Shapeshifting is a common theme in folklore, as well as in science fiction and fantasy. For the upcoming Disney film see The Princess and the Frog. The Frog Princess is a Fairy tale that exists in many Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov (Виктор Михайлович Васнецов ( Lop'jal, May 15 ( N History The concept of folklore developed as part of the 19th century ideology of Romantic nationalism, leading to the reshaping of oral traditions to serve modern ideological Fantasy is a Genre that uses magic and other Supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, and/or setting In its broadest sense, it is a change in the physical form or shape of a person or animal. Other terms include metamorphosis, morphing, transformation, or transmogrification.

There is no settled agreement on the terminology. Still, the most common usages are:

• shapeshifting indicates changes that are temporary^[1]
• metamorphosis indicates changes that are lasting^[2]
• transformation indicates changes that are externally imposed^[3]

Shapeshifting is distinguished from natural processes such as aging or metamorphosis (despite shared use of the term), the body contortions of animals such as the Mimic Octopus, and illusory changes. Ageing or aging (American English is the accumulation of changes in an organism Metamorphosis is a Biological process by which an Animal physically develops after Birth or hatching involving a conspicuous and relatively The Indonesian Mimic Octopus, Thaumoctopus mimicus, is a Monotypic species of Octopus that has the uncanny ability to Mimic several An illusion is a distortion of the senses revealing how the Brain normally organizes and interprets sensory stimulation Instead, shapeshifting involves physical changes such as alterations of age, gender, race, or general appearance or changes between human form and that of an animal, plant, or inanimate object. Gender comprises a range of differences between men and women extending from the biological to the social The term race or racial group usually refers to the concept of categorizing Humans into Populations or groups on the basis of various sets Human beings, humans or man (Origin 1590–1600 L homō man OL hemō the earthly one (see Humus Plants are living Organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae.

Contents 1 Themes in shapeshifting 1.1 Forms of Shapeshifting 1.2 Between the sexes 1.3 Punitive changes 1.4 Transformation chase 1.5 Powers 1.6 Bildungsroman 1.7 Needed items 1.8 Usurpation 1.9 Ill-advised wishes 1.10 Monstrous bride/bridegroom 1.11 Death 2 Shapeshifting in historical accounts 3 Shapeshifting in folklore 3.1 Greco-Roman 3.2 British and Irish 3.2.1 Celtic mythology 3.2.2 British folklore 3.3 Norse 3.4 Slavic 3.5 Hinduism 3.6 Far East 3.6.1 Chinese 3.6.2 Japanese 3.6.3 Korean 3.7 Tatar 4 Shapeshifting in popular culture 5 Shapeshifting in comics 6 Psychology of transformation fiction 7 Shapeshifting among animals 8 Transformation enthusiasts 9 See also 10 Notes and references 11 External links

Themes in shapeshifting

The most important aspect of shape-shifting, thematically, is whether the transformation is voluntary. John William Waterhouse ( April 6, 1849 &ndash February 10, 1917) was an English Pre-Raphaelite painter most Circe transforms intruders to her island into swine, and Ged, in A Wizard of Earthsea, becomes a hawk to escape an evil wizard's stronghold. In Greek mythology, Circe ( sərsē; Greek Κίρκη Kírkē, falcon is a Queen Goddess (or sometimes a Nymph Ged is the True name of a fictional character in Ursula Le Guin 's Earthsea realm A Wizard of Earthsea, first published in 1968 is the first of a series of books written by Ursula K A werewolf's transformation, driven by internal forces, is as hideous as that which Circe enforces, and when Minerva transforms Cornix into a crow, Ovid put into Cornix's mouth that "the virgin goddess feels pity for a virgin and she helped me" because her new form enabled her to escape rape at Neptune's hands. The MInisterial NEtwoRk for Valorising Activities in digitisation, or MINERVA, is a European Union organization concerned with the digitisation of cultural and Cornix is a character in Ovid 's Metamorphoses. There she recounts how she was a princess the daughter of Coroneus. Publius Ovidius Naso ( March 20, 43 BC – 17 AD was a Roman poet known to the English -speaking world as Ovid who wrote on many topics including Neptune (Neptūnus is the god of water and the sea in Roman mythology, a brother of Jupiter and Pluto. When a form is taken on involuntarily, the thematic effect is one of confinement and restraint; the person is bound to the new form. In extreme cases, such as petrifaction, the character is entirely disabled. In Geology, petrifaction or petrification is the process by which Organic material is converted into stone or a similar substance without Voluntary forms, on the other hand, are means of escape and liberation; even when the form is not undertaken to effect a literal escape, the abilities specific to the form, or the disguise afforded by it, allow the character to act in a manner previously impossible.

Hence, in fairy tales, a prince who is forced into a bear's shape (as in East of the Sun and West of the Moon) is prisoner, but a princess who takes on a bear's shape to flee (as in The She-Bear) escapes with her new shape. A fairy tale or fairy story is a fictional Story that may feature folkloric characters (such as fairies, enchantments]] often involving East of the Sun and West of the Moon is the Norwegian version of an old Scandinavian Fairy tale. The She-Bear is an Italian literary Fairy tale, written by Giambattista Basile in The Pentamerone. ^[4]

Shapeshifting may be used as a plot device, as when Puss In Boots tricks the ogre into changing into a mouse so he may eat him; it may also include a symbolic significance, as when the Beast's transformation at the end of Beauty and the Beast indicates Beauty's ability to accept him despite his appearance. A plot device is an element introduced into a story solely to advance or resolve the plot of the story Beauty and the Beast ( French: La Belle et la Bête) is a traditional Fairy tale (type 425C -- search for a lost husband -- in the Aarne-Thompson In the Spiderwick Chronicles, the evil ogre Muldagrath is tricked by Jared into turning into a crow, so that the hobgoblin Hogsqueal can eat him. Hobgoblin is a term typically applied in folktales to describe a friendly or amusing Goblin. ^[5]

In modern fantasy, more than in folklore, the extent to which the change affects the mind can be important. Poul Anderson, in Operation Chaos, has the werewolf observe that taking on wolf-form can simplify his thoughts. Poul William Anderson ( November 25, 1926 – July 31, 2001) was an American Science fiction author who wrote during a Golden Operation Chaos is a 1971 Science fiction / Fantasy Fixup Novel by Poul Anderson. This can be more dangerous in other writers' works; J. K. Rowling observed that a wizard who became a rat had a rat's brain (although the Animagus talent bypasses this problem), and in her Earthsea books, Ursula K. Le Guin depicts an animal form as slowly transforming the wizard's mind, so that the dolphin, or bear, or other creature forgets it was human and can not change back, a voluntary shapeshifting becoming an imprisoning metamorphosis. Earthsea is a Fictional realm created by Ursula K Le Guin for her short story " The Word of Unbinding " published in 1964 but that became more Ursula Kroeber Le Guin (ˈɝsələ ˈkroʊbɚ ləˈgwɪn (born October 21, 1929) is an American author ^[6]

Beyond this, the uses of shape-shifting, transformation, and metamorphosis in fiction are as protean as the forms the characters take on. Some are rare — Italo Calvino's "The Canary Prince" is a Rapunzel variant in which shape-shifting is used to gain access to the tower — but others are common motifs. Italo Calvino ( October 15, 1923 &ndash September 19, 1985) (ˈiːtalo kalˈviːno was an Italian journalist and writer of short The Canary Prince is an Italian Fairy tale, the 18th tale in Italian Folktales by Italo Calvino.

Forms of Shapeshifting

There are many different styles of shapeshifting to be seen. One is the literal bodily alteration where the body physically changes. Depending on what the subject is changing into, the different parts of the body will shift, stretch, compress, and expand. This type of shapeshifting is often against the subject's will and can be a slow and painful process; articles of clothing are usually lost or destroyed, as in the case of the werewolf, or the transformation of Eustace into a dragon in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C. See also Lycanthropy (disambiguation Werewolves, also known as lycanthropes, are mythological or folkloric humans with the ability to The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is a Fantasy novel for children by C S. Lewis.

A second style is what can be called the 'fold over'. In this transformation, the subject's new flesh forms overtop of their original. In a sense, it is almost as if they are wearing a body over another, and their old form is underneath. In Margaret Weis's Mistress of Dragons, an evil dragon called Marista steals human hearts and uses them to acquire a human form which she changes into in this way. A trilogy of books in DragonVarld, the Dragon name for Earth ("Dragon World" This form of shapeshifting is most commonly painless but can be traumatic if the change was unintentional, as in the case of Link in the video game The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, where the hero is transformed into a wolf. is an Action-adventure game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development and published by Nintendo for the Wii and GameCube Clothing is rarely lost in this process. In retransformation, the form will fold back and the subject will 'crawl' back out.

The third is the fastest and most convenient type of shapeshifting. In this style the subject in a sense has two separate bodies that they can freely switch between. Such being can be found in the Harry Potter series, in which they are known as Animagi. In the Fictional Harry Potter series created by J K Rowling, magic is depicted as a natural force that can be used to override the usual This change is always intentional and won't harm clothing, or any other article on the body. Injuries sustained on either of the bodies usually don't carry onto each other (Animagi in Harry Potter being an exception), although death of one of the forms usually results in the death of both forms and the individual in question. Harry Potter is a series of seven Fantasy novels written by British author J Whether the two bodies are separate-but-linked, exist only for each other and/or can operate independently generally depends on the source. It could be argued, using this definition that Billy Batson shapeshifts into Captain Marvel, for example. Captain Marvel is a fictional Comic book Superhero, originally published by Fawcett Comics and later by DC Comics. During the shapeshift, there sometimes is a moment when the subject seems to disappear, but this is a very rare instance.

Between the sexes

A particularly noteworthy aspect is where the person changes sex, from female to male, or vice versa. An organism's sex is defined by the gametes it produces males produce male gametes (spermatozoa or Sperm) while females produce female gametes (ova or Egg cells; individual Fiction that makes use of such shape-shifting tends to invoke themes not normally found in other shapeshifting fiction.

