Exploring the Lives of Five Remarkable Mythical Creatures Whose Stories Remain Untold

History is filled with extraordinary mythical beings whose narratives are often overshadowed by more popular personalities. In this post, we take a closer look at five remarkable creatures whose lives shaped history in important yet often overlooked ways. Their achievements, struggles, and uniqueness resonate even today, offering timeless lessons.

The Unicorn

The Unicorn was a brilliant horse-like entity who lived on Earth a long time ago. It is often recognized as a white horse thing with a sizable horn located on its forehead.

Unicorns were vital to humanity's survival around 2000 B.C. because of their wide variety of talents. Humans could finally soar across the globe on the back of unicorns. A trip that could take somebody a lifetime on horseback could be accomplished in minutes on the back of a unicorn. World trade flourished as a result.

Tragically, unicorns were wiped out only a few years later, driven by escalating tensions between peasants and the wealthy. Unicorns were, of course, a steed only affordable for the rich man. Eventually, the workers had gotten weary of the rich gallivanting around the world while they toiled in the fields. They slaughtered unicorns in droves. Everyone pretty much went back to farming and such after that.

Unicorn

Gnomes

Gnomes have pretty much always been around. They live in forests across five out of the seven continents. I do not believe that there are really forests in Australia, and Gnomes get too chilly when in Antartica. Anyways, they are usually small people, usually men, who wear fun hats and posess supernatural abilities.

Some Gnomes are known to possess wands so they can cast spells. Thankfully, for your average traveller, Gnomes pretty much leave you alone if you leave them alone, like bees. Also, they usually cast spells that are a little bit more fun than usual. For example, an evil witch might cast a spell that causes you to always be hungry no matter how much you eat. On the other hand, a Gnome might cast a spell that makes you throw up a rainbow. This is uncomfortable, of course, but you will be fine.

Hunting Gnomes has been illegal for most of modern civilization. Personally, I would never go Gnome hunting.

Gnom mit Zeitung und Tabakspfeife (English: Gnome with newspaper and tobacco pipe) by Heinrich Schlitt (1923)

Evil Witches

Evil Witches are not just glamorous Hollywood actresses; they are also real mythical beings. Heavily persecuted creatures, they have fought to survive throughout countless hardships.

While on screen, Evil Witches are often portrayed as women who wear black cloaks and tall pointy hats. This is also true for real Evil Witches. These groundbreaking women laid the foundation for modern technologies such as potions and spells. In fact, their technology is still influencing how we curse people today.

Despite their significant contributions, Evil Witches have often been oppressed. Famously, in the Salem Witch Trials, Evil Witches were burned at the stake, often for crimes they did not commit. It wasn't until much later that people began to appreciate their innovative work, establishing Evil Witches' legacy as both talented actresses and brilliant sorcerers.

Depiction of witchcraft in John William Waterhouse's painting The Magic Circle (1886)

Vampires

Vampires' story is one of determination and sucking blood. Born in the 1800's in Transylvania region, Vampires have been around since then, because they pretty much live forever.

In the 19th century, determining how to avoid getting your blood sucked posed a massive challenge. To solve this, the British government offered a £20,000 prize for a practical solution. Many people tried to stop vampires from sucking their blood. Famously, somebody claimed to have invented a fang-proof jacket. Unfortunately, Vampires just switched to going for the neck area. Eventually they figured out that Vampires do not like garlic and only come out at night. So anybody who was out past sundown would carry a clove of garlic in their pocket.

Despite these advancements in blood-sucking prevention, Vampires continue to survive off of animal blood and the absent-minded person who forgets to bring their garlic.

Illustration of a vampire from Max Ernst's Une Semaine de Bonté (1934)

Lumberjacks

Lumberjacks are often celebrated as one of the first entities who learned to chop wood. Wielding their famed 'axe' they were known to cut down trees for no apparent reason at all.

While nobody was ever able to gather definitive proof that Lumberjacks existed, humans would sometimes be able to track them by following their path of destruction. Historian Greg Tierney famously wrote, "There were these guys called 'Gatherers' who would try to track Lumberjacks, but they would always get distracted because of all the good firewood laying around." This was obviously the time period where getting free firewood was nice.

Now, unfortunately, we live in a time when lumberjacks' contributions to society are often minimized. Modern technology has made it too easy to level entire forests quickly, which destroys the lumberjack's natural habitat and way of life. Ecologists are not sure if Lumberjacks have gone completely extinct but some still have hope.

Lumberjack, painting by Ferdinand Hodler, 1910

Reflecting on Untold Stories

The lives of these five mythical creatures illustrate the depth and diversity of their achievments. They each faced unique challenges, yet their contributions continue to impact the world. Each story reminds us that history is not just a collection of facts, but a rich tapestry woven from the lives of those who may or may not have existed.

As we reflect on the Unicorn's passion for travel, Gnomes' foolery, Evil Witches' inventive genius, Vampires' dedication to blood-sucking, and Lumberjacks' pioneering work in deforestation, we recognize their enduring legacies.

Exploring these lesser-known narratives encourages us to appreciate the diverse accomplishments of all mythical creatures and reminds us that everyone’s story is worth sharing. History may or may not be filled with remarkable creatures that may have faded from popular memory, yet they might have significantly shaped the world we inhabit today.