Myths of Fossils. From Giants' Bones and Water Spirits' Fingers to Dragon Teeth and Arrows from the Sky

Spiral, brilliant shells. Long stones like claws. Big triangular teeth. Giant bones. What is it? Who did it belong to? Where did it come from? In search of answers, people’s imagination turned to mythology.

Fossils were attributed to giants, dragons, gods, and unclean forces. The roots of some legends and tales about fossils go back to the most distant past—even to the Iron Age or even the Stone Age. Since ancient times, people have found in nature petrified remains of extinct animals and plants. They made medicines from them, used them as talismans and charms, kept them in temples, and asked them for advice.

All peoples and all cultures were familiar with fossil remains because our planet is literally packed with them. Countless billions of fossils lie beneath our feet. What legends and superstitions did people invent about fossils over the centuries? How did people come to connect dinosaurs and the god Thor, the Virgin Mary and mammoths, Beowulf, shamans, fossil crabs and the teeth of giant sharks? All of this—and much more—you’ll find in the pages of this book.

Who is this book for:

For lovers of history and mythology.

For those interested in paleontology.

From the author:

People have always found remains of extinct animals: huge bones, petrified logs, and shells, traces on stones. Some were worshiped, offered sacrifices to, decorated and fed with honey. Others were feared and smashed into pieces. Fossils were buried with honors, made into medicines, worn as charms, and legends were composed about them. The book tells about myths, legends, and superstitions associated with fossils. Under one cover, Thor and dinosaurs meet, the Virgin Mary and mammoths, Beowulf, shamans, Vishnu, Bushmen, and petrified crayfish. Combined with paleontology, the story of folklore takes on a new and unfamiliar form.