Pointy ears have been a characteristic of many creatures in
folklore, such as the French
croquemitaine, the Brazilian
curupira, and the Japanese
earth spider. Pointy or pointed ears have been a feature of characters on art dating back at least to the times of
Ancient Greece and
medieval Europe. Pointy ears are a common characteristic of many creatures in the
fantasy genre such as
elves,
pixies,
hobbits, and
orcs, among others. They are also a characteristic of creatures from the
horror genre, such as
vampires. This characteristic has been adopted into the Japanese
anime and
manga art style, where pointy ears are also a common trope of fantasy characters. Manga and anime elves in particular are distinguished by very prominently displayed pointed ears, often drawn larger and more distinctly visible, as well as more angled, than in the Western works. Pointy ears have become associated with elves in
Victorian literature of the 19th century. Popularization of the pointed ears as an attribute of elves has been attributed to the works of
J. R. R. Tolkien and their more recent big screen interpretation, although the status of elvish ears as
canon is not universally accepted by the
Tolkien fandom. Pointy ears are often found in the
science fiction genre, as well, such as among the
Vulcan and
Romulan races of the
Star Trek universe, or the
Nightcrawler character from the
X-Men universe. ==See also==