Amabie goes viral: the monstrous mercreature returns to battle the Gothic Covid-19
George, Sam
(2020)
Amabie goes viral: the monstrous mercreature returns to battle the Gothic Covid-19.
Critical Quarterly, 62 (4): criq.12579.
pp. 32-40.
ISSN 0011-1562
This essay focusses on yōkai, Amabie, a mer-monster from Japan’s Edo Period (1603–1868), who is being revived to ward off the Covid-19 virus in 2020. I argue that our understanding of crises is enhanced via the hybrid monsters they engender; here, I focus on the viral spread of the apotropaic image of Amabie via the internet. I also position Amabie as a Gothic artefact, though one which invites a revision of some of the approaches to monstrosity prevalent in Gothic studies.
Item Type | Article |
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Additional information | © 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is the accepted manuscript version of an article which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/criq.12579 |
Keywords | yokai, amabie, mermaid |
Date Deposited | 15 May 2025 15:26 |
Last Modified | 04 Jun 2025 17:16 |
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