Eason provides an extensive overview of the mythology, legends, and folklore surrounding fabulous and strange fantasy creatures from different lands and ages, from Chinese dragons and the Native North American thunderbird to the demon hounds of Celtic and Norse legend. She describes how in various ages and cultures people have identified with the idealized qualities of wise creatures as a source of power and better understanding of their own personalities and used the behavior of birds and other sacred creatures to gain oracular information in Ancient Egypt and the Classical and Celtic worlds. This book offers both traditional and little known folklore about common creatures such as the horse, the cat, and the raven. It also delves into the weird and wonderful world of saints who claimed to change into deer; modern cryptozoological monsters such as Bigfoot, Mothman, and lake and sea monsters; and the rationale behind animal-headed deities of the Aztecs, Egyptians, and Celts, in whose name people went to war.