A model of the Tarasque, viewed from the front.

The Tarasque or Tarrasque was a fearsome monster tamed in a legendary story about Saint Martha. Download high resolution version (488x830, 59 KB) This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Download high resolution version (488x830, 59 KB) This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Look up Legend in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Mary anoints Jesus in Bethany in this icon. ...

The Tarasque is also a legendary marine creature reported to live in Vietnam's Halong Bay.^[1] Halong Bay is a body of water of approximately 1,500 square kilometres in north Vietnam with a 120 kilometre coastline, in the Gulf of Tonkin near the border with China, and 170 kilometres east of Hanoi. ...

Legend

Legend has it that the creature inhabited the area of Nerluc in Provence, and devastated the landscape far and wide. The Tarasque was a sort of dragon with six short legs like a bear's, an ox-like body covered with a turtle shell, and a scaly tail that ended in a scorpion's sting. It had a lion's head. Coat of arms of Provence Provence (Provençal Occitan: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a former Roman province and is now a region of southeastern France, located on the Mediterranean Sea adjacent to the Italian border. ... Saint George versus the dragon, Gustave Moreau, c. ... Genera Ailuropoda Helarctos Melursus Ursus Tremarctos Arctodus (extinct) A bear is a small mammal in the family Ursidae of the order Carnivora. ... Binomial name Bos taurus Linnaeus, 1758 Cattle are domesticated ungulates, a member of the subfamily Bovinae of the family Bovidae. ... blue: sea turtles, black: land turtles Suborders Cryptodira Pleurodira See text for families. ... In most biological nomenclature, a scale (Greek lepid, Latin squama) is a small rigid plate that grows out of an animals skin to provide protection. ... A scorpion tail A tail is the section at the rear end of an animals body, the term particularly referring to such a section which forms a distinct, flexible appendage to the torso. ... Superfamilies Pseudochactoidea Buthoidea Chaeriloidea Chactoidea Iuroidea Scorpionoidea See classification for families. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Venom. ... Binomial name Panthera leo (Linnaeus, 1758) Distribution of Lions in Africa Synonyms Felis leo (Linnaeus, 1758) The lion (Panthera leo) is a mammal of the family Felidae and one of four big cats in the genus Panthera. ...

The Tarasque was said to have come from Galatia which was the home of the legendary Onachus, a beast which burned everything it touched. Some speculate that the story of the Onachus may be related to either that of the Unicorn or the Phoenix. The Tarasque was the offspring of the Onachus and the Leviathan of biblical account; basically—though disputably—a giant sea serpent. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The unicorn (from Latin unus one and cornus horn) is a mythical beast. ... This article is becoming very long. ... Destruction of Leviathan. 1865 engraving by Gustave Doré. This article is about the biblical creature. ...

Photo of a fibreglass model of the Tarasque, taken in Tarascon during the June celebrations.

The king of Nerluc had attacked the Tarasque with knights and catapults to no avail. But Saint Martha found the beast and charmed it with hymns and prayers, and led back the tamed Tarasque to the city. The people, terrified by the monster, attacked it when it drew nigh. The monster offered no resistance and died there. Martha then preached to the people and converted many of them to Christianity. Sorry for what they had done to the tamed monster, the newly-Christianized townspeople changed the town's name to Tarascon. Download high resolution version (839x483, 76 KB) This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Download high resolution version (839x483, 76 KB) This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... There is a disputed proposal to merge this article with glass-reinforced plastic. ... Tarascon Castle from front. ... The silver Anglia knight, commissioned as a trophy in 1850, intended to represent the Black Prince. ... Replica catapult at Château des Baux, France For the handheld Y-shaped weapon, see slingshot. ... Martha (Judæo-Aramaic מַרְתָּא Martâ The lady, French Sainte Marthe) is a biblical figure of whom no historical facts outside of it are known. ... Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ... Tarascon Castle from front. ...

