Here's a Book of Necessary Monsters

Let's not talk about the political views of Jorge Louis Borges, even if he devoted many books on it. "The Book of Imaginary Beings", first published in 1957, was a compilation of mythical creatures imagined by man. This would make Borges, a native of Buenos Aires, the Father of Magic Realism. Not quite.

This porteño penned prose that reminded readers of Lord Dunsany. It doesn't mean that the Irish nobleman first came up with an imaginary being. German folklore described a dragon guarding a cave filled with treasure. This was JRR Tolkien's for "The Hobbit". A tall, lumbering serpent with claws and wings would be the most faithful description of this creature, and don't be surprised if it came from Europe. Pliny imagined a dragon crossing the Mediterranean and preying on elephants in Africa. He was staring at Etna for too long, though. Ancient Greeks thought of Typhon. (Zeus vanquished him during the fight between Olympians and monsters.)

The paperback copy of "The Book of Imaginary Beings" featured illustrations by Peter Sis, which were stark features of the creatures. They were necessary monsters. It would feed the imagination of readers. Borges didn't compile these creatures for students who would write a paper about it. The book reflected Borges's interest in mythology. Most authors do, such that some would create new ones. They won't frighten readers, as a glance was like looking at a mirror.

In the case of authors, there was a symbiotic relationship between them and the imaginary beings. They would come to life, even became larger than one. This compilation gave readers something to talk about. The monsters would come from different parts of the world, but they were the same. Let's have a look:

Alicanto (Chile). This bird would feed on gold, its kind only lived in the mine shaft. Miners pursued the alicanto, suspecting gold flowing through their veins. It might be an early impression of the ruling class.

Bahamut (Arab region). It would resemble an elephant, prompting some to wonder if this creature was what Plimy had in mind. Maybe. The Roman poet didn't want to venture farther than Asian Minor, which was a shame.

Chinese Dragon (East Asia). Unlike its Western counterpart, this one was revered in the Far East. But some portraits would show the creature with a pearl. (A source of their power perhaps.) The other deities would confirm its similarity with its Western cousin.

Kraken (Baltic region). Illustrations showed ships that were about to be sank by the huge tentacles of the giant squid. They would originate from the depths of the ocean, and their description was far from what writers (like Verne) described of them. They may be imagining too much.

Namazu (Japan). A catfish was believed to dwell right below the Earth's surface, its movements would trigger earthquake. There was no doubt about it if you lived in Japan, but Haruki Murakami thought of a gigantic frog instead.