KW
RadioOkinawa (2013) Japanese Myths & Monsters [Online] Available From: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9E34OBo2ZBs Date Accessed: 09/03/2015
 Japanese DemonsThe main focus for this design is not the demon but the god-like character. The demon appears as the servant. The facial structure of the Japanese culture is a simple yet important aspect to consider in the design. Taking in to account the structure of the face and the way in which the Japanese style themselves. When looking closely at this picture the demon has a singular horn which as explored further later is a common feature. |  Japanese DemonsI have found that many Japanese designs are created using line work, which automatically creates a strong visual style. This design is interesting through its use of the singular horn protruding from the head. One can see the structure of the face is quite busy with a large focus on the mouth. All of these elements are worth considering to try and incorporate into my design. |  Japanese DemonsThis design is almost cyclops styles. The short, straight horn on the top of the head allow for a slight crossover between Japanese and Greek styles. The face is generally very dark with strong features. The mouth is also another important component of this design. I must consider costumes like this one to complete the look to ensure that the viewer can note the origin of the creature. |
|---|---|---|
 Japanese DemonsThis design highlights a lot of the very common features found in Japanese design. There are very strong structures almost caricature styled. The lines are very dark creating contrast on the face. The nose is humanoid, with deep set eyes, with large eyeballs, the mouth is extended and distorted creating a grimace. The clear lines of definition are the most stylised quality. Similarly horns are a very common feature in Japanese designs. There are many styles of horns in the designs. |  Japanese DemonsThe demon appearing in the top right corner is considered an Oni due to its third eye and structure. I really like the structure of the face in this design.The mouth is a large aspect of this design, as I am unable to change the shape of the human mouth I would like to play with trying to create different mouth shapes. The way that the horn protrudes from the head is great reference, as this is how I would create a flowing structure from the head to the horn. |  Japanese DemonsThis demon has a very powerful style of design. The contrast between dark and light creates a very effective result thus showing the importance of contours of the face and body. The face is very busy almost making it difficult to deduce the features, this seems a relatively common theme in Japanese artwork. |
 Japanese DemonsThis demon has a very interesting facial structure. It has a strong skull shape creating the deep grooves in the brow and the strong cheekbones. Creating a very structural face might be an interesting route to create an original folklore design in a Japanese style. |  Japanese DemonsThese two demons both have central horns and tusks on their mouths suggesting the importance of their place in Japanese styling. I like the structure of the nose on the left demon as it has a basic human shape but has been exaggerated and enlarged to make a more animalistic quality. |  Japanese DemonsThis design allows one to see the side profile of the character thus giving a more rounded idea of the demon. As most drawings are 2D it can be hard to deduce the overall form, however this allows for a generally understanding. The small horn at the back of the head in an interesting element for silhouette which is an element i would like to consider in the designing process. |
 Japanese DemonsThis design has two horns which differs from a lot of the other demon designs in this selection. I have noted that the horns are generally very smooth and with a small curve either facing forwards or backwards. Dragons are common companions seen with demons, which could be an interesting element to play with. The faces are generally very busy with areas of blank for balance on the top or back of the head. |  Japanese DemonsThis singular horn is a common feature in the Japanese demons, thus implying its importance in the demon design. I will consider the use of a horn in my design as this would echo the Japanese style. Similarly in this design the brow has a very strong angular shape which creates an interesting effect on the character. |  Japanese DemonsThis is yet another design with a singular horn that protrudes from the centre of the head. This design also has a focus on the eyes making a strong feature on the face. I will consider using these elements in my design in order to make it reflect the Japanese style yet be original. |
 Japanese DemonsThese demons both have tusks in their mouths, among my research I have seen a lot of this style of mouth and I think that it would be an engaging element to include in a design.Similarly I really like the texture of the middle character I feel that it reflects the shape of the Koi fish which is Japan's iconic animal. |
Japanese Demon Tattoos (All Images) (n.d.) [Online Image] Available From: http://design-3d-tattoo.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/japanese-demon-tattoo-designs.html Date Accessed: 16/04/2015
Jobes, G. (no date) Dictionary of mythology, folklore and symbols - part 2.
