Uniped
Encyclopedia
The term uniped refers to a person or creature with only one foot
and one leg
, as contrasted with a biped
(two legs) and a quadruped
(four legs). Moving using only one leg is known as unipedal movement. There are no known animals which have naturally evolved with only one leg, although through accidents (i.e. amputation
) or birth abnormalities
it is possible for an animal or a human being to end up with only a single leg.
A contender for unipedal movement is the springtail
, which has six legs and is typically hexapedal
. However it hurls itself away from danger using its furcula
, a tail
-like forked rod that can be rapidly unfurled from the underside of its body. The furcula is not a leg, nor is it derived from a leg, but it is a locomotory appendage.
, a native of Vinland
who is described as being one-legged kills one of Eric's men. In the children's fiction book They Came on Viking Ships by Jackie French
, a uniped is a one-legged Norse mythical creature that lived in the south of Vinland during the time of the expedition of Freydís Eiríksdóttir
.
The sciapod was another mythical one-legged humanoid.
There are also one legged creatures in Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee
. In The Adventures of Gomby and Son, Gomby meets a traveller at the Forest of Zann who is unileg.
In the Narnia book The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
by C. S. Lewis
the heroes meet the "Dufflepuds". These are two legged dwarfs who have been rendered one legged by their magical master. He did this to force them to use the water from the stream next to their food garden, rather than walking miles to get the water.
In Brazilian folklore, there is a mythical uniped called "Saci
" who appears in several tales and is associated with dustdevils. Colombian folklore has a female version of this monster, the Patasola.
In Maya mythology
, God K
and his equivalents are represented with one leg. One of these equivalents is the K'iche' Maya
storm deity Huracan
, whose name means one-leg.
In The Future Is Wild
, one of the creatures, the Desert Hopper, is unipedal.
Foot
The foot is an anatomical structure found in many vertebrates. It is the terminal portion of a limb which bears weight and allows locomotion. In many animals with feet, the foot is a separate organ at the terminal part of the leg made up of one or more segments or bones, generally including claws...
and one leg
Leg
Łęg may refer to the following places in Poland:*A former name for the town of Ełk *Part of the Czyżyny district of Kraków*Łęg, Pleszew County in Greater Poland Voivodeship...
, as contrasted with a biped
Biped
Bipedalism is a form of terrestrial locomotion where an organism moves by means of its two rear limbs, or legs. An animal or machine that usually moves in a bipedal manner is known as a biped , meaning "two feet"...
(two legs) and a quadruped
Quadruped
Quadrupedalism is a form of land animal locomotion using four limbs or legs. An animal or machine that usually moves in a quadrupedal manner is known as a quadruped, meaning "four feet"...
(four legs). Moving using only one leg is known as unipedal movement. There are no known animals which have naturally evolved with only one leg, although through accidents (i.e. amputation
Amputation
Amputation is the removal of a body extremity by trauma, prolonged constriction, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on individuals as a preventative surgery for...
) or birth abnormalities
Congenital disorder
A congenital disorder, or congenital disease, is a condition existing at birth and often before birth, or that develops during the first month of life , regardless of causation...
it is possible for an animal or a human being to end up with only a single leg.
A contender for unipedal movement is the springtail
Springtail
Springtails form the largest of the three lineages of modern hexapods that are no longer considered insects...
, which has six legs and is typically hexapedal
Hexapoda
The subphylum Hexapoda constitutes the largest grouping of arthropods and includes the insects as well as three much smaller groups of wingless arthropods: Collembola, Protura, and Diplura . The Collembola are very abundant in terrestrial environments...
. However it hurls itself away from danger using its furcula
Furcula (Collembola)
The furcula, or furca, is a tail-like appendage shaped like a fork, found ventrally on the fourth abdominal segment of springtails. Present in most species dwelling the upper soil layers, it is used for jumping when the animal is threatened...
, a tail
Tail
The tail is the section at the rear end of an animal's body; in general, the term refers to a distinct, flexible appendage to the torso. It is the part of the body that corresponds roughly to the sacrum and coccyx in mammals, reptiles, and birds...
