Petrifaction, as definied as turning people to stone, is also a common theme in folklore

Folklore

Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...

 and 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...

, as well as in some works of modern fiction

Fiction

Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...

.

Historical

Petrification is associated with the legend

Legend

A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...

s of Medusa the Gorgon

Gorgon

In Greek mythology, the Gorgon was a terrifying female creature. The name derives from the Greek word gorgós, which means "dreadful." While descriptions of Gorgons vary across Greek literature, the term commonly refers to any of three sisters who had hair of living, venomous snakes, and a...

, the basilisk

Basilisk

In European bestiaries and legends, a basilisk is a legendary reptile reputed to be king of serpents and said to have the power to cause death with a single glance...

, the Svartálfar

Svartálfar

In Norse mythology, svartálfar are beings who dwell in Svartálfaheimr . Both the svartálfar and Svartálfaheimr are solely attested in the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson...

 and the cockatrice

Cockatrice

A cockatrice is a legendary creature, essentially a two-legged dragon with a rooster's head. "An ornament in the drama and poetry of the Elizabethans", Laurence Breiner described it...

, among others. In fairy tale

Fairy tale

A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...

s, characters who fail in a quest may be turned to stone until they are rescued by the successful hero, as in the tales such as The Giant Who Had No Heart in His Body

The Giant Who Had No Heart in His Body

The Giant Who Had No Heart in His Body is a Norwegian fairy tale collected by Asbjørnsen and Moe.George MacDonald retold it as "The Giant's Heart" in Adela Cathcart...

, The Water of Life

The Water of Life (Spanish fairy tale)

The Water of Life is a Catalan fairy tale collected by D. Francisco de S. Maspous y Labros, in Cuentos Populars Catalans. Andrew Lang included it in The Pink Fairy Book.-Synopsis:...

 and The Dancing Water, the Singing Apple, and the Speaking Bird

The Dancing Water, the Singing Apple, and the Speaking Bird

The Dancing Water, the Singing Apple, and the Speaking Bird is an Italian fairy tale collected by Thomas Frederick Crane in Italian Popular Tales...

.

In Cornish

Cornwall

Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...

 folklore, petrifaction stories are used to explain the origin of prehistoric megalith

Megalith

A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. Megalithic describes structures made of such large stones, utilizing an interlocking system without the use of mortar or cement.The word 'megalith' comes from the Ancient...

ic monuments such as stone circle

Stone circle

A stone circle is a monument of standing stones arranged in a circle. Such monuments have been constructed across the world throughout history for many different reasons....

s and monolith

Monolith

A monolith is a geological feature such as a mountain, consisting of a single massive stone or rock, or a single piece of rock placed as, or within, a monument...

s, including The Merry Maidens

The Merry Maidens

The Merry Maidens , also known as Dawn's Men is a late neolithic stone circle located 2 miles to the south of the village of St Buryan, in Cornwall, United Kingdom....

 stone circle, The Nine Maidens of Boskednan

Boskednan stone circle

Boskednan stone circle is a partially restored prehistoric stone circle near Boskednan, around 4 miles northeast of the town of Penzance in Cornwall, United Kingdom...

, the Tregeseal Dancing Stones

Tregeseal East stone circle

Tregeseal East is a heavily restored prehistoric stone circle around one mile northeast of the town of St Just in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The nineteen granite stones are also known as The Dancing Stones...

), and The Hurlers

The Hurlers (stone circles)

The Hurlers are a group of three stone circles in Cornwall, England, UK. The site is half-a-mile west of the village of Minions on the eastern flank of Bodmin Moor, and approximately four miles north of Liskeard at .-Location:The Hurlers are in the Caradon district north of Liskeard in the...

. Supposedly petrified Cardiff Giant

Cardiff Giant

The Cardiff Giant was one of the most famous hoaxes in United States history. It was a tall purported "petrified man" uncovered on October 16, 1869 by workers digging a well behind the barn of William C. "Stub" Newell in Cardiff, New York. Both it and an unauthorized copy made by P.T...

 was one the most famous hoaxes in American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 history.

