Difference between revisions of "Manticore" - New World Encyclopedia

Latest revision as of 18:37, 10 May 2009

Manticore illustration from The History of Four-footed Beasts (1607), by Edward Topsell.

The manticore is a legendary creature of Central Asia, a kind of chimera, that is sometimes said to be related to the Sphinx. It was often feared as being violent and feral, but it was not until the manticore was incorporated into European mythology during the Middle Ages that it came to be regarded as an omen of evil.

Like many such beasts, there is dispute about the existence of the manticore. It has been suggested that tales of tigers were embellished to create the even more fearsome manticore. Others maintained that such a species exists even today. At least, it exists in the world of fantasy, providing a worthy and intriguing opponent for heroes.

Etymology

Originally, the term manticore came into the English language from the Latin mantichora, which was borrowed from the Greek mantikhoras. The Greek version of the word is actually an erroneous pronunciation of martikhoras from the original early Middle Persian martyaxwar, which translates as "man-eater" (martya being "man" and xwar- "to eat").^[1]

Description

Although versions occasionally differ, the generalities of the manticore's description seem to be that it has the head of a man often with horns, gray or blue eyes, three rows of iron shark-like teeth, and a loud, trumpet/pipe-like roar. The body is usually of a (sometimes red-furred) lion, and the tail of a dragon or scorpion, which some believe can shoot out venomous spines or hairs to incapacitate prey.^[2]

The manticore is said to be able to shoot its spines either in front or behind, curving its tail over its body to shoot forwards, or straightening it tail to shoot them backwards. The only creature reputed to survive the poisonous stings is the elephant. Thus, hunters rode elephants when hunting the manticore.^[3]

The manticore is said to be able to leap in high and far bounds; it is an excellent hunter, and is said to have a special appetite for human flesh. Occasionally, a manticore will possess wings of some description.

Origin

The manticore originated in Ancient Persian mythology and was brought to the Western mythology by Ctesias, a Greek physician at the Persian court, in the fifth century B.C.E.^[4] The Romanized Greek Pausanias, in his Description of Greece, recalled strange animals he had seen at Rome and commented,

The beast described by Ctesias in his Indian history, which he says is called martichoras by the Indians and "man-eater" by the Greeks, I am inclined to think is the lion. But that it has three rows of teeth along each jaw and spikes at the tip of its tail with which it defends itself at close quarters, while it hurls them like an archer's arrows at more distant enemies; all this is, I think, a false story that the Indians pass on from one to another owing to their excessive dread of the beast. (Description, xxi, 5)

Folio 24v from a thirteenth century bestiary, The Rochester Bestiary (British Library, Royal MS 12 F XIII), showing the Manticora.

Pliny the Elder did not share Pausanias' skepticism. He followed Aristotle's natural history by including the martichoras—mis-transcribed as manticorus and thus passing into European languages—among his descriptions of animals in Naturalis Historia, c. 77 C.E. Pliny's book was widely enjoyed and uncritically believed through the European Middle Ages, during which the manticore was often illustrated in bestiaries.

An Eastern version of the manticore is said by some locals to inhabit the jungles of Southeast Asia, stalking villagers at night. While it is speculative if the locals actually believe in the mythical creature's existence, or are merely carrying on a tradition is not clear. Outside of fantasy sub-culture, Southeast Asia is the only area in the world where accounts of manticores continue to be discussed.

A wild Bengal tiger

Some have considered the manticore to be no more than a tiger, either a Bengal tiger or a Caspian tiger, its fur appearing red in the sun. While those who saw such beasts, who have been known to attack and even eat humans (and were used in Roman arenas to fight gladiators), would naturally describe them as fearsome, for those who had never seen them all their characteristics would sound fantastic. Thus the three rows of teeth and the spines on the tail could well have become embellishments on tales of the tiger.

