Class D Nature Spirits: The Hybrids

Hybrids are, of course a mix of two different animals, or a mix of a human or an animal. Sometimes they can be the combination of several animals with the head of one, legs of another, torso of yet another and a tail thrown in for good measure. the Hybrids are intriguing, because they fall into several categories of history. All mythology has hybrids. The Ancient Egyptians worshipped gods that had bodies of humans and heads of animals. The Ancient Greeks often tell us about the stories of gods disguised as animals (or women bewitched to be seduced by animals) impregnating mortal women and the women giving birth to unusual hybrid creatures. People who angered the gods were often turned to hybrids as well. Regardless of origin, the hybrids were usually quite dangerous. The Minotaur, Medusa, Sphinx, Harpies, Satrys and Centaurs were not very pleasant to be around. Add the decline of paganism and the birth of Christianity and the hybrid becomes more than a monster, it's now a demon, usually a mix of human, serpent and goat. More powerful (now immortal) but very similar to the Greek hybrid.

When I began thinking about the hybrid, I wanted to stir the boat down the middle of the stream, so to speak, not getting to Demons (there’s a separate department for that) or mythology. There are still stories that people talk of today that appear to be hybrid creatures. Therefore my main goal is to discuss the hybrids that tend to fall under the nature spirit department.

Similar to demons in both reputation and appearance (but not servants of Satan), hybrids do tend to have a dark quality about them. Many of them fall under death omens, and some kill on contact.

Basilisk:
Origin: Greece, associated with fire

Appearance: The original description of the Basilisk was written by Pliny the Younger in 77 B.C. Originally more serpentine, the description became more rooster/serpant mixed by the medieval period. The Basilisk has the head and body of a large snake, a comb on its head like a rooster, with arms or feathered wings. It also has sharp claws and a beak. Its appearance looks almost like a form of a dinosaur with a cock’s head. It is highly dangerous and poisonous. Some accounts tell of this being turning people to stone at first glance.

Gender: Neutral, reproduces very rarely

Personality: Dislikes human contact and is very ferocious. It has the personality of any other snake, meaning it will kill for prey or self-defense but tends not to see victims out to kill for sport.

Relatives: Any of the many serpentine hybrids.

Human Interaction: A basilisk will instantly kill a human being due to their highly poisonous bodies. Few animals can kill a Basilisk, including the crow, rooster and mongoose. The Basilisk is terrified of snakes.


Erdluitle:
Origin: Switzerland, associated with Earth

Appearance: Hybrids of small men and ducks. Though generally look like dwarfs except for their large duck feet. To cover up their embarrassing webbed feet they wear long cloaks with hoods to try their best to keep their feet hidden.

Gender: Both, The males are called Hardmandlene, the females are called Erbiberli

Personality: They used to be helpful, but now bitter in addition to sensitive

Relations: Generally any of the dwarf species, though their not hybrids.

Human Interaction: They used to assist with farming, but nowadays seem do dislike humans, some believe their race is dying out or they no longer leave the Astral world.

Fir Darrigs:
Origin: Ireland, associated with Water

Appearance: Hybrids between humans and rats, they’re also known as “Rat Boys”. they have long course grey hair, yellowish hairy skin, long snouts, skinny tails and are rather fat and squat. They dress in red, including a hat and cape. Their clothing is filthy, shabby, ripped and smelly. They carry walking sticks topped with skulls and sometimes have pipes.

Gender: Male

Personality: Scavengers. They have a very dark sense of humor, and are morbidly obsessed with death and bizarre death rituals. They relish the smell of rotting flesh and rotting carrion is their favorite food, though they have been known to feast on the occasional human. They love sewage and pollution and make their homes by polluted bodies of water.

Relations: Thought to be related to the Formodians, a race of banished Irish water spirits.

