The Eurasian Lion or European Lion features in the art and tales of ancient Greece and Mesopotamia. The lion is a symbol of strength,...

A prehistoric species of cattle, Aurochs (Bos primigenius) rules Europe and much of Asia in the ancient world. The last known Aurochs is...

In the Bronze Age, the Trzciniec culture (2400 - 1300 BCE) occupies areas of Central-East Europe in Poland and parts of Lithuania....

Minoan culture arises from the Neolithic people who settle Crete c. 7000 - 6000 BCE. They open the door to a prosperous civilization,...

Hephaestus is a Greek god of fire, volcanoes, metal work, blacksmiths, metallurgy, forges, sculpting, carpenters and artisans. A smith's...

Bieresel loves beer and other fermented beverage s , such as apple cider, mead or wine. In German folklore the beer donkey lives in wine...

In the late Neolithic Age (10,200 - 4500 BCE), Europe is a wild unsettled place. Great bears , aurochs and big cats roam the forests....

A mythical serpent or dragon, ouroboros appears in literature and illustration from ancient Greece. Tales of ouroboros spread east, and...

House spirits such as Kobolds , domestic elves , gnomes and the earth hen are popular figures in Germanic myth and folklore. They have...

From the southern Germanic lands, past the Swiss border come tales of der Türst, the dreadful huntsman who rides like a demon through...

A European phenomenon, the Wild Hunt is a supernatural event crossing several cultures including German, Norse, Roman, French, English...

One-horned hare Al-Mi'raj or Almiraj appears in popular Arabic mythology. Most famously the unicorn hare is part of the legendary tale of...

Elwetritsch is a hybrid bird creature from the Palatinate region in southwest Germany. She's described as a chicken or woman-like bird...

Wolpertinger (Wolperdinger, Woiperdinger) lives in the dark alpine forests and rolling hills of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg in southern...

A symbol of strength and virility, the Bull appears i n ancient art and architecture. Blood sacrifice of bulls and oxen usually involves...

Inspired by Persian Mithra, Romans recreate ancient cult rituals and religious mysteries in the worship of Mithras, based on the older...

Worship of bears and bear sacrifice is an ancient practice, going back to early humans. Twenty thousand years ago, in boreal forests and...

Holly, yew and mistletoe, the most cheerful and celebrated of seasonal plants, are also the most poisonous. These three toxic beauties...

The Woodpecker, Wasp and Wren all bring different animal qualities into daily life. Ancient people lived in the heart of nature and knew...

Cultivation of apples goes back to the Middle Stone Age in central Asia. The wild ancestor of today's apples still grows in the region....