In the urban fantasy novel Ghost Story, Jim Butcher explores the idea of ghosts, reinventing them with multiple tropes and creating three distinct types of ghostly beings: ghosts, wraiths, and lemurs.
Ghosts
Ghosts are traditionally defined as “ the soul of a dead person believed to be an inhabitant of the unseen world or to appear to the living in bodily likeness” (“Ghost”). Butcher’s ghosts do not fit this definition, and Butcher distinguishes ghosts from souls. The ghosts in his story are actually a collection of the dead person’s memories—not the actual person themself (which would be the soul). Butcher plays with the idea of ghosts’ capabilities and restrictions. His ghosts have very limited capabilities when it comes to interacting directly with the mortal world. However, when they interact with inanimate objects and other ghosts, they are restricted by their own imagination. For instance, a ghost can choose how substantial they are and either walk through walls or sit on a seat depending on which they choose to believe will occur.
Wraiths
Wraiths, usually considered a synonym for ghosts, are defined as “the exact likeness of a living person seen usually just before death as an apparition” (“Wraith”). Jim Butcher differentiates wraiths from ghosts. The ghosts are more human-like (both in appearance and actions), while the wraiths are more monstrous. Once a ghost loses or forgets all the memories, they continue existing as wraiths. As wraiths, they no longer resemble the original person. These human-shaped shadows are mindless and feed on ghosts.
Lemurs
Lemurs, as spelled by Butcher, are derived from the word “lemures,” which are “spirits of the unburied dead exorcised from homes in early Roman religious rites” (“Lemures”). Butcher’s lemurs are not created in this traditional definition. Instead, they are ghosts who gave into rage, malice, and general ill-will. Dressed in robes, they are driven by hate, and they also feed on ghosts.
What’s the same?
Butcher does include several tried and true ghost tropes (see “Our Ghosts Are Different”) when it comes to his ghostly creatures. Butcher’s ghosts, wraiths, and lemurs are:
- either friendly or evil
- invisible to the mortal eye (except to those who are spiritually sensitive)
- only active only after sundown and before the sun rises
- unable to enter church grounds
- able to possess humans (with some limitations)
Role and Motivation
The title is Ghost Story, so these three types of ghosts are the major players in the story. They are all motivated by memories in some share or form. They are the protagonists and antagonists and they fight against one another in the invisible dimension of the mortal world.
Now What?
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Sources
- Butcher, Jim. Ghost Story. ROC, 2011. https://bookshop.org/a/84371/9780451464071
- “Ghost.” Merriam-Webster Dictionary. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ghost
- “Lemures.” Merriam-Webster Dictionary. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lemures
- “Our Ghosts Are Different.” TV Tropes. https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/OurGhostsAreDifferent
- “Wraith.” Merriam-Webster Dictionary. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wraith
