Post by KiddieKiller on Aug 9, 2008 17:44:42 GMT -6
Most people consider the phoenix, dragon, sphinx and others like them to be mystical creatures, yet they are listed in some places as monsters. Is there any difference between a monster and a mystical creature? Can a monster truly only be a horrible fiend that brings destruction in its path like zombies and wraiths, or are creatures like the centaur and mermaid considered a monster even though they generally do not go out of their way to cause trouble to others? Does a monster have to be an abomination and look like some disfigured thing from out of this world, or can a being such as a leprechaun, a faerie folk whose appearance resembles that of a small human man and only plays pranks, be considered a monster as well?
Wikipedia gives the definition of monster as:
A monster is any of a large number of legendary creatures which usually appear in mythology, legend, or horror fiction. The word originates from the ancient Latin monstrum, meaning "omen", from the root of monere ("to warn") and also meaning "prodigy" or "miracle".
The term "monster" refers to a being that is a gross exception to the norms of some ecosystem. Usually characterized by an ability to destroy human life or humanity, more than an example of "survival of the fittest", natural law, or innate evil. A person referred to as a monster is taken as exceptionally evil, grotesque, unreasonably strict and uncaring, sociopathic, and/or sadistic. The word monster connotes something wrong/evil; e.g.: a monstrous being is: very morally objectionable, physically or psychologically hideous, or a biological sport (a distinct sense of the word), i.e a freak of nature.
In which case, the first paragraph is contradicting the second. The first paragraph says that a monster can be a "'prodigy' or 'miracle'", yet in the second it states that "a monstrous being is: very morally objectionable, physically or psychologically hideous, or a biological sport (a distinct sense of the word), i.e a freak of nature."
What opinion does everyone else have on this topic? In my mind a monster has and always be the creatures that bring destruction and chaos. Yes, centaurs and mermaids may not have the exact form of a human being, but they are not malevolent beings that wish to destroy everything they come across. Unless the monster is evil in nature, I find it very difficult to call it a "monster".
Wikipedia gives the definition of monster as:
A monster is any of a large number of legendary creatures which usually appear in mythology, legend, or horror fiction. The word originates from the ancient Latin monstrum, meaning "omen", from the root of monere ("to warn") and also meaning "prodigy" or "miracle".
The term "monster" refers to a being that is a gross exception to the norms of some ecosystem. Usually characterized by an ability to destroy human life or humanity, more than an example of "survival of the fittest", natural law, or innate evil. A person referred to as a monster is taken as exceptionally evil, grotesque, unreasonably strict and uncaring, sociopathic, and/or sadistic. The word monster connotes something wrong/evil; e.g.: a monstrous being is: very morally objectionable, physically or psychologically hideous, or a biological sport (a distinct sense of the word), i.e a freak of nature.
In which case, the first paragraph is contradicting the second. The first paragraph says that a monster can be a "'prodigy' or 'miracle'", yet in the second it states that "a monstrous being is: very morally objectionable, physically or psychologically hideous, or a biological sport (a distinct sense of the word), i.e a freak of nature."
What opinion does everyone else have on this topic? In my mind a monster has and always be the creatures that bring destruction and chaos. Yes, centaurs and mermaids may not have the exact form of a human being, but they are not malevolent beings that wish to destroy everything they come across. Unless the monster is evil in nature, I find it very difficult to call it a "monster".
