tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83702531072722679292024-03-08T15:07:43.394-08:00DraGonZZ WELCOME TO THE DRAGON HAVENBe@$Tahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17411774385008177715noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8370253107272267929.post-2207019698941362572007-07-16T06:58:00.000-07:002007-07-16T07:02:59.700-07:00Egyptian mythologyAncient Egyptian religion encompasses the beliefs and rituals of Ancient Egypt. It was followed in Egypt for over three thousand years until the establishment of Coptic Christianity and Islam.<br />Contents<br />[hide]<br /><br /> * 1 Gods<br /> * 2 Death<br /> * 3 The monotheistic period<br /> * 4 Temples<br /> * 5 See also<br /> * 6 References<br /> * 7 Further reading<br /> * 8 External links<br /><br />[edit] Gods<br /><br /> Further information: List of Egyptian gods<br /><br />Egyptian goddess Isis, tomb painting, ca. 1360 BC.<br />Egyptian goddess Isis, tomb painting, ca. 1360 BC.<br />A stele depicting two triads of gods<br />A stele depicting two triads of gods<br /><br />Early beliefs can be split into 5 distinct localized groups:<br /><br /> * the Ennead of Heliopolis, where the chief god was Atum or Atum-Ra<br /> * the Ogdoad of Hermopolis, where the chief god was Thoth<br /> * the Chnum-Satet-Anuket triad of Elephantine, where the chief god was Chnum<br /> * the Amun-Mut-Chons triad of Thebes, where the chief god was Amun<br /> * the Ptah-Sekhmet-Nefertem triad of Memphis, unusual in that the gods were unconnected before the triad was formalized, where the chief god was Ptah.<br /><br />Throughout the vast and complex history of Egypt, the dominant beliefs of the ancient Egyptians merged and developed as leaders of different groups gained power. This process continued even after the end of the ancient Egyptian civilization as we know it today. As an example, during the New Kingdom Ra and Amun became Amun-Ra. This "merging" into a single god is typically referred to as syncretism. Syncretism should be distinguished from mere groupings, also referred to as "families" such as Amun, Mut and Khonsu, where no "merging" takes place. Over time, deities took part in multiple syncretic relationships, for instance, the combination of Ra and Horus into Ra-Herakty. However, even when taking part in such a syncretic relationship, the original deities did not become completely "absorbed" into the combined deity, although the individuality of the one was often greatly weakened. Also, these syncretic relationships sometimes involved more than just two deities, for instance, Ptah, Seker and Osiris, becoming Ptah-Seker-Osiris. The goddesses followed a similar pattern. Also important to keep in mind is that sometimes the attributes of one deity got closely associated with another, without any "formal" syncretism taking place. For instance, the loose association of Hathor with Isis. Khnum was the god with the ram's head.<br /><br />An interesting aspect of ancient Egyptian religion is that deities sometimes played different conflicting roles. As an example, the lioness Sekhmet being sent out by Ra to devour the humans for having rebelled against him, but later on becoming a fierce protectress of the kingdom, life in general and the sick. Even more complex is the roles of Set. Judging the mythology of Set from a modern perspective, especially the mythology surrounding Set's relationship with Osiris, it is easy to cast Set as the arch villain and source of evil. This is wrong, however, as Set was earlier playing the role of destroyer of Apep, in the service of Ra on his barge, and thus serving to uphold Ma'at (Truth, Justice and Harmony).<br /><br />The Egyptians believed that in the beginning, the universe was filled with the dark waters of chaos. The first god, Re-Atum, appeared from the water as the land of Egypt appears every year out of the flood waters of the Nile. Re-Atum spat and out of the spittle came out the gods Shu (air) and Tefnut (moisture). The world was created when Shu and Tefnut gave birth to two children: Nut (sky) and Geb (the Earth). Humans were created when Shu and Tefnut went wandering in the dark wastes and got lost. Re-Atum sent his eye to find them. On reuniting, his tears of joy turned into people.<br /><br />Geb and Nut copulated, and upon Shu's learning of his children's fornication, he separated the two, effectively becoming the air between the sky and ground. He also decreed that the pregnant Nut should not give birth any day of the year. Nut pleaded with Thoth, who on her behalf gambled with the moon-god Yah and won five more days to be added onto the then 360-day year. Nut had one child on each of these days: Osiris, Isis, Set, Nephthys, and Horus-the-Elder.<br /><br />Osiris, by different accounts, was either the son of Re-Atum or Geb, and king of Egypt. His brother Set represented evil in the universe. He murdered Osiris and himself became the king. After killing Osiris, Set tore his body into pieces, but Isis rescued most of the pieces for burial beneath the temple. Set made himself king but was challenged by Osiris's son - Horus. Set lost and was sent to the desert. He became the God of terrible storms. Osiris was mummified by Anubis and became God of the dead. Horus became the King and from him descended the Pharaohs.<br /><br />Another version is when Set made a chest that only Osiris could fit into. He then invited Osiris to a feast. Set made a bet that no one could fit into the chest. Osiris was the last one to step into the chest, but before he did Set asked if he could hold Osiris's crown. Osiris agreed and stepped into the chest. As he lay down, Set slammed the lid shut and put the crown on his head. He then set the chest afloat on the Nile. Isis did not know of her husband's death until the wind told her. She then placed her son in a safe place and cast a spell so no one could find him. When she searched for her husband, a child told her a chest had washed up on the bank and a tree had grown up. The tree was so straight the king had used it for the central pillar. Isis went and asked for her husband's body and it was given to her. The god of the underworld told her that Osiris would be a king, but only in the underworld.<br /><br />Another interesting note to be made is that the ancient Greeks believed that their gods and goddesses were the origins of the Egyptian deities. According to ancient Greek Mythology, during the period of time when the titan Typhon was free to roam the earth, all of the Greek gods except for Hermes and Zeus fled from Greece and to Egypt. While in Egypt many of the gods took on the shape or form of animals as a means to hide themselves from the wrath of Typhon. Thus the Egyptian deities were born.<br /><br />[edit] Death<br /><br />Egypt had a highly developed view of the afterlife with elaborate rituals for preparing the body and soul for a peaceful life after death. Beliefs about the soul and afterlife focused heavily on preservation of the body. This was because they believed that the vitality or double, the ka, was still associated with the body after death and it was necessary for the ka to be reunited with the ba, the spirit or soul to form the akh. This meant that embalming and mummification were practised, in order to preserve the individual's identity in the afterlife. Originally the dead were buried in reed caskets in the searing hot sand, which caused the remains to dry quickly, preventing decomposition, and were subsequently buried. Later, they started constructing wooden tombs, and the extensive process of mummification was developed by the Egyptians around the 4th Dynasty. All soft tissues were removed, and the cavities washed and packed with natron, then the exterior body was buried in natron as well. Since it was a stoneable offense to harm the body of the Pharaoh, even after death, the person who made the cut in the abdomen with a rock knife was ceremonially chased away and had rocks thrown at him.<br /><br />After coming out of the natron, the bodies were coated inside and out with resin to preserve them, then wrapped with linen bandages, embedded with religious amulets and talismans. In the case of royalty, this was usually then placed inside a series of nested coffins, the outermost of which was a stone sarcophagus. The intestines, lungs, liver and the stomach were preserved separately and stored in canopic jars protected by the Four sons of Horus. Other creatures were also mummified, sometimes thought to be pets of Egyptian families, but more frequently or more likely they were the representations of the gods. The ibis, crocodile, cats, Nile perch and baboon can be found in perfect mummified forms. They left the heart in place because it was thought to be the home of the soul.<br /><br />The Book of the Dead was a series of almost two hundred spells represented as sectional texts, songs and pictures written on papyrus, individually customized for the deceased, which were buried along with the dead in order to ease their passage into the underworld. In some tombs, the Book of the Dead has also been found painted on the walls, although the practice of painting on the tomb walls appears to predate the formalization of the Book of the Dead as a bound text. One of the best examples of the Book of the Dead is The Papyrus of Ani, created around 1240 BC, which, in addition to the texts themselves, also contains many pictures of Ani and his wife on their journey through the land of the dead. After a person dies their soul is led into a hall of judgment in Duat by Anubis (god of mummification) and the deceased's heart, which was the record of the morality of the owner, is weighed against a single feather representing Ma'at (the concept of truth, and order). If the outcome is favorable, the deceased is taken to Osiris, god of the afterlife, in Aaru, but the demon Ammit (Eater of Hearts) – part crocodile, part lion, and part hippopotamus – destroys those hearts whom the verdict is against, leaving the owner to remain in Duat. [1]. A heart that weighed less than the feather was considered a pure heart, not weighed down by the guilt or sins of one's actions in life, resulting in a favorable verdict; a heart heavy with guilt and sin from one's life weighed more than the feather, and so the heart would be eaten by Ammit. An individual without a heart in the afterlife in essence, did not exist as Egyptians believed the heart to be the center of reason and emotion as opposed to the brain which was removed and discarded during mummification. Many times a person would be buried with "surrogate" hearts to replace their own for the weighing of the heart ceremony.<br /><br />[edit] The monotheistic period<br />Pharaoh Akhenaten and his family praying to Aten.<br />Pharaoh Akhenaten and his family praying to Aten.<br /><br />A short interval of monotheism (Atenism) occurred under the reign of Akhenaten (Amenhotep IV), focused on the Egyptian sun deity Aten. The Aten is typically shown as a sun disk with rays coming out of all sides. Akhenaten built a new capital at Amarna with temples for The Aten. This was a symbolic act as Akhenaten wanted a place of worship for The Aten that was not tainted by the visage of other gods. The religious change survived only until the death of Akhenaten, and the old religion was quickly restored during the reign of Tutankhamun, Akhenaten's son by his wife Kiya. Interestingly, Tutankhamun and several other post-restoration Pharaohs were erased from the history, because they were reguarded as heretics.<br /><br />According to John Tuthill, a professor at the University of Guam, Akhenaten's reasons for his religious reform were political. By the time of Akhenaten's reign, the god Amun had risen to such a high status that the priests of Amun had become even more wealthy and powerful than the pharaohs. However, it may be that Akhenaten was influenced by his family members, particularly his wife or mother (Dunham, 1963, p. 4; Mertz, 1966, p. 269). There was a certain trend in Akhenaten's family towards sun-worship. Towards the end of the reign of Akhenaten's father, Amenhotep III, the Aten was depicted increasingly often. Some historians have suggested that the same religious revolution would have happened even if Akhenaten had never become pharaoh at all. However, considering the violent reaction that followed shortly after Akhenaten's untimely death, this seems improbable. The reasons for Akhenaten's revolution still remain a mystery. After the death of Akhenaten, his son, the famous Tutankhamun reinstated the polytheistic (pantheon) religion that was in place before the time of The Aten.<br /><br />After the fall of the Amarna dynasty, the original Egyptian pantheon survived more or less as the dominant faith, until the establishment of Coptic Christianity and later Islam, even though the Egyptians continued to have relations with the other monotheistic cultures (e.g. Hebrews). Egyptian mythology put up surprisingly little resistance to the spread of Christianity, sometimes explained by claiming that Jesus was originally a syncretism based predominantly on Horus, with Isis and her worship becoming Mary and veneration (see Jesus as myth).