I, Zeb the Duck, saw Mythic Creatures at Denver’s Museum of Nature and Science.

This is a special exhibit through September 7, 2015.   It is good; don’t miss this one.   This is the Kraken.

Hundreds of years ago, European sailors told of a sea monster called a kraken that could toss ships into the air with its many long arms.   Today we know of a living sea animal, the giant squid, that has eight arms and two tentacles.   It can grow longer than a school bus, but it lives at great depths and is hardly ever seen.     I, Zeb the Duck, may be in love with this mermaid.

This s a Yawkyawk made from fiber, by Marina Murdilnga.

This is an ancient spirit of northern Australia’s aboriginal people.    This spirit that lives in the water, looks similar to a mermaid and has the power to give life.   Some believe a woman can become pregnant just by going near their water home.   This giant Optithecus blacki, lived in southeast Asia for almost a million years, until about 300,000 years ago.

In China fossilized teeth and jaws have been found.    I am sitting by a fossilized jaw bone.    This is a statue of a Griffin.

A griffin is a legendary creature with the body, tail and back legs of a lion.   A griffin has the head and wings of an eagle and has eagle’s talons on the front feet.  The Griffin was thought to be an especially majestic creature.   I liked this unicorn.

In modern fairy tales and stories, the mythic unicorn looks like a white horse with a single long horn on its head.   But in older stories, this fantastic creature has a short, colored horn and the body of a goat.   This is an ivory tusk from an arctic whale called a narwhal.   In the Middle Ages, many believed these tusks to be unicorn horns.

This chupacabra from Mexico lurks in the forest prying on goats and cattle, terrifying local residents.

The chupacabra acts much like a vampire, killing animals by sucking their blood.   The Barong Ket is King of the Spirits and an oversized village guardian for many residents of the island of Bali, Indonesia.

Rangda is the half-goddess, half witch demon queen of Bali who often battles Barong.   Elephant Bird is from Madagascar.

This bird, according to fossils, did exist on the island of Madagascar.   However, even though legend says the bird could pick up elephants, he would not have been able to lift an elephant.   Another problem with the legend:   Elephant bird lived in Madagascar, but elephants never lived in Madagascar.   The fossilized egg, also found in Madagascar is the largest egg ever found.   This is Pegasus, son of the monster Medusa and Poseidon, the god of the sea and of horses.

Of all the mythic creatures that rise from the water, prowl across land, or fly through the air, the dragon is the most famous.

A very impressive dragon.   The Chinese Parade Dragon chases the “Pearl of Wisdom,” a baton carried by the parade leader.

These are just some of the mythic creatures you will see at this exhibit.   We enjoyed our time here and believe you would enjoy it also.   But, go soon.   These mythic creatures are at Denver’s Museum of Nature and Science only until September 7, 2015