Monster. The word comes from monstrum, Latin for “omen,” and its first definition in the dictionary is “an animal or plant of abnormal form or structure.” So while a monster is something unknown or different, it’s also our fear of the unknown and of differentness. This exhibition, which draws on illuminated manuscripts from the Morgan Library & Museum, focuses on monsters of the Middle Ages, dividing them into three categories—terrors, aliens, and wonders—to better investigate the social roles they played. —L.J.