Heraldry

The manticore made a late appearance in heraldry, during the sixteenth century, influencing some Mannerist representations, such as Bronzino's allegory The Exposure of Luxury, (National Gallery, London)^[5]—but more often in the decorative schemes called "grotteschi"—of the sin of Fraud, conceived as a monstrous chimera with a beautiful woman's face. In this way it passed by means of Cesare Ripa's Iconologia into the seventeenth and eighteenth century French conception of a sphinx. It never was as popular as other mythological creatures used in heraldry, most likely because it always maintained an element of malevolance.

Symbolism

During the Middle Ages, the manticore was sometimes seen as a symbol of the prophet Jeremiah, since both were underground dwellers. However, positive connotations did not stick to the manticore. Its ferocious manner and terrifying appearance quickly made it a symbol of evil, and the manticore in Europe came to be known as an omen of evil tidings. To see a manticore was to see a forthcoming calamity. Thus it came to imply bad luck, such as the proverbial black cat in modern society.

Pop Culture

While not quite as popular as some other mythical creatures, the manticore has none the less been kept alive in the area fantasy sub-culture of modern society. The manticore has made appearances in several fantasy novels, including J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. A manticore also featured as one of the unique creatures captured by the witch for her menagerie in Peter S. Beagle's The Last Unicorn, which was made into a popular animated movie. The manticore also features in Robertson Davies' second novel of The Deptford Trilogy, The Manticore (1972).

However, manticores' most prominent appearances are in role-playing and video games. Dungeons and Dragons, Magic: The Gathering, and the Warhammer Fantasy Battles all incorporate manticores.

Notes

↑ Oxford English Dictionary.Oxford Press, 1971. ISBN 019861117X
↑ "Manticore" Medieval Bestiary, 2006. Retrieved September 20, 2007.
↑ Nigg, Joe. The Book of Dragons & Other Mythical Beasts, 2001.
↑ "Manticore" Monstrous, 1998. Retrieved September 20, 2007.
↑ Moffitt, John F. "An Exemplary Humanist Hybrid: Vasari's "Fraude" with Reference to Bronzino's 'Sphinx'." Renaissance Quarterly 49, No. 2, 1996: 303-333.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

Ashman, Malcolm and Joyce Hargreaves. Fabulous Beasts. Overlook, 1997. ISBN 978-0879517793
Barber, Richard. Bestiary: Being an English Version of the Bodleian Library, Oxford, MS Bodley 764. Boydell Press, 2006. ISBN 978-0851157535
Borges, Jorge Luis. The Book of Imaginary Beings. Amazon Remainders, 2005. ISBN 0670891800
Hassig, Debra. The Mark of the Beast: The Medieval Bestiary in Art, Life, and Literature. Routledge, 2000. ISBN 041592894X
Nigg, Joe. Wonder Beasts: Tales and Lore of the Phoenix, the Griffin, the Unicorn, and the Dragon. Libraries Unlimited, 1995. ISBN 156308242X
Nigg, Joe. The Book of Fabulous Beasts: A Treasury of Writings from Ancient Times to the Present. Oxford University Press, USA, 1999. ISBN 978-0195095616
Nigg, Joe. The Book of Dragons & Other Mythical Beasts. Barron's Educational Series, 2001. ISBN 978-0764155109

Credits

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[1] Oxford English Dictionary.Oxford Press, 1971. ISBN 019861117X

[2] "Manticore" Medieval Bestiary, 2006. Retrieved September 20, 2007.

[3] Nigg, Joe. The Book of Dragons & Other Mythical Beasts, 2001.

[4] "Manticore" Monstrous, 1998. Retrieved September 20, 2007.

