Follow TV Tropes

Following

Context Main / Muggles

Go To

1%%
2%%
3%% This page has been alphabetized. Please add new examples in the correct order. Thanks!
4%%
5%%
6%%Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1517586556007026600
7%%Please do not change or remove without starting a new thread.
8%%
9[[quoteright:350:[[Series/Powerless2017 https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/powerlessposter.jpg]]]]
10
11->''"Sell them a key that keeps shrinking to nothing so they can never find it when they need it… Of course, it's very hard to convict anyone because no Muggle would admit their key keeps shrinking -- they'll insist they just keep losing it.'' ''Bless them, they'll go to any lengths to ignore magic, even if it's staring them in the face…"''
12-->-- '''Arthur Weasley''', ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets''
13
14In a story with {{Differently Powered Individual}}s, you'll usually have a group of individuals who ''don't'' have those powers -- muggles. Ordinary people. Those who are not special, like the favored of the plot. Mundane folk who are only aware of their own small section of reality. The source from which most characters spring.
15
16They're the "normal" for those [[IJustWantToBeNormal who crave it]] and those who would hate it [[BroughtDownToNormal if it happened]]. Ironically, Muggles often treat extraordinary people like crap, because Muggles are AllOfTheOtherReindeer -- although sometimes this happens [[BewareTheSuperman the other way around]], more cynical [[SmugSuper super-people]] looking down on them as a pathetically bland, underdeveloped species of {{Innocent Bystander}}s.
17
18The most common SecretIdentity pretends to be this.
19
20They are the ones whom the {{Masquerade}} is used to hide from, who can't get into (or perhaps even perceive) the WainscotSociety, and the ones who are subjected to [[LaserGuidedAmnesia memories wipes]] simply so the more enlightened [[StatusQuoIsGod can retain their secret status]]. Sometimes reality itself conspires to hide the plot from their minds, in ways like the ExtraStrengthMasquerade, BystanderSyndrome, WeirdnessCensor, and InvisibleToNormals. Then again, they may just not want to know because ApathyKilledTheCat.
21
22They are the VictimOfTheWeek eaten by the MonsterOfTheWeek.
23
24Muggles are to be protected, avoided, manipulated, or abused (in any combination) by the characters or the plot.
25
26Expect the {{Red Shirt}}s to be muggles since non-muggles are usually too plot-valuable to waste. Even muggles with characterization need to watch it: they could be {{Mauve Shirt}}s. More rarely, MugglesDoItBetter comes in to play: mundane people with mundane technology have a real fighting chance in works featuring this trope (often the reason ''why'' the {{Masquerade}} exists -- otherwise, once the WitchHunt starts, the supernatural would get its butt handed over by BadassNormal hunters or mobs with TorchesAndPitchforks). Compare VanillaUnit for the playable equivalent of muggles.
27
28Muggle tropes include:
29[[index]]
30* AllTherapistsAreMuggles: A character needs therapy, but the events they need to talk about are part of some [[{{Masquerade}} big secret]] that no human therapist knows about.
31* BadassNormal: A muggle who can hold their own in a fight against those with supernatural powers.
32* CharlesAtlasSuperpower: A muggle who is capable of matching those of supernatural powers but lack thereof after going through TrainingFromHell.
33* InvisibleToNormals: Muggles literally cannot see some supernatural things.
34* MageBornOfMuggles: A supernatural character born to a muggle family.
35* MuggleBestFriend: Supernatural protagonist with a muggle sidekick.
36* MuggleBornOfMages: Muggles with magical ancestors.
37* MuggleInMageCustody: A muggle who is a slave or a ward to a magician.
38* MugglesDoItBetter: Mundane technology beats something supernatural.
39* MuggleFosterParents: Supernatural character raised by normal people.
40* MuggleMageRomance: When there is a relationship between a muggle and a witch or wizard.
41** MuggleAndMagicalLoveTriangle: A love triangle with a supernatural suitor and muggle suitor.
42* MugglePower: Muggles know about magic and take a stance about it.
43* MuggleWithADegreeInMagic: A muggle can't use magic, but still knows all about it.
44* NoMoreForMe: Muggles blame whatever otherworldly phenomenon they witness on whatever they're drinking.
45* ObsessivelyNormal: Muggles try to come across as normal as possible and shun magic as a consequence.
46* RecruitTheMuggles: Muggles join the fight against the supernatural villain.
47* RefreshinglyNormalLifeChoice: A Non-Muggle prefers living like one.
48* SafetyInMuggles: Hiding from a supernatural opponent by running to a highly populated area in the hope your enemy would rather avoid breaking the {{Masquerade}} than continue fighting you.
49* ThouShaltNotKillMuggles: Using supernatural powers to kill muggles is not cool.
50* UnfazedEveryman: A muggle who sees supernatural weirdness and takes it all in stride.
51* UnSorcerer: A muggle who is the exception in a supernatural population.
52* UnwittingMuggleFriend: Supernatural character hides their powers from their muggle friend.
53[[/index]]
54
55Not to be confused with [[Franchise/FinalFantasy Moogles]] or [[Music/TheBuggles Buggles]]. ''Certainly'' not to be confused with ''Literature/TheLegendOfRahAndTheMuggles''. It also has nothing to do with marijuana unless you're reading vintage crime fiction.[[note]]Rowling says she took it from the word "mug" meaning "fool," which is possibly derived from the Irish ''mug'', "slave".[[/note]]
56
57----
58!!Examples:
59[[foldercontrol]]
60
61[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
62* At the start of ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'', practically no humans outside of Ichigo's family are spiritually sensitive. As such, they are unable to see things such as Shinigami, Hollows, the souls of the dead or Ichigo's Substitute Shinigami Badge (which is specifically designed to be InvisibleToNormals). Orihime and Chad start becoming spiritually aware as they spend more time with him after he becomes a Substitute Shinigami, but Ichigo is caught by surprise when, after returning from Soul Society, he realizes that [[ChildhoodFriend Tatsuki]], who for the most part [[{{Masquerade}} is not in on the more spiritual elements of their world]], can see the badge, signifying that she has also become spiritually aware.
63* All humans (save for the few who can actually use their chi) in ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' are muggles, all with a very strong WeirdnessCensor.
64* ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'':
65** In the UC continuity (the one branching off from ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam''), regular humans are sometimes referred to as "Oldtypes", as distinct from the "Newtypes" that represent [[EvolutionaryLevels the next stage of humanity's evolution]]. Rather to the point, some people who believe Newtypes ''are'' the next stage of evolution will use "Oldtype" as a {{Fantastic Slur|s}} against those who would get in the way of that evolution.
66** In ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED'' we have Coordinators (those with genetic modifications) and Naturals (those without). What starts of as AnAesop about racial equality quickly becomes a BrokenAesop, as the only characters to ever do anything of merit in the show are Coordinators. Reinforced by the fact that only one Natural ever exhibits the show's SuperMode, but this scene was quietly {{retcon}}ned out of existence in the compilation movies. One particular character, who is considered a "Natural" throughout the series, actually shows signs of being [[spoiler:a Newtype]]. He also happens to be the most dangerous character in the series, hinting that Coordinators might still be muggles by comparison.
67** Played with in ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam00'', where [[LaResistance Celestial Being]]'s Tieria Erde and ManipulativeBastard Ribbons Almarck are revealed to be Innovators, {{Artificial Human}}s who Ribbons claims were intended by Aeolia Schenberg to rule over humankind. [[spoiler:The classic scenario is ''[[InvertedTrope inverted]]'', however, when Tieria discovers the truth: the "Innovators" are in fact nothing of the sort, and were meant instead to help humankind reach its potential as the ''true'' Innovators.]]
68** Subverted in ''[[Anime/AfterWarGundamX Gundam X]]''. The main character is ''not'' a Newtype yet time after time he is forced to go up against them in combat, and must contend with his [[MysteriousWaif girlfriend]]'s increasingly disastrous predictions of the future. Yet he never gives up hope and was recognized by the First Newtype as living proof that one cannot predict the future. Not bad for a kid who spent the first fifteen years of his life as an orphan in a CrapsackWorld.
69* In ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'', only people who have a Stand are capable of seeing others' Stands. Ordinary people cannot see Stands, but can see how they affect the world around them. When we're first introduced to the concept of Stands, as Jotaro's Star Platinum fights Avdol's Magician's Red, the two cops are amazed at how Jotaro is being thrown around without Avdol touching him, and are equally as amazed at how the temperature in the jail cell is through the roof while Joseph and [[spoiler:Holly]] can both see [[https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/c6/1b/31/c61b31b8096091f6e17270d3744b125e.jpg this]].
70* Gamu of ''VisualNovel/{{Kokoro}}'', who lacks GenreBlindness, calls out the mage society on their use of "norm", as well as their championing of the {{Masquerade}} and LaserGuidedAmnesia. Admirable if not for the fact that the formerly cool-headed spy girl is [[{{Determinator}} willing]] to take on TheOmniscientCouncilOfVagueness to try and change the world. (Then again, if you had a couple million people out for your head, you might figure that there's nothing to lose, too.)
71* In ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'', superpowers (here called Quirks) have become so commonplace that 80% of the world's population has them; protagonist Izuku "Deku" Midoriya begins the series without powers, but his {{determinat|or}}ion catches the eye of top hero All Might, who chooses Deku to be his successor and gives the boy his Quirk "One for All". In an interesting sort of middle-ground with this trope, not everyone with a Quirk becomes a hero or villain; some people have powers that just aren't useful for that sort of thing (for example, Izuku's mother can levitate small objects) and just live ordinary lives.
72* In ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'', the non-chakra users are ordinary people who rely on the ninja and samurai for defense, as well as for doing mundane jobs quickly (dog walking, pet search and rescue, weeding, trash clean-up). It's shown they are completely and utterly helpless against the many enemies in the series. However, unlike most universes they don't resent the chakra users (like, ahem, Franchise/{{Marvel|Universe}}'s universe.)
73* In ''Franchise/SailorMoon'', the normal students Usagi ''used'' to be friends with before she found her superhero posse. They're probably better off. When they hung out with Usagi they had a huge likelihood of becoming the VictimOfTheWeek.
74[[/folder]]
75
76[[folder:Comic Books]]
77* In the ''ComicBook/{{Fables}}'' universe, the Fables characters refer to normal humans as "Mundanes" and Earth outside Fabletown or the Farm as the "Mundy". With the plots for [[spoiler:''Sons of Empire'']] and [[spoiler:''War and Pieces'']], the tricks Fabletown has learned from the Mundy world show that [[MugglesDoItBetter Muggles simply do it better]].
78* In a particularly interesting example, ''ComicBook/SecretSix'' features a conversation between Catman and Deadshot in which they refer to "Norms", people who possess a normal sense of morality (conscience) as opposed to their own semi-to-full sociopathy. Since the main cast of the series is entirely composed of supervillains with an extremely warped view of morality, this is a rather chilling use of the trope.
79* In the ''ComicBook/XMen'' universe, [[SuperSupremacist mutant supremacists]], mostly those less erudite than Magneto, call non-mutants "flatscans" (while referring to themselves as "spikes"), referring to their presence or lack thereof when scanned by power detectors. Also used by Neo Warclan to refer to other, less highly powered mutants, vis-a-vis Domina et. al. Weaker mutants are also sometimes referred to as "halfscan", implying that they're basically a mutant in name only.
80[[/folder]]
81
82[[folder:Fan Works]]
83* Humans in contrast to unicorns in ''Fanfic/TheSonOfTheEmperor''. They possess no magical abilites and tend to be afraid of unicorn magic or consider it unnatural. This eventually led to them banning the practice of magic for the most part, though the specifics vary by region.
84* Two examples in ''Fanfic/WithStringsAttached'':
85** The Idris in Ketafa derisively refer to civilians as "streetfodder", "cityfodder", or just plain "fodder".
86** The tirin in Baravada, except that they're almost as mean and annoying as the skahs, and occasionally nearly as dangerous, as George can attest during his quickie with Ma'ar. They're also happier and far more content with their lot. One of the minor advantages the four have is that they are classified as outworlder tirin and are expected to behave as such, when they actually fit into neither category and thus do unexpected things. The best Grunnel can describe them is "They're not skahs, but they're not tirin either."
87[[/folder]]
88
89[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
90* In ''Film/TheGarbagePailKidsMovie'', the Garbage Pail Kids call humans "normies" (a term which has since been co-opted by online communities like Website/FourChan to refer to outsiders).
