Will your creature be a background part of a fantastical environment you want to create, a mount for a hero figure, or a fighter? Many mythological creatures have specific vocations or relationships to other creatures in a universe. Decide if you want your creature to be a companion to a creature that already exists. Discover the role you want your new creature to play in your mythology.
Do you want your creature to be good or bad? Do you want it to be a singular, solitary beast, or do you want to create a legion of these creatures? For example, in Lord of the Rings, orcs were created as a dark, twisted mockery of elves and used in Sauron’s army. [3] X Research source What will the intelligence level of your creature be? Do you want it to be a trickster or strong but simplistic? Do you want it to be always good or self-serving?
Shape-shifting: the ability to change appearance at will Superb strength: a supernatural level of brute strength Flight: the ability to fly Underwater breathing: the ability to swim and breathe underwater Healing: the ability to heal wounds or sickness Foreshadowing: the ability to foresee or predict future events Climbing: the ability to scale walls or climb other tall structures without equipment Immortal: able to live forever
Consider using Latin or Greek in your name. Many fantastic creatures in mythology have Latin or Greek-based names. Using ancient language is a way to name your creature based on attributes without the name sounding silly. For example, in Latin, the word “inpennatus” means feathered. So, if your creature can fly, you might name it Inpennatus, or a variation of the word, like Pennatus.
One way to create a unique name for your creature is to make an anagram of one of its attributes. [6] X Research source This simply means rearranging the letters of the word. For example, if your creature is a fighter, you might rearrange the letters in the word “fighter,” and call your creature a Rheftig. If you find it difficult to come up with names of your own, try an online name generator. These can help you find unique mythological names quickly. [7] X Research source
If you envision your creature to be a trickster or as being very sneaky, you might want to make it smaller in stature, like a leprechaun or an elf. If your creature has an attribute like supernatural strength, you may want it to be large in size to show off this attribute. Give your creature a surprising attribute. For example, a small creature with super strength could be surprising and advantageous.
Think about the traits of your creature. If your creature is strong and a fighter, consider giving it a physical trait from a strong creature like an eagle, snake, or alligator. If your mythological creature has wings, decide what sort of wings you want them to be. Do you want feathered wings, bat-like wings, wings with scales, or insect wings? Do you want your creature to have scales, smooth skin, fur, or feathers on its body?
Take the function of your creature into account. For example, if you want your creature to be camouflaged in its environment, you may want to give it a neutral color. A vibrant coloring, on the other hand, can show off its attributes and make your creature stand out. For example, the phoenix, also known as the firebird, has a bright orange and red coloring, which matches its name and abilities. [10] X Research source
Consider armor. Will your creature’s armor be purely natural, like scales, or do you also want to create something for you creature to wear? If you do want to accessorize your creature, think about what material and color you want these accessories to be.
Be sure to label the creature with its name. If you can’t draw, ask someone to draw it for you. Alternatively, find similar pictures online and trace over them.
Use markers, crayons, or colored pencils for simple, mess-free color. If you want to create a more complex type of artwork, try using paints. Oil, acrylic, and watercolor will all work for your project. Alternatively, scan your image into the computer and paint it digitally using an image editing program, such as Photoshop.
Give your creature an origin story, or even multiple alternate origin stories. This is simply an account of where the creature originated. [12] X Research source For example, by one account in Greek mythology, centaurs came into being when Ixion fell in love with the wife of Zeus, Hera. Ixion arranged to meet with Hera, but Zeus found out and formed a cloud into the shape of Hera. When Ixion embraced the cloud form, centaurs were made from the union. [13] X Research source In addition to origin stories, you can also create stories of the journeys your creature has gone on, and/or the battles it has fought.
Write about how your creature relates to others in the world you choose. Does it have specific allies or enemies? Think about communication. What type of language does your creature have? What is its personality temperament? You can write stories, lists, or create graphic style artwork to weave your creature into a larger mythology.
