Discover the world of Crytozoology in this fabulous field guide to the denizens of the supernatural realm from gnomes, fairies, and elves to unicorns, dragons, and minotaurs. Featuring more than 600 color illustrations, this is a treasure trove of fun and fascination for the entire family.

From unicorns and trolls to werewolves and griffins, this comprehensive guide is the key to discovering every magical creature from myth, folklore and legend around the world.

Eason provides an extensive overview of the mythology, legends, and folklore surrounding fabulous and strange fantasy creatures from diffferent lands and ages, from Chinese dragons and the Native North American thunderbird to the demon hounds of Celtic and Norse legend. She describes how in various ages and cultures people have identified with the idealized qualities of wise creatures as a source of power and better understanding of their own personalities and used the behavior of birds and other sacred creatures to gain oracular information in Ancient Egypt and the Classical and Celtic worlds. This book offers both traditional and little known folklore and legend about familiar real life creatures such as the horse, the cat, and the raven and delves into the weird and wonderful world of saints who claimed to change into deer and modern cryptozoological monsters such as Bigfoot, Mothman, and lake and sea monsters, as well as the rationale behind animal or headed deities of the Aztecs, Egyptians, and Celts in whose name people went to war.

This serious, scholarly treatment of 20 imaginary beings, from dragon and phoenix to giants and fairies, discusses the origin of each as an idea, its symbolism and lore, and its appearances in art, literature, or film. . . . Extensive bibliographies follow the generally ambitious and erudite essays while a final catch-all article and selective bibliography cover still more ground, at a gallop. . . . [There] are a number of thoughtful and well-written interpretive investigations into the nature and history of some persistent types. Entries on the Basilisk, Harpies, Medusa, and the Sphinx are particularly fine: here one feels that the mystery and power of these imaginative creatures is not vitiated by scholarly taxidermy. Library Journal [This] book provides thorough documentation of the best-known creatures of fantasy with a breadth of coverage that is both impressive and delightful. Recommended for all libraries supporting research in mythology, fantasy, folklore, or popular culture. Choice

An impressive collection of testimonials, letters, photographs, drawings, maps, and historical documents that the members of The Cryptozoological Society of London have accumulated during years of exploration, investigation, and research.

From dwarfs to Valkyries and krakens to yeti, you can explore the fascinating creatures of myth and legend with this handy field guide. Each brief profile includes historical information, a colorful drawing, and a reference to a book or film which featured the beast.