Human Interaction: The Fir Darrigs have been known to knock on a family’s door ask to warm itself by a fire. If this happens, it’s best to be very polite to him. He will offer to grant a wish, but in his dark sense of humor will tend to grant it with a negative twist. Some say if a human can put up with his teasing he will give good luck.


Gitto:
Origin: Wales, associated with air

Appearance: The Gitto have the heads of horses and the bodies of goats. They are able to communicate in human language. Despite being wingless they can fly short distances.

Gender: Neutral

Personality: They Gitto are very malevolent. They are known to steal harvests and cause physical harm to farmers. They aren’t very intelligent so they are rarely able to figure out how to cause harm.

Relatives: Cousins to the Phookas of Ireland

Human Interaction: The Gitto can and will harm and even kill a human, but this is rare since they are generally unable to figure out how to cause physical damage. They aren’t very smart.


Glashtin:
Origin: The Isle of Man, associated with Air

Appearance: The Glashtin is a hybrid that’s half cow and half horse

Gender: Male

Personality: The Glashtin come in two varieties. The ones with a cow’s head and hoses body are generally harmless and stupid, but the ones with the horse head and cow body are very clever and manipulative. They get very riled up with thunderstorms, and locals do hear them howling as a storm approaches.

Relatives: Another relative of the Irish Phooka

Human Interaction: The Glashtin that looks more horse-like tries to drown humans. There have been accounts where humans have tried to mount these beings, and the rider gets flipped into the nearby lake and drowned.
Here is an excerpt from Folklore of The Isle of Man by A. W. Moore, 1891

“In 1859 it was reported that an animal of this kind was to be seen in a field near Ballure Glen, and hundreds of people left Ramsey in order to catch a sight of it, but they were doomed to disappointment. The people about Glen Meay believed that the glen below the wateffall was haunted by the spirit of a man who one day met the Glashtin, or Cabbyl-Ushtey, and, thinking it was an ordinary horse, got upon its back, when it ran off and disappeared in the sea, and the rider was drowned.”

Glaistig:
Origin: Scotland, associated with water

Appearance: The Glaistig is a woman made up of all animal parts. From a distance this cant be seen, she actually looks quite attractive. However, up close she’s a collage of four-legged animals like horses cows and goats.
Gender: Female

Personality: Mainly vengeful and hateful, but with some exceptions depending on human age and gender.

Relations: The Lorelei, who lures sailors to their deaths by enchanted singing

Human Interaction: For woman and children, Glaistig is caring and nurturing, but she will kill an adult man instantly. She kills by draining all blood from her victims like a vampire.


Grant:
Origin: England

Appearance: The Grant looks like a small horse but walks upright. He’s a cross between a human (in personality and mannerisms) and horse in appearance.

Gender: Male

Personality: While disturbing to look at, the Grant is not an evil creature. He warns on danger by walking down the streets of small villages during sundown. There have been documented sightings of him, the frist recorded in the year 1212 by Gervaise of Tilbury. The sightings were of a strange foal-like creature which made every dog in the village bark furiously. More recently many people claimed to have seen him right before air raids during WWII.

Relations: Many nature spirits warn of impending danger or death

Human Interaction: The Grant is friendly, and “adopts” English villages. It is said he will not only warn villagers of impending danger, but will also protect villages against enemy attacks.

Gremlins:
Origin: Germany, associated with Air

Appearance: Gremlins may be more of an encompassing of a group of nature creatures rather than one type, since many different appearances have been seen. They have been described as a mix of a bull-terrier/jack rabbit, human/goat, or a mixture of a bunch of animals and human. They usually have large ears, leather-like bodies, and big, yellow eyes. They also wear clothes similar to pilots, like black leather boots or leather-like jackets, usually red. They range from about 6” tall to over 4 feet.

Gender: Both, but females are called Fifenellas.

Personality: These creatures are almost always associated with flight. They have a fascination with airplanes and the mechanics behind them. On one hand, they are accredited with preventing planes from crashing by assisting pilots, but on the other they are well known for pulling wires out of planes, puncturing gas tanks and drinking fuel, icing wings, starting fires and even jumping on windshields terrifying pilots so the planes would crash. Nowadays some accredit them with fooling around with modern home appliances like VCRs and microwaves.

