Rare Book Collection

The myth of fairies has no single origin, but stories of fairy-like creatures are common throughout folklore. These magical creatures usually have a human appearance… Read More »December 25 – Fairies

Two wonderfully weird illustrations from Conrad Gesner’s Historiae animalium (1551-1558), are the bishop fish and the monk fish. The bishop fish or sea bishop, with… Read More »December 23 – Monk Fish and Bishop Fish

Werewolves are humans with the ability to change into wolves, voluntarily or not, most often on the night of a full moon. This illustration, by… Read More »December 21 – Werewolf

While salamanders are real creatures (lizards), within folklore they have been endowed with remarkable attributes, mainly their ability to withstand fire. The image of a… Read More »December 19 – Salamander

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