It may be merely used as means of disguise: appearing as a woman allows a man to enter situations from which men are forbidden, and vice versa. Gerbrand van den Eeckhout ( August 19, 1621 &ndash October 22, 1674) was a Dutch painter of the Dutch Golden Age Zeus disguised himself as Artemis in order to get close enough to Callisto that she could not escape when he turned himself into male form again, and raped her. Zeus (zjuːs in Greek: nominative: Zeús /zdeús/ genitive: Diós; Modern Greek /'zefs/ in Greek mythology In Greek mythology, Artemis language|Greek] ( Nominative), ( Genitive))] was the daughter of Zeus and Leto, and the twin sister In Greek mythology, Callisto was a Nymph of Artemis. Transformed into a bear and set among the stars, she was the bear-mother of the More innocently, Vertumnus could not woo Pomona on his own; in the form of an old woman, he gained access to her orchard, where he persuaded her to marry him. In Roman mythology, Vertumnus ( Vortumnus, Vertimnus) is the god of seasons change In Roman mythology, Pomona was the goddess of fruit trees gardens and orchards

In Norse mythology, however, both Odin and Loki taunt each other with having taken the form of females in the Lokasenna. Odin (ˈoʊdɪn from Old Norse Óðinn) is considered the chief god in Norse paganism. In Cryptography, LOKI89 and LOKI91 are Block ciphers designed as possible replacements for the Data Encryption Standard (DES Lokasenna ( Loki's flyting, Loki's wrangling, Loki's quarrel) is one of the mythological poems of the Poetic Edda. The ultimate proof of this was that they had given birth and had nursed their offspring. It is not known what myths, if any, lie behind the charges against Odin, but Loki had taken the form of a mare and was the mother of Sleipnir. In Norse mythology, Sleipnir is Odin 's eight-legged steed and the greatest of all Horses His name means smooth or gliding, and is

L. Frank Baum concluded The Marvelous Land of Oz with the revelation that the princess, Ozma, that the characters had been looking for had been turned into a boy while a baby and raised the boy Tip. Lyman Frank Baum ( May 15 1856 &ndash May 5 1919) was an American Author, Actor, and Independent filmmaker The Marvelous Land of Oz, commonly shortened to The Land of Oz, published on July 5 1904, is the second of L Tip, one of the characters looking for Ozma, agreed to let himself be changed back into a girl but wished that he could be changed back into a boy if he did not like being a girl; Glinda decreed that he could be changed only into his proper form and, because as a sorceress, she disapproves of and does not perform shapeshifting magic, had it done by the evil witch Mombi, who knew how to do it. Glinda (or Glinda the Good Witch) is a Fictional character in the Land of Oz created by American author L Mombi is a character from the L Frank Baum Oz Books series She appears in the book The Marvelous Land of Oz and is alluded to other works ^[7]

In Greek mythology, Tiresias, who became the blind prophet who helps Jason and the Argonauts, was walking through a forest when he found two snakes in the act of love. Everes redirects here For the Butterfly Genus, see Everes (genus. He prodded them with a stick and he instantly changed into a woman. He lived as one for many years, married and had children. Years later, she was walking through the same forest, and saw the same snakes doing the same thing. Again she poked them with a stick, and she turned back into a man. Later in his life, he was asked by Zeus which of the two sexes enjoys sex more. Tiresias, speaking from experience, replied that it is woman, and Hera blinded him for telling her husband of the greatest secret of women. Zeus, unable to undo what his wife has done, gave the now blind Tiresias the gift of foresight. Other versions say that it was Zeus who was angered by Tiresias for saying that men did not get the most out of sex and that it was Hera who gave him the gift of foresight to comfort him.

Rumiko Takahashi's manga Ranma 1/2, along with several characters that transform into animals, also features two that transform from male to female. is a Japanese Mangaka. Takahashi is one of the wealthiest women in Japan. is a Japanese Manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi with an Anime adaptation One is the title character, Ranma Saotome, and another is a powerful antagonist, Herb, from late in the series. is a Fictional character and the Protagonist of the Anime and Manga series Ranma ½ created by Rumiko Takahashi. While some have drawn the conclusion that this constitutes a parody of Japanese gender roles,^[8] Takahashi herself has replied that it was a "simple, fun idea," that she "doesn't think in terms of societal agendas," and "thought humans turning into animals might also be fun and märchenhaft. "^[9]

Punitive changes

In many cases, imposed forms are punitive in nature. This may be a just punishment, the nature of the transformation matching the crime for which it occurs; in other cases, the form is unjustly imposed by an angry and powerful person.

This motif is used in tales from myths to modern fantasy:

• Athena transformed Arachne into a spider for challenging her as a weaver. John Bauer ( June 4, 1882 – November 20, 1918) was a Swedish painter and illustrator ATHENA was an Antimatter research project that took place at the AD Ring at CERN. Arachne was a great mortal weaver She boasted that her skill was greater than that of Athena the goddess of crafts which resulted in a contest between her and the goddess
• Artemis transformed Actaeon into a stag for spying on her in her bath. In Greek mythology, Artemis language|Greek] ( Nominative), ( Genitive))] was the daughter of Zeus and Leto, and the twin sister In Greek mythology, Actaeon (ækˈtiən (Greek Ακταίων) son of the priestly herdsman Aristaeus and Autonoe in Boeotia,
• Odin transformed Svipdag into a dragon because he had angered him. Odin (ˈoʊdɪn from Old Norse Óðinn) is considered the chief god in Norse paganism. Svipdag ( Old Norse "sudden day" is the hero of the two Old Norse Eddaic poems, Grógaldr and Fjölsvinnsmál, which
• In Child ballad 35, Allison Gross, the title witch turned a man into a dragon for refusing to be her lover; this is a motif found in many legends and folktales, of a thwarted lover punishing the refusal with a transformation. The Child Ballads are a collection of 305 Ballads from England and Scotland, and their American variants collected by Francis James Child "Allison Gross" (also known as Alison Cross) is a traditional Ballad, catalogued as Child Ballad #35 ^[10]
• In some variants of the fairy tales, both The Frog Prince and Beast, of Beauty and the Beast, were transformed as a form of punishment for some transgression. The Frog King or Iron Heinrich (German Der Froschkönig oder der eiserne Heinrich) also known as The Frog Prince, is a Fairy tale, best known through Beauty and the Beast ( French: La Belle et la Bête) is a traditional Fairy tale (type 425C -- search for a lost husband -- in the Aarne-Thompson
• In Eglė the Queen of Serpents, Eglė transforms her children and herself into trees as a punishment for betrayal. Eglė the Queen of Serpents, alternatively Eglė the Queen of Grass Snakes (Eglė žalčių karalienė is a Lithuanian Folk tale.
• In East of the Sun and West of the Moon, the hero was transformed into a bear by his wicked stepmother, who wished to force him to marry her daughter. East of the Sun and West of the Moon is the Norwegian version of an old Scandinavian Fairy tale. ^[11]
• Circe transformed all intruders into her home. In Greek mythology, Circe ( sərsē; Greek Κίρκη Kírkē, falcon is a Queen Goddess (or sometimes a Nymph Generally, this is for merely intruding, but in Nathaniel Hawthorne's Tanglewood Tales, "she changes every human being into the brute, beast, or fowl whom he happens most to resemble. Nathaniel Hawthorne (born Nathaniel Hathorne; July 4 1804 – May 19 1864 was an American novelist and Short story writer Tanglewood Tales for Boys and Girls (1853 is a book by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne, a sequel to A Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys. "
• In George MacDonald's The Princess and Curdie, Curdie is informed that many human beings, by their acts, are slowly turning into beasts; he is given the power to detect the transformation before it is visible, and is assisted by beasts that had been transformed and are working their way back to humanity. George MacDonald ( 10 December 1824 &mdash 18 September 1905) was a Scottish author poet and Christian minister ^[12]
• In The Chronicles of Narnia, Eustace transforms into a dragon,^[13] and the war-monger Rabadash into a donkey,^[14]. Eustace Clarence Scrubb (1933 - 1949? is a fictional character in C Prince Rabadash is a human character from C S Lewis's Fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia. Eustace's transformation is not strictly a punishment - his transformation simply revealing the truth of his human nature. It is reversed after he repents and (through grace) his nature is transformed. Rabadash is given an opportunity to return to human form providing he does so in a public place, so that his former followers will know that he had spent some time as a donkey. He is also warned that, if he ever leaves his capital city again, he will once more become a donkey and this time the transformation will be permanent. After following the instructions to regain his human form, Rabadash never again leads a military campaign . . . as to do so would require him to leave his capital city. Also in The Chronicles of Narnia the Dufflepuds are dwarfs who have been transformed into monopods as a punishment. Monopods (also skiapods skiapodes Monocoli) are dwarf-like creatures with a single large foot extending from one thick leg centered in the middle of their body Monopods (also skiapods skiapodes Monocoli) are dwarf-like creatures with a single large foot extending from one thick leg centered in the middle of their body

In mythology, the punishment is often a metamorphosis, and may be origin myths.

In most works of fiction, the changes are usually a temporary transformation. If the punishment was just, the character can often re-gain his form on learning the lesson it instructed him in; if unjust, the restoration is merely dependent on discovering the trick of it.

