All right, time to see what everyone came up with for the Wutugald! Again, if that statement confuses you, you may find an explanation at https://maniculum.tumblr.com/bestiaryposting . If you want a refresher on the description the artists were working with, here is the original post:
Welcome to the first installment of bestiaryposting! This week, we're going to try and illustrate everyone's favorite critter, the Wutugald!
This was a pretty good creature to start with, I think; the random number generator did us a solid with this one. It laid to rest some concerns I had: will people be able to put aside their real-world knowledge of these animals and draw as if they had never heard of them? Yes, apparently -- a number of comments and notes indicated that several participants had guessed what the Wutugald was, refrained from sharing that information, and drew something that fit the description while being nevertheless a fully distinct animal. I was also concerned about some of the upcoming entries that specify a type of animal (bird, serpent, &c.), wondering if that constraint would be a problem -- but a number of people drew some Very Good Birds for this one, so I feel reassured that future entries that are Explicitly A Bird will still be material we can have fun with.
So, let's see what people created. I'm putting these in roughly the order in which they appeared, below the cut:
@cosmic-flora (link to post here) produced this in Paint pretty shortly after the original post went up, and posted it with a brief explanation of their design decisions -- they were the first but not the last to interpret the rigid spine as spikes and the single tooth as a beak, and also to provide the creature with claws for digging.
@silverhart-makes-art (link to post here) was also quick off the mark, posting this the same evening along with an explanation of their design process. I'm genuinely impressed by how quickly they were able to draw something so naturalistic -- this went up within like four hours of the original post. This was also the first (but again not the last) to include an apparent reference to the Wutugald's ability to change sex by including both male genitalia and noticeable teats. Also, I wonder if the coat pattern on the baby is a sneaky reference to the animal this is based on, as Silverhart does indicate that they figured it out.
@elodieunderglass (link to post here) created this rendition, which I think does a good job at capturing the vibe in the bestiary entry, of a creature that the medieval author clearly sees as discomfiting and somewhat sinister. That is a grin that makes me worry about the critter's intentions.
@geeoharee (link to post here) posted this along with a brief explanation of their design decisions. The human face and the speech bubble are great, I think -- it makes me smile. I think this is the first non-mammalian Wutugald, but several more come later.
@sweetlyfez (link to post here) drew this with a dip pen, apparently, which is cool. Also this might be the cuddliest-looking version, but my desire to hug it probably says more about my own sense of self-preservation than anything else. That is a cute face, right? It's not just me?
@cinqueform (link to post here) produced this wonderfully medieval-styled image. We can see here the ruler-straight spine and the depiction of the Wutugald's sexual ambiguity, as well as a human-like face for imitating speech. Also a very nice stylized letter W.
@rautavaara (link to post here) has also done a medieval-style rendition, which is excellently sinister in presentation. That is a Worrying Creature. It's also the first (but again not the last) avian interpretation of the Wutugald, which I think really works. Also I'm not sure if this is a sneaky nod to what the animal actually is, or just a case of "great minds think alike", but Rautavaara's interpretation of the rigid spine is very similar to the one in the actual Aberdeen Bestiary illustration I will show y'all at the end of this post.
@spontaneousmusicalnumber (link to post here) posted this along with a brief explanation of their design process. I think they're right about the side pattern being appropriate for a bestiary critter.
@strixcattus (link to post here) did another avian rendition of the Wutugald complete with a fantastic lengthy reinterpretation of the bestiary entry through the eyes of a modern naturalist. Seriously, go check that out, it's very good.
@fidgetyhands (link to post here) provides this image of the Wutugald along with an explanation of their design choices. They also note that limitations in terms of artistic material are probably relevant to a lot of bestiary drawings.
@jamiethekeener (link to post here) gives us this Wutugald in the act of digging. She instructs that we should not ask why her interpretation of Wutugald ended up being so unsettling, which I cannot deny that it is. (That smile... that damn smile.) I also want to highlight the interpretation of the rigid spine as a shield-like plate along the back.
@thewhetherman (link to post here) gives us this rather-frightening-looking creature, along with a brief commentary that definitely ups the spook factor on this whole thing.