91* People who are still plugged into ''Franchise/TheMatrix'', unaware of its virtual nature, are known as "Coppertops" (in reference to a battery) or, later, "bluepills" (whether they've been offered the [[RedPillBluePill pills]] or not). Morpheus makes the borderline psychopathic observation that they're either directly (as vessels for Agents) or indirectly (as soldiers, cops, etc.) tools of the system, and thus expendable if necessary, leading to their wholesale slaughter by the heroes at the climax of [[Film/TheMatrix the first film]]. One of the biggest criticisms of [[Film/TheMatrixReloaded the sequel]] is that there ''were'' no Muggles (almost), reducing the previously mind-blowing Matrix to a [[YourMindMakesItReal high-stakes]] video game.
92* In the ''Franchise/MenInBlack'' films, any person not part of the MIB is called a "Neutral". Those that are accidentally exposed to the knowledge of the existence of alien life [[LaserGuidedAmnesia are quickly neuralized]] and given a cover story preserving PlausibleDeniability.
93* In the original ''Franchise/StarWars'' trilogy, Han Solo (despite his BadassNormal credentials) fills this role with his [[FlatEarthAtheist skepticism of the Force]] and desire to stay out of the fight between the Empire and Rebellion. [[NeutralNoLonger He gets better]].
94[[/folder]]
95
96[[folder:Literature]]
97* ''Literature/ArtemisFowl'': The main character, Artemis, is a Muggle who discovers the existence of Fairies. They aren't pleased about it -- they try to [[LaserGuidedAmnesia mindwipe]] him, but he [[NoteToSelf gets around it]]. Eventually they reach a truce, and Artemis gets to stay in the know.
98* In ''Literature/TheBartimaeusTrilogy'', ordinary people (i.e., non-magicians) are looked at with distaste and referred to as "commoners". A bit subverted, in that the wizards are shown to be corrupt aristocrats oppressing the commoners, and one of the main characters is an AntiHero trying to overthrow the current regime. Strangely there doesn't seem to be anything actually ''stopping'' commoners from learning magic, they just don't get picked for training (which makes sense, since those picked must have very high [=IQs=] and parents willing to give up all parental rights). Magicians do not try to stop commoners from learning magic because they hide their real sources of power, which are [[spoiler:spirits they summon]]. Also, any commoners who do manage to learn magic immediately become targets of other magicians, which pretty much spells their doom.
99* Mortals in the ''Literature/TheCampHalfBloodSeries''. Anyone who is (surprise, surprise) mortal can't see through [[WeirdnessCensor the Mist]] and doesn't really know about most of the events described in the novel because of this. There are some exceptions, most notably Literature/{{Percy Jackson|AndTheOlympians}}'s mother Sally Jackson and Rachel Elizabeth Dare, who later [[spoiler:becomes the oracle of Delphi. Being able to see through the mist is related to her powers of prophecy]].
100* Inverted in the ''Literature/CodexAlera'' series where almost everyone in Alera (think Roman-style nation) can summon at least one type of fury (an elemental spirit of [[DishingOutDirt earth]], [[BlowYouAway air]], [[MakingASplash water]], [[GreenThumb wood]], [[PlayingWithFire fire]] or [[ExtraOreDinary metal]]) and gains pseudo-magical abilities from them (flight, influencing emotions, healing are some of them). The protagonist, Tavi, is the only person without one. He survives on his wits and courage.
101* Played with in ''Literature/TheDeathGateCycle''. [[YiddishAsASecondLanguage Mensch]] is a derogatory term used by the two demigod races to refer to humans, elves and dwarves who used to live on Earth before it was [[WorldSundering sundered]] into its four classical elements. Played straight on the worlds of fire and water where they're tormented and slaughtered by ancient monstrosities, averted on the world of air where humans regularly charm dragons into doing their bidding. The demigods themselves look down on them for being lessers and are in turn scorned for being tyrants and jerkasses.
102* ''Literature/{{Deryni}}'': The majority of people in the Eleven Kingdoms are not Deryni. Because of their relative numbers and ecclesiastical power, they are able to persecute the Deryni for over two centuries, making the {{Masquerade}} a necessary evil during that period.
103* ''Literature/DevilsAndThieves'': Called "drecks" in this universe, most of the world is made up of these ordinary people with no knowledge of magic. Due to her poor control of her powers, Jemmie admits she has considered just packing up and going to live in dreck society, where she'd at least feel average.
104* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'':
105** For the normal people of the setting (called "straights" or "vanillas"), the approach is almost opposite the ''Franchise/HarryPotter'' universe's. The {{Masquerade}} is upheld by mutual agreement, and [[WeirdnessCensor kept by the straights]] preferring to forget the terrors of knowing that the normal, safe, mundane world is a lie. Supernatural power have to hide and have successfully kept their existence secret, but they don't have to put much effort into it.
106** That said, openly involving the derided and preyed upon mortals in their affairs is still taboo, since its indisputably [[AwakeningTheSleepingGiant "the nuclear option"]], complete with [[MutuallyAssuredDestruction the destruction of all sides involved]] being guaranteed due to humanity's [[BurnTheWitch reaction to the supernatural]], even of the things that are clearly on their side. Humans might not have the strengths of the creatures of the night, but they don't have their weaknesses; and particularly in the past century, humans have had the growth in population, technology, and weaponry that [[MugglesDoItBetter more than equalizes the playing field]]. For reference, one of the most feared institutions in the supernatural world is the Wardens, and their preferred weapons, when not using magic or a magic-cutting sword, are guns and discipline.
107** Of the Muggles, a surprising number of them have actually dealt with it (werewolves running amok, hiring a wizard, cops shooting vampires), and some are almost as formidable as the supernaturals. Marcone, Murphy and Hendricks are among the Muggles who nevertheless are smart, savvy, and can hold their own among wizards and other such. Most notably, at the end of ''Literature/WhiteNight'', [[spoiler:John Marcone and a small squad of human mercenaries take on a horde of uber-ghouls with nothing but assault rifles and discipline, and ''more'' than hold their own]], though as of ''Literature/{{Changes}}'', [[spoiler:most if not all of the squad of mercenaries are revealed in to be Einherjar. This would make them a) already dead and b) potentially quasi-immortal thereafter]]. In fact, one of the reasons there's a masquerade going on is because any conflict between generic humans and supernaturals [[MugglesDoItBetter would favour the humans]], if only because of sheer numbers, though nowadays the numbers are supplemented by guns and other nasty weapons.
108* In ''Literature/TheFamiliarOfZero'', people without the ability to use magic (who make up the majority of the population) are labeled as commoners or plebeians and are considered second-class citizens subservient to the [[TheMagocracy magical elite]].
109* Everyone without a power in the ''Literature/{{Gone}}'' series, most notably Zil and the rest of the Human Crew.
