monstrology
Monstrology is an interdisciplinary field that studies monsters as cultural, literary, and mythic phenomena. It investigates how monsters are constructed, represented, and interpreted across cultures and media, and what they reveal about human fears, values, and social dynamics. The field encompasses the classification of monstrous beings, their symbolic significance, and their functions within narratives, ritual contexts, and popular culture. Researchers draw on folklore studies, anthropology, literary theory, art history, theology, film and media studies, and, when relevant, anatomy and zoological concepts to analyze imaginary or legendary creatures such as dragons, vampires, werewolves, as well as modern or invented monsters.
Methods include comparative analysis of textual and visual sources, iconographic study, fieldwork with communities where monsters
Historically, monstrology grew out of medieval bestiaries and Enlightenment natural philosophy before expanding with 20th-century literary