<br /><br />[edit] Temples<br /><br />Many temples are still standing today. Others are in ruins from wear and tear, while others have been lost entirely. Pharaoh Ramses II was a particularly prolific builder of temples.<br /><br />Some known temples include:<br /><br /> * Abu Simbel – Complex of two massive rock temples in southern Egypt on the western bank of the Nile.<br /> * Abydos (Great Temple of Abydos) – Adoration of the early kings, whose cemetery, to which it forms a great funerary chapel, lies behind it.<br /> * Ain el-Muftella (Bahariya Oasis) – Could have served as the city center of El Qasr. It was probably built around the 26th Dynasty.<br /> * Karnak – Once part of the ancient capital of Egypt, Thebes.<br /> * Bani Hasan al Shurruq – Located in Middle Egypt near to Al-Minya and survived the reconstruction of the New Kingdom.<br /> * Edfu – Ptolemaic temple that is located between Aswan and Luxor.<br /> * Temple of Kom Ombo – Controlled the trade routes from Nubia to the Nile Valley.<br /> * Luxor – Built largely by Amenhotep III and Ramesses II, it was the centre of the Opet Festival.<br /> * Medinet Habu (Memorial Temple of Ramesses III)– Temple and a complex of temples dating from the New Kingdom.<br /> * Temple of Hatshepsut – Mortuary temple complex at Deir el-Bahri with a colonnaded structure of perfect harmony, built nearly one thousand years before the Parthenon.<br /> * Philae – Island of Philae with Temple of Aset which was constructed in the 30th Dynasty.<br /> * Ramesseum (Memorial Temple of Ramesses II) – The main building, dedicated to the funerary cult, comprised two stone pylons (gateways, some 60 m wide), one after the other, each leading into a courtyard. Beyond the second courtyard, at the centre of the complex, was a covered 48-column hypostyle hall, surrounding the inner sanctuary.<br /> * Dendera Temple complex – Several temples but the all overshadowing building in the complex is the main temple, the Hathor temple.Be@$Tahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17411774385008177715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8370253107272267929.post-75940398797424016652007-07-16T06:56:00.000-07:002007-07-16T06:58:09.929-07:00PLOVDIVPlovdiv (Bulgarian: Пловдив) is the second-largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia, with a population of 341,873([1]). It is the administrative centre of Plovdiv Province in southern Bulgaria, as well as the largest and most important city of the historical region of Upper (or Northern) Thrace, famous for its ancient and diverse culture and millennial history.<br />Plovdiv<br />Official seal of Plovdiv<br />Seal<br />Position of Plovdiv in Bulgaria<br />Position of Plovdiv in Bulgaria<br />Coordinates: 42°9′N 24°45′E / 42.15, 24.75<br />Country Bulgaria<br />Province Plovdiv<br />Government<br /> - Mayor Ivan Chomakov<br />Area<br /> - City 101 km² (39 sq mi)<br /> - Land 101 km² (39 sq mi)<br /> - Water 0 km² (0 sq mi)<br />Elevation 164 m (538 ft)<br />Population (31.12.2005)<br /> - City 341,873<br /> - Density 3,352/km² (8,681.6/sq mi)<br />Time zone EET (UTC+2)<br /> - Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)<br />Contents<br />[hide]<br /><br /> * 1 Geography and name<br /> * 2 Climate<br /> * 3 History<br /> * 4 Culture<br /> o 4.1 Museums and protected sites<br /> o 4.2 Churches, mosques and temples<br /> o 4.3 Theatre<br /> o 4.4 Music<br /> o 4.5 Literature<br /> * 5 City government<br /> * 6 Economy<br /> * 7 Shopping<br /> * 8 Transport<br /> * 9 Sights<br /> * 10 Sports<br /> * 11 Notable citizens<br /> * 12 Twinning<br /> * 13 Universities<br /> * 14 Trivia<br /> * 15 See also<br /> * 16 External links<br /> * 17 References<br /><br />[edit] Geography and name<br />A view over Plovdiv<br />A view over Plovdiv<br /><br />Plovdiv is located on the banks of the Maritsa river in the central part of Upper Thrace. The surrounding countryside is sparsely populated and bare, yet the city itself is particularly striking, since it, like Rome, is nestled in between seven hills. Tourists, however, are likely to count only six of those, as one of hills was virtually destroyed at the beginning of the 1900s, and there is only a small outcrop of rock left to show where it once stood.<br /><br />During its long history, Plovdiv was inhabited by many peoples who gave it different names: in Thracian: Eumolpias, Pulpudeva; Greek: Φιλιππούπολη, Φιλιππούπολις / Philippoupoli, Philippoupolis; Turkish: Filibe. In the Middle Ages the Bulgarians called the city Пълдин or Плъвдив. The city was usually known as Philippopolis in English until the early 20th century.<br /><br />[edit] Climate<br /><br />Summers are often extremely hot and dry, whilst winters are generally mild, but can sometimes be extremely cold. The wettest month is June with an average precipitation of 65mm, whilst the driest is August with an average of 27mm. The average July daytime temperature is 36c, whilst the January daytime average is 5c. The hottest temperature ever recorded is 46.7c and the coldest is -31.5c.<br /><br />[edit] History<br /><br />Plovdiv is one of the oldest cities in Europe. It is a contemporary of Troy and Mycenae, and older than Rome, Athens, Carthage or Constantinople. Archaeologists have discovered fine pottery[2] and other objects of everyday life from as early as the Neolithic Age, showing that in the end of the 7th millennium B.C there already was an established settlement there. According to Ammianus Marcellinus, Plovdiv's written post-Bronze Age history lists it as a Thracian fortified settlement named Eumolpias. In 342 BC, it was conquered by Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, who renamed it "Φιλιππόπολις", Philippopolis or "the city of Philip" in his own honour. Later, it again became independent under the Thracians, until its incorporation into the Roman Empire, where it was called Trimontium (City of Three Hills) and served as metropolis (capital) of the province of Thrace. Thrimontium was an important crossroad for the Roman Empire and was called "The largest and most beautiful of all cities" by Lucian. In those times, the Via Militaris (or Via Diagonalis), the most important military road in the Balkans, passed through the city.[1] The Roman times were a glorious period of growth and cultural excellence. The ancient ruins tell a story of a vibrant, growing city with numerous public buildings, shrines, baths, and theatres. Many of those are still preserved and can be seen by the curious tourist wishing to experience the charm of ancient Rome up close.<br />Bulgarian National Revival house in Plovdiv's old town part<br />Bulgarian National Revival house in Plovdiv's old town part<br /><br />The Slavs had fully settled in the area by the middle of the 6th century, but the region only became a province in Bulgaria in or about 815. It remained in Bulgarian hands until conquered by the Byzantine Empire in 970 or 971. Byzantine rule was succeeded by that of the Latin Empire in 1204, and there were two short interregnum periods as the city was twice occupied by Kaloyan of Bulgaria before his death in 1207. Under Latin rule, Plovdiv was the capital of the Duchy of Philippopolis governed by Renier de Trit, and later on by Gerard de Strem. Bulgarian rule was reestablished during the reign of Ivan Asen II between 1225 and 1229. In 1263 Plovdiv was conquered by the restored Byzantine Empire and remained in Byzantine hands until it was re-conquered by George Terter II of Bulgaria in 1322. Byzantine rule was restored once again in 1323, but in 1344 the city was surrendered to Bulgaria by the regency for John V Palaiologos as the price for Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria's support in the Byzantine civil war. When Bulgaria was defeated by the Ottoman Empire in 1369, Plovdiv survived as one of the major cultural centers for Bulgarian culture and tradition. The name Plovdiv first appeared around that time and is derived from the city's Thracian name Pulpudeva (assumed to be a translation of Philippopolis, from Pulpu = Philippou and deva = city), which was rendered by the Slavs first as Pəldin (Пълдин) or Pləvdin.<br /><br />Under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, Plovdiv (then known as Filibe) was a focal point for the Bulgarian national movement in the Eastern Rumelia province of the Empire. The city was liberated from the Ottomans during the Battle of Plovdiv in 1878 and, after the Congress of Berlin separated the autonomous region of Eastern Rumelia from Bulgaria, Plovdiv became its capital. At the time, it had a population of about 33,500, of which 45% were Bulgarians, 25% Greeks, 21% Turks, 6% Jews and 3% Armenians, a situation that changed rapidly in the following decades. A few years later, in 1885, Eastern Rumelia was absorbed into modern Bulgaria as part of the Bulgarian unification project.<br /><br />During the period of communist governance that followed the end of World War II, Plovdiv became the birthplace of Bulgaria's movement for democratic reform, which by 1989 had garnered enough support to enter government.<br /><br />Plovdiv has hosted specialized exhibitions of the World's Fair three times, in 1981, 1985, and 1991.<br /><br />[edit] Culture<br />Plovdiv's main street, Knyaz Alexander I<br />Plovdiv's main street, Knyaz Alexander I<br /><br />[edit] Museums and protected sites<br /><br />Plovdiv has more than 200 known archaeological sites, 30 of which are of national importance. Some of the most famous sites include the Roman theatre (early 2nd century AD) and Stadium (late 2nd century AD), the magnificent colored mosaics of the villas, the ones of the episcopal temple, the Nebet Tepe archaeological complex and the noted samples of Bulgarian National Revival architecture, such as the Balabanov House, the Kuyumdzhiev House, the Lamartine House, and the houses of Georgiadi, Nedkovich, and Hindian.<br /><br />Also of note is that there are more than 30,000 cultural artifacts, kept in the five Plovdiv museums: the Archaeological Museum, the Ethnographic Museum, the Historical Museum, the Natural Museum and the City Art Gallery. The Panagyurishte Golden Treasure from the end of the 6th century BCE consists of six uniquely decorated golden utensils, together weighing more than 6,000 kg.<br /><br />The Old Town of Plovdiv is a historic preservation site known for its unique Bulgarian Renaissance architectural style. The Old Town covers the area of the three central hills (Трихълмие, Trihalmie) —Nebet Tepe, Dzhambaz Tepe and Taxim Tepe. Almost every house in the Old Town is characteristically impressive in its exterior and interior decoration.<br /><br />The Bulgarian Museum of Aviation is located on the western edge of Plovdiv International Airport.<br /><br />[edit] Churches, mosques and temples<br /><br />There are a number of 19th century churches, most of which follow the distinctive Eastern Orthodox construction style. Those are the Saint Constantine and Saint Helena, the Saint Marina, the Saint Nedelya, the Saint Petka and the Holy Mother of God Churches. There are also the Roman Catholic Cathedrals in Plovdiv, the largest of them being St Ludovic. There are several more modern Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, and other Protestant churches, as well as older style Apostolic churches. Two mosques remain in Plovdiv from the time of the Ottoman rule. There is also one synagogue.<br /><br />[edit] Theatre<br /><br />The existing infrastructure of the city adds to the development of cultural activities. The Plovdiv Drama Theatre is an inheritor of the first professional theatre group in Bulgaria founded in 1881. The Plovdiv Puppet Theatre, founded in 1948, remains one of the leading institutions in this genre. Established in 1953, Plovdiv Opera achieves serious professional acknowledgments not only in Bulgaria, but also in Germany, Denmark, Spain and Italy.<br /><br />[edit] Music<br /><br />Another post of the culture of Plovdiv is the Philharmonic, founded in 1945. Works of the classic and of the modern symphony are included in its repertory. Soloists such as Dmitri Shostakovich, Sviatoslav Richter, Mstislav Rostropovich, Yuri Boukov and Mincho Minchev worked with the Plovdiv Philharmonic. The orchestra toured in almost all of the European countries. Known for its originality and professionalism is the Trakiya Folklore Ensemble. Founded in 1974, it has performed thousands of concerts in Bulgaria and more than 40 countries of the world. The Trakiya Traditional Choir was nominated for a Grammy Award.<br /><br />[edit] Literature<br /><br />The city's traditions as a literary centre are preserved by the first public library in Bulgaria, the Ivan Vazov National Library, by the 19 chitalishta (cultural centres) and by numerous booksellers and publishers. Today the Ivan Vazov National Library is the second largest national library institution, owning rare Bulgarian and European publications. The modern publishing houses add their significant contribution to the book market in the country and represent Bulgarian literature abroad. Plovdiv is also home of the famous Katerina Stavreva.<br /><br />[edit] City government<br /><br />The territory of Plovdiv Municipality is subdivided into six district administrations, their respective mayors being appointed following approval by the Municipal Council. The Mayor of the Municipality of Plovdiv Ivan Chomakov [3], together with the six district mayors represent the local executive authorities. The Municipal Council which consists of 51 municipal counselors, represents the legislative power and is elected according to the proportional system by parties’ lists.[2]<br /><br />The executive government of the Municipality of Plovdiv consists of a mayor who is elected by majority representation, five deputy mayors and one administrative secretary. All the deputy mayors and the secretary control their respective administrative structured units. The district administrations are, as follows:<br /><br /> * Central District<br /> * Eastern District<br /> * Western District<br /> * Northern District<br /> * Southern District<br /> * District of Trakia<br /><br />[edit] Economy<br />A street in the historic old town<br />A street in the historic old town<br /><br />Plovdiv is the centre of the important Thracian agricultural region, and food processing is among the most important industries. The city also produces machinery, textiles, and chemicals. After the fall of Communism in 1989 and the collapse of Bulgaria's planned economy, a number of industrial complexes were closed. Industry has been expanding again since the late 1990s, with numerous modern manufacturing plants built in the city or in its outskirts. In this period, some €500,000,000 has been invested in plant construction. Some of the biggest new plants are the Liebherr refrigerator plant with 1,850 employees and a capacity of 450,000 items per year, the Socotab tobacco processing plant (2,000 employees), a bicycle plant (500 workers, capacity 500,000 units), a biodiesel plant, the Bulsaphil textile plant (790 workers), and several electronics and high-tech plants producing CD players and other electronic equipment.<br /><br />The Plovdiv International Fair, held annually since 1892, is the largest and oldest fair in the country and all of southeastern Europe, gathering companies from all over the world in an exhibition area of 95,000 m².<br /><br />[edit] Shopping<br /><br />Several huge hypermarkets have been built in recent years: Metro, Kaufland, Sany, Praktiker, Billa, Mr. Bricolage and others. Many more are planned or under construction, including two large malls. The main shopping area is the central street with its numerous shops, cafes and restaurants. There are several shopping malls and trade centres.<br /><br />[edit] Transport<br /><br />Two key highways run into or near Plovdiv, the Sofia-Edirne-Istanbul and the Sofia-Stara Zagora-Burgas routes. A major tourist center, Plovdiv lies at the foot of the Rhodope Mountains, and most people wishing to explore the mountains choose it as their trip's starting point. There are three train stations and three bus terminals.<br /><br />Plovdiv has an extensive and well-developed public transport system, including buses and trolleys. Some of the lines reach several villages in the vicinity of the city. The regular bus and trolley fare is 60 Stotinki (0.60 BGN) per ride, while the cab car-pools fare is 70 stotinki (0.70 BGN). Cab car-pooling is faster, but less comfortable, as the cabs stop to load/unload at any location. Plovdiv is a major road and railway hub in southern Bulgaria: the Trakiya motorway is only 5 km to the north, while first-class roads lead to Sofia, Karlovo, Asenovgrad, Stara Zagora and Haskovo. There are railways to Sofia, Panagyurishte, Karlovo, Stara Zagora, and Asenovgrad.<br /><br />The Plovdiv International Airport is located near the suburb village of Krumovo, southeast of the city. There are plans for its modernisation and expansion. It currently takes charter flights from several European countries.<br /><br />[edit] Sights<br />The Roman Stadium<br />The Roman Stadium<br />The Roman Theatre<br />The Roman Theatre<br /><br /> * The Old Town<br /> * Eirene mosaic<br /> * Ancient synagogue<br /> * St. Constantine and Helena Church<br /> * Sahat Tepe hill and clock tower<br /> * Nebet Tepe hill complex<br /> * Dzhumaya Mosque<br /> * Imaret Mosque<br /> * Old Turkish Bath (now an art gallery)<br /> * Virgin Mary Church<br /> * St Petka Church<br /> * St Marina Church<br /> * St Ludovic Roman Catholic Cathedral<br /> * Gothic Evangelist Church<br /> * Tsar Simeon's Garden and The Singing Fountains<br /> * The main street<br /> * Plovdiv International Fair<br /> * The Rowing Canal (sports and recreation park)<br /><br />[edit] Sports<br />Plovdiv Sports Complex in autumn<br />Plovdiv Sports Complex in autumn<br /><br />Football is the most popular sport in the city. Plovdiv is famous for its football teams. Botev Plovdiv was founded in 1912, and is named after one of the most ardent Bulgarian poets and revolutionaries, Hristo Botev. The city has another popular football club, Lokomotiv, founded in 1936. They played in the UEFA Cup 2005-06, being eliminated in the first round by Bolton Wanderers. Both teams are a regular fixture in the top Bulgarian league, and are famous for their productive youth academies. The rivalry between them is considered to be even more fierce than the one between Levski and CSKA of Sofia. There are also two other football clubs in the city – Maritsa FC and Spartak Plovdiv.<br /><br />The "Plovdiv Sports Complex" is unique and is the biggest in Eastern Europe. It consists of the Plovdiv Stadium with several additional football terrains, tennis courts, pools, rowing base with 3km long channel, restaurants, cafés situated in a spacious park in the western part of the city just south of the Maritza river. There are also numerous benches and playgrounds for the children. It is popular among the Plovdivers and the guests of the city for jogging, walk or relaxation.<br /><br />[edit] Notable citizens<br /><br /> * Boris Christoff, basso<br /> * Nikolay Buhalov, Olympic canoeing champion<br /> * Tanya Gramatikova, Photographic artist<br /> * Stefka Kostadinova, world record holder in the women's high jump<br /> * Petar Detev, prehistorian, prof. of archaeology<br /> * Maria Petrova, three times World Champion in rhythmic gymnast<br /> * Milen Dobrev, weightlifter<br /> * Filibeli Hafız Ahmed Pasha, Ottoman Grand Vizier<br /> * George Ganchev, fencer, actor, writer, politician<br /> * Jordan Jovtchev, gymnast<br /> * Georgi Karaslavov, writer<br /> * Asen Kisimov, actor<br /> * Svetlana Krivencheva, tennis player<br /> * Alphonse de Lamartine, French writer<br /> * Milcho Leviev, musician and composer<br /> * Tzvetana Maneva, actress<br /> * Ognyana Petkova, Olympic canoeing bronze medal<br /> * Tsvetana Pironkova, tennis player<br /> * Hristo Stoichkov, football player<br /> * Petar Stoyanov, ex-president of Bulgaria<br /> * Nayden Todorov, conductor<br /> * Anjel Vagenstein, writer<br /><br />[edit] Twinning<br />Old Plovdiv<br />Old Plovdiv<br /><br />Plovdiv is twinned with the following cities:<br /><br /> * Flag of Czech Republic Brno, Czech Republic<br /> * Flag of Turkey Bursa, Turkey<br /> * Flag of United States Columbia, South Carolina, USA<br /> * Flag of South Korea Daegu, South Korea<br /> * Flag of Armenia Gyumri, Armenia<br /> * Flag of Saudi Arabia Jeddah, Saudi Arabia<br /> * Flag of Turkey Istanbul, Turkey<br /> * Flag of Slovakia Košice, Slovakia<br /> * Flag of Republic of Macedonia Kumanovo, Republic of Macedonia<br /> * Flag of Georgia (country) Kutaisi, Georgia<br /> * Flag of Germany Leipzig, Germany<br /> * Flag of Serbia Leskovac, Serbia<br /> * Flag of People's Republic of China Luoyang, People's Republic of China<br /> * Flag of Republic of Macedonia Ohrid, Republic of Macedonia<br /> * Flag of Japan Okayama, Japan<br /> * Flag of Jordan Petra, Jordan<br /> * Flag of Poland Poznań, Poland<br /> * Flag of Italy Rome, Italy, for its seven hills<br /> * Flag of Russia Saint Petersburg, Russia<br /> * Flag of Greece Thessaloniki, Greece<br /> * Flag of Venezuela Valencia, Venezuela<br /><br />[edit] Universities<br /><br /> * "Paisiy Hilendarski" Plovdiv University (Пловдивски Университет "Паисий Хилендарски")<br /> * English Academy Plovdiv<br /> * University of Agriculture — Plovdiv<br /> * Technical University of Sofia — Plovdiv Branch<br /> * Medical University<br /> * European College of Economics and ManagementBe@$Tahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17411774385008177715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8370253107272267929.post-76665684535808187932007-07-16T06:51:00.001-07:002007-07-16T06:56:27.407-07:00KARLOVOKarlovo (Bulgarian: Карлово) is a town in central Bulgaria located in a fertile valley along the river Stryama at the southern foot of the Balkan Mountains. It is administratively part of Plovdiv Province and has a population of about 28,321 (as of 2005), the mayor being Emil Kabaivanov of the UDF.GRBulgaria Karlovo lies at 42°38′N, 24°48′E, 386 m above sea level.<br /><br />Karlovo is famous for the worldwide-known rose oil, which is grown there and used in producing perfume. In addition to this, Karlovo is the birthplace of Vasil Levski, the most distinguished Bulgarian to start preparing the national liberation from the Ottoman rule in the late 19th century. There is a museum and large monument dedicated to him. Karlovo is also a popular location for tourism in the region.<br /><br />Karlovo is a successor of the medieval fortress of Kopsis, a feudal possession of Smilets of Bulgaria in the 13th-14th century and the likely capital of his brother despotēs Voysil's short-lived realm. The modern town originated in 1483 at the place of the village of Sushitsa, but grew in importance in the 19th century as a centre of Bulgarian culture and revolutionary activity.<br /><br />During the 2000s, Bulgarian archaeologists made discoveries in Central Bulgaria which were summarized as "The Valley of the Thracian Kings". On 19 August 2005, some archaeologists announced they had found the first Thracian capital, which was situated near Karlovo in Bulgaria. A lot of polished ceramic artifacts (pieces of roof-tiles and Greek-like vases) were discovered revealing the fortune of the city. The Bulgarian Ministry of Culture declared its support to the excavations.<br />Contents<br />[hide]<br /><br /> * 1 Municipality<br /> * 2 Notable natives<br /> * 3 References<br /> * 4 External links<br /><br />[edit] Municipality<br /><br />Karlovo is the seat of Karlovo municipaluty (part of Plovdiv Province), which includes the following 27 places (towns in bold):<br /><br /> * Banya<br /> * Beguntsi<br /> * Bogdan<br /> * Dabene<br /> * Domlyan<br /> * Gorni Domlyan<br /> * Hristo Danovo<br /> * Iganovo<br /> * Kalofer<br /> * Karavelovo<br /> * Karlovo<br /> * Karnare<br /> * Kliment<br /> * Klisura<br /><br /> <br /><br /> * Kurtovo<br /> * Marino Pole<br /> * Moskovets<br /> * Mrachenik<br /> * Pevtsite<br /> * Prolom<br /> * Rozino<br /> * Slatina<br /> * Sokolitsa<br /> * Stoletovo<br /> * Vasil Levski<br /> * Vedrare<br /> * Voynyagovo<br /><br />[edit] Notable natives<br /><br /> * Botyo Petkov (1815–1869), teacher and father of Hristo Botev<br /> * Evlogi Georgiev (1819–1897), merchant, banker and undertaker<br /> * Ivan Bogorov (c. 1820–1892), encyclopedist<br /> * Vasil Levski (1837–1873), revolutionary and national hero of Bulgaria<br /> * Hristo Prodanov (1943–1984), first Bulgarian to climb Mount EverestBe@$Tahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17411774385008177715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8370253107272267929.post-51009498030025474222007-07-16T01:36:00.000-07:002007-07-16T01:43:34.017-07:00SHREK 3Shrek the Third is a computer animated comedy film of the Shrek series. It is the third film in the series, following Shrek and Shrek 2. It was produced by Jeffrey Katzenberg for DreamWorks Animation, and is distributed by Paramount Pictures, and was released in U.S. theaters on May 18, 2007 (June 22 in Spain, June 15 in Brazil, June 13 in France and June 29 in the UK and Ireland).<br /><br />It was produced with the working title of Shrek 3. Like the first two Shrek films, the movie is significantly based on fairy tale (specifically Grimm's Fairy Tales) themes. According to Dreamworks, the film will be released on DVD on September 13, 2007.<br />Contents<br />[hide]<br /><br /> * 1 Plot<br /> * 2 Cast<br /> * 3 Production<br /> * 4 Reception<br /> * 5 Rating<br /> * 6 Sequels<br /> * 7 Merchandise<br /> * 8 Cultural references<br /> * 9 Foreign Versions<br /> * 10 See also<br /> * 11 References<br /> * 12 External links<br /><br />[edit] Plot<br /><br />The film begins with Prince Charming performing in a poorly done dinner theatre show. After being heckled by the audience and returning to his "dressing room" (a small table with a cracked mirror in a back alley behind the dinner-theater) Charming complains that he hasn't gotten his "happily ever after" and that just isn't fair. Meanwhile, King Harold has fallen ill and his ogre son-in-law Shrek has been summoned to take his place for a few days. Although Shrek reluctantly agrees, he has difficulties looking or acting the part of being the new King. He tells his wife Fiona how much he's looking forward to going back to their swamps, just the two of them. Fiona hints that she will have children, but Shrek completely misses the hint and responds that children are not his kind of thing. Despite what he learns about his friend's children, he knows that his close friend Donkey knows best.<br /><br />However, King Harold is on his deathbed. He tells Shrek that he and Fiona that they are next in line to be king and queen. Shrek declines, knowing that there has to be someone else for the job. With his final three breaths, he tells Shrek that there is one other heir who can become the new King of Far Far Away: his nephew, Arthur Pendragon. The entire kingdom mourns for their king's death, but Prince Charming sees this as an opportunity to usurp the throne. Shrek sets out to find 'Artie', along with Donkey and Puss in Boots. As they're sailing off, Fiona runs to the dock and announces to Shrek that she's pregnant. Surprised but shocked, Shrek begins to have nightmares about his future children. Thinking that Shrek is worried about what having children would mean for his life, Donkey tries to reassure him that fatherhood was a great thing for him. Shrek explains that he is more worried about not being a good father. Shrek, Puss and Donkey arrive at Worcestershire Academy, where they met up with Fiona's long-lost cousin, Arthur and they eventually discover that Arthur, who is an academy student, is a loser picked on by other students at his school. Arthur joins with the three friends and is feeling good about his new role until Donkey and Puss scare him with responsibilities. Arthur gets into an argument with Shrek and they fight over the ship. They end up crashing on an island where they meet Arthur's retired wizard teacher, Merlin. In order to help Shrek and Arthur reconcile, he makes them look into a thick cloud of smoke to reveal their thoughts. Shrek sees a baby carriage, but lies and says that he sees a "rainbow pony". Merlin is convinced and moves on to Arthur, who sees a bird and its father. The father bird abandons the chick, leaving him frightened and confused. The chick tries to follow but falls to the ground.<br /><br />After Merlin retreats to his hut, Shrek takes this opportunity to show Arthur that they're not so different after all. Just as Arthur had a father who abandoned him, Shrek had a father who was pretty bad as well. In fact, he tried to eat him. Shrek counsels Arthur that just because someone "calls you a monster, or a loser, it doesn't mean you are one". For years Shrek had been feared by people, believing he was horrible and terrifying, and for years, he believed he was a monster like his father. Gradually, he learnt to see himself for who he is. Arthur begins to identify with Shrek and the two become friends.<br /><br />Meanwhile, Prince Charming has gone to the Poison Apple Bar where he convinces all fairy tale villains, Captain Hook, the Wicked Queen, a Cyclops, Rumpelstiltskin, Mable the Ugly Stepsister, Headless Horseman, Little Red Riding Hood, Stromboli, and assorted witches, black knights, evil dwarves, and evil magical trees to join him in a fight for their "happily ever after". The villains feel their side of the story has never been told and now is the time to do it. Fiona is at the castle, at a baby shower with her mother, Queen Lillian and princess friends, Rapunzel, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White. She is also with Doris the Ugly Stepsister, and Donkey's wife, Dragon. Suddenly, Prince Charming and the other villains arrive to invade the kingdom. Fiona and her friends escape just in time, but the rest of the kingdom is thrown into chaos and the villains take control of Far Far Away.<br /><br />The Three Little Pigs, Big Bad Wolf, the Gingerbread Man, and Pinocchio are confronted by Charming, Captain Hook, a Cyclops, and one of the evil magical trees. Prince Charming demands to know where Shrek is. Gingy sees his life pass before his eyes while Pinocchio is able to circumvent the fact that his nose would grow if he lied by telling several lawyer-esque half truths, but one of the Three Little Pigs breaks down and accidentally tells that Shrek is looking for the new heir. Charming decides to send some of his men to hunt down Shrek for a final showdown. Shrek, Puss, Donkey and Arthur wake up to find themselves surrounded by the villains sent by Charming. Working as a team, the group manages to fight the villains away, but it doesn't bring them any closer to Far Far Away. Arthur decides to ask Merlin, and he whips out some acting skills to convince the old wizard. Merlin prepares to put a spell on them and warns them that although the spell should work, there may be some minor side effects. Before he gets a chance to fully explain, the four friends are zapped into Far Far Away. The side effects cause Puss and Donkey to switch bodies since they accidentally held hands to stay together. Fiona navigates the underground tunnels of the palace with her friends and as they met with Charming, Rapunzel betrays them to become the new queen of Far Far Away and Charming's wife. The remaining girls are imprisoned and, after meeting with Puss and Donkey, Queen Lillian uses her head to bust down two stone walls, leading to their escape from the prison and the girls become independent.<br /><br />Shrek arrives at the city to find everything in complete disarray. A trapped Pinocchio gives Shrek some information on what has happened since he left. Charming is bent on revenge against Shrek for 'stealing' his "happily ever after" and plans to kill Shrek in a play later that night. Shrek sneaks into Charming's dressing room, but Charming's men arrive shortly and quickly capture everyone. In an effort to save Arthur, Shrek tells Arthur that he wasn't the next in line for the throne, he was just some weirdo who Shrek wanted to take his place as King of Far Far Away. After hearing Shrek insult Artie that way, Charming believes Shrek really just used the boy and lets him go. An angry yet disappointed Arthur escapes being killed by the prince. Charming's play culminates when Shrek is led onto the stage. Shrek then humors the audience by ridiculing Charming's singing and acting. Just as Charming is about to kill Shrek, Fiona and her friends leap onto the stage to confront the villains.<br /><br />Arthur has been convinced by Donkey and Puss in Boots to return after they explained what Shrek's true intentions were, and he manages to convince the rest of the villains that they don't need to do this. He tells them about the speech that Shrek gave them, and the fairy tale villains decide that they don't need to be villains anymore. Unfortunately, Charming doesn't feel the same way, or want to give up his "happily ever after". Charming then attempts to kill Artie with his sword, but Shrek protects him and pretends to be stabbed with the sword. Then Charming finds out, and becomes angry that he didn't get his "happily ever after," and Shrek says he'd better keep looking for his, because Shrek wasn't going to give up his own. Shrek throws him to the side of a prop tower, and Dragon knocks the tower down, crushing Charming and presumably killing him. The crown he was wearing then slides across stage, and Shrek offers it to Arthur, who accepts and then holds it out to the crowd in acceptance. Meanwhile, the Gingerbread Man has slid onto the stage and shows Rapunzel's hair, revealing it to be a wig. The bald Rapunzel flees in humiliation.<br /><br />Donkey and Puss in Boots get a chance to ask Merlin, who just appeared, to help them and switched them back to normal, but leaves their tails temporarily mismatched (that is, until the next scene). The film concludes a few months later, with Shrek and Fiona back in their swamp, now parents to ogre triplets and Shrek begins to feel like a good father.<br /><br />[edit] Cast<br /><br /> * Mike Myers as Shrek<br /> * Eddie Murphy as Donkey<br /> * Cameron Diaz as Princess Fiona<br /> * Antonio Banderas as Puss in Boots<br /> * Julie Andrews as Queen Lillian<br /> * John Cleese as King Harold<br /> * Rupert Everett as Prince Charming<br /> * Eric Idle as Merlin<br /> * Justin Timberlake as Arthur Pendragon<br /> * Conrad Vernon as Gingerbread Man / Rumpelstiltskin / Headless Horseman<br /> * Cody Cameron as Pinocchio / Three Pigs / Ogre Baby / Bohort<br /> * Larry King as Doris, the ugly stepsister<br /> * Amy Poehler as Snow White<br /> * Megan Hilty as The Singing voice of Snow White<br /> * Maya Rudolph as Rapunzel<br /> * Amy Sedaris as Cinderella<br /> * Aron Warner as Big Bad Wolf<br /> * Cheri Oteri as Sleeping Beauty/Actress<br /> * Regis Philbin as Mabel the Ugly Stepsister<br /> * Ian McShane as Captain Hook<br /> * Susan Blakeslee as Wicked Queen<br /> * Mark Valley as Cyclops<br /> * John Krasinski as Sir Lancelot<br /> * Andrew Birch as Evil Tree #1<br /> * Christopher Knights as Three Blind Mice / Heckler / Evil Tree #2 / Guard #2<br /> * Chris Miller as Stromboli / Announcer / Mascot / Singing Villain<br /> * Tom Kane as Guard #1<br /> * Seth Rogen as Ship Captain<br /> * Kari Wahlgren as Old Lady<br /><br />[edit] Production<br />Early Promotional movie poster for Shrek the Third.<br />Early Promotional movie poster for Shrek the Third.<br />Image:Shrek the Third logo in Russian.png<br />Russian logo for the movie<br /><br />With Viacom's acquisition of DreamWorks SKG, Shrek the Third is the first Mike Myers film to be released by Paramount Pictures (which itself was bought by Viacom in 1994) since 1993's Wayne's World 2. On the 2004 show, Father of the Pride, Donkey (voiced by Eddie Murphy) was featured, solely to promote that Shrek 3 although he stated that it was to be released in 2006 rather than 2007.<br /><br />Five actors from NBC's Saturday Night Live appear in the movie. Two actors, Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph, were current cast members at the time of the film's release; the remaining three are Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cheri Oteri. Two members of the Monty Python troupe, John Cleese and Eric Idle, provide voices in the film. Cleese has reprised his role as King Harold, while Idle provides the voice for the new character Merlin.<br /><br />[edit] Reception<br /><br />Shrek the Third opened in U.S. theatres in 4,122 cinemas on May 18, 2007. The film grossed a total of US$121,629,270 in its first weekend, the best opening weekend ever for an animated film, and third best overall.<br /><br />The film received generally lukewarm reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes it received a 41% rating,[1] Critical reaction was more negative than that for the first two films in the series. David Ansen wrote that his problem with the film was that, "its slightly snarky wit is aimed almost entirely at parents... this one never touched my heart or got under my skin. It's a movie at war with itself: a kiddie movie that doesn't really want to be one."[2] The film yielded some positive reviews from writers such as A. O. Scott from The New York Times who believed that the movie "seems at once more energetic and more relaxed [than its predecessors], less desperate to prove its cleverness and therefore to some extent, smarter." The Times newspaper also rated it 2 out of 5.<br /><br />As of July 8, Shrek the Third had grossed $316,740,255 in the United States and $325,526,983 in other countries, bringing its worldwide total to $642,267,238.[3]<br /><br />[edit] Rating<br /><br />This film was rated PG by the MPAA for some crude humor.<br /><br />[edit] Sequels<br /><br />Peter Zaslav said in an interview that the Christmas special Shrek the Halls will pick up from where Shrek the Third left off.[4] The film will also be followed by another sequel, Shrek Ever After, which will be released in theatres in 2010.[5] In an interview with Antonio Banderas, a spin-off film entitled Puss in Boots: The Story of an Ogre Killer was confirmed. The spin-off will take place between Shrek the Third and Shrek Ever After.[6] A Shrek 5 is also planned.[citation needed]<br /><br />[edit] Merchandise<br /><br />Many toys, games, books, clothes and other products have made their way to stores. For the first time, a Princess Fiona doll has been released, featured a Ogre face mask, and "Kung Fu" Leg action. Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Rapunzel and Snow White Dolls will also become available. A video game based on the film has been released for the Wii, PlayStation 2, Xbox 360, Game Boy Advance, PlayStation Portable, PC, and Nintendo DS.<br /><br />[edit] Cultural references<br /><br />This article contains a trivia section.<br />The article could be improved by integrating relevant items into the main text and removing inappropriate items.<br />This article has been tagged since July 2007.<br />For songs played in the film, see Shrek the Third: The Motion Picture Soundtrack.