History Main / BodyHorror

Obviously, as a trope based on PrimalFear, body horror is OlderThanDirt. This is also often paired with PsychosexualHorror. Because a lot of these tropes can be the results of medical procedures/experiments gone wrong, it can often pair with MedicalHorror (especially given the early days of medical science... [[https://hydramed.com/blog/12-shocking-and-strange-medical-treatments-from-the-past-a-journey-through-the-bizarre-world-of-historical-medicine yikes...]]

Obviously, as a trope based on PrimalFear, body horror is OlderThanDirt. This is also often paired with PsychosexualHorror.

* PersonalHorror: "You are BodyHorror." "I am what?"

* The abomination called the {{Nuckelavee}} from Scottish folklore. It can only be described as some sort of rider-fused-with-horse centaur with no skin that breathes ''disease''. So even if you escape it, you've got the more common sort of BodyHorror to contend with. Depending on the description, "rider's" arms reach down to the ground and its head can be as wide as three feet, rolling back and forth on it's too small neck. Alternately the "horse" head has a single burning eye that shines with a horrible light. Burning seaweed enrages it and it causes plagues, low rainfall, crop wilting, and other disasters and worst of all it kills horses with a deadly plague called Mortasheen.

For example: Being shot in the chest and having your organs exposed is BloodyHorror, not body horror. Turning into a monster is a ForcedTransformation, but still not a body horror. Having your chest tear open of its own free will, exposing your organs as your ribcage is repurposed as a [[BellyMouth gaping maw full of bony teeth?]] ''That'' is Body Horror.

Obviously, as a trope based on PrimalFear, body horror is OlderThanDirt. This is also paired with PsychosexualHorror.

* The abomination called the Nuckelavee from Scottish folklore. It can only be described as some sort of rider-fused-with-horse centaur with no skin that breathes ''disease''. So even if you escape it, you've got the more common sort of BodyHorror to contend with. Depending on the description, "rider's" arms reach down to the ground and its head can be as wide as three feet, rolling back and forth on it's too small neck. Alternately the "horse" head has a single burning eye that shines with a horrible light. Burning seaweed enrages it and it causes plagues, low rainfall, crop wilting, and other disasters and worst of all it kills horses with a deadly plague called Mortasheen.

* Mors is the [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Roman]] goddess of death (equivalent to the Greek Thanatos) and quite a terrifying sight to see; she has a female face, legs and arms, but no torso; to cover that up, she wears a ''human ribcage and pelvis''.
* In Greek mythology, we have the Graeae sisters (who you may remember as the Fates from Disney's Hercules movie); not only do they look horrifying with ghostly grey skin and hair (not to mention the fact they were BORN elderly); they also have a single eye and tooth, which they ''share among each other''.
* In Myth/CelticMythology, [[HorrifyingHero Cuchulainn's]] "warp-spasm" was said to cause his legs to twist backwards, one of his eyes to swell to an enormous size and the other to be sucked into its socket, his mouth to stretch open down to his ribcage, his muscles to bulge up, and the skin of his throat and mouth to [[NightmareFace peel back]] forming a GlasgowGrin. People were ''terrified'' of Cuchulainn, and for good reason.

For a character or {{Mook}} who has this as their back story, see WasOnceAMan and TragicMonster, and/or TheGrotesque. If Body Horror is played for sympathy, it can be used to explore the issue of WhatMeasureIsANonHuman. It can result in AndIMustScream if the victim is aware of their condition but totally helpless. Using this trope can result in OurMonstersAreWeird of the most horrific kind. Often the result of the wacky experiments of an EvilutionaryBiologist.

* Anything to do with nerves, yeesh.

For example: Being shot in the chest and having your organs exposed is BloodyHorror, not body horror. Turning into a monster is a ForcedTransformation, but still not a body horror. Having your chest tear open of its own free will, exposing your organs as your ribcage is repurposed as a gaping maw full of bony teeth? ''That'' is Body Horror.

* AbnormalDentalGrowth: Growing another a set of pearly whites to replace the lost ones.

* NightmareFuel: Sweet Dreams....

Obviously, as a trope based on PrimalFear, body horror is OlderThanDirt.

* In Greek mythology, we have the Graeae sisters (who you may remember as the [[SadlyMythtaken/Hercules Fates]] from Disney's Hercules movie); not only do they look horrifying with ghostly grey skin and hair (not to mention the fact they were BORN elderly); they also have a single eye and tooth, which they ''share among each other''.

* PopGoesTheHuman: When someone exploding at another doesn't involve SuddenlyShouting

* MonsterOrganTrafficking:

* NightmareFuel
* NightmareSequence

* PopGoesTheHuman: BOOM

* {{Squick}}

* WhatHaveIBecome
* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman

* From ''WesternAnimation/TheRealGhostbusters'' action figures by Kenner, there was the Haunted Humans line. They look like common people, [[SurpriseCreepy until you press a button in them]]. You can check all of them in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tzer6r_tGAo this video]].

[[caption-width-right:300:[[ADateWithRosiePalms His Saturday nights just got incredibly awkward]].]]

[[folder:Mythology and Folklore]]

* MonsterOrganTrafficking
* MutagenicGoo

* BellyMouth: Typically, the mouth should be in the head, not anywhere else.

This trope is difficult to pin down, as it has a wide range of potential applications and invocations, but what they all hinge upon is the PrimalFear of the UncannyValley, deformity, parasites, contamination, the ravages of disease, and the aftermath of bodily injury. The mind knows on a deep instinctive level that [[EyelessFace faces should have eyes]] and [[EyesDoNotBelongThere hands should not]]. Organs and bones belong on the inside, and parasites and circuit boards do not. Bodies should be roughly symmetrical and have logical proportions. And ''nothing'' should ever look like this page's example image.

* EyelessFace: Eyes do belong here...

For a character or {{Mook}} who has this as their back story, see WasOnceAMan and TragicMonster, and/or TheGrotesque. If Body Horror is played for sympathy, it can be used to explore the issue of WhatMeasureIsANonHuman. It can result in AndIMustScream if the victim is aware of their condition but totally helpless. Using this trope can result in OurMonstersAreWeird of the most horrific kind.

* {{Squick}}
* TheSymbiote: Now you're eating for two!

* PoweredByAForsakenChild: [[Music/{{Queen}} It's just a poor boy... Nobody loves it...]]