Every culture has its own history of unique myths and legends. Myth and religion provide people with an explanation for otherwise inexplicable events. Often reflecting moral or social ideals of a culture, these stories are widely varied and contain a wild cast of characters and creatures. Contained in this book are hand-painted illustrations of twenty-six legendary creatures plucked from the myths of cultures from across the globe. Accompanying every image is an explanation of the culture of origin, a pronunciation guide, and a short description of the individual characteristics and lore of each beast.