The story of the Tarasque is also very similar to the story of Beauty and the Beast and King Kong. The monster is beguiled and weakened by a woman and then killed when brought back to civilization. Illustration by Warwick Goble Beauty and the Beast is a traditional fairy tale (type 425AD -- search for a lost husband -- in the Aarne-Thompson classification). ... King Kong battles a pterosaur in the original 1933 version. ...

Memory

The Tarasque, near King René's castle in Tarascon

The Tarasque is featured on the coat of arms of the city of Tarascon. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1359x1003, 451 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Tarasque Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1359x1003, 451 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Tarasque Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create... Tarascon Castle from front. ...

A festival is held every year on the last Sunday of June to remember the tarasque and Tartarin, the main character of Alphonse Daudet's Tartarin de Tarascon. Alphonse Daudet (May 13, 1840 - December 17, 1897) was a French novelist. ... Tartarin de Tarascon is a 1872 novel, by the French author Alphonse Daudet. ...

The name Tarasque has been used by the French military as the common name for a towed 20 mm anti-aircraft gun. American troops man an anti-aircraft gun near the Algerian coastline in 1943 Anti-aircraft, or air defense, is any method of combating military aircraft from the ground. ...

On 25 November 2005 the UNESCO included the Tarasque on the list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.[1] UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1945. ... Map showing the Masterpieces of Oral and Intangible Heritage by country designation as of 2005: red (countries with 4 designations), orange (3), yellow (2) and green (1). ...

Inspiration for modern fiction and games

The tarrasque features in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, as a magical beast, in which it is quite possibly the most powerful monster in existence (aside from the oldest dragons). The tarrasque (usually spelled here with two rs) is a Colossal creature (one of the largest in the game) that beheads its foes with its claws and fangs, resists almost all weapons and magical spells, regenerates, and can only be permanently slain by the granting of a powerful magical wish after overcoming its potent defenses. Fortunately, it is usually active for only a few weeks before lying in dormancy for a year or two. Only one tarrasque exists in each gameworld in the Greyhawk campaign setting, although not all settings make it unique: Faerûn, for instance, has multiple tarrasques. In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the tarrasque is a magical beast. ... This article is about the role-playing game. ... Fantasy is a genre of art that uses magic and other supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. ... A role-playing game (RPG, often roleplaying game) is a type of game in which the participants assume the roles of fictional characters and collaboratively create or follow stories. ... In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, magical beast is a type of creature, or creature type. Magical beasts are similar to animals in many ways, but usually have a higher intelligence, and possess supernatural or extraordinary abilities. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... In fiction a wish is a supernatural gift granting the recipients unlimited request. ... The Greyhawk logo Greyhawk is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, also known as the World of Greyhawk. ... Faerûn is a fictional subcontinent, the primary setting of the Dungeons & Dragons world of Forgotten Realms. ...

A similar monster exists in StarCraft, the Torrasque. This version is a powered-up version of a Zerg Ultralisk, which, if slain, can be resurrected again and again, until the Zerg Cerebrate that created it is killed. StarCraft is a real-time strategy computer game by Blizzard Entertainment. ... A Zerg Hydralisk The Zerg are a vaguely insectoid race in the fictional StarCraft universe. ... Zerg Cerebrates are fictional characters from the StarCraft series of video games and books. ...

The tarasque appears in the Xanth novel Crewel Lye: A Caustic Yarn by Piers Anthony. Xanth is a fantasy world created by author Piers Anthony for a series of novels. ... Piers Anthony Dillingham Jacob (born August 6, 1934 in Oxford, England) is a writer in the science fiction and fantasy genres, publishing under the name Piers Anthony. ...

Tarasque is found in the MMORPG Anarchy Online, where it is actually a dragon and is probably the most famous (and hunted) boss monster in the game. An image from World of Warcraft, one of the largest commercial MMORPGs as of 2004, based on active subscriptions. ... Anarchy Online (AO) is a science fiction MMORPG released in June 2001 by Funcom. ...

The Tarasque can also be found in Irth Online, a MMORPG by Magic Hat Software. The Tarasque is a fearsome and powerful foe, taking groups of people to slay, and is the rarest encountered creature in the wilds. To meet Wikipedias quality standards and conform with our NPOV policy, this article or section may require cleanup. ... An image from World of Warcraft, one of the largest commercial MMORPGs as of 2004, based on active subscriptions. ...

It is also a Russian RPG forum: tarrasque.net A role-playing game (RPG, often roleplaying game) is a type of game in which the participants assume the roles of fictional characters and collaboratively create or follow stories. ...

On the Warcraft III map Defense of the Ancients, the Heart of Tarrasque is a strong item increasing a hero's strength and vitality. Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, released by Blizzard Entertainment in 2002, is a real-time strategy computer game // Overview An in-game screenshot of humans (blue) fighting orcs (red). ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ...

In the Neoquest 2, an RPG on Neopets, a more dragonlike version is the final boss, King Terask. Screenshot of the Neopets homepage viewed with Internet Explorer Neopets is an online virtual pet game. ...

In the Multi-User Dungeon LegendMUD, the Tarasque makes an appearance as a fearsome opponent and the ultimate monster of the dark Paris sub-sewers. This article is about a type of online computer game. ... LegendMUD is an online text-based Multi-User Dungeon. ... City flag City coat of arms Motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur (Latin: Tossed by the waves, she does not sink) Paris Eiffel tower as seen from the esplanade du Trocadéro. ...

Tarasque is Monster in My Pocket #57. Monster in My Pocket was a toy line developed by Morrison Entertainment Group, headed by Joe Morrison and John Weems, and released by Matchbox in 1990 consisting of small, soft plastic monsters from religion and mythology, literary fantasy, and unexplained phenomena. ...

The villain Bowser from the Mario franchise strongly resembles a Tarasque. King Bowser Koopa, as seen in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door King Bowser Koopa, known in Japan as Koopa (Japanese: クッパ), a fictional turtle-like character from Nintendo video games, is Mario and Luigis arch-nemesis (although he has joined forces with them in a few games). ... Mario ) is a popular video game character created by the company Nintendo, and is also the titular hero of numerous successful video games, many of the platforming genre. ...

A Tarasque appears in multiple Shin Megami Tensei games, such as Shin Megami Tensei : Devil Summoner Raidou Kuzunoha vs. the Souless Army.

In the Wild Arms game series, tarasque appears as boss monsters, often biomechanical in nature. In the first game, it is called Turask. In Wild Arms 2 and Wild Arms 3, it appears under the name Trask. In Wild Arms 4, it appears as Tarasque. All have similar appearances - that being of a giant spined tortoise. This article is about the first game in the Wild Arms series. ... Biomechanical is a English Metalband. ... Wild Arms 2 (or Wild Arms: 2nd Ignition in the in-game videos and in Japan), is the second installation of the Wild Arms series and was released in 2000 on the Sony PlayStation in the US. // The story takes place on Filgaia, a planet that resembles the American Wild... Wild Arms 3, often referred to as Wild Arms Advanced 3rd, is the sequel to Wild Arms and Wild Arms 2 (aka Wild Arms 2nd Ignition). ... Wild Arms 4 (Wild Arms: The 4th Detonator in Japan) is the fourth title in the Wild Arms video game series. ...

In the game Final Fantasy XII, a toad-shaped Tarasque appears as one of the 80 Rare Monsters. Final Fantasy XII ) is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix Co. ...

The tarasque is mentioned in the song "Sleestak and Yeti" by the Lovecraftian rock band The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets. The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets before their Halloween 2005 concert at the University of British Columbia Band The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets are a rock band from Chilliwack near Vancouver in Canada. ...

External link

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Tarasque

• Webpage about the Tarasque and other tarascas (in Spanish)

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... Wikimedia Commons logo by Reid Beels The Wikimedia Commons (also called Commons or Wikicommons) is a repository of free content images, sound and other multimedia files. ...

Notes

1. ^ "Ha Long Bay." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2007. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 28 Feb. 2007 <http://www.secure.britannica.com/eb/article-9107385>.