Hybrid

Hybrids are most common in early myths and legends  and can be split into two groups.
Human hybrids such as mermaids and centaurs(half human half horse) and non human hybrids like a griffin.One of the most famous hybrids is the sphinx in egypt, half human half lion. The ancient egyptians gods were usually delicted with animal heads on human bodies . Like anubis, jackel head and horus, falcon head.There are very few examples of plant human hybrid, however the Ents in lord of the rings can be classed as such because the are trees with human abilities.. they talk walk and have faces and personalities. Some scandanavian legends say that these type of hybrids are the protectors of the forest.Anubis was the gid of the afterlife. He was depicted with a jackals head on a human body. It was also his role to weigh the human heart against an ostrich feather. If the heart was heavier than the feather the person went to hell and if it was lighter the person went to heaven. People think that he was portrayed this way because jackals are scavengers who clean up the kills of other people.
Mermaids are present in many worldwide cultures including the middle east africa and asia. The first recorded mermaid was when a goddess turned herself into a mermaid out of shame for killing her human lover. They can be seen as foretelling dangerous times as well as bringing love.