Rome
Athens, Cairo
Moscow, Bagdad
Bombay, New Dehli
Bangkok, Bejing, Hong Kong
Tokyo, Central Australia
Hawaii
California
Denver, Castle Rock, Colorado
Chicago, Mexico City, Central America
New York, Havana, Lima
Chinese Dragon Puppet Welcomes Opening Day of the Show
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photo
Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids
March 19—September 1, 2008
review by Ed Vincent
This show was a big hit in New York, drawing over 500,000 visitors and the same amount is expected here--perhaps more.
The curators have informed us that many in New York had mentioned other mythic creatures that were not part of this
display. The fact is that if all known mythic creatures were
to be included it would require more than three times the size
of the current exhibit hall. The present exhibit is vast and informative in size and quality.
A Grand and Beautiful Unicorn, an animal with a host of magical powers
and charms---they say.
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photo
If you have children who like horses, unicorns are better yet
and they are hard to come by, but not at the Field Museum,
at least while the Mythic creatures are here.
A Monkey Mummy sewn onto the front of the fish yields a "Feegee Mermaid", much like one on display by the famous showman P.T. Barnum.
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photo
MISHEPISHU, North American Mythic creature in the lives of the Cree
and Ojibwa. The creature lived in the region of the Great Lakes.
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photo
When European explorers first met some of the Great Lakes Indians, the Europeans had carved dragons on some of their guns and the Indians wondered about them. When they each told of their creatures, the explorers heard of the Mishepishu.
A Large Griffin Stands Proudly. The photo above the statue shows the skull of dinosaur called a Protoceratops (herbivorous ceratopsian) Upper Cretaceous. It has been noted that perhaps the skull of the Protoceratops
may have contributed to the creation of the Griffin.
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photos
The griffin, or gryphon has a history going back to ancient Sumer, somewhere around 2000 BC according to art of the time period. It has also been suggested that perhaps the skull of an
early dinosaur, the Protoceratops, could have added to the belief for those who had doubts.
A Flying Horse, Pegasus and directly above, a Greek coin from 650BC
with a Pegasus on it.
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photos
The Pegasus would be my favorite choice for a horse, as it was for many in the ancient Greek mythology. A dashing steed with the sky being the limit. Some of the earliest records of fossils
recorded come from the regions in and near Greece. Some of
the fossils were mammoth bones that were held to be the bones of giants, some of the baby mammoth skulls looked like the skull of a young cyclops.
A statue of Saint George, as he has defeated the Dragon.
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photo
Giganthopithicus was an actual early hominid, though only the lower jaw has been found, the rest of the body has been built upon the proportions from the available fossils.
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photo
Giganthopithicus would have been a large ape, how large will have to wait until we get more bones associated with the jaw.
This huge creature could very well have been the evidence many sought to justify belief in the various Abominable snowmen and other ape like beasts believed to have been spotted around the world at different times.
The Fossil Skull of a Baby Mammoth, perhaps believed to be the skull
of a young cyclops.
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photo
A Fossil femur from a mammoth-the leg bone of a giant man.........
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photo
If you like Western Dragons this guy's a treat, bring your own marshmallows.
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc. photo
This is a fun exhibit for the entire family, filled with legions, lore, and history. There is science, from which many of the creatures may have been derived. There could have been tall
tales to increase the length of the real tails, and there could have
been drugs and alcohol on the sailing ships to help bend the eyes and minds of the observers--lots of rum to drink and good
old fashioned luminescent plankton.
Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids
March 19—September 1, 2008
Since the dawn of time, creatures of the unknown have fascinated cultures the world over. From medieval fire-breathing dragons to the magical powers of the unicorn, mythic creatures have captured the imagination. Now, examine the legend and the science behind some of the most fascinating creatures ever invented. Enter the fabled world of dragons, journey to the depths of the ocean and soar above the clouds to uncover the origins of the powerful, dangerous and magical beings that have been a part of the human experience for thousands of years. Preserved specimens, cultural artifacts and works of art highlight the surprising similarities and differences in the way people around the world have envisioned these myths. Today, mythic creatures continue to live on in the everyday lives of many cultures - and soon they will live at The Field Museum.
