Ancient Bogeys: Lamia, Mormo, Empousa, Gello, and Others (original) (raw)
Monsters and the Monstrous: Ancient Expressions of Cultural Anxieties
A Cultural History of Fairy Tales in Antiquity, 2021
Many of the most recognizable monsters in Western culture, such as Medusa, Cerberus, and the Cyclopes, started to appear in literature and art nearly three thousand years ago. Other, more generic types of monstrous or uncanny entities, such as dragons and ghosts, are even older and appear in art and literature across the globe. This chapter covers such creatures in the earliest folk and fairy tales of the ancient Near East and Mediterranean areas, keeping in mind that much of our information comes from tales, or, in most cases, prototypes for tales, embedded within the larger context of Near Eastern and Greek myths. The chapter first considers what the concept of "monster" might have meant for people in those geographical regions thousands of years ago. The chapter then examines what tales from antiquity survive that incorporated monsters, what kinds of monster predominate in these tales, and what the presence and roles of monsters in the tales might have meant.
International Journal of Research , 2022
Since earliest times monsters have awed, terrified and enthralled us, and they have figured in the myths, stories, poetry and prose of numerous cultures down the ages. There are thousands of poems and passages about them in Classical (i.e. ancient Greek and Latin) literature, ranging all the way from the horrific to the humorous. Finding stories about these creatures which are highly entertaining in themselves, we acquire a basic grounding in literary criticism which will enable us to read narratives about monsters with more perception and more enjoyment. The depiction of monsters and fascinating creatures in literature reveals a lot about the cultures that produce them. The fact that there were so many Classical monsters makes it clear that they filled a need for the Greeks and Romans, for example by providing a safe thrill and scare. They show us what the ancients feared and also found fascinating, what worried them, and what was felt to be good and normal. They give us insights into a view of the human situation-the trials and horrors of life, and how they overcome the terrifying powers of wild nature.
Bahia Brazil The Minotaur : Canonical Translations of a Classical Monster
2016
Featured in numerous rereadings of Classical Antiquity, the mythical character known as the Minotaur represents, among other roles, a kind of synthesis of the attributes that shape a classical monster: he is a hybrid with an infamous conception, he is a ferocious anthropophagous and he is also foreign. Originated from Crete, an island in the Eastern Mediterranean, ruled by the feared King Minos, the Classical Minotaur is not only a monster by excellence, but also a “bogeyman” by excellence. His figure, often associated to the evil attributed to the monsters (beings presented as a deviation from the norm) and frequently depicted by literature and other arts, will be discussed here, starting from specific aspects: the arbitrary and changing conceptions of good and evil, majority and minority, as well as their respective conflicts. Since we intend to analyze the canonical figure of the Minotaur in verbal and visual rereadings, we add to our discussion the conceptions from descriptive s...
LONDON - W.H. Allen & Co., Waterloo Place. S. W., 1886
This ultra rare book delves into the fascinating realm of ancient mythologies and their roots in pre-historic human civilization. The work explores whether the recorded history of man, spanning a few thousand years, truly encapsulates the entirety of human existence or if ancient mythological eras, chronicled in the traditions of Chaldea and China, hold fragmented memories of civilizations long lost, akin to Plato's Atlantis. Gould questions the brief time span—six to eight thousand years—traditionally assigned to human civilization by Biblical interpreters, suggesting that this period scarcely accommodates the complexity and development of early human societies. The book meticulously examines how myths and legends of divine progenitors, demigods, and monstrous creatures were disseminated globally, shaped by the diverse environmental and cultural contexts of different peoples. **Detailed Overview:** **1. Human Civilization Beyond Recorded History:** Gould begins by challenging the conventional timeline of human history. He proposes that the brief span of written history might only be a fragment of man's intelligent existence. By referencing the extensive mythical eras of Chaldea and China, Gould hints at the possibility of pre-historic civilizations that have perished due to catastrophic events, leaving behind only shadowy mementos preserved through tradition. **2. Questioning the Biblical Timeline:** Gould critically examines the six to eight thousand years commonly accepted by Biblical