![]() The Goblin Wars series by fantasy author Kersten Hamilton follows an ongoing battle against goblin kind. There are endless books written that features goblins, both as the main cast and as lesser-known characters. ![]() Goblins are most prominent in European folklore and are usually very small creatures, however, they can also be human-sized. However, they are not quite as endearing as their winged counterparts instead, they are usually short-tempered, mean, rude, and greedy, and they don’t fare as well in the looks department either. Goblins possess similar powers to fairies, and they tend to use their magical powers for mischief. The White Gryphon, part of the Mage Wars fantasy series by Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon, features several griffins and griffin-like characters. These temperamental creatures represent concepts of strength, courage, and ferocity and are often used in military symbolism and royal motifs. In medieval times, a griffin’s feathers and claws were said to hold magical powers. They are often found fiercely guarding treasure. Griffins, also sometimes spelled ‘gryphons,’ possess a lion’s body with the head, wings, and feet of an eagle. The archer Bard kills Smaug after Bilbo Baggins discovers a weak spot amongst his supposedly impenetrable scales. A great classic example is the dragon Smaug, who features in JRR Tolkein’s The Hobbit. The dragon is one of the most commonly seen magical creatures in fiction, so the list is endless. Across much of China, a dragon is seen as a representation of good luck to those worthy of receiving it, and it is thought that a dragon has the power to ward off floods, tsunamis, and typhoons. On the other hand, in Eastern Asia, dragons often symbolize wisdom, strength, and sometimes even supernatural powers. The famous legend of Saint George tells of his defeat over an evil dragon that demanded human sacrifices, and as such, he remains a prominent figure and patron saint of many regions across Europe to this day. ![]() In Europe, dragons are often used as a symbol of regal power, but they can also symbolize evil in Christian traditions. There are various depictions and descriptions of dragons depending on their origins, but their unifying features are their fire breathing abilities and their scaley, serpent-like bodies. This most famous mythical creature appears in folklore from Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. The most famous example is probably from Paolo Cohelo’s bestselling book, The Alchemist, as well as Harry Potter’s famed alchemist, Nicolas Flamel, the inventor of the Sorcerer’s Stone. In fiction, alchemists have been mythologized and often appear as wise and mysterious characters capable of performing the seemingly impossible through a mixture of science, mythology, and magic. Alchemists are also known to have explored the medicinal properties of elements in the hunt for a cure for disease and a way to prolong human life. Rather than holding a magic wand and chanting a few verses, alchemists practice science and experimentation to achieve magical results.ĭuring medieval times, alchemy was practiced in the real world as a chemical science and speculative philosophy that transformed base metals into gold. ![]() The Oxford dictionary defines an alchemist as “a person who transforms or creates something through a seemingly magical process.” But that doesn’t mean that all magicians are alchemists.
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