This exhibition is organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York, in collaboration with The Field Museum, Chicago; Canadian Museum of Civilization, Gatineau; Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney; and the Fernbank Museum of Natural History, Atlanta
Lead Sponsor: MetLife Foundation
Griffin Statue
The griffin is a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. As the lion was considered the “king of the beasts” and the eagle the “king of the air,” the griffin was often thought to be an especially powerful and majestic creature. This figure, carved in the manner of carousel horses, was made by Joe Leonard, a noted contemporary American woodcarver.
MYTHIC
CREATURES:
DRAGONS, UNICORNS & MERMAIDS
AT THE
FIELD MUSEUM
March
21 through September 1, 2008
The new
eye-popping Field Museum exhibition Mythic
Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids uses paintings,
life-size
models, and cultural objects from around the world to shed light on the
ways
people have been inspired by nature to depict strange and wonderful
creatures. From
Pliny the Elder who, in 77 C.E., asserted that mermaids were “no
fabulous
tale,” to today’s sightings of Scotland’s famous yet unsubstantiated
Loch Ness
Monster, mythic creatures delight and mystify us all.
Mythic
Creatures features
fossils of prehistoric animals and preserved
specimens to investigate and illustrate how they could have—through
imagination,
speculation and even fear—inspired the development of some legendary
creatures. For instance, Scythian nomads of southeastern Europe
may have
mistaken dinosaur fossils for the remains of griffins and narwhal tusks
from
the North Sea likely offered credibility to the belief in the
unicorn.
Throughout
the exhibition, models of
mythical creatures astound and delight. Come face-to-face with a 17-foot-long dragon with a wingspan
of over 19 feet; a 10-foot-long unicorn; an 11-foot-long Roc with a
wingspan of nearly 20 feet and huge talons sweeping overhead; and a kraken, whose 12-foot-long tentacles
appear to rise out of the floor of the exhibition as if surfacing from
the
sea. The exhibition also includes two
life-sized models of real creatures: an over-six-foot tall extinct
primate
called Gigantopithecus; and the largest bird ever to have
lived, the over-nine-foot
tall, extinct Aepyornis.
Other
highlights include: a “Feejee mermaid,” similar
to those
made famous by P.T. Barnum, created by sewing the head and torso of a
monkey to
the tail of a fish; a 120-foot-long Chinese
parade dragon, recently used in New York City’s Chinatown at a
Lunar New
Year performance; a Pegasus carousel sculpture; and an 18th
century
German apothecary sign featuring a unicorn, with an actual narwhal tusk
as its
horn.
Interactives
and Videos
At the
exhibition’s many interactive stations you
can touch the lower jaw of Gigantopithecus; handle casts of a
narwhal
tusk; and examine a life-size reproduction of a Haast’s Eagle talon.
Using
touch-screens, create your own dragon and then watch it come to life in
a
virtual environment. Scale models of mammoth bones can be
rearranged into
a giant human skeleton and Protoceratops bones can be made
into a
griffin skeleton.
Videos
include interviews with Eragon and Eldest author
Christopher Paolini; award winning
artist Takeshi
Yamada, who creates “mythic creatures” today; and artists from the
motion
picture visual effects company, Industrial Light and Magic, who
demonstrate the
process of creating dragons for popular movies.
Exploring
Diverse Cultural Perspectives
Mythic
Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns
& Mermaids is organized
by the American Museum
of Natural History, New York in collaboration with The Field Museum,
Chicago;
Canadian Museum of Civilization, Gatineau-Ottawa; Australian National
Maritime
Museum, Sydney; and Fernbank Museum of Natural History, Atlanta
“The Field
Museum is an educational
institution concerned with the diversity and relationships in nature
and among
cultures, says John McCarter, President and CEO of The Field
Museum. “We
strive to educate and inspire a broad public about the natural sciences
through
exhibitions and programs. Through the exploration of diverse
cultural
perspectives present in legends, art, anthropology and literature, the
exhibition presents fantastical creatures that have been a part of
human
experience for thousands of years and continue to fascinate us.
