Homunculus

The concept of a homunculus (Latin for "little man", sometimes spelled "homonculus") is often used to illustrate the functioning of a system. In the scientific sense of an unknowable prime actor, it can be viewed as an entity or agent.

Pop culture

In the classic horror film Bride of Frankenstein, Dr. Frankenstein's old teacher, Dr. Praetorius, shows him his own creations, a series of miniature humanoids kept in specimen jars, including a bishop, a king, a queen, a ballerina, a mermaid, and a devil. These are clearly intended to be forms of homunculi. In his source study of Mary Shelley's original novel upon which the film was based, Prof. Radu Florescu notes that her father, William Godwin was quite familiar with the lives and works of alchemists like Paracelsus and others, and their theories on the creation of the homunculus. Florescu also notes that Konrad Dippel, an alchemist whom he believes may have been the inspiration for Dr. Frankenstein, was a student of Dr. David Christianus.

Related Topics:
Horror film - Bride of Frankenstein - Mermaid - Devil - Mary Shelley - Radu Florescu - William Godwin - Konrad Dippel

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German horror writer Hanns Heinz Ewers used the mandrake method for creating a homunculus as the inspiration for his 1911 novel, Alraune, in which a prostitute is impregnated with semen from a hanged murderer to create a woman devoid of morals or conscience. Several cinematic adaptations of Alraune have been made over the years, the most recent in 1952 with Erich von Stroheim. The 1995 film Species also appears to draw some inspiration from this variation on the homunculus legend.

Related Topics:
Hanns Heinz Ewers - 1911 - Alraune - 1952 - Erich von Stroheim - 1995 - Species

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In the anime and manga series Fullmetal Alchemist, the comedy movie The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse and in the comic Hellboy, the word homunculus describes any man-made human created via alchemy. In Fullmetal Alchemist, there are seven homunculi in total (each of which are named after one of the seven deadly sins) and play a significant part in the story's plot. Homunculi are the product of failed attempts to resurrect humans who have died. Not possessing souls, they kill without restraint. A homunculus named Roger figures greatly into some of the Hellboy stories.

Related Topics:
Anime - Manga - Fullmetal Alchemist - The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse - Comic - Hellboy - Seven deadly sins

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In the Japanese graphic novel Homunculus (manga) by Hideo Yamamoto refered to sensory homunculus from neurology in meaning for explain about their human experimental.

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In the video game Shadow of Memories, Homunculus is the name of an entity that obviously has a great understanding of space and time, and he seems to be helping the main character in the game to escape his death. He seems to be a real homunculus, as his roots seem to be in the age of the alchemists. Very little is known about his past. However, he dresses dark and so are his intentions seemingly.

Related Topics:
Video game - Shadow of Memories

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In the computer game Diablo 2 (specifically the expansion pack released by the name of Lord of Destruction), a Homunculus is a unique shield used by the Necromancer class of characters. It resembles a shrunken head and bears the title "Hierophant Trophy", but no direct information concerning the relation of Homunculus the shield to the literal meaning of Homunculus is given.

Related Topics:
Diablo 2 - Lord of Destruction - Shield - Necromancer - Hierophant

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In the American film The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1974), the homunculus is portrayed as a miniature winged gargoyle looking creature, who is the nemesis of Sinbad.

Related Topics:
American - Film - 1974 - Gargoyle

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In Woody Allen's film Manhattan, a character (Jeremiah, played by Wallace Shawn, the ex-husband of Diane Keaton?s character ? Woody Allen's love interest in the film), is referred to as a "homunculus".

Related Topics:
Woody Allen - Manhattan - Wallace Shawn - Diane Keaton

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In The Talons of Weng-Chiang, a 1977 serial from the British television series Doctor Who, the Peking Homunculus is the proper name given to an animated ventriloquist's dummy known as Mr. Sin. The dummy was really an android from the future, with the cerebral cortex of a pig.

Related Topics:
The Talons of Weng-Chiang - 1977 - British - Television series - Doctor Who - Ventriloquist's - Android - Cerebral cortex - Pig

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In many Role-playing games, a Homunculus is an artificial creature that can be made by magical means to assist the creator. For example in Dungeons & Dragons a wizard can use a spell to make a homunculus. In the ' card game, two creatures exist with "homunculus" in their name. Both are blue creatures, blue being the color of artificial creation and illusion, among other things.

Related Topics:
Role-playing game - Dungeons & Dragons

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Also, in a Gangrel possessing the ninth level of the Protean discipline may summon a foot-tall replica of himself known as a "homunculous."

Related Topics:
Gangrel - Protean

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In the Enix RPG, Valkyrie Profile, the alchemist Lezard Valeth experiments with homonculi. Among them are his minion Bellion, and numerous female elven-like forms kept in large glass tubes.

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Homonculus is a song by the indie/experimental band Xiu Xiu. It appears on their album Knife Play (2002).

Related Topics:
Xiu Xiu - Knife Play - 2002

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Homunculus is also the name of a midwestern funk rock band that came together at Indiana University in the mid 1990's, but disbanded in 2004.

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Homonculus is a song by the industrial/experimental band Mimetic (band). It appears on the album The Changing Room + Electric Fur (2005).

Related Topics:
Mimetic (band) - 2005

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