Mythical Animals in the Renaissance, SCSC

Mythical Animals in the Renaissance

The sixteenth century was a period of transition for mythical animals. On the one hand, world exploration and scientific inquiry threw increasing doubt upon the existence of dragons, unicorns, mermaids, etc. But on the other hand, these same creatures flourished in heraldry, emblematics, poetry and novels, and sometimes even zoological tracts. What place did such imaginary creatures have in the sixteenth-century? Did their meaning and symbolism shift during this age?

We are seeking papers on this topic in order to set up a panel at the 2010 Sixteenth Century Conference, October 14-17 (http://www.sixteenthcentury.org/conference.shtml).

Please send abstracts to jfujitani@apu.edu by March 12, 2010.