7 Mythical Creatures That Existed in Real Life
Transcript
00:00 7 Mythical Creatures That Existed In Real Life
00:04 For the most part, myths are stories of old, once told by those who wanted to explain a
00:09 phenomenon or by parents who wanted to scare their kids into good behavior.
00:14 But because we're so much more rational than our ancestors were, we modern humans
00:18 know better than to believe in them.
00:21 Most of us, anyway.
00:22 We're looking at you, Bigfoot hunters.
00:25 But what if you knew that some mythical creatures actually existed?
00:31 Or at least were based on reality?
00:34 How would you feel knowing you're sharing the planet with terrifying vampire-like creatures
00:38 and gigantic deep-sea krakens?
00:40 Well, you're about to find out.
00:43 While most myths are based on nothing but a bag of popcorn, today we're counting
00:48 down 7 mythical creatures that existed in real life.
00:53 Welcome to another episode of Forever Green.
00:55 And if you're wondering whether the werewolf is more than just a legend, then you'll
00:59 definitely want to stick around for number 1.
01:02 Because you'll be terrified.
01:04 Strap in and let's get started.
01:07 Number 7 - Vampire Deers
01:10 The Vampire Deer, a real-life mythical monster.
01:14 Looking like an animal out of a Blade movie, these unique deers grow some pretty scary
01:18 looking teeth.
01:19 The term "vampire deer" is actually a nickname for a Chinese water deer, which,
01:24 despite its name, is mostly to be found in European countries.
01:28 The thought of encountering a blood-sucking deer in the forest is quite unnerving, to
01:32 say the least.
01:33 But, don't fret, these guys couldn't suck your blood even if they wanted to, because
01:38 those teeth are just for show.
01:41 While you'd expect a male deer to grow horns on top of its head, like the rest of the species,
01:46 this specific subspecies of musk deer grows vampire-like fangs from its upper jaw instead.
01:52 Its cute, teddy-like features coupled with those long canine teeth make them look like
01:56 something straight out of a fairy tale.
01:58 These white-bellied musk deer are an endangered species, highly vulnerable due to their prized
02:04 musk pod commonly used as a base note in expensive perfumery.
02:08 There are only a few surviving in the world, meaning these wonderful creatures may soon
02:13 become a myth after all.
02:17 Number 6 - Krakens
02:20 For centuries, people have spun tales of sea monsters with giant tentacles that drag people
02:25 to their doom.
02:26 But, is there any truth to such tentacled fables?
02:30 Supposedly, this mythical octopus lurks in dark waters, just waiting to grab at your
02:35 entire boat with its giant tentacles and drag you down to the depths of the ocean.
02:40 Ancient fishermen said the kraken was roughly the size of a number of small islands.
02:45 But, scientists today are pretty sure the legends are based on very real giant squid.
02:50 The largest of these elusive giants ever found weighed nearly a ton and measured 59 feet
02:55 in length, which is about the length of 10 average humans.
02:59 At least one paleontologist believes he found evidence of Triassic squid that were up to
03:04 100 feet in length, though his theory is not yet well supported.
03:08 And while large squids have been proven to exist, the tales of the kraken may have been
03:13 a little over exaggerated.
03:16 It's also unlikely they were particularly fond of sinking ships or suctioning off the
03:20 faces of quirky pirates.
03:22 Perhaps it was the fear factor the fishermen had during their encounter with these giant
03:26 squid that made them appear even bigger and gave way to all kinds of myths.
03:32 Before we move on, here's a quick challenge for you.
03:35 If you can leave a like on this video, smash that subscribe button, and turn on the notifications
03:39 in less than 5 seconds, you will have 10 years of amazing luck.
03:43 Hurry up and try it, it actually works!
03:48 Number 5 - Hobbits
03:52 Everyone knows hobbits as the mythical creatures that once saved Middle Earth from a treacherous
03:56 piece of jewelry.
03:57 But what's less common knowledge is that a small statued race of proto-humans with
04:02 primitive feet really did walk the Earth with larger humans about 200,000 years ago.
04:08 In 2003, archaeologists found the remains of a 3-foot-tall adult female in a cave on
04:13 a remote Indonesian island.
04:15 Initially, they speculated the skeleton might have belonged to a person with dwarfism, which
04:20 is nothing new.
04:22 But what set this skeleton apart was the presence of extremely large primitive feet, though
04:27 scientists fail to mention if they were particularly hairy.
04:31 There also appears to be a disappointing lack of evidence of elvish ears, so scientists
04:35 may not be as quick to bind to the existence of hobbits as Lord of the Rings fans would.
04:45 Since 2003, scientists have found far more examples of these real-life hobbits and have
04:50 since classified them as Homo Florensiensis.
04:53 No, they did not find them in the Shire and no one really knows how these olden day hobbits
04:58 went extinct.
04:59 But, it's nice to think of them as mythical creatures.
05:05 Number 4 - Chupacabras
05:09 The chupacabra is not only downright terrifying, but it's not as old and mythical as you probably
05:14 thought it was.
05:15 The chupacabra is a vampiric creature first sighted at the beginning of the century in
05:19 Puerto Rico, which means it's not only Latin, but it's a millennial as well.
05:25 Chupacabra is Spanish for "goat sucker," but it's also been said to drain the blood of
05:28 dogs, cats, chickens, rabbits, and other domesticated animals.
