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Monsters…

Monsters…. “lions, tigers, and basilisks… Oh my!”. Monster Means. From the Latin- Monster= Monstrare= “to show” Monere= “to warn” Monstrum= “that from which we learn”. And…. From the Gk. Drakon- “Dragon or Large Serpent” But also means “sharp-sighted”

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Monsters…

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  1. Monsters… “lions, tigers, and basilisks… Oh my!”

  2. Monster Means From the Latin- Monster= • Monstrare= “to show” • Monere= “to warn” • Monstrum= “that from which we learn”

  3. And… • From the Gk. Drakon- “Dragon or Large Serpent” • But also means “sharp-sighted” • Associated with wisdom and foresight

  4. Monsters in mythology • Monsters exist in every mythology throughout the world. • They represent the fears of a particular culture at a given time. • Our own human failing and inner demons

  5. Monsters Serve a Purpose • Most often related to • Teach • Warn • Show Something about our weaknesses

  6. And… • Scapegoat- (tied to purpose) • Hebrew- actual goat • Philippines • Mayan • Athens/Greece

  7. Monsters in modern pop-culture • In ancient society, while the background of the monster may be explained via myth (Medusa, Minotaur, etc.) this information is solely provided as a what not to do. • Sympathetic response to monster plight occurs in modern society as we read new stories like Shrek and John Gardner’s Grendel which present a sympathetic view where we feel sorry for their plight.

  8. FORM • Form= both • Appearance • Behavior • Not Human… Unnatural • Hybrid • Often of “recognizable” animal parts • May be seen as part human

  9. Monsters as individuals • Most children go through stages where they have immense fear of the unknown. • This leads to all manner of early monsters in our individual lives: • Bogeyman • Monster under bed, in closet, etc…

  10. Monsters physical appearance • Physically mythological monsters are representations of the often localized fears of the society they stem from: • Snakes • Bulls • Shadows • Spiders • Women… lol (it is true!)

  11. Monsters symbolically • Represent the fear of man’s self. • This fear is normally represented in terms of the monsters actions: • Extreme rage, anger, evil, immorality is often represented here. • An important side-note here. Even ‘simple-minded’ creatures (yeti, bigfoot, etc.) can still represent complex symbols.

  12. Examples of human flaws in monsters. • Vampires • Werewolves • Wizards • Giants

  13. Vampires Werewolves Wizards Giants Humanity’s weakness for sensuality. Humanity’s fear of our own animalistic nature Fear of mental power’s corruption. Fear of corruption via physical power. Examples of human flaws in monsters.

  14. Destroying/Defeating the Monster: • Intelligence • Divine Intervention/Blessing • Good luck/ Fortune

  15. Monsters and heroes • Typically within a hero’s story he is forced to face a number of monsters, each representing the physical, emotional or psychological weaknesses of the hero. • Nemean Lion – Invulnerable to weapons so Heracles must face his fear of his own physicality. • Ringwraiths force Frodo to deal with his problems rather than hide.

  16. Nemesis • From nemein- to "distribute, allot, apportion one's due (Greek goddess of vengence) • The hero’s nemesis (not in every myth) • When it is not present, the role of the nemesis is typically the hero him/herself. • When present, the nemesis represents all of the hero’s flaws and weaknesses and will require that things learned throughout the journey be used to defeat it.

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