<br /><br />Continuing a tradition set by the first two films, Shrek the Third contains several references to popular culture, history, fairy tales, and legend:<br /><br /> * During the scene where Prince Charming goes to his dressing room in the alley, a picture of the fairy godmother can be seen with the title of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'".<br /> * During the first scene with Prince Charming throw-up from graffiti artist "Cope2" can be seen in the back ground on a wall.<br /> * Before the scene of King Harold's funeral the rainy and foggy day is a resemblence to the jailed scene from Disney's animated version of Robin Hood.<br /> * In an early scene when Donkey wakes Shrek and Fiona, he sings the song "Good Morning" from the musical "Singin' in the Rain".<br /> * During one of the earlier scenes in the Land of Far Far Away, a shop called "Versarchery" (written in the signature Versace typeface) is shown, next door to the "Abercrombie and Witch" (Fitch).<br /> * During the final battle, after taking the body of Puss in Boots, Donkey uses his (Puss') sword to carve a "D" into Pinocchio. Similarly, Puss carved a "P" into a tree in his first appearance in Shrek 2. Both of these are a parody of the character Zorro, which was played, among other actors over the years, by Antonio Banderas (the same actor who voices Puss in Boots).<br /> * After smashing the second wall, the dazed Queen can be heard humming "A Spoonful of Sugar". Julie Andrews, who plays the queen, sang the same song in Mary Poppins. After Fiona asks if she's okay, the Queen hums "My Favorite Things" the song Julie sang in "The Sound of Music".<br /> * The animal call that Snow White uses against the Talking Trees is actually the war cry from Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" (The cry and music are slightly modified due to licensing reasons), but the beginning is actually a spoof of With a Smile and Song from the original Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Disney movie.<br /> * When Snow White rips the sleeve of her dress, she has a tattoo that says Dopey on it that is referring to the seven dwarfs in the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Disney movie<br /> * In the beginning of the film, in Prince Charming's dinner theater, coconuts are used for horse's hoof beats. This same technique was used in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, which also starred John Cleese and Eric Idle. Idle claims to be considering suing the producers of Shrek for the unauthorised use of this gag, while the producers claim they were honoring Idle and Cleese by putting the part in.[7]<br /> * Merlin, Lancelot, King Arthur (Artie), and Guinevere (Gwen) are all characters from Arthurian lore. Artie is not the knight in shining armor most would expect, but a so-called loser being beat up by jousting jock Lancelot. This character may be based on what most Tudor historians think was Arthur, Prince of Wales' character.<br /> * The incantations used by Merlin are similar to that of the Disney production "Sword in the Stone"<br /> * When Donkey, Puss in Boots, and Shrek are outside the gates of the High School Artie, Lancelot, and Gwen attend it says: 'Worcestershire'. Donkey misspronounces it, and then after Shrek explains the correct pronunciation, Donkey makes a joke out of it by comparing it to Worcestershire sauce. Though it escaped some, Prince Arthur Tudor has a "Prince Arthur's Chantry" dedicated to him in Worcester Cathedral.<br /> * Before Shrek and Artie have a heart to heart, Merlin plays the opening music to "That's What Friends Are For".<br /> * After Gingy's life flashes before his eyes, he sings "On the Good Ship Lollipop".<br /> * Also, during that scene, there is a short montage in reference to The Six Million Dollar Man, in reference to Gingy losing his legs at the hands of Lord Farquaad and having them re-attached later.<br /> * In the same montage there is a scene of Gingy leaping huge distances in a wheat field, a reference to the first Superman movie.<br /> * When Charming is in his dressing room, you can see the phantom of the opera's mask and costume.<br /> * At King Harold's funeral the theme song for the James Bond movie Live and Let Die is sung - John Cleese (who voiced Harold) played the second Q in the James Bond film series. The song, originally performed by Paul McCartney's group Wings, is sung by a Frog Chorus.<br /> * The Arthur and Merlin pair is related to The Sword in the Stone Disney movie.<br /> * When the villains are vandalizing Far Far Away, one of them changes the "Bootery" store to "Hooters." Subsequently, many cheering men enter.<br /> * The "Just Say Nay" Program at the high school is a reference to the anti-drug campaign "Just Say No".<br /> * At Worcestershire a setting of a farm says "Widow Tweed's Farm" which is from The Fox and the Hound Disney movie.<br /> * In the scene where Shrek is on the ship dreaming about being a dad, the stroller that rolls into his room is from the movie "Rosemary's Baby".<br /> * At King Harold's funeral when Queen Lillian pushes the box away it says "Ye Olde Foot Locker".<br /> * Before Arthur is dragged out of the assembly by Shrek, he mentions that he will build a city on rock and roll. This is a reference to Jefferson Starship's "We Built This City".<br /> * In the scene where Shrek and Arthur are having a conversation by the fire outside Merlin's house, the stars to the right of Shrek's ear form the Southern Cross, a reference to Shrek 1 and 2 director, Andrew Adamson, who is a New Zealander.[citation needed]<br /> * When Charming is about to kill Shrek during the play, Camille Saint-Säens's Danse Macabre is being played in the background. Viewers in the UK would relate part of this piece to the theme of the BBC hit show Jonathan Creek.<br /> * In the final confrontation scene between Shrek's comrades and Prince Charming during the performance, there is a short refrain that borrows from Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" (a song that was brought back to the charts thanks to Mike Myers' Wayne's World).<br /> * In an earlier scene during the same village performance, a song played during the pirate characters' appearance on the stage while rowing a ship sounds similar to the theme song from Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.<br /> * When Puss in Boots and Shrek talk about fatherhood on the ship leaving Far Far Away (middle of the film), there is a short refrain from Harry Chapin's "Cat's in the Cradle" sung by Donkey.<br /> * Just before the final show, there are trees dressed like characters of A Chorus Line, while you hear "One" in the background.<br /> * When Shrek enters the high school, two characters can be seen falling out of a carriage, with whispers of smoke pouring out behind them. This is a parody of Fast Times at Ridgemont High in which Sean Penn's character falls out of his car after smoking pot.<br /> * During the Far Far Away invasion, Australian band Wolfmother's song "The Joker & the Thief" was played briefly.<br /> * At Worcestershire, the Cheerleaders start their chant with "Ok, let's go!" An allusion to Bring it On<br /> * When the ladies escape from their prison with Fiona leading them through the sewers, there is a brief overhead shot of the characters running over a narrow bridge. The composition of the shot is a direct reference to the Fellowship running from the Balrog in Moria in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.<br /> * During the prison scene, as Donkey and Puss are explaining their predicament, Donkey (in Puss) says "And it was a lot of "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo", a reference to the Disney Cinderella.<br /> * During the scene where the Princesses are preparing for battle, the background music resembles the soundtrack from the movie "Kill Bill"<br /> * Just before leaving for Far, Far Away, Artie turns to the popular girl and says, "Gwen, I've always loved you." This is a reference to Guenivere, Arthur's queen.<br /> * When the ladies are on their quest to retrieve Shrek, the ugly step sister sticks her leg out at a guard. This is a reference to the Graduate when Mrs Robinson does this to Ben to be seduced.<br /> * When the princesses are locked in the tower, Cinderella can be seen neurotically scrubbing the floor whilst talking to herself. She can be seen in the now reflective floor as coversing with herself like Gollum in the Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.<br /> * When Snow White starts singing after they had escaped from the jail cell they had been locked in, animals come out, two of those animals happen to be from Bambi, Bambi and Thumper.<br /> * In all three Shrek movies, Shrek repeats this line, "Better out than in I always say". In Shrek 1 when they were walking through the forest after breakfast, in Shrek 2 when they were having dinner with the parents, and in Shrek the Third, when the baby happens to burp.<br /> * One of the seven dwarves painting the set of Prince Charming's show is asleep; an allusion to Sleepy from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film).<br /><br />[edit] Foreign Versions<br /><br /> * In Germany the leading roles are dubbed by stars like Sascha Hehn (as Shrek), Esther Schweins (as Fiona), Marie-Luise Marjan (as Queen Lillian) and Benno Fürmann (as Puss in Boots).<br /> * In France, Alain Chabat voices Shrek. The French version has been highly criticized by the Quebec Action Democratique party leader Mario Dumont, because it uses Parisian slang and accents that are incomprehensible to most Quebecers including Dumont and his children (whom he took to see the movie). This has led him to issue a bill (affecting the Province of Quebec) stating that all movies must be shown either in Quebec French or not at all in French.<br /> * In the Latin American Spanish dubbed version, as in the first two movies, Shrek was voiced by Alfonso Obregon, Fiona by Dulce Guerrero, Puss in Boots by Antonio Banderas (who also played him in English), Donkey by Eugenio Derbez and Artie by Enzo Fortuny.<br /> * In Portugal, the lead characters are voiced by José Jorge Duarte (Shrek), Cláudia Cadima (Fiona), Rui Paulo (Donkey) and Paulo Oom (Puss in Boots). Other characters voiced by well-known Portuguese celebrities are Mabel the Ugly Stepsister (Manuel Luís Goucha) and Sleeping Beauty (Patrícia Bull). Paulo Oom doubles as a falsetto Gingerbread Man.<br /> * In Spain, the Shrek and Donkey are voiced by comedians Cruz y Raya, while Antonio Banderas himself re-dubbed Puss in Boots. The Ugly Stepsister is dubbed by the former soccer player and notorious pundit Michael Robinson.<br /> * In Japan, the leading roles are dubbed by comedian Masatoshi Hamada (Shrek), seiyū Kōichi Yamadera (Donkey), actress Norika Fujiwara (Fiona) and actor/comedian Naoto Takenaka (Puss in Boots). Other many characters are acted by professional voice actors (seiyūs), Prince Charming by Unshou Ishizuka, Queen Lillian by Toshiko Sawada and King Harold by Takeshi Aono, one of the most respected voice actors in Japan at that time. Artie Pendragon is dubbed by Keita Tachibana, a pop idol just like Justin Timberlake.<br /> * In Poland Shrek is dubbed by very well-known actor Zbigniew Zamachowski, and Donkey by legendary comedian Jerzy Stuhr<br />K 3Be@$Tahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17411774385008177715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8370253107272267929.post-9125730131537815992007-07-16T01:33:00.002-07:002007-07-16T01:36:30.256-07:00ALL ABOUT GRIFFINSMalcolm in the Middle is a seven-time Emmy-winning,[1] one-time Grammy-winning[1] and seven-time Golden Globe-nominated[1] American sitcom created by Linwood Boomer for the Fox Network. The series first aired on January 9, 2000, and ended its six-and-a-half-year run on May 14, 2006, after seven seasons.<br /><br />The show starred Frankie Muniz as Malcolm, the third-oldest of four, later five, children in the family, parented by Lois (Jane Kaczmarek) and Hal (Bryan Cranston). The oldest child, Francis (Christopher Masterson), was shipped off to military school, leaving the three boys: Reese (Justin Berfield), Malcolm, and Dewey (Erik Per Sullivan) living at home, Malcolm being the third oldest of the five (hence the title of the show). The show's early seasons centered on Malcolm and the rigors of being an adolescent genius and his eccentric, although eerily normal, life; later seasons additionally began to explore the other members of the family and their friends in more depth.<br /><br />The series was different from many others in that Malcolm broke the fourth wall and talked directly to the viewer; it was shot using a single camera; and it used neither a laugh track nor a live studio audience. Emulating the style of hour-long dramas, this half-hour show was shot on film instead of video. Another unique aspect is that the cold open of every episode is unrelated to the main story, except, episodes which were a part 2 have a cold opener which is a summary of part 1, as is the case with most series.