Aside from the traditional legends; the folklore, the mythology, the modern day reported sightings; there is a vast assimilation of superstition into popular forms of entertainment. Mythology, or the ideas behind the creatures themselves, is often used as a backdrop for tales not meant to depict a true belief in the subjects presented.
Forms such as films, books and fan-fiction all have made use of the mythological theme and, often with aid of artistic license, have turned the stories into adventures of their own. With most including elements within the creatures that were not as standard to the original folktales.
Sometimes this can cause the public to be mislead about the source legends. An example being the
Hollywoodised depiction of the werewolf resulting in most people nowadays seeing it as a man/beast monster, as opposed to the original, savage beast only, visage. It is also through this example that we may see how such stories can further mythology itself.
Accuracy aside, the diversity of mythology is furthered still by the imagination of the writers of this material, and has inspired many to seek a knowledge of the original tales. Many of the writers' own mythological creations are still remembered fondly of, as can be seen in the
Fictional Creatures section.
Attached to this page are examples of the literature stemming from mythological roots.