Hybrid Creatures, Monsters, and Demons

Griffins and Centaurs and other Lively Beasts

Clearly, I’m a fan of the delightful hybrid creatures of the ancient Near East. (Like the human-headed winged bull in the photo above, called Lamassu, on Sargon II’s palace in Assyria.) Griffins appear (part lion, part eagle) in my fiction. I often point out the prevalence of griffins across the Mediterranean and Near East as portrayed on the architecture, seals, and other forms of art. I sometimes say in jest that given how often they are depicted, maybe they really lived on earth at some point.

But seriously, why are there so many hybrid creatures across the many cultures of the ancient world? Why do many versions of Egyptian gods have human bodies and animal heads, for example? I have wondered.

A Theory for Hybrid Creatures

I read an interesting article in Ancient Near East Today suggesting that there is a sweet spot in the human mind that makes certain religious ideas take hold and thrive. Supposedly, this theory explains the abundance of hybrid creatures.

Two overview quotes to give you an intro:

“How, then, can cognitive insights inform our understanding of religion in the ancient Near East? To explore this question, we can survey some recent breakthroughs in the cognitive science of religion and then apply these findings to our ancient evidence.”

“When it comes to religion, what makes supernatural concepts so effective, so contagious? It turns out that successful religious concepts tend to follow a simple recipe: they start with ordinary everyday categories and tweak them in special ways.”

Be “Minimally Counterintuitive” for Fame and Popularity

In building his argument, the author, Brett Maiden, identifies “minimally counterintuitive” concepts. Things like, for example, a talking snake. Weird, but only strange in one aspect—the ability to speak like a human, but otherwise very consistently a familiar snake. The weirdness catches human interest. The minimal weirdness keeps us from drowning in confusion and forgetting the whole thing.

My favorite paragraph from the article fits well at this point, so here it is. I hope it puts a smile on your face, also:

“Many experimental studies have shown that such counterintuitive concepts are cognitively optimal and more likely to stick around in human minds – to become what we refer to as “culture.” However, the opposite is also true: some concepts can be too complex or too counterintuitive. So, for instance, a talking snake is minimally counterintuitive. But a talking snake that is invisible, made of cashmere, exists in all places at once, and gives birth to zebras, is too difficult to process and remember.”

I want to see that snake.

So Where Does that Leave My Griffins?

By this theory, griffins, only a hybrid of two things, can be defined as “minimally counterintuitive.” This supposedly explains the popularity of griffins. Not, apparently, their adorable feline qualities, the magnificence of their wings, the fierce eagle eyes, the efficient weaponry of beaks and claws, or the overall coolness of griffins. Hmm. Not sure I’m buying this, except maybe on large-scale theoretical level it does make sense.

In any case, this is a good, thought-provoking article. And maybe it explains the prevalence of creative creatures in human history. Maybe. What do you think?

Click here for Ancient Near East Today “Cognitive Science and the Ancient Near Eastern Religious Imagination.”

Here to read Chapter One, Of Kings and Griffins.

Here for a post on more hybrid creatures from Egypt and Nineveh, as well as other aspects of those cultures.