Flying Snakes and Griffin Claws: And Other Classical Myths, Historical Oddities, and Scientific Curiosities

by Adrienne Mayor Narrated by Adrienne Mayor, Nancy Crane

Overview

Adrienne Mayor and Nancy Crane narrate this treasury of astonishing mythic marvels

Adrienne Mayor is renowned for exploring the borders of history, science, archaeology, anthropology, and popular knowledge to find historical realities and scientific insights-glimmering, long-buried nuggets of truth-embedded in myth, legends, and folklore. Combing through ancient texts and obscure sources, she has spent decades prospecting for intriguing wonders and marvels, historical mysteries, diverting anecdotes, and hidden gems from antiquity, medieval, and modern times. Flying Snakes and Griffin Claws is a treasury of fifty of her most amazing and amusing discoveries.

The book explores such subjects as how mirages inspired legends of cities in the sky; the true identity of winged serpents in ancient Egypt; how ghost ships led to the discovery of the Gulf Stream; and the beauty secrets of ancient Amazons. Other pieces examine Arthur Conan Doyle's sea serpent and Geronimo's dragon; Flaubert's obsession with ancient Carthage; ancient tattooing practices; and the strange relationship between wine goblets and women's breasts since the times of Helen of Troy and Marie Antoinette. And there's much, much more.

Showcasing Mayor's trademark passion not to demythologize myths, but to uncover the fascinating truths buried beneath them, Flying Snakes and Griffin Claws is a wonder cabinet of delightful curiosities.

Editorial Reviews

Christian Century

"This delightful collection of 50 mini-essays by Stanford University research scholar Adrienne Mayor answers some of the most fascinating questions readers wouldn’t otherwise have thought to ask themselves about classical folklore and the history of science. . . . Mayor’s inquisitive spirit animates the answers she provides."

Bryn Mawr Classical Reviews

"This is an eminently informative book, for readers of all ages. . . . Mayor is able to give a sense of wonder to her inquiries and, without losing rigor, she brings it back to the academic world. In this sense, the book more than fulfils its objectives: we have found pleasure in reading it."

Choice Reviews

"An interesting gallimaufry of 50 short essays that seek to extract nuggets of truth from mythology, legends, and folklore."

From the Publisher

"Mayor’s cabinet of curiosities conveys admirably her sense of the wonder, complexity, and engrossing strangeness of the ancient Greco-Roman world, as well as the richness and diversity of the many ages that followed."—-James Romm, Wall Street Journal

History Today

"[Mayor’s] work. . . is both informative and vastly entertaining."

Library Journal

04/01/2022

Mayor (Gods and Robots) examines myths and classical oddities and offers both theoretical and accepted explanations for curiosities in the past. A unicorn horn from a king's treasury may be a narwhal tusk, and digging further, she gives examples of how they might have found a tusk so far from an ocean. In the absence of physical evidence, such as the story of the flying snakes, Mayor offers many potential explanations of creatures that could have been mistaken for flying serpents. Covering much more than just myths and monsters, this book also contains information about ancient science and mirages, and everything from tourism to tattoos. Maps and images give further context. Copious notes at the end of the book give plenty of further reading to those wanting to dig deeper. The first chapter gets off to a rocky start by throwing out a lot of ancient names and places that might give readers whiplash, but soon eases into a steady pace that will keep readers entertained and amused. The wide range of topics covered ensure this book has a little something for everyone, though it will likely appeal most to lovers of mythology and historical trivia. VERDICT A solid purchase for a public library's nonfiction section.—Amanda Toth

Product Details

BN ID:	2940175492355
Publisher:	Princeton University Press
Publication date:	07/26/2022
Edition description:	Unabridged

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