Monsters! Oh, my!

Emma, here! Welcome to Monsters! Oh My! Here you will find posts about monsters in literature along with some photos that I hope won't scare you into the wee hours of the morning.

[monsters-ohmy]

Winged Beasts

“My armor is like tenfold shields, my teeth are swords, my claws spears, the shock of my tail a thunderbolt, my wings a hurricane, and my breath death!”

- Smaug the Impenetrable, JR.R Tolkien, The Hobbit

Dragons lie in the realm of fantasy; legendary creatures who are deeply rooted in magic and have captivated audiences for centuries. The depiction of these winged beasts depends on the time period. For example, dragons were seen as benevolent creatures in Europe, predating Christianity. Then, under the rule of a dominant Christian nation, dragons were seen as malevolent and vicious beasts that needed to be slayed. In modern literature, dragons are often a symbol of strength, loyalty, or are an obstacle in the way of the protagonist’s journey.

According to a Cyprian myth, the story of Lady Melusine is an old European folktale, which explains the French noble Lusignan ancestry. It is rumored that the Lusignan family are descendants of a dragon. There are many versions of this myth, but the most famous Melusine tale is Jean d'Arras 14th century interpretation. One day Elynas, King of Albany, went hunting in the forest and stumbled across the beautiful maiden, Pressyne. He was so entranced that he proposed. Pressyne would only accept his proposal on one condition: Elynas must never enter her chamber while she bathed or birthed future children. He agreed. Years later, Pressyne gave birth to triplets, but Elynas violated his promise. Pressyne was so distraught that she left the kingdom immediately with her daughters and fled to Avalon.

Fifteen years later, Pressyne’s daughter, Melusine, learned of her father’s broken promise and sought revenge. With the help of her sisters, they captured Elynas and locked him in a mountain. Upon hearing this blatant disrespect of their father, Pressyne punished her daughters with a curse. Melusine was condemned to take the form of a serpent from the waist down every Saturday for the rest of her life.

Then, similar to the meeting and proposal of Pressyne and Elynas, Melusine came in contact with Raymond of Poitu, and gave him a parallel condition: he must never enter her chamber on a Saturday. Like her father, Raymond broke his promise, but Melusine forgave him. What Melusine does not forgive is a future incident where Raymond called her a serpent in front of his court. Heartbroken and embarrassed, Melusine turned into a dragon and never returned again.

What is left of her family are the remnants of her dragon blood.

In the 20tth century,  modern interpretation of this tale was written in 1965 by Manuel Mujica Láinez. His compelling tale of Melusine in The Wandering Unicorn stays true to Jean d’Arras’s, exploring the roots of the European myth. However, Láinez’s Melusine embarks on a whirlwind adventure through the time of the Crusades, delving into her shape-shifting life full of monsters, love, and war.

At the end of the 20th century and in the beginning of the 21st century, novels like The Hobbit, The Inheritance Cycle, and The Song of Ice and Fire series dominate dragons in literature.

In The Hobbit, Smaug is a tyrannical and fearsome creature who invaded a dwarf kingdom 150 years prior to the beginning of the book. What makes him so frightening is the fact that he is a highly intellectual and cunning creature who can talk. To possibly defeat Smaug, thirteen brave dwarves go on a quest to take back their kingdom with the help of the wizard Gandulf. If you’ve seen any of The Hobbit movies, you’ll know that he is not a creature to be trifled with.

In the Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini, Saphira is a blue female dragon and is said to be the last female dragon to exist. Saphira is a wise, intelligent, and fiercely loyal creature who communicates telepathically with her rider, Eragon. Eragon is the only one who can hear her thoughts because of the bond between rider and dragon. They are a cohesive unit; what one feels so does the other.  Saphira is also a mighty force to be reckoned with as she and Eragon go on an adventure to defeat the antagonist of the story, Galbatorix.

Lastly, I’ve saved the best for last because of the impact that these dragons have had in pop culture: Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion in The Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin. These creatures were hatched by Daenerys Targaryen in Drogo’s funeral pyre. The name for the dragons are sentimental to Dany. Drogon is named after her late husband, Khal Drogo; Rhaegal and Viserion are in memory of her brothers Rhaegar and Viserys Targaryen.

