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A treasury of astonishing mythic marvels—and the surprising truths behind themAdrienne 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 antiquity, 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.

Folklore. --- Curiosities and wonders. --- Adrienne Mayor. --- Amazons. --- Ancient Greek literature. --- Ancient Greek. --- Ancient history. --- Ancient literature. --- Ancient warfare. --- Anecdote. --- Archaeology. --- Aristeas. --- Athens. --- Author. --- Beak. --- Biological warfare. --- Brooch. --- Cartography. --- Certainty. --- Chapter 33 (G.I. Bill of Rights). --- Classical mythology. --- Classics. --- Cross-reference. --- Cryptid. --- Cryptozoology. --- Curator. --- Dinosaur egg. --- Dog food. --- Drawing. --- English language. --- Essay. --- Fairy. --- First Book. --- Franz Kafka. --- Goatherd. --- Griffin. --- Gustave Flaubert. --- Herodotus. --- Illustration. --- Josiah Ober. --- Latin literature. --- Legendary creature. --- Libation. --- Library stack. --- Literature. --- London Review of Books. --- Low culture. --- Magazine. --- Manuscript. --- Martyr. --- Memoir. --- Military history. --- Miscellany. --- Museum of the Rockies. --- Mythology. --- Origin story. --- Paleontology. --- Popular Science. --- Popular culture. --- Popular science. --- Pottery. --- Printmaking. --- Publication. --- Quadrupedalism. --- Revised Version. --- Saronic Gulf. --- Satyr. --- Scientist. --- Scythia. --- Scythians. --- Sea monster. --- Shapeshifting. --- Sigmund Freud. --- Skepticism. --- Sports Afield. --- Storytelling. --- Susanna (Book of Daniel). --- Tattoo artist. --- Tattoo. --- Textbook. --- The Myth of Persecution. --- The Venerable. --- Tours. --- Trace fossil. --- Triceratops. --- Unicorn horn. --- Website. --- Writing.