"I've collected every old storybook and fairy tale I could find" Although this article is based on canonical information, the actual name of this subject is conjecture based on the original source it's adapted from.

“	Got caught in an altercation with one of their kitty cats. Mistook my leg for one of his chew toys.	„
	― Rodney' to a wooden soldier lieutenant, Fables #46 — "The Ballad of Rodney and June (Part 1 of 2)"

The manticore is a species from the Arabian worlds. It first appears in Fables #46 — "The Ballad of Rodney and June (Part 1 of 2)."

History

The manticore's quest

A manticore and a hedgehog passed through the magical forest where a young Rose Red lived alone without her sister. The duo were two of many Fable creatures who passed through the woods, looking for a person with magic in them that could help them with their problems; but the two of them quickly understood that Rose Red, sad and depressed, was not the one they were looking for.^[2]

Imperial conquest

Amidst the Empire's conquest of the Arabian worlds, a valiant wooden soldier named Rodney is attacked by a manticore, who sinks his teeth into his leg. Fortunately, as his leg is constructed of wood, it remains intact, though it sustains significant damage. He is subsequently rescued by two goblin soldiers, who vanquish the creature by piercing it with several spears. Following the encounter, Rodney humorously remarks that the "kitty cat" confused his leg for a chew toy. Due to the injury sustained, he requires a new wooden leg to replace the damaged one.^[1]

New Eden

Later, Rose Red is escorted back to her childhood home by the Cricket on the Hearth to uncover her true history. The Cricket offers her an alternative: to build a new Eden here, reigning as its queen for ages to come. As Rose ponders this, she finds herself strolling through the forest, naked; with the manticore, the hedgehog, the World Turtle and other animal Fables by her side. Despite her initial curiosity, Rose ultimately dismisses this as nothing more than a child's dream and chooses not to pursue it.^[3]

Physiology

The manticore is a fearsome creature with the head and body of a lion, and the tail of a scorpion.^[1]

Original source

The manticore is based on the mythological creature of the same name, believed to have originated in Indian and Persian mythology. While the mythological creature has the body of a lion, the head of a man and a scorpion tail,^[4] the Fables version has the head and body of a lion, and the tail of a scorpion.

Appearances

Fables

• Fables #46 (first appearance)
• Fables #96 (flashback)
• Fables #147

References

↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Fables #46 — "The Ballad of Rodney and June (Part 1 of 2)" ↑ Fables #96 — "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Chapter Three of Rose Red" ↑ Fables #147 — "The Peaceable Kingdom: Chapter Seven of Happily Ever After" ↑ Miate, Liana (August 19, 2022). Manticore, World History Encyclopedia. "It has the body of a lion, the head of a man and a scorpion tail that can shoot poisonous darts." (…) "Its roots can be traced back to India and Persia (modern-day Iran)." (…) "The manticore was thought to have its origins in ancient India and Persia. Some sources state that it originated in ancient Persian mythology, while others claim that it was an Indian creature. According to Aelian in his Characteristics of Animals, "Ctesias claims to have seen one such creature which was brought to the Persian king as a gift" (4.21). Other writers back up this claim, stating that although Ctesias first saw the creature in Persia, it had originally come from India. It is, therefore, perhaps correct to say that it originated in Persian literature but was portrayed as a creature from Indian mythology."