Terata is the plural of Teras, which is a Greek word in use already in antiquity.
The term originally meant something in general close to a divine sign, something otherwordly and worthy of making a great and unmistakable impression.
Already in use in this way at least since the short travelling novel by Lucian (Loukianos of Samosata) in the 2nd century AD, in his "Alethes Istoria" (A true story) we notice the phrase "shmeia kai terata" which means exactly some collection of notable events that greatly impress or cause wild emotional reaction.
Later on the term got a different meaning as well, while keeping the original one already briefly mentioned. The new meaning of Teras was that it became a synonym for anything monstrous, exceedingly hideous or otherwise abominable.
In English the term currently is mostly used as a medical notion, and denotes extreme somatic deformities, in a fetus. However the term was previously used also to signify any grown human being which was grossly deformed.
This thread is about the meaning of Terata as Monsters. You can, if you like, mention any monster that you deem as worthy of interest. It just has to be something fictional, part of a mythology or at least associated with cryptozoa.
In Greek mythology by far the most powerful monster was Typhon, who kept fighting the Olympian gods after the tide against the Titans had turned, and even managed to defeat Zeus twice (cutting him up into many small pieces in their first battle), before losing in the end and being eternally trapped under the ground. However there are not any really impressive artistic pieces presenting Typhon. Some do exist, but most were destroyed with the collapse of the temples that featured them (as the one of Zeus at Olympia).
Other main monsters in Greek mythology were the various offspring of Typhon with Echidna, including the Lernaia Hydra, the Nemean Lion and Ladon, a dragon who probably was the most powerful enemy of Heracles since ultimately not even that hero was able to slay him.
From the Odyssey there are other monsters, like the Cyclopai (Polyphemus being the one who got blinded by Odysseus), and Scyla and Charybde.
The Minotaur, in the mythic circle of Theseus, the hero of Attica, is another very famous of the teratomorpha.
Another great source for Greek mythology, US cinema, presents the Kraken as another being worthy of notice in this realm
Apart from the Greek Terata of antiquity, i also know of some of the Nordic terata, although not the ancient ones. There are many paintings by Kittelsen of Trolls and other such beings. Maybe they served as the basis for the creation of the orks and other such newer fantasy races.
Finally, although not exactly a Teras, but a Deity, there was the Roman (possibly of Etruscan origin) God of War and Interludes, known as Janus Bifrons in latin, which means Janus the double-faced. He had one head, but two faces, one in the regular place of the head, the other on the back-side of it. It seems quite interesting given that the Hellenic pantheon did not feature any major Deity who was peculiar in form to such an extent (Hephaistos was ugly, but still entirely human in form) whereas only lesser divine beings were partly animal-like, such as Pan, the satyr-deity from Arcadia.
Anyway, i will end the opening post here. Feel free to mention other monsters you like or find strange or otherwise notable... Here is a new painting, by a Japanese artist, titled "Female Cyclops"...
The term originally meant something in general close to a divine sign, something otherwordly and worthy of making a great and unmistakable impression.
Already in use in this way at least since the short travelling novel by Lucian (Loukianos of Samosata) in the 2nd century AD, in his "Alethes Istoria" (A true story) we notice the phrase "shmeia kai terata" which means exactly some collection of notable events that greatly impress or cause wild emotional reaction.
Later on the term got a different meaning as well, while keeping the original one already briefly mentioned. The new meaning of Teras was that it became a synonym for anything monstrous, exceedingly hideous or otherwise abominable.
In English the term currently is mostly used as a medical notion, and denotes extreme somatic deformities, in a fetus. However the term was previously used also to signify any grown human being which was grossly deformed.
This thread is about the meaning of Terata as Monsters. You can, if you like, mention any monster that you deem as worthy of interest. It just has to be something fictional, part of a mythology or at least associated with cryptozoa.
In Greek mythology by far the most powerful monster was Typhon, who kept fighting the Olympian gods after the tide against the Titans had turned, and even managed to defeat Zeus twice (cutting him up into many small pieces in their first battle), before losing in the end and being eternally trapped under the ground. However there are not any really impressive artistic pieces presenting Typhon. Some do exist, but most were destroyed with the collapse of the temples that featured them (as the one of Zeus at Olympia).
Other main monsters in Greek mythology were the various offspring of Typhon with Echidna, including the Lernaia Hydra, the Nemean Lion and Ladon, a dragon who probably was the most powerful enemy of Heracles since ultimately not even that hero was able to slay him.
From the Odyssey there are other monsters, like the Cyclopai (Polyphemus being the one who got blinded by Odysseus), and Scyla and Charybde.
The Minotaur, in the mythic circle of Theseus, the hero of Attica, is another very famous of the teratomorpha.
Another great source for Greek mythology, US cinema, presents the Kraken as another being worthy of notice in this realm
Apart from the Greek Terata of antiquity, i also know of some of the Nordic terata, although not the ancient ones. There are many paintings by Kittelsen of Trolls and other such beings. Maybe they served as the basis for the creation of the orks and other such newer fantasy races.
Finally, although not exactly a Teras, but a Deity, there was the Roman (possibly of Etruscan origin) God of War and Interludes, known as Janus Bifrons in latin, which means Janus the double-faced. He had one head, but two faces, one in the regular place of the head, the other on the back-side of it. It seems quite interesting given that the Hellenic pantheon did not feature any major Deity who was peculiar in form to such an extent (Hephaistos was ugly, but still entirely human in form) whereas only lesser divine beings were partly animal-like, such as Pan, the satyr-deity from Arcadia.
Anyway, i will end the opening post here. Feel free to mention other monsters you like or find strange or otherwise notable... Here is a new painting, by a Japanese artist, titled "Female Cyclops"...