[5] Moffitt, John F. "An Exemplary Humanist Hybrid: Vasari's "Fraude" with Reference to Bronzino's 'Sphinx'." Renaissance Quarterly 49, No. 2, 1996: 303-333.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Claimed}}
+{{Copyedited}}{{Submitted}}{{Images OK}}{{Approved}}{{Paid}}
 [[Category:Politics and social sciences]]
 [[Category:Anthropology]]
+[[Category:Mythical creatures]]
+[[Image:ManticoraTHoFFB1607.png|thumb|200 px|Manticore illustration from ''The History of Four-footed Beasts'' (1607), by [[Edward Topsell]].]]
-[[Image:ManticoraTHoFFB1607.png|thumb|Manticore illustration from ''The History of Four-footed Beasts'' (1607) by [[Edward Topsell]]]]
+The '''manticore''' is a [[legendary creature]] of Central [[Asia]], a kind of [[chimera (mythology)|chimera]], that is sometimes said to be related to the [[Sphinx]]. It was often feared as being violent and feral, but it was not until the manticore was incorporated into [[Europe]]an [[mythology]] during the [[Middle Ages]] that it came to be regarded as an [[omen]] of [[evil]].
-The '''manticore''' is a [[legendary creature]], a kind of [[Chimera (creature)|chimera]] with the [[head (anatomy)|head]] of a [[man]]—often with [[horn (anatomy)|horn]]s, gray eyes, three rows of iron shark-like teeth, and a loud, trumpet/pipe-like roar—the body of a (sometimes red-furred) [[lion]], and the [[tail]] of a [[European dragon|dragon]] or [[scorpion]], which may shoot out [[venom (poison)|venomous]] spines or hairs to incapacitate prey (thus confusing its imagery with the [[cryptozoology]] of a [[porcupine]], though [[tarantula]]s do something similar with their hairs). Occasionally, a manticore will possess [[wing]]s of some description. Size reports range from lion-sized up to horse-sized.
+Like many such beasts, there is dispute about the existence of the manticore. It has been suggested that tales of [[tiger]]s were embellished to create the even more fearsome manticore. Others maintained that such a [[species]] exists even today. At least, it exists in the world of [[fantasy]], providing a worthy and intriguing opponent for [[hero]]es.
-==Origin==
+==Etymology==
-The manticore was of [[Persian mythology|Persia]]n origin, where its name was "man-eater" (from [[Persian language|early Middle Persian]] ''martya'' "man" (as in human) and ''xwar-'' "to eat"). The English term "manticore" was borrowed from Latin ''mantichora'', itself borrowed from Greek ''mantikhoras''—an erroneous pronunciation of the original Persian name. It passed into European mythology first through a remark by [[Ctesias]], a [[Greece|Greek]] [[physician]] at the Persian court of [[Monarch|King]] [[Artaxerxes II]] in the fourth century B.C.E..E., in his notes on [[India]] ("Indika"), which circulated among Greek writers on natural history, but have not survived.
+Originally, the term ''manticore'' came into the [[English language]] from the [[Latin]] ''mantichora'', which was borrowed from the [[Greek language|Greek]] ''mantikhoras''. The Greek version of the word is actually an erroneous pronunciation of ''martikhoras'' from the original [[Persian language|early Middle Persian]] ''martyaxwar'', which translates as "man-eater" (''martya'' being "man" and ''xwar-'' "to eat").<ref> ''Oxford English Dictionary''.Oxford Press, 1971. ISBN 019861117X</ref>
-The [[Rome|Romanized]] Greek [[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]], in his ''[[Description of Greece]]'', recalled strange [[animal]]s he had seen at Rome and commented,
+==Description==
+[[Image:Mantikor.jpg|thumb|200 px|]]
+Although versions occasionally differ, the generalities of the manticore's description seem to be that it has the [[head (anatomy)|head]] of a [[man]] often with [[horn (anatomy)|horn]]s, gray or blue eyes, three rows of iron [[shark]]-like teeth, and a loud, trumpet/pipe-like roar. The body is usually of a (sometimes red-furred) [[lion]], and the [[tail]] of a [[dragon]] or [[scorpion]], which some believe can shoot out [[venom]]ous spines or hairs to incapacitate prey.<ref> [http://bestiary.ca/beasts/beast177.htm "Manticore"] ''Medieval Bestiary'', 2006. Retrieved September 20, 2007. </ref>
