Joseph (Joe) Nigg - Reviews

The Book of Gryphons

Joe Nigg
Applewood Books
Nonfiction, Mythology
****

Description

Since the dawn of civilization, gryphons and their kin have served humans as protectors and monsters, symbols of divinity and foul treasure-hoarding man-eaters. Nigg examines the roots of gryphon lore, tracking them through their heyday in the ancient world and their downfall in the Renaissance, to their re-emergence in modern literature.

Review

I found this during a recent excursion to Half Price Books. I hoped to find an interesting exploration of classical gryphon lore. This book, however, seems somewhat shallow, more of an overview than a detailed examination, with barely 100 pages of material in large-print grey text. Had it been text alone, it might have rated only three, maybe three and a half, stars. The pictures, however, are easily worth a star on their own. Though most of them are black and white, they nevertheless display the many faces of the gryphon (and kin - Nigg connects gryphons to sphinxes, rocs, simurghs, and other fantastic beasts) through several cultures. Most of these were new to me. The final section on gryphons in modern fiction felt a bit sparse, but this book was published in 1982; had he published more recently, he would've had a whole host of gryphon tales to choose from, as they've seen a remarkable resurgence in popularity in the 21st century. (And he still offered no explanation for why "male" gryphons in traditional European heraldry have spikes, possibly representing light rays, instead of wings... somewhere, there must be a answer, unless it's been lost to antiquity.) On the whole, it makes a decent introduction to the classical gryphon. I'd just hoped for a little more depth and detail in the text.

The Book of Fabulous Beasts

Joseph Nigg
Oxford University Press
Nonfiction, Mythology
****

Description

This treasury collects various accounts of nonexistent creatures, such as the griffin, the dragon, the phoenix and the unicorn. From the earliest Babylonian creation myths to the mid-twentieth century, this volume traces the history and "evolution" of a variety of fantastic animals in Western culture.

Review

I unearthed this treasure at Half Price Books, and couldn't pass it up. It's an interesting look at how our current concepts of fabulous creatures have evolved, from times when such animals as basilisks and unicorns were believed to actually exist to their current, almost metaphorical existence in fantasy works. For instance, the original phoenix, aside from being sacred to the sun, had nothing to do with fire, and the first references to griffins were mainly as large, vicious birds. Several of the quotes and sources offered were a bit dry and incomplete for my tastes, but Nigg does offer a very thorough look at the subject, including notes on the various works and authors whose writings have most influenced our understanding of such fabulous beasts. Worth looking into if you're at all interested in the subject.