| Term |
Definition |
C
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| Callisto |
From Greek mythology, one of the nymph attendants of the goddess Artimis who had a son after being seduced by Zeus. Hera changed her into a bear, and she was slain by her own son. Zeus placed her in the sky as the constellation Ursa Major. |
| Can Nu |
In Chinese, "Lady Silkworm". The Chinese fable relates about how a girl missed her father, and declared she would marry anyone who brought him home. The stallion she was grooming bolted, and brought her father home. When he found out what had been said, he killed and skinned the horse. Later when the girl and her friends were taunting the skin, it came to life magically, and wrapped itself around her and went up in a tree, changing her into a silkworm (whose head sort of resembles that of a horse) |
| Camouflage |
In the real world, an effort to blend in with one's surroundings. Nature has been doing this for ages, with insects that look like twigs or leaves, fish and lizards that can change color to blend in with their surroundings, even certain birds and mammals trade a summer coat for a white winter coat. The military has used camouflage in a variety of ways throughout the ages, although it became widespread during and after World War Two. Of course, no camouflage is perfect. See also Chameleon, Invisibility. |
| Camera |
A device for taking photos. In certain parts of the world (mainly Africa and the Middle East) it was unwise to take people's pictures because they believed that you were stealing their souls. This may or may not go back to an Islamic taboo against human images in art. With the proliferation of cameras though, this may no longer hold true, but do be careful. Cameras have been used as a device for transformations, turning people into photographs of themselves, turning them into flat cutouts, or being drawn into the camera itself. |
| Cannibalism |
The eating of another member of one's own race or species. Although socially unacceptable in the real world, it has been practiced in extreme circumstances when no other option for survival was available, and by the odd lunatic. See entries on Consumption, and Vore. |
| Catboy |
The male version of Catgirl - somewhat rare. See Catgirl below. |
| Catgirl |
A curiously Japanese creation, which varies widely. Essentially a girl with cat features, these features can range from obviously being in a costume, to just having cat ears on their head, to being a fully fledged furry. See also Neko / Nekko. |
| Cauldron |
A large pot or kettle used to prepare something over a fire (food, washing clothing, etc). Such cauldrons have become emblematic of witches gathering to brew up potions in modern illustrations. However, such cauldron myths predate the spread of Christianity into Northern Europe, the British Isles and Ireland. These Celtic and Norse tales of marvelous cauldrons vary, most often being able to create enough food to feed an army, provide healing powers, or the ability raise the dead so they might fight again. Some of these myths were altered by later writers into the Holy Grail, the object of King Arthur's knights which was supposed to grant eternal life to anyone who drank from it. |
| CB |
1. Shorthand for "Chibi" (See Chibi) 2. Shorthand for "Citizen's Band Radio". |
| Centaur |
A person who is human from the waist up, and has a horse's body and four legs from the waist down. Taken from Greek / Roman mythology. In the classical sense, centaurs were male, and could easily get drunk, and act rowdy, although there were a few 'educated' centaurs who taught a few of the Greek heroes. They are generally believed to have originated from tales of Greek travelers who traded with nomadic tribes in Russia, and noted the close symbiotic connection between those people and their horses- a connection that the Greeks as a seafaring people did not really have at the time. Native Americans apparently had similar observations when they first saw the Spanish on their horses, but did not have the luxury of time to develop their own centaur mythology. Female centaurs are a fairly recent development, born out of the belief that the species needed both genders represented, much like the merman was added to compliment the mermaid. See also Taur, Chakat, Quange.. |
| CG |
"Computer Graphics" or "Computer Gallery", CG is used as a term mainly on Japanese websites to denote picture galleries. |
| Chakat |
Term coined by Bernard Doove. Essentially, a feline centaur, often featured with a humanoid catlike head, torso, and arms above the waist and a full feline body with four paws below the waist. They are Hermaphroditic (see Hermaphrodite) with genders of both sexes. The label is sometimes applied generically to non-equine taurs as well. See also Taur, Quange. |
| Chameleon |
A lizard in the real world with the uncanny ability to alter its color. As a result, it's name has been applied to a variety of shapeshifters, including a Marvel Comics villian, and a DC Comics hero. |
| Changeling |
1. In Celtic lore, elves and fairies were fond of human children and would steal them away, leaving a changeling it its stead. The changeling was usually something akin to an animated humanoid doll similar to the abducted child which would in some cases waste away. 2.A DC Comics superhero also known as "Beast Boy", Changeling is a green boy who can change into any sort of animal he wants. The main limitation to his power is that he cannot change his color. He originally appeared with the Doom Patrol, and then joined the Teen Titans. |