interpreters for the creation of the world and human civilization. He argues that this limited timeframe barely suffices to account for the documented evidence of ancient civilizations' development, the divergence of human stocks, and the obliteration of connecting branches. **3. Universal Spread of Mythologies:** The author observes that myths of divine progenitors, heroes, and monstrous creatures permeate all corners of the world. These stories, carried with the fidelity akin to the sacred Ark of the Israelites, adapt according to the local genius, superstitions, and environmental conditions. Gould highlights how different settings, from open plains to dense forests, mold these myths, reflecting the inhabitants' lifestyles and fears. **4. Influence of Environment on Mythology:** Gould explores how environmental conditions shape cultural and mythological expressions. For instance, the inhabitants of semi-tropical plains, enjoying a genial sun and open spaces, develop a buoyant and open temperament, influencing their mythologies to be more graceful. In contrast, those living in dense, gloomy forests filled with lurking dangers foster myths filled with dread and vigilance. **5. Divergence of Aryan Descendants:** Focusing on the descendants of Aryan ancestors—the Greeks, Celts, and Vikings—Gould illustrates how environmental and social conditions led to distinct cultural developments. The Greeks, with their favorable climate and geography, cultivated a mythology rich in benign gods and heroic demigods. The Celts, influenced by their forested habitats, developed a more gloomy and sanguinary Druidic religion. The Vikings, shaped by their harsh seaboard environment, created a mythology reflecting their maritime prowess and rugged lifestyle, with deities embodying the tempestuous elements of their world. **6. Climatic Influences on Civilization:** Gould further discusses how climatic conditions influence the advancement of civilizations. He posits that the Chaldeans, living in a pastoral country and descending from nomadic ancestors in Central Asia, advanced in astronomy and climatology due to their prolonged exposure to the vast open steppes and highlands. Their precise understanding of climatic patterns may have surpassed even modern knowledge. **Conclusion:** Charles Gould's "Mythical Monsters" is a comprehensive exploration of the intersections between ancient mythologies, pre-historic civilizations, and the environmental influences shaping human culture. By questioning traditional timelines and examining the global spread and adaptation of myths, Gould provides a scholarly insight into the deep-rooted connections between human history, environment, and mythological beliefs. This overview encapsulates the core themes and arguments of Gould's work, providing a scholarly perspective suitable for an academic profile. The detailed exploration highlights Gould's critical approach to traditional historical timelines, his examination of the universal spread of myths, and his insights into the environmental influences on cultural and mythological development. 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Transgressive figures: Monsters and monstrosity in Flavian epic
2020
This dissertation argues that the monsters in Statius’ Thebaid and Silius’ Punica both embody and reproduce dynamics of Flavian culture. These poems are taken together as exemplars of the culture during the reign of Domitian specifically. I conduct close, sustained, textual analysis of instances wherein monsters adjoin the dynamics of otherness, literary tradition, mytho-historical past and imperial ideology. I begin with a discussion of Statius’ potential clustering of Epicurean elements around representations of Hippomedon as a Centaur. As with other discernments of Epicurean hints in mythological epic I assess this as an exploration of the consequences of placing these elements in the text. By using a Centaur for this examination, Statius reveals how monsters are often good spaces for exploration in Flavian epic. I then show that Statius’ depictions of hybrid monsters (Centaurs, the Minotaur and Arachne) reveal and reinforce tension around ‘otherness’ in this time period. At the ...
Monsters and Fabulous Beasts of Ancient and Medieval Times
Myths of gods, legends of battles, and folktales of magic are abound in the heroic narratives of the Middle Ages. Medieval heroes were developed from a variety of source materials: Early pagan gods become euhemerized through a Christian lens, and an older epic heroic sensibility was exchanged for a Christian typological and figural representation of saints. Most startlingly, the faces of Christian martyrs were refracted through a heroic lens in the battles between Christian standard-bearers and their opponents, who were at times explicitly described in demonic terms. General readers and researchers alike on a fantastic adventure on the trail of some of the greatest heroes of medieval literature.