Welcome back to White Rose of Avalon my Darlings. This week’s Femme Fatale Friday post is about Monstrous Feminine Figures as Female Rage Icons. Instead of focusing on specific horror films in this post, as I have in the past when discussing the Monstrous Feminine, I will be looking at different Monstrous Feminine figures themselves. Each type of Monstrous Feminine figure will be examined in small sections below. Now, let’s look at some Monstrous Feminine Female Rage Icons without further ado!
GORGONS
~Gorgons are three sisters from Greek mythology, the most famous of which is Medusa. Medusa was the only mortal Gorgon, and that is why her story ended in her death. Before then, she was turned into a Monster after having been assaulted by Poseidon. This form of becoming a Monster is sometimes even seen as a form of protection for Medusa so that she can no longer be harmed by men, instead turning them to stone with her gaze. No matter what, Medusa’s energy is one that incites fear and encompasses the rage that Medusa could have felt due to her assault, her being forced to live in seclusion, and possibly even her monstrous transformation! This is a rage mixed with sadness and loneliness.
SUCCUBUS
~A succubus is a female demon famed for targeting men, using sex to feed on them. The most famous cinematic example of the Succubus is in Jennifer’s Body, which greatly shows the rage that the Succubus feels at being seen only for sexuality. In Jennifer’s Body, the Succubus rage is also the rage of having been assaulted and left for dead, it is a rage against the world as a whole for letting these things happen at all! There is another vision of the Succubus in Charmed which shows this demon having a psychic link to Phoebe. In Charmed the Succubus is said to specifically feed on testosterone instead of feeding on flesh, as is the more common description. As always, with these witches turning to demon figures in Charmed, there is a rage in the Succubus over having been ostracized. Generally speaking, the idea is that a female demon who feeds on men during sex can easily embrace the rage they feel within for many different reasons, but usually linked to trauma caused by a lover or trusted person in their life.
VAMPIRES
~Vampires are an obvious creature to discuss when looking at the Monstrous Feminine. They are very similar to the Succubus in terms of feeding, but instead of being depicted as feeding on flesh or testosterone, Vampires feed on the blood of their victims. Vampires embrace the rage a woman can feel at not having any power, as the transformation into a Vampire finally gives physical strength to the woman! There are some great examples of this in fiction. Caroline in The Vampire Diaries becomes her most true self and is capable of using her rage to her advantage when she is transformed into a Vampire. Claudia in Interview with the Vampire embraces the rage of the Vampire perfectly, but in a very different way, she is filled with rage due to being changed into a Vampire while still only a child, therefore being forced to never grow up! At the end of the day, with the versatility of Vampires, the rage they can embody varies greatly and can be a deep examination of its own.
LEANAN SIDHE
~For the Leanan Sidhe there is always the association with being the Faery Lover who inspires her lovers during sex. Her muse-like nature is balanced out by the dark side of her leaving her lovers at the height of their success, where they will whither away and die! This is why I have always said that the Faery Woman of La Belle Dame Sans Merci by John Keats was a Leanan Sidhe in my opinion. Now, I think she has less rage than the other Monstrous Feminine figures in this post, but her willingness to leave her lover could show rage at the fact that she is only meant to inspire great achievements, but will never have those artistic achievements for herself!
SIRENS/VAMPIRIC MERMAIDS
~The last Monstrous Feminine figure I want to discuss is the Siren but in particular the more extreme Vampire Mermaid version of the Siren. Sirens are known very well to lure sailors to their death, but in the Vampire Mermaid version, they have a literal bloodlust! Much of the rage I associate with Sirens and Vampire Mermaids is the rage of nature when the Seas and other natural landscapes are decimated. This is the rage of Mother Nature herself against those who mistreat and harm her! Sirens and Vampire Mermaids are far from the only Faery Women to embody the rage of Mother Earth, but I think they are some of the most well-known and visceral examples of this type of Female Rage in Monstrous Feminine form.
~I hope you have enjoyed this look at the Monstrous Feminine and Female Rage. What is your favorite Monstrous Feminine Female Rage Icon? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Note on Image: The image at the top of the post is a very vampiric-looking Mermaid. I found the image on https://www.quora.com/What-would-a-vampire-mermaid-look-like.
Tarot Note: I have a page offering tarot and oracle readings for those interested in these services! I am very happy to be offering these readings to my treasured readers at White Rose of Avalon! Link to page: https://whiteroseofavalon.life/tarot-and-oracle-readings/
Further Reading/Watching
- Metamorphoses by Ovid
- Mythology by Edith Hamilton
- A New Dictionary of Fairies by Morgan Daimler
- La Belle Dame Sans Merci by John Keats
- Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice
- Interview with a Vampire (1994)
- The Vampire Diaries (2009)
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