Category Archives: Animals

Where the Ballyhoos and the Tritons Are

Posted on March 11, 2013 by

In Hans Christian Andersen’s original tale of “The Little Mermaid,” the titular mermaid’s father is simply known as the Sea King, and is a widower with six daughters and a mother who tends his house. In Disney’s adaptation, they removed … Continue reading →

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We Eat Your Dreams

Posted on February 2, 2013 by

The baku is basically a creature from Chinese and Japanese mythology that feeds on dreams. Despite this odd habit, and sometimes because of it, they’re generally considered to be helpful. A baku, when summoned through such means as a drawing … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Chinese, Japanese, Monsters, Mythology, Pokémon, Video Games | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Scorpion Queen

Posted on May 19, 2012 by

The scorpion is an animal that is rather fascinating in its creepiness. With its sleek body and venomous sting, it’s like nature’s compact killing machine. Not to mention that they thrive in inhospitable deserts. When I wrote my short story … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Egyptian, L. Frank Baum, Mythology, Oz, Oz Authors | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The Secret of the Oozlum

Posted on March 31, 2012 by

Today’s mythological subject is the oozlum bird, a creature appearing in British and Australian folklore. While generally thought to inhabit those areas, it’s also sometimes identified as a native of South America. If what is said about the bird’s incredible … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Australian, British, Futurama, Mythology, Television | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Wizards and Wildlife

Posted on March 5, 2012 by

Wizard’s Holiday, by Diane Duane – The seventh book in the Young Wizards series has Nita and Kit visiting the seemingly utopian planet of Alaalu, and realizing that there is something going on beneath the pleasant surface. At the same … Continue reading →

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Cats in Black

Posted on February 27, 2012 by

An old game that I was interested in finding out about is the Black Cat Fortune Telling Game, which appears to have been first released in 1897. Part of the Victorian obsession with fortune-telling, this game consists of twenty-four cards, … Continue reading →

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That’s So Raven

Posted on February 25, 2012 by

I’m sure you all know I’m a fan of both Oz and mythology, and I’ve noticed that some writers of apocryphal Oz stories like to combine the two. There’s a fair amount of objection whenever this sort of thing comes … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Discworld, Jeff Rester, Mythology, Norse, Oz, Oz Authors, Ruth Plumly Thompson, Terry Pratchett | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Shark Raving Mad

Posted on February 19, 2012 by

I recently came across this post about shape-shifters who take animal forms, and I noticed it mentioned that Pacific Island mythology included shark-men. Considering the proliferation of sharks and werewolves in the modern media, you’d think were-sharks would be more … Continue reading →

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Gratuitous Beaver Mythology

Posted on February 4, 2012 by

I’m currently in the process of reading Gregory Maguire’s Out of Oz, and I think it was the brief appearance of some beavers in this book that made me think of researching beaver-related mythology. Beavers are no strangers to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, C.S. Lewis, Chronicles of Narnia, Jack Snow, L. Frank Baum, Mythology, Native American, Oz, Oz Authors | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Lion About Habitat

Posted on February 1, 2012 by

This post is primarily about Oz, but my idea for it came from a non-Oz-related source. When I was reading about the movie Mean Girls, I came across the information that among the animals shown in pictures from Africa were … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Characters, L. Frank Baum, Oz, Oz Authors, Places, Ruth Plumly Thompson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment