UNIT 2: What are Monsters? Flashcards
What Is a Monster?
A Monster embodies all that is dangerous and horrible in the human imagination. Monsters are not tied to a single tradition and usually found in Hero’s journey myths (like the Hero slaying Medusa)
Name some famous hero protagonist and where they originate (hint: name 4)
- The hero Marduk in Mesopotamian mythology
- Seth in Egyptian Mythology
- Thor in Scandinavian Mythology
- Zeus from Greek Mythology
Name the Greek and Latin roots that helped form the word “Monster”
GREEK:
Teras- A warning or potent
LATIN:
Monere- to show or warn —> Monstrume–> Monster
Monitus- Admonition (a sign or symbol)
Name 6 qualities of a Monster
- Large in Size
- Deformed
- Inherently Evil (toward humans especially)
- Object of fear (especially fear to be eaten)
- Disruptor of Harmony
- Hybrid in form (“reshuffled familiarity)
What do Monsters represent as a Metaphor? (Hint: Name 4 points)
They represent all that must be casted off, like:
- A threat to society
- Does not respect limits or boundaries that have been set by society
- Being outcaste, found outside of society (aka: monsters being in places we fear)
- Can represent the modern concept of Id (our emotional, negative tendencies)
What was a Monsters role in the Ancient World?
Monsters were used to rationalize natural phenomena and internal forces, a “will of the gods” point of view.
They can also signify starts of a new rule whenever they are slain and symbolize Miscegenation of god.
In Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics,which category of people are associated with Monstrous qualities?
The Bestial
In the Middle Ages, what were Monsters most associated with?
Religious symbolism
Why did Monsters get a resurgence back in the 18th and 19th centuries?
Scientific Discoveries, popularity of fairytales, and rediscovery of Roman/Greek Mythology.
What was science like in the ancient world?
No distinction between science, myth, ritual magic and divination. Tied directly to religion, Any natural phenomena would be associated with the “Will of the Gods”
What are some key advancements that happened in The Classical World (Greco-Roman times)
- The birth of Natural Philosophy- The study of nature from a more abstract and metaphysical approach.
- The rise of Pre-Socratics
Notable Figure: Thales– A philosopher who explained natural phenomena from a non-superstitious perspective
What is Empiricism?
Empiricism– The Idea that universal truth can be drawn from observation and reasoning.
What were the 3 distinct civilizations where scientific learning continued
Byzantine Empire
Islamic World
Western Europe
During the Renaissance, Artists were also known as what?
Scientists
What were some artistic techniques/ discoveries that intertwined with science?
- Symmetry
- Proportion, Ratio
- Musical Octave
- Linear Perspective (One point perspective)
What did Renaissance artists believe at the time? (two key points)
- Art Imitates Nature, so one must understand Nature.
- Divine Geometry–> Microcosm (the human body) is a mirror of the Macrocosm (the universe)
How to you get labeled as a Monster?
A creature must transgress some kind of social boundary in society. Like Vampires sucking blood is a transgression over human fears.
What is Cryptozoology? What is it interested in?
The study of animals unconfirmed by contemporary science. It is interested in the large sensational creatures that have at least one emotionally upsetting trait
Who is the father of cryptozoology?
Bernard Heuvelmans
What were bestiaries use for?
As repositories for knowledge about (mostly exotic) animals while simultaneously drawing breezy moral lessons from the natures and properties of various creatures.
What is a Myth?
A Traditional story that involves the origins of people/places, explains natural phenomena or spirituality.
Why do you think most monsters back in the ancient world were women?
To potentially demonize them, a way to encode expectations on women (like you don’t want to be like her (monster))
