Mythological Creatures In Cryptic Clues Quiz

Answer: Vampire

Vampires were part of European folklore in the Eighteenth Century and earlier, but Bram Stoker's book "Dracula" took the term "vampire" to new heights. The legendary blood sucking count from Transylvania became one of the most famous mythological creatures.

Olivia Rodrigo released her hit song, "vampire" in 2023. A vampire has also come to express anyone who emotionally or financially drains you.

Answer: Unicorn

The earliest renditions of a unicorn weren't of a beautiful white horse with a magical horn. Early medieval times showed unicorns as untamable and dangerous beasts from a faraway land.

Kristaps Porzingis is a basketball player who stands seven feet two inches. He was nicknamed "The Unicorn" for his uniqueness. Likewise, the term "unicorn" has been used to describe a rare find.

Answer: Phoenix

The phoenix rising from the ashes originated in ancient Egypt. The bird's ability to be resurrected was later popularized by Greek historian Herodotus in the 5th Century BCE.

When you speak about rising from the fire, Phoenix was a great name choice for the capitol of Arizona. On June 26, 1990, Phoenix recorded 122 degrees Fahrenheit, 50 degrees Celsius.

Answer: Cerebus

The three headed "hound of Hades" was famous for being captured by Hercules and used to prevent the dead from escaping Hades. Cerebus was described in the "Iliad" and "Odyssey".

2700 years later, J.K. Rowling brought Cerebus back into the public eye by adding the mythological beast to her book "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" in 2001.

Answer: Boogeyman

In German, the beast is called Butzemann, in Russia it's called Babay, and in 16th Century England we learned about the boogeyman. The shapeless ghost-like creature has been known scare little children or even kidnap them.

In the 1970s, people were dancing to KC and the Sunshine Band's hit single "I'm Your Boogieman". Author Steven King introduced a scary clown named Pennywise in his book "It" that acted like a boogeyman but we mostly saw him in his clown costume.

Answer: Zombie

The term "zombie" originated in West Africa with words like Kongo's "nzambi". The mythology of the zombie grew in Haiti as West Africans came to the island and voodoo beliefs about deceased people coming back to life as lifeless humans grew.

Now you can go to a tavern and order a drink called a zombie. It was invented in 1934 and often made in a blender with crushed ice.

Answer: Sasquatch

Bigfoot, Sasquatch, and Yeti are similar types of mythological beasts. They're large and hairy apelike creatures that live in secrecy in the forest. Sasquatch was named from Native Americans who used the Coast Salish word "Sesquac" meaning "wild or hairy man".

The Jack Link's beef jerky brand has made memorable commercials using the beast and the catch phrase "messin' with Sasquatch".

Answer: Kraken

Tales of a giant squid-like monster originated in 12th Century Scandinavian folklore. While many think it originated in ancient Greece's "Clash of the Titans", it was first known in Scandinavia.

When Seattle finally received the expansion rights to a professional National Hockey League team, the team chose the name Kraken. The Puget Sound area and the Pacific Northwest had legends of giant sea creatures and the name stuck.

Answer: Mummy

Mummification was a burial process all over the world but many think of Egypt first. The Arabic word "mumiyah" referred to substances used in the preservation process. The mythological creature, the mummy, rose to fame after the discovery of King Tut's tomb and the 1932 film "The Mummy".

In the United States, mom and mommy are most common phrases used to describe their female parent. In the U.K., you'll often hear mum and mummy as a term of affection.

Answer: Griffin

The body of a lion and the wings and the head of an eagle describe the look of a griffin. Some spell the mythological beast as gryphon. They were first described in ancient Persia and later seen on Egyptian hieroglyphics on the tombs of pharoahs.

Peter Griffin is the head of the family on the FOX animated television show "Family Guy". Merv Griffin was a talk show host, game show creator, and media mogul who passed away in 2007.