| Cheesecake |
1. A tasty treat. 2. Usually, images of curvy, scantily clad or nude women in provocative poses. See also Beefcake. |
| Chibi |
Japanese term for "Kid", "Child-Sized" or "Little". Refers to reduced sized anime / manga characters. Can also be used as a prefix. See also Superdeformed. |
| Chimera |
A little used term for a genetically engineered human hybrid. See Hybrid. |
| Christopher, Saint |
One of the earliest examples of a typographical error, St. Christopher, who was already depicted as a giant of some eighteen feet in stature is sometimes portrayed with a dog's head , This transformation is due to a transcription error where "Canaanite" (his homeland) was mistranscribed as "Canine", and it was assumed that he was a Cynnocephalus (See Cynnocephalus) a common figure in travelers tales of the time (and St. Christopher watches over travelers and Pilgrims). For the most part, this error has been fixed, although he is shown with a dog's head in some ancient Christian art works |
| Chromosomes |
Rod-shaped bodies which carry Genes within cells. Curiously, only one extra set - the "Y" chromosome - determines whether a person is male or female. The "default" structure for people then is female, since only males carry this "Y" chromosome. One should note that it is somewhat fragile, since military pilots who fly all the time, and thus put greater stresses on their bodies (and reproductive organs) are more likely to have girls than boys for children. |
| Circe |
A powerful sorceress who could change men into animals in Greek mythology. She appears in the ancient text of Homer's Odyssey, (C. 750 B.C.E.) she turned a crew of men into pigs. Their leader, and the hero of the story, Ulysseus, was able to force her to undo her spell with the aid of the Greek gods, and despite her offers for them to stay, they departed to continue their odyssey home. She is also appears in the story of Jason and the Argonauts, where she is identified as the aunt of the Sorceress Medea, who was Jason's love interest and aide. Circe's parents are Helios the sun god, and either Perse or Perseis, a sea nymph. Her abode was the Greek island of Aeaea near Italy. As a character from ancient texts, Circe has been borrowed by later writers who need a sorceress with transformational capabilities. In DC comics she is one of Wonder Woman's foes. In Marvel Comics, a character named "Sersi" lays claim to being the original sorceress, and has transformational abilities over both animate and inanimate objects. |
| Clay |
A malleable material used worldwide since ancient times to create pottery.and other utensils. Not surprisingly it is used by gods in many creation legends to form creatures and humanity before they are granted life. This concept has been applied in later writings, notably the Eastern European Jewish Golem legends about a powerful Frankenstein-like creature made of clay that is made to protect and serve the community, but usually runs amok. DC Comics Wonder Woman can trace her origins to a clay statue of an infant fashioned by her mother, and granted life by the Greek gods. |
| Clayface |
From DC Comics, one of Batman's foes. The name has been used by at least four different distinct characters; First, an actor who was the master of disguise from the 1940's; the second, and most well known was able to change himself into anything he desired; the third was a woman with similar capabilities to the second Clayface; and the fourth was a man who was changed into a melting clay-like entity whose touch would cause people to similarly melt into a clay-like substance. It is the second Clayface who is the most well known and used of these characters. |
| Clone |
A perfect duplicate of a living creature. Currently cloning is a very experimental process, filled with hazards. However, in the future, cloning could be combined with genetic engineering to create "replacement bodies" which have improvements over the originals thanks to genetic engineering. These improvements could be as simple as a change in hair color, to adding certain characteristics to create a living breathing "Furry". However, the full ethical ramifications and technological challenges to such a process are immense, and for now are confined to the realm of fiction. |
| Clothing |
Clothing has some transformative qualities in the real world - for instance you might never guess that a person dressed his best for a service spends their days as a custodian. In stories, clothing has been granted a wide range of transformative abilities as well, the most common of which is the power of invisibility. Disney's "The Jersey" TV show has a magic sports jersey that allows the wearer to inhabit sports stars bodies for a limited time. See also, Suits. Jewelry. |
| Code |
1. A sequence of figures that when assembled generate something recognizable, such as a message or a biological entity. See also Furcode. |
| Composite |
In transformational terms, a combination of two or more creatures into one. Rarely used as a term, since Composite is more widely used to refer to police sketches and building materials. |
| Composite Man, The |
A curious DC Comics villain from the 1960's-1970's who appeared as half Batman on one side and half Superman on the other side, and possessed the powers of the 30th Century Legion of Superheroes. He inevitably fought Batman and Superman in various team-ups. The character was reintroduced in the late 1990's as sort of "Super Durlaan" (See Durlaan) who could imitate any powers he observed. This one fought the Legion of Super Heroes in the 30th Century before finally being killed. |