Transformation chase

In many fairy tales and ballads, as in Child Ballad #44, The Two Magicians or Farmer Weathersky, a magical chase occurs where the pursued endlessly takes on forms in an effort to shake off the pursuer, and the pursuer answers with other shape-shifting, as, a dove is answered with a hawk, and a hare with a greyhound. A fairy tale or fairy story is a fictional Story that may feature folkloric characters (such as fairies, enchantments]] often involving A ballad is a Poem usually set to Music; thus it often is a story told in a Song. The Child Ballads are a collection of 305 Ballads from England and Scotland, and their American variants collected by Francis James Child "The Twa Magicians" or "The Two Magicians" is Child ballad number 44 Farmer Weathersky is a Norwegian Fairy tale collected by Peter Chr The pursued may finally succeed in escape or the pursuer in capturing. This appears in legends around the world. In Dapplegrim, this was set as a challenge; if the youth found the transformed princess twice, and hid from her twice, they would marry. Dapplegrim is a Norwegian Fairy tale collected by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe in their Norske Folkeeventyr. The Grimm Brothers fairy tales Foundling-Bird contains this as the bulk of the plot. Foundling-Bird is a German Fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm, number 51 ^[15] In Greek mythology, Zeus frequently transformed himself and his love to escape Hera's wrath, or that of the women's fathers, but generally in a simplified form, with only one transformation. Zeus (zjuːs in Greek: nominative: Zeús /zdeús/ genitive: Diós; Modern Greek /'zefs/ in Greek mythology ^[16]

In other variants, the pursued may transform various objects into obstacles, as in the fairy tale "The Master Maid", where the Master Maid transforms a wooden comb into a forest, a lump of salt into a mountain, and a flask of water into a sea. The Master Maid is a Norwegian Fairy tale collected by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe in their Norske Folkeeventyr. In these tales, the pursued normally escapes after the three obstacles. The rule of three is a principle in English Writing that suggests that things that come in threes are inherently funnier more satisfying or more effective than other ^[17] This obstacle chase is literally found world-wide, in many variants in every region. ^[18]

In fairy tales of the Aarne-Thompson type 313A, the girl helps the hero flee, one such chase is an integral part of the tale. The Aarne-Thompson classification system is a system for classifying folktales. It can be either a transformation chase (as in The Grateful Prince, King Kojata, Foundling-Bird, Jean, the Soldier, and Eulalie, the Devil's Daughter, or The Two Kings' Children) or an obstacle chase (as in The Battle of the Birds, The White Dove, or The Master Maid). The Grateful Prince is an Estonian Fairy tale, collected by Dr King Kojata or The Unlooked for Prince or Prince Unexpected is a Slavonic Fairy tale. Foundling-Bird is a German Fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm, number 51 Jean the Soldier and Eulalie the Devil's Daughter is a French Fairy tale collected by Achille Millien The Two Kings' Children is a German Fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm in Grimm's Fairy Tales, tale number 113 The Battle of the Birds is a Scottish Fairy tale collected by John Francis Campbell in his Popular Tales of the West Highlands. The White Dove is a Danish Fairy tale. Andrew Lang included it in The Pink Fairy Book. The Master Maid is a Norwegian Fairy tale collected by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe in their Norske Folkeeventyr. ^[19]

In a similar effect, a captive may shape-shift in order to break a hold on him. Proteus's shape-shifting was to prevent heroes from forcing information from him. In Greek mythology, Proteus (Πρωτεύς is an early sea-god one of several deities whom Homer calls the "Old Man of the Sea" whose name suggests the ^[20] Tam Lin, once seized by Janet, was transformed in her arms by the faeries to keep Janet from taking him, but as he had advised her, she did not let go, and so freed him. Tamas " Tam " Lin (also called Tamlane, Tamlin, Tam Lien, Tam-a-Line, Tam Lane, or True Thomas A fairy (also fay, fey, fae, faerie; collectively wee folk, good folk, people of peace, fair ^[21] The motif of capturing a person by holding him through all forms of transformation is found throughout Europe in folktales. ^[22]

Patricia A. McKillip made use of this motif at one point in the The Riddle-Master of Hed trilogy: a shapeshifting Earthmaster finally wins its freedom by startling the man holding it. Patricia Anne McKillip ( February 29, 1948 &mdash is an American Author of Fantasy and Science fiction Novels The Riddle-Master of Hed is a Fantasy Novel by Patricia A McKillip.

Another variant was used by T. H. White in The Sword in the Stone, where Merlin and Madam Mim fought a wizards' duel, in which the duelists would endlessly transform until one was in a form that could destroy the other. Terence Hanbury White ( 29 May 1906 &ndash 17 January 1964) was an English Author best known for his sequence of Arthurian The Sword in the Stone is a novel by T H White, published in 1938, initially a stand-alone work but now the first part of a tetralogy The Once The Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network ( MERLIN) is an Interferometer array of Radio telescopes spread across England and the Madam Mim, sometimes also named Mad Madam Mim, is a fictional character in the Disney movie based on The Sword in the Stone by T ^[23]

Powers

One motif is a shape change in order to obtain abilities in the new form. Berserkers were held to change into wolves and bears in order to fight more effectively. Berserkers (or Berserks) were Norse Warriors who wore coats of wolf or bear skin and who were commonly understood to have fought in an uncontrollable In many cultures, evil magicians could transform into animal shapes and thus skulk about.

In Blizzard's online video game, World Of Warcraft, a class called Druid is available. Blizzard Entertainment is an American Video game developer and publisher headquartered in Irvine California. World of Warcraft (commonly acronymed as WoW) is a Massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG World of Warcraft (commonly acronymed as WoW) is a Massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG A Druid learns the ability to transform into a Bear, Cat, and other animal forms, to gain new abilities.

In many fairy tales, the hero's talking animal helper proves to be a shapeshifted human being, able to help him in its animal form. The talking animal or speaking animal term in general refers to any form of animal which can speak human languages In fairy tales a donor is a character that tests the hero (and sometimes other characters as well and provides magical assistances to the hero while he succeeds In one variation, featured in The Three Enchanted Princes and The Death of Koschei the Deathless, the hero's three sisters have been married to animals. The Three Enchanted Princes is an Italian literary Fairy tale written by Giambattista Basile in his 1634 work The Pentamerone. The Death of Koschei the Deathless or Marya Morevna is a Russian Fairy tale collected by Alexander Afanasyev in Narodnye russkie skazki These prove to be shape-shifted men, who aid their brother-in-law in a variant of tale types. Shapeshifting is a common theme in Mythology and Folklore, as well as in Science fiction and Fantasy. ^[24]

This use, though rare in older fiction, is perhaps the most common in modern fiction. Several superheroes — Beast Boy, Chameleon Boy/Chameleon, Morph, Ben 10, Mystique — have it as their sole power. Garfield Mark "Gar" Logan, also known as Beast Boy or Changeling, is a Fictional character, a Superhero appearing in Comic Chameleon ( Reep Daggle) also known as Chameleon Boy, is a DC Comics Superhero, a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the Kevin Sydney is a Fictional character that has been a member of the X-Men in Comic book stories published by Marvel Comics. Ben 10 is an American Animated television series created by "Man of Action" (a group consisting of Duncan Rouleau, Joe Casey, Mystique ( Raven Darkholme) is a Marvel Comics character associated with the X-Men franchise The Harry Potter series contains both Animagi who can change to a single form and Metamorphmagi who can alter their appearance. Harry Potter is a series of seven Fantasy novels written by British author J In the Fictional Harry Potter series created by J K Rowling, magic is depicted as a natural force that can be used to override the usual In the Fictional Harry Potter series created by J K Rowling, magic is depicted as a natural force that can be used to override the usual Even one episode of the television show " Supernatural " featured a shape-shifter, and a reference that the main characters had hunted shape-shifters before, or at least knew how to. Both the Earthmasters and their opponents in The Riddle-Master of Hed trilogy make extensive use of their shape-shifting abilities for the powers of their new forms. The Riddle-Master of Hed is a Fantasy Novel by Patricia A McKillip. ^[25]

Even creatures from folklore may regard their other forms as abilities. The werewolf in Poul Anderson's Operation Chaos uses his wolf form to track and to fight, and never suffers from the desire to attack humans so common in legend. See also Lycanthropy (disambiguation Werewolves, also known as lycanthropes, are mythological or folkloric humans with the ability to Poul William Anderson ( November 25, 1926 – July 31, 2001) was an American Science fiction author who wrote during a Golden Operation Chaos is a 1971 Science fiction / Fantasy Fixup Novel by Poul Anderson. ^[26]

Bildungsroman

A young character may learn of his shape-shifting abilities, and exploring them becomes part of a Bildungsroman. A bildungsroman (ˈbɪldʊŋsroˌmaːn "novel of formation" is a Novelistic genre that arose during the German Enlightenment (and is regarded by some as Mavin Manyshaped and her son Peter in Sheri S. Tepper's True Game novels are both shifters, being a subspecies of humans having this power, and in both, the learning of their abilities is a large portion of their growing up. Mavin Manyshaped is a Shapeshifter within a series of nine novels written by Sheri S Sheri Stewart Tepper (born July 16, 1929) is a prolific American Author of Science fiction, horror and mystery The True Game is the collective name for a series of three related trilogies of Short novels by Sheri S

For a very different effect, T. H. White had Merlin transform Arthur into various animals in The Sword in the Stone, as an educational experience. Terence Hanbury White ( 29 May 1906 &ndash 17 January 1964) was an English Author best known for his sequence of Arthurian The Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network ( MERLIN) is an Interferometer array of Radio telescopes spread across England and the King Arthur is a legendary British leader who according to medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against the Saxon invaders The Sword in the Stone is a novel by T H White, published in 1938, initially a stand-alone work but now the first part of a tetralogy The Once ^[27] Although the lessons are very different, the Bildungsroman element is in common.

Needed items

Some shape-shifters are able to change form only if they have some item, usually an article of clothing. Most of these are innocuous creatures — even if they are werewolves. In Bisclavret by Marie de France, a werewolf cannot regain human form without his clothing, but in wolf form does no harm to anyone. " Bisclavret " is one of the twelve Lais of Marie de France written in the 12th century. Marie de France ("Mary of France" was a Poet evidently born in France and living in England during the late 12th century

Another such creature is the selkie, which needs its sealskin to regain its form. Selkies (also known as silkies or selchies) are creatures found in Faroese, Icelandic Irish, and Scottish Mythology In "The Great Silkie of Sule Skerry" the (male) selkie seduces a human woman but does no further harm. The Great Silkie of Sule Skerry or The Grey Selkie of Suleskerry is Child ballad number 113 from Orkney.