Dany’s dragons are powerful winged beasts who have a strong connection to magic. It is because of their existence (they are the only ones left who exist in Westeros) that magic slowly resurfaces throughout the land this is a big deal. Like Paolini’s Saphira, Martin’s three dragons can be trained and bonded to a person – in this case to Dany. In this world, if a dragon is not trained they will destroy everything that is around them.

So, if you ever come across a dragon egg in Westeros remember to properly train it or else…well, you know: 

Ultimately, dragons are great magical creatures often found in the forefronts of war as friend or foe. In literature, dragons have reemerged and it is attributed to the fame of HBO’s hit show Game of Thrones. Whatever the case may be, I am quite excited to see where the future of dragons takes us!

Dragon books you may be interested in:

Talon by Julie Kagawa

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

The Neverending Story by Michael Ende

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Photo Credit:

Smaug from The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Dany & Drogon from Game of Thrones

Dragons from Game of Thrones

Saphira from Eragon (2006)

[monsters-ohmy]

Where Magic Blooms

Did you ever hear

Of the frolic fairies dear?

They're a blessed little race,

Peeping up in fancy's face,

In the valley, on the hill,

By the fountain and the rill;

Laughing out between the leaves

That the loving summer weaves.

Frances Sargent Osgood

Faeries look like us. They are humanoid in nature and are depicted with gossamer wings. To deflect their malice or tricks one can simply have iron on hand, or charms of rowan or herbs. I suggest you keep this in mind the next time you lose your way, trip suddenly, or your hair is being tugged or pulled in the most indistinctly of ways. It may be a faerie playing a trick on you.

Fae or fairies, as they are more commonly known and used interchangeably, are creatures closely tied to nature and embody the use of magic. Faeries are prevalent in European folklore. Their mythological influence stems from the Celtic, Germanic, and Greco-Roman cultures, while fairies are depicted in modern literature.

Although the spelling for these magical creatures look similar - the interpretation is significant to explain two different mythical spirits. For example, the spelling for fae or faeries can often be interpreted as nymphs, jinn, sprites, brownies, and hobgoblins (just to name a few). The similarities lie within the creature’s ability to exercise magical powers for malicious intent.

On the other hand, the spelling of fairy or fairies are interpreted as whimsical, benevolent, and pure spirits. I’m looking at you Tinkerbell, even though you can be mean!

In literature, faeries are depicted in medieval romances. One of the earliest records of faeries in England were transcribed (from an oral tale) in the 13th century by historian Gervase of Tilbury.

Then, in 1485, Sir Thomas Mallory wrote Le Morte d’Arthur, a titular reimagining of the Arthurian legends, integrating the realm of faerie in Morgan le Fay; her name suggesting her connection to the supernatural world. Morgan was Arthur’s half-sister and is often depicted as an evil enchantress, determined to kill her brother.

Below is a quote from Le Morte d’Arthur, describing Morgan’s character and her learned skills in magic:

"And the thryd sister, Morgan le Fey, was put to scole in a nonnery, and ther she lerned so moche that she was a grete clerke of nygromancye." (5.44-6.2)

On the other side of the spectrum, there is the Lady of the Lake, ruler of Avalon, a faerie isle, and the eventual resting place of King Arthur. Nimue, as Mallory calls the Lady of the Lake, is a force of good (Holbrook). She helps the men around her fight incredible odds and also sways the court in the right direction like giving Arthur the legendary sword Excalibur and nursing Lancelot back to health when he was a baby.

In the next century, William Shakespeare and Edmund Spencer, integrated faeries in A Midsummer’s Night Dream and The Faerie Queene, respectively. The faeries in both works lie hidden in another realm closely weaved within ours. The veil is thin and magic blooms under the light of the moon.

The modern interpretation of faeries is attributed to the Romanticism during the Victorian era. Walter Scott and James Hogg were inspired by folklore and thus, collaborated on Border Ballads. At the end of the Victorian era, J.M. Barrie, creates an origin story of faeries in an early chapter of Peter Pan:

“When the first baby laughed for the first time, its laugh broke into a thousand pieces, and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies.”

In Barrie’s world, fairies are benevolent creatures, whose very existence stems from happiness and belief. Tinkerbell’s existence is challenged and if a person who is near her doesn’t believe in fairies, her light slowly dims in return. Tink comes terribly close to dying in the story because of the non-belief in her – in fairies.

Do you believe in fairies? Shout your belief at the top of your lungs for all fairies to hear so that they may live another day, flitting about in wonder and cheer!

