TinWiki: Chimera

A chimera is a fire-breathing female beast with a lion's head and body, a serpent for a tail, and a goat's head in the midsection. When one saw Chimera it was an omen that there would be storms, shipwrecks, and natural disasters, especially volcanoes.

The chimaera may have represented fiery volcanic mountains where goats and lions dwelt and snakes innundated the foothills. It ravaged Mount Chimaera and was eventually killed by the hero Bellerophon, who shot lead in its mouth. The lead melted in its fiery breath and burnt its insides.

The Chimera may have once been identified with the winter-rising constellation Capricorn (the serpent tailed goat). The constellation Pegasus appears to drive her from the heavens in the spring.

Symbolism

Yanar mountain in Lycia (now Turkey) supposedly use to vent flammable gas from a crevice. Also, lions live at the top of the mountain, goats were pastured on the middle, and there were snakes at the bottom. Hence, the chimera incorporated these four elements of the location, symbolizing all its aspects.

Also, the symbol of Bellerophon (the hero) and the Chimera (the beast) represents the triumph of good over evil.

Today

The term chimera is still used as a general term for a monster made up of combined animals. Also, in genetics, chimeraism is a term used when different tissues are grafted together











External Websites

Chimera Myth Site
Chimera Fact and Fiction Site

Relevant Topics on AboveTopSecret.com

Could this be a Chimera?
Human Chimera (no kidding

Chimera is creepy. Reminds me of the Chimera in the resistance games.

reply to post by WikiEditor


Not just that beast (Chimera leocapriserpens), but indeed a variety of mythical animals/cryptids, including the Nue (Chimera japonicus), a Japanese creature with a monkey head, tiger paws, a racoon-dog body and a snake tail, and the Baku (Chimera somnicibus), a tapir with an elephant trunk, an ox tail and tiger paws. The Nue, like a skunk, emits toxic odors from behind when disturbed and is regarded as a bringer of bad luck. However, the Chinese Baku has a quite soothing affect on people, not unlike the common household cat.

baku

nue

SeraphNB