-{{cquote|The beast described by Ctesias in his Indian history, which he says is called ''martichoras'' by the Indians and "man-eater" by the Greeks, I am inclined to think is the [[lion]]. But that it has three rows of [[tooth|teeth]] along each [[jaw]] and spikes at the tip of its tail with which it defends itself at close quarters, while it hurls them like an [[Archery|archer]]'s [[arrow]]s at more distant enemies; all this is, I think, a false story that the Indians pass on from one to another owing to their excessive dread of the beast. (''Description'', xxi, 5)}}
+The manticore is said to be able to shoot its spines either in front or behind, curving its tail over its body to shoot forwards, or straightening it tail to shoot them backwards. The only creature reputed to survive the poisonous stings is the [[elephant]]. Thus, hunters rode elephants when hunting the manticore.<ref> Nigg, Joe. ''The Book of Dragons & Other Mythical Beasts'', 2001.</ref>
-[[Pliny the Elder]] did not share Pausanias' [[skepticism]]. He followed [[Aristotle]]'s natural history by including the ''martichoras''—mistranscribed as ''manticorus'' in his copy of Aristotle and thus passing into European languages—among his descriptions of animals in ''[[Naturalis Historia]]'', c. 77 C.E..
+The manticore is said to be able to leap in high and far bounds; it is an excellent hunter, and is said to have a special appetite for human flesh. Occasionally, a manticore will possess [[wing]]s of some description.
-Pliny's book  was widely enjoyed and uncritically believed through the European [[Middle Ages]], during which the manticore was sometimes illustrated in [[bestiaries]]. The manticore made a late appearance in [[heraldry]], during the [[16th century]], and it influenced some [[Mannerism|Mannerist]] representations, as in [[Bronzino]]'s allegory ''The Exposure of Luxury,'' (National Gallery, London)<ref>John F. Moffitt, "An Exemplary Humanist Hybrid: Vasari's "Fraude" with Reference to Bronzino's 'Sphinx'" ''Renaissance Quarterly'' '''49'''.2 (Summer  1996), pp. 303-333, traces the chimeric image of Fraud backwards from [[Bronzino]].</ref>— but more often in the decorative schemes called "[[Grotesque|grotteschi]]"— of the [[sin]] of [[Fraud]], conceived as a monstrous chimera with a [[beauty|beautiful]] [[woman]]'s face, and in this way it passed by means of [[Cesare Ripa]]'s ''Iconologia'' into the seventeenth and eighteenth century  French conception of a [[sphinx]].
+==Origin==
+The manticore originated in [[Ancient Persia]]n [[mythology]] and was brought to the Western mythology by [[Ctesias]], a Greek physician at the Persian court, in the fifth century B.C.E.<ref>[http://www.monstrous.com/monsters/manticore.htm "Manticore"] ''Monstrous'', 1998. Retrieved September 20, 2007. </ref> The [[Roman Empire|Romanized]] Greek [[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]], in his ''Description of Greece'', recalled strange [[animal]]s he had seen at Rome and commented,
-==Legacy==
+<blockquote>The beast described by Ctesias in his Indian history, which he says is called ''martichoras'' by the Indians and "man-eater" by the Greeks, I am inclined to think is the [[lion]]. But that it has three rows of [[tooth|teeth]] along each [[jaw]] and spikes at the tip of its tail with which it defends itself at close quarters, while it hurls them like an [[Archery|archer]]'s [[arrow]]s at more distant enemies; all this is, I think, a false story that the Indians pass on from one to another owing to their excessive dread of the beast. (''Description'', xxi, 5)</blockquote>
