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Weird Beasts Bizarre beasts play a role in many religions. One of the most famous is Behemoth, a gigantic super-strong animal mentioned in the bible. Some people believe that it resembled a huge mammoth or hippopotamus, whereas others say that it was a dinosaur. But although it was enormous, it may not have been the largest animal in the world, because the bible also mentions a giant sea-monster named Leviathan that could have been even larger.
These depictions of Behemoth and Leviathan were painted by the English poet and artist William Blake.
Another type of strange creature is the hybrid between a human and an animal. Hindu myths describe several of these, including Hanuman (a hybrid between a monkey and a human) and Narsimha (a combination of lion and human). Other well-known hybrids include the centaur (horse and man), the minotaur (bull and man), and the mermaid (woman and fish). Also, in medieval Europe many people believed in strange creatures called werewolves, which could shift back and forth between a man and a wolflike beast.
A mythical creature called a Basilisk has the body of a dragon and the head of a rooster. Its foul smell is strong enough to kill anyone who comes near it, and its fiery breath will burn up anything in its path. A mere glance
