European myths

When Europeans first encountered hyenas they formed all sorts of misunderstandings about them. As far back as the ancient Greeks, it was believed that hyenas could change their sex. This is probably because the two sexes look virtually identical, and the genitalia of the female spotted hyena looks very masculine.

Europeans associated hyenas with perversions, especially homosexuality. It was believed male hyenas had sex with one another.

During medieval times, Europeans believed that a lion would mate with a hyena and produce a leucrotta. The leucrotta had a beguiling human voice and would lure travelers to their deaths.

Pliny claimed that the leucrotta was the offspring of a lion and crocotta, a mythical dog-wolf. The crocotta was a combination of dog and wolf with impossibly strong teeth and instant digestion. It was said the crocotta could lure dogs and men to their death by imitating the voice of a man. A crocotta could change its color or gender at will. (Sounds like a hyena, doesn't it?)

It was also believed hyenas would dig up human corpses during medieval times.

One story goes that hyenas were born after the Flood (as in Noah) from the unnatural union of a dog and a cat.