Shapeshifting

Shapeshifting

Shapeshifting or transmogrification refers to a change in the form or shape of a person. It primarily refers to either:

Although shapeshifting is not believed to be scientifically or medically possible, it is a common theme in myth.

Table of contents

1 Shapeshifting in myth
2 Notable shapeshifters in fiction
3 See also

Shapeshifting in myth

Shapeshifting to the form of a different species is specifically known as lycanthropy, and is frequently used in association with myths and legends pertaining to such creatures as werewolves and vampires.

Other terms for a shapeshifter include doppelganger, metamorph, mimic, and were.

Notable shapeshifting characters include:

In the story of Puss in Boots, the hero (a cat) tricks an ogre into becoming a mouse; he then eats it.

In The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, Gregor Samsa wakes up to find himself transformed into a large bug.

Transmogrification is a theme used several times in the Jerry Cornelius stories, and in most of Jack L. Chalker's books. The word has been popularized by the transmogrifier used in Calvin and Hobbes.