Grimm Brothers
The Grimm Brothers are very famous writers of fairytale stories that are known across the world. They have important morals and have been passed down by many generations. The stories have changed slightly since the originals were created, becoming less gruesome and violent. Many of their stories are known such as Hansel and Gretel, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, Cinderella, Rumplestiltskin, Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood and many others. Some are not quite so famous yet they all have very important stories. The brothers lived in the later 18th century through to the early 19th century. I feel as though the people of the time may have been much easier to fool into believing the stories of the borthers grimm as there was no definitive means of proof. Generally the Brothers Grimm tales end with gruesome events, however over the years have become more child friendly therefore suggest that the stories could have easily been altered through the years. That being said the stories are inspired, they have great detail and create creatures with interesting components. This suggests that this is the direction I should take to create the context around my character.
The story that I am most interested in is the Hansel and Gretel story as the original involved an ogre type creature. Below I have displayed the stories that I found in some books on the Grimm Brothers. They details the plot and the creatures that appear in said stoires.
Trolls
As I am basing my creature around the concept of a troll-like creature from folklore stories I felt it important to research into the backstory of the creatures in order to have a better understanding of their origins and what makes them so iconic. It is very interesting to see how the trolls have been portrayed through folklore and culture. These pages from the book Trolls An Unnatural History have proved very interesting and have helped me in undertanding the backstory and how to create my own creature. Through my research I have deduced certain characteristics about trolls which I have detailed below, Trolls are generally:
Japanese Demon Tattoos
I discovered this selection of tattoo designs that I felt were very inspiring in terms of the Japanese style of art. From these selection of designs I worked out common themes, shapes and structures that were in these designs in order for me to understand which qualities would make an effect on the Japanese quality of the design. Although these designs are black and white one can imagine the bright, vivid colours of the Japanese style.
Jobes, G. (1962) Dictionary of mythology, folklore and symbols - part 1. Scarecrow Pr.
Scandinavian Folklore
Scandinavian Folklore is where Trolls originated, this is explored further in the Trolls segment below. However as it was the birth place of the creature that I was basing my concept on I felt it an important culture to explore. Scandinavia is a collection of countries in Europe consisting of Norway, Sweden, Denmark and The Baltics Geographically Finland is a part of Scandinavia, however it culture is very different from the others. This therefore means that the folklores found in this area spread many countries and therefore different cultures and surroundings. Generally the folklore stories from scandinavia are of a similar style and execution and as the sotries as passed on by word of mouth it is almost impossible to tell where the stories originated.
As Giants and trolls originated I found these descriptons of the creatures in order that I see the defining characteristics in order to understand the qualities that I will need to consider in order to create my own original concept.
-
Giants — In the oldest literature of Scandinavia, we find primordial giants identified with the origin and creation of the world. They are usually cast in the role of enemies of the gods and the human community. With the introduction of Christianity, they became enemies of the church as well. In more recent folk tradition, the giants usually appear as imaginary figures rather than as preternatural beings people actually believed in. They play a major role in fabulats and etiological legends explaining the origin of natural phenomena such as huge rock formations, lakes, and the so-called jættegryter ("giant potholes"). [jätte (Swedish), troll / jotun (Norwegian), jætte (Danish)]
-
trolls — Often this word refers to all the mythical beings, but there really is a distinction. Trolls, which belong to a distant past, are huge and grotesque, may only have a single eye in the middle of their forehead, and very often have three heads. They are terribly strong but are also stupid and are easily tricked by a quick-witted person. They abhor the sounds of churchbells and they have a predilection for eating human flesh. Their homeland was the dark, ice-covered land of Trollebotn, the huge frozen bay which was assumed to connect Greenland to north of Scandinavia. Gyger (or Gjöger) are female trolls, giantesses. (Trimble.S, 1998)
-
There is a famous story of Grendel the Beas of Hrothgar that originates from Sandinavia depicting the iconic character Beowolf. I found this very inspiring to know the origins of such an impressive story and the well known design of the creature. The story is below:
Grendel, the beast of Hrothgar
Beowulf is an Old English heroic epic poem set in Scandinavia and cited as one of the most important works of Anglo-Saxon literature of all time. Dated between the 8th and early 11th century, the epic poem tells the story of Beowulf, a great hero who comes to the aid of Hroðgar, the king of the Danes, by defeating a beast known as Grendel who had been terrorising the great mead hall built by Hroðgar and threatening the entire kingdom. Archaeological research has verified that the great hall commissioned by Hroðgar did indeed exist, and was located in the country’s earliest royal capital, Lejre, 23 miles west of modern Copenhagen. Whether Grendel (meaning quite literarily ‘the destroyer’) originally existed in some less legendary form – perhaps symbolizing a malevolent spirit responsible for disease and death, or a particularly fierce-looking human enemy – is as yet unknown.
