The Elizabethan Zoo: A Book of Beasts Both Fabulous and Authentic

3.8/5 ( ratings)

A book of beasts both fabulous & authentic.

This enchanting adaptation of Elizabethan natural history introduces many fabulous beasts, familiar only through myth and folk tales, and presents some old familiar friends in a decidedly different light. Composed of extracts from Edward Topsell's histories and supplemented by material taken from Pliny's Natural History , this book presents a fascinating picture of how seventeenth-century man perceived the world. It is not our world but one where mythical creatures, wild beasts, and domestic animals wander together. No distinction is made between the real and the imaginary. Cats and gorgons, hyænas and unicorns - all are treated with equal seriousness.

This is one of man's first attempts to shape zoology into comprehensive and exact form. Though some of it is nonsense, it is fascinating to see just how accurate so many of the descriptions are. Amid old wives' tales and legend, there lies a solid core of empirical truth. The result is a marvelous potpourri of mediæval credulity, scientific fact, hearsay and myth - all guaranteed to delight and astound.

Language: English

Pages: 171

Format: Hardcover

Publisher: David R. Godine Publisher

Release: January 01, 1979

ISBN: 0879233001

ISBN 13: 9780879233006

The Elizabethan Zoo: A Book of Beasts Both Fabulous and Authentic

Pliny the Elder

3.8/5 ( ratings)

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Language: English

Pages: 171

Format: Hardcover

Publisher: David R. Godine Publisher

Release: January 01, 1979

ISBN: 0879233001

ISBN 13: 9780879233006

2/5 ( ratings)

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The Elizabethan Zoo: A Book of Beasts Both Fabulous and Authentic

The Elizabethan Zoo: A Book of Beasts Both Fabulous and Authentic

The Elizabethan Zoo: A Book of Beasts Both Fabulous and Authentic

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