The fantastic creatures in this beautiful and colorful collection may exist only in storybooks—but with some paper, simple origami folds, and Duy Nguyen's incredibly detailed illustrations as a guide, they can spring to life right in your hands. Some come from Greek mythology: the mysterious Sphinx; Cerberus, the fierce dog that guards the underworld; and Medusa, with her snaky locks and deadly glance. Others, including Shiva Nataraja, have their origins in Indian legend. Magical fairy tale characters, such as a mermaid, unicorn, and dragon, populate the pages, too.
The gods and myths of Japan embrace Shinto and Buddhist traditions, as well as popular agricultural-based folk beliefs. With a pantheon of noble heroes, such as Yamato-takeru, and more than eight million gods, Japanese mythology is extremely complex.
Mythology: our poems, our novels, and even our daily journals teem with classical allusions; nor can a visit to our art galleries and museums be fully enjoyed without something more than a mere superficial knowledge of a subject which has in all ages inspired painters, sculptors, and poets.
The past may be forgotten, but it never dies. The elements which in the most remote times have entered into a nation's composition endure through all its history, and help to mould that history, and to stamp the character and genius of the people (book with 64 full-page illustrations)
