Shapeshifting, a terminology of English origin that was used as the name of the new album by the artist Joe Satriani. Stay at que-quiere-decir.com so you know its origin and meaning. Shall we start?
The word Shapeshifting translated into Spanish means “change shape”, hinting that it has the ability to change appearance, even being able to transform into another species.
In folklore the shapeshifters are what we commonly know as werewolves, vampires, huli jing, hitsune, kumiho, and in East Asia, gods and demons.
Greco-Roman mythology
There are several examples of change in form and examples are mentioned in classical literature such as in the Odyssey and the poem metamorphosis.
It is said that Proteus, god of the sea, was a shape-shifter. Likewise Zeus’ first wife, Metis was a shape-shifter.
In Greek mythology it was believed that being shape-shifter was a divine punishment to humans. Here are some examples:
- Zeus transformed King Lycaon and his sons into wolves.
- Ares transformed Alectryon into a rooster.
- Artemis transformed Arachne into a spider, among others.
British and Irish
Fairies, witches, and wizards could change shape. There are British tales where fairies change shape are mentioned, such as Jack the Giant Killer and The Black Bull of Norroway.
One of the best known Irish myths is that of Aoife who turned his stepchildren into swans to get rid of them.
Shapeshifting curiosity
Guitarist Joe Satriani will release an album in April 2020 under the name Shapeshifting. This is the artist’s eighteenth album.
This album will have different presentations from CD, black vinyl to a translucent blue vinyl that will be signed by Satriani himself.