Stories About Monsters

This collection includes a variety of stories about monsters with diverse themes, ranging from dark mysteries to heroic adventures. Several tales include central figures of motherhood or parental themes, whether in the form of maternal sacrifice or the consequences of neglect.

The theme of mysterious or tragic maternal figures is explored in stories like Luella Miller, where a woman’s ability to manipulate those around her leads to the death of those who care for her. The town’s subsequent fears and superstitions contribute to her dark legacy. Another example is The Curse of Yig, where the tragic events unfold after a settler’s wife unknowingly kills a brood of Yig’s offspring, resulting in a horrifying curse linked to the snake-god.

Stories focusing on parent-child relationships are found in The Red Ettin, where two brothers, sent by their widow mother to seek their fortune, face dangerous creatures and eventually win rewards that bring happiness back to their family. Similarly, in The Milk-White Horse and the Prince, a prince rescues a princess from a monstrous threat, ultimately bringing her back to his kingdom, reuniting her with her family.

Tales of parental sacrifice are represented in stories like The Story of the Son of a Peach. An elderly couple finds a magical peach that contains a boy, whom they raise with care. Momotaro grows up to defeat evil forces and bring prosperity to his adoptive parents. Another example is The King’s Son and the Ogress, where a king’s son is saved from a desert encounter with an ogress through divine intervention, which helps preserve his lineage.

In legends of magical beings and curses, the role of parents often leads to dramatic events or heroic deeds. For example, in The Ogre in the Woods, a young boy’s encounter with an ogre after getting lost in the woods and his eventual escape mirrors the protective, albeit indirect, role parents play in stories. In Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein’s creation of a creature is a metaphor for parenthood, as his abandonment of his creation leads to tragic consequences, showing the dangers of neglect in a parental role.

In addition, many of these stories involve parental guidance and survival, such as Schippeitaro, where a warrior saves a girl from being sacrificed by using clever strategies, ensuring the survival and safety of the village’s daughters. Similarly, in Nicko and the Ogre, the boy Nicko, through his courage and decision to marry a mermaid, ends up saving the town from the ogre’s grasp, a decision that brings peace to his community.

These stories highlight the various roles that mothers and parental figures play—sometimes protective, sometimes tragic, and at other times, pivotal to the unfolding of greater adventures.