serpents
Many maritime myths tell of a terrifying and giant sea serpent creature. While sailors are known for story telling abilities, this one is most likely based in some truth. Deep in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Mediterranean oceans lies the massive oarfish. This is the world’s largest bony fish, capable of growing more than 30ft, and could explain what sea-farers of ancient times were seeing.
Dragons
The myth of dragons might come from a couple different animals. Snakes and dinosaur fossils may have played a part. Dragons have taken different forms in different cultures. In Chinese depictions, dragons are typically wingless, snake-like creatures, most likely stemming from how cautious people have been regarding snakes throughout time. The word dragon comes from the Greek word drakōn, which means ‘serpent’.
As dinosaur fossils were found throughout history, there’s a chance they may have helped shape the idea of the European dragon and fueled this myth. One could see where the winged, reptilian dragon looks similar to some dinosaurs.
Mermaids
Tales of half-human, half-fish beings of the sea have been told before written record. It’s often said that the myth of mermaids and sirens came from manatees and dugongs. The order that these two species belong to is even called Sirenia for that reason. These animals tend to have human-like qualities such as being able to turn their heads, flippers with finger-like bones, and the way they sometimes appear upright as they float around.
Unicorns
It seems that the myth of the unicorn might have developed because of a couple different animals. The rhinoceros and narwhal might have inspired these tales. In ancient Greece, a physician named Ctesias had heard of stories about strange beasts inhabiting what we know today as India. He gives an account of a one horned horse-like animal, whose horn was believed to have medicinal properties. This is later assumed to be the Indian rhinoceros, but at the time, was thought to maybe be a unicorn.
As time went on, the idea of the unicorn changed when narwhal tusks began being sold on the European market in the Middle Ages. Narwhals were hunted, and their tusks were sold to rich Europeans who knew nothing of this animal. Therefore, they thought these tusks were actually unicorn horns! Eventually, the myth of the unicorn evolved into what we see them depicted like today.
Kraken
The Kraken is a mythical creature in Scandinavian and Norse culture, but other cultures have tales of a tentacled monster as well. This giant cephalopod being was said to attack ships. These myths most likely come from the giant squid, the colossal squid, or the giant Pacific octopus. There’s still so much unknown about these awesome animals as they are deep sea dwelling and pretty elusive. That air of mystery around them is even more reason to suspect them of inspiring stories about scary sea monsters.
Overall, there are many more mythical beings that may be inspired by extinct or extant animals throughout various cultures. While these are just a few, there are several more out there for you to discover!
Sources
https://oceanconservancy.org/blog/2023/11/08/oarfish-known-doomsday-fish/
https://seahistory.org/sea-history-for-kids/oarfish-harmless-fish-or-deadly-sea-serpent/
https://shc.stanford.edu/stanford-humanities-center/news/dinosaurs-and-dragons-oh-my
https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/inspire-me/blog/articles/dragons-and-their-origins/
https://www.si.edu/collections/snapshot/mermaid-or-manatee
https://www.cshwhalingmuseum.org/blog/from-narwhals-to-unicorns
*Published by Sara Edwards on 10/18/2025*