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Leyak by scythemantis-d5p0ya5 "As unpredictable—and probably just as controversial—as UFOs, Leyak are a supernatural phenomenon most feared by many Indonesians."

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The Peryton is a mythological hybrid animal, combining the physical features of a stag and a bird. The Peryton was first named and described by Jorge Luis Borges in his Book of Imaginary Beings, a book containing descriptions of creatures from hundreds of years old folklore. Allegedly, Borges used a now long-lost medieval manuscript as a source for his depictions, however, there is no evidence to back up this claim.

Description[]

According to Borges, the Peryton, a mythical creature, once inhabited Atlantis until an earthquake destroyed the civilization, prompting them to fly away. The Peryton is described as having the head, neck, forelegs, and antlers of a stag, combined with the plumage, wings, and hindquarters of a large bird. Legend says that initially, it casts the shadow of a man until it kills a human, after which it begins to cast its own shadow. A sibyl prophesied that the Perytons would contribute to the downfall of Rome.

Additional folklore suggests that Perytons may be the ghosts of sailors who died far from home, their shadows resembling humans until they claim their first victim. In Borges' original Spanish edition of the Book of Imaginary Beings, the Peryton is referred to as "peritio," with a presumed Latin origin, and any connection with the Peryton remains unclear.

Explanation[]

There has not been a convincing explanation for the Peryton, yet some speculate that the creature could have possibly been brought to fruition when someone mistook the intertwined skeletons of a bird and a deer for a single creature. However, the Peryton's existence is likely to be a product of cultural mythology and imaginative storytelling as it has yet to have any modern sightings. The Peryton's origins remain open to interpretation.

Gallery[]

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