| Computer |
That THING you are currently staring at while reading this text. While computers are used to currently manipulate images, and text, some writers push the envelope to have them do "more". On the one hand there is the concept of cyberspace (see Cyberspace) a virtual world contained within the computer, such as the one illustrated in the movie "Tron". Any material inside the computer can easily be transformed by the computer as opposed to the real world. On the other hand, there is the concept of an ultimate computer, that has enough computing power to change the real universe. The best example of this is probably Jack Chalkner's "Well World" series where the entire universe is a construct of an ancient supercomputer built by a bored super-race. See Also: Remote. |
| -Con |
Short for Conference. Combined with other words (AnthroCon, FurCon, etc) to denote real-world gatherings of fans for certain genres. |
| Conjoinment |
A transformation where two (or more) individuals are merged, combined or partially joined together to make one being. The result usually has extra arms, legs, heads or other extra features. (See Siamese Twins). |
| Consumption, Cultural |
Certain underdeveloped regions of the world have or had a ritual form of cannibalism as part of their funeral ceremonies. The grieving friends and family would eat portions of the deceased in the hopes of gaining their skills, widsom, prowess, and so on. In reality, those who ate the deceased were more apt to get diseases which may have caused the person's passing, or suffer symptoms similar to what is now known as "Mad Cow Disease". |
| Consumption, Fantasy |
A variety of writers have used the idea of "You are what you eat" as a mean to create monsters and sometimes heroes. Essentially, the person doing the consumption absorbs the characteristics of the person or item they eat. Most often the thing assimilated is knowledge or skills, or merely adding to their body mass. In some cases, such as the Thing (See Thing, The) the alien doing the consuming takes on the appearance of the person they just consumed. |
| Consumption, Non-Cultural |
Although humanity has a large number of foods to dine on, certain types are not usually culturally acceptable. This is due to the fact that such foods are hazardous, and the native cultures know this for a fact, and thus avoid eating them. Despite that, some newcomers opt to dine on these 'forbidden foods' anyways, with fatal or disasterous effects. Among these items include chimpanzee meat in Africa which may have unleashed the AIDS epidemic; polar bears, which carry a parasite that is harmless to them, but fatal to humans; and pufferfish, which is a Japanese delecacy, but has sent hundreds to the hospital when it was incorrectly prepared. |
| Counterparts, Furry |
Periodically, Comic Book publishers put out Furry, or rather "Funny Animal" parody versions of their mainstream superhero characters. Marvel has had some success with Spider-Ham (Spider-Man) and DC Comics has it's Justa Lotta Animals (See Justa Lotta Animals entry). Captain Marvel has a furry version named "Hoppy the Marvel Bunny". Despite these attempts to mate the super-hero genere with furry or funny animal themes, most are sort-lived or one-shots. |
| Counterparts, pre 1900 |
There was a line of thought during ancient and medieval times that every type of creature that existed on the earth had an equal and opposite version of it in the sky and the sea. These counterparts appear mainly in medieval illustrations and texts, showing fish with pig-like heads, and fish fashioned in monks and bishop's garments. A few names did catch on, and are used today - Catfish, Dogfish, Seahorse, etc, were given to fish that had a passing physical resemblence to land animals. The most extreme use of this counterpart theory was Captain Cook's search for the Antipodes - a large land-mass assumed to exist in the South Pacific as a counterpart and counterbalance the land mass of Asia and North America. Cook did find New Zealand and Australia, and disproved the Antipode theory. See also Mermaids, Mermen, Tritons. |
| Counterparts, post 1900 |
The assumption that there are an infinite number of universes, only another dimension away. Within those alternate universes, things might be slightly different - such as everyone's gender might be opposite of the gender they possess in this dimension - or they could be very different, the dominant species being lizards rather than a bunch of hairless apes. In transformational terms, sometimes a person is transported by a quirk of fate to another dimension, and to them, the entire world has changed, while to the locals, the person has changed. See also Time Travel. |
| Crossbreed |
The combining of two different species to create a new variant, hopefully with the strengths and best qualities of both parents. An alternative term for Furries and half human half something else entities. In some cases, such as canines, a crossbreed is preferable since the 'mainline' species has become so 'pure' and inbred that the inherent weaknesses of the species-such as a shortened life span, breathing problems, poor health, etc- is painfully obvious. See entry on inbreeding. |
| Cross-Dressing |