110* In ''Literature/TheGrishaTrilogy'', there exists a form of magic called [[SufficientlyAnalyzedMagic "The Small Science"]]. Those born with the ability to practice it are called [[TheBeautifulElite Grisha]], and rather snobbishly refer to those who cannot wield it as ''Otkazat'sya''. It literally means "The Abandoned".
111* The {{Trope Namer|s}} (with a capital M) comes from the British name for non-magical people in the ''Franchise/HarryPotter'' universe ([[SeparatedByACommonLanguage in America]], [[Film/FantasticBeastsAndWhereToFindThem they're called No-Maj's]]). Some notable ones include: The Dursleys, Tom Riddle Sr, Hermione's parents, and Frank Bryce. Muggles in ''Harry Potter'' tend to not play very big roles in the series, and wizards such as the Death Eaters tend to abuse them. ''Film/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince'' contains a memorable scene in which the Muggle Prime Minster (that is, the [[UsefulNotes/TheMenOfDowningStreet Prime Minister]]) meets the Minister for Magic.
112* In ''Literature/TheHeirChronicles'', humans without some form of magic are called "anaweir". Since they are extremely vulnerable to control by magic, they are treated as pawns or kept in the dark throughout the books, until very late in the third, when some of them are finally told about the magical war going on in their town.
113* Muggles are called Bystanders in ''Literature/HereticalEdge'', and they're all affected by the [[WeirdnessCensor Bystander Effect]]. [[spoiler:This isn't humanity's natural state, however, but something that was magically forced on them. If it were to be removed, humanity would return to being a MageSpecies.]]
114* ''Literature/HighSchoolDXD'': [[TheRival Vali]] calls [[TheProtagonist Issei]] out on the fact that the current red dragon-white dragon rivalry was unfair because Vali's from a privileged family by being a descendant of Lucifer, while Issei's family is just random normal human, he then wished that Issei was at least from a family with some background.
115* In ''Literature/TheHollows'', there are no muggles. Magic came out of the closet before the books started, when 4 species weren't affected by a disease that killed 2/3 people on the planet, and scarred the rest. This removed enough humans that revealing magic became a viable option, as the levels were around equal now.
116* The townspeople of Derry in ''Literature/{{IT}}'', whose apathy towards the fact that their town has a Serious Problem allows Pennywise to operate freely.
117* ''Literature/TheLunarChronicles'' deconstructs this trope with the "Shells", Lunars without powers, who are either euthanized or used as slaves. It is explained that while they lack powers, they are immune to Lunar mind-games, which is likely why they are persecuted.
118* Ivy Gamble of ''Literature/MagicForLiars'' is called upon to investigate a magic school since she straddles both the connected (her sister is a mage and a teacher at the school) and the unconnected (Ivy cannot use magic herself, she's an outsider and thus has fewer preconceived notions, and she's a for-real private investigator).
119* ''Literature/NemesisSeries'': Non-powered humans are referred to as "flats" by some villainous supers. The main character calls it the most boring slur she's ever heard.
120* ''Literature/NightWatchSeries'' is a fairly dark take on this trope. Because of their magic abilities, the Others have formed their own societies, with negative results in how they relate to normal humans. The Dark Others have massive LackOfEmpathy, but the Light Others aren't much better. There are many comments about how because they've seen human evil so often, and because of creating their own society, while Light Others are supposed to be protectors of humanity, they have difficulty identifying with the ones they are supposed to be protecting, ''trying'' to improve human life by starting massive social projects but ultimately failing in a spectacular (and bloody) manner. Examples include [[ThoseWackyNazis Nazism]] and [[DirtyCommies Communism]], although it's revealed that two of the Others sabotaged the Communism project in order to avoid a progressive but paranoid world where the Others have already been caught and destroyed. Basically, Muggles have to be kept in misery; otherwise, their WeirdnessCensor will disappear. In one of the latter stories, it's admitted plain and simple that the Others actively hinder the development of humans, else the Others would be exposed and exterminated.
121* ''Literature/OfFireAndStars'': In some countries, like Mynaria, magic is rare, feared and [[BanOnMagic banned]]. Zumorda, though, has magic be ubiquitous and people without it, called ''vakos'', viewed as inferiors whom they treat with contempt.
122* Ordinary humans in ''Literature/{{Pact}}'', who haven't been made aware of the supernatural, qualify as this, being easily manipulated by even the weakest practitioner. In many ways, this is for their own good, as almost every Other in existence has agreed to abide by the Standard of Suleiman bin Daoud, the biblical King Solomon, which prevents them from targeting the unaware without an excuse. Johannes Lillegard, a powerful sorcerer, argues that this protection is ultimately why humanity as a whole is winning against the Others; in the time that it takes Others to lure a hundred people to their deaths, ten thousand more have been born, and because HumansAdvanceSwiftly, they've spread light to many corners of the globe-there are that many fewer shadows for the Others to hide in.
123* Mundanes in ''Literature/TheShadowhunterChronicles''. In ''Literature/TheMortalInstruments'', anyone who has no knowledge of Downworlders or Shadowhunters is a mundane or a "mundie" (Clary is included in this because even though she is a Shadowhunter, she knows nothing about their world), and the term takes on a negative meaning, the Shadowhunters using it with [[FantasticRacism bad connotations]]. In ''Literature/TheInfernalDevices'', it's more friendly, meaning not sacred, ordinary versus divine.
124* ''Literature/TheSisterVerseAndTheTalonsOfRuin'' has the citizens of the fifth sphere, who systematically kill off anybody with unnatural abilities, even at the expense of thousands of civilian casualties.
125* ''Literature/TheTwilightSaga'': A lot of strange things happen around Forks and Phoenix (Vampires, werewolves, vampire's wars ...) and the humans in the book never realize anything is out of the ordinary; at worst they think it's just normal daily murders. None of them get to do anything special or contribute to the plot, not even by accident. To this day if you ask any of them about Bella Swan, they will say something along these lines: "Bella? The daughter of Chief Swan? Nice girl, a little weird, lived here a short time, liked to hang around the Quilletes, made good friends with the weird Cullen kids and married right out of high school to one of them... she was probably pregnant." If they actually remember her at all.
126* In the ''Literature/{{Xanth}}'' books, non-magical... pretty much everything, but mostly humans, are referred to as "Mundanes" (As in from "drear, drear Mundania" {Read: outside of Xanth). Looking around on this page will show you that "Mundane" is quite a common term.
