A Bestiary

Danish Legendary Creatures – A Bestiary is a reference guide to the strange, wondrous, and dangerous beings people once believed roamed the Danish landscape.

In the Middle Ages, a bestiary (from bestia, Latin for “animal” or “beast”) was a compendium of mythical creatures—beings many would dismiss today as mere fantasy. Yet it wasn’t so many generations ago that the creatures described in these pages were believed to be real.

The Helhorse, the Mare, the Viper King, the Elle-maid, the Mountain Folk, the Lindworm—and many, many more. Strange, wondrous, and perilous beings few people have even heard of today, but once feared and revered, back when towns were small, forests vast, bogs deep, and nights pitch-black. Nature was thought to teem with creatures you had to watch for and guard against.

In other words, people once believed Denmark was full of monsters. What if they were right…?

Richly illustrated by Kristian Eskild Jensen.