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Many classifications have been proposed for the category of freaks, as well as for the general category of monsters. Monstrous offers 5 different points of view but the conclusion remains with you. Note that we have introduced the notion of “transformer” who is the freak of the XXIth century, the true self-made techno-freak.
Before, the classification were limited to developments from Paré and Gould and Pyle works. Paré was a famous French surgeon whose books were significant in the development of surgery, especially his treatise on monsters, Des Monstres et prodiges.
Although he brought few new ideas to this subject, Paré did produce a brilliant synthesis of the teratological thought of his time, drawing on the works of Cardano, Ruff and Boaistau. Like other commentaries on monsters, his work, which considered marine, animal, and human monsters, is dominated by a sense of wonder and joy in the variety of creation.
He organized the causes of monstrosity in four categories: the direct will of God; the agency of devils and demons; human will (including spiteful human artifice); and the imperfection of nature.
His work was intended for a broad audience. Gould and Pyle have limited their work to the double monsters and their method is still of use.
Children who have apparently been nurtured in the wild by animals. Also, children that by some twist of fate and/or circumstance were raised in a non-human, inhuman or sub-human environment, and because of it did not learn how to communicate and/or behave in a human manner. There have been, since the 1600s, about 40 cases … Read more
Giant/Giantess Acromegaly is a disease affecting the pituatary gland that causes the person to grow abnormally large. The giant Robert Wadlow, who worked with Ringling Brothers Circus, asked to be buried in a concrete coffin to avoid ending up in some “freak” museum after his death! Giants populate the Bible and Greek literature; Gulliver’s Travels … Read more
An hermaphrodite is a specimen that possess the features of both sex. True hermaphroditism in humans differs from pseudo hermaphroditism in which the person has both X and Y chromosomes (not to be confused with the normal XY chromosome of males), having both testicular and ovarian tissue, and having ambiguous-looking external genitalia. Humans with typical … Read more
These are the freaks that have been modified, artefacts of demons or mermaids and circus artists who use some trick to persuade the audience that they are freak. Devil Baby Aka freak baby, pickled punk A gaffed freak, usually constructed to appear mummified or otherwise preserved, often displayed in a bocal or a tiny coffin. … Read more
In the 16th century, the Protestant reformers Luther and Melanchton substantially increased the presence of monsters in popular culture with the publication of a pamphlet depicting monstrous creatures as prophecies of the imminent ruin of the Roman Church. The monk-calf which appeared in one of their pamphlet published in 1523 is interpreted by protestant preachers … Read more
Double freaks is a large category that includes all freaks that have more than one major organ in double. It goes from the four-feet or double-breast freak to the real siamese twins. In the lower case, there is one conscious mind whereas conjoined twins have two minds. These two reunified individuals sometimes share their feelings … Read more
Here are the freaks that bear strange names from the Sideshow. Most often, some terrible disease or accident forced them to display their defects against money because they had no other place to go than the Sideshow. Albino Albinism is the absence of epidermal pigmentation, causing white skin, white hair, white eyelashes, white eyebrows. and … Read more
From the beginning of this world, there has been testimonies about the existence of monstrous races. Marco Polo, Alexander the Great have all testified that they exist in some mysterious and faraway land. Most authors inspired in their writings or drawings from previous works, and the many Liber Monstrorum are to be taken as fantaisy … Read more