<br />Contents<br />[hide]<br /><br /> * 1 Characters<br /> o 1.1 Main characters<br /> o 1.2 Recurring characters<br /> * 2 Guest stars<br /> * 3 Episode list<br /> * 4 Mysterious Surname<br /> * 5 Production<br /> o 5.1 Broadcasters<br /> o 5.2 Opening titles<br /> o 5.3 Setting<br /> o 5.4 Music<br /> o 5.5 DVD release<br /> * 6 Reception<br /> o 6.1 Ratings<br /> o 6.2 Notable Awards<br /> * 7 References<br /> * 8 External links<br /><br />[edit] Characters<br /><br />[edit] Main characters<br />Malcolm in the Middle's family. From left to right: Francis, Lois, Jamie (infant in Lois's arms), Malcolm, Dewey, Hal, and Reese.<br />Malcolm in the Middle's family. From left to right: Francis, Lois, Jamie (infant in Lois's arms), Malcolm, Dewey, Hal, and Reese.<br />From the sixth season episode "Stilts", with Malcolm taking on the role of Uncle Sam at the Lucky Aide.<br />From the sixth season episode "Stilts", with Malcolm taking on the role of Uncle Sam at the Lucky Aide.<br /><br />Originally there were only four children (although Malcolm's oldest brother attended a military school away from home, so he was still the middle child left at home). The fifth child, a new baby, was introduced in the show's fourth season but his sex was not mentioned until Season 5. The boys are, from eldest to youngest: Francis, Reese, Malcolm, Dewey, and Jamie. On the last episode Lois discovered she was, once again, pregnant with a sixth child. Bryan Cranston (Hal), Justin Berfield (Reese) and Erik Per Sullivan (Dewey) are the only actors to appear in every episode.<br /><br /> * Malcolm, played by Frankie Muniz.<br /> * Lois, played by Jane Kaczmarek.<br /> * Hal, played by Bryan Cranston.<br /> * Reese, played by Justin Berfield.<br /> * Dewey, played by Erik Per Sullivan.<br /> * Francis, played by Christopher Masterson.<br /> * Jamie, played by Various Actors<br /><br />In real life, Frankie Muniz (Malcolm) is 2 months and 20 days older than Justin Berfield (Reese)<br /><br />[edit] Recurring characters<br /><br /> * Stevie Kenarban, played by Craig Lamar Traylor. Malcolm's best friend. Stevie first met Malcolm in the pilot and were in the same accelerated class through middle school and most of high school. Stevie is a wheelchair user, has severe asthma, and only one lung, causing him to have difficulty speaking. Stevie has a sarcastic side and has also outsmarted Malcolm and Reese on numerous occasions.<br /> * Abraham "Abe" Kenarban, played by Gary Anthony Williams. Abe is the devoted father and husband to Stevie and Kitty. Abe enjoys spending time with Hal by playing poker with him and his other friends, Trey, Brian, Malik and Steve.<br /> * Kitty Kenarban, played by Merrin Dungey. Stevie's mother and Abe's wife. Kitty is generally soft spoken and doesn't normally punish her son due to his disability. Kitty disappeared from the series after the third season premier and it is revealed that she became a pornstar and deserted her family. She returned in season six, however hoping to reform herself.<br /> * Caroline Miller, played Catherine Lloyd Burns, Malcom's teacher who is in most of the first seasons episodes and in the second season appears in two episodes. She disappears from the series after giving birth in the school parking lot. She was very passionate about her job, and had Malcolm's best interests at heart. However, she would often misunderstand Malcolm's intentions or situations, getting her into trouble.<br /> * Commandant Edwin Spangler, played by Daniel von Bargen. The strict and hard nosed military veteran in charge of the cadets at Marlin Academy. For the first two seasons and beginning of season three, Francis was Spangler's most rebellious student and often clashed with him on many occasions. Halfway through the third season, Francis' desertion from the academy caused Spangler's life to go downhill as Francis stood out as his only failure. Spangler gets dismissed from the academy and tracks Francis to Alaska and attempts to kill him at first. Francis eventually finds Spangler a new job at a retirement home and Spangler is able to boss around the senior citizens.<br /> * Cadet Eric Hanson, played by Eric Nenninger. Francis' fellow cadet at the academy and best friend for the first three seasons. Eric was Francis' reluctant sidekick and normally suffered the consequences of the antics caused by Francis. At the start of season three, Eric emancipates himself and goes work in an Alaskan lodge. Francis follows soon after but both of them learn that their job isn't as great as they hoped. Eventually, the lodge closes down and they must leave. Francis and Piama leave happily but Eric is left behind to hitchhike on the highway. His fate is unknown.<br /> * Craig Feldspar, played by David Anthony Higgins, is the neurotic, though well-intentioned, co-worker of Lois at the Lucky Aide. He appears quite frequently in the show, especially during later seasons, as his character became more entwined with Lois and her family. After entrusting his house and cat to Dewey's care while he was away, and the resulting fire that destroyed it, he lived with Malcolm's family for a short time until the boys schemed to get him out (and cover their own tracks).<br /> * Cynthia, played by Tania Raymonde, is a new Krelboyne girl who joins Malcolm's class in the episode "Krelboyne Girl".<br /> * Lavernia, played by Brenda Wehle. Francis' cruel and heartless boss at the Alaskan lodge. Lavernia rules over her workers with an iron fist and usually charges her employees instead of paying them. Eventually she closes down the lodge and fires her workers when a mining company buys out the land.<br /> * Lionel Herkabe, played by Chris Eigeman, Malcolm's teacher, is divorced and in debt. Is a genuis like Malcolm and manipulates Malcolm for his own purposes.<br /> * Victor and Ida, played by Robert Loggia and Cloris Leachman respectively, are Lois' dysfunctional parents, introduced in the episode "The Grandparents". Ida is depicted as greedy, manipulative, racist, and quick to take offense, the only good deed she has ever done is saving Dewey from being ran over by a truck thus losing one of her legs. Not much is said about Victor, except that he left his home at a young age and that he was in "the war". Ida often refers to a hard life growing up in "The Old Country" and going through "a camp". While they speak with Slavic accents and appear to be from somewhere in Eastern Europe, their exact nationality is never specified, and may be intended to be fictional. However one episode, which centers on a fictitious "St. Grotus Day" feast, appears to take place in a Croatian community center, with a Croatian flag and a poster of Zagreb Cathedral on the wall. Victor apparently had another, second, family, which he kept secret from Lois and Susan,[2] while later he ran off and married a Canadian woman.<br /> * Piama Tananahaakna, played by Emy Coligado, is Francis' wife.<br /> * Otto Mannkusser, played by Kenneth Mars. Francis' German boss and sidekick for the fourth and fifth seasons. Otto is incharge of The Grotto, a dude ranch. Otto is married to Gretchen and has an estranged son. Otto is gullible and a bit of a pushover as he normally hires too many employees and gives them extra vacation days. However, after Francis works on the ranch for a little over two years, Otto fires him when the ATM that Francis was depositing his funds into wasn't really an ATM. In German, his last name means literally "man kisser,"(The Mannkussers are Danes in the German version).<br /> * Gretchen Mannkusser, played by Meagen Fay. Gretchen is the wife of Otto and the co-runner of the Grotto. She is a kind and caring woman. It was explained by Otto to Francis that his marriage to her was by disevence. Gretchen was actually the girfriend of his best friend, although Otto loved her as well. When they were going to elope, Otto's friend asked him to have her meet him a rendevous point, but he lied about the actual location and said he would meet her at the train station in Berlin. When his friend didn't show up, Otto came and comforted her and they married. They had a son named Rutca.<br /> * Jessica, played by Hayden Panettiere.<br /><br />[edit] Guest stars<br /><br />Guest stars on the show have included Andy Richter, Christopher Lloyd, Patrick Warburton, Stephen Root, Jason Alexander, Laurie Metcalf, Kathryn Joosten, Amy Bruckner, Beatrice Arthur, Betty White, Hallee Hirsh, Lauren Storm, Dakota Fanning, Ashlee Simpson, Tom Green, Christina Ricci, Danielle Panabaker, Susan Sarandon, Heidi Klum, Julie Hagerty, Mandy Musgrave, Kurtwood Smith and Bradley Whitford (Jane Kaczmarek's real life husband).<br /><br />[edit] Episode list<br /><br /> Main article: List of Malcolm in the Middle episodes<br /><br />[edit] Mysterious Surname<br /><br />During the first season, the writers decided to keep the family's last name a mystery. However, it had already been revealed on the show. In the pilot episode, Francis speaks to his mother on the phone and his name tag says "Wilkerson". There was also a joke in the original pilot script that was cut -- Malcolm, walking to school, is confronted by a kid who says "Malcolm, Malcolm, Malcolm. I was talking to my parents last night - I was listening to them talk, and what's your last name?" "Wilkerson, why?" Malcolm replied. "Oh. Who are the Pariahs?" said the kid. Also in the company picnic episode, Hal also refers to them as 'the Wilkersons'.[3] In the series finale ("Graduation") Francis' employee badge falls out of his pocket and the camera close-up reveals his last name as 'Nolastname'.Be@$Tahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17411774385008177715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8370253107272267929.post-78286750707200370762007-07-16T01:33:00.001-07:002007-07-16T01:33:23.758-07:00Molcolm in the middleMalcolm in the Middle is a seven-time Emmy-winning,[1] one-time Grammy-winning[1] and seven-time Golden Globe-nominated[1] American sitcom created by Linwood Boomer for the Fox Network. The series first aired on January 9, 2000, and ended its six-and-a-half-year run on May 14, 2006, after seven seasons.<br /><br />The show starred Frankie Muniz as Malcolm, the third-oldest of four, later five, children in the family, parented by Lois (Jane Kaczmarek) and Hal (Bryan Cranston). The oldest child, Francis (Christopher Masterson), was shipped off to military school, leaving the three boys: Reese (Justin Berfield), Malcolm, and Dewey (Erik Per Sullivan) living at home, Malcolm being the third oldest of the five (hence the title of the show). The show's early seasons centered on Malcolm and the rigors of being an adolescent genius and his eccentric, although eerily normal, life; later seasons additionally began to explore the other members of the family and their friends in more depth.<br /><br />The series was different from many others in that Malcolm broke the fourth wall and talked directly to the viewer; it was shot using a single camera; and it used neither a laugh track nor a live studio audience. Emulating the style of hour-long dramas, this half-hour show was shot on film instead of video. Another unique aspect is that the cold open of every episode is unrelated to the main story, except, episodes which were a part 2 have a cold opener which is a summary of part 1, as is the case with most series.<br />Contents<br />[hide]<br /><br /> * 1 Characters<br /> o 1.1 Main characters<br /> o 1.2 Recurring characters<br /> * 2 Guest stars<br /> * 3 Episode list<br /> * 4 Mysterious Surname<br /> * 5 Production<br /> o 5.1 Broadcasters<br /> o 5.2 Opening titles<br /> o 5.3 Setting<br /> o 5.4 Music<br /> o 5.5 DVD release<br /> * 6 Reception<br /> o 6.1 Ratings<br /> o 6.2 Notable Awards<br /> * 7 References<br /> * 8 External links<br /><br />[edit] Characters<br /><br />[edit] Main characters<br />Malcolm in the Middle's family. From left to right: Francis, Lois, Jamie (infant in Lois's arms), Malcolm, Dewey, Hal, and Reese.<br />Malcolm in the Middle's family. From left to right: Francis, Lois, Jamie (infant in Lois's arms), Malcolm, Dewey, Hal, and Reese.<br />From the sixth season episode "Stilts", with Malcolm taking on the role of Uncle Sam at the Lucky Aide.<br />From the sixth season episode "Stilts", with Malcolm taking on the role of Uncle Sam at the Lucky Aide.<br /><br />Originally there were only four children (although Malcolm's oldest brother attended a military school away from home, so he was still the middle child left at home). The fifth child, a new baby, was introduced in the show's fourth season but his sex was not mentioned until Season 5. The boys are, from eldest to youngest: Francis, Reese, Malcolm, Dewey, and Jamie. On the last episode Lois discovered she was, once again, pregnant with a sixth child. Bryan Cranston (Hal), Justin Berfield (Reese) and Erik Per Sullivan (Dewey) are the only actors to appear in every episode.<br /><br /> * Malcolm, played by Frankie Muniz.<br /> * Lois, played by Jane Kaczmarek.<br /> * Hal, played by Bryan Cranston.<br /> * Reese, played by Justin Berfield.<br /> * Dewey, played by Erik Per Sullivan.<br /> * Francis, played by Christopher Masterson.