The Manticore is a terrifying creature in Iranian mythology with a human face, a red lion body, and a scorpion tail. It has three rows of teeth and feeds on human flesh. The name derives from the Persian “martyaxwar” (man-eater). Its voice resembles a mixture of flute and trumpet.
Ancient Greek writers learned of this creature from Iran and brought it into Western mythology. Ctesias described the Manticore in detail in his work on India. It cannot be killed by arrows because its hide is too thick. The venomous stinger on its tail is lethal if it strikes any part of the body. The Manticore symbolizes uncontrollable wild danger and the unknown.