These images below show some of these Scandinavian scenery that I thought would create an interesting surrounding for the concept design. The rocky surface with small areas of greenery and moss create a very powerful effect on the viewer making it a great location with endless possiblities for creatures that could fit into these environments.
Folklore
Folklore is 'The traditional beliefs, customs, and stories of a community, passed through the generations by word of mouth.' Oxford Dictionary (n.d.) Oxford Dictionary, British and World English
-
Folklore — The word itself was coined by William Thoms in 1846. feautures: oral transmission, anonymous origin, tradition, uneducated folk, group, certain forms, ownership, dynamic. Horizontal transmission --> to your peers. Vertical transmission --> to the next generation.
-
Trimble.S (1998) Scandinavian Mythology and Folklore [Online] Available From: http://www.ststlocations.com/Archives/Scandinavian/Folklore/ Date Accessed: 20/03/2015/
To begin my research into Folklore I looked into books depicting various stories filled with characters for inspiration towards the creation of a design. There were many stories from different cultures that depict very different stories. Many characters and creatures have very bizzare and unusual characteristics which make them stand out from others. Some extremely famous characters in folklore are known by many as they have been passed down in the traditional sense through spoken word, some of these have been listed below. Many of these have since been used as characcters within popular films and television shows
Banshee- Originates in Irish Folklore, it is a spirit that emits a howling/scream when someone is about to die. It is considered a messenger of death.
Werewolf - One of the most famous creatures are said to be humans that were bitten by another werewolf and transform into a wold on a full moon.
Trolls under bridges - Commonly seen in folklore, guarding the other side of the bridge asking for tolls, they are generally mischievious and selfish.
Babadook - Recent Folklore creature, haunts the person after reading the book with the pasage that releases it.
Cyclops - Seen mostly in Greek mythology, a creature with one eye that is very large. Are said to be the sons of the god and are generally builders.
Centaurs - Greek mythology, half man half horse, the upper body is human, they are generally seen as warriors.
Fairies - Commonly known to children as tooth fairies. Small creatures with wings that are fast and mischevious
Pied Piper - A man with a magical flute that drew all the children away from the town and killed them after he was wronged.
Bigfoot - A creature that lives in the snowy regions of North America, it is said to look like an ape however this is just speculation
Davy Jones - Nautical supersition, A man that holds drowned or shipwrecked sailors at the bottom of the sea as a crew.
Jack Frost - Is said to be in control of the frost and snow, he is descirbed as a pixie-like character.
Father Christmas - Extremely well known, brings presents to children on christmas in a sleigh lead by flying reindeers.
In my recollection of folklore characters I found three locations which I felt would be interesting to explore to see if there were many preexisiting folklore creatures and if it were possible for me to create my own original design that would fit into the location. The three locations that I chose to look at were Scandinavian, Japanese and Slavic. I chose both Slavic and Scandinavian because of their pre-exisiting folklore tales, and Japanese for its wild creations and scope for development. As a large part of this project for me was to be able to create an original character that would fit into a folklore tale. /
Slavic Folklore
The slavs believed in the Polytheistic religion before they eventually turned to Christianity. The slavs began to change faiths into Christianity between the 7th and 12th centuries which is a large time period and therefore much can change in the beliefs of folklore. There was a strong belief in Folklore as it was a large part of their culture. It was passed on by mouth, however some accounts of the tales were written down. The folklore stories that come from Slavic folklore vary greatly as very few were written down in the earlier years, therefore there is great controversy on some stories. I have written a list of some of the creatures that the Slavs believed in below:
Likho – The Likho is a one-eyed creature that is generally seen as an old skinny woman or a male goblin.
Alconost – Is a creature with the body of a bird but the head of a woman
Baba Yaga – is a deformed old woman that lives in a forest, she can be both good and evil.
