Tradition: Indian Mythology
Alternative Names: Sénad, Sinad
Category: Forest dweller
The Myth
The Sinad is a strange and dangerous creature described as resembling an elephant, though smaller than one and larger than an ox. Its exact appearance varies between accounts. Some depictions show it with an elephant-like body, while others portray it with one or two horns, resembling the fearsome unicorn-like beast known as the Karkadann. Its most distinctive feature is its sharp, thorn-covered tongue, a deadly weapon capable of tearing flesh from bone.
The Sinad is notorious for its horrifying method of giving birth. When a female is ready to deliver her young, the calf pushes its head out of the mother’s womb but remains inside while it grows strong enough to survive. During this time, it feeds on grass and waits until it is mature enough to escape. The mother, following what would ordinarily be a natural maternal instinct, attempts to lick her offspring clean. However, her thorny tongue strips the flesh from the calf’s body, threatening to kill it. The young Sinad must therefore remain hidden inside its mother until it is strong enough to wriggle free and gallop away to safety.
The Sinad’s deadly tongue is also associated with the Karkadann, and the two creatures are sometimes depicted similarly. Some accounts describe the use of the Karkadann’s tongue as a form of torture, with victims suffering terrible injuries when the beast licks them. The Sinad thus combines the appearance of a powerful animal with one of the most unusual and horrifying traits found among legendary beasts: a mother whose attempt to care for her young can destroy them.
Sources
“Sinad.” A Book of Creatures. April 6, 2015. https://abookofcreatures.com/2015/04/06/sinad/