There was a type of riddle that described an animal in terms of a combination of animals but only one attribute of each of these creatures needed to be sought that was like the target animal. So for the Chimera, the puzzler had to consider and hold in his head attributes of lion, goat, eagle and snake.
Lion: - perhaps - roaring, tawny, sharp toothed, claws, strength etc.
Goat: - perhaps - horns, herding, swift running, etc............ and then think of a creature that combined one of each attribute.
Any riddle puzzlers out there?
I have an answer!
Sounds to me that you're hinting at a dragon. Personally,, I've always thought of the chimera as the chaotic counterpart to orderly animal creation - sort of the "look what could have happened if Prometheus had pieced together the world's fauna while he was drunk".
Thanks for attempting an answer, and yes you are getting warm. i am sort of hinting at dragon, but then I believe that dragon is also a riddle. Perhaps deriving from the very same riddle of quite a familiar creature.
As it's Christmas - here is a riddle that you might find in a cracker!
It resembles the Chimera riddle. Try drawing it and you will see what I mean.
"There is a flying thing, which stays anywhere,—even in the forest and desert; its face is the face of a cow, its neck the neck of a horse, the breast the breast of a man, the wing is like bamboo leaves, his tail resembles a snake, and his feet look like the feet of a bird."
What is it?
Here is one I prepared earlier from the riddle above.
It has the same crazy mix of animals as the Chimera. It is interesting that the Chimera has one aspect of "snake" for an answer whereas this one has another aspect of "snake" to find!
Good guessing.
I think this is a good example of how a text or oral riddle can become monstrous when made into an actual image. Don't forget this is a metaphorical beast and the riddle maker is successful if he can draw you away from the true answer to his puzzle.
Let me give some clues before revealing the answer. One aspect of each creature will match the target animal.
It is the "horns" of the cow that you should consider.
- the straight neck of the horse
- the pink colouring or the shoulder joints of the man.
- This creature has wing coverings that make it look like a bunch of leaves
- The snake sheds its skin as does this riddle creature.
- The thinness of birds feet ending in claws completes the picture.
A similar technique can applied to the Chimera..... - all will be revealed!
Answers later.
The answer to my Chimera-like monster pictured above was a locust.
Its antennae were like horns, it can fly and has to shed its skin like a snake as it develops.
I believe it was the swarms of locusts that Heredotus went to see in Egypt. He called them "flying snakes". Their skeletons piled up would have been (metaphorically) their discarded skins as they moulted. Locusts are the favourite food of the ibis, too, that he mentions, helping to prevent them.
So take another look at the Chimera, and consider the venomous character of its snake-like tail.
My answer will follow.
And then this will open the way to considering the dragon in metaphorical terms.
I believe the Chimera was originally conceived as a riddle about a wasp, hornet or bee.
The Bee has the claws or fierceness of a lion,
the horns (antennae0 of the goat.
the venom of the snake
the ability to fly like the eagle.
the venom that gives a burning sensation like the fiery breath of the Chimera
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