Books › Encyclopedia of Things That Never Were
Encyclopedia of Things That Never Were
Creatures, Places, and People
240 pages
A sprawling, encyclopedic journey through the myths, monsters, and magic that have shaped human imagination.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like wandering through a vast, dusty library of human imagination. It is a meandering, leisurely experience, inviting the reader to flip through pages of gods, monsters, and magical realms at their own pace. The tone is reverent and scholarly, treating the impossible with the grounded authority of a historical reference text. From the cosmic heights of Olympus and Asgard to the shadowed depths of the Underworld and fairy-haunted forests, the mood remains deeply atmospheric and timeless. It is less a narrative journey than a steady accumulation of wonder, celebrating the enduring power of folklore and myth. This is a treasure trove for world-builders, dreamers, and anyone who delights in the curiosities and wonders of fantasy literature.
- Mood
- timeless
- curious
- magical
- atmospheric
- Tone
- scholarly
- reverent
- wondrous
- informative
- Pace
- meandering
- Themes
- the power of myth · human imagination · cataloging the unknown · folklore and legend
- The writing
- Structured and encyclopedic, presenting fantastical concepts with the grounded authority of a reference text.
- The arc
- A steady accumulation of wonder and curiosity as the reader explores the breadth of human imagination.
- Who it's for
- Readers who love getting lost in the lore of mythology, folklore, and fantasy world-building.
Content notes
- mythological references
- underworld themes
About the book
We of the Cosmos are eternally different and yet eternally the same.
Chapter 1: Things of the cosmos. Aeolus -- Aesir -- Albion -- Apples of youth -- Arthur -- Asgard -- Aquarius -- Aries -- Bacchus -- Bumba -- Bunyil -- Cancer -- Capricorn -- Chaos -- Cu chulain -- Daedalus & Icarus -- Dreamtime -- El nino -- Eros -- Fates -- Fire, owners of -- Force -- Futuresight -- Gemini -- Giants -- George, St. -- Gogmagog -- Golden age -- Haiowatha -- Heavens -- Helios -- Hephaestus -- Izanami & Izananagi -- Jotnar -- Joyboy -- Judges of the dead -- Knights -- Kupala -- Leir, King -- Leo -- Libra -- Loki -- Love, goddesses of -- Mars -- Maui -- Men, first -- Merlin -- Morpheus -- Muses -- Nai-ko-kami -- Odin -- Olympus -- Orpheus -- Osiris -- Pisces -- Poseidon -- Punchinello -- Quetzalcoatl -- Ra -- Sagittarius -- Scorpio -- Shaman -- Scorpio -- Tangaloa -- Taurus -- Thor -- Titans -- Tristram -- Tu-of-the-angry-face -- Underworld -- Virgo -- Woman, first -- Wotan -- Xolotl -- Yggradrasil -- Zeus -- Zodiac, houses of --
Chapter 2: Things of the ground & underground. Abatwa -- Adekagagwaa -- Amazons -- Annwn -- Arachne -- Artemis -- Barbegazi -- Basilisk -- Beanstalk -- Bendith Y Mamau -- Bhogavati -- Brownies -- Boggarts -- Bogies, bogey-men, bogles, bogey-beasts -- Black Dog -- Bokwus -- Cats -- Centaurs -- Chenoo -- Cluricans -- Da duku -- Dama dagenda -- Dogs -- Dwarfs -- Doppelganger -- Echo -- Elder trees, our lady of the -- Elves -- Fairies -- Fauns -- Fomorians -- Gin seng -- Gnomes -- Goblin -- Gorgons -- Grain gods & guardians -- Green Man -- Gremlins -- Hell -- House gods & house spirits -- Jigoku -- Kabigat -- Kilyakai -- Kisin -- Knockers or knackers -- Kobolds -- Leprechauns -- Leshy -- Malekin -- Mandrake -- Manes -- Manes -- Manticore -- Mimis -- Minotaur -- Mopaditis -- Nagumwasuck -- Nymphs -- Ohdows -- Pan -- Pixies, piskies -- Puck, pooka -- Ratwife -- Red cap -- Reynard the fox -- Robin Goodfellow -- Salamander -- Satan -- Satyrs -- Scapegoats -- Sphinx -- Talking trees -- Traveller’s friends -- Tree geese -- Trolls -- Uldra -- Unicorn -- Upas tree -- Ure -- Wandjinas -- Wendigo -- Will O’ the wisp -- Yakkus -- Yeti -- Zaltys --
Description from Open Library.
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