Real Fantastic Beasts

We talk lions, hybridity, and the unsettling power of a creature that's part woman, part beast, and entirely a threat to masculine authority — the Sphinx, in all her medieval and Renaissance guises.

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What does it mean for a cold, damp, thoroughly amphibious creature to become the defining symbol of elemental fire? In this episode, we explore the salamander, the fire-resistant (allegedly), asbestos-covered, love-poetry-inspiring, hellfire-embodying little amphibian that confused natural philosophers from Aristotle to Linnaeus.

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From Hildegard to the Habsburgs, we explore the European perspective on the most spectacular bird.

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We discuss the curious lore of the Egyptian mongoose or ichneumon and its habit of disemboweling crocodiles – from the inside.

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Guest expert Christine Cooper-Rompato regales us with the most excremental of all animals, the bonnacon, which defends itself by ejecting burning poo.

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From the OG bird of the soul to the medieval dining table, we explore the long fascination with swans and their (mostly nonexistent) song.

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We're back with our 50th episode on the truly fantastic sheep of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, from the Lamb of God to environmental justice, animal rights, and the lubricants that made the industrial revolution possible.

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The quintessential imperial attention whore.

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We journey from the clever self-castrating beaver of the Middle Ages to the near extinction of the North American beaver for the sake of European hats.

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We explore the many versions of the Hydra.

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For 400 years, the carp was the most popular fish in Europe. What made it so fantastic?

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Are dog-headed creatures people or beasts? Find out in this live podcast done at the Kalamazoo Medieval Congress. Our guest, Karl Steel, regales us with tales of the Cynocephalus.

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From Beowulf to the guerrilla rewilding of Britain, guest Elizabeth (Lizzie) Marshall regales us with wolfish lore.

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Small, cute dogs that serve no practical purpose other than to make us go “awwww” turn out to have a long and fantastic history.

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The griffin was both a ferocious beast and a maternal figure. Nobody took it seriously, but its image is everywhere in the pre-modern world from the Near East to Europe.

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

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

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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 .

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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.

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

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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.

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

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

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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.

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Guest Sarah M. Guérin explains Medieval Europe's fascination with ivory and the differences between the early ivory trade and the savagery of modern Elephant poaching.

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We explore the Albatross, unknown until just before the modern era... or was it?

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Guest Alixe Bovey regales us with the perplexing history of the goose barnacle and the barnacle goose. 

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In which we explore this beautiful and ancient non-binary creature. 

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We explore the lore of cocks and hens from manuscript illustrations to the classic weathervane.

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Guest Brigitte Buettner explains how stones had living agency in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

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We trace the evolution of the werewolf from deliberate transformation to mental illness.

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Guest Karen Raber takes us through our paces as we explore horses and horse training in the European Renaissance.

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Guest animal archaeologist Alan Outram lays out the evidence for the size and appearance of medieval horses. Join the conversation or subscribe at realfantasticbeasts.com #horses #knights

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We explore the troubled history of the Lamia, from bloodsucking monster to romance heroine to corporate logo.

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Guest Laura Gelfand explains the pre-modern origins of our conflicted relationship with wolves.

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Guests Dr. Sara Petrosillo and falconer Kelly Martello of the Michigan Hawking Club join us in exploring these fantastic birds in the Middle Ages. Kelly's hawk Vesper joins us.

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From loveable companion for monks to toxic witch's familiar, we trace the fantastic history of the cat from the Middle Ages through the Renaissance.

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Two expert guests, Jane Buckingham and Samayita Banerjee, help us understand the pre-modern tiger in India, with special attention to Bengal.

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The European Middle Ages witnessed the birth of an entirely new bird: the pelican. This is not the "water pelican" we all know but an entirely fantastic beast.

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Guest experts Keith Botelho and Joe Campana regale us with fantastic tales of bees in the Renaissance.

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