An Ogre destroying a library.
An Ogre (feminine Ogress) is a monster usually depicted as a large, hideous, manlike being that eats ordinary human beings, especially infants and children.
Description[]
In mythology, ogres are often depicted as inhumanly large and tall and having a disproportionately large head, abundant hair, unusually colored skin, a voracious appetite, and a strong body. Ogres are closely linked with giants and with human cannibals in mythology.
In both folklore and fiction, giants are often given ogrish traits (such as the giants in "Jack and the Beanstalk" and "Jack the Giant Killer", the Giant Despair in The Pilgrim's Progress, and the jötnar of Norse mythology); while ogres may be given giantish traits.
Overview[]
Ogres live in the far corners of forests and mountains, sometimes even in castles. They are almost always incredibly large and stupid, being easily outwitted by humans. They are not always malicious; while there are stories of ogres that kidnap and eat children, terrorize villages, and even guard hordes of treasures or mystical secrets, they are sometimes considered merely reclusive beings who wish to be left alone.
Ogres also appear in tribal cultures. Pygmy mythology includes the tale of Negoogunogumbar, an ogre who devours children. Many Ogre-like creatures are also found in Native American tribal traditions and are usually in the form of man-eating giants. They are also often linked to legends of bigfoot. The idea of the ogre has commonly been used as a method of instilling good behavior in children by suggesting that bad behavior attracted and excited ogres.
