A hypothetical book about mythological beings

[JayzusB.Christ]

I've often thought I'd love to read a book that discusses possible origins of mythological creatures. I've learned that trolls may well have come from tribal memories of Neanderthals; while dragons may be a combination of our main primal fears (fire, claw-and-tooth combinations, snakes).

The Cyclops may have arisen from speculation about elephant skulls,  and my own shaky theory is that the dwarves that Tolkien adopted were actual dwarves, chosen to mine metals because they simply fit in smaller caverns.

Anyway I'd love to read this hypothetical book, if it exists. Anyone know of something similar?

[JohnMcF]

The Book of Imaginary Beings by Jorge Luis Borges

[Link Prime]

I caught an entertaining documentary along those lines last week, still available on 4OD;

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/yeti-myth-man-or-beast

[Professor Bear]

A mix of speculation and immersive bibliography of folk tales from around the world, The Encyclopedia of Things That Never Were does exactly what it says on the tin, and the illustrations are fantastic.  You might be disappointed if you're expecting an exhaustive encyclopedia-style affair, as though Gremlins (the WW2-era superstition, not the Spielberg versions) get a mention, stuff like Bloody Mary doesn't.

[Tombo]

There's a few copies of "A Natural History of the Unnatural World" going cheap on e-bay - one listing Here.  It's written as a field journal for a crypto-zoological society, sort of a cross between National Geographic and the X-Files.  It proposes that many mythical creatures are real and just misunderstood by modern science.  I've had a copy for over twenty years and it's still interesting.

[JayzusB.Christ]

Thanks, guys! Much appreciated. Might well check out that documentary tonight - I saw one before on a similar subject. It may be the same one but I will re-watch it.

I've also just remembered that centaurs probably originated with the first (Greek?) sightings of mounted Mongol archers; with horseriding being an alien concept to the west at the time.

And didn't the idea of unicorns come from Marco Polo's descriptions of rhinos? Could have misremembered that one

[Greg M.]

And mermaids were sexy manatees.

[Zarjazzer]

Werewolves were vikings, mahhn. LOTR Orcs were based on the armies of genghis khan according to something I read somewhere and can't remember where.

Trolls are real though.

[Dark Jimbo]

There's a few copies of "A Natural History of the Unnatural World" going cheap on e-bay... I've had a copy for over twenty years and it's still interesting.

Adore that book!