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Beings of Legend Lore and Myth
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A bestiary, or Bestiarum vocabulum is a compendium of beasts. Bestiaries were made popular in the Middle Ages in illustrated volumes that described various animals, birds and even rocks.
Location: In the stories of past lore myth and tales of old
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Latest Activity: Feb 11, 2014
Bestiaries were particularly popular in England and France around the 12th century and were mainly compilations of earlier texts. The earliest bestiary in the form in which it was later popularized was an anonymous 2nd century Greek volume called the Physiologus, which itself summarized ancient knowledge and wisdom about animals in the writings of classical authors such as Aristotle's Historia Animalium and various works by Herodotus, Pliny the Elder, Solinus, Aelian and other naturalists.
Following the Physiologus, Saint Isidore of Seville (Book XII of the Etymologiae) and Saint Ambrose expanded the religious message with reference to passages from the Bible and the Septuagint. They and other authors freely expanded or modified pre-existing models, constantly refining the moral content without interest or access to much more detail regarding the factual content. Nevertheless, the often fanciful accounts of these beasts were widely read and generally believed to be true. A few observations found in bestiaries, such as the migration of birds, were discounted by the natural philosophers of later centuries, only to be rediscovered in the modern scientific era.
Two illuminated Psalters, the Queen Mary Psalter (British Library Ms. Royal 2B, vii) and the Isabelle Psalter (State Library, Munich), contain full Bestiary cycles. That in the Queen Mary Psalter is in the "marginal" decorations that occupy about the bottom quarter of the page, and are unusually extensive and coherent in this work. In fact the bestiary has been expanded beyond the source in the Norman bestiary of Guillaume le Clerc to ninety animals. Some are placed in the text to make correspondences with the psalm they are illustrating. [1]
The Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci also made his own bestiary.
The Aberdeen Bestiary is one of the best known of over 50 manuscript bestiaries surviving today.
Mediaeval bestiaries are remarkably similar in sequence of the animals of which they treat.
In modern times, artists such as Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Saul Steinberg have produced their own bestiaries. Jorge Luis Borges wrote a contemporary bestiary of sorts, the Book of Imaginary Beings, which collects imaginary beasts from bestiaries and fiction. Nicholas Christopher wrote a literary novel called "The Bestiary" (Dial, 2007) that describes a lonely young man's efforts to track down the world's most complete bestiary. Writers of Fantasy fiction draw heavily from the fanciful beasts described in mythology, fairy tales, and bestiaries. The "worlds" created in Fantasy fiction can be said to have their own bestiaries. Similarly, authors of fantasy role-playing games sometimes compile bestiaries as references, such as the Monster Manual for Dungeons & Dragons. It is not uncommon for video games with a large variety of enemies (especially RPGs) to include a bestiary of sorts. This usually takes the form of a list of enemies and a short description (e.g. the Metroid Prime and Castlevania games, as well as Dark Cloud and Final Fantasy).
Some mythical creatures, such as the dragon and griffin, have their origin in traditional mythology and have been believed to be real creatures. Others were based on real baby creatures, originating in garbled accounts of travelers' tales; such as the Vegetable Lamb of Tartary, which supposedly grew tethered to the earth (and was actually a type of fern)[1]. Examples of the legendary creatures can be found in medieval bestiaries.
Conversely, some creatures downplayed as just storytelling, have been rediscovered and found to be real in recent books, such as the giant squid (the Kraken). In Africa, Natives of the Congo told European visitors of an animal that looked like a cross between a zebra and a giraffe. While the visitors assumed the stories were just folk tales, in 1901, Sir Harry Johnston brought back pelts that proved the creature, which we now call the okapi, was real.
Often mythical creatures are hybrids, a combination of two or more animals. For example, a centaur is a combination of a man and horse, a minotaur of a man and bull, and the mermaid, half woman and half fish. These were not always intended to be understood as literal juxtapositions of parts from disparate species. Lacking a common morphological vocabulary, classical and medieval scholars and travelers would attempt to describe unusual animals by comparing them point-for-point with familiar: the giraffe, for example, was called camelopard, and thought of as a creature half-camel, and half-leopard. The leopard itself was so named as it was historically believed to be a half-lion (Latin: "leo") and half-panther (Latin: "pardus"). This etymology has been kept until the present day, despite its zoological inaccuracies.
Many legendary creatures appear prominently in fantasy fiction. These creatures are often claimed to have supernatural powers or knowledge or to guard some object of great value, which becomes critical to the plot of the story in which it is found. Dragons, for instance, are commonly depicted as perched on a gleaming hoard of gold which becomes the target of adventurers.
Other legendary creatures are thought to exist even today, including chupacabras, Bigfoot, Yeti, the Loch Ness Monster, the Jersey Devil, Mothman, Yowie, Yeren, Pukwudgie, and even space aliens. These are called cryptids by cryptozoologists.
Throughout history legendary creatures have been incorporated into heraldry and architectural decoration. Legendary creatures have also been accepted into many facets of popular culture, most notably in fantasy role playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons or Everquest, video games, and Hollywood movies.
Discussion Forum
RAVEN FOLKLORE by Rev. Carol A. Ingle (Raven) 2 Replies
RAVEN FOLKLOREThey slept until the black raven,the blithe heartedproclaimed the joy of heaven- BeowulfNative AmericanAccording to Jamie Sams and David Carson, in their excellent book Medicine Cards (which accompanies a beautiful deck of animal…Continue
Started by Dept of PMM Artists & things. Last reply by Dept of PMM Artists & things Feb 11, 2014.
~ The Crow ~ by Christine Narducci 2 Replies
Here is a different take on what we know of the Crow. Some of which is obviously myth...and some might actually be fact. I had to make a few corrections to this article, but it is not mine in any way. I borrowed this excerpt from:…Continue
Started by Dept of PMM Artists & things. Last reply by Dept of PMM Artists & things Feb 7, 2014.
Hecate, Greek Goddess of The Crossroads by Teths Place 5 Replies
Hecate, Greek goddess of the three paths, guardian of the household, protector of everything newly born, and the goddess of witchcraft -- once a widely revered and influential goddess, the reputation of Hecate has been tarnished over the centuries.…Continue
Started by Dept of PMM Artists & things. Last reply by Dept of PMM Artists & things Feb 1, 2014.
The Goddess Nerthus & the Ancient Franks:
The Goddess Nerthus & the Ancient Franks:(Pictured:Nerthus (1905) by Emil Doepler) During the time of Roman expansion in Europe, the Romans encountered many Germanic tribes on the other side of the Rhine and Danube rivers. The German people…Continue
Started by Dept of PMM Artists & things Feb 1, 2014.
Water Deities
Water DeitiesA water deity is a supernatural being in mythology associated with water or various bodies of water. Water deities are common in mythology. Water deities usually were important among civilizations in which the sea or ocean, or a great…Continue
Started by Dept of PMM Artists & things Jan 31, 2014.
Vampire Graves Unearthed 1 Reply
World News - Construction sites are becoming popular scenes for discoveries of everything from prehistoric mammoth fossils to newly discovered spider species. In following that trend, a recent construction project near Gliwice, Poland uncovered a…Continue
Started by Dept of PMM Artists & things. Last reply by Dept of PMM Artists & things Jan 26, 2014.
Power Animals & Guardians by Michelle Clarke
Shamans…Continue
Started by Dept of PMM Artists & things Jan 25, 2014.
Lycanthropy by Dark Reaper 1 Reply
I was just doing a little reading and came across this. It just amazes me what some people will believe sometimes. The blind and misled are only out numbered by the things they choose to believe it seems. LycanthropyLycanthropy is the transformation…Continue
Started by Dept of PMM Artists & things. Last reply by Dept of PMM Artists & things Jan 25, 2014.
Comment Wall
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Comment by Dept of PMM Artists & things on January 25, 2014 at 2:00pm
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Nikki MaDio 7:42in the evenin' Jan 24
Nyx (Greek)Very little is known of Nyx. In Greek mythology Nyx was the goddess of the night. Later as Nyx was incorporated into Roman mythology she became known as "Nox"
One of the first born elemental gods, Nyx was the daughter of Chaos, sister of Gaia and sister/wife to Erebos, God of darkness. Her offspring are many, and telling, including Momus (blame), Moros (doom), Thanatos (death), Hypnos (sleep), Charon (the ferryman of Hades). Nyx was the personification of Night, dark with mysterious powers it was said even Zeus feared her.
Nyx had prophetic powers, and gave oracles from a cave. Goddess of the night, she was also psychic, manipulating thoughts, bringer of truth. It was said she was older and more powerful than Zeus, who deferred to Her wishes. Nyx resided in Tartarus, in the depths of Hades' Underworld which Nyx shared with her daughter Hemera, the Goddess of the Day, though the two of them only met on passing during the transition from day to night. Her appearances in mythology are sparse, but reveal her as a figure of exceptional power and beauty.
She was often depicted as having wings and wearing a long black flowing dress and veil covered in blinking stars. She turns day into night by spreading her veil out over the sky and enveloping the earth as she rides through the sky in a chariot.
Nyx is a good Goddess to call forth when you need to reach your original true essence and awareness.
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Bre Geier 12:18in the mornin' Jan 25
LORD THOTHThe Greek Hermes derives many of his attributes directly from an Egyptian figure. This figure is most frequently represented as an Ibis-headed figure. A popular name used for this figure is the Greek word Thoth. But Wallis Budge tells us that the name most commonly used by the ancient Egyptians was a name like Hob.
Best reference is The Gods of the Egyptians, Wallis Budge, Vol 1, p400-415. Budge writes: The commonest name given to Thoth is h*b, ibis... In Ancient Egyptian a word like Hob actually means "messenger". It is the name most commonly given to the Messenger of God
Ra.There are no recorded vowels in Ancient Egyptian, so the name may have been pronounced either Hab, Heb, Hib or Hob. The ibis God is now normally known by the Greek word Thoth. The word Hob happens to be a medieval English name for the Devil, although there is no direct connection with the ancient Egyptian name.
Attributes of The Ibis-Headed God: Continuing in The Gods of the Egyptians, Wallis Budge, Vol 1, p400-415. Budge writes: ... From one aspect he was speech itself... In every legend in which Lord Thoth takes a prominent part we see it is he who speaks the word that results in the wishes of God Ra being carried into effect.
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The Pythia...the Pythian Priesthood...and, the Legacy of the 'Serpent Seer':
(Pictured: Priestess of Delphi (1891) by John Collier; the Pythia was inspired by pneuma rising from below.)
The Pythia (pronounced /ˈpɪθiə/ or /ˈpaɪθiə/, Greek: Πυθία [pyːˈtʰi.a]), commonly known as the Oracle of Delphi, was the priestess at the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, located on the slopes of Mount Parnassus, beneath the Castalian Spring.
The Pythia was widely credited for her prophecies inspired by Apollo. The Delphic oracle was established in the 8th century BC,although it may have been present in some form in Late Mycenaean times,from 1400 BC and was abandoned, and there is evidence that Apollo took over the shrine from an earlier dedication to Gaia. The last recorded response was given about 395 A.D. to Emperor Theodosius I, after he had ordered pagan temples to cease operation. During this period the Delphic Oracle was the most prestigious and authoritative oracle among the Greeks. The oracle is one of the best-documented religious institutions of the classical Greeks. Authors who mention the oracle include Aeschylus, Aristotle, Clement of Alexandria, Diodorus, Diogenes, Euripides, Herodotus, Julian, Justin, Livy, Lucan, Ovid, Pausanias, Pindar, Plato, Plutarch, Sophocles, Strabo, Thucydides, and Xenophon.
***The name "Pythia" derived from Pytho, which in myth was the original name of Delphi. The Greeks derived this place name from the verb, pythein (πύθειν, "to rot"), which refers to the decomposition of the body of the monstrous Python after she was slain by Apollo.The usual theory has been that the Pythia delivered oracles in a frenzied state induced by vapors rising from a chasm in the rock, and that she spoke gibberish which priests interpreted as the enigmatic prophecies preserved in Greek literature.*** ...cont'd @...
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Merovingians-The-Once-The-Present-Future-kings/471707109534948
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GODDESES AND GODS:
GRECIAN:
OCEANUS --- ANCIENT GOD OF THE OCEANS, EVENTUALLY DISPLACED BY POSEIDON. WITH HIS SISTER ,TETHYS, HE HAD SIX THOUSAND CHILDREN HAL OF THEM SEA SPIRITS, THE OTHER HALF RIVER SPIRITS.
HAVE A BLESSED AND MAGICKAL DAY:
DAN THE OLDE ONE
KEEPER OF MYTHS, LEGENDS AND THE OLDE WAYS
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Slaanesh Satanas Daemon 6:53in the evenin' Jan 19
EREBOS (or Erebus) was the Protogenos (primeval god) of darkness, consort of Nyx (Night), whose dark mists enveloped the edges of the world, and filled the deep hollows of the earth. His wife Nyx drew these mists across the heavens to bring night to the world, while his daughter Hemera scattered them bringing day : one blocking out the light of Aither (shining, blue heaven) and the other revealing it. The bright upper air (aither) was regarded as the source of day in the ancient cosmogonies rather than the sun.The name Erebos was also used for the dismal, netherworld realm of Haides.
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Patchwork Merchant Mercenaries had its humble beginnings as an idea of a few artisans and craftsmen who enjoy performing with live steel fighting. As well as a patchwork quilt tent canvas. Most had prior military experience hence the name.
Patchwork Merchant Mercenaries.
Vendertainers that brought many things to a show and are know for helping out where ever they can.
As well as being a place where the older hand made items could be found made by them and enjoyed by all.
We expanded over the years to become well known at what we do. Now we represent over 100 artisans and craftsman that are well known in their venues and some just starting out. Some of their works have been premiered in TV, stage and movies on a regular basis.
Specializing in Medieval, Goth , Stage Film, BDFSM and Practitioner.
Patchwork Merchant Mercenaries a Dept of, Ask For IT was started by artists and former military veterans, and sword fighters, representing over 100 artisans, one who made his living traveling from fair to festival vending medieval wares. The majority of his customers are re-enactors, SCAdians and the like, looking to build their kit with period clothing, feast gear, adornments, etc.
Likewise, it is typical for these history-lovers to peruse the tent (aka mobile store front) and, upon finding something that pleases the eye, ask "Is this period?"
A deceitful query!! This is not a yes or no question. One must have a damn good understanding of European history (at least) from the fall of Rome to the mid-1600's to properly answer. Taking into account, also, the culture in which the querent is dressed is vitally important. You see, though it may be well within medieval period, it would be strange to see a Viking wearing a Caftan...or is it?
After a festival's time of answering weighty questions such as these, I'd sleep like a log! Only a mad man could possibly remember the place and time for each piece of kitchen ware, weaponry, cloth, and chain within a span of 1,000 years!! Surely there must be an easier way, a place where he could post all this knowledge...
Traveling Within The World is meant to be such a place. A place for all of these artists to keep in touch and directly interact with their fellow geeks and re-enactment hobbyists, their clientele.
© 2024 Created by Rev. Allen M. Drago ~ Traveler.
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