Firebird – also known as a phoenix, a bird that when it dies it is reborn from the ashes of its body.
Zmey – Zmey is a three headed dragon
Domovoi – Is a small house spirit generally male with a beard
Vodyanoy – Is an old man with a frog like face that is covered in algae and fish scales, when angered they break damns and drown people and animals
Rusalkas – A rusalka is known by many under the name mermaid, they are water nymphs that lure people to the waters edge to drown.
Vampires – Vampires are very common in also mediums from literature to films and stage. They are blood sucking creatures that live in the night-time, they cannot emerge in the day as they will die from the sunlight.
Kononenko. J (2007)
The slavs were very into their astrology and how the allignments with various stars and moons meant certain things. This could be a potentially very interesting route to go down, using the belief in plaplanetry alignment and the gods and goddesses associated with the certain components. This could also be an element in the creation of a creature concept that has another level of intrigue.
Japanese Folklore
Japanese Folklore has a very distinct style to it with some extremely bizzare creations. The characters that I came across had very unique qualities about them that did not conform to any shapes or conepts that I have seen before. I first looked into the origins of Japan, there were a few books detailing the origins of the folklores, I have included some text from these books which give some good information.
Most of the creatures that I have mentioned above appear in this video depicting the myths and monsters of Japan. These are the most famous creatures, Ihave been unable to find many more than these ones, the Japanese are known for their supersitions and therefore this would have an impact on the level of folktale stories that are around. These are certainly the most popular and widely know creatures. There is a strong basis around the idea of demons and people that have been wronged and turn into some kind of creature. After conducting this research into folklore creatures I have not found any that resemeble a strong troll/ogre like creature and I therefore feel that it could be interesting to create the first original design of such nature for the culture. It is important to ensure that the Japanese elements influence the design, therefore I will conduct research into demons and common attributes that are found in Japanese characters. This will ensure that although I am producing a completely original character there will be elements in the design which reflect the culture and common features.
After analysing these demon tattoo designs I have taken note of certain features that are reaccuring and I should therefore try to encooporate into my design in some way. The connection may be small, however as long as everything has been thought out and originates from a founded idea or concept the result will be effective. Examples of these features included pronouned brows that create sunken eyes, large eyeballs that stand out. a large mouth with pointed and menacing teeth.
John Bauer (1913) The Princess and the Trolls [Online Image] Available From: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/John_Bauer_-_The_Princess_and_the_Trolls_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg Date Accessed: 12/03/2015
Changeling
Scandinavians believe in Changelings which are creatures that replace a human baby with their own in the disguise of humans in order for them to recieve a proper ubringing. People place iron items on the crib of an unbaptised child like scissors or a knife. Changelings were said to be a fairytale creature such as a Troll, Fairy or elf. The painting created by John Bauer that I have displayed shows the act of a changeling raising the human child that they have taken. In order for the mother to get her child back she is told to abuse the changeling to make the trolls return. The first tale of changelings appears in 1913 in which this image depicts the story. This is the story of the troll and the princess:
Selma Lagerlof (2008) The Changeling [PDF] Available From: http://www4.nac-cna.ca/pdf/eth/0809/changeling_guide.pdf Date Accessed: 12/03/2015
GRIMM BROTHERS, Carter, P. and Richardson, P. (1982) Grimms' fairy tales. Oxford Univ. Press.
Zipes, J. (ed.) (2013) The golden age of folk and fairy tales : from the Brothers Grimm to Andrew Lang. Indianapolis: Hackett.
The story of the Man with the Wen is a Japnese tale in which a man has a wen growing on his cheek the size of a tennis ball. He tries all kinds of ways to get rid of it, which do not work. He then meets an Oni one day who asks him to dance for him in order that he remove the lump.
The story itself is not that applicable to this project, however I felt that the illustrations that went alongside the story were very interesting. Each of the characters has a menacing quality yet you are able to tell that they are Japanese of origin. I think that this is due to the very angular brows and large, elongated mouths. Similarly the costume helps one to deduce the location. The moustache and ear shapes create long pointed features on the characters which fit in the traditional styling of Japanese culture.
