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The Obscure Bestiary: Mythical Misfits and Forgotten Creatures

A poorly drawn medieval illustration of a Vegetable Lamb of Tartary, depicting a sheep growing from a plant stalk

Featured Article

The Vegetable Lamb of Tartary, also known as the Barometz, stands as perhaps history's most derided mythical creature. This peculiar beast was believed to be both plant and animal—a sheep that grew from a stem, eternally tethered to its stalk. Medieval scholars debated whether to classify it under botany or zoology, leading to centuries of academic ridicule. The creature's supposed wool was claimed to taste like bitter cabbage, making it commercially worthless.

Did You Know...

  • The Bonnacon, a medieval beast known for defending itself by propelling caustic excrement at pursuers, was considered too embarrassing to include in most bestiaries?
  • The Allocamelus, a camel-goose hybrid, was mocked even by cryptozoologists for being "anatomically nonsensical"?
  • The Jackalope-In-Reverse, a rabbit with deer antlers growing backward, was deemed "too impractical to hoax"?

In The News

  • Recent discovery of the Lesser Manticore manuscripts reveals it was considered the "runt" of mythical predators, with only three rows of teeth instead of the standard twelve
  • The Cloud Manatee has been voted "Least Intimidating Sky Beast" for the fifth consecutive century
  • Scholars debate the existence of the Whispering Basilisk, notorious for its inability to turn anyone to stone and tendency to give mild headaches instead

Today's Featured Picture

The infamous Suburban Kraken, known for inhabiting puddles and garden ponds, has recently been declassified as a "proper monster" by the Guild of Mythical Taxonomists. This follows centuries of mockery for its diminutive size and preference for decorative water features over vast oceans.

On This Day...

Did You Know...

The Hypochondriac Hydra gained notoriety for growing two heads of lesser quality whenever one was severed, leading to increasingly neurotic personalities with each regeneration. Its eventual fate remains unknown, though some texts suggest it retired to become a Municipal Complaint Officer.