What is Orc?
An '''Orc''' is a [[Mythology|mythical]] [[creature]]. In the 20th century, orcs most often refer to the creatures in [[J. R. R. Tolkien]]'s [[Middle-earth]] [[book]]s. Tolkien's orcs are [[human]]-shaped [[creatures]], and [[slave|servitors]] of [[evil]]. The word can probably be traced to [[Orcus]]. This is a different name for [[Pluto (mythology)|Pluto]] or [[Hades]]. [[Pliny the Elder]] writes about orcs in his ''[[Naturalis historia]]''. They are long-[[tooth]]ed [[sea]] [[monster]]s. [[Ludovico Ariosto]] (1474-1533)wrote an [[epic]] ''[[Orlando Furioso]]'': There, the [[virgin]] Angelica is captured by a sea monster called orc. The [[hero]], Rogero, is able to [[free people of color|free]] her as he rode a [[Hippogriff]]. The [[Latin]] name of the [[Killer Whale]], ''Orcinus orca'' is }[[like]]ly to come from that story. There is another creature called ''orc'' in ''Orlando Furioso'': a [[blind]] man-eating [[giant]] who [[abduction|abducts]] [[King]] Norandin of [[Damascus]] and his lover Lucina. This orc cannot be [[vanquish]]ed; only fooled by trickery. There is another Orc that lives in the [[Alps]]. It is a [[demon]] living on [[mountain]] tops. It [[sometime]]s is described as protector of the forest. At other times it is said to be an evil [[spirit]] who brings doom to [[cattle]] and wild [[beast]]s. From the [[early Middle Ages]], the orc was seen as an evil creature, much like other creatures of [[Celtic mythology|Celtic]] origin.{{Fantasy fiction}}{{lit-stub}} [[Category:Fictional races]] [[Category:Middle-earth]]