The commonest use of this motif, however, is in tales where a man steals the article and forces the shape-shifter, trapped in human form, to become his bride. This lasts until she discovers where he has hidden the article, and she can flee. Selkies feature in these tales. Others include swan maidens and the Japanese Tennin. Swan Maiden is a mythical creature who shapeshifts from human form to swan form Tennin (天人 including the female tennyo (天女 ( Sanskrit: Apsaras) and tenshi (天使 are

Various forms of fairytale fantasy have taken up these creatures and incorporated them into modern day works. Fairytale fantasy is distinguished from other subgenres of Fantasy by the works' heavy use of motifs and often plots from folklore Jane Yolen took up the notion of selkie in Greyling and transformed it into a foundling tale. Jane Hyatt Yolen (born February 11, 1939 in New York City) is an American Author and editor of almost 300 books

Usurpation

Some transformations are performed to remove the victim from his place, so that the transformer can usurp it. Bisclaveret's wife steals his clothing and traps him in wolf form because she has a lover. " Bisclavret " is one of the twelve Lais of Marie de France written in the 12th century. A witch, in The Wonderful Birch, changed a mother into a sheep to take her place, and had the mother slaughtered; when her stepdaughter, with her dead mother's aid, married the king, the witch transformed her into a reindeer so as to put her daughter in the queen's place. The Wonderful Birch is a Finnish Fairy tale. A variant on Cinderella, it is Aarne-Thompson folktale type 510A the persecuted heroine In the Korean "Transformation of the Kumiho", a kumiho, a fox with magical powers, transformed itself into an image of the bride, only being detected when her clothing is removed. The kumiho (literally " Nine tailed fox " is a creature that appears in the oral tales and Legends of Korea. In Terminator 2: Judgment Day, the T-1000 took the form of John Connor's foster mom to gather information regarding his whereabouts, and later as his biological mother to gain his trust. Terminator 2 Judgment Day, commonly abbreviated as T2, is a 1991 action / Science fiction film directed co-written The T-1000 is a fictional Android Assassin featured as the main Antagonist in Terminator 2 Judgment Day. John Connor is a Fictional character and the main Protagonist of the Terminator Science fiction franchise Changelings take the place of the infant the elves have stolen, and usually resemble it, at least initially; sometimes, this is temporary, so that the child will appear to die, and sometimes the changeling grows up in the child's family. A Changeling is a being in West European Folklore and Folk religion, typically described as the offspring of a Fairy, Troll An elf is a creature of Norse mythology. The elves were originally imagined as a race of minor nature and fertility gods, who are often pictured as youthful-seeming

This may not be so much desire to usurp a specific place as to remove possible rivals, but the intended effect of the removal is much the same. Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov (Виктор Михайлович Васнецов ( Lop'jal, May 15 ( N In Brother and Sister, when two children flee their cruel stepmother, she enchants the streams along the way to transform them. Brother and Sister is a well known European Fairy tale which was among others written down by the Brothers Grimm in their collection of Children's While the brother refrains from the first two, which threaten to turn them into tigers and wolves, he is too thirsty at the third, which turns him into a deer. The Six Swans are transformed into swans by their stepmother,^[28] as are the Children of Lir in Irish mythology. The Six Swans is a German Fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm. In The Laidly Worm of Spindleston Heugh, Princess Margaret is transformed into a dragon by her stepmother; her motive sprung, like Snow White's stepmother's, from the comparison of their beauty. The Laidly Worm of Spindleston Heugh also known as The Laidly Worm of Bamborough, is a Northumbrian folktale about a princess who is turned into a worm which means Snow White (in Low German Sneewittchen; in High German Schneeweißchen) is the title character of a Fairy tale known from many countries in ^[29]

Modern fiction also includes this motif: Mary Stewart's A Walk in Wolf Wood revolves about revealing that one man is an imposter, taking the form of a man who is living as a wolf in the woods, and Patricia A. McKillip has her shapeshifters, in the Riddle-master trilogy, use their forms to take the place of others. Mary Florence Elinor Stewart ( née Rainbow; born 17 September 1916) is a popular English Novelist, best known for her series Patricia Anne McKillip ( February 29, 1948 &mdash is an American Author of Fantasy and Science fiction Novels Patricia Anne McKillip ( February 29, 1948 &mdash is an American Author of Fantasy and Science fiction Novels The Harry Potter series included both a usurpation by a shape-shifter, and considerable precautions being taken by wizards and witches to attempt to identify such shape-shifters as they arose. Harry Potter is a series of seven Fantasy novels written by British author J In science fiction, "Who Goes There?" by John W. Campbell included a shape-shifting alien that could devour and replace terrestrial life. Who Goes There? is a Science fiction Novella by John W Campbell Jr John Wood Campbell Jr (June 8 1910 – July 11 1971 was an important Science fiction editor and writer

While Doppelgängers in folklore were a kind of portent that resembled a person, with no shapeshifting required, in modern fiction and roleplaying games, they are usually depicted as shape-shifters out to usurp someone's place. A doppelgänger ( or fetch is the ghostly double of a living person a sinister form of Bilocation. A doppelgänger ( or fetch is the ghostly double of a living person a sinister form of Bilocation.

This motif can also be used in a similar manner to the Monstrous Bride/Bridegroom theme. A character who falls in love with a usurper (given a justifiable motive for the replacement) can discover the unimportance of appearances beside character. In the Legion of Super-Heroes comics, Colossal Boy fell in love with a shapeshifter who had been duped into taking the form of a woman he had been attracted to. This is about the DC Comics superhero team For the animated television series based on this see Legion of Super Heroes (TV series. Gim Allon is a Fictional character in the 30th and 31st centuries of the DC Comics universe who has gone by a variety of Superhero names The revelation of this made him realize that he had fallen in love with the shapeshifter herself and not with the woman he had thought her to be. Similarly, the Human Torch fell in love with a Skrull imposter; although in the Marvel Universe they eventually broke up, in the MC2 alternate universe, they remarried, are now members of the Fantastic Five, and have a son. The Human Torch ( Jonathan "Johnny" Storm) is a Fictional character and Superhero of the Marvel Comics universe Lyja is a Fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. As a Skrull, she possesses the ability to Shapeshift into almost The Marvel Universe is the fictional Shared universe where most of the comic stories published by Marvel Comics take place MC2 ( Marvel Comics 2) is an Imprint from Marvel Comics whose Comic books depict an alternative future timeline Fantastic Five is the name of Superhero team that exists in the MC2 universe an alternate future to the Marvel Universe.

Ill-advised wishes

Many fairy-tale characters have expressed inadvised wishes to have any child at all, even one that has another form, and had such children born to them. A wish is a hope or desire for something Fictionally wishes can be used as Plot devices In folklore opportunities for "making a wish" or for wishes to "come ^[30] At the end of the fairy tale, normally after marriage, such children metamorphize into human form.

"Hans My Hedgehog" was born when his father wished for a child, even a hedgehog. Hans My Hedgehog is a Brothers Grimm fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm. Even stranger forms are possible: Giambattista Basile included in his Pentamerone the tale of a girl born as a sprig of myrtle, and Italo Calvino, in his Italian Folktales, a girl born as an apple. Giambattista Basile (1566 or 1575 – February 23, 1632) was an Italian Poet, Courtier, and Fairy tale collector The Myrtle is an Italian literary Fairy tale written by Giambattista Basile in his 1634 work the Pentamerone. Italo Calvino ( October 15, 1923 &ndash September 19, 1985) (ˈiːtalo kalˈviːno was an Italian journalist and writer of short

Sometimes, the parent who wishes for a child is told how to gain one, but does not obey the directions perfectly, resulting in the transformed birth. In Prince Lindworm, the woman eats two onions, but does not peel one, resulting in her first child being a lindworm. Lindworm (cognate with Old Norse linnormr 'constrictor snake' Norwegian lindorm 'serpent' German Lindwurm 'dragon' In Tatterhood, a woman magically produces two flowers, but disobeys the directions to eat only the beautiful one, resulting her having a beautiful and sweet daughter, but only after a disgusting and hideous one. Tatterhood is a Fairy tale collected by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe.

Less commonly, ill-advised wishes can transform a person after birth. The Seven Ravens are transformed when their father thinks his sons are playing instead of fetching water to christen their newborn and sickly sister, and curses them. The Seven Ravens is a German Fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm. ^[31] In Puddocky, when three princes start to quarrel over the beautiful heroine, a witch curses her because of the noise. " Puddocky " is a German Fairy tale. A variant " Cherry," was collected by the Brothers Grimm, and in French,

Monstrous bride/bridegroom

Such wished-for children may become monstrous brides or bridegrooms. Participants in wedding ceremonies, also known as the wedding party, include the bride and groom (or bridegroom) the maid of honor Participants in wedding ceremonies, also known as the wedding party, include the bride and groom (or bridegroom) the maid of honor Other such characters have no explanation for their forms, because their tales focus on the person who must marry them.

These tales often lean heavily on the promise of the father that his child should marry, or on the financial advantages to her family that she should do so -- factors clearly present in arranged marriages. These tales have often been intrepreted as symbolically representing arranged marriages; the bride's (in particular) revulsion to marrying a stranger being symbolized by his bestial form. ^[32]

These tales form, broadly, three subclasses.

The heroine must fall in love with the transformed groom. Warwick Goble (1862 &ndash 1943 was a Victorian illustrator of children's books Beauty and the Beast falls under this. Beauty and the Beast ( French: La Belle et la Bête) is a traditional Fairy tale (type 425C -- search for a lost husband -- in the Aarne-Thompson This has been interpreted as a young woman's coming-of-age, in which she changes from being repulsed by sexual activity and regarding a husband therefore bestial, to a mature woman who can marry. ^[33]

The hero or heroine must marry, as promised, and the monstrous form is removed by the wedding. Sir Gawain thus transformed the Loathly lady; although he was told that this was half-way, she could at his choice be beautiful by day and hideous by night, or vice versa, he told her that he would chose what she preferred, which broke the spell entirely. Gawain (ˈgɔːwɪn or /gəˈweɪn/ also called Gwalchmei Gawan Gauvain Walewein etc loathly lady is a common Literary device used in Medieval literature, most famously in Geoffrey Chaucer 's The Wife of Bath's Tale. ^[34] In Tatterhood, Tatterhood is transformed by her asking her bridegroom why he didn't ask her why she rode a goat, why she carried a spoon, and why she was so ugly, and when he asked her, denying it and therefore transforming her goat into a horse, her spoon into a fan, and herself into a beauty. Tatterhood is a Fairy tale collected by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe. Puddocky is transformed when her prince, after she had helped him with two other tasks, tells him that his father has sent him for a bride. " Puddocky " is a German Fairy tale. A variant " Cherry," was collected by the Brothers Grimm, and in French, A similar effect is found in Child ballad 34, Kemp Owyne, where the hero can transform a dragon back into a maiden by kissing her three times. The Child Ballads are a collection of 305 Ballads from England and Scotland, and their American variants collected by Francis James Child " Kemp Owyne " is Child Ballad number 34 Synopsis The heroine is turned into a worm (dragon usually by her stepmother ^[35]

Sometimes the bridegroom removes his animal skin for the wedding night, whereupon it can be burned. Hans My Hedgehog, The Donkey and The Pig King fall under this grouping. The Donkey is a German Fairy tale collected by Brothers Grimm by Grimm's Fairy Tales. The Pig King is an Italian literary Fairy tale written by Giovanni Francesco Straparola in his The Facetious Nights of Straparola. At an extreme, in Prince Lindworm, the bride who avoids being eaten by the lindworm bridegroom arrives at her wedding wearing every gown she owns, and she tells the bridegroom she will remove one of hers if he removes one of his; only when her last gown comes off has he removed his last skin, and become a white shape that she can form into a man. Lindworm (cognate with Old Norse linnormr 'constrictor snake' Norwegian lindorm 'serpent' German Lindwurm 'dragon' ^[36]

The lindworm's bride was the last of a number of brides. Some other tales using this theme also have one or two who fail the task of the marriage.

