Mermaids, dragons and sea monsters: Museum creatures have mythic air

Here be dragons -- but no Godzilla, King Kong or anything out of a Harry Potter book.

The inhabitants of the Field Museum's latest exhibit, "Mythic Creatures," are the stuff of legend, not of Hollywood or recent literary creation.

So children hoping to see their favorite modern monsters may be disappointed.

But young visitors might get a kick out of a few larger-than-life models of the creatures that are here.

In the form of giant, realistic foam models, a squid-like sea monster known as a kraken rises out of the museum floor; a taloned bird with a 20-foot wing span known as the Roc swoops down from above; and a crouching dragon the size of a minivan flashes translucent wings and a malevolent grin.

Overhead, a 120-foot paper dancing dragon from New Year's parades brings prosperity and good fortune.

While dragons are familiar, many of the other creatures are strange to modern Western eyes but draw on ancient Asian, African, American and Inuit cultures.

Divided into sections about creatures from water, land and air, the show begins with numerous sea monsters, including a half-fish, half-monkey sewn together as a stunt for P.T. Barnum's circus.

Legends of mermaids, depicted in paintings and statues, show how some mythical creatures can't be defined easily as good or bad. In some cases mermaids were known for luring sailors to their deaths, in other cases for saving their lives.

Which reminds visitors that not all mythical creatures are monsters.

A statue of a unicorn reflects this mythic horse's reputation as a gentle, benevolent creature that could purify contaminated water with a touch of its horn.

Children can touch a cast of a narwhale tusk, which is thought to have possibly inspired stories of the unicorn.

Mythic land creatures often blend parts of actual animals, such as the griffin, a combination of a lion's body and an eagle's head.

In addition to models and statues, specimens and cultural artifacts give rise to speculation that some mythic creatures, like the Cyclops, might have sprung from real discoveries like dinosaur fossils.

For a more recent mythic creature, the exhibit includes a contemporary Latin American creature known as the Chupacabra, or goat sucker, which became popular in the 1980s and still has modern-day action figures.

The focus on fictitious creatures is a departure and a challenge for a museum that typically sticks to real artifacts to illustrate natural history.

Developed by paleontologists and anthropologists, the exhibit is interesting but static, and as the big show for spring break, could use more wow factor.

First shown at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, the exhibit drew half a million people.

The most popular feature for children is an interactive video that allows kids to build their own dragon and add it to a streaming animation overhead.

For those who want to bring home a bit of myth, a gift shop at the show's exit offers an array of dragon kites and stuffed and carved creatures.

The price of admission has increased to $22 for adults and $19 for students older than 11, meaning a family of five with teenagers could clear $100.

To avoid that steep charge, come on the second Monday of each month, when entry is free.

"Mythic Creatures"

What: Exhibit exploring the origins and meaning of mythic figures like dragons, unicorns and mermaids.

Where: The Field Museum, 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago

When: Through Sept. 1

Cost: Adults $22, seniors and students $19, children age 4-11 $12 for non-Chicago residents, including general admission. Free the second Monday of each month.

Information: (312) 922-9410 or fieldmuseum.org