Avunculicide
Encyclopedia
Avunculicide is the act of killing an uncle
. The word can also refer to someone who commits such an act. The term is derived from the Latin
words avunculus meaning "maternal uncle" and caedere meaning "to cut or kill". Edmunds suggests that in mythology
avunculicide is a substitute for parricide
. The killing of a nephew is a nepoticide.
Uncle
An uncle is a type of familial relationship.Uncle may also refer to:* Uncle , by J. P. Martin* U.N.C.L.E., a fictional organization in the TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E....
. The word can also refer to someone who commits such an act. The term is derived from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
words avunculus meaning "maternal uncle" and caedere meaning "to cut or kill". Edmunds suggests that in mythology
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
avunculicide is a substitute for parricide
Parricide
Parricide is defined as:*the act of murdering one's father , mother or other close relative, but usually not children ....
. The killing of a nephew is a nepoticide.
Avunculicide in history
- The founders of Rome, RomulusRomulus- People:* Romulus and Remus, the mythical founders of Rome* Romulus Augustulus, the last Western Roman Emperor* Valerius Romulus , deified son of the Roman emperor Maxentius* Romulus , son of the Western Roman emperor Anthemius...
and RemusRemusRemus is the twin brother of the mythical founder of Rome.Remus may also refer to:* Remus , a fictional planet in Star Trek* Remus , a moon of the asteroid 87 Sylvia...
, accidentally kill their uncle, AmuliusAmuliusIn Roman mythology, Amulius was the brother of Numitor and son of Procas. He was the hostile uncle of Romulus and Remus' mother.-Myth:His brother, Numitor, was the King of Alba Longa. Amulius overthrew him and took the throne. Amulius forced Rhea Silvia, Numitor's daughter, to become a Vestal...
. - In 1385, Bernabò ViscontiBernabo ViscontiBernabò Visconti was an Italian soldier and statesman, who was Lord of Milan.-Life:He was born in Milan, the son of Stefano Visconti and Valentina Doria. From 1346 to 1349 he lived in exile, until he was called back by his uncle Giovanni Visconti...
died after his nephew Gian Galeazzo ViscontiGian Galeazzo ViscontiGian Galeazzo Visconti , son of Galeazzo II Visconti and Bianca of Savoy, was the first Duke of Milan and ruled the late-medieval city just before the dawn of the Renaissance...
had him imprisoned and presumably poisoned. - In 1975, King Faisal of Saudi ArabiaFaisal of Saudi ArabiaFaisal bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud was King of Saudi Arabia from 1964 to 1975. As king, he is credited with rescuing the country's finances and implementing a policy of modernization and reform, while his main foreign policy themes were pan-Islamic Nationalism, anti-Communism, and pro-Palestinian...
was assassinated by his nephew, Faisal bin Musa'id. - In 2001, Crown Prince Dipendra of NepalDipendra of NepalDipendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev was a member of the Nepalese Royal Family, who briefly reigned in coma as King of Nepal from the 1st of June to the 4th of June, 2001...
killed his uncle DhirendraDhirendra of NepalDhirendra Bir Bikram Shah Deva of Nepal was the youngest son of King Mahendra of Nepal, and his first wife, Queen Indra....
during the Nepalese royal massacreNepalese royal massacreThe Nepalese royal massacre occurred on Friday, June 1, 2001, at a house in the grounds of the Narayanhity Royal Palace, then the residence of the Nepalese monarchy, when the heir to the throne, Prince Dipendra killed nine members of his family and himself. However, it hasn't been proven that...
.
In gaming
- In God of War IIIGod of War IIIGod of War III is an action-adventure video game released by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division for the PlayStation 3 in March 2010...
(2010), Kratos brutally murders his uncle Helios by tearing his head off his shoulders. - In Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown WarsGrand Theft Auto: Chinatown WarsGrand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is a video game for Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable, and iOS, developed by Rockstar Leeds in conjunction with Rockstar North. It is the thirteenth game in the Grand Theft Auto series, and the very first for Nintendo DS and iOS.-Gameplay:Chinatown Wars has a...
, Huang avenges his father's death by killing his Uncle Kenny Lee, as he killed his father, and tries to kill him.
In literature
- HamletHamletThe Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
kills his uncle, King ClaudiusKing ClaudiusKing Claudius is a character and the antagonist from William Shakespeare's play Hamlet. He is the brother to King Hamlet, second husband to Gertrude and uncle to Hamlet. He obtained the throne of Denmark by murdering his own brother with poison and then marrying the late king's widow...
. - In Vladimir NabokovVladimir NabokovVladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov was a multilingual Russian novelist and short story writer. Nabokov wrote his first nine novels in Russian, then rose to international prominence as a master English prose stylist...
's 1928 novel King, Queen, KnaveKing, Queen, KnaveKing, Queen, Knave is a novel written by Vladimir Nabokov , while living in Berlin and sojourning at resorts in the Baltic in 1928...
