Forwarded from G I
Why not? The faeric beings are usually described and whimsical but also cruel and well, inhumane since they're not human
Forwarded from Paddington
That's very similar to what in Estonian culture is known as the Snake King (ussikuningas). I've seen it represented with three heads at times. I'm not sure about it teaching the language of animals though, I'll have to look it up.
Forwarded from Paddington
Apparently the Mordvins Central Russia have a similar entity (Inekui, 'Great snake') usually depicted with 7 or 12 heads, and it can also fly. By eating its meat one can understand the language of animals. It is a chthonic entity in control of malicious spirits, and in some stories it is won in battle by a man born of the marriage of a bear and a human woman. The half-bear is the ancestor of certain clans among Uralic peoples, such as the Skolt Saami.
https://www.folklore.ee/rl/folkte/sugri/mordva/myto/ussikuningas.htm
https://www.folklore.ee/rl/folkte/sugri/mordva/myto/ussikuningas.htm
Gunung Padang, Island of Java, Indonesia. Oldest layer possibly dating to 20,000 years ago