"And so there's all these sort of different… dark ways in which these monster stories have been used," explains travel writer and author Nicholas Jubber. "They’re all so multi-layered, and... you really need to be able to talk to people on the ground to find out sort of what does that story mean to you? What does it mean to you now?"
In a fascinating conversation, the Wyrdo's of the Wyrd Wessex podcast sat down with Jubber to discuss his book, Monsterland: A Journey Around the World's Dark Imagination. His work delves into the deep question of why we are so captivated by monsters, arguing that they are more than just frightening creatures; they are powerful reflections of our society, our history, and our own humanity.
The Monster Within
Jubber's lifelong fascination with the monstrous began in childhood, where he cultivated a "monster-positive"perspective. His interest wasn't in being terrified, but in the idea of what it might be like to become one. When asked his favourite monster, he cites the dragon, admiring its "splendor" and majesty. He notes how they have evolved from "repellent and representative of the devil" in medieval times to "aristocratic figures of the monster world" today.
This intrigue in transformation led him to explore the psychological appeal of shapeshifters like the Rougarou of Louisiana. He recounts the local legend: a man afflicted with the curse can be freed if the person who broke the curse can keep their secret for a "year and a day." The classic story follows a man who "can't quite do it," and in revealing the secret, "ends up sort of getting blighted by the curse and becoming a Rougarou himself." Jubber sees this as a reflection of a universal human desire "to be able to break the rules… and to stamp off… and to smash a few things." The monster represents "the unshackled version of ourselves that you know we might like to experience once in a while."
Sympathy, Nature, and the Shifting Psyche
Jubber believes our growing sympathy for monsters reflects a deeper cultural shift. He highlights how audiences often feel more for the monster than the hero, an idea dismissed by tabloid headlines about "snowflake students" thinking Frankenstein's monster is misunderstood. Jubber argues that Mary Shelley herself gave the creature a voice and an eloquent backstory to make us feel this way, and that this sympathy gives the hero a vital "moral quandary." He also notes that the story of the Cornish giant Bolster's defeat leaves people feeling "quite sad."
He also explores how monsters can serve as guardians. The hosts, Andy and Craig, noted this recurring theme in their own studies of cryptids. Jubber agrees, citing the ancient Humbaba from Gilgamesh as a prime example. The monster guarded the Cedar Forest, and was defeated by heroes "doing what humans have been doing ever since… smashing up the land." He also mentions the Selkies, which can be destructive but are also guardians to "Fisher people" and children lost at sea.
This ambiguity, Jubber notes, is part of the beauty of folklore. It is a "reflection throughout history of the people's psyche at the time and it adapts to that psyche." Just as our view of dragons has changed, the monsters we create and the stories we tell reveal a great deal about our shifting values.
A Firsthand Encounter with a Vampire
To truly understand these tales, Jubber explains, you have to meet the people who tell them. He embarked on his greatest adventure yet, travelling across four continents to experience these myths firsthand. His most audacious act was in Serbia, where he explored the legend of Sava Sivanovic, an iconic vampire who haunted a local mill. Jubber notes that this vampire craze of the 1700s, which swept across Europe and was widely discussed by figures like Voltaire, was often tied to moments of political turmoil. The specific legend of Sava was rooted in the villagers' fatal error of deciding to forget his name, as "when it comes to vampires, you do actually want to remember their name."
In a true test of his journalistic spirit, Jubber chose to spend a night in the very mill said to be the vampire's lair. Recalling the experience, he describes the dread that crept in as darkness fell. He writes of the new, unsettling sounds around him: "the rustling on the other bank, the scratching and shifting of leaves in the undergrowth." He admitted that while he was nervous about the possibility of the supernatural, he felt that "there was nothing I feared so much as humans." He describes the moment of relief as dawn finally broke, revealing a clear, starlit sky. He felt a swelling of joy, and left the mill, "throbbing with the joy of being alive, or at least not undead."
This same feeling was shared by the Wyrd Wessex hosts, Andy and Craig, who recounted their own unnerving experience camping on Vixen Tor on Dartmoor. They discovered the site's local folklore about a witch named Vixiana, who lured travellers to their doom with a supernatural mist. As they learned the story, a thick mist rolled in, "you couldn’t see 10 feet in front of you," validating the power of the ancient tale.
Final Reflections on the Monstrous
In a final reflection, Jubber revealed his own personal preferences when it comes to the monstrous. His favourite cryptid is the Yeti, a creature with a rich folklore that he hopes to explore more deeply one day. He even mentions the tragic tale of Japanese adventurer Norio Suzuki, who died in an avalanche while searching for the Yeti. When asked what monster he would like to be real, he surprisingly chose Nessie, noting that the creature’s existence would be a "corrective to kind of scientific hubris," a vital reminder that there are "things... beyond our ken." As for a pet? He’d opt for a Kallikantzaros, a mischievous goblin from Near-Eastern folklore, which seems more manageable than a fire-breathing dragon.
Jubber's exploration reveals that while we might try to rationalise our fears, monsters will always be there, a reflection of the humanity we so often try to bury.
Stay Wyrd.