Academic literature on the topic 'Ancient monsters'
Create a spot-on reference in APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and other styles
Consult the lists of relevant articles, books, theses, conference reports, and other scholarly sources on the topic 'Ancient monsters.'
Next to every source in the list of references, there is an 'Add to bibliography' button. Press on it, and we will generate automatically the bibliographic reference to the chosen work in the citation style you need: APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago, Vancouver, etc.
You can also download the full text of the academic publication as pdf and read online its abstract whenever available in the metadata.
Journal articles on the topic "Ancient monsters"
1
Macumber, Heather. "The Threat of Empire: Monstrous Hybridity in Revelation 13." Biblical Interpretation 27, no. 1 (March 11, 2019): 107–29. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/15685152-00271p06.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract The Apocalypse of John is filled with monsters who threaten both spatial and cultural boundaries. They are generally understood as ciphers for the Roman Empire and its rulers. Rather than seeking the ancient Near Eastern origins of the monstrous imagery, the intent of this paper is to use monster theory to better understand why John employs monsters throughout the apocalypse. I argue that the author’s portrayal of the threat and punishment of hybrid monsters reveals his own insecurities and fears concerning his communities’ assimilation with Roman culture. John uses monsters specifically to target rival prophets in his communities that espouse a different vision of living under Rome rule.
2
Higgins, Ryan S. "The Good, the God, and the Ugly: The Role of the Beloved Monster in the Ancient Near East and the Hebrew Bible." Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology 74, no. 2 (April 2020): 132–45. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0020964319896307.
Full textAbstract:
Ancient Near Eastern texts teem with horrifying and grotesque beings that pose some significant threat to the cosmos, humanity, and its institutions. Adopting Noël Carroll’s definition, such beings are monsters: interstitial not only physiologically and ontologically, but also cosmically and morally. This essay takes a comparative and literary approach to beloved monsters in Ugaritic, Mesopotamian, and Hebrew Bible texts. It suggests that in Ugarit and Mesopotamia, such monsters play a crucial role in advancing the goals of antipathic heroes while maintaining the integrity of sympathetic deities. It then considers the beloved monster in the Hebrew Bible and its interpretations. Finally, the essay makes note of the phenomenon’s transformation in contemporary speculative fiction. The essay argues that the beloved monster in Ugarit and Mesopotamia keeps together a fragmented cosmos, while in the Hebrew Bible it refracts through the facets in a prismatic God.
3
Florenzano, Maria Beatriz Borba. "Monsters as coin types in Ancient Greece." Revista do Museu de Arqueologia e Etnologia, no. 5 (December 18, 1995): 223. http://dx.doi.org/10.11606/issn.2448-1750.revmae.1995.109237.
Full textAbstract:
Se quisermos compreender o caráter da moeda na Antiguidade grega é indispensável que a analisemos sob diferentes pontos de vista. Com efeito, a moeda além de instrumento de troca e de medida de valor, participava de um conjunto mais amplo de objetos impregnados de funções mágicas ou religiosas. A própria imagem escolhida como tipo monetário, subjazia um caráter apotropaico - “alexíkakos”- que ao fixar uma energia divina invocava proteção. Neste sentido, a representação de monstros atuava como uma fixação de poderes maléficos de sorte a anulá-los, de acordo com o princípio da magia simpática de que “o símile bane o símile” . Por outro lado, como objeto, a moeda poderia funcionar como amuleto, se pendurada ao pescoço. Quando deixada em locais sagrados, cumpria a função de aplacar alguma divindade de sorte a dar proteção ao ofertante.
4
Maier, Emar. "A Plea against Monsters." Grazer Philosophische Studien 93, no. 3 (July 13, 2016): 363–95. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/18756735-09303003.
Full textAbstract:
Inspired by Schlenker’s (2003) seminal Plea for Monsters, linguists have been analyzing every occurrence of a shifted indexical by postulating a monstrous operator. The author’s aim in this paper is to show that Kaplan’s (1989) original strategy of explaining apparent shifting in terms of a quotational use/mention distinction offers a much more intuitive, parsimonious and empirically superior analysis of many of these phenomena, including direct–indirect switches in Ancient Greek, role shift in signed languages, free indirect discourse in literary narratives, and mixed quotation.
5
van Oppen de Ruiter, Branko F. "Lovely Ugly Bes! Animalistic Aspects in Ancient Egyptian Popular Religion." Arts 9, no. 2 (April 17, 2020): 51. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/arts9020051.
