Mystic tradition grants pride of place to many members of the animal kind. Some share our life. Others live wild and free. Still others never lived at all. Animals are magical beings, the subject of lore and legend from earliest time. Many achieved divinity and were worshipped as symbols of the highest virtues. Some were demonised by one culture and revered by another. Only certain animals qualified for otherworldly significance. Beauty, character, grace and symmetry were elements in the choice. And many possess a strange essence that clearly sets them apart from all the rest. Here Elizabeth Pepper and Barbara Stacy present a selection of the tales of our animal companions, of untamed beasts and mythical wondrous fantasies that populate a world of delight and terror. Included here, with accompanying woodcuts and black and white illustrations, are the tales of more than 45 beasts. Each selection outlines their origin, their mythological and magical significance and their role in the popular imagination.