The Little Book of Magical Creatures - by Elizabeth Pepper & Barbara Stacy
Animals are magical beings, the subject of lore and legend from earliest times. Many achieved divinity and were worshipped as symbols of the highest virtues. Some were demonized by one culture and revered by another. Only certain animals qualified for otherworldly significance. Beauty, character, grace, and symmetry were elements in the choice. And many possessed a strange essence that clearly set them apart from all the rest.
Here Elizabeth Pepper and Barbara Stacy present a selection of the tales of our animal companions, of untamed beasts, and mythical wondrous fantasies that populate a world of delight and terror. Included here, with accompanying woodcuts and black-and-white illustrations, are the tales of more than 45 beasts. Each selection outlines their origin, their mythological and magical significance, and their role in the popular imagination.