Full textAbstract:
The popular yet demonic guardian of ancient Egypt, Bes, combines dwarfish and leonine features, and embodies opposing traits such as a fierce and gentle demeanor, a hideous and comical appearance, serious and humorous roles, an animalistic and numinous nature. Drawing connections with similarly stunted figures, great and small cats, sacred cows, baboons, demonic monsters, universal gods and infant deities, this article will focus on the animalistic associations of the Bes figure to illustrate that this leonine dwarf encompassed a wider religious significance than apotropaic and regenerative functions alone. Bes was thought to come from afar but was always close; the leonine dwarf guarded the sun god Ra along the diurnal solar circuit; the figure protected pregnant women and newborn children; it was a dancer and musician; the figure belonged to the company of magical monsters of hybrid appearance as averter of evil and sword-wielding fighter. Exploring the human and animal, demonic and numinous aspects of this leonine dwarf will not only further our understanding of its nature and function, but also its significance and popularity.
6
Lucarelli, Rita. "Towards a Comparative Approach to Demonology in Antiquity: The Case of Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia." Archiv für Religionsgeschichte 14, no. 1 (September 2013): 11–26. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/arege-2012-0002.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract This essay provides a general introduction to demonology in antiquity as well as a focus on ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. It is also meant as an introduction to those papers which were originally presented at the international conference titled “Evil Spirits, Monsters and Benevolent Protectors: Demonology in Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia,” held on April 23, 2012 at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World of New York University, contained in the first section of this volume. Questions of the definition and function of demons in ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilizations are raised and discussed in light of a comparative approach to the study of ancient religions.
7
Kaczyńska, Elwira, and Krzysztof Tomasz Witczak. "Greckie nazwy dużych zwierząt morskich w świetle relacji Eliana (O naturze zwierząt IX 49)." Symbolae Philologorum Posnaniensium Graecae et Latinae 28, no. 2 (March 21, 2019): 43–56. http://dx.doi.org/10.14746/sppgl.2018.xxviii.2.3.
Full textAbstract:
The paper analyzes chapter IX 49 of Aelian’s De natura animalium, devoted to the largest sea animals. It is accompanied by a Polish translation and appropriate comments. Aelian provides numerous Ancient Greek names for large sharks and sea mammals, including the “sea lion,” hammer-headed shark, “sea leopard”, whales, sawfish, malthe, “sea ram”, “sea hyena” and “sea dogs”. The names are explained from the point of view of semantic motivation; some new identifications of sea monsters are suggested as well.
8
Petrovic, Ivana, and Andrej Petrovic. "General." Greece and Rome 66, no. 2 (September 19, 2019): 334–52. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0017383519000159.
Full textAbstract:
Most of us tend to encounter Greek myths in childhood as exciting stories brimming with heroes, monsters, and moody divinities. The story of Odysseus’ homecoming and the story about the Little Mermaid feature different characters, but their relationship to reality is understood to be the same: they are fantasy, and not real. If, like me, you were lucky enough to escape the Disneyfication of fairy tales in your childhood, perhaps you will remember the brutality and harshness of folktales, which puts them on a par with many Greek myths. My first encounters with ancient Greek stories about the gods and heroes were very similar to Sarah Iles Johnston's: we were both captivated by Greek myth as children, and the passion, once kindled, only grew stronger when we became mature enough to read the ‘real thing’. In my case, learning about ancient Greek culture and becoming a scholar of Greek religion required a thorough rethink, as I needed to readjust my stance towards Greek myths in order to understand the role that they played in ancient Greek society as formative narratives about the communities’ identities, early history, and human relationships with the gods. My process essentially required an emotional detachment from the beloved heroes of my childhood and a significant amount of distancing.
9
Makeeva, Vladislava Igorevna. "Acre and Alphito: to the question of Greek scary stories for children." Genesis: исторические исследования, no. 8 (August 2021): 13–18. http://dx.doi.org/10.25136/2409-868x.2021.8.36349.
Full textAbstract:
This article is describes the Ancient Greek mythological characters Acre (Ἀκκώ) and Alphito (Ἀλφιτώ). Both of them are commonly attributed to surly persons who frighten and posed treat to the little ones, by analogy with Lamia, Mormo and Gello, who murdered children. The goal of this research is to determine the differences between the tales about Acre and Alphiro and the tales about demons who murdered children. The object of this work is the mythological representations of Ancient Greeks, while the subject is the Greek scary stories for children. The author analyzes the testimonies of ancient authors about Acre and Alphito. The conclusion is made that these characters differed from the typical children's monsters. Special attention is given to the tale of Acre due to better preservation of its history in the sources. She was a stupid woman, known for her absurd actions. Her name was associated with the origin of the words denoting stupidity; it also became a common name and was of proverbial nature. The foolish acts of Acre made her a fitting example of the wrong pastime. The tales of Acre and Alphito were not typical scary stories for children; their motif was not to frighten the little ones with their terrible doings as Lamia, Mormo and Gello, but to demonstrate not to waste their time in a foolish way.
