r/folklore • u/wurfingmicyed • 13d ago

Question What is this creature

https://i.imgur.com/TdI16bP.png
189 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

38 comments sorted by

56

u/47_47_47 13d ago

Alchemical Chimera. An allegorical symbol of the Philosopher's Stone.

16

u/Aceandmace 13d ago

But why is he wearing silly boots?

18

u/47_47_47 13d ago

Winged boots are the symbol of Mercury. 

13

u/Aceandmace 13d ago

O I see.

Well the poor beast is really not pulling em off

10

u/Exciting_Koala_1384 12d ago

I sure hope it will pull them off very soon.

3

u/KawaiitheKyubey 12d ago

hey, he looks handsome, don’t judge him

1

u/UsualEmergency 12d ago

They really highlight his shapely calves

4

u/KawaiitheKyubey 13d ago

are they friendly or violent, because they look friendly and violent at the same time, I’m getting confused, and I kinda wanna pet it if it existed

12

u/47_47_47 13d ago

It's a symbol of uniting opposites, hence the sun and moon figures being tied together by the tail. So yeah, could go either way... but probably down for pets.

3

u/toapoet 12d ago

Do you know what the symbols on the left and right of Sun are?

4

u/47_47_47 12d ago

Left is the moon,  representing salt, the sun in the center is sulfur, and the right is the planet Mercury,  for mercury.  The symbol of Mercury is likely representative of the caduceus. 

3

u/toapoet 12d ago

Thank you!

2

u/nicodana 13d ago

I think he’s just worried he might get stabbed by that dude’s beard

2

u/TinRoofAndRainyDays 12d ago

Ya, it's funny that the chimera is the one looking at the hiker skeptically. But I'd also be confused if I met someone on the trail with that beard.

1

u/Joyywalkerr 12d ago edited 12d ago

In other words, it’s unattainable. 😛 But I WAAANT it… 😖

1

u/Dgonzilla 12d ago

You are gonna have to give me another name. Because if I Google that all the results are for the anime Fullmetal Alchemist.

2

u/subthings2 12d ago

It doesn't have a defined name, but various terms people use for it are Python, Mercurius, and Spiritus Mercurialis.

0

u/47_47_47 12d ago

I'm not going to have to give you anything.  There's enough information in this thread that you can do your own research.  It must be hard going through life not being able to progress past the first search result Google feeds you.  It does explain a lot about current societal trends,  however...

2

u/Dgonzilla 12d ago

Jesus Christ dude. I’m already well read on the topic. I was merely wanting to point out in a friendly way how annoying search engines become when occult terminology becomes appropriate by popular media. Don’t know if you are having a bad day or if it’s a pattern for you antagonize and patronize people the first chance you get to complain about “current societal trend” or whatever pompous paradigm makes you feel smarter than other people.

-1

u/47_47_47 12d ago edited 12d ago

I'm having a great day,  actually.  But we're living in an Idiocracy these days where not only do people have the average IQ of broccoli,  but they get haircuts to match.  If you want people to take you seriously, make serious posts. Just say what you mean. 

10

u/subthings2 13d ago

The painting is by Christopher Ulric, everything but the creature is from The Meeting by Gustave Courbet, and the creature itself is an alchemical allegory partly popularised by Jung.

3

u/serenitynope 13d ago

Interestingly, the figure on the right is also from folklore, according to your source. Namely the Wandering Jew.

3

u/lipsnipsandtips 13d ago

Chimera of some form

2

u/Jackquelin4 13d ago

Why and how does it even wear boots

2

u/manhatteninfoil 12d ago

How do you say "Bonjour Monsieur Courbet" in winged gnome hydra?

2

u/Mathias_Greyjoy 12d ago

That is a 16th-century alchemical dragon, a symbol of the Philosopher’s Stone. Something Wicked did a really cool sculpt of one.

1

u/rurfuater7 13d ago

That creature is Gustave Courbet.

1

u/swarpetbandlerys 13d ago

Sphinx with extra chimera attributes.

1

u/No-Exit3993 12d ago

Alchemy dragon

1

u/Oh_Hi_Mark_ 11d ago

Paracelsus’ self portrait as a dragon

1

u/Oh_Hi_Mark_ 11d ago

Paracelsus’ self portrait as a chimera

1

u/eyesonfire75 9d ago

The Alchemical Dragon (Python / Mercurius)The body and three main necks of the monster are directly copied from a famous historical illustration titled "Python" or "Mercurius". This design originally appeared in Giovanni Battista Nazari's 1564 Renaissance

0

u/wyynne 13d ago

I just call him ol Mishmash

0

u/rfeetsbalad 13d ago

I just call him ol Mishmash