Crocotta
The crocotta (or corocotta , crocuta , or yena ), is a Chien - Loup Mythique of India or Ethiopia, famous being an enemy Mortel of the Hommes and dogs.
This animal was first once described by Pline Old the in its Natural history (VIII deliver, chapter 30) as being a combination between the dog and the wolf, having powerful a jaw and a capacity of instantaneous Digestion. Others Mythologie S described the crocotta as being an animal gloutonne which unearths corpses and grinds around the farms the night. It is told that the crocotta would delude the dogs for their death by imitating the noise with a man in the distress. While hearing the cry, the dogs would follow this noise, to only be attacked and devoured. It was also said that the animal hides from time to time in the bushes at the edge of the Forêt listening to the Fermier S speaking and being called the ones others by their names. The crocotta would then repeat one of the names to delude the person in the Bois. When the man would approach, it would attract it in the undergrowth by repeating its name. As the man would follow, the creature would continue to more deeply attract it in wood. When the victim too would be far from the helps, the animal would jump on him and would devour it. Other legends allotted to the crocotta the capacity to change color or of kind to the will. Some Légende S indicated that the animals which tried to drive out it would freeze in their own traces. It was said that the eyes of a killed crocotta are Gemme S streaked which would give to the owner capacities of Oracle once placed under the Langue.
Pline indicated that the offspring of a crocotta and a Lion was not the leucrota (or leucrocuta , leucrocotta, or leocrocotta ), which could imitate the noise of a human voice. It was without any doubt the source of the similar later assertions concerning the capacities of the crocotta itself. It was said that the leucrota would be an animal with the foot fourchu size of a ass, néanmons fast and wild. Described like having the hips of a stag, the tail, the chest, the neck of a lion, and the head of a Blaireau, its mouth would behind also open far its ears. Instead of teeth it has lines of sharp-edged bones which could crush anything. It was said that it never closes the eyes and that its spine is so rigid that it must make half-turn to see what there is behind him.
The wolfhound crocotta and the Antelope - leucrota clearly was supposed being two types of different animals, but because of their pled consanguinity, of the similarity of their names, and their capacity supposed of speaking with a human voice, the authors of the Bestiaire S often confused them between them. It is probably the source of several of posterior confusions concerning their famous characteristics.
Many traditional believe that the source of the description of Pline was the description of the Cynolycus of Ctésias. Others believe that it could repeat a deformed description of the Hyène.
See too
- Ctésias
- the Natural history
External bonds
- (in) Medieval Bestiary - Leucrocuta
References