Christmas Bestiary
004
New
- French
Sold and shipped by :
Huber Éditions
your order will be shipped on 23 Oct 2025
More than just a book, The Christmas Bestiary is a veritable survival guide, essential reading for all children in danger during the holiday season!
The Christmas Bestiary is a fascinating work that reveals the dark, forgotten, and often terrifying side of Christmas traditions through an immersive journey into European folklore. Written by Danish author Benni Bødker and illustrated by the inimitable John Kenn Mortensen, this book takes us far from sparkling garlands and joyful carols to explore a gallery of mythical, disturbing, sometimes grotesque, always bewitching creatures that haunt the long winter nights.
Far from sugar-coated tales, this book reveals another side of the holidays: one where darkness reigns supreme, ancestral fears are reawakened, and every noise in the chimney could herald something other than Santa Claus...
A dive into winter folklore
This illustrated bestiary presents 24 legendary creatures from popular traditions around the world—with a strong presence from Northern and Eastern Europe.
They include the inevitable Krampus, Saint Nicholas' demonic alter ego, as well as Grýla, the terrifying Icelandic ogress who devours disobedient children, the Christmas Cat, who hunts down those who have not received new clothes, Baba Yaga, the witch of the woods whose house is perched on chicken legs, and Père Fouettard, a sinister figure from French folklore.
Each double-page spread offers a concise but evocative presentation: a description of the creature, its geographical and cultural origin, an assessment of its level of danger on a pine cone scale (from 1 to 5), and above all, survival tips that are absurd, poetic, or downright hilarious. It's a playful and intelligent way of bringing ancestral folklore into dialogue with a resolutely contemporary tone.
A gothic and captivating style
John Kenn Mortensen's visual universe gives this bestiary its full force. His black-and-white illustrations, rich in detail, evoke both Edward Gorey and ancient engravings. Each creature seems to emerge from a collective nightmare, captured in fine, baroque, and disturbing lines.
Mortensen's compositions play on contrasts and strangeness, making the book as fascinating to read as it is to look at. You find yourself returning to certain pages simply to observe the faces, postures, gazes, and textures of a fantastical world of rare coherence.
A gift book for dark souls
The Christmas Bestiary is the perfect gift for those who love Christmas... but with a touch of irony, a dose of mystery, and a pinch of thrills. Folklore enthusiasts, lovers of Gothic art, fans of Tim Burton or strange mythologies will find a little treasure to savor by the fireside—or to give to a friend who has always preferred monsters to elves.
The Christmas Bestiary is a fascinating work that reveals the dark, forgotten, and often terrifying side of Christmas traditions through an immersive journey into European folklore. Written by Danish author Benni Bødker and illustrated by the inimitable John Kenn Mortensen, this book takes us far from sparkling garlands and joyful carols to explore a gallery of mythical, disturbing, sometimes grotesque, always bewitching creatures that haunt the long winter nights.
Far from sugar-coated tales, this book reveals another side of the holidays: one where darkness reigns supreme, ancestral fears are reawakened, and every noise in the chimney could herald something other than Santa Claus...
A dive into winter folklore
This illustrated bestiary presents 24 legendary creatures from popular traditions around the world—with a strong presence from Northern and Eastern Europe.
They include the inevitable Krampus, Saint Nicholas' demonic alter ego, as well as Grýla, the terrifying Icelandic ogress who devours disobedient children, the Christmas Cat, who hunts down those who have not received new clothes, Baba Yaga, the witch of the woods whose house is perched on chicken legs, and Père Fouettard, a sinister figure from French folklore.
Each double-page spread offers a concise but evocative presentation: a description of the creature, its geographical and cultural origin, an assessment of its level of danger on a pine cone scale (from 1 to 5), and above all, survival tips that are absurd, poetic, or downright hilarious. It's a playful and intelligent way of bringing ancestral folklore into dialogue with a resolutely contemporary tone.
A gothic and captivating style
John Kenn Mortensen's visual universe gives this bestiary its full force. His black-and-white illustrations, rich in detail, evoke both Edward Gorey and ancient engravings. Each creature seems to emerge from a collective nightmare, captured in fine, baroque, and disturbing lines.
Mortensen's compositions play on contrasts and strangeness, making the book as fascinating to read as it is to look at. You find yourself returning to certain pages simply to observe the faces, postures, gazes, and textures of a fantastical world of rare coherence.
A gift book for dark souls
The Christmas Bestiary is the perfect gift for those who love Christmas... but with a touch of irony, a dose of mystery, and a pinch of thrills. Folklore enthusiasts, lovers of Gothic art, fans of Tim Burton or strange mythologies will find a little treasure to savor by the fireside—or to give to a friend who has always preferred monsters to elves.
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