From Mythical Creatures • An Abbeville Press
Notecard Set
Photo courtesy the Getty, Los Angeles
Resembling a serpent or a lizard, a dragon often breathes fire and hoards gold.
Dragon (Global) European manuscript miniature, detail, c. 1270
Fairy (European)
Illustration, detail, by Arthur Rackham, 1906
A diminutive being known for tricking humans, who sometimes dances on spider silk.
Photo courtesy Maastricht University Library, Netherlands
From Mythical Creatures • An Abbeville Press Notecard Set
Fenghuang (Chinese)
Illustration, detail, c. 1644–1911
This kaleidoscopic, multiheaded creature appears as a good omen for momentous occasions.
Photo courtesy the Library of Congress, Washington, DC
From Mythical Creatures • An Abbeville Press Notecard Set
Roc (Arabian)
Illustration, detail, by Edward Julius Detmold, 1924
This massive bird of prey blocks the sun with his body and wings—and even catches elephants.
Photo courtesy the Collectors-Society/public domain
From Mythical Creatures • An Abbeville Press Notecard Set
From Mythical Creatures • An Abbeville Press Notecard Set
Photo courtesy
Artscape.ne.jp/public domain
This cannibalistic yokai often resembles an ogre.
Hanging scroll painting, detail, by Soga Shohaku, c. 1764
Oni (Japanese)
Sun Wukong (Chinese)
Woodblock print, detail, by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, c. 1880
As king of the monkeys, Sun Wukong carries mountains, transforms into other animals, and freezes his opponents with magic.
Photo courtesy the Library of Congress, Washington, DC
From Mythical Creatures • An Abbeville Press Notecard Set
Unicorn (Global)
European tapestry, detail, 1495–1505
This magical horse, with a single horn issuing from its head, has long symbolized purity.
Photo courtesy the Met Cloisters, New York
From Mythical Creatures • An Abbeville Press Notecard Set
From Mythical Creatures • An Abbeville Press
Notecard Set
Photo courtesy the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Yokai are spirits, sometimes called demons, that resemble animals and possess supernatural powers.
Yokai (Japanese) Illustration, detail, by Kawanabe Kyosai, 1890
Green Man (Global)
Welsh stained glass, detail, 1872
The Green Man, who represents rebirth, is often surrounded by leaves.
Photo courtesy Llywelyn2000/CC-BY-SA 3.0
From Mythical Creatures • An Abbeville Press Notecard Set
From Mythical Creatures • An Abbeville Press Notecard Set
Photo courtesy the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC
The jackalope, a jackrabbit with antelope horns, has a weakness for whiskey.
Jackalope (North American) Painting, detail, by Joris Hoefnagel, c. 1575–80