The Field
Museum is proud to continue collaborating on exhibitions with the
American
Museum of Natural History, and the Mythic Creatures exhibition
is no
exception.”
“We’re proud
to be the lead sponsor
of Mythic Creatures in Chicago,” said Sibyl Jacobson,
President,
MetLife Foundation. “This exhibition supports The Field Museum’s
mission
to educate the public about the Earth and its people and MetLife
Foundation’s
goals of making the arts accessible to broad audiences and learning fun
for
people of all ages.”
Exhibition
Walk Through
Mythic
Creatures: Dragon, Unicorns
& Mermaids is divided
into an introduction and
five sections:
The introduction immediately
transports visitors to a “mythical” land
as they come face-to-face with a huge model of a dragon. Arguably, the
most
famous of mythic creatures, dragons are featured throughout the
exhibition and
play important roles in the cultures of Asia, Europe, and the Americas.
In
Asia, dragons can be as small as silkworms or fill the sky when they
rise from
the waters every spring and send rain to help crops grow. In
Europe, the
dragon is an evil creature that captures princesses and fights heroic
knights. In the Americas, the Aztecs worshipped the god Quetzalcoatl, or “feathered
serpent.” This creature was linked to the movement of the planet
Venus,
and often is depicted with sharp fangs, a fiery gaze, the body of a
snake, and
the deep green feathers of the quetzal, a tropical bird.
The section called Creatures of
Water explores the kraken, sea
monsters, mermaids and
other fantastic beings that inhabit the depths. The sea, both
mysterious
and enchanting, inspired these creatures. When European explorers set
out on
voyages of discovery in the 15th and 16th
centuries, rumors
of sea monsters aroused their curiosity and fear. Sailors’
tales ranged from accurate observations, to honest
mistakes, to tall tales. This section features a 16th
century
map and books with drawings of sea monsters. Some images seem to be
based on
sightings of an actual fish called the oarfish or ribbon-fish, while
others are
products of the imagination such as the hippocampus, a mythic
animal
with a horse’s head and a fish’s tail. A highlight here is a
Swiss
naturalist’s book from the 16th century that shows
mysterious sea
creatures with body parts mimicking the characteristic robes and
bishops’ hats
of Catholic clergymen. Also found
in this section is a ceramic trumpet with a depiction of a killer whale
with
human hands holding a trophy head; there’s also a ceramic vessel in the
form of
a killer whale from Peru painted by the ancient people, known today as
the
Nasca.
Mermaids – half fish and half woman – are possibly the most popular and
intriguing
creatures across all cultures and they occupy their own section in the
exhibition. In Europe, Africa, and the
Americas,
mermaids are a personification of the sea itself—powerful, seductive,
and
dangerous. Stories and images of mermaids were transported to the
Americas
by sailors and slaves who told of beautiful, oceanic women.
Visitors will
see many images of the
“Mami Wata” (mommy water), one of the most powerful and popular African
water
spirits. Also on display are Vodou
banners from Haiti depicting the mermaid Lasirèn, as well as an
early 20th
century figurehead carved with a gilded mermaid. There are beautiful
stone
carvings of Sedna, a character in one of the most dramatic tales of the
Inuit
people of Canada and Greenland, and two contemporary wooden sculptures
of
Yawkyawk, a water spirit from Australia.
The exhibition also examines mythic beings that walk the Earth. In
the Creatures of Land section,
extraordinary beings seem to blend a number of different animals to
create a
magnificent creature, such as the griffin. This colossal beast,
part
eagle and part lion, was possibly inspired when Scythian miners in
southeastern
Europe discovered the fossil of a Protoceratops , a
four-legged, beaked
dinosaur, around 2,000 years ago. On display is the skeleton of a
Protoceratops,
discovered by Roy Chapman Andrews, as well as an Egyptian statuette of
a
griffin, circa 150 CE, and a number of Greek coins engraved with the
image of
the griffin.
The ever-popular unicorn is also featured here. In Europe, this magical
animal’s horn was believed to counteract poisons. In Asia, the
unicorn
had a scaly coat, one or multiple flesh covered horns, and a wolf-like
head. On display here is the narwhal tusk—a long, thin tusk,
thought to
have inspired the tales of the European unicorn.
