Back in 2006, a sealed basement beneath a London orphanage was unlocked after many years. The building was actually scheduled for demolition, and so it’s a good thing no one demolished the place before taking a peek inside the long-forgotten dusty space.
At first glance, there were hundreds of large crates filling up the room. Once these crates were opened, no one could believe what they saw.
One after another, nightmarish artifacts and otherworldly specimens were pulled from the crates. What they had stumbled upon was the life work and collections of Thomas Merrylin.
While alive, Merrylin was a devoted Crypto-naturalist, Fringe Zoologist and Xeno–Archeologist (Crypto-what? The important part is, he was obsessed with the science of living things, namely strange, bizarre and mythical creatures).
The devoted scientist spent his life searching for rare skeletons and other artifacts to add to his unmatched collection that he was said to study endlessly. He also maintained detailed diaries, which were found throughout his collection.
Much of his collection belongs to creatures that dance on the border of myth and reality. We’re unsure if all of the odd artifacts and skeletons found in “Merrylin Cryptid Museum” are real. But, in all fairness, it’s important to remember Merrylin was a scientist. So we can only hope at least some of what remains of his bizarre collection is the real-deal.
Alex CF, the curator and custodian of the Merryline Cryptid Collection, writes, “In 2006, a trust was set up to analyze and collate a huge number of wooden crates found sealed in the basement of a London townhouse that was due for demolition. Seemingly untouched since the 1940′s, the crates contained over 5000 specimens of flora and fauna, collected, dissected, and preserved by many forgotten scientists, professors and explorers of obscure cultures and species.”
Alex CF adds, “The collection also housed many artifacts of curious origin, fragments of civilizations that once ruled the earth, of ideas and belief systems perhaps better left in the past.”
You might be thinking there’s just no way this horned creature (pictured below) ever existed but in fact it is classified as species Draco Magnus, the largest known subspecies of Draco. Prior to the discovery of this particular skeleton we knew only about 2 species of Draco, Draco Alatus and Draco Minor.
This particular skeleton belonged to a young male. Scientists know very little about this species, as they left little behind little proof of their existence. One thing we do know is that like humans and elephants, they mourned their dead. Although quite differently from you and I, “In a fiery ritual, using their pyro chemical discharge from glands in the throat, they burn the body of the dead, leaving nothing but ash.”
To many, the mysterious man behind the collection remains just as interesting as the oddities he collected.
Merrylin was born in 1782 to a wealthy aristocratic family. Sadly, his mother died during childbirth leaving his Father, Edward, to raise him. Just like his son, Edward was also fascinated by the bizarre and spent his life hunting out illusive artifacts and hidden species all around the world.
This strange specimen you see below is classified as Homo Lumpus (Lycanthrope).
Alex CF writes, “The prize possession of Edward Harrell, this specimen of a young adult male Lycanthrope was housed in Harrell’s home, in the centre of his Drawing room. Although how and where he obtained the werewolf was never fully explained, Edward treated it with the utmost respect, and was often found staring longingly at it.”
What do you think; is Merrylin’s collection for real or a total bust?