127[[/folder]]
128
129[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
130* ''Series/BabylonFive'''s Psi Corps uses the term "mundane" for the non-telepathic population; its usage varies from slightly offensive to virtually spat out as an insult (generally by Psi Cops). The "mundanes" themselves tend to use the term "normal", and good if not perfect way of divining a telepath's support or antipathy for the Psi Corps is knowing which term they use in conversation with other telepaths. Here is the Psi Corps "ranking" system: psi cops, other members of the corps, telepaths who take pills, "blips" (rogue telepaths), and mundanes. That's right, normal humans rate lower on their scale than traitors. An episode shows the fate of a human who kills a "blip" -- he's ThrownOutTheAirlock in hyperspace.
131* ''Series/{{Bewitched}}'':
132** Neighbor Gladys Kravitz is a type of muggle. She witnesses odd goings-on at the Stephens' house, but her husband doesn't believe her. She typically treats Samantha with coolness and suspicion because she knows there's something off about her but can't figure out what. Though Samantha is friendly to her, she has learned to be careful around the nosy Mrs. Kravitz.
133** Non-witches/wizards in the series in general are called mortals.
134* In ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', pretty much the entire population of Sunnydale aside from the main cast and the bad guys could counted as muggles. People are aware that Sunnydale is a dangerous place but [[SunnydaleSyndrome never seem willing or able to make the leap to accept]] that it's because the town [[WeirdnessMagnet attracts all manner of supernatural beasties]]. Lampshaded in one episode where a football player tells his friend that they could go to state this year "as long as we don't have as many mysterious horrible deaths". However, some later episodes imply that people are halfway aware of Sunnydale's unusual nature, and that [[HoldingOutForAHero Buffy helps keep them safe]], but they [[BystanderSyndrome don't (want to) know any specifics]]. Buffy's graduating high school class probably knows, considering they all fought a giant demon snake and his army of vampires on graduation day.
135* Normal people are often referred to like this in ''Series/DoctorWho''. For example, in [[Recap/DoctorWhoTVMTheTVMovie the 1996 movie]], when a newscast explains away recent strange events occurring because of the Doctor's adventure as "normal" weather events, the Doctor remarks something close to "I love humans, always seeing patterns that aren't there". Of course, a recurring theme in ''Doctor Who'' is that there are no ''real'' muggles. Anyone who's smart or brave can help the world. This is why 90% of the Doctor's companions are otherwise normal people whose meeting and travels with the Time Lord lets them achieve extraordinary things, even after they've parted company. On the whole, there are far less muggles, in the sense of people with no idea what's going on, after the masquerade officially breaks. Now aliens existing is just a fact of life for planet Earth.
136* In ''Series/FreeSpirit1989'', muggles are called "mortals" (as in most pre-''Literature/HarryPotter'' works).
137* In ''Series/{{Grimm}}'', normal humans are known as "Kehrseite" by the Wesen. A Kehrseite who knows the truth about Wesen is known as a "Kehrseite-Schlich-Kennen".
138* In ''Series/HeroCorp'', those without superpowers are called "Civilians". The superheroes are quite dismissive of them, and don't want any in the village for fear they'd discover their secrets. Their bigotry is constantly portrayed as quite silly -- and ironic, considering that for the outside world the villagers would look like a bunch of inbreed morons.
139* In ''Series/{{Heroes}}'', the Bennet family's dog is named Mr. Muggles, likely a reference to this and the fact that, with one exception, the family is normal. Well, [[BadassNormal two exceptions]].
140* In ''Series/MightyMed'', Muggles are referred to as "Normos".
141* ''Series/MotherlandFortSalem'': In the alternate US, witch soldiers have resulted in such an association with the military that non-witches are usually just referred to as civilians. Most seem like normal people, sometimes disdained by witches, though usually left alone. However, some are massacred by the Spree, a [[FantasticTerrorists witch terrorist]] group. On the flip side, a fanatical group among them, the Camarilla, are murderous [[TheWitchHunter witch hunters]] intent on killing all the witches.
142* In ''Series/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch'', as in ''Series/{{Bewitched}}'', mortals play basically the same role as muggles.
143* The Changelings from ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' call all those who cannot shape-shift "solids" and consider them low-value. A "solid" is at best a pawn, and otherwise an enemy to be annihilated.
144* A club of psychics in ''Series/ThatsSoRaven'' use the term "Normies".
145* In ''Series/TheTomorrowPeople1973'', homo sapiens are frequently called "Saps". In Britain, the use of "sap" as an insult is rare, and "homo sapiens" is pronounced "homo ''sap''-iens" rather than "homo ''sape''-iens". In consequence, hardly anyone let in on this secret takes offense at the term.
146* In ''Series/WizardsOfWaverlyPlace'', Justin and Alex had to make plenty of explanations for the people who accidentally witnessed their magical antics.
147[[/folder]]
148
149[[folder:Radio]]
150* ''Radio/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy1978'' mentions the Hagunennons, a "super-evolutionary" species that constantly evolves into different shapes. Hagunennons look down on other species, calling them "Filthy rotten stinking samelings".
151[[/folder]]
152
153[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
154* ''TabletopGame/{{Continuum}}'' has the vast majority of humanity (and pre-human civilisations) made up of Levellers (as opposed to Spanners/Spinners for those with the capacity for TimeTravel). No mention is made in the rulebook about the potential confusion with a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levellers 17th century English political movement]], or a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levellers_(band) late Capricorn-era folk-punk band]], although they do discuss the implications of their own name as used as an insult.
155* ''TabletopGame/TheDresdenFiles'' has the "Pure Mortal" category for characters who absolutely, positively have no supernatural powers. It's not all downside, though -- pure mortals [[BadassNormal can still be highly competent in their various "mundane" skills]] and get a +2 refresh bonus (increasing their supply of [[LuckManipulationMechanic fate points]]) to reflect their extra reserves of human free will.
156* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' has special, low-powered, "NPC classes" for people who are explicitly not heroes; the weakest of these, the Commoner class, can easily be outmatched by a normal housecat. Then again, by the rules, [[KillerRabbit a lot of things can be outmatched by a housecat]] ([[SquishyWizard including 1st level PC wizards]]).
157* "Mundane" is used in ''TabletopGame/GURPSTechnomancer'' as a "mildly impolite" term to refer to people who aren't chimeras and don't have the Magery advantage.
158* ''TabletopGame/InNomine'' uses "mundane" to refer to normal humans that don't possess Symphonic Awareness and thus the ability to consciously use Essence.
