Dragons, Wyverns and Serpents: Myths and Legends

by Jean Menzies (Editor)

We’ve all grown up with stories of magical dragons and mythical winged creatures. This thoroughly entertaining collection of stories draws on such tales from all over the world; from ancient Greece and Egypt, to 14th century China to France, Estonia, Ireland, Wales and beyond.

Dragons, Wyverns and Myths and Legends is part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, pocket-sized classics bound in real cloth with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover.

Many tales relate stories of bravery and ingenuity against a seemingly indomitable and terrifying creature; there’s George and the Dragon from England and the famous Norse Myth of Fafnir. Some (but not many!) creatures are benevolent, for example the sea serpent in the Egyptian Tale of the Shipwrecked Soldier.

Each retelling contributes to a fascinating and lively overview of how mythical creatures are represented through time and across the globe.

Genres: Mythology, Nonfiction, Short Stories, Folklore

154 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 14, 2025

Reviews

[Viola · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stāstu, mītu, pasaku apkopojums. Viss par un ap pūķiem dažādās kultūrās. Manas teiku lasīšanas dienas laikam aiz muguras, nebija diez ko aizraujoši lasīt. Tomēr interesanta bija versija par to, kāpēc medūzām nav kaulu. Pūķi vainīgi!!!

[Pepijn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun and interesting read with a diverse set of stories!
The short introductions to each fairytale/myth are quite useful to gain insight in the historical and geographical setting. This collection introduced me to many stories I had never heard of. The following stories are my favorite in this collection in no particular order:

My lord bag of rice - Yei Theodora Ozaki

The jelly fish and the monkey - Yei Theodora Ozaki

Assipattle and the mester stoorworm - Elizabeth W. Grierson

The benevolent frog - Madame D'aulnoy

The dragon of the north - Andrew Lang

The reward of the world - Jean de Bosschère

[Djilano · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn’t quite what I expected, but I found it enjoyable and interesting nonetheless. I had anticipated more vivid descriptions and comparisons of different dragon interpretations, but instead, the book turned out to be a collection of around twenty ancient and more recent stories in which dragons appear.

Some of these tales were fantastic, while others were harder to get through due to the use of Old English or heavy translations. One highlight for me was the final story about Reynaert the Fox — a Flemish tale featuring a knight, a fox, and a dragon, with a deeper meaning that will stay with me for a long time.

Thank you for the book B🐼

[Sophie Hofman · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved the variety of stories in the book, appreciated the short history and brief summary of each story beforehand as well

[Ada]

***what sucked me in?***
Today I was browsing in my favourite bookstore and the title was beckoning me. Then I read who the person was behind the editing! I first learned who Jean Menzies was through her YouTube channel when she was still studying. Her other books are a bit harder to get so finding out she edited something in the Macmillan Collector's Library which I found in the bookstore. Lovely. Just so lovely.

I am not really on a book ban but I do try to only buy physical books that will fit into my special editions and/or are by my favourite authors. This book fits all the criteria!

Will have to buy the other one about witches though at some point in the future.

[Sienna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall 3.5 stars

By individual story-
My Lord Bag of Rice: 4 stars
Realms of Copper: 3 stars
Sigurd and Fafnir: 4 stars
Jellyfish and the Monkey: 2 stars
The Wyvern: 2 stars
Assipattle and the Mester Stoorworm: 4 stars
Legend of the Loch: 2 stars
Chikubshima:3 stars
The Benevolent Frog: 4 stars
Indra and Dragon: 2 stars
The Dragon Princess: 3 stars
The Dragon of the North: 4 stars
George and the Dragon: 2 stars
How the Dragon was Tricked: 4 stars
The Reward fo the World: 5 stars

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review at https://stuff.graves.cl/posts/2024-12...

[kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

just a very lovely little book. exactly what i was expecting and served my purposes well.

[Elena Vlasova · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m greatfull that this book exists