Mythological creatures aren't real -- it's right there in the name. Calling them "mythological" isn't ironic, like calling a big guy "tiny." There are fundamental aspects of their existence that simply could not work in reality. You can't turn somebody to stone with a look, lizards can't breathe fire, and Bigfoot can't dunk (that's neither here nor there; he's just really uncoordinated). However, sometimes the craziest attributes of a mythological creature -- the things that actually make it impossible -- aren't always what you think.

5 Minotaurs Couldn't See the Labyrinth Around Them

Via Theoi.com

Continue Reading Below Advertisement

The minotaur was a creature with the body of a man and the head of a bull that was banished to a giant labyrinth. There, it was fed criminals, wayward adventurers, teenage girls who wouldn't put out for the Goblin King -- y'know, the standard minotaur diet.

The minotaur was a monster to be feared: a brutally effective predator, nimbly stalking through his intricate maze prison.

Do uh ... do any of you folks associate those attributes with cows?

XiXinXing/XiXinXing/Getty Images

Continue Reading Below Advertisement

Missing the smart part of a person and the delicious part of a cow is typically seen as being the worst of both worlds.

No? Rightfully so. A cow's eyes reside on the sides of its head, which is excellent for seeing to each side. As long as your entire life took place to your immediate left and right, things are kosher. That's where the eyes of most prey animals are located, so they can watch for predators around them. Their depth perception is screwed because of it, but it's more important for them to be able to spot movement all around, than it is to focus on the distance of targets. Predators, on the other hand, tend to have forward-located eyes, to help them better focus on and stalk prey. Like a timid introvert taking a job as a used car salesman, the minotaur is a prey animal with a predator's job.

Warner Bros.