159* ''TabletopGame/TrinityUniverseWhiteWolf'':
160** In ''TabletopGame/{{Aberrant}}'', regular humans (those without superpowers) are referred to as "baselines", often in a derogatory fashion by the more arrogant of the superpowered Novas. Those Novas who subscribe to the Nova-supremacist Teragen philosophy prefer to call them "zips," which is ''always'' a {{Fantastic Slur|s}}.
161** In ''TabletopGame/{{Aeon}}'', the sequel to ''Aberrant'', people without psychic powers are known as "neutrals".
162* ''TabletopGame/UnknownArmies'' has all people who aren't in the Occult Underground being this way. Use of Magick, or Avatar powers, in front of them... well, the core rulebook talks about 'waking a sleeping tiger'. Let's just say it's never, never pretty. But then, not much is in UA, so.
163* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'': Psykers are humans with psychic powers that are swiftly hunted down and taken to Holy Terra for indoctrination, with Navigators going blind but developing a ThirdEye that lets them see the Warp. As a result, most of them are as insulting and abrasive towards non-psykers (they "consider us as little more than orks with table manners", to quote Literature/CiaphasCain) as non-psykers are towards people who could at any moment explode into a daemon-vomiting portal to the Warp.
164* ''Franchise/TheWorldOfDarkness'':
165** In ''TabletopGame/MageTheAscension'' and ''TabletopGame/MageTheAwakening'', the Muggles are called "Sleepers", and actually make magic more dangerous when present ''because'' of their normality. The reason ''why'' differs between the two games:
166*** In ''Ascension'', belief defines reality, and Sleepers are the majority. While "coincidental magick" can be passed off as luck or accident, using "vulgar magick" -- magic that obviously defies the consensus definition of "reality" -- causes dangerous Paradox as reality tries to snap back to obeying physics. Meanwhile, in ''Awakening'', when Atlantis fell and the Abyss was formed, [[ExtraStrengthMasquerade Quiescence]] worked its way into the minds of mortals. Unless one is directly confronted with the true nature of the universe, any faint evidence of magic will feed the Lie, and thus the Abyss. And Paradox is how the Abyss enforces the Lie.
167*** In ''Ascension'', the Technocracy calls Sleepers "the Masses". Depending on a given Technocrat's view of why they impose order on the world, it can be paternalistic or contemptuous.
168** ''TabletopGame/ChangelingTheDreaming'' uses a similar concept though the ''Banality'' mechanic. It is apparently not enough to just be a mundane, non-magical muggle in a CrapsackWorld filled with monsters that view you as commodity as best and speed bump at worst, your muggleness itself ensures nothing could ever be done to possibly make things better.
169** In the ''TabletopGame/ChroniclesOfDarkness'' game ''TabletopGame/PrometheanTheCreated'', [[ArtificialHuman Prometheans]] possess a life force that... annoys Muggles. Stay in one place too long, and the Muggles get out the TorchesAndPitchforks, so the Promethean has to hide and move a lot to keep all the normals around him from erupting into riots.
170** Vampires in ''TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade'' and ''TabletopGame/VampireTheRequiem'' tend to refer to mortals as "kine", an archaic word meaning "cattle". ''Masquerade'' vampires sometimes used the phrase "Children of Seth" if they were feeling poetic (in that setting, vampires descended from Caine, humans from Seth). These are ''not'' to be confused with the Followers of Set, a Clan of almost AlwaysChaoticEvil [[ReptilesAreAbhorrent snaky]] vampires.
171** In ''TabletopGame/GeniusTheTransgression'', "mortals" are often the bane of [[MadScientist Geniuses]], as they can cause [[WeirdScience Wonders]] to [[PhlebotinumBreakdown go horribly wrong]] by trying to use or analyze them (in early editions of the game, it could happen simply by "mere mortals" ''looking at them''). For Geniuses, the {{Masquerade}} is enforced by the circumstances of their powers rather than an organisation, since, besides the problems of Havoc, the things they make generally [[NoPlansNoPrototypeNoBackup can't be recreated]] and [[MagicPoweredPseudoscience don't quite run on scientific principles]]. Further, a large-scale revelation of just the mere existence of the Genii would cause widespread Inspiration among regular folks. Since none of the Genius organisations would be able to deal with that number, it would lead to massive amounts of Unmada and Illuminated walking the earth, which would in turn almost certainly mean the end of the human race as a whole.
172** ''TabletopGame/HunterTheReckoning'':
173*** Player characters always start as normal humans. The contrast between Muggle life and the horrifying truth is one of the central themes of the game.
174*** Subverted in the case of the player characters, because they are very, very insistent that they are humans but very, very clearly only mortal in the sense that Mages (who number among their targets) are technically mortal.
175[[/folder]]
176
177[[folder:Video Games]]
178* Humans in ''VideoGame/TheAllianceAlive'' cannot use Sorcery, which places them [[FantasticRacism at the bottom of the social ladder]] below the Sorcery-using Beastfolk and Daemons. All races can use Signimancy, another form of magic, but only if they are holding [[MagicWand a special type of item known as an Etheract]].
179* Normal humans in ''VideoGame/{{Darkstalkers}}'' are called "C-Class Entities". "C-Class" also refers to the slave underclass of Makai.
180* In ''VideoGame/FirstEncounterAssaultRecon'', although Muggles are not an integral part of the plot, and the games themselves make no distinction, they're of note... for this being perhaps the only time their AllOfTheOtherReindeer status works to the hero's advantage. The main character is the member of [[WhoYouGonnaCall a special ops team devoted to response to paranormal incidents]]. He's teamed with a normal special ops squad that don't take this seriously, and thus send him off on a meaningless errand to open the gate, something which it would've made more sense for one of them to handle... because of this, he's not in the area when the killer ghost hiding on the other side of the gate decides to liquefy the entire squad, leaving only charred skeletons. This is then averted with Team Dark Signal in ''Project Origin''. Though they don't know what's going on at first, they very, ''very'' quickly catch on to just how serious the supernatural shit they are dealing with really is, and by the middle of the game they're accepting the presence of psychic phenomenon and undead ghosts.
181* ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'': Muggles are such a part of Weyard's population that in ''VideoGame/GoldenSunDarkDawn'', they are mentioned along with the Adept and master-craftsman [[{{Precursors}} ancestral races]]. However, their ancestral name is also an insult, suggesting the other races were {{Smug Super}}s during the so-called Golden Age of Man.