-Nowadays, the manticore is said{{Fact|date=March 2007}} to inhabit the [[forest]]s of [[Asia]], particularly [[Indonesia]]. The manticore can kill instantly with a bite or a scratch and will then eat the victim entirely, [[bone]]s and all. Whenever a person disappears completely, it is said that the locals consider it the work of the manticore. An authentic Eastern manticore tradition would clearly have to refer to the creature as a "manticore."
+[[Image:RochesterBestiaryFolio024vManticora.jpg|thumb|left|Folio 24v from a thirteenth century bestiary, ''The Rochester Bestiary'' (British Library, Royal MS 12 F XIII), showing the Manticora.]]
+[[Pliny the Elder]] did not share Pausanias' [[skepticism]]. He followed [[Aristotle]]'s natural history by including the ''martichoras''—mis-transcribed as ''manticorus'' and thus passing into European languages—among his descriptions of animals in ''[[Naturalis Historia]]'', c. 77 C.E. Pliny's book was widely enjoyed and uncritically believed through the European [[Middle Ages]], during which the manticore was often illustrated in [[bestiary|bestiaries]].
-The manticore is also known as the "mantícora," the "mantichor," or by a folk [[etymology]], even the "mantiger." Outside [[occult]]ist circles, the manticore was still an arcane creature in the Western world when [[Gian Carlo Menotti]] wrote his [[ballet]] ''[[The Unicorn, the Gorgon, and the Manticore]]'' in 1956.
+An Eastern version of the manticore is said by some locals to inhabit the jungles of [[Southeast Asia]], stalking villagers at night. While it is speculative if the locals actually believe in the [[mythical creature]]'s existence, or are merely carrying on a tradition is not clear. Outside of [[fantasy]] sub-culture, Southeast Asia is the only area in the world where accounts of manticores continue to be discussed.
-==Appearance in Fiction==
+[[Image:Tigerramki.jpg|right|thumb|220px|<div style="text-align: center;border:none">A wild Bengal tiger</div>]]
+Some have considered the manticore to be no more than a [[tiger]], either a [[Bengal tiger]] or a [[Caspian tiger]], its fur appearing red in the sun. While those who saw such beasts, who have been known to attack and even eat humans (and were used in [[Roman empire|Roman]] arenas to fight gladiators), would naturally describe them as fearsome, for those who had never seen them all their characteristics would sound fantastic. Thus the three rows of teeth and the spines on the tail could well have become embellishments on tales of the tiger.
-===Comics===
+==Heraldry==
-* A creature named Manticore appears in the anime ''[[Boogiepop Phantom]]''. It feeds on people but does not devour them.
+The manticore made a late appearance in [[heraldry]], during the sixteenth century, influencing some [[Mannerism|Mannerist]] representations, such as [[Bronzino]]'s allegory ''The Exposure of Luxury,'' (National Gallery, London)<ref>Moffitt, John F. "An Exemplary Humanist Hybrid: Vasari's "Fraude" with Reference to Bronzino's 'Sphinx'." ''Renaissance Quarterly'' 49, No. 2, 1996: 303-333.</ref>&mdash;but more often in the decorative schemes called "[[Grotesque|grotteschi]]"&mdash;of the [[sin]] of [[Fraud]], conceived as a monstrous chimera with a [[beauty|beautiful]] [[woman]]'s face. In this way it passed by means of [[Cesare Ripa]]'s ''Iconologia'' into the seventeenth and eighteenth century [[France|French]] conception of a [[sphinx]]. It never was as popular as other mythological creatures used in heraldry, most likely because it always maintained an element of malevolance.
-* The graphic novel series ''[[The Books of Magic]]'' originally created by [[Neil Gaiman]], though carried on by others, features a character which is found to be a manticore, created by [[John Ney Rieber]], [[Gary Amaro]], and [[Peter Gross]].
-===Film===
+==Symbolism==
-* ''Manticore'' is the name of the [[yacht]] of the Janus Organization, in the [[James Bond]] film ''[[GoldenEye]]'' (1995). The real name of the yacht is ''Northern Cross''.
