Flying Snakes and Griffin Claws
eBook - ePub

Flying Snakes and Griffin Claws

And Other Classical Myths, Historical Oddities, and Scientific Curiosities

  1. English
  2. ePUB (mobile friendly)
  3. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub

Flying Snakes and Griffin Claws

And Other Classical Myths, Historical Oddities, and Scientific Curiosities

About this book

A treasury of astonishing mythic marvels—and the surprising truths behind them

Adrienne Mayor is renowned for exploring the borders of history, science, archaeology, anthropology, and popular knowledge to find historical realities and scientific insights—glimmering, long-buried nuggets of truth—embedded in myth, legends, and folklore. Combing through ancient texts and obscure sources, she has spent decades prospecting for intriguing wonders and marvels, historical mysteries, diverting anecdotes, and hidden gems from ancient, medieval, and modern times. Flying Snakes and Griffin Claws is a treasury of fifty of her most amazing and amusing discoveries.

The book explores such subjects as how mirages inspired legends of cities in the sky; the true identity of winged serpents in ancient Egypt; how ghost ships led to the discovery of the Gulf Stream; and the beauty secrets of ancient Amazons. Other pieces examine Arthur Conan Doyle's sea serpent and Geronimo's dragon; Flaubert's obsession with ancient Carthage; ancient tattooing practices; and the strange relationship between wine goblets and women's breasts since the times of Helen of Troy and Marie Antoinette. And there's much, much more.

Showcasing Mayor's trademark passion not to demythologize myths, but to uncover the fascinating truths buried beneath them, Flying Snakes and Griffin Claws is a wonder cabinet of delightful curiosities.

Frequently asked questions

Yes, you can cancel anytime from the Subscription tab in your account settings on the Perlego website. Your subscription will stay active until the end of your current billing period. Learn how to cancel your subscription.
No, books cannot be downloaded as external files, such as PDFs, for use outside of Perlego. However, you can download books within the Perlego app for offline reading on mobile or tablet. Learn more here.
Perlego offers two plans: Essential and Complete
  • Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
  • Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.4M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
Both plans are available with monthly, semester, or annual billing cycles.
We are an online textbook subscription service, where you can get access to an entire online library for less than the price of a single book per month. With over 1 million books across 1000+ topics, we’ve got you covered! Learn more here.
Look out for the read-aloud symbol on your next book to see if you can listen to it. The read-aloud tool reads text aloud for you, highlighting the text as it is being read. You can pause it, speed it up and slow it down. Learn more here.
Yes! You can use the Perlego app on both iOS or Android devices to read anytime, anywhere — even offline. Perfect for commutes or when you’re on the go.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Yes, you can access Flying Snakes and Griffin Claws by Adrienne Mayor in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in History & Ancient History. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

INDEX

  • Note: Page numbers in italic type indicate illustrations.
  • Abenaki Indians, 155
  • Abishai, 291–92
  • Abkhazians, 37
  • acetylandromedol, 275
  • Achilles, 33, 59–60, 187, 191
  • Acosta, José de, 350
  • Acrisius (Argive king), 263
  • acromegaly. See gigantism
  • Acropolis, Athens, 254, 328, 339, 344, 346–48
  • Adams, Michael Friedrich, 158–59
  • Aeacus, 33
  • Aegina, 60–61
  • Aelian: Dikairon, 68, 74; flying snakes, 15–16, 22; fossils, 122; Griffins, 7, 128; military tactics, 312; talking birds, 82; turtles, 66; weasels, 93, 97
  • Aeneas, 187–89, 311
  • Aeolian harp, 260
  • Aeolos, 250, 256–57
  • A. Ernest Mills (schooner), 232
  • Aeschylus, 63, 129
  • Aeson, 381
  • Aesop: Boreas, 252; dolphin and monkey, 54; tortoise and hare, 59; weasels, 94–95, 97
  • Aetius, 357
  • Africa, 16, 22, 27, 46, 69, 72, 73, 82, 98, 114, 115, 168, 257, 306, 307, 311. See also Carthage; enslaved Africans
  • Agamemnon, 257
  • albatross, 233
  • Alcmene, 95–96
  • Alexander of Myndus, 76
  • Alexander the Great, 53, 90, 120, 189, 204–7, 239, 292–94, 372, 386–87
  • Amanirenas (Nubian queen), 189
  • Amarant, 304
  • Amazons: Ares worshipped by, 200; Athenians vs., 188; battle skills of, 176, 193, 194–96; beauty secrets of, 174–79; characteristics of, 193; clothing of, 173; debates over existence of, 205, 209–12; Dionysos’s s...

Table of contents

  1. Cover Page
  2. More Praise for Flying Snakes and Griffin Claws
  3. About the Author
  4. Title Page
  5. Copyright
  6. Dedication
  7. Epigraph
  8. Contents
  9. Acknowledgments
  10. Introduction. The Borderlands of Myth, History, and Science
  11. Animals: Fabulous, Real, and Extinct
  12. Formidable Women
  13. Curious History and Science
  14. Travelers, Tattoos, and Tyrants
  15. Notes
  16. Credits
  17. Index
  18. Also by Adrienne Mayor