182* ''VideoGame/TheMatrixPathOfNeo'' has Muggles who either need to be protected on {{Escort Mission}}s, are ignored or get turned into [[{{Mooks}} Agents]].
183* The OSA recording in ''VideoGame/SystemShock2'' uses the term "Mundane" to refer to the non-psi talented.
184* In ''VideoGame/UltimaVIIPartII'', the mages of Moonshade refer to non-mages as "mundanes". As soon as you get a new spellbook, though, they seem to forget they ever called you a mundane.
185[[/folder]]
186
187[[folder:Webcomics]]
188* ''Webcomic/{{Blip}}'' is a series starring a muggle -- the {{Masquerade}} is in full effect, and the protagonist, K, is completely out of the loop. [[SliceOfLife She lives a life that seems completely ordinary]]; but just out of sight, Heaven and Hell keep constant watch over her, and her best friends have to deal with demons and misguided vampire hunters. Her best friends ''are'' a witch, a vampire, and a {{Ridiculously Human Robot|s}}. She just has no idea that they are.
189* In ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', all humans have the potential to learn magic but relatively few actually do. Those who don't have access to any of their own spells are said to be [[http://egscomics.com/comic/2016-05-25 sleeping]]. By contrast those who do have access to their own spells are said to be dreaming or to have awakened depending on the degree of magical attainment.
190* In ''Webcomic/TheInexplicableAdventuresOfBob'', Bob Smithson spent most his life as a Muggle to the nth power and was quite content being such... until [[WeirdnessMagnet his life took a turn for the peculiar]].
191* ''Webcomic/TheKingfisher'' has no truly important human characters. Fortunately for these muggles, they are often seduced and left alive by the vampire characters.
192* ''Webcomic/AMagicalRoommate'' has a fairly even distribution ''and variation'' of muggles, whom the author treats with surprising equality to the magical people. They run the whole gamut, from those who deny magic exists to, recently, one who has plans to open a magic school for muggles because there is no reason not to. That's not counting the difference between nobility and peasantry [[spoiler:or the number of {{Secret Keeper}}s that formed their own little {{Masquerade}} around X]]...
193* In ''Webcomic/{{Morphe}}'', as per the ''TabletopGame/MageTheAwakening'' universe that it is set in, non-magical citizens are known as Sleepers and have the potential to awaken to magic abilities under the correct circumstances.
194* In ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary'', Kevin refers to his allies who don't understand wormwhole physics as "[[http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2005-02-01 mundanes, heathens, muggles]]... [[BreadEggsMilkSquick armed]]" and then insists they accompany him into a science conference anyway.
195* ''Webcomic/SleeplessDomain'' takes place in a world where {{Magical Girl}}s are [[EveryoneIsASuper commonplace]], and typically receive [[SuperEmpowering the Dream]] and awaken their powers [[PubertySuperpower around the age of 13]]. However, despite magical girls making up the majority of the main cast, most girls will never experience the Dream at all. It's also possible for a magical girl to [[DePower burn out]] her powers by [[HeroicRROD pushing herself to the limit]]; one of the main characters does so as part of a FirstEpisodeTwist and afterwards has to readjust to life without her powers.
196* In ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance'', Zoe's family and college friends seem to be this, with no supernatural weirdness in their lives except for what [[WeirdnessMagnet follows Zoe around]]. The subject of Muggledom is used for many laughs during the StoryArc "[[http://sluggy.com/comics/archives/daily/080305 Torg Potter and the Giblets with Fiber]]".
197[[/folder]]
198
199[[folder:Web Originals]]
200* In the ''[[https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/71447764/ Colour Divide]]'' series on Website/{{Scratch}}, those tested to not have any color powers are thrown out of Aurora and left there to be eaten by monsters outside. As revealed in [[https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/97663280/ the second episode]], [[spoiler:people without any color have grouped up and are led by a half-color person]].
201* ''Roleplay/DestroyTheGodmodder'': Allusions are frequently made to the unfortunate inhabitants of whichever world the [[BigBad Godmodder]] (or Descendants) is currently terrorizing. They never do much, and the (extremely) rare events where they appear, they're CListFodder who never manage to do anything other than die and aren't even put into the End of Turn Battle. Supposedly, they are being terrorized off-screen by the various things that didn't ''quite'' make it to the battlefield.
202* In the ''WebAnimation/EpithetErased'' universe, individuals with epithets (the series equivalent of super abilities) are known as "inscribed" while those that do not have an epithet are referred to as "mundies".
203* The students and faculty of ''Toys/MonsterHigh'' refer to ordinary humans as "normies". The term also comes into use for shapeshifting monsters while they're in human form.
204* ''Website/OrionsArm'': Depending on whether you accept ClarkesThirdLaw, all people who have not [[TheSingularity breached the singularity barrier]] can be counted because they are all muggles compared to [[DeusEstMachina the Machine gods]].
205* ''Literature/TheSagaOfTuck'': At one point, Tuck refers to a group of female underclassmen as "Homo Mundanus". Tuck and his (male) friends are extremely contemptuous of most of the people who surround them at school.
206* In the ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse'', those who are not {{mutants}} are 'baselines' (or 'normals'). The baselines have far more creative names for the mutants.
207[[/folder]]
208
209[[folder:Western Animation]]
210* ''Franchise/AvatarTheLastAirbender'':
211** ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' has many characters who can't bend the elements. Even a few main characters, such as Sokka, Suki, Ty Lee, and Mai, fall under this category, [[WorldOfBadass although that certainly doesn't keep them from faring just as well as their bending contemporaries]]. [[spoiler:Ozai and Yakone are [[BroughtDownToNormal forced to become this]] after Avatar Aang takes away their bendings.]]
212** In ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', the Equalists are made up entirely of non-benders who want to rid the world of bending and are expert fighters armed with [[PowerNullifier chi-blocking]] martial arts and advanced technology. There's also Asami Sato, a SpiritedYoungLady who can easily hold her own in a fight.
213* ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'': Aside from heroes, the watchtower has normal humans working there. They are just ordinary people who get beamed up into space every day and spend their time making sure the heroes are free to do their jobs. [[ActionSurvivor Oh, and they'll charge a shapeshifting T-Rex]].
214* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'':
215** Earth ponies seemed to be this at first, as they lack the {{Flight}} and weather control of the [[{{Pegasus}} pegs]] and the magic of the {{unicorn}}s. However, this is subverted in that they do have passive magic that connects them to the earth that allows them to interact with plant and animal life more effectively. In later appearances, they also consistently display an astonishing capacity for physical strength, such as [[PintsizedPowerhouse Maud Pie]] pummeling a house-sized boulder to dust in seconds [[RapidFireFisticuffs with her bare hooves]], or [[CharlesAtlasSuperpower Big Macintosh ripping a house out of its foundations]] and dragging it away ''while hopping''.
