Monsters are towering, fierce beings best known for causing nightmares and battling heroes. Tales are told of their devastating power, but also of their agonizing defeats. Monsters are symbols of the inherent evil of human nature and of the dark truths of the natural world. Monsters are also challenges, tasks a hero must complete. Sometimes monsters are the ultimate measure of a hero’s worth, other times just another step in a hero’s journey. In the book Bulfinch’s Mythology, Thomas Bulfinch writes that “Monsters, in the language of mythology, were beings of unnatural proportions or parts, usually regarded with terror, as possessing immense strength and ferocity, which they employed for the injury and annoyance of men.” Although independent of what they represent, Monsters come in numerous builds and multiple figures, like humans.
The concept of an individual type of monster can travel from place to place just like different human cultures are present in different geographical locations, for example, a foreigner moving into a new country. However, the problem the foreigner faces is whether to keep the beliefs of his homeland or to assimilate to the new surroundings. Monsters also have this issue. If the idea of a monster is borrowed by a culture for the creation of a new myth, should the creators of the myths also borrow the characteristics of the monster or come up with a new set of traits? Depending on the situation the creators of myths may choose to preserve the monsters original form or choose to mesh and mold it so that it fits the current mythology of the culture. Either way, monsters play an important part in society, not only do they show what other cultures they communicated with, but they also show the thoughts and...
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...ough looking deeper monsters are revealing to have a greater impact on civilizations.
Works Cited
Bently, Peter. “The Dictionary of World Myth.” Facts on files, 1995
Bulfinch, Thomas. Bulfinch’s Mythology. New York: Avenel Books, 1979. Print
Cotterell, Arthur and Rachel Strom. The Ultimate Encyclopedia of mythology. China: Hermes House, 1994. Print
Evslin, Bernard. “Heroes, Gods, and Monsters of the Greek Myths” Laurel-Leaf, 2001
Jones, David E. An Instinct for Dragons. New York: Routledge, 2000. Print.
Ingersoll, Ernest. Dragons and Dragon Lore. Escondido: Book Tree, 1999. Print
Keenan, Shelia. “Gods, Goddesses, and Monsters: an Encyclopedia of World Mythology” Scholastic Reference, 2000.
Rosenberg, Donna. “Gilgamesh.” World Mythology an Anthology of the Great Myths and Epics. Contemporary Publishing Group, Inc., 1999
In society, there have always been different roles in defining the boundaries between right and wrong; Monsters take a big part of that role. In Jeffrey Cohen’s “Monster Culture,” Cohen explains seven theses which provide a clearer explanation of how monsters take a part in establishing these boundaries. The oldest Anglo-Saxon story written- “Beowulf”- provides three different monsters which all connect to Cohen’s seven theses. In the older version, however, the monsters do not relate to humans in any way, except that they are enemies. The modern version of Beowulf portrays Grendel’s mother to still be evil but also have relations with the humans in the story.
Across different works like Virgil’s Aeneid and Aeschylus’ Eumenides, In these representations of monsters, the initial relationship between gods and monsters is simple: all monsters derived from the gods. However, as soon as distinguishing features set the monsters apart, they prove Clay’s point that monsters are seen as threats who need to be contained and whose powers need to be exploited by the gods. The close reading of both texts reveal the relationship between gods and monsters along with the power structures between
times we have been fascinated with all sorts of tales about monsters and intrigued by myths and
Cohen, Jeffrey J. “Monster Culture (Seven Theses).” Monsters. Ed. Brandy Ball Blake and L. Andrew Cooper. Southlake, TX: Fountainhead Press, 2012. 11-33. Print.
A monster is a group that doesn’t obey common societal rules or regulations and is often viewed as an oddity of our society, according to Jeffrey Cohen’s Monster Culture. When the dominant part of our society trusts in an idea or holds something to be legitimate, the monsters dependably trust the inverse. Monster’s have the aspects to think outside the common societal norm. Monsters represent the ideas of our society that we are fearful to contemplate further into that it is something outside of our nature. Monsters cause us to contemplate a societal perspective that we wouldn't ordinarily think as our own. Monsters challenge our basic perspective and encourage us to think deeper into the common themes of our society. Finally, Monsters incite
Monsters are disturbing hybrids whose bodies do not want to be included in any systematic structuration. The monster is, therefore, dangerous. It always appears at times of crisis as kind of the third term that creates more problems. The power to avoid and undermine has run through the monsters blood since the classic times. The monster also resists any classification built on hierarchy or just binary opposition and instead demands a system that allows mixed response and resistance to integration. The geography of a monster is wide and always full of cultural debate that can never be
One of the most interesting qualities of Greek mythology is probably the depiction of monsters in the myths. However, these monsters are not all unique. In fact, they all fall into very distinct categories, making them almost the same. Most monsters in Greek mythology look and act in the same ways. Several monsters from these myths look the same in that they have very similar qualities such as being large, snake or human like. However, they are also very alike in that they behave in very similar ways, from guarding something or roaming freely and causing chaos. Generally, the monsters in Greek mythology follow this outline and are depicted in a way to show these qualities.
Peter Brooks' essay "What Is a Monster" tackles many complex ideas within Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, and the main concept that is the title of the essay itself. What is the definition of a monster, or to be monstrous? Is a monster the classic representation we know, green skin, neck bolts, grunting and groaning? A cartoon wishing to deliver sugary cereal? or someone we dislike so greatly their qualities invade our language and affect our interpretation of their image and physical being? Brooks' essay approaches this question by using Shelley's narrative structure to examine how language, not nature, is mainly accountable for creating the idea of the monstrous body.