<br /> * Jamie, played by Various Actors<br /><br />In real life, Frankie Muniz (Malcolm) is 2 months and 20 days older than Justin Berfield (Reese)<br /><br />[edit] Recurring characters<br /><br /> * Stevie Kenarban, played by Craig Lamar Traylor. Malcolm's best friend. Stevie first met Malcolm in the pilot and were in the same accelerated class through middle school and most of high school. Stevie is a wheelchair user, has severe asthma, and only one lung, causing him to have difficulty speaking. Stevie has a sarcastic side and has also outsmarted Malcolm and Reese on numerous occasions.<br /> * Abraham "Abe" Kenarban, played by Gary Anthony Williams. Abe is the devoted father and husband to Stevie and Kitty. Abe enjoys spending time with Hal by playing poker with him and his other friends, Trey, Brian, Malik and Steve.<br /> * Kitty Kenarban, played by Merrin Dungey. Stevie's mother and Abe's wife. Kitty is generally soft spoken and doesn't normally punish her son due to his disability. Kitty disappeared from the series after the third season premier and it is revealed that she became a pornstar and deserted her family. She returned in season six, however hoping to reform herself.<br /> * Caroline Miller, played Catherine Lloyd Burns, Malcom's teacher who is in most of the first seasons episodes and in the second season appears in two episodes. She disappears from the series after giving birth in the school parking lot. She was very passionate about her job, and had Malcolm's best interests at heart. However, she would often misunderstand Malcolm's intentions or situations, getting her into trouble.<br /> * Commandant Edwin Spangler, played by Daniel von Bargen. The strict and hard nosed military veteran in charge of the cadets at Marlin Academy. For the first two seasons and beginning of season three, Francis was Spangler's most rebellious student and often clashed with him on many occasions. Halfway through the third season, Francis' desertion from the academy caused Spangler's life to go downhill as Francis stood out as his only failure. Spangler gets dismissed from the academy and tracks Francis to Alaska and attempts to kill him at first. Francis eventually finds Spangler a new job at a retirement home and Spangler is able to boss around the senior citizens.<br /> * Cadet Eric Hanson, played by Eric Nenninger. Francis' fellow cadet at the academy and best friend for the first three seasons. Eric was Francis' reluctant sidekick and normally suffered the consequences of the antics caused by Francis. At the start of season three, Eric emancipates himself and goes work in an Alaskan lodge. Francis follows soon after but both of them learn that their job isn't as great as they hoped. Eventually, the lodge closes down and they must leave. Francis and Piama leave happily but Eric is left behind to hitchhike on the highway. His fate is unknown.<br /> * Craig Feldspar, played by David Anthony Higgins, is the neurotic, though well-intentioned, co-worker of Lois at the Lucky Aide. He appears quite frequently in the show, especially during later seasons, as his character became more entwined with Lois and her family. After entrusting his house and cat to Dewey's care while he was away, and the resulting fire that destroyed it, he lived with Malcolm's family for a short time until the boys schemed to get him out (and cover their own tracks).<br /> * Cynthia, played by Tania Raymonde, is a new Krelboyne girl who joins Malcolm's class in the episode "Krelboyne Girl".<br /> * Lavernia, played by Brenda Wehle. Francis' cruel and heartless boss at the Alaskan lodge. Lavernia rules over her workers with an iron fist and usually charges her employees instead of paying them. Eventually she closes down the lodge and fires her workers when a mining company buys out the land.<br /> * Lionel Herkabe, played by Chris Eigeman, Malcolm's teacher, is divorced and in debt. Is a genuis like Malcolm and manipulates Malcolm for his own purposes.<br /> * Victor and Ida, played by Robert Loggia and Cloris Leachman respectively, are Lois' dysfunctional parents, introduced in the episode "The Grandparents". Ida is depicted as greedy, manipulative, racist, and quick to take offense, the only good deed she has ever done is saving Dewey from being ran over by a truck thus losing one of her legs. Not much is said about Victor, except that he left his home at a young age and that he was in "the war". Ida often refers to a hard life growing up in "The Old Country" and going through "a camp". While they speak with Slavic accents and appear to be from somewhere in Eastern Europe, their exact nationality is never specified, and may be intended to be fictional. However one episode, which centers on a fictitious "St. Grotus Day" feast, appears to take place in a Croatian community center, with a Croatian flag and a poster of Zagreb Cathedral on the wall. Victor apparently had another, second, family, which he kept secret from Lois and Susan,[2] while later he ran off and married a Canadian woman.<br /> * Piama Tananahaakna, played by Emy Coligado, is Francis' wife.<br /> * Otto Mannkusser, played by Kenneth Mars. Francis' German boss and sidekick for the fourth and fifth seasons. Otto is incharge of The Grotto, a dude ranch. Otto is married to Gretchen and has an estranged son. Otto is gullible and a bit of a pushover as he normally hires too many employees and gives them extra vacation days. However, after Francis works on the ranch for a little over two years, Otto fires him when the ATM that Francis was depositing his funds into wasn't really an ATM. In German, his last name means literally "man kisser,"(The Mannkussers are Danes in the German version).<br /> * Gretchen Mannkusser, played by Meagen Fay. Gretchen is the wife of Otto and the co-runner of the Grotto. She is a kind and caring woman. It was explained by Otto to Francis that his marriage to her was by disevence. Gretchen was actually the girfriend of his best friend, although Otto loved her as well. When they were going to elope, Otto's friend asked him to have her meet him a rendevous point, but he lied about the actual location and said he would meet her at the train station in Berlin. When his friend didn't show up, Otto came and comforted her and they married. They had a son named Rutca.<br /> * Jessica, played by Hayden Panettiere.<br /><br />[edit] Guest stars<br /><br />Guest stars on the show have included Andy Richter, Christopher Lloyd, Patrick Warburton, Stephen Root, Jason Alexander, Laurie Metcalf, Kathryn Joosten, Amy Bruckner, Beatrice Arthur, Betty White, Hallee Hirsh, Lauren Storm, Dakota Fanning, Ashlee Simpson, Tom Green, Christina Ricci, Danielle Panabaker, Susan Sarandon, Heidi Klum, Julie Hagerty, Mandy Musgrave, Kurtwood Smith and Bradley Whitford (Jane Kaczmarek's real life husband).<br /><br />[edit] Episode list<br /><br /> Main article: List of Malcolm in the Middle episodes<br /><br />[edit] Mysterious Surname<br /><br />During the first season, the writers decided to keep the family's last name a mystery. However, it had already been revealed on the show. In the pilot episode, Francis speaks to his mother on the phone and his name tag says "Wilkerson". There was also a joke in the original pilot script that was cut -- Malcolm, walking to school, is confronted by a kid who says "Malcolm, Malcolm, Malcolm. I was talking to my parents last night - I was listening to them talk, and what's your last name?" "Wilkerson, why?" Malcolm replied. "Oh. Who are the Pariahs?" said the kid. Also in the company picnic episode, Hal also refers to them as 'the Wilkersons'.[3] In the series finale ("Graduation") Francis' employee badge falls out of his pocket and the camera close-up reveals his last name as 'Nolastname'.Be@$Tahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17411774385008177715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8370253107272267929.post-42236975506747013962007-07-16T01:28:00.000-07:002007-07-16T01:31:56.111-07:00THE SIMPSONSThe Simpsons is an animated American sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a satirical parody of the "Middle American" lifestyle epitomized by its title family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. The show is set in the fictional town of Springfield, and lampoons many aspects of the human condition, as well as American culture, society as a whole, and television itself.<br /><br />The family was conceived by Groening shortly before a pitch for a series of animated shorts with the producer James L. Brooks. Groening sketched an outline version of a dysfunctional family, and named the characters after members of his own family, substituting Bart for his own name.[1] The shorts became a part of The Tracey Ullman Show on April 19, 1987.[2] After a three-season run, the sketch was developed into a half-hour prime time show.<br /><br />The Simpsons was an early hit for Fox, and won several major awards. Time magazine's December 31, 1999 issue named it the 20th century's best television series,[3] and on January 14, 2000 it was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Simpsons is currently the longest-running American sitcom,[4] and the longest-running American animated program.[5] Homer's annoyed grunt "D'oh!" has been adopted into the English lexicon, while The Simpsons has been cited as an influence on many adult-oriented animated sitcoms.[6]<br /><br />Since its debut on December 17, 1989, the show has aired 400 episodes over 18 seasons. As of March 20, 2006, it was renewed for a 19th season due to be aired in 2007–2008, premiering on September 23, 2007.[7][8] The 18th season finale, aired on May 20, is the 400th episode and 2007 marks the 20th anniversary of The Simpsons franchise. A feature-length film, The Simpsons Movie, is currently being produced, set for a worldwide release on July 27, 2007.[9]<br />Contents<br />[hide]<br /><br /> * 1 Origins<br /> * 2 Production<br /> o 2.1 Executive producers<br /> o 2.2 Voice actors<br /> o 2.3 Writing<br /> o 2.4 Animation<br /> * 3 Characters<br /> * 4 Setting<br /> * 5 Themes<br /> * 6 Hallmarks<br /> o 6.1 Opening sequence<br /> o 6.2 Halloween episodes<br /> o 6.3 Humor<br /> * 7 Influences on culture<br /> o 7.1 Influences on language<br /> o 7.2 Influence on television<br /> * 8 Critical reactions and achievements<br /> o 8.1 Awards<br /> o 8.2 Run length achievements<br /> o 8.3 Criticism of declining quality<br /> * 9 Merchandise<br /> o 9.1 DVDs<br /> o 9.2 Video games<br /> * 10 Film<br /> * 11 References<br /> * 12 Further reading<br /> * 13 External links<br /><br />Origins<br /><br /> Main article: The Simpsons shorts<br /><br />Groening conceived of the idea for the Simpsons in the lobby of James L. Brooks's office. Brooks had asked Groening to pitch an idea for a series of animated shorts, which Groening initially intended to present as his Life in Hell series. However, when Groening realized that animating Life in Hell would require the rescinding of publication rights for his life's work, he chose another approach[1] and formulated his version of a dysfunctional family. He named the characters after his own family members, substituting "Bart" for his own name.[1]<br />The Simpson family as they first appeared in The Tracey Ullman Show.<br />The Simpson family as they first appeared in The Tracey Ullman Show.<br /><br />The Simpson family first appeared as shorts in The Tracey Ullman Show on April 19, 1987.[2] Groening submitted only basic sketches to the animators and wrongly assumed that the figures would be cleaned-up in production. However, the animators merely re-traced his drawings, which led to the crude appearance of the initial short episodes.[1]<br /><br />In 1989, a team of production companies adapted The Simpsons into a half-hour series for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The team included what is now the Klasky Csupo animation house. Jim Brooks negotiated a provision in the contract with the Fox network that prevented Fox from interfering with the show's content.[10] Groening said his goal in creating the show was to offer the audience an alternative to what he called "the mainstream trash" that they were watching.[11] The first full-length episode was "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" in place of the intended first show, "Some Enchanted Evening", due to problems with the animation quality in the latter program.<br /><br />The Simpsons was the Fox network's first TV series to rank among a season's top 30 highest-rated shows.[12] Its success prompted Fox to reschedule the series to compete with The Cosby Show, a move that hurt the ratings of The Simpsons.[13] Ullman later filed a lawsuit, claiming that her show was the source of the series' success. The suit said she should receive a share of the profits of The Simpsons - a claim rejected by the courts.[14]<br /><br />The show was controversial from its beginning. The rebellious lead character at the time, Bart, frequently received no punishment for his misbehavior, which led some parents and conservatives to characterize him as a poor role model for children. At the time, former President George H. W. Bush said , "We're going to strengthen the American family to make them more like the Waltons and less like the Simpsons."