Real Fantastic Beasts

Guest expert Mustafa Bannister Introduces us to the world of Arabic Beast Fables in the Kalila Wa Dimna and elsewhere.

Animals are everywhere in the end times. We explore early responses to the fantastic, terrifying, yet beautiful beasts of the Book of Revelation.

Guest Elizabeth Pastan explores the animals in the Bayeux Embroidery (aka the Bayeux Tapestry). If you want to see the images we're discussing, you can go to the Youtube version of the episode here: https://youtu.be/pOaibXA5XrI .

From partridges to "colly" birds, we explore the early history of the animals (and especially birds) of the beloved Christmas counting song. Special thanks to Evelyn Wohlbier for recording the song for us.

Guest Edana Kleinhans takes us through the subtle differences between wyverns and dragons.

Guest expert Richard Nash takes us through the history of the thoroughbred horse, from its hybrid origins to the cult of purity that made it the background to racial narratives of the modern world.

Just in time for Halloween, we explore the humble bat, whose wings suddenly became the standard for all demonic flying creatures.

We explore the lore of the hippocampus, from its classical roots to its Celtic legends.

Beth Morrison, senior curator of manuscripts at the J. Paul Getty Museum, talks about medieval bestiaries, her favorite imaginary animal, and a new exhibition at the Getty Museum.