Fantastic Creatures in Mythology and Folklore: From Medieval Times to the Present Day [Hardcover]

Drawing on historical sources, myth and folklore,Fantastic Creatures in Mythology and Folkloreexplores the roles of fantastical beasts - particularly the unicorn, the mermaid, and the dragon - in a series of thematic chapters organised according to their legendary dwelling place, be this land, sea, or air.

Through this original approach, Juliette Wood provides the first study of mythical beasts in history from the medieval period to the present day, providing new insights into the ways these creatures continue to define our constantly changing relationship to both real and imagined worlds. It places particular emphasis on the role of the internet, computer games, and the cyberspace community, and in doing so, demonstrates that the core medieval myth surrounding these creatures remains static within the ever-increasing arena of mass marketing and the internet.

This is a vital resource for undergraduates studying fantastic creatures in history, literature and media studies.

The first book to explore mythical beasts in history and how these fantastical creatures are transformed in modern legends and folklore.

Overall, the book can be a useful resource for students and researchers on this specialized topic of fantastic and mythical creatures. Mythlore

Juliette Wood combines extensive learning about classical and medieval cultural history with a fluent, absorbing language & Undergraduate readers will especially appreciate the many references to contemporary culture, films, cartoons, and computer games. Her book convincingly proves that age-old fantasies about more or less monstrous creatures still make up a part of our cultural baggage. Journal of Folklore Research

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