The "Brown Note Being" Trope In Horror, Explained
Imagine a thing so horrible that anyone who laid eyes upon it would suffer physical or psychological harm. A thing that could destroy the bodies and minds of its victims just by being close enough to be picked up by the senses. In horror media, this kind of monster is called the Brown Note Being.
Some horror tropes are pitched by a single author and immediately adopted by countless future voices. Others develop gradually as multiple creators have the same idea. Some, however, have existed for generations and only needed to wait to be given a proper name.
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The Brown Note Being gets its name from the rumored sound that's capable of causing people to lose control of their bowels. That fictional concept has evolved to describe any sort of stimulus that's harmful to those who perceive it. The Brown Note Being is a living thing that does harm to anyone that becomes aware of it. Seeing it could drive the victim mad or cause them physical harm. Sight is the most common vector for their power, but losing one's mind after hearing a creature's voice is also popular. Taste, touch, and smell don't come up as often, probably because they'd be a bit harder to justify. Often, these creatures can be portrayed as so scary that even the audience can't see them, allowing writers to leave the description entirely up to the imagination.
Though the name is fairly new, the concept of a thing that hurts or kills whoever looks at it is all over ancient mythology. The most famous example is likely Medusa and her fellow Gorgons. One look at any of them would turn the poor viewer to stone, even if they saw themselves in the mirror. Greek myth also prophesied doom for any that would look upon the
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