CHO’OS SHYON
Cho’os Shyon is one of the eight giants of Buddhist Tibet who are known in India as the Dharmapalas or protectors of the dharma (teachings.) They are inimical to all enemies of Buddhism and protect the faithful.
CHORTI
In Guatamalan folklore, the Chorti is a gigantic wild man whose metal-clawed feet are backwards-pointing. The Yaqui of Mexico know of a similar giant creature who roams the uninhabited wastelands. Like Sasquatch and Yeti, he may be a memory of creatures who are the missing link between humans and animals.
CH’OU T’I
In Chinese mythology, Ch’ou T’i is a beast with a head at each end of its body. This creature is very like the Amphisbaena.
CHRYSOMALLUS
In Greek mythology, this is the name given to the flying ram with the Golden Fleece.
CHUDO-YUDO
In Russian folklore, Chudo-Yudo was the many-headed, fire-breathing dragon who is a child of Baba Yaga. Its brother was Koshchei the Deathless. It controlled the Waters of Life and Death.
CHUPACABRAS
This vampire animal, also known as the Goatsucker, has been reported since the mid-1990s throughout Latin America, especially round Mexico and on the island of Puerto Rico. There are a variety of reported descriptions: one is that of a lizard-like being with greenish skin and dorsal spines, standing 3–4-ft high, with a long nose and forked tongue, that hops like a kangaroo; another says that it hops like a kangaroo but has coarse grey fur and facial hair, and the head of a dog with long teeth; a third description is that of a hairless wild dog with a high dorsal ridge, deep eye sockets, long teeth and claws. Further reports say the Chupacabras is covered with black hair, has red eyes and bat-like wings, or that it can crawl on all fours and stand upright like a prairie dog. They move remarkably quickly and some say that it has basilisk-like eyes that paralyse its prey.
The Chupacapras sucks the blood of livestock such as goats, horses, fowl and cattle. Sudden animal deaths are laid at its door, especially if two puncture wounds are found on their necks. In July 2004, a Texas rancher killed a hairless, dog-like creature that was attacking his livestock. Skeletal analysis of the creature is proceeding at the University of California. The Chupacabras may originate from Central American aboriginal myths concerning the ‘mosquito-man’ who sucks blood from animals through his long nose, just like a mosquito. (See Cryptozoology.)
CICADA
The cicada has been symbolic in many cultures. In Greek mythology, it is sacred to Apollo because of the way it pours out its song. The cicada came into being from the man Tithonous who obtained immortality – but forgot to ask for eternal youth to accompany it. Out of pity, he was changed into a cicada. Because they are so often associated with immortality, it was bad luck to kill one. Perhaps due to its incessant song, some say that the cicada is the representative of all bad and garrulous poets. It was also believed that cicadas lived on dew alone and were bloodless. In China, cicadas were kept in cages as pets. They were symbols of temperance, immortality and eternal youth, and jade cicadas were put into the mouth of the dead to signify immortality. Among the Polynesian peoples, it was believed that no one should make a noise while the cicada was making its song.
According to the Andamanese Islanders in the Bay of Bengal, the Cicada was killed by the great hunting spider, Da Tengat. As he crushed the Cicada to death its dying shrill cry sounded, and the first darkness fell. All the creatures were terrified and they began to sing in order to make the Cicada sing once again. Da Tengat lit the darkness by showing his people how to make torches from resin. Finally, all their torches caused the dawn to come again. From that time onwards, day has followed night and night day. The Andamanese still dance into the night, believing that their dances cause the sun to rise again.
CIGOUAVE
In the Haitian Vodun tradition, the Cigouave has the body of a lion or panther with the head of a human. The story seems to have taken root in Haiti through the missionaries who transferred tales of the Manticore to this island.
CINNAMOLOGUS
In Arabia, the Cinnamon Bird built its nests in the tallest stems of the cinnamon tree. Men prized these nests but could not take them because the stems were too fragile, so they aimed at them with arrows loaded with lead and sold the Cinnamologus’s nest to those hungry for spice.
CIPACTLI
In Aztec mythology, this fish-like crocodile was the primordial sea monster out of which the gods created the Earth. The god Tezcatlipoca sacrificed his foot to Cipactli in order to help form the Earth itself.
CIRCHOS
In Scandinavian folklore, the Circhos is a sea creature that looks like a man with three toes on each foot. It has legs of disproportionate lengths which make its progress through the waters very difficult. It has to cling to rocks when the weather is rough and can only move when the water is calm. Its skin has black and red markings.
CIREIN CROIN
In Scottish folklore, the Cirein Croin (‘Grey Crest’) is a massive sea serpent, so huge that it can swallow whales. It is also known as Curtag Mhòr a’Chuain (‘the Great Ocean Whirlpool’).
CIUDACH
In Scottish tradition, the Ciudach was a cannibalistic monster that inhabited the deep caverns of mountains. It shares a name with a giant from Roscommon in Ireland, who may be the same being. The giant Ciudach came to Scotland following the deep declivity of the Great Glen, as did the Loch Ness Monster.
CIVATATEO
In Mexican folklore, the Civatateo were the deadly white vampires who served the gods. They were once noblewomen who died in childbirth and returned to Earth with all the powers of priestesses. They are recognizable by the death’s head which is printed on their clothes or tattooed on their flesh. They lurk in churches and holy places, and stalk travellers at crossroads.
CIVET
Lady Civet was the wife of the first man, according to the Andamanese Islanders in the Bay of Bengal. She changed some ancestors into pigs, just as Circe did to Odysseus’ men. The pigs jumped into the sea and became dugongs.
CLURICAUNE
In Irish folklore, the Cluricaune is a household fairy. It lives a solitary existence and shares the characteristics of the leprechaun. Cluricaunes have a wizened appearance and are dressed in green. In fact, they dress rather better than the average brownie might since they do little work and looked spruced up ready for a good weekend, with silver shoe buckles, silk stockings and a fine hat. Cluricaune