Natural history Quote by Neil Gaiman
““I was convinced that the Natural History Museum was missing only one thing: a unicorn. Well, a unicorn and a dragon. Also it was missing werewolves. (Why was there nothing about werewolves in the Natural History Museum? I wanted to know about werewolves.) There were vampire bats, but none of the better-dressed vampires on display , and no mermaids at all, not one— I looked— and as for griffins or manticores, they were completely out.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Sandman, Volume 5 – A Game of You, 1992
The speaker laments the absence of mythical creatures in a museum, highlighting a desire for wonder and imagination in institutions.
In simple terms: Missing mythical creatures shows a longing for magic.
Key Takeaway
Seek wonder beyond the ordinary.
Themes
imagination
mythology
curiosity
Mood
playful
nostalgic
Type
literary
humorous
When to use this quote
- creative writing
- museum visits
- fantasy gaming
- educational tours
Key Concepts
fantasy
cultural representation
museum curation
Questions to Reflect On
- What would a museum of myths teach us?
- How does imagination shape our view of reality?
A Different Perspective
Museums may prioritize scientific artifacts over folklore.
![“[In the Field Museum of Natural History] we could see very simple, primitive, hand-built pottery from Babylonia and ancient Egypt and so forth, Greece. We could see the most sophisticated things that came out of the Orient - Japan, Korea, and China - some few pieces of European porcelain, majolica…” quote by Warren MacKenzie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8fc/warren-mackenzie-4654_ancient_in-the-field-museum-of-natural-history-w_183538.jpg)
![“[T]hey could not help being amused every time another little human believed itself the center of its world, as each of us does.” quote by Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/19e/neil-gaiman-29_amused_t-hey-could-not-help-being-amused-every_4551.jpg)
