Quinotaur

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The Quinotaur is a mythical sea creature, part bull and part fish (sea-bull), that is able to change its form while swimming. It is said to have sired the line of Merovingian kings, as related in the 7th century Frankish Chronicle of Fredegar.

Related to this, the Phoenicians have a legend that involves a white bull and the disappearance of Europa, the daughter of Canaan, the son of Poseidon, thus making her Poseidon’s granddaughter. In some versions she is a princess, in others the daughter of a god. In either case, she is described as exceedingly beautiful and her father’s favourite. As the story goes, one day a servant informed her that a white bull had mysteriously appeared on the beach. Intrigued by this, Europa went down to see the creature. The bull was very striking and seemed very tame and playful and Europa wrapped garlands of flowers around its horns.

Europa climbed atop the creature and it ran about the beach to her utter delight. Then, unexpectedly, the creature turned and ran towards the sea. Europa was taken away out to sea by the white bull swam away with her.

The same story is also told by the Greeks with the exception being that the figure of Canaan is replaced by Aegeanor (where the name Aegean Sea comes from).

Herodotus says that the story of Europa is based on a real incident.