The discovery of enormous mammoths, mastodons, and wooly rhinoceroses
probably
inspired the Greeks in their stories of giants who walked the
Earth. The
infamous Cyclops, one of whom Odysseus outwitted, was possibly inspired
by
fossil bones of the dwarf elephant. The elephant’s nasal cavity
(for the
trunk) could easily have been misinterpreted as a single eye.
We’ve all heard tales of Bigfoot and the yeti of Tibet—this section
explores
these ape-men who always seem to remain just out of sight, their
existence
incapable of being proved or disproved. Scientists have
discovered the
fossil bones of a real ape-man, the Gigantopiteus blacki, that
lived in
Asia for nearly one million years. A formidable model of this
creature is
on display here.
Most of the mythic creatures explored in this exhibition have ancient
roots
that go back hundreds or even thousands of years, but the Chupacabra
is
an exception. This new mythical creature, whose name means “goat
sucker”
in Spanish, started gaining recognition in the late 1980s.
Stories of the creature’s glowing red eyes
and vicious fangs, as well as its penchant for drinking the blood
of farm
animals are told today throughout Latin America and the southwestern
United
States.
Mythic beings that take flight are featured
in Creatures of the Air. Here
visitors can learn about the Greek Sphinx. A terrible monster
with the
body of a winged lion and a woman’s head, she guarded the city of
Thebes asking
passersby a riddle before allowing them to pass. The sphinx would
strangle those that failed. According to legend, it was Oedipus
who
eventually outwitted the monster, causing her to throw herself over a
cliff. The Sphinx wasn’t the only monstrous creature who took to
the
sky. The Tengu, a “goblin like” being,
lived
in the forests of Japan and would mock and punish people whom he deemed
too prideful.
The Asian phoenix, a mystical bird that appears at a time of peace or
to
announce the birth of a virtuous emperor, is featured in this section. On display here is a clay roof charm in the
image of the Asian phoenix; charms such as this one guard the roof
tiles of
palaces and temples. The exhibition
also examines a bird that Arab traders used to tell stories about; the
bird
supposedly lived off the coast of Africa and was so large, it could
lift an
elephant into the sky. In actuality,
the Aepyornis—now extinct, lived on
Madagascar and was over nine feet tall.
Visitors will
discover the fabled winged horse, Pegasus from Greek mythology; the
Garuda—a
birdlike divinity found in Hindu and Buddhist stories; and the
snakelike Naga. Visitors have the
opportunity to view several
artifacts including an Egyptian scarab with the image of a bird that
resurrects
itself—the precursor to the Phoenix; a bowl from Persia with the image
of three
birds resembling the Chinese phoenix; and Balinese shadow puppets made
to
depict
the Garuda and Naga.
Like the
prince who must battle the dragon to complete his journey, the
exhibition ends with an extensive study on dragons. Legends
of dragons
have been found on at least three continents, with the earliest
tales dating back thousands of years. In
Europe, the dragon is a powerful, wicked, and dangerous
creature that
tends to nest in caves guarding treasure and devouring sheep (and
perhaps a
human being every now and then). In
these tales, the dragon lends itself to the image of wickedness and is
usually
killed by a brave and virtuous knight in the ultimate battle of good
and evil. In East Asia though, dragons
differ from
their European counterparts and are given sweeping powers, such as
breathing
clouds, moving seasons and controlling the waters of rivers, lakes, and
seas.
Artifacts on
display in this section include an illustrated encyclopedia of dragons
from
Bologna, Italy (1640 CE); British and Turkish coins bearing images of
the
dragon (600-800 CE and 1162-1178 CE); an American weathervane in the
shape of a
dragon rather than the traditional rooster; samples of traditional
Chinese
medicine, longgu or “dragon bones,”
prescribed for a number of ailments from madness to dysentery, which
actually
were nothing but ordinary rock; and a Japanese suit of armor and sword
guards
from the Edo period (1600-1850 C.E.) decorated with a number of dragons. A woolly rhinoceros (Coelodonta
antiquitatis) skull watches over visitors in the
exhibition and illustrates how an animal 20,000 years old could have
been
misinterpreted as proof that these magnificent dragons were real.