Relatives: They share the personality and the obsession with technology with the Tommyknocker, who destroy equipment in mines.

Human Interaction: Gremlins began being documented during WWII, with documented cases of planed being torn apart with no apparent cause. These reports were from both the Allies and the Axis. However, there were a few accounts of gremlins prior to this time. In 1927, Charles Lindburgh, on his solo flight across the Atlantic, reported seeing strange creatures in his cabin. However, they spoke to Lindburgh about navigation and encouraged his flight. More can be read about his experiences in his book Spirit of St. Louis, published in 1953. Other cases have been reported by military and civilian pilots who have claimed to experienced creatures assisting them to land safely, so it appears not all gremlins tear planes apart.


Ieles:
Origin: Eastern Europe, associated with Earth

Appearance: Human/Cat mixed creatures. They walk on hind legs. They are rather large.

Gender: undetermined

Personality: Malicious. They seek out their victims by singing and attach and kill immediantly.

Relations: The Lorelei, who lures victims to their deaths by singing.

Human Interaction: The Ieles is one of the most dangerous hybrids a human can encounter. They kill like vampires, draining their victims of blood. They are found at abandoned crossroads, but can not attack anyone who is standing on a intersection of a crossroads. They will, however, try to lure a victim off the crossroads with enchanted singing.


Kelpies:
Origin: Scotland, associated with water

Appearance: The cross between a horse, waterfowl and a wildcat. They tend to look more like horses, but they have the sharp teeth of a wildcat. Males look generally gray with dark manes and females are usually white or pinkish. They are always seen by water and have webbed feet like a duck.

Gender: both

Personality: Aloof and antisocial, not even interacting with each other unless to mate. There are no documented cases or kelpies being benevolent. They do tend to only interact with wild mortal hoses.

Relations: The Glashtin, who will drown those who attempt to mount them.

Human Interaction: Kelpies are very dangerous to humans. Kelpies are rarely seen anymore, but are easily spotted among wild horses due to their golden bridles. If mounted, the kelpie will dive into the nearest body of water thus drowning the rider. There is another dangerous aspect to the kelpie. They can shapeshift into attractive humans and lure humans into their lair to either become an unwilling mating partner or a meal. They are known to eat humans.


Mermaids/Mermen:
Origin: accounts are world-wide, associated with water

Appearance: Usually human from the waist up looking like a beautiful female or handsome male but a fish from the waist down. Sometimes males have two “tails” each that start as thighs and each end as fishtails. Some accounts state that females are always beautiful but males are extremely unattractive, leaving the female to desire a human mate. Often their skin is transparent, but can also have a foam green tint to it, and hair can be green or blue as well. Males often have long beards.

Gender: Both, but no sightings of children have ever been documented.

Personality: Females are seductive, yet somewhat manipulative. Mermaids can also be very easy going and aren’t angered easily. Males can be somewhat quick to anger and both will attack anyone polluting their natural dwelling. They are very protective of marine life. They also guard the treasures of the deep, and historically have been the servants of the Greek god Poseidon.

Relations: The Undines, magical water spirits used in paganism

Human Interaction: Females tend to socialize more with humans than males, mainly because mermen aren’t interested in human women, but mermaids are interested in human men as sex partners. Some say this is due to a stronger genetic pool in human men necessary to repopulate their race. Mermaids also warn human sailors of shipwrecks and have been known to save humans from drowning. These experiences have resulted in vast documentation of mermaid sightings and interaction.


Moss People:
Origin: Germanic Islands, associated with earth

Appearance: Mostly human looking with wispy-like bodies, and large, butterfly wings. They are the colors of the foliage of the woods and camouflage into the woodland unable to be physically seen.