When researching Salvic Folklore I thought it important to look at the landscapes of the countries as this would allow me to create ideas of the landcape in order to produce effective and believable designs. These were three images that came up oin my search that I felt had potential for creating very powerful concept designs. The olours of the landscapes are very bright and vivid creating a great contrast and fantasmical element.
The Koi fish is Japan's symbolic animal, it has a very intricate style and colouring that make it particualrly engaging. I think it could be interesing to take inspiration from this fish an encooprate it into the design in a subtle way. Perhaps the fish scales could be represented in the surface of the creature, over the back of the head. I have included an image of the koi fish in order to note the colours and shapes of its individual elements.
These are the images that I found of Japanese landscapes which really inspired me in the sense of culutre and potential direction that I could take the design. Mount Fuji is the largest mountain in Japan it is very iconic, therefore I feel that it could potentially be a big factor in the creation of a character. I make sure that the character fit into the environment I chose, at the moment these colours look inviting and inspiring.
Koi Cyprinus Carpio (n.d) [Online Image] Available From: http://cheddarbay.com/Shanghai%20Breezes/KOI/koi.html Date Accessed: 09/03/2015
Japanese Landscape (n.d) [Online Image] Available From: http://www.goodfon.ru/download/art-peyzazh-aziya-geysha-zont/1920x1357 Date Accessed: 09/03/2015
Spring in Japan (n.d) [Online Image] Available From: http://www.onetripthing.com/spring-in-japan/ Date Accessed: 09/03/2015
Scandinavian Landscape (n.d) [Online Image] Available From: http://tt997.lofter.com/post/1cc59eb0_3adba79 Date Accessed: 09/03/2015
Scandinavian Landscape (n.d) [Online Image] Available From: http://www.liveinternet.ru/users/tanya_grigoreva/post286727204/ Date Accessed: 09/03/2015
Slavic Landscape (n.d) [Online] Available From:http://pixshark.com/russian-landscape.htm Date Accessed: 09/03/2015
Slavic Landscape (2012) [Online] Available From: http://www.stihi.ru/2012/12/03/5433 Date Accessed: 09/03/2015
Slavic Landscape (n.d.) [Online] Available From: http://www.superedo.net/en-nz/wallpapers/wallpapers_google_nexus-desktop-wallpapers_google_nexus_5-p4.htm Date Accessed: 09/03/2015
Some creatures that I have come across include the Kappa, Oni, Namahage (Ogre-like creatures)
One of the creatures that I came across the most of was the Kappa. It has a very distinguished description however many have made drawings and representations of the creature and they look completey different. I have ncluded descriptions below and some interpretations. It is interesting to see how it can be taken in different directions, suggesting that I could create an original creature by tkaing different elements and combining them to create something new. These are the descriptions:
In ancient Japanese folklore, the Kappa is a water demon that inhabits rivers and lakes and devours disobedient little children. The Kappa, a word meaning ‘river child’, is usually depicted with the body of a tortoise, a beak, and the limbs of a frog, and has a hollow filled with water on top of his head. While they are primarily water creatures, they are believed to occasionally venture onto land. According to legend, the cavity must be kept wet when the Kappa ventures out of the water, or he will lose his powers. The Kappa is one of the most well-known folk legends in Japan and many believe the mythical creature to be true. In fact, there are signs near some lakes in Japan warning people of their presence. However, others maintain it is much more likely that the legend of the Kappa is connected with sightings of the Japanese Giant Salamander, or ‘hanzaki’, which is known to be aggressive and to grab its prey with its powerful jaws.
Holloway.A (2014) Ten Mythological Creatures in Ancient Folklore [Online] Available From: http://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends/ten-mythological-creatures-ancient-folklore-001805 Date Accessed:15/03/2015
Davis.F (2007) Myths and Legends of Japan, New York; Cosimo
The oni is one of the more well known Japanese creatures. They are generally coloured red, blue, grey or pink, as seen in the images above. They both have horns as depeicted in the passage to the left. Although these do no have three eyes or toes they are Oni. I really like the Oni's design as they can differ in extremes, however they are encompassed by the overrunning theme. clearly these images are two different concepts yet there are distinguishable features that bring them into the same world. The style of drawing is also worth considering as it reflects the nature of Japanese artwork. The drawings are line with colour and shading added afrerwards. The faces have very strong shapes with powerful features that make a big impression on the viewer. The strong shapes around the eyes are a main focus in many of the Japanese designs that I have come across, they make the eyes appear smaller and more menacing. Overall looking into some designs of the Oni has been very helpful in terms of creating a powerful, strong creature that reflects the Japanese style. The intention is that these themes will pull through in the design that I eventually create for the makeup of this project.