In other tales, such as The Brown Bear of Norway, The Golden Crab, The Enchanted Snake and some variants of The Frog Princess, burning the skin is a catastrophe, putting the transformed bride or bridegroom in danger; this is an example of the third grouping. The Brown Bear of Norway is a Scottish Fairy tale collected by Fitzroy MacLean in West Highland Tales. The Golden Crab is a Greek Fairy tale collected as "Prinz Krebs" by Bernhard Schmidt in his Griechische Märchen Sagen and Volkslieder. The Enchanted Snake or The Snake is an Italian fairy tale Giambattista Basile wrote a variant in The Pentamerone. For the upcoming Disney film see The Princess and the Frog. The Frog Princess is a Fairy tale that exists in many

In the third grouping, the hero or heroine must obey a prohibition; the bride must spend a period of time not seeing the transformed groom in human shape (as in East of the Sun and West of the Moon), or the bridegroom must not burn the animals skins. East of the Sun and West of the Moon is the Norwegian version of an old Scandinavian Fairy tale. In these tales, the prohibition is broken, invariably. The hero or heroine must therefore find his bride, or her bridegroom again. ^[37]

This motif is found in modern fiction mostly in the form of fairytale fantasy. Fairytale fantasy is distinguished from other subgenres of Fantasy by the works' heavy use of motifs and often plots from folklore Robin McKinley retold Beauty and the Beast twice, in Beauty and Rose Daughter. Robin McKinley (born November 16, 1952 as Jennifer Carolyn Robin Turrell McKinley) is a Fantasy Author especially known for her Rose Daughter is a second retelling of the tale of Beauty and the Beast by Robin McKinley, published in 1997

Death

Ghosts sometimes appear in animal form. In The Famous Flower of Serving-Men, the heroine's murdered husband appears to the king as a white dove, lamenting her fate over his own grave. The Famous Flower of Serving-Men or The Lady turned Serving-Man is Child ballad number 106 In The White and the Black Bride and The Three Little Men in the Wood, the murdered — drowned — true bride reappears as a white duck. The White and the Black Bride is a German Fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm, tale number 135 The Three Little Men in the Wood or The Three Dwarfs is a German Fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm, number 13 In The Rose Tree and The Juniper Tree, the murdered children become birds who avenge their own deaths. The Rose-Tree is an English Fairy tale collected by Joseph Jacobs in English Fairy Tales.

In some fairy tales, the character can reveal himself in every new form, and so a usurper repeatedly kills the victim in every new form, as in Beauty and Pock Face, A String of Pearls Twined with Golden Flowers, and The Boys with the Golden Stars. Beauty and Pock Face is a Chinese Fairy tale collected by Wolfram Eberhard in Chinese Fairy Tales and Folk Tales. A String of Pearls Twined with Golden Flowers or The Golden Twins is a Romanian Fairy tale collected by Petre Ispirescu in Legende sau The Boys with the Golden Stars is a Romanian Fairy tale collected in Rumanische Märchen. This eventually leads to a form into which the character (or characters) can reveal the truth to someone able to stop the villain.

Similarly, the transformation back may be acts that would be fatal. In The Wounded Lion, the prescription for turning the lion back into a prince was to kill him, chop him to pieces, burn the pieces, and throw the ash into water. The Wounded Lion is a Spanish Fairy tale collected by D Francisco de S Less drastic but no less apparently fatal, the fox in The Golden Bird, the foals in The Seven Foals, and the cats in Lord Peter and The White Cat tell the heroes of those stories to cut off their heads; this restores them to human shape. " The Golden Bird " is a Brothers Grimm Fairy tale, number 57 about the pursuit of a golden bird by a king's three sons The Seven Foals is a Norwegian Fairy tale collected by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe. Lord Peter or Squire Per is a Norwegian Fairy tale collected by Asbjørnsen and Moe. " Puddocky " is a German Fairy tale. A variant " Cherry," was collected by the Brothers Grimm, and in French, ^[38]

Shapeshifting in historical accounts

Procopius in his Secret History (ch. Procopius of Caesarea ( Προκόπιος ο Καισαρεύς, c Procopius of Caesarea ( Προκόπιος ο Καισαρεύς, c 12) gives an account about the shapeshifting of Emperor Justinian I:

And some of those who have been with Justinian at the palace late at night, men who were pure of spirit, have thought they saw a strange demoniac form taking his place. An emperor (from the Latin " Imperator " is a (male Monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an Empire or another type of Flavius Petrus Sabbatius Iustinianus ( Greek: Φλάβιος Πέτρος Σαββάτιος Ιουστινιανός; known in English as Justinian I or One man said that the Emperor suddenly rose from his throne and walked about, and indeed he was never wont to remain sitting for long, and immediately Justinian's head vanished, while the rest of his body seemed to ebb and flow; whereat the beholder stood aghast and fearful, wondering if his eyes were deceiving him. But presently he perceived the vanished head filling out and joining the body again as strangely as it had left it.

Another said he stood beside the Emperor as he sat, and of a sudden the face changed into a shapeless mass of flesh, with neither eyebrows nor eyes in their proper places, nor any other distinguishing feature; and after a time the natural appearance of his countenance returned. I write these instances not as one who saw them myself, but heard them from men who were positive they had seen these strange occurrences at the time.

They also say that a certain monk, very dear to God, at the instance of those who dwelt with him in the desert went to Constantinople to beg for mercy to his neighbors who had been outraged beyond endurance. And when he arrived there, he forthwith secured an audience with the Emperor; but just as he was about to enter his apartment, he stopped short as his feet were on the threshold, and suddenly stepped backward. Whereupon the eunuch escorting him, and others who were present, importuned him to go ahead. But he answered not a word; and like a man who has had a stroke staggered back to his lodging. And when some followed to ask why he acted thus, they say he distinctly declared he saw the King of the Devils sitting on the throne in the palace, and he did not care to meet or ask any favor of him.

Shapeshifting in folklore

Popular shapeshifting creatures in folklore are werewolves and vampires (mostly of European, Canadian, and Native American/early American origin), the fox spirits East Asia (including the Japanese kitsune), and the gods, goddesses, and demons of numerous mythologies, such as the Norse Loki or the Greek Proteus. See also Lycanthropy (disambiguation Werewolves, also known as lycanthropes, are mythological or folkloric humans with the ability to See also Lycanthropy (disambiguation Werewolves, also known as lycanthropes, are mythological or folkloric humans with the ability to Vampires are mythological or folkloric revenants who subsist by feeding on the blood of the living Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. A goddess is a Female Deity. Many Cultures have goddesses Often deities are part of a polytheistic system that includes several deities Norse mythology comprises the indigenous pre-Christian religion, beliefs and Legends of the Scandinavian peoples including those who settled on Iceland In Cryptography, LOKI89 and LOKI91 are Block ciphers designed as possible replacements for the Data Encryption Standard (DES Greek mythology is the body of stories belonging to the ancient Greeks concerning their gods and Heroes the nature of the world and the origins and significance In Greek mythology, Proteus (Πρωτεύς is an early sea-god one of several deities whom Homer calls the "Old Man of the Sea" whose name suggests the It was also common for deities to transform mortals into animals and plants. See also List of deities A deity is a Postulated Preternatural or Supernatural Being, who is always Plants are living Organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae.

Although shapeshifting to the form of a wolf is specifically known as lycanthropy, and such creatures who undergo such change are called lycanthropes, those terms have also been used to describe any human-animal transformations and the creatures who undergo them. The grey wolf or gray wolf ( Canis lupus) also known as the timber wolf or simply wolf, is a Mammal of the order Carnivora Therianthropy is the more general term for human-animal shifts, but it is rarely used in that capacity. Therianthropy (from n therianthrope and adj therianthropic, part man and part beast from the Greek theríon, θηρίον meaning "wild

Other terms for shapeshifters include metamorph, skin-walker, mimic, and therianthrope. In some Native American legends a skin-walker is a person with the supernatural ability to turn into any animal he or she desires Therianthropy (from n therianthrope and adj therianthropic, part man and part beast from the Greek theríon, θηρίον meaning "wild The prefix "were-," coming from the Old English word for "man" (masculine rather than generic), is also used to designate shapeshifters; despite its root, it is used to indicate female shapeshifters as well.

Almost every culture around the world has some type of transformation myth, and almost every commonly found animal (and some not-so-common ones) probably has a shapeshifting myth attached to them. Culture (from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning "to cultivate" generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic Usually, the animal involved in the transformation is indigenous to or prevalent in the area from which the story derives. While the popular idea of a shapeshifter is of a human being who turns into something else, there are numerous stories about animals that can transform themselves as well. ^[39]

Greco-Roman

Shapeshifting, transformations and metamorphoses serve a wide variety of purposes in classical mythology.

