The Origins Of The Monsters?

[SLarratt]

*Not for sensitive readers*

Human history has been filled with myths and legends of monsters and the hero's that go out and fight them.

I believe that the existence of these 'monsters' was founded on the misunderstanding of the criminal mind. 

Werewolves, vampires and ghouls all show traits of mental issues that psychopaths exhibit.

Examples of the top of my head.

Dismemberment and cannabilism - Werewolves

Haematophilia - Vampires

Necrophilia - Ghouls.

 

Countess Elizabeth Bathory, 1560 - 1614 AD, is one of the first documented serial killer in the late 1500's. She makes Jack the Ripper look like a church mouse.

It was her that started doctors to try understand the criminal mind. It would be 400 years later that the term 'Psychopath' was first penned down as a mental condition.

 

What do you all think? Can you match a mental condition to a monster or mythological entity. 

Kleptomania to a goblin?

🤔

[Van Buren Supernova]

I am not sure if these matches are fitting or if your question includes Greek mythology, but Narcissus is the first name in my head for narcissism.

And here is an interesting one, Dionysus for split personality.
The God of ecstasy, art, and wine. 'Born' twice from his mother's womb and his father's tigh. He showed sides of joy and rage, pleasantry and brutality.

And here is folklore; if you are familiar with the Chinese Zodiac, cat is not one of them. According to folklore, there was a race to determine which twelve animals to be included. However, being arrogant, cat decided to sleep in, thinking that by being agile and arboreal, they should be able to claim a spot easily, but eventually missed the chance.
Arrogance is one of the recurring traits in serial killers and most criminals. 

[Van Buren Supernova]

Elizabeth Bathory is a terrifying example. Her story sent a shiver down my spine when I first read it, I believe 15 years ago. I hid the book about her (and others) on the far-left-top corner of my shelf.

Is there a possibility that her case is repeated in the modern day? Although we certainly have much better laws (?) and technology to solve crimes?

Is it still 'difficult' to catch a noble? 

Is it still 'easy' to do mass killing if you have the power and resources?

It might not appear in the shape of one blood-thirsty Countess, but unfortunately, imHo, yes to all above.u

On the other side, is it possible that her case was/is exaggerated and there was much more to it? The lack of technology of that time and the abundance of it at this current time, the answers are still yes.

[Carol the Dabbler]

2 hours ago, Van Buren Supernova said:

And here is folklore; if you are familiar with the Chinese Zodiac, cat is not one of them. According to folklore, there was a race to determine which twelve animals to be included. However, being arrogant, cat decided to sleep in, thinking that by being agile and arboreal, they should be able to claim a spot easily, but eventually missed the chance.

That's just a vicious rumor!     Another version is that the rat tricked the cat and ended up with the cat's rightful place at the head of the list.  (Thus the expression "You dirty rat!!!")

But do note that the tiger is definitely in there, and what is a tiger but a big cat?

 

[SLarratt]

3 hours ago, Van Buren Supernova said:

Elizabeth Bathory is a terrifying example. Her story sent a shiver down my spine when I first read it, I believe 15 years ago. I hid the book about her (and others) on the far-left-top corner of my shelf.

Is there a possibility that her case is repeated in the modern day? Although we certainly have much better laws (?) and technology to solve crimes?

Is it still 'difficult' to catch a noble? 

Is it still 'easy' to do mass killing if you have the power and resources?

It might not appear in the shape of one blood-thirsty Countess, but unfortunately, imHo, yes to all above.u

On the other side, is it possible that her case was/is exaggerated and there was much more to it? The lack of technology of that time and the abundance of it at this current time, the answers are still yes.

Yes it is difficult to catch a noble. 

Imagine, if you will, a noble like Prince William becomes a serial killer. A person with huge resources and virtually endless means to carry out their plans. Those close to them are chosen ahead. Making sure that they wouldn't turn them in. Bathory did that. It was her killing of a nobles niece that was her downfall.

To bring down those with access to vast amounts of resources, the evidence has to be brought to the people, not just one office. All the evidence must clear and explained and presented in the simplist way possible.

 

I was referring to all myths and legends of monsters that struck fear into the hearts of our forefathers.