10
Kuznetsova, Olga A. "HELLMOUTH IN THE JAWS OF CERBERUS. IN RUSSIA IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE 17TH AND BEGINNING OF THE 18TH CENTURY." RSUH/RGGU Bulletin. "Literary Theory. Linguistics. Cultural Studies" Series, no. 4 (2021): 65–75. http://dx.doi.org/10.28995/2686-7249-2021-4-65-75.
Full textAbstract:
The paper is focused on the adaptation of the image of Cerberus in Russian culture of the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Times. Fragmentary information about some characters of the Greco-Roman mythology penetrated into Russian medieval literature from the Byzantine. Christians often borrowed and reinterpreted those images in the traditions of Christian symbolism. One of these characters, Cerberus, the dog of Hades, became an infernal character: a guard or a demon of the Christian Hell. As a dog it turned into an Evil animal, executioner of sinners. Аs a three-headed creature it resembled dragons and other legendary monsters. Perhaps, the story about Hercules, who tamed Cerberus, became the basis of novel in the Sinai Patericon (story about Saint John Kolobos and graveyard hyena). At the beginning of the 18th century Russia experienced a secondary influence of Ancient symbolism through Western European emblematic collections and similar translated works. A lot of exotic images were rediscovered and aquired new meanings. Under the influence of the Jesuit theatre, the mouth of Cerberus became a variation of a well-known in Russia iconographic image of Hellmouth. In the plays by Dimitri of Rostov, the characters sent to the underworld found themselves in the mouth of a monstrous dog – inside an ingenious stage device. Toward the end of the 18th century Hell as a dog’s head appeared also in Russian popular prints, lubok.
Dissertations / Theses on the topic "Ancient monsters"
1
Posthumus, Liane. "Hybrid monsters in the Classical World : the nature and function of hybrid monsters in Greek mythology, literature and art." Thesis, Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/6865.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (MPhil (Ancient Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2011.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this thesis is to explore the purpose of monster figures by investigating the relationship between these creatures and the cultures in which they are generated. It focuses specifically on the human-animal hybrid monsters in the mythology, literature and art of ancient Greece. It attempts to answer the question of the purpose of these monsters by looking specifically at the nature of manhorse monsters and the ways in which their dichotomous internal and external composition challenged the cultural taxonomy of ancient Greece. It also looks at the function of monsters in a ritual context and how the Theseus myth, as initiation myth, and the Minotaur, as hybrid monster, conforms to the expectations of ritual monsters. The investigation starts by considering the history and uses of the term “monster” in an attempt to arrive at a reasonable definition of monstrosity. In aid of this definition, attention is also given to themes that recur when considering monster beings. This provides a basis from which the hybrid monsters of ancient Greece, the centaur and Minotaur in particular, can be considered. The next section of the thesis looks into the attitudes to animals prevalent in ancient Greece. The cultural value of certain animal types and even certain body parts have to be taken account, and the degree to which these can be traced to the nature and actions of the hybrid monster has to be considered. The main argument is divided in two sections. The first deals with the centaur as challenger to Greek cultural taxonomy. The centaur serves as an eminent example of how human-animal hybrid monsters combine the familiar and the foreign, the Self and the Other into a single complex being. The nature of this monster is examined with special reference to the ways in which the centaur, as proponent of chaos and wilderness, stands in juxtaposition to the ideals of Greek civilisation. The second section consists of an enquiry into the purpose of the hybrid monster and considers the Minotaur’s role as a facilitator of transformation. The focus is directed towards the ritual function of monsters and the ways in which monsters aid change and renewal both in individuals and in communities. By considering the Theseus-myth and the role of the Minotaur in the coming-of-age of the Attic hero as well as the city of Athens itself, the ritual theory is given application in ancient Greece. The conclusion of this thesis is that hybrid monsters, as manifestations of the internal dichotomy of man and the tenuous relationship between order and chaos, played a critical role in the personal and communal definition of man in ancient Greece.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doelstelling van hierdie tesis is om die sin van monsters te ondersoek deur te kyk na die verhouding wat bestaan tussen hierdie wesens en die gemeenskappe waarbinne hulle hul ontstaan het. Die tesis fokus spesifiek op die mens-dier hibriede monster in die mitologie, literatuur en kuns van antieke Griekeland. Dit probeer om tot ‘n slotsom te kom oor die bestaansrede van monsters deur te kyk na die aard van die man-perd monster. Hierdie wese se tweeledige samestelling – met betrekking tot beide sy interne en eksterne komposisie – het ‘n wesenlike bedreiging ingehou vir die kulturele taksonomie van die antieke Grieke. Die tesis kyk ook na die rol, van monsters in die konteks van rituele gebeure. Die mite van Theseus as ‘n mite met rituele verbintenisse, en die Minotaurus as hibriede monster, word dan oorweeg om te bepaal wat die ooreenstemming is met die verwagtinge wat daargestel is vir rituele monsters. Ten einde ‘n redelike definisie van monsteragtigheid daar te stel, begin die ondersoek deur oorweging te skenk aan die geskiedenis en die gebruike van die woord “monster”. Ter ondersteuning van hierdie definisie word daar ook aandag geskenk aan sekere temas wat herhaaldelik opduik wanneer monsters ter sprake kom. Dit skep ‘n basis vir die ondersoek na die hibriede monsters van antieke Griekeland, en meer spesifiek na die kentaurus en die Minotaurus. Die tesis oorweeg ook die houding van die antieke Griekse beskawing teenoor diere. Die kulturele waarde van sekere soorte diere, en selfs seker ledemate van diere, moet in ag geneem word wanneer die hibriede monsterfiguur behandel word. Aandag moet geskenk word aan die maniere waarop die assosiasies wat die Grieke met diere gehad het, oorgedra word na die aard en handelinge van die monsterfiguur. Die hoofargument van die tesis word in twee dele uiteengesit. Die eerste gedeelte behandel die kentaurus as uitdager van die kulturele taksonomie van die antieke Grieke. Die kentaurus dien as ‘n uitstekende voorbeeld van die manier waarop die mens-dier monster dit wat bekend is en dit wat vreemd is, die Self en die Ander, kombineer in een komplekse wese. Die aard van hierdie wese word ondersoek met spesifieke verwysing na die maniere waarop die kentaurus, as voorstander van die ongetemde en van chaos, in teenstelling staan teenoor die ideale van die Griekse beskawing. Die tweede gedeelte vors die doel van die hibriede monster na en oorweeg die Minotaurus se rol as bevorderaar van transformasie. Hier word gefokus op die rol van die monster in ’n rituele konteks en die maniere waarop monsters verandering en vernuwing teweegbring in enkelinge sowel as in gemeenskappe. Hierdie teorie word van toepassing gemaak op antieke Griekeland deur die mite van Theseus en die rol van die Minotaurus te oorweeg binne die konteks van die proses van inburgering wat beide die held en sy stad, Athene, ondergaan. Die gevolgtrekking van hierdie tesis is dat hibriede monsters, as uitbeeldings van die interne tweeledigheid van die mens sowel as van die tenger verband tussen orde en chaos in die wêreld, ‘n noodsaaklike rol gespeel het in die persoonlike en sosiale definisie van die individu in antieke Griekeland.
2
Mitchell, Fiona Sarah. "Monsters in ancient Greek cosmogony, ethnography and biology." Thesis, University of Bristol, 2015. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.681730.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis explores the roles of monsters and monstrosity in ancient Greek literature. Rather than focusing on individual monstrous creatures or mythical figures, it analyses the representations of monsters in three genres: cosmogony, ethnography and biology. Chapter One focuses on three cosmogonic texts: Hesiod's Theogony and two of the Orphic theogonies, the Hieronyman and Hellanicus Theogony and Rhapsodic Theogony. Through these texts I explore the use of monsters in the depictions of the primordial cosmos and the way in which they could be representative not only of a threatening primordial chaos, but also of the creative potential of the beginning of the universe. Chapter Two explores monsters in ethnography, their use in geographic representations of the world and, in particular, the representation of the periphery as a home of monsters and wonders. Thus, examining these creatures in Herodotus' Histories, Ctesias' Indika and Megasthenes' Indika allows an insight into the way that monsters were used in the characterisation of foreign peoples and places, and in the geographical structuring of the world. The exploration of biology in Chapter Three focuses primarily on Aristotle's biological texts. This section considers the way in which monstrous creatures were incorporated into investigations of contemporary Greece, and how monstrous creatures were used in creating a structure and hierarchy of the natural world. These genres all have very different perspectives on the world, and so depict monsters in different ways. However, they are all focused on examining the nature of the universe: cosmogony through its origins, ethnography through ,the different countries that make up the world, and biology through the nature of people and animals. Thus examining monsters in these texts provides an additional insight into the way the world was viewed and constructed in ancient Greek thought
3
Racine, Félix. "Monsters at the edges of the world : geography and rhetoric under the Roman empire." Thesis, McGill University, 2003. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=79974.
Full textAbstract:
Descriptions of the edges of the Roman world were shaped by social preoccupations and identity issues. Living in a newly unified Roman world, the popularizing geographers of the early Empire (Strabo, Mela, Pliny) used descriptions of fictional and remote people such as the utopian Hyperboreans, the cannibal Scythians and the monstrous Dog-Heads to present customs and behaviors that were utterly un-Roman. These rhetorical descriptions helped define Roman identity through antithetical exempla. In contrast to this, the fifth and sixth centuries, the anonymous authors of legends surrounding the figure of Saint Christopher witnessed a crisis of Roman identity fostered by a new 'barbarian' presence within the Empire and by the expansion of the Christian (i.e. Roman) faith outside of the Empire. Their response was to tear down the ginary barrier between the Roman world and fictional, remote people and to proclaim the forceful Christianization of distant lands.
4
Silverblank, Hannah. "Monstrous soundscapes : listening to the voice of the monster in Greek epic, lyric, and tragedy." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2017. https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:f66a7bb1-de17-46f2-b79f-c671c149c366.
Full textAbstract:
Although mythological monsters have rarely been examined in any collective and comprehensive manner, they constitute an important cosmic presence in archaic and classical Greek poetry. This thesis brings together insights from the scholarly areas of 'monster studies' and the 'sensory turn' in order to offer readings of the sounds made by monsters. I argue that the figure of the monster in Greek poetry, although it has positive attributes, does not have a fixed definition or position within the cosmos. Instead of using definitions of monstrosity to think about the role and status of Greek monsters, this thesis demonstrates that by listening to the sounds of the monster's voice, it is possible to chart its position in the cosmos. Monsters with incomprehensible, cacophonous, or dangerous voices pose greater threats to cosmic order; those whose voices are semiotic and anthropomorphic typically pose less serious threats. The thesis explores the shifting depictions of monsters according to genre and author. In Chapter 1, 'Hesiod's Theogony: The Role of Monstrosity in the Cosmos', I consider Hesiod's genealogies of monsters that circulate and threaten in the nonhuman realm, while the universe is still undergoing processes of organisation. Chapter 2, 'Homer's Odyssey: Mingling with Monsters', discusses the monster whom Odysseus encounters and even imitates in order to survive his exchanges with them. In Chapter 3, 'Monsters in Greek Lyric Poetry: Voices of Defeat', I examine Stesichorus' Geryoneis and the presence of Centaurs, Typhon, and Gorgons in Pindar's Pythian 1, 2, 3, and 12. In lyric, we find that these monsters are typically presented in terms of the monster's experience of defeat at the hands of a hero or a god. This discussion is followed by two chapters that explore the presence of the monster in Greek tragedy, entitled 'Centripetal Monsters in Aeschylus' Prometheus Bound and Oresteia' and 'Centrifugal Monsters in Greek Tragedy: Euripides and Sophocles.' Here, I argue that in tragedy the monster, or the abstractly 'monstrous', is located within the figure of the human being and within the polis. The coda, 'Monstrous Mimesis and the Power of Sound', considers not only monstrous voices, but monstrous music, examining the mythology surrounding the aulos and looking at the sonic developments generated by the New Musicians.
5
Petrilli, Aurore. "La lignée monstrueuse de Phorkys et Keto : étude mythologique et iconographique." Thesis, Paris 4, 2012. http://www.theses.fr/2012PA040070.
Full textAbstract:
Depuis la fin de l’Antiquité, les mythes liés aux religions polythéistes ont peu à peu été relégués au domaine du folklore, bien que la mémoire des grands mythes soit restée vivace dans notre culture. Mais pour comprendre les religions et les sociétés anciennes, il est impératif de revenir aux mythes. De nombreux ouvrages, parfois de vulgarisation, sont consacrés à ce sujet. Cependant, les études contemporaines, suivant en cela la voie déjà tracée par les Anciens, ne se concentrent presque exclusivement que sur la vie des héros grecs. Contrairement à cette tendance générale, notre étude, elle, porte sur le destin de ces oubliés que sont les êtres fabuleux qui peuplent les récits mythologiques et sans qui la renommée des héros mythiques serait amoindrie. La plupart de ces redoutables créatures sont issues de la même lignée dont Phorkys et Kétô sont les lointains aïeux. Parmi leur abondante descendance, nous avons choisi d’étudier ceux que l’on qualifie couramment de monstres. Nous avons procédé à une sélection parmi tous ces membres afin de pouvoir dégager un thème qui soit commun à tous. Nous nous intéresserons exclusivement aux créatures uniques, monstrueuses de naissance et à la morphologie fabuleuse telles que l’Hydre ou Cerbère. A travers un travail d’exploration à la fois littéraire et iconographique, nous tentons de retracer l’histoire des traditions concernant les membres de cette lignée. Des comparaisons avec des mythologies étrangères viennent parfois apporter un complément d’information sur la question. Dans cette entreprise nous devrons considérer des bornes chronologiques et géographiques relativement vastes. En effet, la période s’étendra du IXème ou VIIIème siècle avant J.-C. jusqu’au IIIème siècle après J.-C. Quant au champ géographique, il recouvrira toute la Grèce continentale et insulaire, ainsi que l’Asie Mineure et la Grande GrèceSince the end of Antiquity the myths which were related to polytheist religions have gradually been pushed aside towards the grounds of lore, although our culture keeps quite vivid the memory of great myths. Nevertheless, in order to be able to understand both ancient religions and societies, turning back to myths is an absolute necessity. Numerous works, some of which vulgarise, are devoted to the subject. However, contemporary studies - thus following the ways of the ancient themselves – mainly dwell on the lives of Greek heroes. As opposed to this general tendency, our study will be dealing with those forgotten creatures, beings of fantasy that are so often encountered in mythological tales and without whom the fame of these mythic heroes would be lessened. Most of these fearful creatures are issued from Phorkys and Keto’s long lineage. Among their numerous offsprings, we have chosen to study those generally known as “monsters”. We have set up a selection among these monsters in order to underline common characteristics. Thus, we intend to consider only creatures that are unique, monstrous by birth, having fabulous morphologies, such as for instance the Hydra and Cerberos. Based on both literary and iconographic sources we will attempt to draw a history of the traditions linked to these lineage members. Some more information on the topic will at times be provided by a few comparisons with foreign mythologies. The geographical and chronological boundaries of our study have to be quite large. The period will span from the 9th or 8th centuries BC up to the 3rd century AD. As for geography, the whole of Greece, both continental and insular, is concerned, as well as Asia Minor and Magna Graecia
6
Stoll, Daniel. "The Aesthetics of Storytelling and Literary Criticism as Mythological Ritual: The Myth of the Human Tragic Hero, Intertextual Comparisons Between the Heroes and Monsters of Beowulf and the Anglo-Saxon Exodus." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2020. https://dc.etsu.edu/honors/577.
Full textAbstract:
For thousands of years, people have been hearing, reading, and interpreting stories and myths in light of their own experience. To read a work by a different author living in a different era and setting, people tend to imagine works of literature to be something they are not. To avoid this fateful tendency, I hope to elucidate what it means to read a work of literature and interpret it: love it to the point of wanting to foremost discuss its excellence of being a piece of art. Rather than this being a defense, I would rather call it a musing, an examination on two texts that I adore: Beowulf and the Anglo-Saxon Exodus
7
Boudin, François. "Monstres et monstruosité en Grèce ancienne d'après les textes et l'iconographie des vases (VIIIe s. -IVe s. Av. J. -C. ) : étude de vocabulaire et de quelques hybrides." Rouen, 2008. http://www.theses.fr/2008ROUEL618.
Full textAbstract:
Le nombre de documents se rapportant aux monstres et à la monstruosité montre qu'ils constituent en Grèce une catégorie anthropologique et conceptuelle importante, ce dont témoignent la littérature et l'iconographie des vases. Cette étude s'attache à l'étude du vocabulaire de la monstruosité, mais aussi aux images abondantes sur ces objets d'usage commun que sont les vases. L'importance accordée par les Grecs à la monstruosité, qu'elle soit mythologique ou non, montre qu'elle est utile à penser : par ses brouillages et ses transgressions, elle définit les limites de l'humanitéThe number of documents relating to monsters and monstrosity shows that in Greece they are an important anthropological and conceptual category, as evidenced by literature and iconography of the vases. This study focuses on the study of the vocabulary of monstrosity, but also an abundant images on these objects commonly used as vases. The importance given by the Greeks to the monstrosity, wether mythological or not, shows that it is useful to think about it : thanks to its interference and its transgressions, it defines the limits of humanity
8
Vander, Velde Wendy Marcella. "How kingdoms were forged: King Arthur, Queen Elizabeth, and the assimilation of self and other in the New Ancient World." Thesis, 2014. https://hdl.handle.net/2144/15281.
Full textAbstract:
ABSTRACT
Medieval xenophobia fostered attitudes that viewed anything foreign or distasteful as monstrous. Accordingly, insular inhabitants of the Middle Ages were constantly striving to distinguish Self from Other. My dissertation argues that sixteenth-century England began to reverse this trend: it began to reconcile difference, not by distinguishing Self from Other, but by blurring those distinctions. Visions of ancient Self and contemporary Other began to fuse as proponents of Imperial Britain sought to assimilate foreign monsters that were once considered barbaric, inferior, or inhuman. This method of assimilation is especially apparent during the Elizabethan Age of conquest in the New World.
England's prophetic destiny was inextricably tied to its epic history, its Trojan ancestry, and its most glorified rulers, Brutus and his distant successor, King Arthur. Thus, reestablishing and rewriting Britain's legendary past became an exercise in securing its future. I maintain that John Dee (c. 1527-1608/9) and Edmund Spenser (c. 1552-1599) strategically fused ancient Britain and the New World via the figures of King Arthur and his alleged descendant, Queen Elizabeth. Portions of Dee's Brytanici Imperii Limites are explored to illustrate this connection, as are some of his arcane mystical pursuits. I further examine sections of Spenser's Faerie Queene in relation to Queen Elizabeth and King Arthur, and interpret Arthur in Faery lond as a metaphor for England in the New World.
My introduction establishes the key features of the Galfridian tradition and its significance to the Tudor dynasty. It further discusses medieval perceptions of the monstrous that influenced the early-modern era. Subsequent chapters argue that England's assimilation of Other extended to pagan deities and giants, Native Americans, ancient Israelites, and (in Elizabeth's case) to the feminine Other. My final chapter demonstrates how Queen Elizabeth, via her affiliation with King Arthur, became a temporal bridge uniting England's epic past with its future glory.
9
CHU, TSE-AN, and 朱則安. "〝Foresee Disorientation〞：An Editorial Illustration Study of The Ancient Mythical Monster as Today's Social Issue." Thesis, 2017. http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/8fhpyu.
Full textAbstract:
碩士國立臺灣藝術大學
視覺傳達設計學系
105
In the evolution of Chinese mythical creatures, they were born through peoples’ imagination towards the unknown. As time goes by, the shape, meaning, and category of mythical monsters are affected. Therefore, a species of mythical monster may have different names or fall into different categories. According to relevant studies, most authors have applied mythical creatures as an element or character on their artwork to present simply as a decorative form. However, this phenomenon is starting to change as authors has modernized the connotations of these mythical creatures, breaking them out of old mindsets and traditions. This creation study is to discuss what the status of mythical monsters is in today. Mythical monsters were defined by humans through generations, are similar to the today’s social issues. The purpose of the study is to search for the most suitable form out of mythical monsters to represent the selected social phenomenon and transform into graphics, and achieve the combination of both tradition & modern artwork, creates a whole new meaning to these mythical creatures. Through the literature review to understand the evolution between mythical monsters and their moral context, the origin and the trait of monsters, In the discussion of contemporary social issues, they can be divided into four main fields to explore in depth. These four fields are “Politics and Media”, “Gender and Family”, “Technology and Internet”, and “Society and Humanity”. The creation is presented in the form of editorial illustration which materializes news items and criticizes current event. Using the provided art form to create a strong public awareness and self-reflection image. The ultimate outcome is to transform each mythical monster into a symbolic icon to express the corresponding social phenomenon, providing a whole new dimension for these traditional mythical monsters. It is not only to create public awareness with the presentation under a unique perspective and also create the social value of mythical monsters in today's society. Every field has its relevance towards each other, inspiring readers to have a whole new interpretation towards each social phenomenon with the iconic symbol and meaning lying behind.
Books on the topic "Ancient monsters"
1
Reeves, James. Heroes and monsters: Legends of Ancient Greece. London: Piper, 1993.
Find full text
2
Ford, Michael. Heroes, gods and monsters of Ancient Greek mythology. Brighton: Book House, 2009.
Find full text
3
Mythology: The gods, heroes, and monsters of ancient Greece. Cambridge, Mass: Candlewick Press, 2007.
Find full text
6
Legends, monsters, or serial murderers?: The real story behind an ancient crime. Santa Barbara, Calif: Praeger, 2012.
Find full text
7
editor, Baglioni Igor, ed. Monstra: Costruzione e percezione delle entità ibride e mostruose nel Mediterraneo antico. Roma: Quasar, 2013.
Find full text
8
Lost worlds and forgotten secrets: Riddles of Earth and beyond. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 2001.
Find full text
9
Monster in der frühgriechischen Kunst: Die Überwindung des Unfassbaren. Berlin: De Gruyter, 2015.
Find full text
10
S, Lulof Patricia, Rescigno Carlo, Nederlands Instituut te Rome, and Museo archeologico regionale "Paolo Orsi", eds. Deliciae fictiles IV: Architectural terracottas in ancient Italy : images of gods, monsters and heroes : proceedings of the international conference held in Rome (Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia, Royal Netherlands Institute) and Syracuse (Museo Archeologico Regionale Paolo Orsi), October 21-25, 2009. Oxford: Oxbow Books, 2011.
Find full textBook chapters on the topic "Ancient monsters"
1
Cometa, Michele. "The Survival of Ancient Monsters: Freud and Baubo." In Monstrous Anatomies, 297–310. Göttingen: V&R unipress, 2015. http://dx.doi.org/10.14220/9783737004695.297.
Full text
2
"3. MONSTERS IN THE WEST, I: THE ANCIENT WORLD." In Monsters, 23–46. University of Pennsylvania Press, 2003. http://dx.doi.org/10.9783/9780812203226.23.
Full text
3
BLACKWOOD, ALGERNON. "“ANCIENT SORCERIES”." In Primary Sources on Monsters, 225–46. Arc Humanities Press, 2018. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvfxvckf.42.
Full text
4
"“Ancient Sorceries”." In Primary Sources on Monsters, 225–46. ARC, Amsterdam University Press, 2018. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/9781942401223-039.
Full text
5
Wells, Peter S. "Of Monsters and Flowers." In How Ancient Europeans Saw the World. Princeton University Press, 2012. http://dx.doi.org/10.23943/princeton/9780691143385.003.0001.
Full textAbstract:
This chapter first discusses the new style of imagery and ornament that emerged during the fifth century BC. The new style has been the source of endless controversy since the latter half of the nineteenth century. Strange creatures, part human, part beast, were crafted onto gold and bronze jewelry and cast onto the handles and lids of bronze vessels. Metalsmiths created lush new forms of decoration—incised and relief ornament based on floral motifs such as leaves and petals, with spirals, S-curves, and whirligigs decorating objects ranging from pottery to sword scabbards. This style was a radical departure from the forms of representation and decoration that preceded it. The chapter then sets out the book's purpose, namely to study a two-thousand-year period in Europe, from 2000 BC to the Roman conquests during the last century BC and the first century AD, known by the terms “Bronze Age” and “Iron Age.”
6
Wengrow, David. "Image and Economy in the Ancient World." In The Origins of Monsters. Princeton University Press, 2013. http://dx.doi.org/10.23943/princeton/9780691159041.003.0002.
Full textAbstract:
This chapter examines what led Mikhail Rostovtzeff, an ancient historian, almost a century ago to compare distributions of composite figures from China to Scandinavia. Rostovtzeff is known for his controversial view that the true architects of classical civilization were not those tied to the land, whether as peasant laborers or feudal aristocracy, but rather the middling professional classes of merchants, industrialists, and bankers whose social aspirations were most closely in tune with the civic values of an expanding urban society. Rostovtzeff was also embroiled in debates over the chronological position and cultural affiliations of Bronze Age metal hoards, unearthed along the shores of the Caspian and Black Seas. The chapter considers Rostovtzeff's approach to the interpretation of imagery, and his particular attraction to the imaginary creatures of nomadic art. It might be argued that the movements of monsters offered a kind of visual counterpart to Rostovtzeff's story of an ever-expanding Bronze Age civilization.
7
"1. Image and Economy in the Ancient World: The Bronze Age of Mikhail Rostovtzeff." In The Origins of Monsters, 8–18. Princeton University Press, 2013. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/9781400848867-004.
Full text
8
Bellucci, Benedetta. "Emar and its Monsters." In Proceedings of the 10th International Congress on the Archaeology of the Ancient Near East, Volume 1, 371–82. Harrassowitz, O, 2018. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvcm4f86.33.
Full text
9
Pinfari, Marco. "Contemporary logomachies." In Terrorists as Monsters, 53–76. Oxford University Press, 2019. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190927875.003.0003.
Full textAbstract:
This chapter continues with the line of argument presented in chapter 2 about the role of monster images in framing “terrorist” actors and about the recurrence of monster metaphors that not only convey their “otherness” but also, more forcefully, their resilience and unmanageability. The first paragraph presents the pseudo-scientific framing of anarchists in the late nineteenth century as half-human, half-feral uncontrollable brutes. The following section reviews the resort to religious and “cosmic war” imagery in framing “terrorist” groups as part of ethnonationalist conflicts, including the biblical “beasts” cited by Ian Paisley, the unmanageable yakku of Sinhalese folklore, and the resilient people of Amalek who fought the Israelites throughout most of their ancient history. The final paragraph introduces the concept of global jihad and discusses the reasons why Frankenstein’s monster and the hydra proved to be the most popular metaphors for describing both al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.
10
Felton, Debbie. "Monsters and Fear of Highway Travel in Ancient Greece and Rome." In Monster Anthropology. Bloomsbury Academic, 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.5040/9781350096288.ch-002.
Full text