Mythical and Fabulous Creatures: A Source Book and Research Guide

This work is designed primarily as a reference and research guide that describes fabulous creatures and their appearances in history, literature, and art. The subject of imaginary beings is a large one, and I have had to establish certain focuses and emphases. Although this work discusses some creatures invented by individual artists and writers, it mainly deals with creatures that have a place in folklore, myth, or history and have a body of traditional lore connected with them. There has not been sufficient space to include some creatures, and others receive only brief or passing attention. Although gods and goddesses and angels and devils come up with some frequency in the entries, they are discussed mainly in connection with another topic. (To many persons, of course, devils and angels are in no sense 'imaginary' creatures and do not rightly belong in a book on imaginary beings.) The present volume focuses on twenty creatures that have had a major or at least a noteworthy place in the history of fabulous creatures. Each of the twenty entries in Part One discusses one of these creatures or its types as fully as space allows. In Part Two, five major groupings are used to classify most of the twenty main beings, some of their variations, and many other beings. This section concentrates on creatures that have received little or no attention in the Introduction and the previous entries. An alphabetically arranged glossary following the Introduction provides concise definitions of some of the more important fabulous creatures.