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Pointy ears

From EverybodyWiki Bios & Wiki


File:Southern Bush Pig.jpg
A southern bushpig
File:Elvish-archer.svg
An anime-style elven archer with pointed ears

Pointy ears or pointed ears are a characteristic of many animals, a genetic condition in humans, as well as a cliché in popular culture, particularly in the fantasy and science fiction genres. They are commonly known as elf ears.[1][2][3]

In animals

"Pointy ears" is a characteristic of some animals. Some examples are the cat, vampire bats,[4] civets and genets of the viverridae family,[5] red pandas,[6] and African bush pigs.[7]

In humans

One of the characteristics of the Williams syndrome has been described as "pointed ears".[8][9] Some cases of pointed ears may be due to trauma to ears during labor, and the ear crease may unfold with time.[citation needed]
The pointed ear(s) in Stahl's ear is caused by misshapen cartilage. It is characterized by an extra horizontal fold of cartilage (crus). Normally, there are two: superior and inferior. In Stahl's ear, there is a third horizontal crus. The helix (or upper portion of the ear) may uncurl, giving the ear a pointed shape.[10]

Author Holly Black and others have worn latex pointy ears in public and some people modify their ears surgically.[1][2][3]

In folklore and fiction

Pointy ears have been a characteristic of many creatures in folklore, such as the French croquemitaine, the Brazilian curupira,[11] and the Japanese earth spider.[12] Pointy or pointed ears have been a feature of characters on art dating back at least to the times of Ancient Greece[13] and medieval Europe.[14]

Pointy ears are a common characteristic of many creatures in the fantasy genre[15][16]: Script error: The function "hyphen2dash" does not exist., [180]  such as elves,[17][18][19][16]: Script error: The function "hyphen2dash" does not exist., [180]  faeries,[20][21] pixies,[22] hobbits,[23] and orcs,[24] among others. They are also a characteristic of creatures from the horror genre, such as vampires.[25][26]

This characteristic has been adopted into the Japanese anime and manga art style, where pointy ears are also a common trope of fantasy characters.[27][28] Manga and anime elves in particular are distinguished by very prominently displayed pointed ears, often drawn larger and more distinctly visible, as well as more angled, than in the Western works.[18][29]

Pointy ears have become associated with elves in Victorian literature of the 19th century.[19] Popularization of the pointed ears as an attribute of elves has been attributed to the works of J. R. R. Tolkien and their more recent big screen interpretation, although the status of elvish ears as canon is not universally accepted by the Tolkien fandom.[17][30][31][32]

Pointy ears are often found in humanoids as well, such as among the Vulcan and Romulan races of the Star Trek universe,[33][34] or the Nightcrawler character from the X-Men universe.[35] The Hylian and Gerudo races in the The Legend of Zelda universe have pointed ears always and sometimes respectively.[36]

