Ogre

The Ogre from Hop o' My Thumb illustrated by Gustave Doré

An ogre (feminine: ogress) is a large and hideous humanoid monster, often found in fairy tales and folklore. While commonly depicted as an unintelligent and clumsy enemy, dangerous in that it feeds on its human victims, some authors choose to show them in a somewhat brighter light, saying they are both shy and reclusive. Today, variants of ogres can be found in modern fantasy sub-culture, such as in games and literature.

Etymology

The word ogre is spelled the same in English as it is in French, where it originates. It gained popularity from its use by French author Charles Perrault with his 1696 publication Tales of Mother Goose, which laid foundations for a new literary genre, the fairy tale, and whose best known tales include Le Chat botté (Puss in Boots) and Le Petit Poucet (Hop o' My Thumb) both of which feature ogres. The word ogre is quite possibly a derivative of the Italian orgo, which is a later function of orco, which translates as "demon". In more modern times, the word is sometimes used as an adjective: Ogreish refers to anyone who possesses characters of an ogre and is often used in a negative context.

Description

Ogres are often characterized by their large, often disproportionate features: depending upon the culture, ogres can either be several times the size of a human being, or only a few feet taller. They often are solidly built, with rounded heads, a large stomach and abundant and hirsute hair and beard. Their skin is said to be rough and a dull earth-tone in Europe, while in Asia their skin can sometimes be a vibrant red or orange. They often have large mouths full of prominent teeth, are distinguishable for their ugliness and are accompanied by a horrific smell.

Origins

The idea of the ogre often overlaps with that of giants and trolls, so it is conceivable that all three mythical creatures have similar origins. Some scientists, such as Spanish paleoanthropologist Juan Luis Arsuaga, have theorized based on fossil evidence that Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons occupied the same area of Europe at the same time. The distinguished Swedish-speaking Finnish paleontologist Björn Kurtén has entertained and expanded this theory to determine that trolls and ogres are a distant memory of an encounter with Neanderthals by our Cro-Magnon ancestors some 40,000 years ago during their migration into northern Europe. As new fossil evidence comes to light in Asia, it is conceivable that Asian beliefs in ogres could also be contributed to a collectively shared memory of man's ancestors.

Another explanation for the ogre myth is that the ogres represent the remains of the forefather-cult which was ubiquitous in Scandinavia until the introduction of Christianity in the tenth and eleventh centuries. In this cult the forefathers were worshiped in sacred groves, by altars, or by grave mounds. One of the customs associated with this practice was to sit on top of a grave mound at night, possibly in order to make contact with the deceased. With the introduction of Christianity however, the religious elite sought to demonize the pagan cult, and denounced the forefathers as evil.

Ogres in various cultures

A Japanese aka-oni, or "red ogre," vanquishes demons at an onsen in Beppu

According to the folklore and mythology of the peoples of Northern Europe, ogres live in the far corners of forests and mountains, sometimes even in castles. They are almost always incredibly large and stupid, being easily out-witted by humans. They are not always malicious either; while there are stories of ogres that kidnap and eat children, terrorize villages and even guard hordes of treasures or mystical secrets, they also sometimes are considered merely shy and reclusive.

Certain Asian cultures have stories with creatures resembling ogres. Many Japanese fairy tales inspired by mythology and religion include the oni, a creature popularly associated with the ogre. Momotaro ("Peach Boy"), is one example, including the appearance of blue, red, and yellow oni with horns and iron clubs.

Ogres also appear in tribal cultures. Pygmy mythology includes the tale of Negoogunogumbar, an ogre who devours children. Many Ogre-like creatures are also found in Native American tribal traditions and are usually in the form of man-eating giants. They are often linked to legends of bigfoot.

The idea of the ogre is often used metaphorically, as a dictator who controls and exploits others, and thus devours them, or as a seducer devouring his or her victims. This type of usage is seen in the association of ogres with Nazis made in Michel Tournier's novel Le Roi des aulnes (1970; The Ogre).

Pop Culture

"Puss in Boots" outwits the Ogre by Gustave Doré

Literature for children has plenty of tales mentioning ogres and kidnapped princesses who were rescued by valiant knights and, sometimes, peasants.In the classic tale Puss in Boots, a cat outwits a shape-changing ogre.

Other fairy tales with ogres in them include Motiratika, Tritill, Litill, and the Birds, Don Firriulieddu, Snow-White-Fire-Red, Shortshanks, Thirteenth and Don Joseph Pear. Ogres are also popular in fantasy fiction, such as C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia, Piers Anthony's Xantha series, the Spiderwick Chronicles, Tamora Pierce's The Tortall Universe, and Ruth Manning-Sanders' A Book of Ogres and Trolls are just a few of the popular works of fiction that incorporate ogres in their stories.

Ogres appear in many popular fantasy role-playing and video games series such as Dungeons & Dragons, RuneScape, Final Fantasy, Warhammer Fantasy, Warcraft, Magic: The Gathering, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Ogre Battle, and EverQuest.

Resources

• Rose, Carol. Giants, Monsters, & Dragons: An Encyclopedia of Folklore, Legend, and Myth. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2001. ISBN 0-393-32211-4
• South, Malcom, ed. Mythical and Fabulous Creatures: A Source Book and Research Guide. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1987. Reprint, New York: Peter Bedrick Books, 1988. ISBN 0-87226-208-1
• "Ogre." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2006. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 15 May 2006 <http://www.search.eb.com/eb/article-9125639>
• SurLaLune Fairy Tale Pages: Fairy Tales of Charles Perrault Retrieved July 5, 2007.

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