Rare Book Collection

Known as the king of the serpents, the basilisk (from ‘basiliskos’ meaning little king) is a legendary reptile known to be able to kill with… Read More »December 17 – Basilisk

The kraken is a giant sea monster from Scandinavian folklore, said to plague sailors. Olaus Magnus, a Swedish author most well known for his Historia… Read More »December 16 – Kraken

Cerberus, the ‘hound of Hades’, is a three headed dog with the tail of a serpent, which according to mythology, guards the gates of the… Read More »December 14 – Cerberus

The dragon is perhaps the most iconic of the fantastic beasts. This winged legendary creature, known for its fire breathing abilities is common to most… Read More »December 12 – Dragons in print

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

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

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

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

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