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Are there any myths about seahorses?
Many myths have surrounded seahorses
since early Greek civilization.
Seahorses
belong to a scientific group (genus)
called Hippocampus. This comes from
the Greek words hippos, meaning "horse"
and
kampos meaning "sea monster" In ancient times, Greek poets
believed that sea gods rode on mythical creatures that were half horse and
half fish, called hippocampi. Ancient vases and early Greek coins
portray these seahorses as large, fearful monsters or dragons with legs and
wings. We now know that seahorses are much too small to ride, have no legs
or wings, and really, who could be scared of a little seahorse? |