Mythical creatures

"So, class, does anyone want to tell me what they think about when they hear the words, Mythical creatures?"

Miss Park asked as she turned around and looked at her class.

Almost all the class raised their hands. Each one wanted to impress her and even more so the girls.

"Awe, are we all energetic this morning?... Yes, Si-woo?"

She pointed at a girl in the front row sitting next to Ara.

"Imugi."

She said with a smile.

"Yes, Imugi. Well, we could all say that dragons are the most well-known of Mythical creatures and are some of the most powerful, but Imugis are different. Why would you think of Imugi, Si-woo and not just dragons?"

"Well..mmmm... because they are considered to be good luck and are lesser dragons."

Miss Park smiled when she said that and made some of the other students look at Si-woo with piercing eyes.

"Well, you are right. I was not going to go through them this morning, but they are fascinating to say the list. Before we continue, let me talk about them a little bit."

She said as she looked at Nolamine and Son-join who seemed to be paying attention. Something that was rare, as they would be teasing each other at this point in her class.

"Well first, our folk mythology states that most dragons were originally imugis or lesser dragons, which were said to resemble gigantic serpents. There are a few different versions of Korean folklore that describe both what imugis are and how they aspire to become full-fledged dragons. We also think that an imugi could become a true dragon if it caught a Yeouiju which had fallen from heaven."

She said as Ara took notes, unlike all the other students.

"Another explanation states that they are hornless creatures resembling dragons who have been cursed and thus were unable to become dragons. By other accounts, an imugi is a proto-dragon which must survive one thousand years in order to become a fully fledged dragon. In other cases, they are said to be large, benevolent, python-like creatures that live in water or caves, and their sighting is associated with good luck. I am sure those are the ones Si-woo was talking about."

The part about them being cursed interested Nolamine, but he did not know why all this interest in this topic was coming from.

"So, in a way, they are dragons. Anyone wants to give me another one?"

She asked.

"Yes, Ji-hoon."

She said pointing to a student in the middle row.

"Dokkaebi."

He said.

"So, we are in a roll today. I am sure we all know about these evil naughty little creatures. We might as well have two of them in our class."

She said looking at Nolamine and Son-join. The class laughed.

"Others know them as goblins. But, unlike those we are used to seeing depicted in movies and anime, which are always evil, pillaging and kidnapping women, they are said to be spirits possessing extraordinary powers and abilities that are used to interact with humans, at times playing tricks on them and at times helping them. Legends describe different dokkaebi in many forms. Well, they are also known for something else. Do you know what that is, Ji-hoon?"

"They like wrestling."

He said with his nose pointing up to the ceiling, proud of himself as he knew everything about them. His parents would tease him about them when he missed behaved, saying that they would come to get him and punish him.

"That's right, wrestling. It is said that they challenge wayward travelers to a ssireum (Korean wrestling) match for the right to pass. Dokkaebi are extremely skilled at wrestling and cannot be beaten unless their right side is exploited. In other tales, dokkaebi only have one leg, so one should hook their leg and push them to win. They are quite something. So, one last Mythical creature you want to mention to me and the class before I move on?"

She asked the class and everyone raised up their hands except for Son-join. He was shocked as he looked next to him and saw Nolamine raising his hand. Miss Park looked at him and was surprised too.

It seemed he had really taken a liking to the topic. She raced to the window and looked up to the clouds, thinking a storm was coming. She sighed when she saw that there was not even a single cloud in the sky, making the whole class laugh again.

'Something must be wrong today.'

She thought as she looked at Nolamine.

"Yes, Nolamine? Today you sure are surprising us."

She said as she gestured at him so to speak. It was the first time he raised his hand voluntarily and the other students all looked at him.

"Thekwane."

He said, to the surprise of Miss Park.

"What?"

She asked, gesturing for him to say what he said again as she thought maybe she did not hear him right.

"Thekwane."

He said again. All the students, including Son-join and Miss Park tried to find a word similar to the one he had just said but could not.

"I have never heard of such a creature. Care to elaborate on it for us?"