Whilst researching Japanese Folklore I came across many deities and gods with a strong sense of style that pushed through the Japanese elements, from colour to shape. This particular guardian took my eye as it had a very strong structure to the face, and one could clearly denote that it was of Japanese origin. I wanted to understand what made it stand out as Japanese so that I could encooprate this into my realistic makeup of an original Japanese creature. The main points are the brow shape, very arched with a strong definition, the moustache framing the mouth and the large cheeks. Also the colouring is particuarly reminscent of Japanese culture. I want to utilise these elementns in my concept in order to subtly emplore the idea of Japanese styling.
A small segment in the Japanese Mythology book caught my eye about the coast of Matsura and how it had a story of a woman who waited on the rocks until her body turned to stone. This was an interesting idea that I wanted to play with on this project as I have a particular interest in trying to create somethin with an unusual texture. Therefore producing a creature that has a rock-like surface may be aan exciting approach to create a fantasy creature suitable for Folklore.
Another creature that I came across in my search on Folklore creatures was the Goblin. I felt that this might be a very interesing route to go down, however I know that these have been done a lot in modern film and television. I want to create an original character that has not been seen in films. This description of the creature describes it as a small mischievous creature that is known in Japan as a Kappa. This therefore means that the Japanese interpretation above is another style of Goblin, proving that the stereotypical creature design can be changed to create an original concept. I have explored some goblins within film on the Film page from fantasy films.
Overall I like the setting of the Scandinavian folklore, however the type of creature that I want to create originates in these areas of folklore and I want to try to push the idea further to perhaps change the location and see if I can create a design that will fit into that scenario.Therefore I feel that I might choose a different culture of Folklore to base my concept around.
As Japan has a very distinct style and quality to its artwork and creatures I thought it would be a very intersting culture to explore in terms of potential setting for my concept. Therefore it was necessary to research into existing folklore tales and creatures, along with their style of artwork and mentality. I quickly realised that Japan would be the best culture to create a unique design for as it allows for an experimentation into bizzare and different tructures and shapes that I have not previously worked with before. Although I am basing my creature around a location I want the components to look subtle so that it is an amalgamation of the whole character that will place it in the location.
As this was the chosen culture I conducted a lot of research into the exisitng folklore tales and creatures along with the style of artwork that the Japanese create. I first began by looking at their folklore and mythology. This segment to the left describes the political element of Japanese Mythology and names various stories. The piece above noted the location of many of the Folklore tale origins and where certain styles come from,
Piggott.J (1997) pg 12
Piggott.J (1997) pg 43
These images are all from the book Trolls An Unnatural History, they display a wide variety of mediums in which the troll image has been created. I wanted to display the research I had conducted into the pre-existing designs for trolls so that I could visualise all the elements together in order to inspire me in the creation of my creature concept. These images all have a general consensus of a large creature with exaggerated noses and a muscular or overweight body shape.
Lindow.J (2014) Trolls An Unnatural History, London; Reaktion Books Ltd.
This definition of Troll gives a great overview of the creature detailing their environments, skills and appearance. I have found this a great basis on which I can work upon to crate an orginal creature which is inspired by the troll species.
Jobes, G. (no date) Dictionary of mythology, folklore and symbols - part 2.
I found these two images in The fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm and I felt that it was important to detail tese as they have a very unique style and good level of detail. The lips are the main feature that I find interesting, I would like to experiment with the way in which a human lip shape can be changed with makeup. The overall character has a very exaggerated look which is very intriguing. The way that the wrinkles fram the face is an interesting element that I would like to consider. The idea of playing with the ageing process appeals to me greatly as this is a challenging prospect.
Strong,
Extremely Old,
Slow and Dim witted,
Scared by Lightening and church bells,
Smaller trolls live in burial mounds,
Live under bridges
Associated with Death
Nordic Influences
Scandinavian Origin
Originate around Viking times