For thousands of years, humans around the world have brought mythic creatures to life in stories, music, and works of art. Uncover the origins and significance of legendary creatures of the air, land, and water, such as dragons, mermaids, and Bigfoot, through the lenses of distinguished speakers in their fields. Talks will be followed by a meet-and-greet and light reception in the museum’s main lobby.

In this talk, Adrienne Mayor uncovers the origins of ancient and medieval stories about dragons, unicorns, and other fantastic creatures in Europe and Asia. She investigates how some popular animals of myth might have arisen from misunderstood evidence observed in Nature. Misidentified parts of exotic living animals, fossils of long-extinct flora and fauna, and dinosaur bones and footprints in stone — all have played roles in confirming people’s belief in fabulous beasts.

Dr. Adrienne Mayor received her bachelor's degree in Ancient Folklore from the University of Minnesota, and in 2007, she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from Montana State University. In 2000 she published the NYT Best Seller The First Fossil Hunters: Dinosaurs, Mammoths and Myths in Greek and Roman Times. She followed with several other popular books including, Fossil Legends of the First Americans, The Griffin and the Dinosaur and Flying Snakes & Griffin Claws: And Other Classical Myths, Historical Oddities, and Scientific Curiosities. Her work is often featured on NPR and BBC, Discovery and History TV channels, and other popular media, including the New York Times and National Geographic. Dr. Mayor is currently a Research Scholar in the Department of Classics and in the History & Philosophy of Science Program at Stanford University.

Hager Auditorium
Free for members/$5 non-member
Registration is required.