She said with intrigue. Nolamine did not know why he knew about this mythical creature. It just came to him and he felt like raising his hand. Since he was already in the spotlight, he told them what he knew.

"It is a lightning bird or creature in the folklore of the tribes of Southern Africa. It takes the form of a black and white bird, the size of a person, which is said to summon thunder and lightning with its wings and talons and is vampiric."

He said to the amazement of everyone. Miss Park was about to speak but Nolamine was not finished.

"It is a creature associated with witchcraft, often the servant or familiar of a witch or witch doctor, which attacks the witch's enemies. It is said to have an insatiable appetite for blood. Sometimes it takes the form of a handsome young man who seduces women."

When he was finished, everyone was visibly impressed and surprised, including Nolamine himself. Son-join was looking at him funny.

"Well, I have to say, I did not know that, but that is why we are having this class today. So to know and understand the Mystical creatures of not only our legend but also the outside world's."

Miss Park said with a smile.

"Imugi, Dokkaebi, Fox spirits, Bulgae, Gwisin, Juji, Dragons, Kumiho, Moon rabbit, and many more are some of the Mythical creatures we have in our folklore. Chimera, Ichthyocentaurs, Minotaur, Hydra, Sphinx, Manticore, Black Shuck, Phoenix, and more, not to mention Thekwane that we have all just learned about are some of the creatures of folklore from other countries in the different parts of the world. Most of them are European and American as they are the ones well documented."

She said as she walked around the class.

"So, why do we even bother learning about these creatures of legend and ghosts? Learning about mythology and folklore?"

No one raised their hands as they did not want to get the answer wrong and embarrass themselves to the other students.

"Class, the answer is simple. Myths and legends provide a basis for moral boundaries and establish the basic guidelines for the way people within a society live. As you learn about myths from around the world, you will find that many cultures have similar stories. This is just one of many reasons to learn about this subject even though we will be exploring it briefly."

Son-join listened as he also looked at Nolamine who was all ears, taking in everything Miss Park was saying.

"It will also give us context into our world, our literature, and our own beliefs, whether you believe them to be real or not. They also save as stories to warn children from going into dangerous places. Some also say that whether you see them or not also depends on how much you believe in such tales. Believing in them lifts the veil that has been put there to protect you over them and allows not only you to physically touch them, but also them to physically affect you, which at many times can be deadly. This is why children are mostly affected, with some believing them to be an imaginary friend."

Some gulped when they heard that.

"Talchum, originated in Korean villages as part of shamanic rituals that had evolved to cleanse houses and villages, offer protection and a good harvest. Now it has become a form of popular entertainment, with its meaning lost to its people."

She said as she tried to dance while failing measurably at it, making the class laugh. She then stopped and took a serious tone.

"So, before we continue, I would like to tell you something that applies to anything in life. When you go looking for trouble, well, trouble will eventually find you. With that said, trouble also finds those who are benevolent and naïve, making them easy targets. Make sure that you all have a strong mind and know how to react to anything that comes your way."

She said as she looked at each one of them. Nolamine nodded like she was saying it to him only, something Son-join did not miss. The bell rang and her class was over.

The rest of the day was just a typical day for them. School ended and everyone was outside looking at the sky. A cold wind sent chills to everyone as they were all wearing light clothes.

Black clouds were twirling around in the once clear sky as rumbles were heard. Ara and her friends were standing next to them and she turned to look at Son-join.

"This is your doing right."

She said jokingly, sending him to the abyss of shyness as his face turned red. Ara laughed and went to stand next to him. Nolamine just looked at a boy sweating all over while everyone else felt so cold.

She whispered something to him that almost made him faint. Nolamine helped his friend as he gave him his shoulder for support. It seemed he was in shock as his eyes were almost popping out of their eye sockets.

"Hahaha, you always silly Son-join. Give me an answer tomorrow, would you?"

Ara said as she went back to her friends and ran to the station with the rain starting to fall.

"What did she say to you that made you almost faint?"

Nolamine asked.

"She asked me out on a date."

Son-join said, making Nolamine almost chock in surprise.