Essentially, a person wearing the opposite gender's clothing, usually a man wearing a woman's dress or outfit. The concept is hardly new- in Norse mythology, Thor has to be disguised as a bride in order to retreive his hammer Mjollnir from the Frost Giants. In plays from Greek times up to the 1800's female roles were played by men or young boys. Today though, cross dressing is either used as a comedic prop, as was done in "Monty Python's Flying Circus" or as a means of escape, much like some Furries create suits to appear like a their Fursona. |
| Cryptids |
A blanket name for "Unknown" creatures - aka, Bigfoot, Lake Monsters, etc. In order for a creature to be "known" a physical specimen (living or dead) must be on hand for biologists to examine, observe and classify. |
| Cryptozoology |
The study of "unknown" creatures - aka, Bigfoot, Lake Monsters, etc. Better known as "Monster Hunters". |
| Curse |
While there are a variety of curses for bad luck and such, curses are often used as a source for transformation, such as the curse of the werewolf. Curses are usually acquired by upsetting a powerful magician or godlike being, trespassing or doing something incorrect on hallowed ground, or they can be hereditary due to a transgression done by some ancestor. The bottom line is, a person did something wrong, and supernatural forces will make things right since the local law enforcement is not up to the task. Curses can be permanent, or they can be removed if amends are made, or a being of equal power can undo it. In most cases though, they are permanent. Best to be on your best behavior then. |
| Cursed Artifacts / Objects |
Cursed items bring about misfortune and/or transformation by merely possessing them. Circumstances vary of course, but there are three common cases to consider. The first is where the item becomes like an addiction to the possessor, who is unaware or uncaring of its magic or the transformational properties (as Golum was in "Lord of the Rings"). The second is where the possessor is aware of the curse, but cannot be rid of the item until a certain condition is met, such as its return, transfer to another person who is then cursed, or disposal in a specified way (such as selling it for less than it was bought for, or freely giving it away). The third is where even though the person has returned the item, they remain cursed - merely touching or disturbing the item is enough to curse them. |
| Cyber- |
A term usually applied to software based entities rather than artificial hardware based entities (See Techno-) although it may be used for hardware as well. |
| Cyberspace |
The world within a computer. As such, it is not confined to the rules of the real world. Currently, RPGs, Websites, and assorted flotsam drift in cyberspace, but writers, ever pushing ahead, postulate a virtual reality within cyberspace where entities can actually exist. Perhaps in the future.. |
| Cyborg |
1 An entity that has artificial parts to replace or enhance normal biological components in their body. While a person who wears glasses or dentures could be called a 'cyborg" it is usually applied to more radical changes, where a vital organ has been replaced by an artificial one. Real world cyborgs include people wearing artificial arms or legs and so on - although their tactile senses are very limited. Some students in college have become a sort of cyborg, developing computers that they can wear around campus to access and record data as they do everyday things. Scientists are still looking for ways to integrate man and machine to help cure blindness and create better replacement organs. See also Virtual Reality. |
| Cyclops |
An entity with one eye in the center of their forehead. Usually portrayed as giants. The origins of this creature can be traced to the remains of ancient proto-elephants discovered by ancient people. The space where the elephant's trunk entered the skull resembled a single enormous eye socket- the stature of the skull and any associated bones led people to assume that such giant one-eyed creatures existed. |
| Cyclopede |
A curious human-like creature mentioned in traveler's tales, it looked like a human but had one leg and one large foot. It moved about by hopping, and used its large foot to shade itself from the sun in its treeless tropical habitat in Africa (usually Ethiopia). |
| Cycnus / Cygnus |
Cygnus is the constellation of the swan that appears in the summer, and has a transformation attached to it in some Greek myths. It begins with the story of Phaethon, the mortal son of Helios the sun god, who was allowed to drive his father's chariot (the sun) for one day. Phaethon couldn't handle it, and was killed, falling to the Earth and landing in the river Eridanus. Cycnus, a close friend, collected Phaethon's remains, diving into the river repeatedly, to give Phaethon a proper burial. The gods were so moved by this that they transformed Cycnus into a swan (changing his name to Cygnus - which as the term Cygnet refers to a young swan) and placed him in the sky as the constellation Cygnus. |
| Cynnocephalus |
From the Greek, literally "Dog-Head". A race of humans with dog heads according to travelers tales dating back as far as the fifth century B.C., and related as late as the twelfth century A.D. by Marco Polo. While resembling werewolves with their hairy bodies, they are usually described as vegetarians, and have no real transformational abilities. |
| CYOC |
"Choose Your Own Change" - An online ADDventure style game at www.cyoc.net |
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