Modern fiction

Petrifaction magic is a major plot element in the animated series Gargoyles

Gargoyles (TV series)

Gargoyles is an American animated series created by Greg Weisman. It was produced by Greg Weisman and Frank Paur and aired from October 24, 1994 to February 15, 1997. Gargoyles is known for its dark tone, complex story arcs and melodrama...

and the novels The Magician's Nephew

The Magician's Nephew

The Magician's Nephew is a fantasy novel for children written by C. S. Lewis. It was the sixth book published in his The Chronicles of Narnia series, but is the first in the chronology of the Narnia novels' fictional universe. Thus it is an early example of a prequel.The novel is initially set in...

and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is the second novel in the Harry Potter series written by J. K. Rowling. The plot follows Harry's second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, during which a series of messages on the walls on the school's corridors warn that the "Chamber of...

(in which however the characters are not actually turned to stone; they are just put into a cold, lifeless, paralysed, dead-like state), as well as the video game The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, known as in Japan, is the twelfth game in The Legend of Zelda of video games, developed by Capcom, with Nintendo overseeing the development process. It was released for the Game Boy Advance in 2004 in Japan and Europe and 2005 in North America and Australia...

and in the manga Negima!.

It is also prominently featured in the novel The Patchwork Girl of Oz

The Patchwork Girl of Oz

The Patchwork Girl of Oz by L. Frank Baum, is a children's novel, the seventh set in the Land of Oz. Characters include the Woozy, Ojo "the Unlucky", Unc Nunkie, Dr. Pipt, Scraps , and others. The book was first published on July 1, 1913, with illustrations by John R. Neill...

(Dr. Pipt's Liquid of Petrifaction), the manga and anime series Naruto

Naruto

is an ongoing Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. The plot tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, an adolescent ninja who constantly searches for recognition and aspires to become the Hokage, the ninja in his village who is acknowledged as the leader and the strongest of...

(Senjutsu) and My-Otome

My-Otome

is an anime series created by Sunrise. Directed by Masakazu Obara and written by Hiroyuki Yoshino, it is a spinoff of My-HiME anime series and as such My-Otome takes place in a new setting with new main characters....

, the TV series Seijuu Sentai Gingaman

Seijuu Sentai Gingaman

is a Japanese tokusatsu television series. It is Toei's 22nd entry of the Super Sentai television series. The series aired from February 22, 1998 to February 14, 1999 airing alongside Tetsuwan Tantei Robotack...

, Masters of the Universe

Masters of the Universe

Masters of the Universe is a media franchise created by Mattel....

(Snake Men) and Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders

Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders

Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders is a 1995 children's fantasy animated television series inspired by the Arthurian myths, produced by Bohbot Productions with association with Hong Ying Animation and internationally syndicated by Bohbot Entertainment.The series had two...

, the video games Elite Beat Agents

Elite Beat Agents

Elite Beat Agents is a music video game developed by iNiS and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. It was first released in North America, and has since been released in Europe and South Korea . It is the spiritual sequel to Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan, a Japanese rhythm game...

and Drakan: Order of the Flame

Drakan: Order of the Flame

Drakan: Order of the Flame is an action-adventure computer game developed by Surreal Software and published by Psygnosis in 1999. The game follows Rynn, a young woman with extraordinary martial skills, and an ancient dragon Arokh on their quest to free Rynn's younger brother from the evil sorcerer...

, and in the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...

(the arcane spell Flesh to Stone), Roper Klacks from the Longest Journey

The Longest Journey

The Longest Journey is a point-and-click adventure game developed by Norwegian studio Funcom for the PC. First published by IQ Media Nordic in Norway in 1999, it was later localized for and released in France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Canada, Spain, Denmark,...

, among many others.

External links

• Petrification at TV Tropes
  TV Tropes
  TV Tropes is a wiki which collects and expands on various conventions and devices found within creative works. Since its establishment in 2004, the site has gone from covering only television and film tropes to also covering those in a number of other media such as literature, comics, video-games,...