Examples of shapeshifting in classical literature include many examples in Ovid's Metamorphoses, Circe's transforming of Odysseus' men to pigs in Homer's The Odyssey, and Apuleius's Lucius becoming a donkey in The Golden Ass. "Classical literature" redirects here For literature in Classical languages outside the Graeco-Roman sphere see Ancient literature. Publius Ovidius Naso ( March 20, 43 BC – 17 AD was a Roman poet known to the English -speaking world as Ovid who wrote on many topics including The Metamorphoses by the Roman poet Ovid is a narrative poem In Greek mythology, Circe ( sərsē; Greek Κίρκη Kírkē, falcon is a Queen Goddess (or sometimes a Nymph grc-Latn Odysseus or la Ulysses ( Greek grc-Latn Odysseus; Latin: la Ulixes or more commonly Ulysses) oʊˈdɪsiəs Homer ( Ancient Greek:, Homēros) is a legendary ancient Greek epic Poet, traditionally said to be the author of the epic poems the The Odyssey ( Greek: Ὀδύσσεια or Odússeia) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. Apuleius should not be confused with Lucius Appuleius Saturninus, a Roman demagogue or with Pseudo-Apuleius, an author The Metamorphoses of Lucius Apuleius, which according to St Augustine was referred to as The Golden Ass ( Asinus aureus

Proteus among the gods was particularly noted for his shape-shifting; both Menelaus and Aristaeus seized him to win information from him, and succeeded only because they held on during his manifold shape changes. In Greek mythology, Proteus (Πρωτεύς is an early sea-god one of several deities whom Homer calls the "Old Man of the Sea" whose name suggests the In Greek mythology, Menelaus ( Ancient Greek:) was a king of Ancient Sparta, the husband of Helen, and a central figure in the A minor god in Greek mythology, which we read largely through Athenian writers Aristaeus or Aristaios ( Greek: Ἀρισταῖος "ever close

While the Greek gods could use transformation punitively — as for Arachne, turned to a spider for her pride in her weaving, and Medusa, turned to a monster for having sexual intercourse with Poseidon in Athena's temple — even more frequently, the tales using it are of amorous adventure. Arachne was a great mortal weaver She boasted that her skill was greater than that of Athena the goddess of crafts which resulted in a contest between her and the goddess In Greek mythology, Medusa ( Greek: Μέδουσα (Médousa "guardian protectress" was a monstrous Chthonic female character gazing upon In Greek mythology, Poseidon ( Greek:; Latin: Neptūnus) was the god of the Sea and as "Earth-Shaker" ATHENA was an Antimatter research project that took place at the AD Ring at CERN. Zeus repeatedly transformed himself to approach mortal women, both as a means of gaining access:

• Danaë as a shower of gold
• Europa as a bull
• Leda as a swan
• Alcmene as her husband

or to attempt to conceal his affair from Hera

• Io, as a cloud, and Io herself as a white heifer. Zeus (zjuːs in Greek: nominative: Zeús /zdeús/ genitive: Diós; Modern Greek /'zefs/ in Greek mythology For other uses see Danae (plant and Danaë (painting In Greek mythology, Danaë (Δανάη English translation Europa ( Greek Εὐρώπη was a Phoenician woman of high lineage in Greek mythology, from whom the name of the Continent Europe In Greek mythology, Leda ( Λήδα) was daughter of the Aetolian king Thestius, and wife of the king Tyndareus, of Sparta In Greek mythology, Alcmene or Alcmena ( Greek:) was the mother of Heracles In the Olympian pantheon of classical Greek Mythology, Hera (ˈhɪərə or /ˈhɛrə/ Greek) or Here ( in Ionic and Homer In Greek mythology, Io (ˈaɪoʊ or /ˈiːoʊ/ World Book «EYE oh», in Ancient Greek Ἰώ) was a priestess of Hera in Argos

More innocently, Vertumnus transformed himself into an old woman in order to gain entry to Pomona's orchard; there, he persuaded her to marry him. In Roman mythology, Vertumnus ( Vortumnus, Vertimnus) is the god of seasons change In Roman mythology, Pomona was the goddess of fruit trees gardens and orchards

In other tales, the woman appealed to other gods to protect her from rape, and was transformed (Daphne into laurel, Cornix into a crow). Rape, also referred to as Sexual assault, is an Assault by a person involving Sexual intercourse with or Sexual penetration of another person DAPHNE is an Arcade emulator application that emulates a variety of Laserdisc video games with the intent of preserving these games and making Cornix is a character in Ovid 's Metamorphoses. There she recounts how she was a princess the daughter of Coroneus. Unlike Zeus and other god's shape-shifting, these women were permanently metamorphosed.

In one tale, Demeter transformed herself into a mare to escape Poseidon, but Poseidon counter-transformed himself into a stallion to pursue her, and succeeded in the rape. Demeter (dɨˈmiːtɚ Greek:, possibly "distribution-mother" from the noun of the Indo-European mother-earth * dheghom * mater In Greek mythology, Poseidon ( Greek:; Latin: Neptūnus) was the god of the Sea and as "Earth-Shaker"

Humans were also transformed, for many reasons. Maxfield Parrish ( July 25, 1870 &ndash March 30, 1966) was an American painter and illustrator.

Tiresias once saw two snakes mating and struck the female with his staff; this transformed him into a woman, and he lived as such for many years. Everes redirects here For the Butterfly Genus, see Everes (genus. At the end, he saw the snakes again, and this time was careful to hit the male, which restored him to male form.

Caenis, having been raped by Poseidon, demanded of him that she be changed to a man. Caenis, a former slave and secretary of Antonia Minor (mother of the emperor Claudius) was the mistress of the Roman emperor Vespasian. In Greek mythology, Poseidon ( Greek:; Latin: Neptūnus) was the god of the Sea and as "Earth-Shaker" He agreed, and she became Caeneus, a form he never lost, except, in some versions, upon death. In Greek mythology, Caeneus ( Ancient Greek Καινεύς or Kaineus was a Lapith hero and originally a Thessalonian woman Caenis

As a final reward from the gods for their hospitality, Baucis and Philemon were transformed, at their deaths, into a pair of trees. In Ovid 's moralizing fable ( Metamorphoses VIII which stands on the periphery of Greek mythology and Roman mythology, Baucis and Philemon

Pygmalion having fallen in love with a statue he had made, Venus had pity on him and transformed the stone to a living woman. Pygmalion is a Legendary figure of Cyprus. Though Pygmalion is the Greek version of the Phoenician royal name Pumayyaton, he is most The VENUS ( V ictoria E xperimental N etwork U nder the S ea project is a cabled sea floor observatory operated by the University

In some variants of the tale of Narcissus, he is turned into a flower. Greek mythology, Narcissus, Narkissos or The Self-Admirer (Νάρκισσος was a Hero of the territory of Thespiae in Boeotia

After Tereus raped Philomela and cut out her tongue to silence her, she wove her story into a tapestry for her sister, Tereus's wife Procne, and the sisters murdered his son and fed him to his father. In Greek mythology, Tereus (Τηρεύς was a son of Ares and husband of Procne. When he discovered this, he tried to kill them, but the gods changed them all into birds.

Sometimes metamorphoses transformed objects into humans. In the myths of both Jason and Cadmus, one task set to the hero was to sow dragon's teeth; on being sown, they would metamorphose into belligerent warriors, and both heroes had to trick them into fighting each other to survive. Jason ( Greek: Ἰάσων, Etruscan: Easun, Laz: Yason) was a late ancient Greek mythological Cadmus, or Kadmos (Κάδμος in Greek mythology, was a Phoenician prince son of Agenor and the brother of Phoenix, Cilix In Greek myth, dragon's teeth feature prominently in the legends of the Phoenician prince Cadmus and Jason 's quest for the Golden Fleece Deucalion and Pyrrha repopulated the world after a flood by throwing stones behind them; they were transformed into people. In Greek mythology, Deucalion (Δευκαλίων was a son of Prometheus and Pronoia. In Greek mythology, Pyrrha was the daughter of Epimetheus and Pandora and wife of Deucalion

British and Irish

Celtic mythology

Though much of Welsh mythology has been lost, shapeshifting magic features several times in what remains. Welsh mythology, the remnants of the Mythology of the pre Christian Britons, has come down to us in much altered form in medieval Welsh manuscripts

Pwyll was transformed by Arawn into Arawn's own shape, and Arawn transformed himself into Pwyll's, so that they could trade places for a year and a day. This article is about the Welsh hero for the impact crater on Europa, see Pwyll (crater. In Welsh mythology, Arawn was the king of the Otherworld realm of Annwn.

Llwyd ap Cil Coed transformed his wife and attendants into mice to attack a crop in revenge; when his wife is captured, he turned himself into three clergymen in succession to try to pay a ransom. Llwyd ap Cil Coed is a character in the Third Branch of The Mabinogi, known also as the story of Manawydan ap Llŷr.

Math and Gwydion transform flowers into a woman named Blodeuwedd, and when she betrays her husband Lleu, who is transformed into an eagle, they transform her again, into an owl - Blodeuwedd. In Welsh mythology, Math fab Mathonwy, also called Math ap Mathonwy (Math son of Mathonwy was a king of Gwynedd who needed to rest his feet in the lap In Welsh mythology, Blodeuwedd or Blodeuedd, ( Middle Welsh composite name from blodeu 'flowers blossoms' + gwedd 'face aspect appearance' Lleu Llaw Gyffes (/ɬeɨ ɬau gəfes/ sometimes misspelled Llew Llaw Gyffes is a figure of Welsh mythology.

Gilfaethwy having committed rape, and Gwydion his brother having helped him, they were transformed into animals, for one year each, Gwydion into a stag, sow and wolf, and Gilfaethwy into a hind, boar and she-wolf. In Welsh mythology, Gilfaethwy was a son of the goddess Dôn and brother of Gwydion and Arianrhod in the Fourth Branch of the Each year, they had a child. Math turned the three young animals into boys.

Gwion, having accidentally taken some of wisdom potion that Ceridwen was brewing for her son, fled her through a succession of changes that she answered with changes of her own, ending with his being eaten, a grain of corn, by her as a hen. Taliesin (c 534 – c 599 (spelled as Taliessin in Alfred Lord Tennyson 's Idylls of the King and in some subsequent works was a Brythonic In Welsh medieval legend, Ceridwen was a magician mother of Taliesin, Morfran, and a beautiful daughter Crearwy (or Creirwy She became pregnant, and he was reborn in a new form, as Taliesin.

