Ogre
In European folklore, Ogres are large, fearsome humanoids known for their strength and appetite. They are often portrayed as unintelligent, embodying primal instincts and a lust for violence, a monstrous figure that serves as a cautionary embodiment of unchecked aggression and gluttony.
At a glance
- Tradition
- European folklore (general)
- Region
- Europe (place of origin)
- Trait family
- The Great-Thewed
Near this figure
Traits
Read from the figure's description, which a model wrote. Open "why" for the sentence a trait came from.
Behaviour
- Trickster outwits larger foes
why
This lack of intelligence is often their downfall in stories, where clever heroes outwit them rather than overpower them directly.
Offensive powers
- Superhuman strength
why
Their immense size is matched only by their prodigious strength and insatiable appetite, which frequently extends beyond mere sustenance to a hunger for violence and destruction.
Roles
Judged from the works' own entries, not from the description. Carries: the figure holds the role. Meets: the role is in its stories, held by something it meets.
- Shadow carries both readings
4 citations
- Ad de Vries, Dictionary of Symbols and Imagery, s.v. "Ogre."
- Carol Rose, Giants, Monsters, and Dragons, s.v. "Ogre."
- Katharine Briggs, An Encyclopedia of Fairies, s.v. "Ogre."
- Maria Leach, editor, Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology, and Legend, s.v. "Ogre."
- Hero meets
4 citations
- Ad de Vries, Dictionary of Symbols and Imagery, s.v. "Ogre."
- Carol Rose, Giants, Monsters, and Dragons, s.v. "Ogre."
- Katharine Briggs, An Encyclopedia of Fairies, s.v. "Ogre."
- Maria Leach, editor, Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology, and Legend, s.v. "Ogre."
- Trickster meets
4 citations
- Ad de Vries, Dictionary of Symbols and Imagery, s.v. "Ogre."
- Carol Rose, Giants, Monsters, and Dragons, s.v. "Ogre."
- Katharine Briggs, An Encyclopedia of Fairies, s.v. "Ogre."
- Maria Leach, editor, Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology, and Legend, s.v. "Ogre."