The Encyclopedia Of Vampires Werewolves And Other Monsters

Monsters and shape-shifters have always held a special fascination in mythologies, legends, and folklore the world over. From ancient customs to famous cases of beasts and vampires and their reflections in popular culture, 600 entries provide definitions, explanations, and lists of suggested further reading.

From ancient customs to famous cases of beasts and vampires and their reflections in popular culture, six hundred entries provide definitions, explanations, and lists of suggested further reading on the macabre.

More than 600 entries presented in this encyclopedia provide a comprehensive range of vampires, werewolves, and related creatures. Topics covered include the supernatural and macabre aspects of the undead, superstitions about them and defenses against them from a wide range of cultures and beliefs, supposed "true" historical accounts of such beasts, and the depiction of these creatures in the arts, entertainment, and pop culture. Also covered are major writers and researchers and their contributions to fact and fiction, as well as famous performers most closely associated with vampires (Christopher Lee and Bela Lugosi) and werewolves (Lon Chaney Jr.). Featuring more than 100 illustrations, The Encyclopedia of Vampires, Werewolves, and Other Monsters is an authoritative reference and an indispensable resource for those who wish to learn more about these mysterious beings and their long and varied histories.

The witch, the vampire and the werewolf endure in modern horror. These "old monsters" have their origins in Aristotle as studied in the universities of medieval Europe, where Christian scholars reconciled works of natural philosophy and medicine with theological precepts. They codified divine perfection as warm, light, male and associated with the ethereal world beyond the moon, while evil imperfection was cold, dark, female and bound to the corrupt world below the moon. All who did not conform to divine goodness--including un-holy women and Jews--were considered evil and ascribed a melancholic, blood hungry and demonic physiology. This construct was the basis for anti-woman and anti-Jewish discourse that has persisted through modern Western culture. Nowhere is this more evident than in horror films, where the witch, the vampire and the werewolf represent our fear of the inverted other.

The situation is grave. Vampires are vamping. Werewolves are shape shifting. And zombies are lurching into the garden. Is this modern-day ferment of paranormal activity, ah, normal? Learn all about it in this nifty new guide to man's best fiends: VAMPIRES, WEREWOLVES, ZOMBIES: Compendium Monstrum. Fascinating facts revealed in the book include documented ''sparkling vampires'' in 19th-century folklore, why wolfsbane is sometimes known as ''Dumbledore's Delight'', and much more. Illustrated by Bruce Waldman, cartography by David Lindroth, additional historical images throughout.

For centuries, folk tales about vampires, werewolves, zombies and the undead have captivated and spooked children. Vampires, Werewolves & Zombies collects 40 mythical characters from American, European, African, Chinese and Arabian folklore, ranging from such well known literary examples as Bram Stoker’s Dracula to Vulkodlak, a werewolf.

"This book invites you to join its quest for the terrifying truth about all things ghoulish and ghastly. But beware! Surprises lurk at the turn of every page..."--Publisher's description.

The mythical werewolf is known for its sudden transformation under the full moon, but the creature also underwent a narrative evolution through the centuries, from bloodthirsty creature to hero. Beginning with The Epic of Gilgamesh, Ovid’s Metamorphoses, and an account in Petronius’ Satyricon, the book analyzes the context that created the traditional image of the werewolf as a savage beast. The Catholic Church’s response to the popular belief in werewolves and medieval literature’s sympathetic depiction of the werewolf as victim are presented to support the idea of the werewolf as a complex and varied cultural symbol. Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.