Topic Research: Hybrid Creatures

 I have decided to focus my story on hybrid creatures! I will include stories/details about mermaids, the most popular of all the hybrid creatures, but also on more obscure hybrid creatures! I plan on focusing on a faun, which is the hybrid creature that Mr. Tumnus is in the Narnia series. I also plan to focus on Harpy, a combination of a human and a bird.

Mermaids: Mermaids are portrayed in two very different ways. In some stories, they are kind and beautiful like The Little Mermaid, in other stories like Harry Potter: The Goblet of Fire, they are a bit more scary and not so nice. I personally like to think of them as beautiful and kind, but I will also do research on the more evil side. According to wikipedia, depending on which culture's myths you are reading, mermaids can be formed in many ways. I find this very interesting, and would love to look into how their formation plays into the kind of character they end up portraying in the story.

Faun: I've always loved Mr. Tumnus is Narnia, but I know their origin stems from much further back in time. According to Wikipedia, the Romans believe that a Faun's purpose is to guide humans in need. This is how Mr. Tumnus was in Narnia! Fauns are also the subject of many art pieces. I feel it would be interesting to explore why the artist included a Faun in their artwork and what they are supposed to mean.

Harpy: A Harpy is in my opinion, the most obscure hybrid creature of the these three. I can't necessarily think off the top of my head anything that a Harpy is included in. They are sometimes described as being very beautiful and other times in detailed ugliness, according to Wikipedia. Wikipedia even lists them as one of the guardians of the underworld in Greek Mythology! Before research, I figured they were similar to angels, but it will be exciting to explore their dark origin.

Here is a Faun depicted in Faun and goat, Ludwig Knaus (1829 – 1910). I like this picture as it shows a child Faun and a full blood goat.