Faerie novels you may be interested in:

Tithe by Holly Black

Ironskin by Tina Connolly

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

The Stolen Child by Keith Donohue

Thank you for reading! Join me next week, where I will delve into the world of dragons!

Resources:

Holbrook, S. E. "Nymue, the Chief Lady of the Lake, in Malory's Le Morte D’arthur." Speculum 53.4 (1978): 761-777. JSTOR. NCSU University Libraries, Raleigh, NC. 15 March 2009. 

Photo credit:

Lady of the Lake by Kali Ciesemier

[monsters-ohmy]

Falling from Heaven

Damned for an eternity, punished for his feelings

left to beg forgiveness as he kneels.

Gone those feathered wings a brilliant snowy white

replaced by heavy rusted wings of steel.

Wronged, Bosiar

In literature, the appearance of fallen angels are few and far between. John Milton’s Paradise Lost is the most popular work of fiction and one of my favorites! to detail the account of the Fall and the Garden of Eden, where the Bible fails to chronicle. While, in modern literature, fallen angels have less to do about biblical/philosophical concepts and more about the allure and romanticism of these mysterious and unearthly creatures.

Lucifer, or more commonly known as Satan, was once the most revered angels to God. He was an archangel, endowed with an array of spiritual gifts, and as Milton describes in Paradise Lost, “brighter once amidst the host of Angels, than the sun amidst the stars.” Like all the angels in Heaven, Lucifer had free will, and he chose to lead a path of rebellion against God. For the rebellion – a sin in the eyes of God – Lucifer and all of his followers were cast out of heaven where they fell to Earth and sought chaos and destruction.

They were the first fallen angels recorded in history.

Milton’s depiction of Lucifer is arrogant, charismatic, and cunning. Lucifer makes Hell his domain and is quite content to do so as it is “better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven.” Lucifer can be seen as a tragic hero whose tragic flaw is hubris. He continues his war against God on Earth and will not be satisfied until he destroys God’s precious creation: mankind.

The purpose of Paradise Lost is to “justify the ways of God to men” stated in Book I, while novels like the Hush, Hush series and the Fallen series (now a Motion Picture!), delve into a modern take of fallen angels coupled with forbidden love. 

Warning: SPOILERS LIE AHEAD. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

In Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick, Nora is instantly drawn to Patch, a new student at her school yep, it sounds like Twilight but bear with me. Patch is suddenly everywhere and Nora can’t seem to get away from him. After a series of unfortunate near-death experiences caused by Patch and unbeknownst to Nora, she finds out that her fate is entwined with an ancient battle between the immortal and the fallen. Patch is dispatched sorry for the lame pun to kill Nora, but falls in love with her instead.

Oops. You had one job, Patch.

Next, Lauren Kate follows a similar story line in her Fallen series. Lucinda instantly falls in love with Daniel within the first five chapters (I may be exaggerating, but it’s definitely within the first ten, at-most!) of the novel. He also shares two secrets:

1. He’s a fallen angel – one of the first angels to have fallen with their commander, Lucifer.

2. Daniel has spent centuries finding Luce in the form of reincarnations.

Their love is forbidden – a reason that isn’t revealed until the third book! Similarly, to Nora, Luce and Daniel are caught between good and evil forces bent on keeping them apart.

The depiction of fallen angels have greatly shifted from Milton’s beautiful epic poem of sin and redemption to literature that has heavily romanticized these once great creatures.

If you have any fallen angel book suggestions, I’d love to hear them! Preferably, a little darker like Milton’s representation!

Thank you for reading! Tune in next week where I’ll delve into the land of the fae.

Photo credit:

Lucifer’s Fall by tripplejaz

[monsters-ohmy]

Deep in the Sea

“We have lingered in the chambers of the sea

By sea-girls wreathed with seaweed red and brown

Till human voices wake us, and we drown.”

T.S. Elliot, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

The cultural dynamic of mermaids has changed throughout literature, steadily progressing from ruthless sirens seeking for unsuspecting humans and dragging them to their watery grave, versus kind and compassionate creatures which desire to be human in more modern works. Mermaid folklore has existed for thousands of  years and it’s relevance in literature is still prevalent today. The belief in mermaids may be attributed to the fact that the ocean is 95% undiscovered and thus, igniting inspiration to all who seek to find the sea’s secrets within its watery depth.  

