A - Aralez

An Aralez is a flying canine creature from Armenian mythology that has the ability to resurrect the dead with its puppy licks. I picture an adorable, fluffy, unicorn-like dog poised atop a pastel rainbow ready to bring fallen heroes back to life with a kiss at a moment's notice.

B - Bunyip

The  Bunyip is a creature from Australian Aboriginal myth. It is generally agreed that the Bunyip is primarily aquatic, however, physical descriptions of this billabong dwelling beast vary widely; from seal or dog-like to long necked amphibian. Who knows what the Bunyip really looks like, I like to picture it as a giant furry friendly beast which emerges from its swampy dwelling with out-stretched arms in search of a hug, awwww!

C - Cerberus

 This canine creature from Greek Mythology has 3 watchful heads, which means 6 watchful eyes (quick math!), that it uses to diligently guard the gates of the underworld 

D - Dragon

Dragons are awesome and have been featured in the myths and legends of many cultures. My dragon is a little bashful with rainbow back spikes and delicate transparent wings

e - elf

 Elves originated in German and Norse mythology, they are usually depicted as tiny humanoid creatures and are often associated with nature and magic.  I can't really think about elves without Santa coming to mind so I decided to portray my little elven creature in a winter wonderland complete with snowflakes, pine trees and teeny tiny mittens and booties

F -Fairy

Fairies are depicted in the myths and legends of many European cultures.  They are magical beings often associated with nature, beauty and the supernatural.  I often picture fairies with blue hair and my little fairy is no exception!

G - Gnome

 Gnomes originated in European mythology and are typically associated with nature, gardens and magic. I love a good old fashioned garden gnome; puffy cheeks, round belly, welcoming smile, funny hat - what's not to like? My gnome has a red pointy hat and is surrounded by flowers and mushrooms. As an aside, I love silent letters and am very happy that the word gnome starts with a g, although as I was writing this it occurred to me that it very well could have started with a k instead, like “know” and “knife”.  I gnow it’s crazy but knome would have fit right in, I mean why gnot?! 

H - Hippogriff

Hippogriff; part eagle, part horse, part awesome! This creature was conjured up by an Italian poet in the 16th century when he contemplated the difficult task of combining a horse with a griffin. Whereas the griffin has the head, bust and front legs of an eagle and the hind legs, tail and, I guess, bum of a lion the hippogriff has the front of an eagle and the back of a horse. So a hippogriff is similar to the griffin but better because it is featured in this alphabet and the griffin is not ;)  I liked to think of the hippogriff as a lavender eagle/stallion that spends its days galloping through and flying above grassy rolling hills. The name hippogriff comes from the greek “hippo” which means horse and Italian “grifo” which means griffin. This makes me wonder, if the ancient greek word for horse was hippo, what would the word for hippo be? I just looked it up - hippopotamus is a combo of  “hippo” (horse) and “potamos” (river), I will definitely be calling hippos “riverhorses” from now on!

I - Imp

 Imps are diminutive fairy/demon-like beings with origins in European myths and legends. They are depicted as mischievous and playful and generally sound like they would be fun to hang out with (although their pranks may get a little annoying after a while). My cute lilac imp has wings which carry them from one mischievous plot to another and looks quite innocent despite their devilish little horns.

J - Jackalope

Although depictions of horned rabbits have been found in the myths and legends of many cultures over the years, the Jackalope was popularized by depression era North American (Wyoming to be exact) folklore. This mythical creature boasts the body of a jackrabbit and the antlers of an antelope.  My rosy-cheeked Jackalope is surrounded by vines and flowers since I believe the jackalope’s favourite place would be a flowery meadow overgrown with beautiful pastel blooms

K - Kraken

This tentacled creature originated in  Norse and Scandinavian mythology. It is said to be a giant cephalopod with a penchant for attacking boats. My kraken is a lovely shade of pink and is peeking its horned head out of the deep blue, searching the starry night for oncoming ships to play with

L - Loch Ness Monster

The Loch Ness Monster hails from Scottish folklore, was first “spotted” in the 1930s and has been a sensation ever since! Said to inhabit Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands, “Nessie” is believed to have a long neck and look a bit like an aquatic dinosaur.  My version Nessie is leisurely swimming, her head above water to take in the starry sunset and totally oblivious of her own fame

M - Mermaid

Half woman, half fish, in that order, the mermaid originated from the mythology of many cultures around the world. It is believed that the Siren of Greek mythology became interchangeable with the mermaid in the medieval period (although sirens were originally described as being more bird-like, than fish-like in appearance). Some stories also suggest that early sailors, including Columbus himself, mistook manatees for mermaids (that is quite a case of mistaken identity!). My lovely mermaid is sunning her flowing blue locks and shimmering green tail on a rock that is jutting out above the waves

N - Nymph

The Nymph is a female divinity associated with nature in Greek mythology. Nymphs are generally believed to be magical and beautiful and often linked to specific places in nature such as trees, rivers or springs and may have supernatural powers such as the ability to heal or predict the future. My forest Nymph is in her element - a lovely maiden surrounded by trees and blossoms

O -Ouroboros

 A snake from ancient mythology, most likely Egyptian, that bites its own tail. As a symbol, the Ouroboros represents eternity and the cycle of life. My Ouroboros is inspired by an albino boa constrictor and is a joyful yellow surrounded by pastel stars

P - Phoenix

The Phoenix, from Greek mythology, is an immortal bird that rises from its own ashes to live again. One can’t think of this mythical creature without flames coming to mind so my Phoenix is illustrated as glorious burst of orange and yellow flames, its ashes sparkling against the dark night sky it is flying into

Q - Questing Beast

 The Questing Beast is from Arthurian legend and is a combination of a snake, leopard, lion and deer. I picture this glorious beast in a moonlit forest with its silvery leopard spots shimmering in the light of the moon

R - Roc

From Middle Eastern Mythology, the Roc is a huge bird of prey said to be enormous and strong enough to carry an elephant in its claws.  My Roc is perched atop snow capped mountains with its giant wings outstretched in an epic pose that emphasizes its impressive stature

S - Sphinx

The Sphinx originated in Egyptian and Greek  Mythology. In Greek myths the Sphinx is said to have the head of a human, the body of a lion and the wings of an eagle and is considered to be a dangerous being who will kill you if you do not correctly answer its riddle.  In Egyptian mythology the sphinx is seen as a symbol of strength and protection, this version is generally depicted without wings.  My sphinx is of the Egyptian variety, protecting the pyramids in the brilliant Egyptian sun for eternity

T -Troll

Troll folklore originated in Scandinavian and Norse mythology. Trolls are beings, sometimes depicted with unflattering physical characteristics, who are associated with nature and are often found in or around caves or mountains.  My troll is sweet and likely misunderstood. He lives around rocks but also close to the ocean which is ideal because his likes include dark caves and long walks on the beach

U - Unicorn

Unicorns emerged in European myths and legends but also Greek, Asian and Mesopotamian folklore. I think we all have a similar image pop into our minds at the mention of a unicorn - a magical stallion with a flowing mane and tail and a golden horn on its forehead. Its hard not to be inspired by this magical creature, I chose to depict mine against a dark night sky with an aquamarine mane and a turquoise horn

V - Vampire

Vampires come from Slavic and eastern European myths and folklore but were popularized in the 19th century by Bram Stoker.  I like to think of traditionally scary monsters in their infancy rather than at the height of their malevolence so I chose to illustrate my wee blood sucker as a teeny bebe, tightly swaddled and ready to adorably sleep the day away

W - Werewolf

Human by day, wolf by night. The concept of a human turning into a wolf has been around for centuries and can be found in the myths and legends of many places around the world but particularly gained popularity in the middle ages in Europe (and, obviously in the 1980s with "Teen Wolf" ;).  Of course a werewolf howling at the moon is an image that springs to mind at the mention of the werewolf, so that is how i chose to depict my baby blue and indigo beast

X - Xanthus

Xanthus is from Greek mythology, and, according to legend, is said to be one of two immortal horses that pulled Achilles’ chariot during the Trojan War. As an added bonus, Xanthus could talk! imagine that - a horse you could have a chat with when you were taking a break from battle! I chose to depict Xanthus with Achillies, possibly after a heart to heart pep talk and ready to charge into battle!

Y - Yeti

The Yeti is a large ape-like creature said to inhabit the Himalayan Mountains. The myth of the yeti may have existed for many years amongst the people of the Himalayas but became a popular western myth during the 20th century. My version is abominable indeed, stretching the limits of his circular frame he looks a little clueless in his snowy mountain home. He’s probably wondering why people are scared of him, he’s obviously just a gentle giant of the frosty peaks!

Z - Zhulong

The Zhulong is a dragon in Chinese mythology with the head of a human and the body of a snake who is responsible for creating day and night with the opening and closing of its eyes.  When I was desperately trying to find a mythical creature that began with the letter Z, I also came across an adorable artifact from Neolithic China called a Zhulong, which has the head of a pig and the body of a dragon. I had trouble finding any mythology attached to the pig dragon but loved the little jade sculptures that I stumbled upon. To be honest I prefer the story of the Chinese dragon and the aesthetic of the artifact so took some creative liberty and created my little zhulong with both in mind, a little pig like dragon who has their eyes closed to create the night that surrounds them