...rs were and still are very active, but how we decide to define these monsters is changing. As our understanding of these monsters becomes clearer, our perception of the monsters will change. In his article and book chapter Monsters and the Moral Imagination and chapter 5 of On Monsters, Stephen Asma suggests that monstrosity, as we know it, is on the rise as humans progress and how we perceive monsters can often define monstrosities in itself, providing evidence of reasons why monster cultures are on the rise, and showing how human progress has evolved our perception of how we think on the topic that is monsters.
“Monsters, in the language of mythology, were beings of unnatural proportions or parts, usually regarded with terror, as possessing immense strength and ferocity, which they employed for the injury and annoyance of men”(Thomas Bulfinch). This quote defines a monster and describes them as unnatural and often feared by the people they terrorize. There are many different types of monsters and all monsters fight different heroes, but all their purpose is the same, to strike fear in the people surrounding them. In Greek mythology heroes are often sent to defeat these creatures that are thought to be unbeatable. Heroes are often sent to beat these monsters as a way to gain passage to a better life. The heroes who fight with the monsters often have some divinity in their background. While there is only one type of hero, who in the end always wins and overcome the odds, heroes such as Hercules, Oedipus and Bellerphon, but there are many different types of monsters to fight each hero, such as the Sphinx, the Centaurs and the Chimera.
Jeffery Cohen's first thesis states “the monster's body is a cultural body”. Monsters give meaning to culture. A monsters characteristics come from a culture's most deep-seated fears and fantasies. Monsters are metaphors and pure representative allegories. What a society chooses to make monstrous says a lot about that society’s people. Monsters help us express and find our darkest places, deepest fears, or creepiest thoughts. Monsters that scare us,vampires, zombies, witches, help us cope with what we dread most in life. Fear of the monstrous has brought communities and cultures together. Society is made up of different beliefs, ideas, and cultural actions. Within society there are always outcasts, people that do not fit into the norm or do not follow the status quo. Those people that do not fit in become monsters that are feared almost unanimously by the people who stick to the status quo.
There are countless stories involving monster and villainous creatures terrorizing people and places. Jorge Louis Borges describes his book by saying, “It’s a book of Imaginary Beings examines the origins of monstrous combination of human and animal.” This sheds light on how stories portray monsters through their content. Although many of their stories are different, they all tie around the same concept, which is torture and evil. There are many different types of modern day monsters. Some types of monsters can be clowns, ghosts, vampires, werewolves, murderous and foul people, and anyone or anything that means harm. There are some cases where monsters can change and overcome their derivable ways. For example, in American Horror Story: Season 4, the evil clown, Twisty, murdered and killed everyone he came into contact with; however, it turns out people made fun of him and he did not know any better. He then tried to change his evil ways, but karma caught up with
Throughout his chapter, Cohen proposes multiple points towards deciphering cultures through their monsters. Firstly in thesis one, Cohen asserts that “The monstrous body is pure culture…the monster exists only to be read…” (4). The main claim is that some monsters depict intimidating appearance; however, the reflection of their sincere personality might not be displayed through the monster’s look. Cohen suggests that the body of the monster exposes intriguing background of the monster’s culture and therefore it is hieroglyphic. Monsters have the positive attributes and temperaments of humans, regardless of their scary looks. Secondly in thesis two, Cohen expands on the various mysteries on the monsters left behind. The reason a monster is brought back to life, is to give a certain message. No matter how many times the monster vanishes, it will always reappear. Finally, Cohen’s last thesis contends that “the Monster Stands at the Threshold of Becoming” (20). According to Cohen, “Monsters are our children” and keeping that in mind, “they ask us why we have created them” (20). Children reflect us as we influence them. If one were to try to understand themselves, their culture and their social synergy, what better way is it than self-reflection in future off springs? Monsters’ way of life is influenced by humans; it is us that are the
In Dante’s Inferno, throughout the epic journey of the character Dante into the depth of Hell, he encounters a number of beasts and monsters as he passes along the way, especially through the seven stations of the greatest monsters of Hell. The most significant of these seven major monsters is of central importance to the character Dante’s journey as well as to the narrative, for these monsters not only challenge the presence of the character Dante in Hell, but they are also the important custodians of Hell. Moreover, some of them even have more particular duty to perform, apart from being the Hell guardians.
Monsters are hunted. The lore of their destruction is excessive, glowing, and dispersed. It is a crucial component of their mythology. There is no eluding the hunter, armed with the vampire stake and crosses and the werewolf’s silver bullet. But then it is the hunter whose tale it is to begin with. Beowulf cannot stay hidden forever, or he would not be Beowulf. Monstrosity relies, in this sense, on its exposition for its production, and it is in this superficial sense of vitality by revelation that two theorists of monstrosity concoct a fantastic world of ‘society’ to keep themselves at bay. Michael Uebel’s “Unthinking the Monster” and Mark Dorrian’s “On the Monstrous and Grotesque” represent similar though distinct theorizations of monstrosity in terms of otherness, difference, relation to self, and production in/by rhetoric. The articles consider the relation between monstrosity and the terms against which it is defined. Yet the pieces are also monsters, and the worlds they sing of are the ones they behold with rapt attention. It is their theorization of monstrosity that allows for the continuation of both insides and outsides in a way more immediate than their encapsulation of such a movement considers.