Way way back, at the very very beginning, there was a mystical place known as Dreamtime where the Aboriginal ancestors of Australia created the entire world. It was here where an orphan named Koobor lived
What do you get if you cross a camel with a leopard? A Giraffe of course - or to use its original title, the aptly named ‘Camelopard’. Well that’s what the old Europeans used to think, and camelopard was the name which was originally given to the long necked African creature; quite simply because its body resembled that of a camel, and its markings were something akin to a leopards.
Written in ‘The Annals of Five Emperors’, during the reign of Emperor Huang, some 4000 years ago, it is said that the mighty ruler would keep Giant Pandas for the purpose of fighting. In an ancient Chinese legend, again dating back some 4000 years, it tells of how a tribal leader named Huangdi once wielded wild animals to defeat a neighbouring tribe. Amongst the fearsome animals who bravely went into battle were leopards, tigers… and Pand
So this one has been a long time coming! All the paints out of the tin for this one! It took a long time and I was glad when it was done!
Puffins are funny looking birds! I have been meaning to add one to the collection for a while but could not get the composition right. Having two together seemed to be the solution. That beak was the problem for me! So a bit of heavy stylisation was the way forward.
Being that whales spend roughly 90% of their time submerged under the waves, it comes as no surprise to hear that mankind have historically viewed them as very mystical creatures, and they are involved in many a myth. Here's one involving a whale and sea slug; it’s kind of like a Japanese version of 'the hare and the tortoise'.
Where there is great potential for things to go badly wrong you will find superstitions. Whether it be on the battle field, the football pitch, or the farmland. No more so is the potential for disaster more prevalent than on stage in the theatre. And yes, no one usually physically dies, but a persons career certainly can! So make sure there’s no whistling back stage, no wearing the colour blue, no performances of Macbeth, no mirrors, and certainly no peacock feathers!
To reach the afterlife in ancient Egypt you must first deal with the trappings of the underworld. Here you will have to contend with various Gods, monsters, gatekeepers, and ultimately prove your worth to Osiris, the Lord of the underworld.
Here are ten interesting narratives about Woodland Animals with references to their place in our culture. Some are form ancient mythologies like the owls and their wisdom, and others like the ‘The Fox and the Crow’. which tell us to be cautious of flattery!
Why are hares associated with the moon? Hares are fundamentally nocturnal. Nighttime was once a very dangerous place and the moon was once believed to actually cause madness,