Gender: male and female

Personality: shy and timid. Tend to hide in dense woodlands with little interaction with humans.

Relations: The Wilde Frauen, or wild women, of Germany

Human Interaction: The Moss people are very timid and shy, but have been known to approach craftsmen to borrow a tool. They are good luck to have around and if their environment stays clean they will continue to bring good luck. They are grateful for the occasional offering of fresh cream. They never harm humans, but have difficulty trusting strangers.


Nucklelavees:
Origin: Scotland, associated with water

Appearance: Half-human, half-horse with fins for feet. They have black blood. They are also shape-shifters, but their not very good at this with their shape-shifts usually bloated, ugly and distorted. In addition they smell like bad eggs. They live in lakes and bogs.

Gender: Male

Personality: Very malicious. They attack and kill other fairies, but rarely catch their pray because their smell serves as ample warning.

Relations: The Glashtin is a similar hybrid with a nasty disposition.

Human Interaction: Usually humans are long gone by the time Nucklelavees approaches due to the foul smell. They will kill humans. However, they can’t cross water so a person can easily be saved by crossing a river or stream.


Phookas:
Origin: Ireland, associated with Air

Appearance: Phooka appears as a human/goat hybrid, but may have some characteristics of a horse or eagle. Generally he has the body of a thin man, with the head of a goat, horns of a mountain goat, pupil-less eyes that glow red or yellow, and a black beard.

Gender: Male

Personality: malevolent and destructive. They get along with no one, and even fight with each other.

Relations: The Welsh Gitto, who also steal crops and cattle

Human Interaction: Phookas are very dangerous to humans, let alone anyone else they encounter. They are known to steal potato crops, kill and mutilate cattle. They also tend to steal babies. Phookas are known to slide down chimneys, steal babies and leave changelings. Also, they are known to mutilate aircraft. They do attack humans, but accounts state the majority of people they attack are lazy or drunk.

Selkies:
Origin: Scotland, associated with Water

Appearance: Hybrid of human and seal. They generally appear as seals with human features. However, they can shed their seal skins and appear completely as attractive humans.

Gender: both

Personality: Self-centered, mysterious and skilled in magic.

Relations: The merpeople, since they both tend to use humans for mates, though Selkies can not kidnap humans, they need to persuade them to come back to the sea with them

Human Interaction: Apparantly the main interest in the Selkies regarding humans is to persuade them to return to their lair as mates. They never stay with one human mate, and when they leave the human mate the human will pine away from a broken heart. Some say the males simple come to shore, mate with human women and return to the sea with their hybrid children.


Urusks:
Origin: Scotland

Appearance: Human-like, but with a mixture of goat and fowl. These creatures are extremely ugly, with wrinkled faces, patches of hair, feathers, and giant deformed heads. They are quite terrifying, but very friendly and tend to crave companionship. Due to their appearance they are usually alone but very lonely.

Gender: male

Personality: Intelligent, possibly highly psychic, but little is known about them because when they do approach humans, people usually run away terrified.

Relations: The Gruaghach , a female who is also very ugly but kind and helpful.

Human Interaction: Urusks crave human companionship, but few humans can tolerate their horrible appearance. If a person can get past their looks, they can learn a lot from this nature spirit.

Wag-By-The-Way:
Origin: Scotland Lowlands, associated with Earth

Appearance: Dwarf, but somewhat smaller and a mixture of a house cat. He has a tail that reacts the way a domestic cats would, meaning it wags profusely when angry. He’s also covered in soot.

Gender: Male

Personality: Very friendly and protective. He’s associated with the older noble families of Scotland, and used to guard the byways of the Lowlands.

Relations: The Scottish house Brownie

Human Interaction: He adapts to a home quite easily, and is generally loved by the family that takes him in. Families of the Lowlands used to take all the pans out of the hearth to give him some room to get warm. Despite his loyalty to his adopted family, he’s not very friendly to visitors. He’s been known to throw things at guests.