05:33 Now, we're not so sure about the blood-sucking part, but there is evidence that such a creature
05:38 exists.
05:40 As people have actually killed or found corpses of animals believed to be chupacabras.
05:45 Finders usually describe them as having a dog-like appearance with thick, hairless skin
05:49 like an elephant.
05:51 Chupacabra corpses almost always turn out to be coyotes suffering from a severe form
05:54 of mange.
05:56 A disease which causes them to lose their hair and look terrifying.
06:01 If you've ever been shocked by the sight of a hairless chihuahua, you can probably see
06:04 how a person might mistake a hairless coyote for a blood-sucking monster.
06:08 Well, there's an easily solved mystery.
06:12 Number 3 - Bunyips
06:15 The bunyip is a little like Australia's Loch Ness monster in that it lives in swamps and
06:21 rivers and has never been photographed despite the fact that hundreds of people claim to
06:26 have seen it.
06:27 The bunyip is an aboriginal legend said to look like a cross between a crocodile and
06:32 a horse.
06:34 And according to Australian history, the name means "devil".
06:38 Supposedly, bunyips stalk and kill human beings and are said to make an unnerving hollow boom
06:43 sound like a shotgun.
06:45 But there may be some proof of its existence, or at least enough to trace back its mythical
06:49 origins.
06:50 In 1839, the remains of an animal called a diprodon were discovered in Australia, which
06:56 proved that a huge, rhino-sized marsupial similar in appearance to what people have
07:01 described as the bunyip indeed once roamed the outback.
07:05 It's unlikely they stalked and ate humans, as the diprodon was actually an herbivore.
07:10 But it's not hard to imagine that an angry diptrodon would react similarly to an angry
07:14 rhino or hippo when disturbed by humans who hunted them.
07:18 Bunyips died out about 20,000 to 40,000 years ago, which was long after the arrival of the
07:23 aboriginal people.
07:24 This suggests the legends might have come from real-life encounters between humans and
07:29 these real-life bunyips.
07:32 Number 2 - Dragons
07:35 Fourth-century BC Chinese historian Cheng Hu once discussed dragon remains that were
07:40 found in the region that is now known as the Sichuan province.
07:45 It's likely that similar fossils were also known in Europe, giving rise to the stories
07:50 and legends of fire-breathing monsters.
07:54 One probable hypothesis for the origin of the dragon legend is the discovery of dinosaur
07:58 bones, such as those of the Dracorix hogwarshia.
08:03 Dracorix hogwarshia was a 25-foot-long dragon-like dinosaur, and its name is Greek for "dragon
08:09 king of hogwarts."
08:10 Yes, the fossilized dinosaur got its name from a bunch of school kids.
08:16 But if fossils aren't enough to inspire the imagination, it's also likely that medieval
08:21 people encountered actual dragons in Indonesia.
08:25 Home of the fearsome Komodo dragon.
08:28 According to the Smithsonian, wild Komodo dragons can weigh more than 150 pounds and
08:33 can exceed 10 feet in length.
08:41 Medieval dragons weren't necessarily enormous.
08:44 Raphael's famous painting of Saint George and the Dragon depicted a beast no larger
08:49 than a lion, not too far off from a real-life Komodo dragon.
08:53 Sorry to burst your bubble there, but neither of these creatures had wings.
08:58 So it's unlikely that dragons were ever ridden by blonde chelises.
09:02 And incinerated entire armies of white walkers.
09:05 But if you put a medieval knight in the same room as a Dracorix hogwarshia or a Komodo
09:10 dragon, chances are you'd probably believe dragons were real.
09:16 It is now time for today's subscriber pick.
09:20 Today's photo was sent to us by our subscriber wondering about this mythical creature.
09:25 If you too come across a photo online and want us to look into it, just send it over
09:30 to us and we may even feature it in one of our future videos.
09:34 So we looked into this four-eyed goat with four horns.
09:37 And the only thing that comes close is this footage we discovered of a not-so-mythical
09:41 two-headed goat.
09:43 Its mutation is actually the result of a well-known genetic disorder.
09:47 So it's more likely this legendary picture was photoshopped.
09:50 Oh well.
09:52 But let us make it up to you with our final mythical creature theory on today's list.
09:59 Before we reveal number one, be sure to check out other amazing videos on our channel and
10:04 give us a like if you enjoyed this video so far.
10:07 Tell us in comments which one of these you like the most and why.
10:14 Number one - Werewolves.
10:18 Before you go nuts thinking guys like Taylor Lautner and their impossible six-packs can
10:22 shape-shift into vicious wolves.
10:26 Sorry, but the sexy werewolf is definitely a millennial legend.
10:34 However, there is a pretty logical explanation that may have given way to the myths.
10:46 You see, back in medieval times, there was no such thing as vaccination.
10:52 And rabies was common not only in wild animals, but also in the family dog.
10:58 And a bite from a rabid animal could transform an upright gentleman into an irrational, crawling,
11:03 drooling animal that might attack and bite his or her friends and loved ones if he was
11:08 in a mood.
11:16 Once a person was bitten, there was no way to stop the virus from taking over.
11:20 And if that person happened to be particularly hairy, well, you can see how the werewolf
11:24 legend might have been born.
11:29 And that's it for the mythical creatures that existed in real life.
11:34 Did we miss out on any?
11:35 Let us know in the comments below if you've ever encountered a living legend!
11:55 (upbeat music)