Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff to Blow Your Mind, a production of
Speaker 1: My Heart Radio. Hi, my name is Robert Lamb and
Speaker 1: this is the Monster Fact, a short form series from
Speaker 1: Stuff to Blow Your Mind, focusing in on mythical creatures, ideas,
Speaker 1: and monsters in time. In Capcom Survival horror video game
Speaker 1: Resident Evil Village, the character Ethan Winters finds himself beset
Speaker 1: by werewolves, vambires, and other creatures of darkness in an
Speaker 1: unnamed Eastern European rural location. Particular village is governed by
Speaker 1: four lords, but the most impressive of these strange rulers
Speaker 1: is Lady Dimitrescu of Castle Demitrescu. Her lordship might otherwise
Speaker 1: be mistaken for any other Gothic fim fatal figure, resplendent
Speaker 1: with classic vampiric qualities and a stylish ensemble, but she
Speaker 1: also stands well over nine feet tall, and it's forced
Speaker 1: to duck as she moves through doorways in her otherwise
Speaker 1: high ceilinged castle. While she often employs brute giant strength
Speaker 1: and dispatching her enemies, she can also manifest scimitar like
Speaker 1: claws to cut them limb from limb. She is arrogant
Speaker 1: and vain but also highly protective of her three vampiric daughters.
Speaker 1: The character has proven highly popular, quickly joining the likes
Speaker 1: of pyramid Head and Nemesis in the pantheon of great
Speaker 1: memorable horror video game monsters. And dissecting the influences that
Speaker 1: brought this character together, we of course have to give
Speaker 1: a proper nod to both Dracula and Countess Elizabeth Bathory.
Speaker 1: But many commentators have also pointed to the modern Japanese
Speaker 1: yuri or yokai known as Miss eight foot Tall or
Speaker 1: has Haku Sama, who has depicted in a wide brimmed hat,
Speaker 1: much like the Lady Demitrescu. According to haik Issuhani in
Speaker 1: a two thousand eighteen thesis paper titled Mythology Marches to
Speaker 1: Modernity Yokai in contemporary Japan, this spirit seems to have
Speaker 1: originated in a Japanese internet forum in two thousand and eight. However,
Speaker 1: the author stresses that Hasaku Sama's origins might actually extend
Speaker 1: back much further, to an older yokai named taka Onwa
Speaker 1: literally Tall Woman, briefly mentioned in the Illustrated Night Parade
Speaker 1: of a Hundred Demons published in seventeen seventies. Six. However,
Speaker 1: the idea of a fearsome giant Tests is far older
Speaker 1: than any of these examples. Some variations of the Irish
Speaker 1: and Scottish winter Hag and deity uh Kieligak are described
Speaker 1: as a giant test and she is credited with kidnapping
Speaker 1: this pirit of summer. Other legendary hags are also given
Speaker 1: giant proportions from time to time, including the Baba Yaga.
Speaker 1: There's also Zunuqua of the quack Utel people of British Columbia,
Speaker 1: who hunts the children of man. Multiple giant tests is
Speaker 1: of varying temperaments can be found in Norse mythology, and
Speaker 1: these are often described as beautiful to behold and in
Speaker 1: Hindu traditions, the demon giant tests Putana attempts to kill
Speaker 1: the infant Krishna by taking on a human appearance and
Speaker 1: breastfeeding him poisoned milk. Baby Krishna, however, turns the tables
Speaker 1: on the demon by draining her of all her milk
Speaker 1: and her life essence. Suffice to say, Lady Demitrescu is
Speaker 1: but the latest in a long line of intriguing fictional
Speaker 1: giantesses employed to express varying ideas about feminine power. Her
Speaker 1: ancestors run the gamut of hags, demons, heroes, and goddesses.
Speaker 1: Tune in for additional episodes of The Monster Fact each week.
Speaker 1: As always, you can email us at contact at stuff
Speaker 1: to Blow your Mind dot com. Stuff to Blow Your
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