-like forked rod that can be rapidly unfurled from the underside of its body. The furcula is not a leg, nor is it derived from a leg, but it is a locomotory appendage.
In fiction and mythology
In the Saga of Eric the RedSaga of Eric the Red
Eiríks saga rauða or the Saga of Erik the Red is a saga on the Norse exploration of North-America.The saga chronicles the events that led to Erik the Red's banishment to Greenland as well as Leif Ericson's discovery of Vinland the Good after his longship was blown off course...
, a native of Vinland
Vinland
Vinland was the name given to an area of North America by the Norsemen, about the year 1000 CE.There is a consensus among scholars that the Vikings reached North America approximately five centuries prior to the voyages of Christopher Columbus...
who is described as being one-legged kills one of Eric's men. In the children's fiction book They Came on Viking Ships by Jackie French
Jackie French
Jacqueline Anne "Jackie" French is an award-winning Australian author. She writes mainly children's fiction and books on gardening....
, a uniped is a one-legged Norse mythical creature that lived in the south of Vinland during the time of the expedition of Freydís Eiríksdóttir
Freydís Eiríksdóttir
Freydís Eiríksdóttir was a daughter of Erik the Red who was associated with the Norse exploration of North America. The only medieval sources which mention Freydís are the two Vinland sagas, believed to be composed in the 13th century but purporting to describe events around 1000...
.
The sciapod was another mythical one-legged humanoid.
There are also one legged creatures in Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee
Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee
Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee is the third game made by Oddworld Inhabitants. Originally announced as a title in development for PlayStation 2, it was instead released exclusively as one of the launch titles for Microsoft Xbox. It is the second chapter of the Oddworld pentalogy, following Abe's Oddysee...
. In The Adventures of Gomby and Son, Gomby meets a traveller at the Forest of Zann who is unileg.
In the Narnia book The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is a fantasy novel for children by C. S. Lewis. Written in 1950, it was published in 1952 as the third book of The Chronicles of Narnia...
by C. S. Lewis
C. S. Lewis
Clive Staples Lewis , commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis and known to his friends and family as "Jack", was a novelist, academic, medievalist, literary critic, essayist, lay theologian and Christian apologist from Belfast, Ireland...
the heroes meet the "Dufflepuds". These are two legged dwarfs who have been rendered one legged by their magical master. He did this to force them to use the water from the stream next to their food garden, rather than walking miles to get the water.
In Brazilian folklore, there is a mythical uniped called "Saci
Saci (Brazilian folklore)
The Saci is considered the most popular character in Brazilian folklore. He is a one-legged black or mulatto youngster with holes in the palms of his hands, who smokes a pipe and wears a magical red cap that enables him to disappear and reappear wherever he wishes...
" who appears in several tales and is associated with dustdevils. Colombian folklore has a female version of this monster, the Patasola.
In Maya mythology
Maya mythology
Mayan mythology is part of Mesoamerican mythology and comprises all of the Mayan tales in which personified forces of nature, deities, and the heroes interacting with these play the main roles...
, God K
God K
God K is the Schellhas-Zimmermann-Taube designation of a codical Maya deity representing lightning . In earlier, especially Classic depictions, his main characteristics are a blade or torch running through his forehead, and a serpent for one of his legs...
and his equivalents are represented with one leg. One of these equivalents is the K'iche' Maya
Maya peoples
The Maya people constitute a diverse range of the Native American people of southern Mexico and northern Central America. The overarching term "Maya" is a collective designation to include the peoples of the region who share some degree of cultural and linguistic heritage; however, the term...
storm deity Huracan
Huracan
Huracan , in Mayan understandable as Jun Raqan "one legged", is a K'iche' Mayan god of wind, storm, fire and one of the creator deities who participated in all three attempts at creating humanity...
, whose name means one-leg.
In The Future Is Wild
The Future is Wild
The Future Is Wild was a 2002 seven-part documentary television miniseries. Based on research and interviews with several scientists, the miniseries shows how life could evolve in the future if Homo sapiens became extinct; the Discovery Channel broadcast changed this outlook by stating the human...
, one of the creatures, the Desert Hopper, is unipedal.