@bruncikara (link to post here) also went with a medieval stylization, with a very period-appropriate pose and frame. We can see again some digging claws and a nod to the animal's sexual ambiguity. Wicked-looking single tooth, also.
@mobileleprechaun (link to post here) has given us what I think is our only invertebrate Wutugald by interpreting the rigid spine as a shell and the single tooth as a radula. Shown here with its half-lion offspring.
@illogarithmil (link to post here) has also taken inspiration from medieval bestiary art, noting the unusual color and perspective choices typical of the genre. Note the straight tail, the skull, and the doorway in the background -- presumably into a tomb of some sort. The diamond-pupilled eye is striking.
@qwertyprophecy (link to post here) gives us this Wutugald who manages to strike an excellent balance between "cute" and "villainous". Like, I would expect to see these hopping around to signal that the Protagonists have entered the Sinister Fantasy Kingdom, but it's also kind of adorable. I think the gemstone pupil helps with that vibe. Vulture face is for easier eating of corpses, I assume.
@aaclysm (link to post here) provides both a final version and a "messy bus sketch". We can see the stone-like eyes, the single tooth interpreted as a beak, and the rigid spine interpreted as a carapace. Kind of griffin-like vibes, which I'm enjoying.
@scarlettbookworm (link to post here) gives us this drawing, which has some delightful details. I like the lines on the shadow, which I assume is meant to indicate the magical effects associated with it. Also love that the Wutugald's ability to change sex is acknowledged by giving it a little trans-pride flag to wave with its tail. I believe the text in its speech bubble is intended to be word-salad, demonstrating that it imitates but does not understand human speech.
@pachelbelsheadcanon (link to post here) gives us another very cute Wutugald. (More of these than I expected are downright cuddly.) I'm particularly delighted by the attempt to take the whole "single tooth that closes like a casket" thing at its word and make it work. They provide in their post an explanation of what's going on with that and some other interesting zoological details of their creation. I also enjoy the idea that the Wutugald talks like bot-generated spam.
@changeinenthalpy (link to post here) has produced this fairly-intimidating-looking critter. This definitely looks like something that could dig up and eat a corpse if it wanted. Nasty claws on that beast. The shiny gemstone eyes give it an unsettling gaze also.
@aethergeologist (link to post here) gives us this creature, which I both want to pet and also want to keep a healthy distance from because those claws look like they could mess you up. They provide an explanation for their design choices in the linked post.
@karthara (link to post here) has added to our store of avian Wutugalds, and includes a brief explanation of their design choices in the linked post. I like how happy it seems in the side view -- all excited about its corpse-digging plans for the evening.
@moustawott (link to post here) created this delightfully prehistoric-looking beast, and provides a detailed account of their design choices in the linked post. I think the snapping-turtle face really works here, and this is probably one of the most dangerous-looking interpretations of the Wutugald.
@cattorneyatlaw (link to post here) has drawn an unusually porcine Wutugald. Probably one of the spookier pig drawings I've seen. They provide an explanation of their design choices -- including "why a pig" -- in the linked post.
@curiouslyodd (link to post here) has given us a Wutugald with a very unsettling face and an interesting fur pattern. In the linked post, they not only provide an explanation of their design choices, but also a detailed and well-written reinterpretation of the bestiary entry based on the animal as they have drawn it. Go check that out.
@treesurface (link to post here) has done an interestingly chimeric Wutugald, and includes a brief explanation of their design choices in the linked post. I like the head particularly.
And... hm. We're not going to be able to fit all of the images in one post. The limit is thirty, right? Stay tuned for a bit, I guess. The remaining Wutugalds will be in a reblog of this post, along with the reveal of the animal's identity and the Aberdeen Bestiary's interpretation of the creature.
Wutugald: Imagine hearing this thing rasping out random, almost coherent sentences outside your window to lure you outside before he/she takes a bite out of your stomach. :)
Had my eye peeled for the Bestiaryposting as it's such a fun idea. However knowing what the animal was (at least I'm fairly certain of my guess) made it pretty challenging. I tried to avoid any indicators of that animal, so my first pass was really just... a bear with gemstone eyes and that's no fun.
