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Interpretation of folktales as inspiration for werewolf legend
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Craig, J. Robert. "The Origin Story In Werewolf Cinema Of The 1930S And '40S." Studies In Popular Culture 27.3 (2005): 75. Supplemental Index. Web. 14 Feb. 2016. Examines werewolves and their presentations in cinema ranging from the 1930s to the 1940s. Craig discusses various werewolf films involving a discussion of their characters, actors, and director. Craig discusses the plot extensively to each film and compares and contrasts the plot of the film to the plot of other films. Craig describes how well each film did and why they may have succeeded or failed. This source provides a good idea of the modern interpretation of the werewolf and how it changed from novels and folklore interpretations. de Blécourt, Willem. "“I Would Have Eaten You …show more content…
He discusses the collection of said folklore. He describes various main legends that reoccur the most in these areas and these legends become the focal point of the article. Willem agues for the various possible metaphorical meanings behind each legend. Willem also discusses the locations these legends are most popular in. This source provides the main structure and support for the argument that werewolf folklore is metaphor. Guðmundsdóttir, Aðalheiður. "The Werewolf in Medieval Icelandic Literature." The Journal of English and Germanic Philology 2007: 277. JSTOR Journals. Web. 14 Feb. 2016. Examines werewolf stories and sagas found primarily in Iceland and medieval Icelandic culture. He discusses the terminology used by the people of the time and what the words they used meant. He argues for the symbolism and suggested meanings of these words when used to describe specific people. He describes other legends that involve people shape shifting into other animals than just werewolves. He describes the significance of a werewolf’s presence in various legendary and mythological sagas and stories. This source provides support that wolves and werewolves are more symbolic than real interpretations. Lawrence, Elizabeth A. "Werewolves In Psyche And Cinema: Man-Beast Transformation And Parodox." Journal Of American Culture (01911813) 19.3 (1996): 103. Academic Search Complete. Web. 27 Mar.
Many films, and sometimes film genres, are dismissed as being part of the cinema of escapism. This assumes that in times of particular social or economic hardship (often on a national or international level), people go to movies for the sole purpose of “getting away from it all.” While some films may follow this overall trend, it is important to note that it cannot be a generalization made for all films. During the Weimar era in Germany, the nation was in the midst of a national struggle on many fronts. As a people, Germans attempted to deal with their past (the problems during World War I as well as the consequences of their loss) and move toward the future (finding a solution for their economic struggles and defining themselves culturally and socially). This period saw a resurgence of the horror genre, this time adapted to the new medium of film. However, the way horror was portrayed via film is the interesting part: it drew specifically on the struggles of the nation to instill horror. This is an exact reversal of the idea of cinematic escapism, since many Weimar era horror films used relatable struggles in order to both entertain and terrify (in this case, existing concurrently as well as dependently on each other). One of the clearest examples of this is through the film Nosferatu, a cinematic retelling of Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula directed by F.W. Murnau. The budding horror genre of the Weimar era, as exemplified by Nosferatu, succeeded because it drew parallels to the German people’s collective post-World War I mindset, including references to the terrible nature of the war itself and the fearful prospect of how to move forward.
monster tales that made Lon Chaney, Boris Karloff, and Bela Lugosi stars of the silver screen
Clover, Carol J. Men, Women, and Chainsaws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film. Princeton: Princeton Publishing, 1992.
Through the talkies in the 30’s little changed (except sound). The 1950’s and 60’s focused on sci-fi, B movies and Hammer horror, often known as the ‘Atomic Phase.’ Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954), Alien at the Arctic Circle and The Thing (1951) are good examples. Horror then switched to witchcraft and zombie films such as Night Of The Living Dead (1968) and Day Of The Dead (1985). Conventions changed, we now had more suspense, people being trapped and spiritual terror. Towards the end of the era we also saw an increase in the amount of violence and gore but this was nothing compared to what came next.
