Difference between revisions of "Manticore" - New World Encyclopedia
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[[Image:RochesterBestiaryFolio024vManticora.jpg|thumb|left|Folio 24v from a 13th century Bestiary, The Rochester Bestiary (British Library, Royal MS 12 F XIII), showing the Manticora.]] | [[Image:RochesterBestiaryFolio024vManticora.jpg|thumb|left|Folio 24v from a 13th century Bestiary, The Rochester Bestiary (British Library, Royal MS 12 F XIII), showing the Manticora.]] | ||
| − | + | Currently, an Eastern version of the manticore is said by some locals to inhabit the jungles of [[Southeast Asia]], stalking villagers at night. While it is speculative if the locals actually believe in the mythical creature's existence, or are merely carrying on a tradition is not clear. Outside of fantasy sub-culture, accounts of the manticore in Southeast Asia is the only area in the world where manticores are discussed. | |
| − | |||
| − | + | ==Heraldry== | |
| + | The manticore made a late appearance in [[heraldry]], during the [[16th century]], and it influenced some [[Mannerism|Mannerist]] representations, as in [[Bronzino]]'s allegory ''The Exposure of Luxury,'' (National Gallery, London)<ref>John F. Moffitt, "An Exemplary Humanist Hybrid: Vasari's "Fraude" with Reference to Bronzino's 'Sphinx'" ''Renaissance Quarterly'' '''49'''.2 (Summer 1996), pp. 303-333, traces the chimeric image of Fraud backwards from [[Bronzino]].</ref>— but more often in the decorative schemes called "[[Grotesque|grotteschi]]"— of the [[sin]] of [[Fraud]], conceived as a monstrous chimera with a [[beauty|beautiful]] [[woman]]'s face, and in this way it passed by means of [[Cesare Ripa]]'s ''Iconologia'' into the seventeenth and eighteenth century French conception of a [[sphinx]]. It never was as popular as other mythological creatures used in heraldry, most likely because it always maintained an element of malevolance. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Symbolism== | ||
| + | During the [[Middle Ages]] the manticore was sometimes seen as a symbol of the [[prophet]] [[Jeremiah]], since both were underground dwellers. However, positive connotations did not stick to the manticore. Its ferocious manner and terrifying appearance quickly made it a symbol of evil, and the manticore in Europe came to be known as an omen of evil tidings. To see a manticore was to forsee a forthcoming calamity, and was occasionally believed to be bad luck, such as the proverbial black cat in modern society. <ref>Monstrous. (1998) [[http://www.monstrous.com/monsters/manticore.htm"Manticore"]] Retrieved July 11, 2007 </ref> | ||
==Pop Culture== | ==Pop Culture== | ||
Revision as of 18:58, 7 August 2007
The manticore is a legendary creature of Central Asia, a kind of Chimera, that is sometimes said to be related to the Sphinx. Like many such beasts, it was often feared as being violent and feral, but it was not until the manticore was incorporated into European mythology during the Middle Ages that it came to be associated as an omen of evil.
Etymology
Originally, the term manticore came into the English language from the Latin mantichora, which was borrowed from the Greek mantikhoras. The Greek version of the word is actually an erroneous pronunciation of the original early Middle Persian martyaxwar, which translates as "man-eater" (martya being "man" and xwar- "to eat").[1]
Description
Although versions due occasionally differ, the generalities of the manticore's description seem to be that it has the head of a man often with horns, gray or blue eyes, three rows of iron shark-like teeth, and a loud, trumpet/pipe-like roar. The body is usually of a (sometimes red-furred) lion, and the tail of a dragon or scorpion, which some believe can shoot out venomous spines or hairs to incapacitate prey.[2] Occasionally, a manticore will possess wings of some description.
The manticore is said to be able to leap in high and far bounds, is an excellent hunter, and eats human flesh.
Origin
The manticore originated in Ancient Persia mythology and was brought to the Western mythology by Ctesias, a Greek physician at the Persian court, in the fifth century B.C.E.[3] The Romanized Greek Pausanias, in his Description of Greece, recalled strange animals he had seen at Rome and commented,
The beast described by Ctesias in his Indian history, which he says is called martichoras by the Indians and "man-eater" by the Greeks, I am inclined to think is the lion. But that it has three rows of teeth along each jaw and spikes at the tip of its tail with which it defends itself at close quarters, while it hurls them like an archer's arrows at more distant enemies; all this is, I think, a false story that the Indians pass on from one to another owing to their excessive dread of the beast. (Description, xxi, 5)
Pliny the Elder did not share Pausanias' skepticism. He followed Aristotle's natural history by including the martichoras—mis-transcribed as manticorus in his copy of Aristotle and thus passing into European languages—among his descriptions of animals in Naturalis Historia, c. 77 C.E. Pliny's book was widely enjoyed and uncritically believed through the European Middle Ages, during which the manticore was sometimes illustrated in bestiaries.
Currently, an Eastern version of the manticore is said by some locals to inhabit the jungles of Southeast Asia, stalking villagers at night. While it is speculative if the locals actually believe in the mythical creature's existence, or are merely carrying on a tradition is not clear. Outside of fantasy sub-culture, accounts of the manticore in Southeast Asia is the only area in the world where manticores are discussed.
Heraldry
The manticore made a late appearance in heraldry, during the 16th century, and it influenced some Mannerist representations, as in Bronzino's allegory The Exposure of Luxury, (National Gallery, London)[4]— but more often in the decorative schemes called "grotteschi"— of the sin of Fraud, conceived as a monstrous chimera with a beautiful woman's face, and in this way it passed by means of Cesare Ripa's Iconologia into the seventeenth and eighteenth century French conception of a sphinx. It never was as popular as other mythological creatures used in heraldry, most likely because it always maintained an element of malevolance.
Symbolism
During the Middle Ages the manticore was sometimes seen as a symbol of the prophet Jeremiah, since both were underground dwellers. However, positive connotations did not stick to the manticore. Its ferocious manner and terrifying appearance quickly made it a symbol of evil, and the manticore in Europe came to be known as an omen of evil tidings. To see a manticore was to forsee a forthcoming calamity, and was occasionally believed to be bad luck, such as the proverbial black cat in modern society. [5]
Pop Culture
While not quite as popular as some other mythical creatures, the manticore has none the less been kept alive in the area fantasy sub-culture of modern society. The manticore has made appearances in several fantasy novels, the most recent in J.K. Rowlings blockbuster Harry Potter series. A manticore was one of the unique and captured by a witch for her menagerie in The Last Unicorn, a popular animated movie in the 1980's. But by far manticore's have gotten their best treatment in role-playing and video games. Dungeons and Dragons, Magic: The Gathering and the Warhammer Fantasy Battles all incorporate manticores.
Notes
- ↑ (1971) "Oxford English Dictionary": Oxford Press. ISBN 019861117X
- ↑ Medieval Bestiary. (2006) ["Manticore"] Retrieved July 11, 2007
- ↑ Monstrous. (1998) ["Manticore"] Retrieved July 11, 2007
- ↑ John F. Moffitt, "An Exemplary Humanist Hybrid: Vasari's "Fraude" with Reference to Bronzino's 'Sphinx'" Renaissance Quarterly 49.2 (Summer 1996), pp. 303-333, traces the chimeric image of Fraud backwards from Bronzino.
- ↑ Monstrous. (1998) ["Manticore"] Retrieved July 11, 2007
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