The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Mythical Creatures Book

Since the dawn of time mankind has been fascinated with the natural world. There were so many mysteries, so many fundamental, unanswered questions.

Where does the sun go each night? Why is it able to reappear every morning? What is the strange force which permeates the living world in spring, bringing forth green shoots from the earth and blossom from the bare branches? Why does the sea become so angry and then seem to fall back asleep? Before the days of scientific enquiry we filled in the gaps in our knowledge with stories of nature spirits, tree nymphs and water sprites. We peopled the heavens with gods and goddesses who would hurl bolts of lightning at each other and make the sky quake with thunderous blows. The earth was barren, and the tree bare because the Goddess of corn was in mourning for her daughter, kidnapped and taken down to Hades by the Lord of the Underworld. Mount Etna breathed fire and smoke because the terrible monster Typhon was crushed beneath it when he dared to challenged the Mighty Zeus...