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Wonder Beasts: Tales and Lore of the Phoenix, the Griffin, the Unicorn, and the Dragon

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Wonder Beasts: Tales and Lore of the Phoenix, the Griffin, the Unicorn, and the Dragon

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Overview

This book presents tales of mythical beasts, offering primary sources (e.g., the writings of Herodotus, original fairy tales, poems) within the context of background material and commentary. Discussion questions and activities complete each chapter.

Focusing on the phoenix, the griffin, the unicorn, and the dragon, this book combines tales and lore of each, presenting primary sources (e.g., the writings of Herodotus and original fairy tales and poems) within the context of background material and commentary. The shifting images of these animals offer a unique perspective on myths, religions, art, literature, and science in history. Discussion questions and learning activities at the end of the chapters guide students in exploring the worlds surrounding each beast. Sure to appeal to all ages, this fascinating collection makes a wonderful supplement to world history courses and is a great resource for reports.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781563082429
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	06/15/1995
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	5 - 17 Years

About the Author

JOE NIGG, a writer and editor in Denver, Colo., is an expert on mythological animals and has published three previous books on the subject The Book of Gryphons (Applewood Books, 1982), Gryphons: The Strength of Lions and the Flight of Eagles (Green Tiger Press, 1982) and A Guide to the Imaginary Birds of the World (Applewood Books, 1984).

CONTENTSCONTENTSContentsThe Letter of Prester John vPreface xiAcknowledgments xvIntroduction xviiThe PhoenixThe Phoenix3The Phoenix from the Past3Versions of the Story 4A Roman Story 5The Phoenix of the Middle Ages 5The Phoenix in Heraldry 6Discounted by Scholars 6The Sacred Phoenix of Egypt (Herodotus) 8The Phoenix (Ovid) 9The Phoenix of Arabia (Pliny the Elder) 10The Phoenix Appears in Egypt (Tacitus) 12The Old English Phoenix (Old English Poem) 13The Phoenix Around the World16The Feng Huang 16The Ho-ho 17The Cinnamon Bird 17The Ilerion 17Salamandra 18The Bird of Paradise 18The Firebird 18The Phoenixes Are Flying (Chinese Ode) 19Saijosen and the Phoenixes (Japanese Fairy Tale) 20The Phoenix and the Falcon (Russian Fairy Tale) 21The Phoenix Today31The Phoenix and the Carpet (E.Nesbit) 31David and the Phoenix (Edward Ormondroyd) 37The GriffinThe Griffin43The Griffin from the Past43Griffins of the Ancients 44The Medieval Griffin 45The Heraldic Griffin 46The Griffin Challenged 46The Gold-Guarding Griffins (Herodotus) 48The Griffins and the One-Eyed Arimaspi (Pliny the Elder) 49The Gryphons of India (Aelian) 50Griffins of the China Seas (Benjamin of Tudela) 51The Griffons of Bactria (Sir John Mandeville) 52The Griffin Around the World53The Rukh 53The Hippogryph 55The Simurgh 55The Anka 55The Hatthilinga 55Garuda 56Thunderbird 56Oshadega 57Raven 57The Griffin in Folklore 57The Old Griffin (German Folktale) 58The Griffon (Italian Fairy Tale) 64The Griffin Today70Alice, the Gryphon, and the Mock Turtle (Lewis Carroll) 70The UnicornThe Unicorn75The Unicorn from the Past75Ancient Unicorns 76Medieval Unicorns 76Alicorn 78Believers and Skeptics 78The Wild Unicorns of India (Ctesias) 80The Unicorns of Basma (Marco Polo) 81Unicorns in Mecca and Zeila (Lewis Vartoman) 82The Unicorn (Edward Topsell) 84The Unicorn Around the World87The Ki-Lin 87The Kirin 88The Karkadan 88The Three-Legged Ass 88Gift of the Unicorn (Chinese Folktale) 89The Fair Maid and the Snow-White Unicorn (Scottish Folktale) 90The Unicorn Today96The African Unicorn (W.Winwood Reade) 98The Last Unicorns (Edward D.Hoch) 100The DragonThe Dragon105The Dragon from the Past105The Constellation Draco 106The Monster of the Middle Ages 107Heraldic Dragons 108Here Be Dragons 109Perseus and Andromeda (Ovid) 110A Dragon Hunt (Philostratus) 113Beowulf's Dragon Fight (Old English Epic) 115The Dragon (Bartholomew Anglicus) 117The Winged Dragon (Edward Topsell) 119The Dragon Around the World120The Oriental Dragon 120Tetsu 122The Nagas 122Quetzalcoatl 122Piasa 123Mo-o 123Sea Serpents 123The Universal Dragon 124The Student and the Dragon King (Chinese Fairy Tale) 125The Lambton Worm (English Folktale) 129Why the Moon and the Stars Receive Their Light from the Sun (Ashanti Folktale) 132The Dragon Today134Tale of the Computer That Fought a Dragon (Slanislaw Lem) 135More Wonder BeastsMore Wonder Beasts143Wonder Beasts of Ethiopia (Pliny the Elder) 144The Griffin's Song (Barbara Wersba) 147References 151Index 155About the Author 160

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Editorial Reviews

Gr 7 Up-This rather academic treatment of the beasts of legends includes encyclopedia-like entries, excerpts from classic texts, and more modern tales. Each chapter begins by tracing the orgins of the creature and discusses the forms it has taken in various cultures. Nigg presents ancient writings from such people as Herodotus, Pliny the Elder, and Ovid to give a historical literary picture, then includes more engaging stories from writers such as E. Nesbit and Lewis Carroll. Students who are working on reports or dedicated fantasy readers will find a wealth of hard-to-find information, particularly on the phoenix and the griffin, if they can get past the dry presentation and dull format. All of the type is set in a cranberry-colored font, and the sketches and maps are rendered in the same color, which creates little visual interest. For pleasure reading, students may prefer Jane Yolen's Here There Be Dragons (1993) and Here There Be Unicorns (1994, both Harcourt), which cover two of the same creatures as this collection and include more stories. The author provides an extensive list of references, but neglects to mention Yolen's books or Bruce Coville's Unicorn Treasury (Doubleday, 1988). Wonder Beasts is more similar in tone to James Cross Giblin's The Truth about Unicorns (HarperCollins, 1991), but is for older readers.-Cheri Estes, Detroit Country Day School Middle School, Beverly Hills, MI

School Library Journal

Wonder Beasts: Tales and Lore of the Phoenix, the Griffin, the Unicorn, and the Dragon

Wonder Beasts: Tales and Lore of the Phoenix, the Griffin, the Unicorn, and the Dragon

Hardcover

Hardcover

Related collections and offers

Overview

Product Details

About the Author

Table of Contents

Customer Reviews

Related collections and offers

Overview

Product Details

About the Author

Table of Contents

Related Subjects

Customer Reviews