December 6 – Merfolk
Mermaids and mermen are mythological sea creatures, usually with bodies that are half human and half fish. Often sighted by sailors, the mythology of mermaids is common to many cultures. The most famous story is…
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December 5 – The Cyclopes
In Greek mythology the Cyclopes were giant one-eyed creatures. The brothers Brontes (thunder), Steropes (lightning) and Arges (thunderbolt) in Hesiod’s Theogony provide Zeus with the thunderbolt. The most well-known…
December 4 – The Hydra
The serpentine water monster from Greek and Roman mythology, the Hydra, has a dog-like body and multiple heads – ranging from seven to nine – one of which is said to be immortal. One of the twelve labours of Heracles…
December 3 – Sea Monsters
Unable to pick just one of the fantastic beasts shown in this woodcut illustration, we decided to share them all! This chart of sea serpents and monsters is from Münster’s Cosmographia universalis (the 1550 Basel…
December 2 – The Unicorn
As the first University in Scotland, we thought it would be fitting to start the St Andrews Library’s Special Collections advent calendar with the most quintessentially Scottish of fantastic beasts – the unicorn. With…
Advent Calendar 2019 – Fantastic Beasts
Last year we brought you an advent calendar of Christmas and winter themed images from our collections. For 2019, we have decided to do something a little different for the theme of our advent calendar – Fantastic…
Advent Calendar 2018
We hope you have enjoyed our Special Collections themed advent calendar! Here are all of the posts from the 1st to 25th December 2018.
Advent Calendar: 25 December – Nativity
The Nativity of Christ from an illuminated manuscript book of hours produced in Rouen around 1470 (ms38938). The Book of Hours was a prayer book for the laity that developed in late medieval Europe and that was used…
Advent Calendar: 24 December – Snap-dragons, a tale of Christmas eve
Front cover and illustrations from Juliana Horatia Ewing’s Snap-dragons: a tale of Christmas eve; and, Old Father Christmas (Chi PZ7.E85S63). ‘Snap Dragons’ was originally published in the Christmas issue of The…
Advent Calendar: 23 December – Mistletoe
Engraved illustration of mistletoe from Elizabeth Blackwell’s A Curious Herbal, published in 1739 (sf QK99.B5 Volume 1). Mistletoe has long been associated with Christmas – used in wreath decorations under which people…