Shapeshifters

Countless mythology, folklore, and fiction narratives around the world tell of humans, gods, and nymphs who assume the physical appearance of animals or plants with superhuman abilities, usually as a result of magical manipulation. 

The concept of shapeshifting has manifested itself since the Epic of Gilgamesh all the way to current children's literature and popular culture. Shapeshifters are found in many cultures from cave drawings, animal-headed gods in ancient Egyptian religious tradition, and gods and humans morphing into animals or plants in Greek mythology, to Selkies in Faroe Islands legends, skin-walkers in Native American and First Nations legends, humans and canines changing into each other in Chinese stories, and werewolves, fairies, witches, and wizards in European folklore.

Often portrayed as powerful and mysterious, these beings also can seem tragic, restless, forever-longing, and caught between two worlds.