Twisted. Mingled. Ugly. Big. Scary… The history of monsters is indeed rich with man’s imagination and intrigue. While the previous entry of The Anatomy of Monsters dealt with those from Ancient Egypt and Greece, this one mixes it up a little with the different types of monsters of Norse Myths and those of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Norse Mythology
The monsters from Egypt and Greece are a mixture of creatures—namely the serpentine, the humanoid, and the beastly. They are somewhat more vivid than those of Nordic origins. While Nordic monsters bring something new, they are mainly exaggerations of creatures that exist in the world. Similar to the previous entry, I will explore only some of those creatures.
It is worth noting that three of the following creatures are the offspring of Loki, the god of trickery.
Jörmungandr is, to me at least, an extension of Apep. This giant serpent that encircles Midgard, the world of man, is one of the offspring of Loki and the giantess Angrboda. It plays a major role during the events of Ragnarök during which it battles with Thor, the God of Thunder, and is slain by him. However, the venom of Jörmungandr ends up killing Thor after he takes a few steps away.
The serpent has always played a major role in the anatomy of fear. Serpents are referred to as evil in many civilizations for a reason – as they tend to terrorize man, not due to their size, but often due to their ability to poison.
Surtr is a fire giant who lives in Musephelheim. He wields a flaming sword that shines brighter than the sun and is destined to lead the giants to the final battle at Ragnarök where he will set the world ablaze. The fire giant won’t be the last entry for terrorizing fire humanoid creatures.
Another of the offspring of Loki and Angrboda, Hel is the goddess of the underworld (also named Hel, in line with the Greek God Hades and the Greek version of the Underworld, Hades). The description of Hel is most unique and has perhaps inspired many pop-culture fictions. She is described as half of a living woman, and half of a decaying corpse, symbolizing the duality of life and death.
The third offspring of Loki and Angrboda, Fenrir, is a giant wolf that is also foretold to play a major role in Ragnarök where he would break free from his bounds and devour Odin. Fenrir is described as a fearsome monster that terrifies even the Gods, which leads them to chain him using trickery. But in doing so, he bites off Tyr’s hand.
Another serpentine creature, but this time described as a Dragon. Níðhöggr is the dragon that gnaws on the roots of Yggdrasil, the World Tree, in Niflheim. It symbolizes destruction and decay and its actions eventually weaken Yggdrasil which holds the realms together. Níðhöggr is the embodiment of corruption and chaos.
Many of the monsters of Norse Mythology are exaggerations so that the sheer size of them is the main aspect of terror. While there are many more creatures that are terrifying, I have focused on those five since they are the ones who are the most fearsome.
Abrahamic Religions
Unlike the previous entries, the monsters of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam stem from very similar origins. The most well-known monstrous entity of those three religions is the devil, which is a representation and personification of evil with further moral (or immoral) depth. As with the word, “mono” in monotheistic, the devil presents the one evil that stands in the face of humanity. However, as this entity discusses the anatomy of monsters, it does not involve itself with a further study of the implications and associations of evil. Furthermore, due to the connectedness of the three religions, they will not be divided but will be briefly differentiated. Due to the nature of some of those monsters, I will only provide a very brief description of them.
There are many, many names for the devil. While I have attempted to venture deep into the topic, the variations seem difficult to be interpreted as those of a singular being, but perhaps a singular entity. The difficulty in understanding the devil (not to be mistaken for playing the role of a devil’s advocate) is certainly part of the intrigue in that topic.
Satan: The title is shared across the three religions, although in Islam (specifically in Arabic) it is “Shayytan” or “Al-Shayytan”.
Azazel: Of the many names of the devil, Azazel (or Azazil) stands out as one shared between Judaism and Islam as perhaps the name of the devil before the fall which possibly translates to “The Might of God” or “God’s Might”.
Lucifer: Mainly in Christianity, translates to “Light Bringer”.
Beelzebub: Mainly in Christianity, translates to “Lord of the Flies”.
Belial: Shared between Christianity and Judaism, translates to “Worthlessness”.
There are many more names for the devil, of those, the title “The Serpent” is shared between the three religions which refers to the devil’s role in the temptation in Eden. Other names like “The Dragon” refer to the devil as a symbol of chaos and destruction.
The description of the devil varies based on the source. Whereas some sources describe him as a beautiful angel to emphasize his ability to tempt, other sources describe him as an ugly, disturbing creature that lives in the pit of hell. The fascinating descriptions of the devil not only deserve an entry of their own but several for that matter.
The Antichrist is another fascinating creature of humanoid nature. References to the antichrist appear in Christianity and Islam (as Al Dajjal, Al Masseih Al Dajjal, among other names). He appears near the end of times where he performs false miracles and lures the non- and weak believers with his charms.
There are many parallels between the Antichrist and some depictions of the Norse God, Loki. Between his role at the End of Days (Armageddon and Ragnarök) and in deception, misguidance, and trickery, the similarities are plentiful.
Many other monstrous entities and beings appear in the three monotheistic religions, such as the tribes of Gog and Magog that appear near the End of Days whose appearance, while not detailed, is that of massive, uncontrollable peoples who wreak havoc upon mankind. Then there is Lilith who, in Judaism, is referred to as the first woman, and the Leviathan that represents a serpentine indestructible creature capable of great annihilation. Those monsters often represent a line between unholiness, corruption, and philosophical ideals.
In the following part of this series, I will focus more on specific monsters, some of which stemmed from folktales, others which were interestingly crafted within stories of fiction. Beware of the aliens, the werewolves, and the indescribable creatures of cosmic nature…
Written and illustrated by Amr Abbas.
Cover photo by Jaro Mettinisson.