Bestiary Pack (2 eBooks - PDFs)

Bestiary Pack (2 eBooks - PDFs)

A Wizard's Bestiary (2007)

Oberon Zell-Ravenheart & Ash Dekirk

Strange beasts of all kinds have crawled, run, swam, and flown
through humanity's imagination and travelers' tales since the dawn of
time. From Gryphons and Unicorns, to Dragons, Mermaids, and even more
bizarre and fantastical animals, A Wizard's Bestiary takes you on a
magical journey through the ages and around the world, to discover
elusive creatures of myth and legend. Beware--here be Monsters! The
first section lists over 1,000 fantastic creatures from every land in
an encyclopedic, alphabetical glossary format, from Aatxe to
Zyphoeus. Each entry includes a small illustration, as well as
cross-references to other related beasts. Next, the authors present
more in-depth features on some of more interesting of these legendary
beasts, such as the Sea Serpent and the Man-Eating Tree of
Madagascar. History, myths, and legends of each creature are
presented, with particular emphasis on identifying real-life origins
of mythical creatures in actual living animals, such as the link
between the Kraken and the giant squid. This section is divided into
these categories: * Creepers * Walkers * Swimmers * Flyers*
Demi-Humans * Animate Plants Expanded cryptozoological entries
include the Loch Ness Monster, Bigfoot, Mokele-Mbembe, El Chupacabra,
Mothman, and other mystery monsters reported by eyewitnesses but not
yet confirmed by science. They are grouped into the following
categories: * Primates and Hominids * Bipedal Monsters* Carnivorous
Mammals * Herbivorous Mammals* Sea Serpents and Lake Monsters *
Birds* Reptiles * Amphibians* Living Dinosaurs * Mystery Monsters A
Wizard's Bestiary is profusely illustrated with old woodcuts,
engravings, and other images from historical sources, as well as
interpretations by modern artists, including the authors. No other
bestiary has been so well-illustrated! Hand-drawn medieval-style maps
by Oberon Zell-Ravenheart show purported locales of different beasts
on all continents and seas.

Publisher: New Page Books (2007)
ISBN: 1564149560

A Chinese Bestiary: Strange Creatures from the Guideways Through Mountains and Seas (2002)

Richard E. Strassberg

A Chinese Bestiary presents a fascinating pageant of mythical creatures from a unique and enduring cosmography written in ancient China. The Guideways through Mountains and Seas, compiled between the fourth and first centuries b.c.e., contains descriptions of hundreds of fantastic denizens of mountains, rivers, islands, and seas, along with minerals, flora, and medicine. The text also represents a wide range of beliefs held by the ancient Chinese. Richard Strassberg brings the Guideways to life for modern readers by weaving together translations from the work itself with information from other texts and recent archaeological finds to create a lavishly illustrated guide to the imaginative world of early China.
Unlike the bestiaries of the late medieval period in Europe, the Guideways was not interpreted allegorically;the strange creatures described in it were regarded as actual entities found throughout the landscape. The work was originally used as a sacred geography, as a guidebook for travelers, and as a book of omens. Today, it is regarded as the richest repository of ancient Chinese mythology and shamanistic wisdom. The Guideways may have been illustrated from the start, but the earliest surviving illustrations are woodblock engravings from a rare 1597 edition. Seventy-six of those plates are reproduced here for the first time, and they provide a fine example of the Chinese engraver's art during the late Ming dynasty.
This beautiful volume, compiled by a well-known specialist in the field, provides a fascinating window on the thoughts and beliefs of an ancient people, and will delight specialists and general readers alike.

Publisher: Berkeley (2002)
ISBN: 0520218442

Related Links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bestiary

http://bestiary.ca/index.html

http://bestiary.ca/beasts/beastalphashort.htm

http://www.theoi.com/

http://www.theoi.com/Bestiary.html

ENJOY!!! :D