![]() ![]() We learn, along with Harry and Newt, that often the most monstrous acts are performed by other humans.Ĭentaurs are depicted as not to unlike ordinary human beings. When we enter this world, we explore the boundary between human and beast, asking ourselves where true monstrosity lies. The world of Harry Potter and Newt Scamander contains not just dragons, phoenixes and hippogriffs, but also beings that are not so different from humans, such as house elves, merpeople and centaurs. If evil exists, it is in the harm that humanity inflicts upon itself and the world. In these increasingly secular times, the devil, once a malevolent force seeking the downfall of humanity, is often seen as nothing more than a metaphor, a symbol of our own darker impulses. This transformation may also be the result of our changing perception of evil. Heroes can therefore be those who seek to understand and assist fantastic beasts, rather than destroy them. These rare and wonderful creatures represent not a source of evil but the rich and imperilled diversity of life in our world. So why has our perception of beasts changed? One answer may be that, in the 21st century, we are more likely to see Newt’s job as preserving endangered species rather than fighting monsters. George Struggling with the Dragon ( public domain ) Fearsome or fantastic? Even dragons, although dangerous, are not evil. In Harry Potter’s world, creatures such as Buckbeak the hippogriff may initially seem like monsters, but once we learn more about them, they usually seem less fearsome. Similarly, when St George fights the dragon, he is not only rescuing a princess, but also confronting a symbol of the devil. The hero Beowulf must defeat both Grendel and his mother to protect not just the hall and its inmates, but the communal bonds that the hall represents. Entering the hall of Heorot while the king and his retainers are sleeping, Grendel kills 30 men before escaping back to his lair, beginning a reign of terror that lasts for 12 years. In the story of Beowulf, for example, Grendel is described as a descendant of Cain, the first murderer. In many cases, especially in the narratives of the Middle Ages, the beast itself can be seen as a symbol of evil. Confronting a monster provides a way for a hero to prove his strength and courage. ( Lucas / Flickr )Īt times, the fantastic beast in question must be captured rather than killed, but the hero’s task is usually to overcome it rather than protect and preserve it. Gilgamesh and Enkidu slaying the Bull of Heaven. Heroes of Greek and Roman mythology also confront monsters: Theseus fights the minotaur, who resembles a man with the head of bull Bellerophon confronts the fire-breathing chimera, which possesses the head of lion, the hindquarters of a snake or dragon, and the body of a goat Hercules defeats the seven-headed hydra, just one of the many beasts he encounters during his 12 labours. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, written in Mesopotamia 4,000 years ago, the eponymous hero and his friend Enkidu must fight the Bull of Heaven, who has been unleashed upon the city of Uruk by the goddess Ishtar. Stories involving fantastic beasts are some of the oldest narratives we possess, but the threat posed by the beast is usually perceived as being genuine. When some of his specimens escape into a city brimming over with tensions between the magical and non-magical communities, Newt must find them before they come to harm at the hands of those who perceive them as a threat. A “magizoologist”, he studies and, where necessary, rescues these fantastic creatures. The latest instalment in the Harry Potter franchise, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, sees wizard Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) entering New York in 1926, smuggling a briefcase full of exotic animals through customs. ![]()
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