Monster
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Monster is a term for any number of legendary creatures that usually appear in mythology, legend, and horror fiction. The word originates from the ancient Latin monstrum, meaning "omen", from the root of monere, "to warn", and also meaning "prodigy" or "miracle".
The term "monster" can refer to a person who is exceptionally evil, grotesque, unreasonably strict and uncaring, psychotic, and/or sadistic.
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[edit] Social concept
For centuries, the term "monster" has been an intriguing concept, being often associated with unknown places and things. (In olden times, unexplored regions on maps might be marked to indicate that monsters lived there).
The connection between monsters and the unknown was an important cultural theme during the Renaissance and the Enlightenment, as Western society began to use science and other academic disciplines to fathom the unknown. In addition, monsters were seen as scientific enigmas that necessitated exploration and understanding. During the Enlightenment, a typical "cabinet of curiosities" would include 'monster relics' among various scientific instruments and toys. Similarly, the concept of the "monstrous" was important to aesthetics during this period, often closely associated with the wondrous and the sublime.
[edit] Religion and mythology
In eastern religions such as Hinduism, as well in ancient Greek and Norse mythologies, monsters are often depicted as enemies of the gods. Ragnarok (of Norse mythology) referred to the final battle between the virtuous gods of Asgard and the many monsters of the world.
Ancient peoples often considered "freaks" to be demonstrations of the wrath of the gods. The first so-called monstra were showpieces in traveling carnival freakshows, and were often people afflicted with disfiguring conditions like elephantiasis.
Fictional monsters are often depicted with decent intentions-- and a grotesque physical appearance leading to unfortunate misunderstandings. Some prominent examples include King Kong, Frankenstein's Monster, and the Horta in the Star Trek episode, "The Devil in the Dark".
Monsters of ancient mythology tend to be ruthless menaces that kill indiscriminately, only to be eventually slain by a legendary hero, as in Beowulf, and Saint George and the Dragon.
[edit] Monsters in literature
The relationship between science and monstrousness was a pervasive theme in Victorian-era horror literature, where science was often depicted as not only studying monsters, but producing them as well. Notable examples include Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Frankenstein.
[edit] Monsters in philosophy
Contemporary philosophers such as Lorraine Daston have mused about the relationship between monster depictions and the role of science in a given society. Monsters also appear in a variety of philosophical works (including those of Aristotle, Augustine, Montaigne, Locke, Leibniz, Diderot, and so on). [1].
[edit] Monsters in film and television
| This article or section has too many fictional references for an encylopedic and academic approach of this topic. An article about a nonfiction topic should only contain fictional references of historic importance so as to not overshadow the main topic. Interesting but not historically significant details should be moved to a separate article (possibly Monsters in fiction or Monsters in popular culture). Mere references unimportant to the overall plot of a work of fiction or trivia, as well as minor examples when more significant ones have already been mentioned, should be deleted. |
[edit] Pre-World War II
During the age of silent movies, monsters tended to be human-sized, e.g., Frankenstein's monster, the Golem, and vampires. The film Siegfried featured a dragon that was actually a giant puppet on tracks. A few movie dinosaurs were created with the use of stop-motion animated models, as in RKO's King Kong, the first giant monster film of the sound era.
Universal Studios specialized in monsters, with Bela Lugosi's reprising his stage role, Dracula, and Boris Karloff playing Frankenstein's monster. The studio also made several lesser films, such as Man-Made Monster, starring Lon Chaney, Jr. as an electrically reanimated zombie.
There was also a variant of Dr. Frankenstein, the mad surgeon Dr. Gogol (played by Peter Lorre), who transplanted hands that were reanimated with malevolent temperaments, in the film Mad Love.
Werewolves were introduced in films during this period, and similar creatures were presented in Cat People. Mummies were cinematically depicted as fearsome monsters as well. As for giant creatures, the Flash Gordon serial used a costumed actor (with crude special effects) to depict a large dragon. The cinematic monster cycle eventually wore thin, having a comedic turn in Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948).
[edit] Post World War II
After World War II, however, giant monsters returned to the screen with a vigor that has been causally linked to the development of nuclear weapons. One early example occurred in the American film The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, which was about a dinosaur that attacked a lighthouse. Subsequently, there were Japanese film depictions, (Godzilla, Gamera), British depictions (Gorgo), and even Scandinavian depictions (Reptilicus), of giant monsters attacking cities. The intriguing proximity of other planets brought the notion of extraterrestrial monsters to the big screen, some of which were huge in size, (such as King Ghidorah and Gigan), while others were of a more human scale. During this period, the fish-man monster was developed in the film series Creature from the Black Lagoon.
Britain's Hammer Film Productions brought color to the monster movies in the late 1950s. Around this time, the earlier Universal films were usually shown on American television by independent stations (rather than network stations) by using announcers with strange personas, who gained legions of young fans. Although they have since changed considerably, movie monsters did not entirely disappear from the big screen as they did in the late 1940s.
Occasionally, monsters are depicted as friendly or misunderstood creatures. The creatures of Monsters Inc. scare children in order to create energy for running machinery, while the furry monsters of The Muppets and Sesame Street live in harmony with animals and humans alike.
[edit] Other usages
Monsters are a frequent mainstay of role-playing and video games, in which the creatures are often (but not always) large, powerful, evil and menacing. (An example of a monster par excellence would be the dragon).
During Halloween, monster images are used in costumes for children, who will often dress like popular monsters from films and television shows.
Monsters have appeared in the "news" stories of popular tabloids such as the Weekly World News and The National Enquirer.
In heavy metal and gothic rock, frequent references are made to monsters. The Finnish band Lordi, who rose to international fame in 2006 after winning the Eurovision Song Festival Contest, wear monster costumes with hideous masks.
[edit] See also
- List of species in fantasy fiction
- List of Monsters
- Lake monster
- Legendary creature
- Sea monster
- Orcs
- Mutant
- Flying Spaghetti Monster
- Freak
- Cryptozoology
- Ogre
[edit] References
- ^ see Monsters and Philosophy, ed. by Charles Wolfe (London, 2005; and http://www.monstersandphilosophy.com)