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Recovering the Stolen Jewel from the Palace of the Dragon King - print by Utagawa Kuniyoshi

Strange Creatures of Mythology
First published in Horizon, Journal of the Philosophical Research Society, Winter 1951, 52 - 72
​By Manly P. Hall


A Roman essayist, writing nearly seventeen centuries ago, acknowledged that he had certain mental reservations on the subject of centaurs. He admitted that many regions of the world had not been explored and no doubt these could be the habitat of strange creatures, but it appeared to him unlikely that centaurs would be found gambolling on some remote greensward. This doubting Thomas recommended caution in accepting stories about unicorns, satyrs, dragons, sea serpents, and the like. He took the stand that he would be better satisfied if a few examples of these monsters were available for public examination. 

Ancient religious art abounds with representations of what are generally called composita. These are fantastic figures combining the attributes of several species like the winged, man-headed bulls of Assyria and the chi-lin, the unicorn of China. These imaginary orders of living things have intrigued the scholarly for centuries, and numerous explanations have been advanced as keys to the riddle...

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  • HOME
  • ABOUT PRS
    • Manly P. Hall >
      • Manly Hall, A Personal Perspective
      • MPH Reading Group
    • PRS Board & Staff
    • Contributing Artists >
      • Arianne Ayu Alizio
      • Guadalupe Arellanes, PhD
      • Syd Buffman
      • Cecelia Condit
      • LD Deutsch
      • Paige Emery
      • Nailah Hunter
      • Marcella Kroll
      • Matt Marble
      • Brian Merriam
      • Lezley Saar
      • Radha Vishnubhotla
      • Senon Williams
    • Press
  • EVENTS
    • PLANTSTOCK
    • Visit
    • Accessibility
  • CLASSES
  • PRS ONLINE
    • CLASSES
    • On Demand
    • Videos >
      • Series
      • Subjects
    • Audio
  • EXHIBITIONS
    • Hansell Gallery
    • THE OUTER PLANETS
  • Library
  • Shop
    • Recent Publications
    • PRS Merch
    • Knapp-Hall Tarot
    • Books by Manly P. Hall >
      • The Secret Teachings
      • The Signature Editions
      • New Editions for Contemporary Seekers
      • Vintage Lecture Notes
      • MPH Essays
      • MPH Book SALE
      • Manly P. Hall Book Bundles
    • MPH Audio >
      • MPH Collection at BetterListen.com
    • MPH E-Books
    • Reprint Series curated by MPH
    • Online Gift Cards (not valid in store)
    • Symbolic Prints and Posters
    • Shipping Update
    • WHOLESALE
  • Rentals
  • BECOME A MEMBER!
  • FUNDRAISER FOR PRS!
  • Support
    • DONATE TODAY!