The
conclusion of the exhibition focuses on the meaning of mythic creatures
today. Photographs of people of all ages
are
accompanied by their intriguing quotes about the importance of mythic
creatures
in their lives.
Admission
Tickets to Mythic
Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns &
Mermaids include Museum admission and are priced at $19 for
adults, $14
for seniors and students with ID,
$9 for children 4-11. Discounts are
available for Chicago residents. Visit www.fieldmuseum.org or call 312-922-9410 for
details.
The Field
Museum is open from 9 am to 5 pm daily except
Christmas Day. Last tickets are sold at 4 pm. To purchase
tickets,
call 866-FIELD-03 (866-343-5303), visit www.fieldmuseum.org, or come to the Museum’s box
office.
Special rates are available for tour operators and groups of 15 or
more.
Call our Group Sales office toll-free at 888-FIELD-85 (888-343-5385).
Location and
Travel Information
National Tour
Following its
stay at The Field
Museum, Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids will
travel
to Canadian Museum of Civilization, Gatineau-Ottawa (May 14-September
20,
2009); Australian Natural Maritime Museum, Sydney (December 20,
2009-May 23,
2010); and Fernbank Museum
of Natural History, Atlanta (February 12-August 7,
2011).
THE EXHIBITION AT A GLANCE
Exhibition Title:
MYTHIC CREATURS: DRAGONS, UNICORNS &
MERMAIDS
Exhibition Dates:
Friday,
March 21 to Monday, September 1, 2008
Media Preview:
Tuesday,
March 18, 2008 at 9 am
Overview:
From
the powerful dragon to the soaring phoenix, for thousands of years,
humans
everywhere—sometimes inspired by living animals or even fossils—have
brought
mythic creatures to life in stories, songs and works of art. Today
these
creatures continue to thrill, terrify, entertain and inspire us. Encounter legendary
creatures from around the world represented in paintings, sculpture,
engravings, and other cultural objects. See the formidable griffin, the
gigantic Kraken and mysterious mermaids from myriad cultures. Together
mythic creatures give shape to humankind's greatest hopes, fears and
most
passionate dreams.
Location:
The Field Museum
1400 S. Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, Illinois 60605-2496
Phone Numbers:
312/922-9410
General Field Museum Information
Organizer:
Mythic
Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids is organized by the American Museum of
Natural History, New York, in
collaboration with The Field Museum, Chicago; Canadian Museum of
Civilization,
Gatineau; Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney; and the Fernbank
Museum
of Natural History, Atlanta.
Sponsor:
Lead
Sponsor: MetLife Foundation
Admission: Tickets to Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids include Museum admission and are priced at $19 for adults, $14 for seniors and students with ID, and $9 for children 4-11. Discounts are available for Chicago residents.
To purchase tickets visit www.fieldmuseum.org, call 866-FIELD-03, or come to the Field Museum box office.
Special rates are available
for tour operators and groups of 15 or more. Call
the Museum’s Group Sales office toll-free at
888-FIELD-85
(888-343-5385).
Public Programs: The Field Museum is offering a variety of public programs to complement the exhibition. For up-to-date information visit www.fieldmuseum.org or call 312-665-7400.
MYTHIC CREATURES:
DRAGONS, UNICORNS &
MERMAIDS
EDUCATON PROGRAMS
FAMILY
PROGRAMS
Gallery Program: Family Field Days
Take
part in fun and free activities in the Crown Family Play Lab and in the
rest of
The Field Museum. You can also register for a family workshop that is
specially
tailored for young audiences.
Program
Themes:
Saturday,
June 21, 2008 (Mythic Creatures: Birds & Flight)
Saturday,
July 19, 2008 (Mythic Creatures: Fossils)
Saturday,
August 16, 2008 (Mythic Creatures: Dinosaurs)
11am-2pm
Free
with basic Museum admission.
