What's a Wyvern?
All About Osbert and His Possibly Bitey Relatives Hi! If you've seen the magnificent cover of my soon-to-be-released book The Mermaid's Sister , you've probably noticed the dragonny fellow twined about the title. If not, have a look now: His name is Osbert, and he's a wyvern. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a wyvern (pronounced wye-vern) is "a mythical animal usually represented as a 2-legged winged creature resembling a dragon." The word is an "alteration of Middle English wyvere viper, from Anglo-French wivre, guivre, from Latin vipera," and its first known use dates back to 1610. The wyvern is frequently seen in heraldic crests, especially in Wales. Often depicted as having a dragon's head, a reptilian body, and barbed tail, the wyvern is sometimes said to have a poisonous bite. (My dear Osbert doesn't bite. Not usually, anyway.) In The Mermaid's Sister , Osbert is the household pet. He's o