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Ab-She/Ab-Shaw/Āb-Shau
Ab-She is a monstrous giant crocodile from Egyptian myth. It exists in the seventh hour of the river of the night. It was seen as the warden of symbols in a particular city in the Duat. It devours the souls of any who become lost in this hour, unless they know the image of him consuming his own body as Ra travels through the night. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016. Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Spirits and Ghosts in World Mythology. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016. Budge, Ernest Alfred Wallis. The Egyptian Heaven and Hell. United…
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Ab-Esh-Imy-Duat/Ab-Sha-Am-Tuat
Ab-Esh-Imy-Duat is a beast from Egyptian mythology. This creature’s name means “to split” or “to wear out the eyes” and is sometimes referred to as “Osiris the Eye Of Ra.” It is a massive crocodile that guards the seventh hour of the river of the night and the tomb of Ra. It stands on a funeral mound that has a bearded mans’, presumably Osiris’s, head sticking out of it. Ra mesmerizes it with magic. Since this is the domain of Osiris, this distraction allows Osiris and his followers to see Ra and become alive again. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States,…
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Aarvak
The Aarvak is a notable horse from Norse mythology. This horse’s name means “early waker”. He pulls the sun chariot of Sol across the sky along with the horse Alsvid. He and Alsvid were both born in Muspelheim. He has runes carved in his ears and is protected by the shield Svalin against the sun. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016.
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A Bao A Qu
The A Bao A Qu is a creature from Malaysian mythology. It is benign and sits at the bottom of a tower called Vijaya Stambha. It has tentacles and its skin is similar to a peach. When a pilgrim enters and begins going up the tower, the A Bao A Qu follows it up. It starts out nearly invisible, then slowly gains more coloration and eventually begins to glow blue. It is said that it can only reach its full form if it follows someone all the way to the top of the tower, but no one has ever gotten there before turning back. When the pilgrim turns around, the…