216** In ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirls'', Twlight Sparkle visits an AlternateUniverse populated by non-magical human versions of her friends and neighbors in Ponyville. [[spoiler:Ultimately an inversion as, while humanity by nature lacks magic they all possess the capability to use Equestrian magic now that it's been introduced to their world: the vast majority of villains in the series are humans using Equestrian magic for their own ends.]]
217* ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'': Luz is a normal human being from Earth that has no magic abilities, though that doesn't stop her from making herself Eda's new apprentice.
218* ''WesternAnimation/RainbowBrite'': Reoccurring character and slight love interest to the titular character Brian is a normal human boy from Earth.
219* In ''WesternAnimation/UltimateBookOfSpells'', Muggles are called "Morties".
220[[/folder]]
221
222[[folder:Real Life]]
223* UsefulNotes/{{Otherkin}}, otakukin, and similar groups tend to refer to other people as "mundanes". This seems to be falling out of popular usage, though.
224* The term "mundanes" is also used by {{fandom}}s to describe those outside the fantasy and science fiction communities. Fans also use "muggle" in a similar way, particularly ''Literature/HarryPotter'' fans. Similarly, UsefulNotes/{{Whovians}} refer to non-fans as "the Not-We" in reference to the 1982 serial ''Kinda''.
225* Even hackers use the term "Muggle". It has an [[http://catb.org/jargon/html/M/muggle.html entry in The Jargon File]].
226* Non-[[UsefulNotes/SocietyForCreativeAnachronism SCA]] folks are called "mundanes" by members. Mundanes are also the clothes you wear in everyday life. (Same goes for Amtgard and (some) Renaissance Faires)
227* People who do not participate in UsefulNotes/{{Geocaching}} are called Muggles by Geocachers. When a geocache is removed, stolen, damaged, or vandalized by someone who is not a Geocacher, it has been "muggled."
228* In the autistic community, the term "allistic" are used to refer to the dominant/most common brain type, due to the negative implications of calling nonautists "normal", as that would imply there being something wrong with autism in general. Said terms are sometimes used in a [[https://web.archive.org/web/20030222010740/http://www.fysh.org/~zefram/allism/allism_intro.txt joking]] [[https://web.archive.org/web/19990125090339/http://isnt.autistics.org/ fashion]] in order to demonstrate the silliness of much of the pathologization of autism. In more general terms, "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurotypical neurotypical]]" is used to refer to people without any mental condition in general[[note]]so, someone without autism, or depression, or bipolar disorder, or so on[[/note]] because, again, the term "normal" comes with very UnfortunateImplications.
229* Non-military and non-police personnel, also known as "civilians." In UsefulNotes/{{Russia}}, most youth subcultures (UsefulNotes/{{punk}}s, [[HeavyMetal metalheads]], {{goth}}s, {{otaku}}, {{LARP}}ers, etc.) use the term "civilians" (''tsivily'' in UsefulNotes/{{Russian|Language}}) to refer to people outside their subcultures.
230* Many religious groups have a specific term for people from outside their faith -- some derogatory (''heathen'', ''infidel'', ''kaffir''[[note]]That last one has an ''[[DidNotDoTheBloodyResearch especially]]'' loaded history. After hearing Arab slave traders call African pagans that, white people co-opted the term as an anti-black slur. As such, in places like UsefulNotes/SouthAfrica, it's [[http://www.cracked.com/personal-experiences-2134-5-things-i-learned-growing-up-in-neo-nazi-militia.html akin to the N word]].[[/note]]), others more neutral (''gentile'', ''goyim'', ''cowan''), and some that can go either way (''pagan'', ''unbeliever'', ''nonbeliever''). Many have different terms for ex-believers who "became Muggles" by leaving the faith (e.g., ''apostate'') and may treat them more harshly than those who never believed to begin with. Ostracism and even violence are not uncommon among certain faiths.
231** Before Christianity became the dominant religion in Rome, the word "Pagan" ([[GratuitousLatin Latin]]: ''pāgānus'') had a meaning that could be interpreted as either "civilian" or "rural person". The latter "rural person" theory hinges on the idea that most Pagans in Christian Rome lived in the countryside, and the word had a meaning like "hick". The former "civilian" theory hinges on the idea that Christians saw themselves as "Soldiers of Christ" ([[GratuitousLatin Latin]]: ''milites Christi''), and thus borrowed a Roman military term for civilians and used it as a general word for outsiders (not too different from the above-mentioned Russian subcultures).
232** Members of the UsefulNotes/{{neopagan|ism}} community will sometimes call non-members "Muggles," replacing the earlier term "cowan," which has the same meaning. "Mundane" is also used in this context, largely due to the high degree of crossover between neopaganism and the SCA. Some neo-pagan groups also use the term "Profane" (see below) probably because of the very common overlaping between neo-paganism and Western Esotericism.
233* Masons call non-Masons "Profane" (and the term Profane is also commonly used for other Occultist in reference to non-Occultist people). Cowan is also used, but it refers to a non-Mason who pretends to be one.
234* UsefulNotes/{{BDSM}} practitioners refer to non-kinky sex, as well as people who prefer it, as "vanilla" (after the plainest, most common flavor of ice cream).
235* Some {{conspiracy theorist}}s use insults like "sheeple" to refer to nonbelievers.
236* Elizabeth Hurley is on record as referring to people who don't live her sort of glamorous celebrity lifestyle as 'civilians'.
237* The term "normies" can be found in many parts of the internet to refer to sites (or parts of certain social networks) that don't really have their own distinct internet subculture.
238* UsefulNotes/{{Romani}} people (popularly, albeit derogatorily, known as "Gypsies") use several terms in reference to non-Romani, including ''gadjo'' and ''payo''.
239* [[SplitPersonality Plural people (People with DID or OSDD-1b)]] generally use the term "singlet" to refer to people who aren't systems.
240* People who are LGBTQIA+ (or Gender And Sexual Minorities) generally use the term "Cishet" or "Cisgender" to refer to people who are not LGBTQIA+.
241[[/folder]]
242
243----
244->''"[[Podcast/{{Rifftrax}} You see, Harry, when a group of people is different, it helps to come up with a funny-sounding word or 'slur' to describe them.]]"''

Top