In his translation of The Saga of the Volsungs: the Norse Epic of Sigurd the Dragon Slayer, Jesse L. Byock compiles many versions of this famous Norse epic and creates a very important scholarly work. Of special importance is the introduction, which provides a central working background to base readings upon. There are several themes echoed throughout the translation that reflect accurately on this portion of history. Byock does a superb job of illustrating these important aspects in his work. While the tale Byock tells is a fairy-tale handed down by generations of families, within the reader can find tell-tale signs of important aspects of Norse culture. For instance, important aspects of family life and the role of men and women surface. Likewise, the importance of wealth and material possessions on the power and prestige of a king is also evident.
For as long as mankind has been around the fascination of savage beasts were greatly integrated through its cultures. The concept of monsters has been used in many historical and ideological context to vilify what society deems abhorrent. Monsters serve as our own depictions of ourselves and the world around us. They challenge our cultural mores and force us to analyze what is within us. The reason why monsters are becoming increasingly popular is because it allows people to break out of social norms and immerse themselves into a world of immorality. Werewolves, in particular, we see are just like humans, facing the same issues we do. They are seeking love, affection, and acceptance, much like us. However, much of their approach may test our
As of late, society has stolen the traditional idea of a vampire. These undead creatures are manipulated in countless genres and media, ranging from comedic reliefs and complex villains to sparkly heartthrobs. Songs, video games, movies, books, and TV shows all are guilty of this. Movies in particular have done the most with vampires, and clearly show their evolution in society’s eyes. In the earliest movies such as Nosferatu; directed by F. W. Murnau, and Dracula; directed by Todd Browning and Karl Freund, vampires are used as devices of horror. They are meant to be unhuman and terrifying. As time passes, they become portrayed in sympathetic lights and with more human traits. Emotions such as love, guilt, and fear were added to vampire vocabulary,
...d traditions, but also blending two distant genres together. The blending of genres gives us ideas about common conventions in films that we do not usually pay attention to, and how they can be manipulated to change the way we think about individuals and groups. Edward Scissorhands dives deeper than just a “Beauty and the Beast” narrative, and influences audiences to explore topics of how the gentlest of souls can be misjudged by their appearance, a seemingly normal community can be the “bad guy” if it only has its personal intentions in mind and no one else’s, and that true love is not about what is on the outside, but rather, what is on the inside. Edward Scissorhands can be considered as one of the most appealing films of the 20th century as it keeps audiences guessing, surprises them at the most unexpected times and breaks conventional film boundaries.
Millette, Ashley and Aashish Srinivas. “Beasts and Myths of the Middle Ages.” n.p. n.d. Web. 20 March 2014.
The first subject would be Werewolves. There are many misunderstandings and conspiracies involving werewolf legends and lore. With that being said there are many ideas on how werewolves came to be. "In Ancient Greece, it was believed that eating the meat of a wolf mixed with human blood could transform you and the condition would be irreversible.”
How the Opening Sequence of Halloween Captures the Attention of the Audience ' 'Halloween' was made in 1978 and is a good example of the 'Slasher' movies from that time and this is an interesting piece of cinema as it can be related to the German expressionism of the late 1920's which used jerky camera shots and high contrast lighting to enthrall the viewer .In this essay I will discuss how the opening to Halloween captures the audiences attention and how codes and conventions create suspense and tension for the audience.
A Brief History Of Horror Movies. Ezine Articles. Spark Net, 10 Aug 2010. Web. The Web.
Barsam, Richard. Looking at Movies An Introduction to Film, Second Edition (Set with DVD). New York: W. W. Norton, 2006. Print.
Otten, Charlotte, ed. The Literary Werewolf an Anthology. 1st. ed. Syracuse: Syracuse University Press, 2002. A Lycanthropy Reader Werewolves in Western Culture. Syracuse: Syracuse University Press, 1986.
Prologue For 2000 years, vampires and werewolves lived in an allegiance with each other and helped each other to fight their enemies, until one fatal night… There was war in the vampire kingdom against the demons and the werewolves came to help the vampires. The greatest tragedy happened when the two queens both of the werewolf and the vampires were found dead. They were thought to have killed each other as both were holding a dagger with the others blood.