Physical Deformity

In literature, horrific and vile villains are often physically marked with some sort of extremely noticeable and distinguishing disability (in addition to their stereotypical tendency to always dress in black, representative of the darkness that lurks within their twisted souls). The hunchbacked Richard III, for instance, was universally hated and reviled because of his deformity. To Shakespeare, this alteration of the King’s form became synonymous with malignant villainy. Symbolically, a physical deformity was viewed as mirror of an individual’s inner self or interpreted as a form of divine punishment for a dreadful sin. In this way, warts became forever associated with witches.

Modern writers about necromancy have continued with this allegorical convention. The necromancers of Clark Ashton Smith, for instance, are so powerfully evil that their baneful nature is painfully apparent to all around them, as if the corrupt wizards radiated a palpable aura of malevolence. Normal acts of kindness, such as a smile or laughter, become perverted into frightening glimpses of their twisted nature.

Table of Contents