Danger: Women Writing

One kind of demon you don’t really see all that often in paranormal novels is the Chimera – a creature that is a blend of several other beings. The origin of the Chimera dates back to Greek mythology where the Chimera appears as a fire-breathing demon with the body of a lion, snake’s head tail and the head of a goat sticking out of the center of its back. Not a pretty creature.

References to Chimeras can be found in works by Homer, Ovid and Virgil, but then this demon seems to disappear for some time in more modern works. Recently, variations on the creature have appeared in television shows such as Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, CSI: Las Vegas and The X-Files, films such as The Relic and paranormal novels such as Marjorie Liu’s Dirk and Steele series.

The CSI episode was particularly interesting because it did not deal with a fictional Chimera, but rather a real human version of the ancient Greek myth.

Did you know that it’s possible for a human Chimera to exist, namely, an individual who has two different sets of DNA in their body?

How does this happen? Oftentimes this kind of mix can be seen in non-identical twins who shared a blood supply via the placenta. It can also occur when there are twins and one dies during gestation and is absorbed by the other twin. The cells of the dead twin which are incorporated into the surviving twin can carry distinct genetic material from that of the surviving twin.

I think it might be interesting to see a shapeshifting story where someone could change into blend of animals, each one providing its best properties. The speed of a cheetah combined with the power of a wolf, or something like that.

What do you think? What kinds of combinations would make for interesting chimera demons?

Otherwise known as Caridad’s Dark Side Demon Monday!

We’re launching a whole new series of blogs here at the Danger Women Writing for our Dangerous Readers.  Check back each day for a new theme and Dangerous Woman writer sharing insights on all kinds of topics.

For my turn at the plate, I’ll be offering up thoughts and insights on demon lore and some of the more interesting things happening with the creatures that go bump in the night.

Many readers wonder how paranormal writers manage to come up with their ideas. Sometimes you develop totally new creatures and later on during another Dark Side Demon Monday I’ll talk about how I went about creating the mystical beings that will stream to the Jersey Shore in Books 3 and 4 of the SINS series (which will be renamed the SIN HUNTERS series).

Sometimes you look at existing mythologies and tweak them to fit the needs of your story. That’s what I did in DEVOTION CALLS when I introduced a slightly different kind of vampire — a chupacabra.

Chupacabra (or chupacabras) means “goat sucker” in Spanish, but the creature has become quite well known throughout the United States and the rest of the Americas.

The first attacks attributed to chupacabras began in the early 1990s in Puerto Rico so the legend is actually not all that old. Additional sightings of the animal began to appear in other parts of South America as well as the American Southwest.

Farmers reported attacks on various livestock, but the animals were not eaten or taken to another location for dinner. The reports indicated that the animals were killed by being drained of blood through two small incisions, much like a vampire.

One theory as to the origin of the chupacabra is that it’s an alien pet that escaped. Another is that it’s either an alien genetics experiment that got loose or a human genetics experiment. Finally, others believe that the chupacabra is merely a coyote that has a skin disease, accounting for the lack of hair and strange coloration on those animals which have been found and called chupacabras.

Witnesses describe the chupacabra as being anywhere from 4 to 6 feet tall when upright, with green/gray scales. The beast has quills along its head and neck, possibly a long tail and clawed fingers. In addition, it has large glassy eyes that can be reddish in color. Way different than the supposed creatures being found in various areas of Texas!

Regardless of whether or not chupacabras really exist, the creatures have managed to embed themselves in our folklore and have even been written about in songs!

For more information on the chupacabra, you can click on one of the links below.

Encounters with Chupacabras
Texas Mystery: Defective Coyote or Chupacabra?
Watch the Monsterquest Television Program on the Chupabacra!