The first known stories are from Assyria c. 1000 BC. We will be briefly stepping away from Western European myths. Atargatis, goddess of fertility, fell in love with a mortal and had accidentally killed him. Consumed with grief, Atargatis dove into the ocean, hoping to transform into a fish. Her beauty was too great however; the ocean unable to conceal her. She instead became half-goddess, half-fish. Human above the waist and a tail below.  

Homer’s Odyssey is one of the earliest accounts of bewitching sea-women in literature. In this epic poem, Odysseus and his shipmates are the only men to have ever survived the sirens’ song. After having received a warning from the sorceress Circe, Odysseus orders his men to stuff their ears with beeswax; while Odysseus does not, wanting to hear for himself the siren’s enthralling song. He commands his crew to tie him to the mast of the ship and to not unbind him despite his pleas. As they near the Isle where the sirens dwell, Odysseus is enticed by their mesmerizing voices. He begs to be released, but his shipmates bind him tighter to the mast. It is only when they are safe and out of earshot that the crew unties Odysseus.  

Similarly, in a tale from The Arabian Nights, a collection of Middle Eastern and South Asian stories, mermaids were portrayed in the same regard. They lured sailors with their beauty and enchanting voices. The men become utterly transfixed, unable to control their bodies and minds.

The Little Mermaid, by Hans Christian Anderson, is one of the most popular mermaid tales to date. Dubbed with the same title as the beloved Disney movie, The Little Mermaid is a dark tale of an ill-fated desire. The young mermaid is fascinated by land, much like Ariel in the Disney movie. Her desire prompted the young mermaid to seek love as it is the only thing that will give her a soul, sending her up towards the sky after death. If she died a mermaid, she would simply turn into sea foam.  

Unlike the happily ever after in the Disney movie, Hans’ little mermaid does not get her prince. After her failed attempt to win the prince’s heart, the little mermaid’s life hangs on a thread.

In the end, her sisters come to the rescue after having sacrificed their hair for a special knife that would give her back what she had sold to the sea witch yep, it is pretty similar to Disney!. If the little mermaid kills the prince, his blood would turn her legs back into a tail.  

Gruesome, right?  

Well, in the end, the little mermaid spared his life, even though her life will come to an end when the sun rises. Rather than turning into sea foam, the little mermaid becomes air and is given a second chance to a mortal soul so that she may have a shot at heaven.  

These tales are a stark contrast to the sweet, kind, and benevolent creatures that are portrayed in literature today. Personally, I would much rather swim with dolphins, collect sea shells, and discover the depths where no human has ever been. 

Mermaid novels you may be interested in:  

The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Anderson

Aquamarine by Alice Hoffman

Of Poseidon by Anna Banks

Vicious Deep by Zoraida Córdova

Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama

Thank you for reading! Stay tune for next week where I’ll explore fallen angels! 

Photo credit: 

Nymphs Finding the Head of Orpheus & A Mermaid by John William Waterhouse

[monsters-ohmy]

From Man to Wolf

Once a month under the light of the full moon, the transformation from man to wolf occurs. Agonizing screams as bones crack, shifting and changing, fill the air. The sudden process causes the skin to rupture. There springs forth a beast with razor sharp teeth that will tear into human flesh. A howl pierces the night, a warning for all those near to run somewhere safe, or else become its next meal.

Werewolves originate from the Greco-Roman world. The classical poet, Virgil, wrote about a man who turns into a wolf in Eclogue 8, but it is Ovid’s Metamorphoses that is better known for its origin Greek myth of the monster. Werewolves come from an old world and, perhaps, it is a reason their popularity has fallen compared to vampires in modern literature.

In Metamorphoses, Ovid recounts the story of King Lycaon, ruler of Arcadia. Lycaon was cruel and tried to trick the king of the gods, Zeus, by preparing a meal made of human flesh. Lycaon did not believe that Zeus was truly a god and thus, the trickery. In the end, Zeus was not deceived, but outraged. He struck down all fifty of King Lycaon’s sons with a thunderbolt and turned Lycaon into a werewolf.

Lycanthrope / Lycaon

Although, the word is of Greek origin, it was established hundreds of years after Ovid and his retelling in the second half of the 1500′s. However, it does make you wonder if the word was inspired by Lycaon’s werewolf transformation.

Below is a fragment describing Zeus’ wrath and Lycaon’s transformation:

[...]