Irish mythology also features shapeshifting. The Mythology of pre-Christian Ireland did not entirely survive the conversion to Christianity, but much of it was preserved shorn of its religious meanings Perhaps the best known myth is that of Aoife who turned her stepchildren, the Children of Lir, into swans to be rid of them. Out with you upon the wild waves Children of the King! Henceforth your cries shall be with the flocks of birds Likewise in the Wooing of Etain Fuamnach jealously turns Étaín into a butterfly. Tochmarc Étaíne ( Old Irish: "The Wooing of Étaín " is an early text of the Irish Mythological Cycle, and also features In Irish mythology Fuamnach was Midir's first wife and a witch goddess For the French town see Etain In Irish mythology Étaín (sometimes spelt Edain, Aideen, Etaoin

Sadbh, the wife of the famous hero Fionn mac Cumhaill was changed into a deer by the druid Fer Doirich. In Irish mythology, Sadbh ( Sadb, Sadhbh) was the Sidhe mother of Oisin by Fionn mac Cumhail. Fionn mac Cumhaill (ˈɸʲiːn̪ˠ mˠak ˈkũw̃aːlʲ in Irish, ˈfɪn mə ˈkuːl in English) (earlier Finn or Find mac Cumail or mac

The most dramatic example of shapeshifting in Irish myth is that of Tuan mac Cairill, the only survivor of Partholón's settlement of Ireland. In Irish mythology Tuan mac Cairill was a follower of Partholon who alone survived the plague that killed the rest of his people In his centuries long life he became successively a stag, a wild boar, a hawk and finally a salmon prior to being eaten and (as in the Wooing of Étaín) reborn as a human.

British folklore

Fairies, witches, and wizards were all noted for their shapeshifting ability. Arthur Rackham ( 19 September 1867 &ndash 6 September 1939) was a prolific English book illustrator A fairy (also fay, fey, fae, faerie; collectively wee folk, good folk, people of peace, fair Witchcraft, in various historical anthropological religious and mythological contexts is the use of certain kinds of Supernatural or magical powers Not all fairies could shapeshift, and some were limited to changing their size, as with the spriggans, and others to a few forms, such as the each uisge, which appears only as a horse and a young man. Spriggans are Legendary creatures known from Cornish faery lore The each uisge (ax ˈɪʃkə literally "water horse" is a Scottish water spirit called the Aughisky in Ireland ^[40] Other fairies might have only the appearance of shape-shifting, through their power, called "glamour," to create illusions. ^[41] But others, such as the Hedley Kow, could change to many forms, and both human and supernatural wizards were capable of both such changes, and inflicting them on others. ^[42]

Witches could turn into hares and in that form steal milk and butter. ^[43]

Many British fairy tales, such as Jack the Giant Killer and The Black Bull of Norroway, feature shapeshifting. " Jack the Giant Killer " is a Fairy tale. As a variation on " The Brave Little Tailor " it shares some similarities to what is known today as " The Black Bull of Norroway is a Fairy tale collected by Joseph Jacobs in More English Fairy Tales.

Norse

Both Odin and Loki are shape-shifters in Norse myth. Arthur Rackham ( 19 September 1867 &ndash 6 September 1939) was a prolific English book illustrator Das Rheingold ("The Rhine Gold" is the first of the four operas that comprise Der Ring des Nibelungen ( The Ring of the Nibelung) by Richard Wagner Odin (ˈoʊdɪn from Old Norse Óðinn) is considered the chief god in Norse paganism. In Cryptography, LOKI89 and LOKI91 are Block ciphers designed as possible replacements for the Data Encryption Standard (DES Unusually, both take on female forms, and Loki in the form of a mare bore Sleipnir. In Norse mythology, Sleipnir is Odin 's eight-legged steed and the greatest of all Horses His name means smooth or gliding, and is The Lokasenna depicts the two of them taunting each other with it, as having been women through and through, having borne children. Lokasenna ( Loki's flyting, Loki's wrangling, Loki's quarrel) is one of the mythological poems of the Poetic Edda. (Any myths that depict Odin in female form have been lost, but the Lokasenna does contain references to many myths that are known to be believed.

In the Hyndluljóð, the goddess Freya transformed her protégé Óttar into a boar to conceal him. Hyndluljóð or Lay of Hyndla is an Old Norse poem often considered a part of the Poetic Edda. Freyja (sometimes anglicized as Freya) is a major goddess in Norse Paganism, a subset of Germanic Paganism. In Norse Mythology, Óttar, also known as Óttar the Simple, was a protégé of the goddess Freyja. She also possessed a cloak of robin feathers that allowed her to transform into any kind of bird.

The Volsung saga contains many shapeshifting characters. Siggeir's mother changed to a wolf to help torture his defeated brothers-in-law with slow and igmonious deaths. Siggeir is the king of Gautland (ie Götaland /Geatland but in some translations also rendered as Gothland) in the Völsunga saga. When one, Sigmund, survived, he and his nephew and son Sinfjötli killed men wearing wolfskins; when they donned the skins themselves, they were cursed to become werewolves. This article is about the mythological hero Sigmund for other meanings see Sigmund (disambiguation. Sinfjötli (in Old Norse) or Fitela (in Anglo-Saxon) in Norse mythology was born out of the incestuous relationship between Sigmund See also Lycanthropy (disambiguation Werewolves, also known as lycanthropes, are mythological or folkloric humans with the ability to

Fafnir was originally a dwarf or a giant, depending on the exact myth, but in all variants, he became a dragon guarding his hoard. In Norse mythology, Fáfnir ( Old Norse and Icelandic) or Frænir was a son of the dwarf king Hreidmar and brother

In more recent folklore, the Nisse is sometimes said to be a shapeshifter. This trait also is attributed to Huldra. Huldra is also the name of a witch in Sheri S Tepper 's The True Game series of novels

Slavic

In Slavic mythology, werewolves and other human-to-animal shapeshifters are fairly rare, usually created as a course of Leszi. Slavic mythology is the Mythological aspect of the Religion that was practised by the ancient Slavs. The Leszi or anglicized as Leshiy (Лісовик ле́ший is a woodland spirit in Slavic mythology who protects wild animals and forests

Hinduism

Hindu folklore tells of nāga, snakes that can sometimes assume human form. Nāga ( नाग, IAST: nāgá, Indonesian: naga, Javanese: nogo, Khmer: neak) is One nāga took on a man's shape in order to be ordained a monk; the Buddha refused it, but gave it directions on how to ensure it could be reborn as a man after death, in which form it could be ordained.

Far East

Chinese, Japanese, and Korean folklore all tell of animals able to assume human shape. Though they have other traits in common -- such animals are often old, they grow additional tails along with their abilities, and they frequently still have some animal traits to betray them -- there are distinctions between the folklore in the various countries.

Chinese

Chinese folklore contains many tales of animal shapeshifters, capable of taking on human form. The commonest such shapeshifter is the huli jing, a fox spirit which usually appears as a beautiful young woman; most are dangerous, but some feature as the heroines of love stories. Huli jing ( Chinese: 狐狸精 Pinyin: húli jīng huli means Fox, and jing means Spirit) in Chinese mythology are fox spirits

Madame White Snake is one such legend; a snake falls in love with a man, and the story recounts the trials that she and her husband faced.

Japanese

Many Japanese yōkai are animals with the ability to shapeshift. also written Kuzu-no-Ha, is the name of a popular Kitsune character in Japanese folklore. are a class of Obake, creatures in Japanese folklore ranging from the evil oni to the mischievous Kitsune or snow The fox, or kitsune is among the most common, but other such creatures include:

• Mujina
• Bakeneko
• Nekomata
• Tanuki

Korean

Korean folklore also contains a fox with the ability to shape-shift. is an old Japanese term primarily referring to the badger. In some regions the term refers instead to the Japanese raccoon dog (also called Tanuki is the Japanese word for the Japanese raccoon dog ( Nyctereutes procyonides viverrinus) Unlike its Chinese and Japanese counterparts, the kumiho is always malevolent. The kumiho (literally " Nine tailed fox " is a creature that appears in the oral tales and Legends of Korea. Usually its form is of a beautiful young woman; one tale recounts a man, a would-be seducer, revealed as a kumiho. ^[44] She has nine tails and as she desires to be a full human, she uses her beauty to seduce men and eat their hearts (or in some cases livers where the belief is that 100 livers would turn her into a real human).

Tatar

Tatar folklore includes Yuxa, a hundred-year-old snake that can transform itself into a beautiful young woman, and seeks to marry men in order to have children. Yuxa yılan, or Sly Snake (IPA /juxɑ` jɯlɑn`/ Cyrillic: Юха елан) is a Legendary creature that figures in Tatar

Shapeshifting in popular culture

Shapeshifting can be a rich symbolical and narrative tool. Today, the theme appears in many fantasy, science fiction and horror stories; some would even recognize a distinct subgenre of shapeshifting or transformation fiction, with its own genre conventions. Fantasy is a Genre that uses magic and other Supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, and/or setting Horror fiction is broadly Fiction in any medium intended to scare unsettle or horrify the audience Fantasy and science fiction occasionally feature races or species of shapeshifters, and both magic and technology can be used to impose a change in form. There are many elements that show up throughout the fantasy genre in different guises Some of the more popular themes include werewolves, vampires, and age regression. See also Lycanthropy (disambiguation Werewolves, also known as lycanthropes, are mythological or folkloric humans with the ability to Vampires are mythological or folkloric revenants who subsist by feeding on the blood of the living In a broader sense, the term includes stories about characters who shrink or grow in size without changing their form.

Transformation in this regard is physical, as opposed to the character development common to many stories, even with no fantastic element, which typically involves characters changing mentally, psychologically or spiritually.

Two episodes of the television show Supernatural (Episode 6, Season 1 "Skin" & Episode 12, Season 2 "Nightshifter") deal with the shapeshifter lore. Supernatural is an American horror television series regarding the Paranormal.

