Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #163003 in Books
• Published on: 2002-09-14
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 64 pages

Customer Reviews

A Bizarre Journey
Welcome to the wonderful world of Dragons, Griffins & Sciopods, with Alixe Bovey's fascinating guide to the extraordinary creatures that inhabit the manuscripts of the Medieval age.

From the earnest, bearded beast on the cover, tightly clutching his bow & staff, I was drawn into a world that I never knew existed - it's amazing what an Amazon word search can come up with! Dr Bovey blows away the dust from these ancient texts & shows us how the monks who spent months carefully copying passages from the bible, would also include a menagerie of bizarre beasts within those texts; sometimes featured in graphic depictions of the Devil, consuming lost souls; at other times, just playful little creatures, with one leg & a giant bottom, lurking & pulling faces in the margins.

The beasts were often a dire warning of what happened to sinners; in fact one devilish dragon from an 11th century manuscript, was so frightening that a reader from a bygone age, has left small, but distinct scratch marks on the picture, either through superstition or fear.

The book traces many of the creatures from their Pre-Christian origins into the texts of Christian Europe. One thousand year-old bestiaries retold stories of Alexander the Great, using raw meat to entice griffins to carry him into the sky & Pliny's tales of panotii; gentle giants with huge ears they used as pillows & blankets!

Beautifully illustrated, this book is highly readable; Dr Bovey's huge affection for the beasts & grotesques, is clear. She also brings the creatures bang up to date with references to Harry Potter & the Alien films.

This book took me on a fascinating trip into a previously unknown world, with Dr Bovey a very able David Attenborough! I can't wait for my next moment of road rage, when I can wind down my window & yell at the offending driver; "You Blemmyae!"!