Fantasy: Myths and Media
By Linda Sacco
~~**~~
Smashwords Edition
Copyright 2011 Linda Sacco
Discover other titles by Linda Sacco at Smashwords.com.
License Notes
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Contents
Werewolves
Werewolves Media Interpretation
Angels
Crystals
Ghosts
Halloween
Halloween Media Interpretation
Fairies and Elves
Fairies and Elves Media Interpretation
Dreams
Mermaids and Unicorns
Mermaids and Unicorns Media Interpretation
Witches
Vampires
Welcome: An Introduction
Bella Swan and Harry Potter were completely unremarkable…in their own eyes. But called upon to enter another world (Bella to Forks, Washington and Harry to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry) they come into contact with ‘people’ they belong with. And even amongst these magical/supernatural folk they are still found to be uniquely powerful. Harry discovers that even as an infant, he managed to escape a brutal attack by evil Lord Voldemort. Now he is the only hope against defeating him. Meanwhile, Bella is cursed with especially tasty blood and blessed with an invisible shield that keeps Edward from hearing her thoughts, and is an edge in battle. These are ordinary people finding extraordinary things about themselves and the world they truly belong to.
Monsters We Can Love
Having done away with the blood lust the best they can, the Cullens, a mix of new and established couples (plus former eternal bachelor Edward) have spent life looking for everlasting love, being in love and nurturing love. The Cullens live for love (but do they pay taxes?)
The vampire, a monster with a human face, has a history of complicating people’s love lives…and bringing sexy back.
These are monsters we can love! And we do!
I Know You, I Love You
Ask a ten year old, a thirty year old and a ninety three year old what they know about vampires and werewolves and chances are the basics will be the same. Everyone knows that vamps suck blood and werewolves are people most of the time. Then let them rattle of (some with uncontained glee) descriptions of Dracula (the book! Yes, it was originally a book), late-night TV viewings of Buffy and Angel, or their third trip to the cinema for Jacob and Edward action.
But even way before movies and TV, werewolves appeared in ancient tales and vampires were heavily gossiped about by superstitious Middle Ages folks. So how does Hollywood’s pack of werewolves compare to the original legend? What twists have today’s writers added to medieval vampire stories? This book answers these questions as it takes you on a daring trip through time – from ancient myths to the modern monsters of pop culture. Each chapter finishes with a handy list of recommended media. The Top Dog rating is given to the best or most influential title in movies, TV and books and The Pick of the Litter rating is given to the runner up.
From Myth to Media to Mayhem
Books and movies featuring fantasy worlds easily make it into the record books.
World’s best-selling (fantasy) books:
-
The highest selling book series of all time – Harry
Potter,
J. K Rowling, sold 450 million+ since 1997.
- Lord
of the Rings,
J. R. R. Tolkien sold 150 million since 1954-55.
- The
Chronicles of Narnia,
C.S. Lewis sold 120 million since 1949-54.
- The
Hobbit,
J. R. R. Tolkien sold 100 million since 1937.
- The
Twilight Saga,
Stephenie Meyer sold 100 million+ since 2005.
World’s Highest Grossing Movies (any genre):
-
Avatar
(2009)
- Titanic
(1997)
- Lord
of the Rings: The Return of the King
(2003)
- Pirates
of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
(2006)
- Toy
Story 3
(2010)
- Alice
in Wonderland
(2010)
- The
Dark Knight
(2008)
- Pirates
of the Caribbean: On Stanger Tides
(2011)
- Harry
Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
(2001)
- Pirates
of the Caribbean: At World’s End
(2007)
Fans take it to the street on movie premier nights: armed with banners and a camera, (some need oxygen masks), in hopes of a hello from a fantastic new hero.
Some fanatics continue to show their dedication by following stars (others may say ‘stalk’) on their promotional crawl through various media outlets. When the Twilight stars turned up on their talk shows, well-established hosts such as Conan O’Brien and Jon Stewart remarked they’ve never seen anything like Twilight mayhem.
The truth is plain and simple: we are gripped and wanting more, more, more!
Werewolves Myth
Ordinary person by day, werewolf by full-mooned night? In a transformation called lycanthropy, average Joe morphs into beast, getting the midnight munchies for human flesh. But why did he become a werewolf? How could you kill him? What are the signs that someone’s werewolf inclined?
The werewolf legend is thought to originate from the Greek myth about Lycaon, the King of Aracadia and the Greek god Zeus. Lycaon tried to dupe Zeus into eating human flesh, but Zeus retaliated by turning the king into a wolf. This mythology marks the first use of the word lycanthrope, which was taken from the infamous king’s name and used to describe the werewolf phenomenon.
Werewolf hysteria peaked in medieval Europe. Many people believed werewolves were really shape-shifting witches who embarked on wolfish night-time pursuits. Back then, the practice of witchcraft was a big no-no in the eyes of the law. So, if being labelled a witch wasn’t bad enough, this dual accusation ensured an exclusive invitation to to the burning stake. It was also thought that the talent of shape-shifting was a sure sign of alliance with the Devil—another crime worthy of death. France’s werewolf population skyrocketed to 30,000 between the years 1520 and 1630. At least, that’s how many people were trialled as werewolves!
The buzz about this was so big that even countries without wolves decided they had their own brand of wereanimal—usually the country’s most savage beast. African werejackals and werehyenas, Indian weretigers, South American werejaguars and English werecats were thought to roam after dark. Even ‘monstrous’ wererats joined the hunt for human flesh.
How are werewolves created? An Italian superstition states that sleeping under a full moon or being born on Christmas Day can encourage the inner wolf to growl! Europeans also had faith that drinking from a footprint of a wolf, or a stream that wolves have drunk from could lead to a case of the hairies. Sampling a flower only found in the Balkan Peninsula is yet another way to transform into a werewolf. For most of these cases the naïve people didn’t mean to end up a werewolf, they were just not up-to-date on the latest werewolf making fads!
But what about the evil folks who actually wanted to be a monster (or wanted to see others take on the form?) Well, curses such as The Lycaeonia Curse were sent out to enemies from a wronged victim. Not sure why turning the school bully into a hairy beast would be the perfect revenge! For those who wanted to take the trip down werewolf lane themselves, a little help from Satanic magical forces was sought. Under this guidance, the werewolf wannabe would go starkers and put on a belt made of wolf skin. Who said a little fashion sense never hurt anyone? When the werewolf had enough wolfish fun, they would pop off the belt and return to human form.
Therefore, the hunt for the human behind the werewolf meant folks would raid closets looking for a wolf belt to destroy. More subtly, people believed a few characteristics equalled wolf. These include the dreaded mono-brow as well as hairy palms or a love of raw or rare meat. The easiest way to find out the identity of a werewolf was to track one down and injure or kill it. The belief in the Middle Ages was if the wounds matched the suspected human – we had a werewolf!
Freaky Fact! Werewolves were never hunted using silver bullets. A werewolves’ vulnerability to silver is an invention of modern fiction writers.
Could werewolves really exist? There are psychiatric reports of people believing they can change into wolves and other animals including horses, cats and even bees. People with this delusion, known as lycanthropy, are often diagnosed with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.
One modern theory to explain the medieval superstition about werewolves is that the rye bread that French peasants ate contained a poisonous chemical called fungus ergot, which can cause hallucinations. Some believed they had become werewolves and others thought they had seen one. That is all fine and dandy for French peasants, but how do we account for stories from ‘uncontaminated’ people from other parts of Europe or even the African werejackal and English werecat?
The closest documented ‘werewolf’ attack also comes out of France. Between 1764-1767 the Beast of Gevaudan attacked an estimated 60-100 people in the former providence of Gevaudan, now known as Lozere. The culprit was described as an abnormally large wolf with a taste for people over livestock. Although originally believed to be one creature, a second beast was finally shot by local hunter Jean Chastel, ending the carnage. Modern theories, however, pinpoint the now extinct Asian Hyena as the beast, whilst others are still adamant it was a wolf-like creature, the result of dogs and wolves cross breeding. Nonetheless, its fictionalized account provided a significant contribution to modern werewolf lore (keep reading onto the media interpretation for more).
This true story may illustrate how the werewolf myth may have developed and sustained over time. Take a common fear of wolves, and picture them hidden in the woods, watching, waiting and hungry. Take away TV and the Internet, add a little overactive imagination and maybe, just maybe you get a werewolf by night.
Freaky Fact! Throughout history, people have been convinced that unpopular politicians and royalty were werewolves! After King John Lackland of England died in 1216, his werewolf equivalent was allegedly sighted stalking the streets.
Freaky Fact! In medieval Europe, people kept the herb wolfsbane handy to ward off werewolves.
Werewolves – Media Interpretation
Hairier-than-thou characters have turned up in Hollywood’s Golden Age (from the 1930s to 1950s), floundered to B-movie status and been revived by comedy-horror hits, cult TV shows and franchise blockbusters.
Although suspected werewolves were trialled, tortured and burnt at the stake in medieval times, literature and movies popularised the belief that only silver—usually a bullet—can kill a werewolf. This shiny new era came about in the 1930s when novelists retold the true story of the Beast of Gevaudan (see the previous chapter for more). With a little creative licence, the silver bullet became the weapon of choice that killed the giant wolf. The 1941 film The Wolfman also cemented the werewolves’ vulnerability to silver. Since then, the werewolf and silver remains a well-known match made in fiction.
Quirky
Quote:
‘Werewolves! It’s one of the classics!’
- Giles, Buffy
the Vampire Slayer
In the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the existence of werewolves is mentioned in the very first episode, but their appearance debuts in the second season. The gang’s mentor, Rupert ‘Textbook with Arms’ Giles, cautions Buffy and co against firing silver bullets because the werewolf is a person who could be completely unaware that they can become a monster. They may wake up in a field, troubled as to how and why they are there but they will have no memories as the werewolf. This belief does not correspond to the original superstition about werewolves – folks thought if you’re a werewolf, you know it!
Buffy also adds another new twist to the mythology – the werewolf doesn’t just wolf out under the full moon, but also the two nights surrounding it. Pretty nifty story idea that also featured in the 1970s Marvel comic Werewolf By Night.
The 1980s comedy Teen Wolf takes a more personal stab at this classic mythology by using the werewolf image as a metaphor for male hormonal changes. When Scott (Michael J Fox) finds out being a werewolf is in the genes he rattles off his new list of stresses:
Scott:
‘I can look forward to a life of stealing babies in the middle of
the night and killing chickens. Faring full moons and dodging silver
bullets. Thanks but no thanks!’
Dad: ‘Don’t believe all that
stuff you see in the movies. Werewolves are people just like everyone
else.’
Like Teen Wolf, the connection between the testosterone-charged male and the werewolf is further explored in Buffy.
Giles:
‘It acts on pure instinct. No conscience. Predatory and
aggressive.’
Buffy: ‘In other words, a typical male.’
Xander:
‘On behalf of my gender, aye!’
- from ‘Phases’ (Episode
2.15)
The aggression in man=werewolf formula is also considered in Twilight where Jacob, the most famous werewolf of the moment, and the pack of Quileute tribe werewolves star. Jacob is introduced as a sweet kid, a year younger than Bella, but he changes rapidly in the second book New Moon. As well as looking much older and like a gym junkie, Jacob’s new temper means he can turn into a wolf when angry.
Similarly, in Buffy, werewolf Oz (as a human) is a quiet, level headed musician. In fact, he just oozes cool, that is until he finds that Willow has moved on to another partner instead of reconciling with him, as he believed. Oz, usually needing a full moon (or the two nights surrounding), becomes a werewolf in broad daylight.
Before this tragedy, the concept of female werewolves and their hyper-attractive effect on male werewolves, plus men, young and old, is brought to light. Oz, the happy boyfriend of Willow, feels an uncontrollable attraction to singer Veruca. Veruca’s theory is that they are wolves all the time, and being human is just their disguise. To Veruca, being a wolf means being completely free of her inhabitations. This permissible attitude to sex means she does little to conceal her attraction to Oz (even in front of his girlfriend). After indulging himself in his attraction to Veruca, he eventually kills her when she threatens Willow.
Twilight’s lone female werewolf is Leah Clearwater. As well as being heartbroken by fellow wolf Sam Uley, the werewolf transformation has also stopped her menstrual cycle, and halted any chance of her becoming a mother. What do these examples of she-wolves highlight? With so few of them, they show that werewolves are usually men… or women with masculine traits. Veruca’s permissible attitude to overtly sexual behaviour and Leah’s biological inability to reproduce show that being a werewolf has influenced their sexual and reproductive lives.
Twilight has traded in silver bullets and the full moon for a new mythology...sort of. The Quileute tribe are technically shape shifters who have taken on the form of (very large) wolves. Traditional werewolves, known as Children of the Moon, exist in the mythology but never appear. They remain an unrelated species apart, and besides needing the moon to transform, the other main difference is that the shape-shifters always form a pack, much as wolves do, with an alpha leader and beta second-in-command.
And why did ordinary guys (and one girl) change? For these wolves, it’s a combination of inheritance and circumstances. Before the Quileute tribe were shape shifters they were spirit warriors. Their last great spirit chief was known as Taha Aki. His spirit sought the refuge and help of a wolf’s body when a rival tried to destroy him. Later nicknamed The Great Wolf, he is the ancestor responsible for the wolf gene. Also, many years later, the beginning of the Quileute’s war against vampires was cemented when a vampire attack occurred nearby. Now, the gene gets activated when the threat of vampires, (also known as Cold Ones) is apparent.
A unique quality given to the Quileute wolves are the abilities to read each other’s minds (when wolves). Then there is the easy way to find a soul mate: simply wait for someone to imprint on you or vice versa. Once the imprint occurs, the pair will be inseparable for life. Phasing regularly into a wolf is also an anti-aging remedy. Aging will only start again if they lay off the wolf morph for a long time. Ah, the life of a Twilight wolf, what could possibly go wrong?
When it comes down to seeking a cure there’s been some luck for Jack Nicholson’s Wolf (1994), who locates an amulet to stop the transformation. Buffy’s resident werewolf Oz searched the world to find his (unfortunately temporary) inner cool. Other temporary treatments include the Wolfsbane Potion used in Harry Potter. Made courtesy of Professor Snape, one-time Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor Remus J Lupin can ‘keep his mind’ during his transformation if he takes the potion once per day in the week before the full moon.
The theme of racism in Harry Potter is explored through werewolves. As a child, Lupin was a victim of a werewolf bite from the most vicious werewolf known, Fenrir Greyback. Even though the magical community knows that werewolves can be treated with Wolfsbane potion and remain human without the full moon, they are deemed to be the most dangerous wizard killer in the students’ handbook, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Lupin reveals that nearly all werewolves have aligned themselves with Greyback, an ally of Voltemort. They believe under Voltemort’s rule they will have a better life. Later in the book, Bill Weasley is infected in an attack from a Greyback. However, because Greyback was in human form, Bill did not become a werewolf and only developed minor werewolf characteristics, such as cravings for very rare meat. With a fiercely loyal family and fiancée, Bill’s prognosis looks good. If Lupin can be seen as an example, Bill can look forward to starting his own healthy family. Luckily enough, being a werewolf is not transmittable through birth: Lupin eventually has an unaffected son with witchy wife Tonks.
Rowling has evidently brought back some medieval superstition that a werewolf may not just be an ordinary person on moonless nights…they could be just as magical and bizarre – a witch or a wizard – the rest of the time.
Freaky Fact! What is it with boy bands? In the ‘Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)’ video Backstreet Boy Brian Littrell became a werewolf. And before Joey Fatone joined mega boy band *Nsync, he played a werewolf called Wolfie in the play The Beetlejuice Graveyard Revue at Universal Studios.
Freaky Fact! Don’t you wonder how real wolves feel about the possibility of a creature with their cunningness and agility and the strength of a human? In David Clement-Davies’ novel The Sight—told from the point of view of wolves—the mere mention of the mythological ‘Varg Man’ (werewolf) makes the wolves gulp at the thought of this supernatural fighter.
Werewolves List
Movies:
-
The
Wolf Man
(1941): The inspiration for many werewolf tales. (Top Dog)
-
I was a Teenage Werewolf (1957):
Tony,
a 50s rebel without a cause is sent to Dr Brandon. Crazy doc
hypnotises his patient… into a werewolf. Creepy!
-
Curse of the Werewolf (1961):
This
film is set in Spain and the wolf in question is born under a full
moon on Christmas Day — what are the chances? This film refers to
some old European superstitions.
- An
American Werewolf in London (1981):
Features
the debut of the four-footed werewolf. (Pick of the Litter)
- The
Howling (1981):
Following
an attack, reporter Karen takes some time out in a small town to
recover. Too bad the population is more wolf than human.
- Teen
Wolf (1985):
And you thought you had problems!
Scott’s
allergic to eggs, has a $6 haircut and now
he’s a werewolf.
- Wolf
(1994):
One part thriller, one part romance. Stars Jack Nicholson and
Michelle Pfeiffer.
-
Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001):
This French film, also known as Le
pacte des loups,
is
a retelling of the historical Beast of Gevaudan story.
- Van
Helsing (2004):
Monster mash!
- Underworld
(2003),
Underworld:
Evolution (2006)
and Underworld:
Rise of the Lycans
(2009): A vamp and wolf romance blooms amongst an ancient war between
the species.
- Cursed
(2005):
Teen
werewolf horror from the Scream
team: Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson.
- The
Twilight Saga films: Twilight (2008),
New Moon
(2009),
Eclipse (2010),
Breaking Dawn Part 1(2011)
and Breaking
Dawn Part 2 (2012):
Pick a side: Team Jacob (werewolf) or Team Edward (vampire)!
TV:
-
Teen Wolf (2011):
MTV
morphs the 80s film Teen
Wolf
into a dark fantasy series.
-
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)
(Top
Dog). Werewolf-themed episodes:
- Phases (Episode
2.15): Some big hairy changes for Oz!
- Beauty and the Beasts
(Episode 3.4): Who else to suspect when there’s a brutal murder and
Oz has escaped from his cage?
- Wild at Heart (Episode 4.6):
Introduction to the first female werewolf. Watch out, she bites!
-
New Moon Rising (Episode 4.19): Can Oz prove you can take the
werewolf out of the boy once and for all?
- Angel (1999-2004) (Pick of the Litter). Werewolf themed episode:
- Unleashed (Episode 5.3). Apparently werewolf meat is a tasty dish for some. Angel rescues Nina, a newly changed wolf, from becoming dinner.
Read List:
-
The Were-wolf by
Clamence Housman: Published in 1896, this may be the first classic
werewolf novel.
-
Harry Potter series
by JK Rowling: Harry’s third year (Harry
Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban)
brings a friendly werewolf to Hogwarts, but the concluding books
contain a dangerous werewolf army led by Greyback.(Top Dog)
-
Buffy
the Vampire Slayer: Oz: Into the Wild
by Christopher Golden: Oz’s unscreened journey to find a cure in
Season 4 sends him all over the world–even to Australia. (Pick of
the Litter)
- The
Sight by
David Clement-Davies: Find out about the mythology of the wolf.
Includes some titbits about werewolves.
- The
Wereling
by Stephen Cole: A captivating horror trilogy for young adults.
-
Cycle of the Werewolf
by Stephen King: 12 months of werewolf madness.
-
Goosebumps
series
by RL Stine:
The Werewolf of Fever Swamp (#15)
and
Werewolf Skin (#60).
-
Goosebumps 2000
series by RL Stine:
The Werewolf in the Living Room (#17)
and
Full Moon Fever (#22).
-
Give Yourself Goosebumps
series by RL Stine:
Night in Werewolf Woods (#5),
The
Werewolf
of Twisted Tree Lodge (#31).
-
More Tales to Give You Goosebumps series
by RL Stine: The
Werewolf’s First Night.
The
Twilight Saga by
Stephenie Meyer: Twilight,
New Moon, Eclipse and
Breaking
Dawn: Werewolves
are mentioned in Twilight
and
things get hairy by New
Moon!