A myth is a typical fictional story about a fact or a natural creature and place that people may believe to be accurate or think to be factual. Myths or legends usually have moral lessons. A tale is an attempt to express realities with supernatural affairs. Man has turned to metaphysical interpretations to explain the phenomena he could not rationalize. In other words, people have created legends to make spiritual peace between nature and themselves.
In all legends, brutal and bloodthirsty creatures are fighting for evil. In this article, by introducing the Manticore animal as a legendary violent creature, we will discuss what it is and what purpose Iranian legends had in presenting such a mythical creature. 


manticore

What is A Manticore?

According to Topsell’s History of Four-Footed Beasts and Serpents (1658), the Manticore, or Man-eater, is a legendary creature of the Shimmer species. Shimmers are creatures with a lion's body, a goat's head, and a dragon's or snake's tail. They have different types, such as winged Manticores. This monster has the head and face of a human (mostly male), gray eyes, and a brown body shaped like a lion. Its tail is like a scorpion (and sometimes a dragon). This animal is more significant than a lion and smaller than a horse, and its body is slightly bigger than a lion. So, let's see what is this lion with scorpion tail, according to legends and mythology.


manticore mythical monster

The Manticore According to Legends

In some cultures, myth is defined as "what is imaginary and unreal and has a purely legendary aspect." Still, the mythological should be considered a Minoan story that describes a legend, action, belief, institution, or natural phenomenon, at least a part of which is taken from traditions and narratives and has an inseparable connection with religious rituals and beliefs.
The Manticore Persian mythological creature, also called the Mule, is a legendary animal with the head of a human (often with horns), the body of a lion, and the tail of a dragon or scorpion. So, wherever you see a lion with scorpion tail, it is manticore.

What Is the Manticore in Persian Mythology?

Iran is one of the oldest civilized countries in the world; for this reason, it has had unique legends since ancient times. Iranian legends and Persian mythical creatures are generally for providing moral lessons. For example, the tale of Simurgh or Phoenix teaches people the lessons of unity, integrity, strength, patience, and wisdom.
In ancient Persian mythology, Manticores are known worldwide as a legendary warrior creature with a lion-like body, bat-like wings, and a scorpion-like tail. But sometimes artists imagine horns for this beast or draw his tail like a fireball. As this mythological creature fights for the devil, in Iranian myths, it is an enemy of the Ahura Mazda, the Persian God.

persian mythological manticore

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Manticore Legend's Origin

Manticore is an English word derived from the ancient Persian word Martiyakhvar, the name of a cannibalistic demon. This legend exists now throughout Europe. This Persian creature with a human head (also known as the Marticura) was a mythical animal with the head and face of a human, a lion's body, and a scorpion's tail. In later times, many Europeans recognized it as a symbol of Satan or authoritarian rule.


real manticore monster

Is the Manticore Persian or Greek?

All researchers in the field of mythologies believe that the Manticores are Persian mythological creatures. This Persian creature, part lion and part human, was originally Iranian and was named "Man-eater." From early Middle Persian Martial, "man" (like a human) and Khawar-Khowar- "to eat." So "Manticore" is derived from the Latin "Mantichora," which is a Greek translation of the Persian name "Martichora."
Greeks believe this monster was a gift to the then-king of Persia. It was a present for Artaxerxes II while Ctesias, suited as a physician in his château. It was via this talk and the witnessing of the beast by Ctesias that the myth of the Manticore extended to the rest of the world – considerably Greek.

Manticore Greek Mythology

All mythical creatures may undergo external changes in different parts of the world according to the imagination and culture of the people of each region. Still, in their essence, there are no fundamental changes. According to Ancient Greece, the Manticore is an Iranian mythical creature featured in Greek and medieval books and craft works.
Pausanias, a Greek writer, wrote about the 'Martichoras' with splendid doubt in his textbook, 'Description of Greece.' He believed the great Martichoras was just a tiger. He says that the additional details that spoke of the famed beast's three rows of teeth and scorpion-like tail were nothing more than hyperboles meant to describe the radical demon regarded by anyone who had the mishap of heading into one of the creatures.
Pliny, the other Greek writer of natural history older than Pausanias, comprised the Martichoras Naturalis Historia and multiple animals that exist today in his script.

manticore Greek mythology

Manticore Characteristics

Manticores appear as unusual creatures with these characteristics:

  • Winged lions with human faces, scorpion tails, and mouths with many rows of teeth
  • Usually with bat-like wings
  • An enormous monster, more than 140 feet (42.67 m) in height
  • A human-animal that is malicious and can talk but is not conversational
  • Laying eggs despite the other mammalians
  • Similar to big cats, including cubs
  • The only mob with a combination of several animals
  • Intelligent creatures, often working alongside other evil creatures to bring strife and suffering to the world


Manticore fight

Are Manticores Venomous?