[Van Buren Supernova]

23 hours ago, Carol the Dabbler said:

That's just a vicious rumor!     Another version is that the rat tricked the cat and ended up with the cat's rightful place at the head of the list.  (Thus the expression "You dirty rat!!!")

But do note that the tiger is definitely in there, and what is a tiger but a big cat?

Yes I heard that version too.

I got some chances to cuddle with baby Tigers and Lions, I would say they are more affectionate than cats sometimes.

22 hours ago, SLarratt said:

I was referring to all myths and legends of monsters that struck fear into the hearts of our forefathers.

I realize I know almost nothing about monsters outside my culture, so I can't contribute more on that.

For popular culture monsters, but not from the monster side, I believe there is a relation of Freddie Kruger with Nightmare Disorder.

 

 

 

[Carol the Dabbler]

22 hours ago, Van Buren Supernova said:

I got some chances to cuddle with baby Tigers and Lions, I would say they are more affectionate than cats sometimes.

In my experience, baby cats are more affectionate than adult cats -- so maybe it was the "baby" part that made your tigers and lions so affectionate?

22 hours ago, Van Buren Supernova said:

I realize I know almost nothing about monsters outside my culture, so I can't contribute more on that.

I suspect that's true of just about everybody.  Monsters tend to be kinda culture-specific, don't they?

 

[Van Buren Supernova]

On 2/5/2023 at 10:23 AM, Carol the Dabbler said:

In my experience, baby cats are more affectionate than adult cats -- so maybe it was the "baby" part that made your tigers and lions so affectionate?

To be fair, I don't have experience playing with adult lions and tigers.
My kittens (small ones) were affectionate enough, but I needed to persuade them to sit on my lap. While these big babies willingly cuddled and climbed into my arms. It was great, but maybe the unpleasant truth was they should be out there with their moms doing things babies do. My kittens had their mommy.

On 2/5/2023 at 10:23 AM, Carol the Dabbler said:

I suspect that's true of just about everybody.  Monsters tend to be kinda culture-specific, don't they?

Precisely, unless you are talking about real-life monsters aka serial killers, then they are less likely to be culture-specific.

I read somewhere that we are advised to limit it before 1930, which still provides plenty of choices, including the one who shares the last name with our favorite detective. However, I am wary that the discussion would be limited to unpleasant gruesome or the act itself. As the information is scarce and may be unreliable, we don't have many things to discuss in terms of forensics and investigation, for example. But I do understand the concern.

[Carol the Dabbler]

5 hours ago, Van Buren Supernova said:

... maybe the unpleasant truth was [the baby lions and tigers] should be out there with their moms doing things babies do. My kittens had their mommy.

A very good point.  I've heard that poachers will intentionally kill a mother lion, tiger, etc., for the very reason that the poor little orphans will readily bond with humans, thus making good pets -- at least till they grow up.

5 hours ago, Van Buren Supernova said:

I read somewhere that we are advised to limit it before 1930, which still provides plenty of choices, including the one who shares the last name with our favorite detective. [....] As the information is scarce and may be unreliable, we don't have many things to discuss in terms of forensics and investigation, for example. But I do understand the concern.

Yes, the posts will be limited to pre-1930 crimes in order to avoid conjectures about living victims, suspects, or families thereof.  Of course we've already allowed one current series of crimes to be reported, but a} those were minor, very low-profile crimes, presumably unknown outside one unnamed corporate office, and b} the victims and suspects were referred to by aliases.

Basically, we won't allow anything from news reports unless the crime occurred before 1930.

5 hours ago, Van Buren Supernova said:

I am wary that the discussion would be limited to unpleasant gruesome or the act itself.

Yes, let's avoid the gory details, please.  This is a good opportunity to practice being accurate yet non-specific.

These crimes will already have been described in minute detail somewhere else online, so anyone who really wants to know can look up it up for themselves.

=============

Regarding ANY posts (or threads) on ANY subject:  All staff members have the ability to edit what anyone has posted.  If you see something (on any subject) that you feel is inappropriate, please click the "report" button on the "..." drop-down menu at the top of that post (or on the first post on that thread), and say WHY you're reporting it.  Thank you.