Paper short abstract:

The presentation will focus on ways and forms of monstrous' dwellings, i.e. it will question whether different monstrous creatures like witches, demons, vampires or devil can/could dwell, taking into account oral and written narratives.

Paper long abstract:

The presentation will focus on ways and forms of monstrous' dwellings, i.e. it will question whether different monstrous creatures like witches, demons, vampires or devil can/could dwell, taking into account oral and written narratives (legends, tales, myths etc., but also other non-literary sources like court records). The aim is to question if there is a difference between feminine and masculine monsters concerning their ways of dwellings - for example,why do witches usually have very elaborated and meticulously described/constructed homes (Baba Yaga's or witch's house in Hansel und Gretel as most popular illustrations), and, on the other hand, why are their masculine counter-parts usually homeless, wandering or possessing only temporary dwellings. The starting point of the presentation are the following questions: Are the ways or forms of masculine and feminine monsters' dwellings in narratives of various provenance in any relation with the conceptualization of "traditional" masculine/feminine roles in everyday life? Do the descriptions of their places of living serve as ways and means to "tame" the evil? Or, do they signal borderline experience of something monstrously disturbing which fills its' recipients with both repulsion and attraction?