Monster Folklore

Since the dawn of communication, humankind has looked around itself and used myths and legends to make sense of the world. Gods, Heroes and Monsters invites you to take your place at the campfire that’s been glowing since the first tale was told. Discover the fascinating variety—and several surprising similarities—of the stories that have been shared for millennia, from one person to another, one lesson at a time. Ancient stories are retold under themes such as the beginning (and end) of the world, death, love, and monsters and spirits.

There’s a silvery scaled, sharp clawed humanoid swimming in the depths of Thetis Lake in Vancouver Island. Have you seen it? The Thetis Lake Monster is said to come out from the lake every once in a while to breathe in air. There have been accounts of sightings but with no concrete proof. What do you think about the Thetis Lake Monster?

According to legends, there’s a monster living in Muskrat Lake. The monster is a cryptid, which means that its existence has been claimed but never proven. Canada, as you would notice, is home to a lot of myths. The origin of each of these mythical creatures date back to historical times. Listen about them today.

Cannibalistic snakes exceeding 100 feet in length that cause the Earth to tremble. Large cats with 12-inch fangs thought to be extinct. Sauropod dinosaurs that flip canoes. A half-octopus, half-shark creature that pulls boats into the abyss. Plesiosaurs swimming in glacial lakes. These are but a few of the monsters lurking in the waters of South and Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean.

Leo Braudy, a finalist for both the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award, has won accolades for revealing the complex and constantly shifting history behind seemingly unchanging ideas of fame, war, and masculinity. Continuing his interest in the history of emotion, this book explores how fear has been shaped into images of monsters and monstrosity.

From sex-crazed gods to ravenous monsters, Ben Thompson brings legendary titans to life in tales of adventure, bloodlust, and unrelenting badassitude. Since the beginning of human history people have created myths, tall tales, superheroes, and arch-villains - men and women who embarked on insane adventures, performed extraordinary feats of unparalleled awesomeness, and overcame all odds to violently smite their foes into bloody pulp.