The Rompo is a mythological beast said to have been found in India and Africa. It is described as having the head and mouth of a hare, the ears of a human, a mane, a slender body approximately three feet in length, a long tail ending in a hairy brush, the front feet of a badger, and the rear feet of a bear. It feeds on human corpses, which it obtains by digging up graves, and is termed the "Man-Eater" due to this habit. After discovering a body, instead of immediately devouring it, it circles around it several times as if afraid to seize it. [1] The legend of the Rompo may have been inspired by the ecology and behavior of hyenas. [2]
References
- ^ Boreman, Thomas (1730). A Description of Three Hundred Animals; viz Beast, Birds, Fishes, Serpents and Insects. p. 10. ISBN 1385578890.
- ^ Matthews, John; Matthews, Caitlin (10 March 2005). The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures. Sterling Publishing. p. 486. ISBN 1-4027-3543-X.
Bibliography
- Boreman, Thomas. A Description of Three Hundred Animals; viz Beast, Birds, Fishes, Serpents and Insects p. 10. 1730, London. Online.
- Matthews, John and Caitlin. The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures. p. 486. Sterling Publishing. 2006. ISBN 1-4027-3543-X. Online. March 13, 2008.