, Franz intends to murder his uncle; the narrator tells us that later on he will be "guilty of worse sins than avunculicide". - In the HellsingHellsingis a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kouta Hirano. It first premiered in Young King Ours in 1997 and ended in September 2008. The individual chapters are collected and published in tankōbon volumes by Shōnen Gahosha. As of March 2009 all chapters have been released in 10 volumes in...
(1997-2008) manga series, Integra kills her uncle, who wanted the Hellsing organization for his own selfish purposes, in self defense after unintentionally reviving the vampire Alucard with blood from a gunshot wound.
Onscreen
- Louis Mazzini commits avunculicide in the 1949 movie, Kind Hearts and CoronetsKind Hearts and CoronetsKind Hearts and Coronets is a 1949 British black comedy feature film. The plot is loosely based on the 1907 novel Israel Rank: The Autobiography of a Criminal by Roy Horniman, with the screenplay written by Robert Hamer and John Dighton and the film directed by Hamer...
- In the 1966 horror movie, Let's Kill UncleLet's Kill UncleLet's Kill Uncle is a 1966 color horror film directed by William Castle about a young boy who is trapped on an island by his uncle who is planning to kill him. His only friend is young girl who tries to help him. It stars Nigel Green, Mary Badham, Pat Cardi and Robert Pickering. It is based on a...
, the evil uncle is to be killed in self-defense.
See also
- AvunculismAvunculismThe avunculate is a feature of some societies whereby men have a special role in relation to their sisters' children.-General:...
- SuicideSuicideSuicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
, the killing of one's self
- Familial killing terms:
- AvunculicideAvunculicideAvunculicide is the act of killing an uncle. The word can also refer to someone who commits such an act. The term is derived from the Latin words avunculus meaning "maternal uncle" and caedere meaning "to cut or kill". Edmunds suggests that in mythology avunculicide is a substitute for parricide...
, the killing of one's uncle - FilicideFilicideFilicide is the deliberate act of a parent killing his or her own son or daughter. The word filicide derives from the Latin words filius meaning "son" or filia meaning daughter and the suffix -cide meaning to kill, murder, or cause death...
, the killing of one's child - FratricideFratricideFratricide is the act of a person killing his or her brother....
, the killing of one's brother - MariticideMariticideMariticide literally means the murder of one's married partner, but has become most associated with the murder of a husband by his wife, as the reverse is given the name uxoricide.In England the punishment until 1790 was to be strangled and burnt at the stake.-Historical:* Laodice I allegedly...
, the killing of one's husband - MatricideMatricideMatricide is the act of killing one's mother. As for any type of killing, motives can vary significantly.- Known or suspected matricides :* Amastris, queen of Heraclea, was drowned by her two sons in 284 BC....
, the killing of one's mother - Nepoticide, the killing of one's nephew
- ParricideParricideParricide is defined as:*the act of murdering one's father , mother or other close relative, but usually not children ....
, the killing of one's parents or another close relative - PatricidePatricidePatricide is the act of killing one's father, or a person who kills his or her father. The word patricide derives from the Latin word pater and the Latin suffix -cida...
, the killing of one's father - ProlicideProlicideProlicide is the act of killing one's own offspring. It may refer to* Filicide* Feticide-See also:* Child murder* Infanticide* Suicide, the killing of one's self* Avunculicide, the killing of one's uncle* Fratricide, the killing of one's brother...
, is the killing of one's offspring - SororicideSororicideSororicide is the act of killing one's own sister.There are a number of examples of sororicide and fratricide in adolescents, even pre-adolescents, where sibling rivalry and resulting physical aggression can get out of hand and lead to the death of one of them, particularly...
, the killing of one's sister - UxoricideUxoricideUxoricide is murder of one's wife. It can refer to the act itself or the man who carries it out.- Known or suspected uxoricides:...
, the killing of one's wife
- Avunculicide
- Non-familial killing terms from the same root:
- DeicideDeicideDeicide is the killing of a god. The term deicide was coined in the 17th century from medieval Latin *deicidium, from de-us "god" and -cidium "cutting, killing")...
is the killing of a god - GenocideGenocideGenocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
is the killing of a large group of people, usually a specific and entire ethnic, racial, religious or national group - HomicideHomicideHomicide refers to the act of a human killing another human. Murder, for example, is a type of homicide. It can also describe a person who has committed such an act, though this use is rare in modern English...
is the killing of any human - InfanticideInfanticideInfanticide or infant homicide is the killing of a human infant. Neonaticide, a killing within 24 hours of a baby's birth, is most commonly done by the mother.In many past societies, certain forms of infanticide were considered permissible...
, the killing of an infant from birth to 12 months - RegicideRegicideThe broad definition of regicide is the deliberate killing of a monarch, or the person responsible for the killing of a monarch. In a narrower sense, in the British tradition, it refers to the judicial execution of a king after a trial...
is the killing of a monarch (king or ruler) - TyrannicideTyrannicideTyrannicide literally means the killing of a tyrant, or one who has committed the act. Typically, the term is taken to mean the killing or assassination of tyrants for the common good. The term "tyrannicide" does not apply to tyrants killed in battle or killed by an enemy in an armed conflict...
is the killing of a tyrant
- Deicide