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In mythology, folklore and speculative fiction, shapeshifting, or metamorphosis is the ability of an entity to physically transform into another being or form. This is usually achieved through an inherent faculty of a mythological creature, divine intervention, or the use of magic spells or talismans. The idea of shapeshifting has been present since antiquity and may be common in all cultures. It is present in the oldest forms of totemism and shamanism, as well as the oldest extant literature and epic poems, including works such as the ''Epic of Gilgamesh'' and the ''Iliad'', where the shapeshifting is usually induced by the act of a deity. The idea persisted through the Middle Ages, where the agency causing shapeshifting is usually a sorcerer or witch, and into the modern period. It remains a common trope in modern fantasy, children's literature, and works of popular culture. The most common form of shapeshifting myths is that of therianthropy, which is the transformation of a human being into an animal or conversely, of an animal into human form. Legends allow for transformations into plants and objects, and the assumption of another human countenance (e.g. fair to ugly). ==Themes in shapeshifting== Shapeshifting may be used as a plot device, such as when Puss in Boots in the fairy tales tricks the ogre into becoming a mouse to be eaten. Also, Jarrod disposes of the ogre in ''The Spiderwick Chronicles'' by convincing him to become a swallow. Shapeshifting may also include symbolic significance, like the Beast's transformation in ''Beauty and the Beast'' indicates Belle's ability to accept him despite his appearance. In literature, the involuntary or voluntary nature of the shapeshifting can be a theme. Circe transforms intruders to her island into swine, whereas Ged, in ''A Wizard of Earthsea'', becomes a hawk to escape an evil wizard's stronghold. When a form is taken on involuntarily, the thematic effect can be one of confinement and restraint; the person is ''bound'' to the new form. In extreme cases, such as petrifaction, the character is entirely disabled. On the other hand, voluntary shapeshifting can be a means of escape and liberation. Even when the form is not undertaken to resemble a literal escape, the abilities specific to the form allow the character to act in a manner that was previously impossible. Examples of this are in fairy tales. A prince who is forced into a bear's shape (as in ''East of the Sun and West of the Moon'') is a prisoner, but a princess who takes on a bear's shape voluntarily to flee a situation (as in ''The She-Bear'') escapes with her new shape.〔Marina Warner, ''From the Beast to the Blonde: On Fairy Tales And Their Tellers'', p. 353 ISBN 0-374-15901-7〕 In modern fantasy, the extent to which the change of shape alters the mind can be important. Poul Anderson, in ''Operation Chaos'', has the werewolf observe that taking on wolf-form can simplify his thoughts. A similar effect is noted in Stephenie Meyer's ''Twilight'' series. This can be more intricate in other writers' works. In the Harry Potter series, J. K. Rowling made it so that a wizard who became a rat obtained a rat's brain (although the Animagus talent bypasses this problem). In the Earthsea books, Ursula K. Le Guin depicts an animal form as slowly transforming the wizard's mind, so that the dolphin, bear or other creature forgets it was human, making it impossible to change back. This makes an example for a voluntary shapeshifting becoming an imprisoning metamorphosis. Beyond this, the uses of shapeshifting, transformation, and metamorphosis in fiction are as protean as the forms the characters take on. Some are rare, such as Italo Calvino's "The Canary Prince" is a Rapunzel variant in which shapeshifting is used to gain access to the tower. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「shapeshifting」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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