Pointy ears have been described as a simple and cheap visual cue indicating that a fictional character is not human (a trope of "otherness").[37][38]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Stover, Laren (2017-08-21). "Another Variation on the Selfie: Get Ready for the Elfie". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-09-19.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "What it's really like getting 'elf ears' like Grimes wants". New York Post. 2022-09-13. Retrieved 2022-09-19.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Grimes fans are convinced she has had elf ear surgery after latest photo". The Independent. 2022-09-18. Retrieved 2022-09-19.
  4. ↑ Pamela J. Gerholdt (1996). Vampire Bats. ABDO. p. 12. ISBN 978-1-56239-505-6. Search this book on
  5. ↑ Joseph F. Merritt (4 February 2010). The Biology of Small Mammals. JHU Press. pp. 128–129. ISBN 978-0-8018-7950-0. Search this book on
  6. ↑ Concise Encyclopedia Biology. Walter de Gruyter. 1 January 1996. p. 1015. ISBN 978-3-11-088956-7. Search this book on
  7. ↑ Concise Encyclopedia Biology. Walter de Gruyter. 1 January 1996. p. 22. ISBN 978-3-11-088956-7. Search this book on
  8. ↑ Mark H. Johnson; Yuko Munakata; Rick O. Gilmore (15 April 2008). Brain Development and Cognition: A Reader. John Wiley & Sons. p. 384. ISBN 978-0-470-75202-9. Search this book on
  9. ↑ Scientific American (1 January 2008). What Makes a Genius?. The Rosen Publishing Group. p. 37. ISBN 978-1-4042-1401-9. Search this book on
  10. ↑ "Stahl's Ear". chop.edu. The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. 30 July 2014. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  11. ↑ Theresa Bane (4 September 2013). Encyclopedia of Fairies in World Folklore and Mythology. McFarland. p. 91. ISBN 978-0-7864-7111-9. Search this book on
  12. ↑ Laurence Bush (5 October 2001). Asian Horror Encyclopedia: Asian Horror Culture in Literature, Manga, and Folklore. iUniverse. p. 43. ISBN 978-1-4697-1503-2. Search this book on
  13. ↑ Johann Joachim Winckelmann (1850). The History of Ancient Art Among the Greeks. Chapman. p. 80. Search this book on
  14. ↑ Alixe Bovey (2002). Monsters and Grotesques in Medieval Manuscripts. University of Toronto Press. p. 38. ISBN 978-0-8020-8512-2. Search this book on
  15. ↑ J. Peffer (25 October 2012). DragonArt Collector's Edition: Your Ultimate Guide to Drawing Fantasy Art. IMPACT. p. 28. ISBN 978-1-4403-2417-8. Search this book on
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Alberto, Maria K.; Gonzales, Yvonne (2025-09-25), "(Voiceover) Imagine a World…", The Routledge Handbook of Fan Video and Digital Authorship (1 ed.), New York: Routledge, pp. 170–182, doi:10.4324/9781032717401-15&type=chapterpdf, ISBN 978-1-032-71740-1, retrieved 2026-07-10
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Michael J. Tresca (16 November 2010). The Evolution of Fantasy Role-Playing Games. McFarland. p. 34. ISBN 978-0-7864-6009-0. Search this book on
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 David Okum (21 April 2006). Manga Fantasy Madness: Over 50 Basic Lessons for Drawing Warriors, Wizards, Monsters and more. IMPACT. p. 31. ISBN 1-60061-381-0. Search this book on
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Sirona Knight (7 June 2005). The Complete Idiot's Guide to Elves and Fairies. DK Publishing. p. 171. ISBN 978-1-4406-9638-1. Search this book on
  20. ↑ John Michael Greer (1 September 2011). Monsters. Llewellyn Worldwide. p. 107. ISBN 978-0-7387-1600-8. Search this book on
  21. ↑ Christopher Hart (2008). Astonishing Fantasy Worlds: The Ultimate Guide to Drawing Adventure Fantasy Art. Watson-Guptill Publications. p. 103. ISBN 978-0-8230-1472-9. Search this book on
  22. ↑ John Hamilton (1 August 2011). Elves and Fairies. ABDO. p. 23. ISBN 978-1-60453-215-9. Search this book on
  23. ↑ Misha Kavka; Jenny Lawn; Mary Paul (2006). Gothic Nz: The Darker Side of Kiwi Culture. Otago University Press. p. 111. ISBN 978-1-877372-23-0. Search this book on
  24. ↑ Lisa Hopkins (1 January 2010). Screening the Gothic. University of Texas Press. p. 202. ISBN 978-0-292-77959-4. Search this book on
  25. ↑ Noah William Isenberg (13 August 2013). Weimar Cinema: An Essential Guide to Classic Films of the Era. Columbia University Press. pp. 96–. ISBN 978-0-231-50385-3. Search this book on
  26. ↑ Ken Gelder (2000). The Horror Reader. Psychology Press. p. 27. ISBN 978-0-415-21356-1. Search this book on
  27. ↑ Ikari Studio (28 March 2007). The Monster Book of More Manga. HarperCollins. p. 19. ISBN 978-0-06-115169-9. Search this book on
  28. ↑ Anna Southgate; Keith Sparrow (August 2011). Drawing Manga Expressions and Poses. The Rosen Publishing Group. p. 17. ISBN 978-1-4488-4800-3. Search this book on
  29. ↑ David Okum (15 March 2005). Manga Monster Madness. IMPACT. p. 34. ISBN 1-60061-387-X. Search this book on [permanent dead link]
  30. ↑ Martinez, Michael (2011-09-21). "Do Tolkien's Elves Have Pointy Ears? | Middle-earth & J.R.R. Tolkien Blog by Michael Martinez". Middle-earth.xenite.org. Retrieved 2014-04-18.
  31. ↑ F.A.Q. "F.A.Q." The Tolkien Society. Retrieved 2014-04-18.
  32. ↑ Janice M. Bogstad; Philip E. Kaveny (9 August 2011). Picturing Tolkien: Essays on Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings Film Trilogy. McFarland. p. 86. ISBN 978-0-7864-8473-7. Search this book on
  33. ↑ Henry Jenkins III; Tara McPherson; Jane Shattuc (2 January 2003). Hop on Pop: The Politics and Pleasures of Popular Culture. Duke University Press. p. 119. ISBN 0-8223-8350-0. Search this book on
  34. ↑ Misiroglu, Gina (2015-03-26). American Countercultures: An Encyclopedia of Nonconformists, Alternative Lifestyles, and Radical Ideas in U.S. History: An Encyclopedia of Nonconformists, Alternative Lifestyles, and Radical Ideas in U.S. History. Routledge. p. 719. ISBN 978-1-317-47729-7. Search this book on
  35. ↑ William Irwin; Rebecca Housel; J. Jeremy Wisnewski (18 May 2009). X-Men and Philosophy: Astonishing Insight and Uncanny Argument in the Mutant X-Verse. John Wiley & Sons. p. 189. ISBN 978-0-470-73036-2. Search this book on
  36. ↑ Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development (November 21, 1991). The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Nintendo. A Link to the Past manual, pg. 4: It was also said that their long, pointed ears enabled them to hear special messages from the gods. Search this book on
  37. ↑ Ferreira, Becky (2025-09-30). First Contact: The Story of Our Obsession with Aliens. Workman Publishing Company. p. 65. ISBN 978-1-5235-2777-9. Search this book on
  38. ↑ Coste, Didier; Kkona, Christina; Pireddu, Nicoletta (2021-11-29). Migrating Minds: Theories and Practices of Cultural Cosmopolitanism. Taylor & Francis. p. 144. ISBN 978-1-000-48803-6. Search this book on

External links


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