Outdoor Terrace Program: Medieval
Festival
Come
out and enjoy hands-on activities, craft demonstrations, and
performances for
the whole family at our free outdoor terrace festival!
Saturday
and Sunday, June 21 and 22, 2008; July 19 and 20, 2008; August 16 and
17, 2008
11am-2pm
FREE
Children's Workshop: Create-a-Play in
One Day
Foundation
Theatre Group
Put
your little one in the director’s chair! Children ages 5–11 will write
a short
play about Mythic Creatures under the tutelage of professional actors,
cast it
with their new friends from the workshop, and perform for the general
public at
the Museum that same day. Bring a brown
bag lunch for our break.
Program
Themes:
Saturday,
June 21, 2008: Birds & Flight
Saturday,
July 19, 2008: Fossils
Saturday,
August 16, 2008: Dinosaurs
11am-2pm
rehearsal & writing, 2:30 performance
Cost:
$25, $18 members
Family Workshop: Dragons, and
mermaids, and giants oh
my!
Families
with children ages 2-6
Find
out how these fantastic creatures found their way into some of our
favorite
stories.
Saturday,
July 19, 2008
9am-10am
$5,
$3 member
Family Program: At the Art Studio
For
families with young children.
Calling
all young artists! This month at the Crown Family PlayLab's Art
Studio
our theme is Mythic Creatures. People have wonderful
imaginations!
Sometimes people make up amazing stories based on something real that
they have
discovered. Explore the world of dragons, mermaids, and giants and find
out how
these fantastic creatures found their way into some of our favorite
stories.
Come express your thoughts and feelings on this subject through a
variety of
open-ended art materials.
Weekly
themes include:
Sun.
June 1-Sat. June 7: Dragons
Sun.
June 8-Sat.June 14: Sea Creatures
Sun.
June 15-Sat. June 21 Giants
Sun.
June 22-Sat. June 28: Fairies
9am-4pm
Artists
who wish to participate can have their works of art featured at our
monthly Art
Show on Saturday, June 21, 2008 from 2-3pm.
Free
with basic Museum admission.
Summer Camp: Summer Worlds Tour 2008
Don’t
miss the dynamic experience of Summer Camp on
the Museum Campus, organized collectively by The Field Museum, Adler
Planetarium and Shedd Aquarium!
At
The Field Museum: Track the origins of legendary
creatures including dragons, unicorns, and mermaids as we explore the Mythic
Creatures exhibition.
Choose
from one of these four 1-week sessions:
July
7-11, 2008; July 14-18, 2008; July 21-25, 2008;
July 28-August 1, 2008
9am-3pm;
for children ages 5-10
Cost:
$250; $230 members
EDUCATOR
PROGRAMS
Educator Viewing: Mythic Creatures:
Dragons, Unicorns
and Mermaids
Educators
for Grades K-12
Come
explore the new Mythic Creatures exhibition during a free
teacher
viewing! Trace the natural history and cultural roots of some of the
world's
most enduring mythological creatures at The Field Museum. During the
evening,
you'll hear from a Field Museum scientist, view Mythic Creatures,
and
participate in hands-on activities that directly link the exhibition to
your
classroom curriculum. Earn 3 CPDUs.
Tuesday,
March 25, 2008
4pm-7pm
Free;
Pre-registration required.
HARRIS
EDUCATIONAL LOAN CENTER
Bring
the treasures of The Field Museum into your classroom and home! Check
out
portable exhibit cases and experience boxes for an in-depth
investigation into
birds, fossils, dinosaurs and more!
NEW!
Experience Box: Myths and Legends
Explore
the mysterious world of mythical creatures through folk tales and
fables and
learn what they can tell us about different cultures.
Hours:
Tuesdays-Fridays 10am-5pm and Saturdays 9am-4pm
(Closed
Sundays, Mondays and Holidays)
Phone:
(312) 665-7555
E-mail:
harrisloan@fieldmuseum.org
Harris
Registration Fees
Individual
teachers: $30; Home School teachers, parents and families: $60;
Museum
members: $30.
School
group rates: Register 10-19 teachers: $20/teacher;
Register
20 or more teachers: $15/teacher.
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc.
published by Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc.