Yesterday's Monsters, Today's Fantasies

• Misunderstanding vs. Myth Understanding
• Personification Theory
• The Scourge of the Gods
• Recycling Centaurs
• Sources

Misunderstanding vs. Myth Understanding

Myths are riddled with unseemly creatures that capture the imaginations of those that study them.  These creatures are often mutants by today's standards - a conglomeration of features from different animals and sometimes even man himself.  These mythical entities are often so horrid it is a wonder how they could have come to be, even if only in the imaginations of early societies.  Popular theories claim these creatures as explanations for some phenomena that were misunderstood, or unexplainable in terms of the time and place.  If not actually perceived as real beings they may represent the personification of some other wonderment. The animal imagery attached to these beasts' origination often goes beyond explanation and also elevates the creatures to a status that, while not god-like, is also neither human nor animal.  That these mythical creatures are so ingrained in our modern-day culture is something of interest itself. 

It is easy to understand the development of myths as explanations of the unheard-of in early societies.  Like mythology in general, sometimes the creatures may simply be perceived as such because of a lack of understanding.  There is nothing new in this theory, as Lamb explained in the 19th century.  He notes that deformed animals, freaks of nature if you will, were easily seen as monsters in early societies (p. 281).   But in today’s scientifically advanced society we have less need to mythicize the unexplainable.  It is the fantasy we need.  

Personification Theory

Could it be, as Lamb suggests, that it was a “disposition” of “primitives” to personify that led to the mythical histories of these creatures in question.  Couple that with the tendency to mythicize what is not understood and it is easy to see how so many of these creatures developed.  The Centaur, the half-man half-horse creature that has risen out of Greek mythology, was the likely explanation for the appearance of Thessalians coming out of the mountains on horseback (Scobie, p. 143).  Lamb maintains that this is one of the ways in which personification occurs - the mixing of animal characteristics with human.  Another way is when a feature is added or removed from the animal, as in the cases of Cerberus, the three-headed dog, or Cyclops, the one-eyed monster (p. 278).  Lamb gives many examples of his personification theory:

“The Chimer, with lion’s head, goat’s body, and dragon’s tail.  There were three heads, each breathing out fire.  She was mother of the Nemean lion and the Sphinx.  She is said to have personified drought, and was destroyed by Bellorophon, mounted on the winged horse, Pegasus.

“The Harpies, with women’s heads and bodies, wings and claws of birds.  They were robbers, more especially food, which they also befouled.  In earlier myths they were said to carry away the soul at death.  They personified hurtful winds (p. 281).”

The Scourge of the Gods

The fantastical imagery of such creatures is heightened by their mythical origins - stories of vengeance and passion - yet when beings that may seem impossible appear today, such as in cases such as conjoined twins for example, there is no mysticism about it.  They are studied and reported as phenomena which prevent us from creating a mythic explanation for them.  

The unexplainable beasts of myth rarely come in a comforting form.  If they do, it is probably misleading, such as the seductive Sirens and their beautiful songs that captured their listeners and led them to a cruel fate.  Mythical creatures are often the objects of revenge, cursed to live in a perverted body for some offense, usually against the gods.   These stories often offer a moral with them: don't anger the gods or you'll be turned into a beast.  The werewolf is such a feared yet awesome creature of myth whose origins are linked to a story of when Zeus, enraged when an attempt was made to trick him into eating human flesh, turned his trickster, the king of Arcadia, into a wolf (Fiske).  The medieval werewolf has been is a man with the power to transform himself into a wolf.  This power elevates the creature while Zeus’ vengeful action was originally meant to reduce the king’s status and punish him with the diet of a wolf.

Medusa’s transformation into a snake-haired woman with a face that turned men into stone was made out of revenge as well.  A member of a race of creatures called Gorgons; Medusa is one of three sisters who are sometimes depicted as one three-headed being.  Like so many myths, two versions, while different, both have vengefulness as a motivating factor.  In one story-line, Medusa, enraged after being raped by Poseidon makes the transformation herself including her power to turn potential attackers into stone.  Another story line has Medusa turned into her dangerous form by the angered Goddess, Athena, for sleeping with Poseidon.  Perhaps as a reflection on the consequences of inappropriate mating, the winged horse, Pegasus, resulted from the rape of Medusa.   With the majesty of both stallion and bird, this creature is cursed to remain servant to the gods.

Like the Gods themselves, creatures in mythology are raised to a supra-earthly status.  They are objects of fear and reverence.  They often have powers and abilities that surpass both man and beast.  The use of animal imagery in the creation of these often monstrous creatures elevates them above human status, ironically enough, as humans tend to subordinate animals in general.   Perhaps, by making the unexplainable God-like, earlier societies found it easier to accept and understand new phenomena.  In any case, the myths these cultures created have permeated into later societies where they feed fantasy and fiction.  

Recycling Centaurs

Three-headed dogs and half-man half-horse creatures are scattered throughout the creative outlets of today’s society.  The Harry Potter Series has inspired a website which includes a section called The Bestiality where mythical creatures are described within the context of the wizards and muggles of Harry Potter.  For example, the Centaurs of the popular Harry Potter stories are mysterious creatures that keep to themselves and study the stars (Harry).  Mythical creatures are often borrowed from the classics in other popular fantasy series as well as in games, poetry and fiction.   In the digital game, Pegasus Mount, a player can climb on his own Pegasus and fly over the heads of his enemies.  According to Pratt, the Gorgon Medusa is an archetypical figure in poetry (p. 4).  Medusa has become a feminist icon for the powerful woman.  Not only does she grow unexpected powers when abused by a man (after her rape) but she is also hunted and killed for her power to defend herself against men (albeit indiscriminately).  Another popular reference in poetry is that of the siren.  As poet Margaret Atwood puts the siren's position into a somewhat humorous perspective she both shatters and propagates the myth: 

I don’t enjoy it here
squatting on this island
looking picturesque and mythical
with these two feathery maniacs,
I don’t enjoy singing
this trio, fatal and valuable.

Perhaps that is what fascinates us about these mythical creatures - they can be what we want them to be, at least to some extent.  We select the versions that meet our needs, we can borrow them and place them in other contexts and we can diminish the horror of them with our own beliefs of what can be real, and what can not. 

Perhaps some day another generation will look at what we have faith in as real, study our myths and use them as their fantasy.