One would imagine that the funniest creatures evolved from fairytales. But that’s far from the truth. The explorers of 2000 years ago were certain that some of these creatures were real. When the first natural scientists were compiling their photos of various tribes and creatures found on Earth, they wrote some ideas which were bizarre. They insisted that if one goes far away from civilization one would surely find unusual people. Some scientists were convinced since the story was told by so many, but with no concrete evidence they were left in doubt.

1. The Blemmyes: The Headless Men Of Africa

A Greek writer named Herodotus claimed that the Lybians reported that there was a tribe known as the Blemmyes. They had no heads and as a result, their eyes and mouths were located on their chest. People have indicated that they reported the existence of the tribe for more than 2,000 years. Over 400 years later, a Roman writer swore they were real. He named them Belmmyae, a nomadic tribe, who went to live in Ethiopia. They were extremely aggressive, dangerous and 366 centimeters tall. 

2. Calystrii: The Dog-Headed Men Of India

In the fifth century BC, Ctesias, a Greek Physician claimed he had traveled high up in the mountains of India and discovered a tribe called the Calystrii who had dog heads. They spoke no language, but barked like dogs, yet they could understand the Indians. There were 120,000 of them living on the mountain. About 200 years later, Megasthenes followed  Ceteias’ route and he returned to report that he was convinced since he saw them. Other writers claimed that those who were found in Tibet, were called Supana.

3. The Sciopodes: The Umbrella-Footed Men

The Greek physician also reported that he met another tribe in India. They were a strange looking group of people called Sciopodes. They had one leg and a gigantic foot. Whenever they got hot, they would lie in a supine position and use that huge foot to provide shelter as an umbrella. They moved around very skilfully by hopping. They could go over a man’s head  by hurdling on one foot. Although ridiculous, people believed the Sciopodes were around for 2,000 years. Isidore and Seville presented them on their early maps to indicate where they lived. 

4. The Panotti: The Men Of All Ears Island

The Roman naturalist, Pliny, declared that an island in Scythia was inhabited by a group of people called the Panotti. They had enormous floppy ears which hung off the sides of their heads. The ears were so massive; they did not need to wear clothes. The ears could be wrapped around their body during the day and they could use them as blankets during the night. Pomponius Mela, one of his contemporaries, insisted Pliny told the truth but he had the wrong location. Mela revealed that Panotti lived on the Orkney Islands in Scotland.

5. The Abarimon: The Tribe With Backward Feet

When Alexander the Great went to the east, he took a man named Baiton to go deep into India to check what was there. Baiton went far in the Himalayas and found the Abarimon lived there. This tribe had their feet pointing backward. This was not a hindrance, because they could run as fast as the fastest wild animal. He tried to bring them out, but they began to choke, since they had lungs that would work only in their climate. The outer air was too thick for them. Megasthemes claimed he had seen them as well when he went to India.