+During the [[Middle Ages]], the manticore was sometimes seen as a [[symbol]] of the [[prophet]] [[Jeremiah]], since both were underground dwellers. However, positive connotations did not stick to the manticore. Its ferocious manner and terrifying appearance quickly made it a symbol of [[evil]], and the manticore in Europe came to be known as an [[omen]] of evil tidings. To see a manticore was to see a forthcoming calamity. Thus it came to imply bad luck, such as the proverbial black cat in modern society.
-* In the 2004 film ''[[Napoleon Dynamite]]'', the protagonist Napoleon elects the [[liger]] as his favourite animal; however, as he attempts to sketch it, he produces a manticore.
-* An old lion is enchanted to look like a Manticore in order to draw patrons to a witch's menagerie in the ''[[The Last Unicorn (film)|The Last Unicorn]]'' (1982).
-===Games===
+==Pop Culture==
-* Manticore is ''[[Monster in My Pocket]]'' #14.  They appear in the oriental garden, stage 5, of the [[video game]], hiding behind poles, throwing bones, and projecting a dangerous gaze.
-* Manticores, both in name only and in full, appear in many videogames as both allies and enemies, in games such as ''[[Archon]]'', ''[[Age of Wonders 2: The Wizard's Throne]]'', ''[[Heroes of Might and Magic]]'', ''[[Tales of Symphonia]]'', ''[[Golden Sun]]'', as Myth Units in ''[[Age of Mythology]]'' and its expansion pack ''[[Age of Mythology: The Titans]]''. Manticores also appear in full as flying mounts in ''[[Total Chaos]]''.
-* The Caldari State's stealth bomber in [[MMORPG]] ''[[EVE Online]]'' is code-named "Manticore."
-* Manticores also appear in the strategy game ''[[Heroes of Might and Magic III]]'' as creatures controllable by the Overlord and Warlock player classes.
-* In the MMORPG ''[[The World of Warcraft]]'' they appear as an aerial mount. Though their appearance resembles a lot to the common manticore (lion body, scorpion tail and bat wings), they are named as [[Wyvern]]s.
-* The online flash game ''[http://www.atrianglemorning.com/games/flash.php Which Way Adventure]'' often ended with the player being killed by a manticore.
-* In the MMORPG ''[[Final Fantasy XI]]'', players have the option to fight Manticores in various areas throughout the game.
-*Also used in the Game Boy Advance game ''[[Golden Sun]]'' as a boss in a desert, midway through the game.
-* A manticore is the boss of the Bloodpool level in ''[[ActRaiser]]'' for the [[Super Nintendo]].
-* The MMORPG ''[[City of Heroes]]'' features a [[superhero]] named [[Manticore (City of Heroes)|Manticore]], who appears in game and in a series of comics based on the game. His name probably derives from the fact that his costume is red with a type of metal mane around his head and neck, and his primary weapon is a bow and arrow.
-* Manticores appear as enemies in [[Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow]] ([[Game Boy Advance]]) and [[Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow]] ([[Nintendo DS]]). In AoS, obtaining a manticore soul allowed the player to transform into a large, two-legged manticore which would charge forward automatically. In DoS, the manticore soul allowed the player to grow a scorpion tail which served as an extra weapon. The creature itself attacked by breathing fire or swinging its scorpion tail (which could poison the player on impact).
-*In Harry potter and the prisoner of azkaban video game there is a beast card of manticore in set of of beasts card.
-* In the Warhammer tabletop-game, a Manticore is a mount for Dark Elves. It doesn't look like the common Manticore though, with its lion-head instead of a human head. They have enormous bat wings and strong claws.
-*In Knight Online they have Manticore's which have head of lion body of lion and tail of scorpion + wings of bird.
-* The collectible card game [[Magic: The Gathering]] has a card named Masticore, which resembles the description of a Manticore.