So then I decided to take the traits mentioned and think of animals that have those traits and give the Wutugald those parts. Digs up bodies? Gotta have big digging claws. Rigid spine? That makes me think of scale. Eats dead things? Well it's gonna need a strong nose to find dead things. I guess that is essentially how artists in the past constructed unknown beasts - just comparing their reported behaviors with creatures they knew and giving them the traits of those creatures. We modern artists just happen to be familiar with far more animals than Medieval Europeans, so we have a bigger 'bestiary' in our heads to draw on.
At one point designing my creature I started speculating on some biological explanations for some of the descriptions, but decided that wasn't in the spirit of things. Gotta take the description at face value, and whatever it forgot to include I just made it up. So here's my weird and wonderful Wutugald, along with their weird-looking baby.
I was particularly excited for @maniculum 's Bestiaryposting, since I'm a worldbuilder and love creating new creatures. I'm glad I managed to show up early enough to the party.
Immediately when I began reading the description of the Wutugald, my thought was of some sort of bird. Even though not every detail matched up, I couldn't shake the image—it eats corpses like a vulture; it mimics voices like a parrot; it has a monstrous lion hybrid like an eagle; it can't look behind it without turning like the exact opposite of an owl...
I do have a guess as to what the real Wutugald might be, but in the spirit of the activity I won't say. My rendition is somewhat of a cross between a vulture, a green heron, a crow, and a beaver. You'll see what I mean if you look at the more modernized (if still somewhat fantastical) Wutugald description under the cut.
The Wutugald
The Wutugald (Wutugald sepulchrum), sometimes referred to as the "Death Heron" despite a lack of relation, is a scavenging carnivorous bird found in North America. It stands at over four feet tall, with a wingspan of up to six feet. Its neck is long, but usually pulled into its body and invisible among its thick feathers, giving it a hunched appearance. As one might guess from its long legs, it frequents watery areas, though its territory is quite large and it will hunt and scavenge in any biome it can reach.
Wutugalds have sharp senses of smell, sight, and hearing, and they use these to track down their preferred food—large, fresh corpses. Typically a Wutugald will eat its fill upon finding a corpse, then pick up the remains and carry them to its home by a still, deep body of water. The Wutugald will then drop the corpse into the water, where the cold will preserve it for later consumption. Wutugalds are capable of lifting large amounts of weight, and there have been reported sightings of them carrying off the bodies of animals as large as wolves.
If a Wutugald cannot locate a corpse fresh enough for its liking, it has other options. While stories of Wutugalds digging up and breaking into human coffins have been dismissed as myth, they are still capable of unearthing buried corpses provided the ground is soft and the bodies are not buried too deep. There have been several confirmed reports of Wutugalds digging up and eating the bodies of buried pets.
Wutugalds are also capable of hunting their own prey if the opportunity presents itself. They typically target lone, usually weakened animals ranging in size from a rabbit to a medium-sized dog. In fact, Wutugalds have often been seen picking up pets left alone outdoors. It is recommended that children and pets are not allowed outside without supervision in areas with Wutugald sightings.
A notable feature of the Wutugald is its ability to mimic sounds it hears. It often uses this trait to scare away predators or other scavengers by mimicking the sounds of dangerous animals or occurrences—Wutugalds have been known to imitate the growling of wolves, the rumbling of avalanches, and even the sounds of human speech or vehicles in areas where those are common.
Mature Wutugalds can be identified by the stone in between their eyes. It is unclear what, if any, purpose the stone provides for a Wutugald, but studies have shown that Wutugalds with more prominent stones have more success in mating. Legends say that holding a Wutugald's stone in one's mouth or wearing it as jewelry improves fortune-telling, but conclusive demonstrations of such power have yet to be seen. Due to the myths, however, Wutugalds have been hunted for their stones, and were recently recognized as an endangered species after hunters decimated their population. Wutugald populations are currently recovering following efforts to protect them and their habitat.
Wutugalds are largely solitary and only interact when mating. Once mated, the male Wutugald will be allowed into the female's territory and the two will build a nest at the shore of a body of still water. They will hunt together and stockpile food until the female lays her eggs, at which point she will force the male out of her territory and any future entreaties will be met as violently as if he were a stranger. Wutugalds typically lay only one or two eggs at a time, and the mother cares for her chicks until they are almost fully mature before driving them away as well.