Dozens of episodes of the hit science-fiction TV series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine featured shapeshifters known as The Founders, also referred to informally as Changelings (Star Trek) who were the leaders of The Dominion (Star Trek). Changelings are an alien race from the Star Trek universe Members of this race have the unique ability to Shapeshift. Changelings are an alien race from the Star Trek universe Members of this race have the unique ability to Shapeshift. In the fictional Star Trek universe the Dominion is a ruthless and militaristic Gamma Quadrant state consisting of many different races The most popular one was Odo (Star Trek). Odo, played by René Auberjonois, is a main character on the science fiction television series Star Trek Deep Space Nine. Star Trek 6 featured a chameloid, another species of shapeshifter, by the name of Martia. Star Trek VI The Undiscovered Country is the sixth feature film based on the Star Trek Science fiction Television series. Earlier in Star Trek The Original Series, a shapeshifter named Garth was one of the characters in an episode titled Whom Gods Destroy (TOS episode). " Whom Gods Destroy " is a third season episode of Star Trek The Original Series.

Jack Finney's novel Invasion of the Body Snatchers and the various movies it inspired use the shapeshifting motif as a means of exploring contemporary anxiety and paranoia, particularly fear of totalitarian manipulation of free will and the elimination of human emotion.

Shapeshifting in comics

Main article: List of comic book superpowers

Main article: Calvin and Hobbes

Calvin created a transmogrification machine that allowed him to transform into anything he wished. In generalDO NOT ADD INFORMATION THAT DOES NOT CONCERN COMIC BOOK CHARACTERS Calvin and Hobbes is a Comic strip written and illustrated by Bill Watterson, following the humorous antics of Calvin, an imaginative

In the Japanese manga Ranma 1/2, by Rumiko Takahashi, many of the main characters are under a curse and shapeshift when are touched by cold water and recover their original form with a little splash of hot water. is a Japanese Manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi with an Anime adaptation is a Japanese Mangaka. Takahashi is one of the wealthiest women in Japan. For example, the hero, Ranma, changes into a beautiful maiden, and his father Genma into a Giant Panda.

In the Japanese manga and anime series Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa, the Homunculus Envy is able to turn into any person or animal, and occasionally turns his limbs into blades. commonly abbreviated as FMA or Hagaren, is an ongoing Japanese Manga series written and illustrated by Hiromu Arakawa. is a female Japanese manga artist from Hokkaidō. Her real name is.

The Zoanoids from the Guyver manga and anime series are also notoriously known for their abilities to change from humans into monsters. A monster is any of a large number of Legendary creatures which usually appear in Mythology, Legend, or Horror fiction.

In the Japanese manga and anime series Bleach, Yoruichi Shihōin can turn into a cat. A bleach is a Chemical that removes color or whitens often via Oxidation.

In the Japanese manga and anime series Fruits Basket, people who are members of The Zodiac transform into their respective zodiac animals when hugged by members of the opposite sex. sometimes abbreviated, is a Japanese Manga series by Natsuki Takaya. Over time, they change back into their human forms, generally whether they want to or not.

And in X-men series the shapeshifter villain Mystique. Mystique ( Raven Darkholme) is a Marvel Comics character associated with the X-Men franchise

Psychology of transformation fiction

Science fictional transformation fiction tends to feed a sense of discovery and suggest the unlocking of potential. This may be an analogy for the idealization of the experience of a teenager who discovers that puberty has changed his body, including increased strength and physical ability. Jack L. Chalker's Wellworld series is an example of this sort. Jack Laurence Chalker ( December 17, 1944 – February 11, 2005) was an American Science fiction author. The eponymous planet is populated by hundreds of different species, each in its own territory, and visitors become residents by being forcibly transformed at the polar immigration entry points into a member of a randomly selected resident species.

Fantasy transformation fiction is often mystical or dynamic, focusing on the change of the person's identity when transformed. This may be an analogy for learning to take a different perspective. Patricia A. McKillip's Riddlemaster of Hed series includes transformations of wizards into mountain sheep, ancient trees, ravens, and even the wind; each change leaves its mark on the essence of the wizard who transforms. Patricia Anne McKillip ( February 29, 1948 &mdash is an American Author of Fantasy and Science fiction Novels In T.H. White's The Sword in the Stone, the wizard Merlyn transforms young Arthur into a variety of animals so he can learn from the animals the lessons he will need to be a good king. Terence Hanbury White ( 29 May 1906 &ndash 17 January 1964) was an English Author best known for his sequence of Arthurian The Sword in the Stone is a novel by T H White, published in 1938, initially a stand-alone work but now the first part of a tetralogy The Once

Horror transformation fiction captures a feeling of fear, of people suddenly becoming monsters, of yourself becoming a monster, of things prowling in the night that used to be human. This is possibly an analogy for emotions that are so strong, they rip away one's rationality and leave one a beast. An American Werewolf in London is a perfect example; a young man is bitten, and without his permission or desire, becomes a creature of darkness that exists to kill. An American Werewolf in London is a comedy / Horror film released in 1981, written and directed by John Landis

Transformation can also be viewed as a metaphor for puberty and budding sexuality, such as in the Disney film The Shaggy Dog. The Shaggy Dog is a Black and white 1959 Walt Disney movie about Wilby Daniels a teenager who is transformed into In the story, the teenage protagonist Wilby Daniels finds himself under the curse of a ring reputed to having belonged to Lucrezia Borgia that causes him to randomly transform into a sheepdog. This article is about the historical person For the biographical opera see Lucrezia Borgia (opera. A sheepdog is a type of domestic Dog whose original purpose was to herd or guard Sheep. This happens concurrently with the arrival of a beautiful and exotic neighbor that Wilby has a crush on; throughout the film he finds himself helplessly transforming into a dog, frequently in her presence. Most tellingly, this happens at a dance where he is slow-dancing with her — an activity that might cause the average adolescent male to find himself getting an erection; though this gets filtered into him growing shaggy hair and becoming a beast, essentially his animal instincts take control of him and he rushes away from the social activity humiliated.

In some stories, an unexpected but welcome transformation (especially various forms of lycanthropy) plays a thematic role similar to the plot device of the protagonist being a commoner who finds out they are actually royal, or have unsuspected magical talent, or have some other wonderful unsuspected destiny. The Protagonist or main character is the central figure of a story. In others, a transformation imposed from without by a hostile entity is a challenge to be overcome; the protagonist seeks a way to reverse the transformation and regain their original form. In many such stories, the final resolution involves the unwillingly transformed protagonist coming to terms with their new shape and turning it to their advantage rather than finding a way to return to "normal".

Shapeshifting among animals

Some animals, particularly octopi, are able to change their body shape and color to mimic other creatures and objects, for camouflage or to hide in narrow spaces. The Camouflage is a method of cryptic or concealing coloration that allows an otherwise visible Organism The Mimic Octopus is noted for its ability to impersonate sea snakes, widely different fish species, and rock formations. The Indonesian Mimic Octopus, Thaumoctopus mimicus, is a Monotypic species of Octopus that has the uncanny ability to Mimic several For sea snakes in mythology and cryptozoology see Sea serpent. Fish are aquatic Vertebrate animals that are typically ectothermic (previously Cold-blooded) covered with scales, and equipped with two

Insects often undergo metamorphosis, in a transformation between their larval and adult stages. Insects ( Class Insecta) are a major group of Arthropods and the most diverse group of Animals on the Earth with over a million described Metamorphosis is a Biological process by which an Animal physically develops after Birth or hatching involving a conspicuous and relatively While fictional metamorphoses are almost always permanent, these changes are always so.

Transformation enthusiasts

Many children have animal transformation fantasies and shapeshifting is a well-known feature of fairy tales, such as the story of the Frog Prince and The Spiderwick Chronicles . A fairy tale or fairy story is a fictional Story that may feature folkloric characters (such as fairies, enchantments]] often involving The Frog King or Iron Heinrich (German Der Froschkönig oder der eiserne Heinrich) also known as The Frog Prince, is a Fairy tale, best known through Interest in transformation isn't limited just to them, though; the concept captures some imaginations of all ages. The subject is rather obscure and there's no established term for those who like transformations; the general expression is just "TF fans". Note that having an interest in shapeshifting is distinct from belonging to therians, otherkin or any other group that actually identifies with or wishes to become something else. Therianthropy (from n therianthrope and adj therianthropic, part man and part beast from the Greek theríon, θηρίον meaning "wild Otherkin are a Subculture of people primarily Internet -based who identify in some way as other than Human.

Websites and online communities about transformation exist, both clean and otherwise, although for someone who e. g. just likes coming across shapechanges on TV, a site dedicated for appreciating them might be entirely too much. The Transformation Story Archive is a prominent example of its kind. The Transformation Story Archive (TSA was a website archiving Amateur Fiction featuring a personal physical transformation or its aftermath

Two currently prominent webcomics feature transformations for their own sake: El Goonish Shive is technology- and magic-based and more character-driven, while The Wotch is somewhat younger, magic-based and considerably more madcap. Webcomics, online comics, or Internet comics are Comics Published on a Website, often exclusively providing easy access to an El Goonish Shive ( EGS) is a Contemporary fantasy The Wotch is a cartoon-style English-language Webcomic created by "Anne Onymous" and "Robin Ericson" about the magical adventures

See also

• List of shapeshifters in myth and fiction
• Resizing (in fiction)
• Self reconfigurable
• Michigan Dogman
• Werewolves in fiction
• Animal transformation fantasy
• Shapeshifting as a comic book superpower
• Soul eater (folklore)

Notes and references

• Hall, Jamie, Half Human, Half Animal: Tales of Werewolves and Related Creatures (AuthorHouse, 2003 ISBN 1-4107-5809-5)

External links

• The Transformation Stories List (not updated recently)
• Transformation Stories Archive (not updated recently)
• Transformation Stories, Art, Talk (online magazine)
• TFCentral - A portal dedicated to transformation. Hosting, forums, image gallery, story archives, and chat.
• Portal of Transformation - Site with sections on the folklore behind a number of different shapeshifters from around the world.
• Stories set in fictional town "Barken, TX"
• The Siren Song - Started back in 1997 - this site is home to original TG transformation/shapeshifting art, comics and animated shorts.
• Shapeshifters in Love - A series of articles about shapeshifting characters in romance and speculative fiction.

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