The house with just revenging fire upon the owners hed,

Who seeing that, slipt out of doores amazde for feare, and fled

Into the wilde and desert woods, where being all alone,

As he endevorde (but in vaine) to speake and make his mone,

He fell a howling: wherewithall for verie rage and moode

He ran me quite out of his wits and waxed furious woode.

Still practising his wonted lust of slaughter on the poore

And sielie cattle, thirsting still for bloud as heretofore,

His garments turnde to shackie haire, his armes to rugged pawes:

So is he made a ravening Wolfe: whose shape expressely drawes

To that the which he was before: his skinne is horie graye,

His looke still grim with glaring eyes, and every kinde of waye

His cruell heart in outward shape doth well it selfe bewraye.

[...]

Werewolves have since evolved from Ovid’s retelling of the ancient Greek myth to the popular werewolf tropes in modern literature.

Between 1764 and 1767, a wolf pack terrorized the province of Gevaudan, France; it was at the height of werewolf hysteria; a brief point in history much like that of the Salem Witch Trials. This event lead to the discovery of silver bullets to be a werewolf’s weakness after Jean Chastel, a local innkeeper, shot and killed a massive wolf. One hundred years later, Sabine Baring-Gould’s The Book of Were-wolves mentions the earliest reference to transformation on a full moon (1865).

Below is a gruesome transformation from man to wolf from the hit Netflix series, Hemlock Grove.

Warning: This video is not for the faint of heart. If you are prone to squeamishness, I suggest you keep on scrolling.

Fast forward to 1933 where Guy Endore published The Werewolf of Paris, the Dracula of werewolf novels. It is part horror and part historical fiction, following Bertrand Caillet, as he tries to tame the beast within on his travels through 19th century France.

The Werewolf of Paris more or less defined the genre of werewolves. It unfortunately was not enough. In a brief article titled Werewolves in Literature, Dr. Michael Delahoyde writes that “…[werewolves have] come to represent the "animal" in the afflicted humans. Unlike vampires, werewolves have not transcended to be sympathetic. Their sole purpose is to arouse terror.”

Time has not been kind to these mythical creatures. Maybe there needs to be a brave soul to take up the challenge to write a werewolf novel that will transcend time, and put werewolves back on the supernatural map!

Will it be you?

Werewolf novels you may be interested in:

Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse

Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause

The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

The Bloody Chamber Angela Carter

Nightshade by Andrea Creamer

Lastly, I leave you with a warning: Be wary of the full moon, you never know what kind of beast lurks in the shadows.

Thank you for reading! Tune in next time for a look at mermaids.

[monsters-ohmy]

Creatures of the Night

From feared creatures of the night to romantically misunderstood, vampires have become a widely popular character in modern fiction. In Western pop culture, the characteristics have changed from a less frightening monster, tormented with living for eternity versus the blood thirsty creature who haunts the dark and empty streets, looking for unsuspecting victims.

Vampire lore pre-dates Christianity. However, interest and belief in these other-worldly creatures surged throughout Europe during the Middle Ages. It is in British literature, where the first literary vampire is introduced.

In Robert Southey’s 1801 epic poem Thalaba the Destroyer, explores a wide range of supernatural creatures and myths – vampires being one of them. It is a lesser known tale where Thalaba’s bride, Oneiza, dies on their wedding day. Oneiza is then resurrected, holding the appearance of a human – her former self - with slight variations like a pale complexion, blue lips, and eyes “that dwelt brightness more terrible than all the loathsomeness of death.” The scene is supplemented with an extensive and detailed footnote in which Southey recounts vampire tales from Europe.

Nearly a decade passed before the world was given Dracula by Bram Stoker.

But before Dracula there was Carmilla.

Published in 1872 by Sheridan Le Fanu, Carmilla is a Victorian gothic novella. The story follows Laura and her love/hate relationship with the mysterious Carmilla who has come to stay at Laura’s and her father’s remote castle in the Styria forest.

What makes Carmilla intriguing and terrifying (for this time) is the sexual awakening and lesbian undertones. The element of perverse sexuality (I only say perverse because during the 1800′s it was illegal and scandalous) becomes a distinguished element in future vampire novels. This topic is also depicted in Dracula.

Bram Stoker was heavily influenced by Carmilla. Yet, Dracula is the vampire story that has been cannoned as the “story that invented the genre” (Maloney, 2014).