According to legend, this fast, powerful, and predatory beast attacks and devours people with a poisonous bite. During the attack, it humiliates its enemies and offers to kill them quickly and without persecution if they beg.

Standard Practices of the Manticore

Manticores have keen senses and are skilled trackers. They have great strength, ripping claws and fangs, and the power to fly, but their most unusual feature is the ability to whip their tails and launch spikes at their prey. A Marticura usually makes its nest in a distant and barren place where it can find warm meat.

How Do Manticores Hunt?

The hunting method of this legendary creature is first approaching its prey and poisoning it with its poisonous bite, which is the Manticore's tail. After ensuring that the prey is immobilized, the Marticura closes it. It wounds a part of the animal's body till its blood comes out, and the venom of the bite goes out of the victim's body along with that blood. Finally, after the poison leaves the prey's body, the monster sings a song similar to a lullaby for its target and swallows him at once and quickly.

how do manticores hunt

Manticore's Weakness

While not technically an elemental weakness, Manticores are prone to dehydration. These listed elements are very effective at causing it when used correctly. If you want to kill one, follow these three questions:

What Are Manticores Afraid of?

The fire may evaporate the moisture in the area and cause them to dry out.

Can A Manticore Be Overpowered or Killed?

Mules must have very long lives; they may be immortal unless killed. To overpower and kill a Manticore, you must make it dehydrated.

How Was the Manticore Killed?

After it is dehydrated enough and loses all its body's water, it is weak enough to be killed. But if you are not patient enough or are short of time and can't wait to kill this monster, you can use pears or arrows!

baby manticore

Manticore vs. Chimera

Chimera is a mythical creature, like Manticore, from the Shimmer family. Still, they have several differences and some similarities, the most bolds of which are:

  • Chimera is Greek, and Manticore is Persian.
  • Chimera's body is like a goat, while the Persian mythological monster's body is like a lion's.
  • Both of them have scorpion tails.
  • The Chimera is believed to be stronger.
  • The Manticore combines humans and animals, but the body of a Chimera only contains different animals.
  • Some believe that Chimera has two heads: a lion and a goat head.

In the picture below, you can see a sculpture of the manticore on the right and Chimera on the left side. Here, you can easily find manticore vs chimera details.

manticore vs chimera

What is Manticore in Harry Potter?

According to the Harry Potter compendium, Manticores, a wizarding dangerous monster made of a lion, human, and scorpion. It can speak like a human, has senses, and kills with its sting.

What is Manticore in Harry Potter

A Summary about Manticore

You read a brief description of a legendary evil creature called the Manticore, Marticura, or Mule. A hostile monster appears in Percy Jackson's book and film adaptations. There are two versions of the iconic monster in the franchise: one with a human alias called Doctor Thorne in the third book, Titan's Curse, and the other as Luke Castellan's. If you have more information about this legendary creature, please share it by adding a comment.
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See the author's articles
Mahsa Sezavar Yeganeh

Comments (13)

    • Mahsa
    • 2022-09-04 02:57:18
    Legendaries are so unique to me. Please share more articles about mythical creatures.
    • CyrusCrafts
    • 2023-03-04 02:32:19
    Dear Mahsa, Please read the "Simurgh" blog post on the website.
    • Bob
    • 2022-11-05 01:17:27
    Is Manticore something like Simurg?
    • CyrusCrafts
    • 2023-03-04 02:35:48
    Dear Bob, Manticore and Simurg both are Persian mythical creatures, but they have some differences, so we invite you to read the "Simurgh" blog post on the CyrusCrafts website.
    • Lucia
    • 2023-03-03 23:49:40
    Please keep it going! More myths, more legends , more creatures
    • CyrusCrafts
    • 2023-03-04 02:37:56
    Dear Lucia, it would be our pleasure to do what you wish as soon as possible.
    • Edward
    • 2023-04-16 00:33:31
    Is Manticore the lion with horns mythology?
    • CyrusCrafts
    • 2023-10-11 23:26:22
    Dear Edward, in most ancient paintings Manticore doesn't have horns, but still, there may be Manticores with horns.
    • James B.
    • 2023-10-11 23:44:36
    I've seen the Manticore in Harry Potter, and I didn't know that it's a Persian mythology. Please share more mythical stories and creatures.
    • M. Jacobs
    • 2024-03-23 08:12:41
    Do you mean that manticores pass down by getting dried out?
    • Barbara
    • 2024-07-01 07:06:27
    So, the lion body, human head creature is Manticore. It was very interesting to me.
    • Sohraab
    • 2024-09-11 05:47:01
    Can a manticore fly?
    • CyrusCrafts
    • 2024-10-09 06:17:46
    Dear Sohraab, yes. According to the Persian ancients fairy tales, Manticores can fly, too.

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