December 11 – Hippogriff
Probably most well known now as a character in Harry Potter, the hippogriff is a legendary creature which is half eagle and half horse. This… Read More »December 11 – Hippogriff
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December 10 – Griffin
The griffin, griffen or gryphon has the body, legs and tail of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. As the lion… Read More »December 10 – Griffin
December 9 – Nessie
No compendium of mythical creatures would be complete without Scotland’s own creature of myth – the Loch Ness monster. Nessie is said to live in… Read More »December 9 – Nessie
December 8 – Sea-centaurs
Ichthyocentaurs are winged creatures, half-fish and half-horse. Depicted in classical Greek art, they are also referred to as sea-centaurs. This illustration of an ichthyocentaur, playing… Read More »December 8 – Sea-centaurs
December 7 – Satyr
In Greek mythology, Satyrs are attendants to the god Bacchus, residing in woods and mountains. In the middle ages they are often illustrated as possessing a… Read More »December 7 – Satyr
December 6 – Merfolk
Mermaids and mermen are mythological sea creatures, usually with bodies that are half human and half fish. Often sighted by sailors, the mythology of mermaids… Read More »December 6 – Merfolk
D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson and his mathematical friendships
Following on from last year’s project with Alice and Indre, interns from the School of Mathematics, this year we had two more interns working with… Read More »D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson and his mathematical friendships
December 5 – The Cyclopes
In Greek mythology the Cyclopes were giant one-eyed creatures. The brothers Brontes (thunder), Steropes (lightning) and Arges (thunderbolt) in Hesiod’s Theogony provide Zeus with the… Read More »December 5 – The Cyclopes
December 4 – The Hydra
The serpentine water monster from Greek and Roman mythology, the Hydra, has a dog-like body and multiple heads – ranging from seven to nine –… Read More »December 4 – The Hydra
December 3 – Sea Monsters
Unable to pick just one of the fantastic beasts shown in this woodcut illustration, we decided to share them all! This chart of sea serpents… Read More »December 3 – Sea Monsters
December 2 – The Unicorn
As the first University in Scotland, we thought it would be fitting to start the St Andrews Library’s Special Collections advent calendar with the most… Read More »December 2 – The Unicorn
Advent Calendar 2019 – Fantastic Beasts
Last year we brought you an advent calendar of Christmas and winter themed images from our collections. For 2019, we have decided to do something… Read More »Advent Calendar 2019 – Fantastic Beasts