Mythical Beasts: An Anthology of Verse & Prose

by Smithmark Publishing (Editor)

Monsters, grotesques, fabulous birds, exotic hybrids - the beasts of myth and legend are curious creations of imagination, superstition and fear. Conjured up to inhabit fairytales and fables, dreams and nightmares, these creatures have over the centuries become archetypes and symbols for every form of human emotion and attribute - from fear and love to anger, joy and desire.

From the power of the invincible, isolated Minotaur, to the phoenix doomed to be the only one of its kind in eternal regeneration, mythical beasts represent the terrors of life, loneliness, rejection, violence, exile. But they can also epitomize mystery, beauty and fun - the untamed majesty of Pegasus; a party of mischievous satyrs; unicorns soothed by medieval maidens; mermaids dancing through the waves.

Whether we shiver at their grotesqueness and hideous aspects, or laugh at their comical misadventures and antics, mythical beasts are a part of our cultural ancestory. This book celebrates both their place in the history of art and story-telling, and their significant role in the shaping of the darker places of our psychological lives.

64 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 1996

Reviews

[Tone Marit Vøllestad Håstul · Rating 1 out of 5]

What is this thing? I have no idea what I just read. I was expecting a description of each beast and some tale about them, but instead got copy's of different books and Greek mythology.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better for its illustrations than its text, but interesting nonetheless.