Mother Holle

"Holle is known throughout northern Europe. She is also known as Holda or Hulda. A triple goddess, Holle is the Maiden, the Mother and the Crone--the embodiment of the three stages of womanhood.
As Maiden, she is the ash girl, whose face is half black with soot. Destined to marry Holler, King of Winter and Frost, he tested her with a riddle to be sure of Holle's worthiness. She had to come to his palace neither naked nor clothed, neither riding nor walking, neither alone nor with companions, in neither light nor darkness. Holle answered by arriving wrapped in a fishing net, sitting on a donkey with one toe dragging on the ground, surrounded by twenty-four wolves at twilight.
Holle as Mother is said to be seen as a woman from the front and a tree form the back. Representing fertility and growth she guards and nurtures all the green growing things of the forest.
As Crone, Holle is viewed as the wise Queen of Winter. She shakes her bed till the feathers fly to make it snow. When it snows in Holland, people still say, 'Dame Holle is shaking her bed'. Frau Holle, as she is known in Germany, was called The Queen of the Witches. The brothers Grimm tell a story of step-sisters who both go to visit Frau Holle in the 'nether realms'. They begin their journey to her by falling in a well. One is diligent, learning the lessons Frau Holle teaches well, and is showered with gold. The other is lazy and does not learn the lessons well and is showered with manure. Her counterpart in Russia is called Baba Yaga.
Holle's name is linguistically related to the word Halja, which means "covering", and is the ancient Teutonic name for Hel, the Norse land of the dead. Holle is called the Queen of the Dead, and resides in the 'nether' regions. She possibly lent her name to the country Holland, 'the land of Holle', which is also called the Netherlands because many parts of the country are below sea-level. "

- text by Sandra Kleinschmitt, from here.


- image from here.

Caladrius

the image and text are from here:

"According to the Aberdeen Bestiary (as well earlier texts such as The Physiologus), the Caladrius is a snow-white bird that lives in kings' houses. Supposedly, the bird refuses to look at any patient that is not going to make a full recovery.
It is said to also be able to take the sickness into itself and then fly away, dispersing the sickness and healing both itself and the sick person.
This is said to be analogous to Jesus Christ, whose crucifixion is said to have drawn out "the sickness" (sin, see Biblical sin-sickness analogy) and, through his "flight" from the grave, saved the sinner."

Italian Fairies: Fate, Folletti, and Other Creatures of Legend

an article by Raffaela Benvenuto from here

An Online Encyclopedia of Western Signs and Ideograms

can be found online here. a wonderful resource to search for a sign with a particular meaning or the meaning and history of a particular sign.

A List of Legendary Creatures

can be found here.

Mandrake

from here:

"Atropa Mandragora
considered an anodyne and soporific the early Anglo-Saxons used mandrake as a component of exorcism, however, in large doses it is said to cause delirium and madness. It is also used as a protective charm for the home. It was used to increase fertility in women, and would be carried to increase courage.
The leaves are quite harmless and cooling, and have been used for ointments and other external application, it was used to help those in pain to sleep. However the plant is also quite poisonous and not to be meddled with.
The roots of Mandrake, where the most power lies, were supposed to bear a resemblance to the human form, on account of their habit of forking into two and shooting on each side. In the old Herbals we find them frequently figured as a male with a long beard, and a female with a very bushy head of hair. It was believed to be very dangerous to dig up the root, which apparently groaned and shrieked as you did so. To hear this was supposed to be fatal. "

Al-mi'raj

The image and text are from here:

"The Al-mi'raj is a mythical beast from Islamic poetry said to live on a mysterious island called Jezîrat al-Tennyn within the confines of the Indian Ocean [1]. Its name appears as several spellings and way, generally truncated such as Mi'raj, Mir'aj or just Miraj. Its name is also synonymous with Muhammad's ascent into heaven.
The Al-mi'raj is a large, harmless-looking yellow rabbit with a single, two foot long, black, spiraling horn protruding from its forehead, much like that of a unicorn.
The Al'Mir'aj frightens other animals and they will always flee from its presence.[2] Despite its docile appearance, the Al-Mir'aj is actually a ferociously territorial predator known to be able to kill animals and people many times their own size with a few stabs of its horn. It also has an immense appetite and can devour other living things several times its size without effort.
The people of the island were so terrified of the Al-Mi'raj eating them and their livestock that they would turn to witches to ward them away as soon as the rumor of a Miraj met their ears. It was reported that the witch would charm the Miraj, rendering it harmless so they could remove them from the area. [3]"

A Family Tree of the Greek Gods

can be found here.