I'm working on a fantasy story and I just realized that my world is very much shaped by the whole Tolkien mystique. (That and Dracula). I've been doing a lot of research but it's slow going and there aren't a lot of places that just have lists of mythical creatures. I think that having some sort of compilation of ancient myths and creatures would be very nice to be able to just read through. Learning about the history of vampires alone has taken me practically all afternoon and I'm not sure if I've got the right idea, but at least it's given me a place to start writing them from.
My question is basically this, do any of you have a good place where I could read about a whole bunch of myths, or do you know any good book/encyclopedias. A lot of information about every creature would be nice too, such as related myths and the differences between moder interpretations. (For instance I know that elves before tolkien were very much tricky little bastards, among other things, sort of like his wood elves in the Hobbit).
Jon
Posted by TruHero (Member # 1766) on :
Go to the bookstore and buy or look at a D&D Monstous Compendium. It has a plethera of monsters/creatures in it and there supposed habitat etc... You can also look at a number of other manuals published by TSR on mythical beings and creatures. It is all there in color. I think there are some websites available too, but off hand I don't remember them. I just use my old AD&D books.
Posted by GavinLoftin (Member # 1966) on :
Theres a great book out there called "Things that never were." Its basically an encyclopedia of mythical creatures and the stories behind them. It covers almost all cultures and myths from around the world.
Posted by cicerocat (Member # 2138) on :
For mythological creatures, try Carol Rose's Giants, Monsters, and Dragons.
Cya, CC
Posted by Balthasar (Member # 5399) on :
I'm sure the D&D books would be helpful, but be careful that they can't sue you.
There's a book out there by Edith Hamilton called Mythology (I think) that you might find helpful.
Posted by bladeofwords (Member # 2132) on :
Yeah, I guess that I wasn't clear in my post. (I'm not being the least bit sarcastic). I don't want the Dnd rehashed, overused, bland creatures. I'm a dungeon master, I know all about them and I don't want to write just one more story set in the Tolkien/Dnd world.
Thanks for all the suggestions.
Jon
Posted by Survivor (Member # 213) on :
If you want existing mythology, try someplace like Mythology.com or Pantheon.org . Or just search Google for "Mythology" and perhaps "ancient".
Pantheon has a pretty big collection of articles, and a bestiary of almost ninety mythological creatures.
Posted by MaryRobinette (Member # 1680) on :
I just did research on British folklore and found this site very helpful.
There's also Bruno Bettelheim's "Uses of Enchantment" but that looks more at the structure of fairytales.
The book of fabulous beasts : a treasury of writings from ancient times to the present by Joe Nigg
And if you want to be really nutty "History of Animals" by Aristotle (some natural history, so not.)
Posted by TruHero (Member # 1766) on :
I'd say if you're tired of the same old thing, then invent some new ones. It's your world just use your creative noodles.
btw: Tolkein (LOTR) and D&D aren't the same. There are hundreds of creatures listed in D&D manuals that don't have any place in LOTR. I say switch it up and put the creatures in a different world/environment than is normally seen. You don't have to play by the rules, it's your world your'e creating.
Posted by mikemunsil (Member # 2109) on :
Saw a fascinating show last night on the history channel (I think) about how the classical-era Greeks collected fossils and interpreted them in a way which resulted in the body of mythical creatures that we are familiar with. Thus, the leg bones of a mammoth were interpreted to be the leg bones of a giant, and the hooked beak of a ceratopsian dinosaur became the hooked beak of a griffin. So, you could take a leaf from their book?
Posted by JBShearer (Member # 9434) on :
You can't be sued for using D N D creatures. You can't copyright invented creatures (ideas). You can even use trademarks (to an extant), but none of their creatures (I think) are trademarked.
Posted by Kathleen Dalton Woodbury (Member # 59) on :
And ancient fossils weren't the only source for mythical creatures. I understand that the idea for the cyclops came from an elephant skull which has a large hole in the center of the forehead for the muscles that move the trunk around. I guess no one noticed the little holes on the sides for the elephant's eyes.
Posted by Worth the Wait (Member # 2155) on :
Try checking out this site for a start... I know it's fairies, but there is just SCADS of material on Irish mythical stuff on the web. This site is Irish fairies, but it's a good starting point.
particularly for information on demons and other baddies in mythology and religion throughout history. The site developed out of the creator's University studies in religion.
Posted by yanos (Member # 1831) on :
Thank you for that site Lady Robinette. One of the stories there has intrigued me and will be the basis for my next short...
