[male immortals from Luggnag] · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: [male immortals from Luggnag]
Subject: Immortality; Immortality in literature; satire; fictional works; Fictitious characters; imaginary places; imaginary creatures
Period: 1800-1850;
Description: A diplomat from Luggnag explains the reality of the immortals to Gulliver. He says that they act like mortals until about the age of thirty, and then become very melancholy until about eighty years old. At this time, they recon themselves with the reality of never dying. The diplomat also says that the immortals often become opinionative, peevish, morose, vain, covetous, talkative, and incapable of friendship. Furthermore, they lose all ability for affection, even for their descendants. Their primary characteristics become impotent desires and envy. They cannot experience pleasure, and when they attend a funeral, they find themselves envious of others who could die. Their memories also begin to fade. In this image we see a group of these immortal men looking angry and discontent. They are identified by the large spot on their forehead above their left eyebrow. The same image appears in the 1839 Krabbe edition.
Image Creator: Grandville (Illustrator)
Type: StillImage; Vignettes
Identifier: mta:21771
Language: ger
Source Name: Gulliver's Reisen in unbekannte Länder
Parent Collection: Gulliver's Reisen in unbekannte Länder Vol. II. Vignettes by Grandville (1843)
Image: mta_21771_OBJ.png