In world folklore there are lots of amazing creatures, only remotely similar to those known to modern science: centaurs, Lapiy, griffins, and others. Many of them, with outstanding appearance, does not possess any extraordinary abilities. Incomparably greater interest are mythical creatures, endowed with some supernatural properties, which scientists are sometimes quite convincing explanation.



The fact that Pegasus flies, not surprised even children - if the horse has attached the wings, his staff to fly properly. Centaurs wonderful mix of a man with a horse, of course, smartly jump over fields and forests, with the four-legs that is worth walking to overtake? Mermaids swim, where they want, and generally live under water, on land with a fish tail instead of legs them, by definition, do nothing. Legendary characters, synthesized from two, and sometimes three types of real creatures are found in myths many peoples of the world and particular issues do not cause. Transfer to educated folk fantasy creature those qualities that are inherent in its components - the usual thing.

The reasons of appearance in the myths of unicorns and dragons scientists, in General, too. According to some paleontologists, the ancient people could catch endangered species of dinosaurs, and the skeletons of giant lizards allowed to present the terrible dragons in the flesh, in all their glory and power. The claim that the prototype of a unicorn is rhinoceros, nobody seriously challenged, and the find in one of the camps of ancient people skull beech with horns, run into one out there, says that myths about unicorns could be such a source. It should be noted that at the end of the last century in one of the American laboratories was carried out an experiment in which the usual bull turned in monocorn by splicing not completely hardened Horny processes. According to scientists, the operation is not difficult, and ancient people could hold it for ritual purposes.

Many-headed, poisonous and other reptiles

A curious mix of creatures is Larnaka Hydra, which had to fight Hercules. Unlike Nemetskogo Lion, with whom he dealt the first time of its 12 labors, only a remarkable hide it turned out to be stronger than stone, Hydra was fatally poisonous, and place of the cut of the head she had grown a pair of new ones. Indeed, the imagination of ancient Greeks fused qualities of the snake, boa, the octopus and the lizard, which has a remarkable ability to grow new tail instead of the lost, in such a monster, the worst of which slightly find in the world folklore.

No less remarkable is the Gorgon Medusa - being, whose head instead hair was adorned by a poisonous snake, and the view was turned to stone all the living. Perhaps then again not without Viper, squid or octopus, but how to be with the property of turning animals into stone? Although previously it was believed that snake eyes, too, can charm and paralyze birds and small animals...

This parsing many wonderful properties of mythical creatures are borrowed ancient storytellers and mirotvorci-mi from the life. Even the ability of the legendary dragons to spit flames can hardly be explained by the ability of some snakes spit venom at a distance of 2-3 meters. However, there are beings - such as sirens - virgin-birds, sweet singing zamanilovka seafarers on the reefs. Their paranormal abilities strongly do not lend themselves to simple explanation and encourage researchers to propose a completely unexpected version.

Traditional Russian wonder

Wonderful creatures no need to look beyond the sea, there are in Russian folklore, perhaps the most mysterious character of which is brigand. Scientist of the XIX century FI the Buslaev wrote about him: "the name " character allows to represent and birds, and man. Direct descriptions of the appearance of a Nightingale epics does not, his face is revealed only in action, and throughout the story brigand turns to us that avian, human side."

First, brigand sits in the "nest" at the oaks, why we immediately there is an image of a huge bird. Secondly, seeing Ilya Muromets, Nightingale is trying to destroy him its deadly whistle. It also suggests the feathery monster. However, "being defeated by the hero, as if he throws away inhuman, fantastic form," writes folklorist B.N. Putilov, and further acts as people with the capacity to kill and maim whistle.

The image of man-birds novelty does not Shine. People, who managed to make themselves wings and fly through them, like the bird, too, is not new and makes you remember the Greek myth of Icarus and Daedalus, and Scandinavian legend of the blacksmith Welonda. But the ability to maim and kill whistle nowhere to found, and where it came from is not clear.

Traditional version

The easiest way to accept the version that epic Nightingale was a thief, in an environment which it was customary to give nicknames. The robbers often arranged observation posts and ambushes on trees, and in 1890 the newspaper "Moskovskie Vedomosti" published correspondence citizen karacheva, who wrote: "Local old-timers landlords even indicate the place where it was situated "nest Nightingale the robber". And now, on the coast is Within enormous size stump, who, according to tradition, preserved from the huge nine oaks, about which he lived brigand. Sounds good, but how to be with a whistle, the most characteristic feature Nightingale the robber?

Whistle robber described in the epic three times. First, about the terrible consequences of the whistle warn Ilya Chernigov, then the Nightingale whistling, trying to stop hero in the forest, and, finally, it targets the people of Kiev. The consequences of the whistle always damaging, however, scientists have not got a clear idea of the nature of his action.

Shattering whistle Nightingale

Historian GI Bosses, exploring the language of the whistle, which is used for long-distance communications many Nations, suggested that the image of the Nightingale the robber reflected some vague memories of "whistling" forest tribes that once lived in Muromsky forests. The scientist believes that the whistle, published by the representatives of these tribes, was heard at a distance of 14 km and at the close of the standing human caused painful sensations. But how were they published this shattering sound?

Perhaps the answer should be sought in the incident, which occurred several years ago at Royal races in London. During one race jockey, confidently leading in the race, raced to the finish. His victory was evident, but then he suddenly panicked and began grabbing hold of his head. Later it turned out that at that moment he felt a powerful sound pulse. The horse under him jerked, and the rider crashed to the ground.
As was established by the British police, mysterious sound came from the stands. The investigation found the culprit of this incident, together with the instrument of crime. It was a supernova ultrasonic weapons, which was mounted on ordinary binoculars. To the surprise of the police, it had a very powerful effect, and the radius of up to 15 metres.

So there was any such weapons Nightingale the robber and pleasures "whistling" tribes, about whom he wrote GI Bosses? Creation of it can be attributed to aliens or people from Atlantis, but it is more logical to assume that lived in the time it Muromsky forests kind of a talent, who managed to build an amazing instrument, who, however, not able to resist armed with bow and sword hero, no matter what was willing to travel to Kiev on the forbidden road...

Gleb CHERNOV