-*The manticore appears as an opponent creature in the table top roleplaying game [[Dungeons and Dragons]]
-* In the [[Birthright]] campaign setting, the Manticore is an honorable warrior, corrupted by the power of the dead god Azrai.  He attempts to control the savagery within.
-* The Manticore serves as a monstrous mount for the [[Dark Elves]] or [[Chaos Dwarfs]] in ''[[Warhammer Fantasy Battles]]''.
-===Music===
+While not quite as popular as some other [[mythical creature]]s, the manticore has none the less been kept alive in the area [[fantasy]] sub-culture of modern society.
-* The [[rock band]] [[Emerson, Lake & Palmer]] used the name "Manticore" for their own [[Atlantic Records]] releases. Prior to this, they featured the Manticore in their [[Tarkus (song)|"Tarkus" suite]] battling another made-up creature (an [[armadillo]]/[[tank]]). Additionally, their four-CD compilation box is called ''Return of the Manticore''. [http://www.emersonlakepalmer.com/albums.html]
+The manticore has made appearances in several fantasy novels, including [[J.K. Rowling]]'s ''[[Harry Potter]]'' series. A manticore also featured as one of the unique creatures captured by the witch for her menagerie in [[Peter S. Beagle]]'s ''The Last Unicorn'', which was made into a popular [[animation|animated]] [[movie]]. The manticore also features in [[Robertson Davies]]' second novel of ''The Deptford Trilogy'', ''The Manticore'' (1972).
-* [[Canada|Canadian]] [[heavy metal]] band [[3 Inches of Blood]] released a bonus track on their [[Japan]]ese release of ''[[Advance and Vanquish]]'' CD called "Quest for the Manticore."
-* There is a punk/metal band from Minneapolis (now of San Francisco) known as [[The Martichora]].
-*MC Andrew mentions the manticore several times in his song, "Monstrous Manual."
-* The manticore in mentioned by the American rock band [[Clutch (band)|Clutch]] in the lyrics of its song "Circus Maximus," from the 2005 CD release ''[[Robot Hive/Exodus]]'':  "From the fiery depths of the planet’s core / The never sleeping for want of eating unholy stench of the manticore."
-===Literature===
+However, manticores' most prominent appearances are in role-playing and video games. ''Dungeons and Dragons'', ''Magic: The Gathering'', and the ''Warhammer Fantasy Battles'' all incorporate manticores.
-* There is an entry on the manticore in [[Jorge Luis Borges]]' ''[[Book of Imaginary Beings]]''.
-* A manticore appears as a character in [[Salman Rushdie]]'s ''[[The Satanic Verses (novel)|The Satanic Verses]]''.
-* The ''[[Harry Potter]]'' series by [[J. K. Rowling]] includes manticores in its bestiary. In one novel, manticores are [[crossbred]] with [[Minor Harry Potter beasts#Fire Crab|Fire-crabs]] to create a new manticore/arthropod species called "[[Minor Harry Potter beasts#Blast-Ended Skrewt|Blast-Ended Skrewt]]." It is also referenced offhand in ''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban|Prisoner of Azkaban]]'' when [[Hermione Granger]] is looking for historical cases of out-of-control beasts being let off. A manticore was let off... but only because the [[Ministry of Magic]] was afraid to get near it.<ref>David Colbert, ''The Magical Worlds of Harry Potter'', p 131, ISBN 0-9708442-0-4,</ref>
-* The manticore appears in [[India]]n [[fantasy]] author [[Samit Basu]]'s 2005 novel, ''[[The Manticore's Secret]]''.
-* In Canadian writer [[Robertson Davies]]' "[[The Deptford Trilogy|Deptford Trilogy]]," the middle novel is entitled ''[[The Manticore]]''.
-* The manticore appears as an entry in Arthur Spiderwick's ''[[Field Guide to the Magical World Around You]]'', a [[spin-off]] of the [[Spiderwick]] Chronicles.
-* The manticore appears in ''[[The Worm Ouroboros]]'' (1922) by [[Eric Rucker Eddison]].
-* The manticore appears in the ''[[Xanth]]'' series by [[Piers Anthony]], including the cover of the book ''[[A Spell for Chameleon]]'' (1977).
-* The manticore appears in the ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' series by [[George R. R. Martin]].
