Coming in as the second most popular mythical creature people wish actually existed is the mermaid with 23.36 percent of the vote. Like unicorns, tales of mermaids go back thousands of years; the first known reference to a human-fish hybrid was actually a merman. Per Wired, Babylonians worshiped Ea as "the god of the sea," crediting him with "bringing humankind the arts and sciences while also finding the time to battle evil." The first reference to a mermaid is thought to be the ancient Syrian goddess Atargatis, who was responsible for Syrian peoples' fertility as well as their "general well-being." Sounds like we could all use some mermaid acquaintances.

Rounding out the list of mythical creatures people want to exist are dragons (18.92 percent), the Loch Ness Monster (11 percent), centaurs (3.86 percent), and werewolves (3.67 percent). A relatively small percentage of respondents (4.44 percent) chose "other," and their answers ranged from fairies to vampires to leprechauns. One person answered that they didn't know but wondered "would we allow them to live freely?" It's a fair question, considering all the stories and fairy tales in which people attempt to trap or control mythical beings rather than coexisting with them in the world.  

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