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Mythos:
Though it has not been remembered as well as other mythical creatures like Gryphons or Unicorns, the Amphisbaena was one of the most feared and respected serpents of its day. The first Amphisbaenas sprang up from the earth when the mutagenic blood of Medusa's severed head dripped onto the desert sands as Perseus and Pegasus transported it back to the King. These primordial Amphisbaena were two-headed snakes, one on either end of the body, each filled with deadly venom. The Amphisbaena could strike with either head, and readily retreat or advance in either direction without turning its body, making it an unpredictable and dangerous foe. Indeed, its name means to go both ways. Centuries later, the Roman general Cato would later encounter the Gorgon's spawn as they marched across desert in their African campaign. The vicious serpents decimated Cato's legions, and brought tales of the creatures back to Europe. By the time of the Middle Ages, the offspring of the first horde had mutated into a variety of dragonic forms, often sprouting the bird-like wings and beast-like paws to add to its natural arsenal. Despite its deadly reputation, adventures sought to slay or capture Amphisbaenas because their hides and flesh were said to have great healing power, much like the horn of the Unicorn. And like the Unicorn, the Amphisbaena was able to use its healing power when it was alive, even able to reattach its own limbs, including either head, if severed.
Though it has not been remembered as well as other mythical creatures like Gryphons or Unicorns, the Amphisbaena was one of the most feared and respected serpents of its day. The first Amphisbaenas sprang up from the earth when the mutagenic blood of Medusa's severed head dripped onto the desert sands as Perseus and Pegasus transported it back to the King. These primordial Amphisbaena were two-headed snakes, one on either end of the body, each filled with deadly venom. The Amphisbaena could strike with either head, and readily retreat or advance in either direction without turning its body, making it an unpredictable and dangerous foe. Indeed, its name means to go both ways. Centuries later, the Roman general Cato would later encounter the Gorgon's spawn as they marched across desert in their African campaign. The vicious serpents decimated Cato's legions, and brought tales of the creatures back to Europe. By the time of the Middle Ages, the offspring of the first horde had mutated into a variety of dragonic forms, often sprouting the bird-like wings and beast-like paws to add to its natural arsenal. Despite its deadly reputation, adventures sought to slay or capture Amphisbaenas because their hides and flesh were said to have great healing power, much like the horn of the Unicorn. And like the Unicorn, the Amphisbaena was able to use its healing power when it was alive, even able to reattach its own limbs, including either head, if severed.
Insight:
I first heard of the Amphisbaena in Eric Carle's "Dragons, Dragons", a collection of fantasy creature themed poems. As a kid, the boundaries between mythical creatures like dragons, made creatures like godzilla and real creatures like T-rex was a little hard to understand, so I was a little surprised to find the Amphisbaena again when I started studying mythical creatures as an adult. Interestingly, the Ancient Greeks who "invented" or "discovered" the Amphisbaena thought of it as a snake, but medieval artists gave it a much more monsterous appearance, which struck me as super cool. This is actually true of plain dragons too, the older Greek and Roman descriptions will make them much more serpent-like, while medieval authors made them more beast-like. It seems like Amphisbaenas were just as popular in medieval times as favorites like dragons, gryphons and unicorns, but for some reason, the Amphisbaena was forgotten, possibly because people decided that the legends referred to the real-life worm-lizard.
I first heard of the Amphisbaena in Eric Carle's "Dragons, Dragons", a collection of fantasy creature themed poems. As a kid, the boundaries between mythical creatures like dragons, made creatures like godzilla and real creatures like T-rex was a little hard to understand, so I was a little surprised to find the Amphisbaena again when I started studying mythical creatures as an adult. Interestingly, the Ancient Greeks who "invented" or "discovered" the Amphisbaena thought of it as a snake, but medieval artists gave it a much more monsterous appearance, which struck me as super cool. This is actually true of plain dragons too, the older Greek and Roman descriptions will make them much more serpent-like, while medieval authors made them more beast-like. It seems like Amphisbaenas were just as popular in medieval times as favorites like dragons, gryphons and unicorns, but for some reason, the Amphisbaena was forgotten, possibly because people decided that the legends referred to the real-life worm-lizard.