-* A manticore appears in [[Madeleine L'Engle]]'s novel ''[[Many Waters]]''.
-* The manticore appeared as creatures of [[chaos]] in [[Roger Zelazny]]'s [[The Chronicles of Amber]].
-* In [[David Weber]]'s [[Honorverse]] [[science fiction]] universe, Manticore is the homeworld of the [[Star Kingdom of Manticore]], the primary faction and home nation of the primary protagonist, [[Honor Harrington]].
-* In the short story collection ''Hellboy: Odder Jobs'', [[Hellboy]] faces a manticore summoned by a bullied student in [[Ray Garton]]'s ''A Full and Satisfying Life''.
-* There's an [[independent bookstore]] in Orillia, Ontario, called Manticore Books.
-===Television===
+==Notes==
-* In 2005, the [[Sci Fi Channel (United States)|Sci Fi Channel]] showed a television movie called ''[[Manticore (film)|Manticore]]''. It is about American soldiers in [[Iraq]] who discover and must fight against a real manticore.  The monster kills and devours anyone who gets in its way and it goes on a rampage in a Iraqi town. [http://www.scifi.com/manticore/][http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0417943/]
+<references/>
-* The television show ''[[Dark Angel (TV series)|Dark Angel]]'' featured a government initiative known as Manticore that created [[supersoldier]]s by splicing together the genes of animals and humans.
-* The manticore appeared in the television series ''[[Charmed]]'' in the episode [[Little Monsters (Charmed episode)|Little Monsters]], however, it is nothing like the mythological creature, only sharing the name.
-* When the Mystic Rangers acquired Legend Armor to become Legend Warriors, they got a new Megazord called the Manticore Megazord which makes its first appearance in part 3 of the ''[[Power Rangers: Mystic Force]]'' three-part story, "Dark Wish."
-* The Manticore was featured as a Hades Beast in the Japanese Super Sentai series, ''[[Mahou Sentai Magiranger]]''. It had the power to use itself as an instrument to make people dance, leaving them helpless so that it could devour them.
-* In the original ''[[He-Man]]'' series (1983) episode “Orko's Favorite Uncle,” Adam, Cringer and Orko stumble into a cave and disturb a manticore in his lair. They incapacitate the territorial manticore and flee from his cave. Taking some creative liberties on the creature, this version of a manticore is 20 feet or so tall and bipedal but slouched in posture, and as it was originally scripted, he was to actually breathe fire, but that part was never animated.
-* In an episode of ''[[The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy]]'' a manticore fought Dean Toadblatt.
-===Other===
-* [[Gian Carlo Menotti]]'s above-mentioned ballet, ''[[The Unicorn, the Gorgon and the Manticore]]''.
-* The manticore was one of four contenders in a campus-wide vote for a new [[Swarthmore College]] mascot. The school also has a student band named Manticore.
 ==References==
-<div class="references-small"><references /></div>
+* Ashman, Malcolm and Joyce Hargreaves. ''Fabulous Beasts''. Overlook, 1997. ISBN 978-0879517793
+* Barber, Richard. ''Bestiary: Being an English Version of the Bodleian Library, Oxford, MS Bodley 764''. Boydell Press, 2006. ISBN 978-0851157535
+* Borges, Jorge Luis. ''The Book of Imaginary Beings''. Amazon Remainders, 2005. ISBN 0670891800
+* Hassig, Debra. ''The Mark of the Beast: The Medieval Bestiary in Art, Life, and Literature''. Routledge, 2000. ISBN 041592894X
+* Nigg, Joe. ''Wonder Beasts: Tales and Lore of the Phoenix, the Griffin, the Unicorn, and the Dragon''. Libraries Unlimited, 1995. ISBN 156308242X
+* Nigg, Joe. ''The Book of Fabulous Beasts: A Treasury of Writings from Ancient Times to the Present''. Oxford University Press, USA, 1999. ISBN 978-0195095616
+* Nigg, Joe. ''The Book of Dragons & Other Mythical Beasts''. Barron's Educational Series, 2001. ISBN 978-0764155109
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