The archetype for a vampire is most closely resembled to Stoker’s Count Dracula. It is in Dracula that we find the greatest similarities to that of the modern vampire:

no reflection in mirrors

transformation into an animal

invitation to enter a home

aversion to running water and sunlight

Dracula is horror at its finest; the traits the Count holds are enough to scare me into the wee hours of the morning. I have no idea how Mina Harker, the woman that Dracula is drawn to, can endure an acquaintance with a terrifying creature. I would definitely be screaming my head off and finding the nearest available exit from his castle.

Now, if it was a well-dressed sophisticated bachelor with a southern twang or a sparkly vampire – it may be a different story.

Anne Rice popularized the vampire genre in the late 20th century with her books Interview with the Vampire, The Vampire Lestat, and The Queen of the Damned. Rice’s vampires are seductive, mysterious, and lethal. They share the common traits of Stoker’s Dracula with the addition of coffins and the newly explored characteristic of sympathy.

As readers, we now sympathize with these once deadly creatures of the night. For example, in Interview with the Vampire, Louis, after years of being a vampire cannot bear to kill humans. He resorts to eating rats instead. Louis is also tormented by his immortality and says, “The world changes, we do not, therein lies the irony that kills us.”

The most sympathetic version of the vampire comes from Stephanie Meyer’s 2008 Twilight series. Twilight is a world-wide phenomenon that changed the literary vampire. The main male protagonist and his family is no longer terrifying, but heavily romanticized and civilized. The vampires in this world have established societies that govern their place with humans. They have a strict NO KILLING HUMANS and a NO TURNING HUMANS INTO VAMPIRES policy.

The way that these vampires quench their thirst for blood is by acquiring blood bags from a blood bank or hunting wild animals like deer. Louis, you should have thought of that instead of rats! However, the thirst for human blood is always there. Just ask Edward, our male protagonist, and his effort to not drain Bella’s blood. Rules are what keep Edward and his kind under control and in the shadows of human knowledge. 

Lastly, these vampires do not fear sunlight, but instead sparkle when rays of light hit their skin.

Sounds pretty good, right? Well, that’s exactly what the main female protagonist, Bella Swan, says about the mysterious Edward Cullen. *cue swooning fangirls*

In 300 years, the literary vampire has drastically changed, but in the end, they all want to suck our blood in one way or another.

Be sure to check out the links for the books mentioned in this post if you’d like to read about these creatures for yourself!

Thank you for stopping by! Tune in next week for some talk about…werewolves.

Reference

Maloney, Devon. "Vampires, From Bram Stoker to Dracula Untold." Wired.com. Conde Nast Digital, 9 Oct. 2014. Web. 27 Oct. 2016.                                                  

Photo credit:

Interview with a Vampire (1994)

Twilight (2008)

[monsters-ohmy]

Welcome to Monsters! Oh, my!

Vampires, werewolves, and mermaids are among the most popular mythical creatures known to humanity. At Monsters! Oh, my! I will explore an array of supernatural creatures and how they are portrayed in past and modern literature.

The origins I will be exploring are primarily from various Western European myths that have existed for thousands of years. The works of fiction I will be looking at will be centered around the creature with no restriction to the genre. These creatures (along with others) have been integrated into literature and have since evolved into the pop culture phenomenon we know today.

There is a mixture of mythical creatures that bump in the night. Sometimes, they put us in a frightened state of terror or give us a sense of comfort and wishful thinking to be part of that mysterious and magical world.

For example, werewolves terrified me as a child. Little Red Cap by the Brothers Grimm sent me hiding underneath the covers. I was afraid of being alone and would not go anywhere without the company of another human which is still true today when night fell. Then, there are creatures like mermaids, which could be portrayed as either friend or foe, but are beautiful, nonetheless. Beautiful creatures that I still wished to be. Doesn’t living in the ocean, swimming with dolphins, and collecting seashells sound appealing? It was to eight year old me.

The author holds the key to what we, as the reader, interpret these creatures to be. They could be dangerously lethal like vampires, werewolves, and zombies. Then, there are angels and fae (faeries), beings who are often depicted as guides who help you get out of sticky or life threatening situations.

The following list of creatures are the ones I will specifically explore:

Vampires

Werewolves

Mermaids

Angels

Fae

Dragons

Zombies

I hope that you will enjoy your stay here at Monsters! Oh, my! Next week, we will dig in to the most popular creature of them all – the vampire.

Photo credit:

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)

Werewolf Animated Wallpaper (2014)