[15] Several U.S. public schools even banned The Simpsons merchandise and t-shirts, such as one featuring Bart and the caption "Underachiever ('And proud of it, man!')".[15] Despite the ban, The Simpsons merchandise sold well and generated US$2 billion in revenue during the first 14 months of sales.[15]<br /><br />Production<br /><br />List of show runners throughout the series' run:<br /><br /> * Season 1–2: Matt Groening, James L. Brooks, & Sam Simon<br /> * Season 3–4: Al Jean & Mike Reiss<br /> * Season 5–6: David Mirkin<br /> * Season 7–8: Bill Oakley & Josh Weinstein<br /> * Season 9–12: Mike Scully<br /> * Season 13–present: Al Jean<br /><br />Executive producers<br /><br />Groening, Brooks, and Simon have served as executive producers during the show's entire history and also function as creative consultants. A more involved position on the show is the show runner, who acts as head writer and manages the show's production for an entire season.[16] Credited as executive producers in the episodes' credits, runners often remain for multiple seasons. From season five onwards, the show runner receives first billing on the closing credit run.<br /><br />Voice actors<br /><br /> Main articles: List of cast members of The Simpsons, List of guest stars on The Simpsons, and Foreign language voice cast of The Simpsons<br /><br />With one exception, episode credits list only the voice actors, and not the characters they voice. Both Fox and the production crew wanted to keep their identities secret during the early seasons and, therefore, closed most of the recording sessions while refusing to publish photos of the recording artists.[17] However, the network eventually revealed which roles each actor performed in the episode "Old Money," because the producers said the voice actors should receive credit for their work.[18] In 2003, the cast appeared in an episode of Inside the Actors Studio, doing live performances of their characters' voices.<br /><br />Six cast members voice The Simpsons. Dan Castellaneta performs Homer Simpson, Abraham Simpson, Krusty the Clown, and other adult, male characters.[19] Julie Kavner speaks the voices of Marge Simpson, Patty and Selma[19] and occasionally plays other episodic characters. She sometimes refuses to perform Marge's voice in public to maintain Marge's mystique. Nancy Cartwright performs the voice of Bart Simpson and other children.[19] Yeardley Smith, the voice of Lisa Simpson, is the only cast member who regularly voices only one character, although she occasionally plays other episodic characters.[19] Two male actors do not voice members of the title family but play a majority of the male townspeople. Hank Azaria voices recurring characters such as Moe, Chief Wiggum, and Apu[19] whereas Harry Shearer provides voices for Mr. Burns, Smithers, Principal Skinner, Ned Flanders and Dr. Hibbert.[19] With the exception of Harry Shearer, every main cast member has won an Emmy for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance.<br /><br />In addition to the main cast, Pamela Hayden, Tress MacNeille, Marcia Wallace, Maggie Roswell and Russi Taylor voice supporting characters.[19] From 1999 to 2002, Maggie Roswell's characters were voiced by Marcia Mitzman Gaven. Karl Wiedergott has appeared in minor roles, and voices ex-president Bill Clinton on occasion. Repeat "special guest" cast members include Albert Brooks, the late Phil Hartman, Jon Lovitz, Jane Kaczmarek, Jan Hooks, Joe Mantegna, Maurice LaMarche and Kelsey Grammer. Celebrity guest stars often play stylised versions of themselves, especially in the later seasons.<br /><br />The main cast has been involved in much-publicized pay disputes with Fox on more than one occasion. In 1998, they threatened to strike, forcing 20th Century Fox to increase their salary from $30,000 per episode to $125,000. The series creator Groening supported the actors in their action.[20] As the show's revenue continued to rise through syndication and DVD sales, the main cast stopped appearing for script readings in April 2004. The work stoppage occurred after weeks of unsuccessful negotiations with Fox, in which the cast asked for an increase in their pay to $360,000 per episode, or $8 million over a 22-episode season. On May 2, 2004, the actors reached an agreement with Fox.[21]<br /><br /><br />Writing<br /><br /> Main article: List of writers of The Simpsons<br /><br />The Simpsons's writing team consists of 16 writers[22] who propose episode ideas at the beginning of each December.[22] The main writer of each episode writes the first draft. Group rewriting sessions develop final scripts by adding or removing jokes, inserting scenes, and calling for re-readings of lines by the show’s vocal performers.[23] The leader of these sessions is George Meyer, who has developed the show since season one. Long-time writer Jon Vitti once explained that, even though he will receive the script credit for an episode, Meyer usually invents the best lines.[23] Each episode takes six months to produce[24]so the show rarely comments on current events. However, episodes occasionally mention planned events, such as the Olympics or the Super Bowl.<br /><br />Credited with 60 episodes, John Swartzwelder is the most prolific writer on The Simpsons staff. Conan O’Brien also wrote four scripts before becoming the host of Late Night with Conan O'Brien. English comedian Ricky Gervais is the only celebrity to have guest written an episode,[25] although there have been other guest writers, such as Spike Feresten, a Seinfeld writer famous for "The Soup Nazi" episode.<br /><br />Animation<br /><br />International animation studios involved:<br /><br />AKOM<br /><br /> * Exclusively produced the first two seasons of the series.<br /> * Produced various episodes throughout the run of the series.<br /><br />Anivision<br /><br /> * Produced animation for episodes from seasons 3–10.<br /><br />Rough Draft Studios<br /><br /> * Produced animation for episodes from season four onwards.<br /><br />U.S. Animation, Inc.<br /><br /> * Jointly produced "Radioactive Man" with Anivision.<br /> * Produced "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular"<br /><br />Toonzone Entertainment<br /><br /> * Produced "The Fat and the Furriest" and "She Used to Be My Girl".<br /><br />Numerous U.S. and international studios have animated The Simpsons. Throughout the run of animated short episodes on The Tracey Ullman Show, the animation was produced domestically at Klasky Csupo.[26] Later, due to an increased workload, Fox subcontracted production to international studios, usually located in South Korea.[26] The U.S. studio draws character and background layouts; whereas tweening, coloring, and filming occurs at international studios.<br /><br />For the first three seasons, Klasky Csupo animated The Simpsons in the United States. In season four, Gracie Films switched domestic production to Film Roman,[27] who continue to animate the show as of December 2006.<br /><br />After season 13, production switched from traditional cel animation to digital ink and paint.[28] The first episodes to experiment with digital coloring were "Radioactive Man" and "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular" in 1995. Animators used digital ink and paint during season twelve's episode "Tennis the Menace". However, Gracie Films delayed using 'digital ink and paint' for two more seasons. The already completed "Tennis the Menace" was broadcast as made.<br /><br />Characters<br />The Simpsons sports a vast array of secondary and tertiary characters.<br />The Simpsons sports a vast array of secondary and tertiary characters.<br /><br /> Main articles: List of characters from The Simpsons and Simpson family<br /><br />The Simpsons are a typical family who live in a fictional "Middle American" town of Springfield.[29] Homer, the father, works as a safety inspector at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant - a position at odds with his careless, buffoonish personality. He is married to Marge Simpson, a stereotypical American housewife and mother. They have three children. The eldest, Bart, is a ten-year-old troublemaker. His sister, eight-year-old Lisa, is precociously intelligent. She takes part in left-wing activist causes and plays the saxophone. The youngest, Maggie, is still a baby who never speaks, but carries a pacifier in her mouth. The family owns a dog, Santa's Little Helper, and a cat, Snowball II. Both pets have had starring roles in several episodes. Despite the passing of yearly milestones such as holidays or birthdays, the Simpsons do not physically age.<br /><br />The show includes an array of quirky characters: co-workers, teachers, family friends, extended relatives, and local celebrities. The creators originally intended many of these characters as one-time jokesters or for fulfilling needed functions in the town. However, a number of them have gained expanded roles and subsequently starred in their own episodes. According to Matt Groening, the show adopted the concept of a large supporting cast from the comedy show SCTV.[13]<br /><br />Setting<br /><br /> Main article: Springfield (The Simpsons)<br /><br />The Simpsons takes place in the fictional American town of Springfield, without any geographical coordinates or references to U.S. states that might identify what part of the country it represents. Nevertheless, fans have tried to determine the town's location by taking the town's characteristics, surrounding geography, and nearby landmarks as clues. As a response, the show has become intentionally deceptive in regard to Springfield's location. Commentators have suggested, and then ruled out, nearly every U.S. state and region as the basis for Springfield.[30] Only once, in season 11, did an episode "Behind the Laughter", describe the Simpsons as a "Northern Kentucky family". However, there are many counterexamples to contradict this statement, so it acts merely as a teaser for increasingly curious fans. Groening has said that Springfield has much in common with Portland, Oregon, the city where he grew up.[31] The name "Springfield" is a common one in America and appears in over half of the states.[32] Springfield's geography, and that of its surroundings, contain coastlines, deserts, vast farmland, tall mountains, or whatever the story or joke requires.[33]<br /><br />Themes<br /><br /> Main article: List of The Simpsons episodes<br /> See also: Politics in The Simpsons, Religion in The Simpsons, and Education in The Simpsons<br /><br />The Simpsons uses the standard setup of a situational comedy or "sitcom" as its premise. The series centers around a family and their life in a typical American town.[29] However, because of its animated nature, The Simpsons's scope is larger than that of a regular sitcom. The town of Springfield acts as a complete universe in which characters can explore the issues faced by modern society. By having Homer work in a nuclear power plant, the show can comment on the state of the environment.[34] Through Bart and Lisa's days at Springfield Elementary School, the show's writers illustrate pressing or controversial issues in the field of education. The town features a vast array of media channels--from kids' television programming to local news, which enables the producers to make jokes about themselves and the entertainment industry.[35]<br /><br />Some commentators say the show is political in nature and susceptible to a left-wing bias.[36] Al Jean admitted in an interview that "We [The show] are of liberal bent."[37] The writers' evince an appreciation for progressive ideals, but the show makes jokes from across the political spectrum.[38] The show portrays government and big business as taking advantage of the little guy.[37] Thus, the writers often portray authority figures in an unflattering or negative light. In the land of The Simpsons, politicians are corrupt, ministers such as Reverend Lovejoy are indifferent to churchgoers, and the local police force is incompetent.[39] Religion also figures as a recurring theme. In times of crisis, the family often turns to God, and the show has dealt with most of the major religions.[40]<br /><br />The plots of many episodes focus on one particular character or on the relationship between two characters. Common story lines have involved the following: Homer getting a new job or attempting a get-rich-quick scheme; Marge trying to escape the monotony of keeping house by finding employment or taking up a hobby; Bart causing a large problem and attempting to fix it, cover it up, or ignore it entirely; and Lisa embracing or advocating the merits of a particular cause or group. Some episodes have focused on the problems of secondary or tertiary characters, which a member of the Simpson family usually helps solve.<br /><br />Hallmarks<br />Shot from an overblown, extended couch gag (often used when an episode is running short).<br />Shot from an overblown, extended couch gag (often used when an episode is running short).<br /><br />Opening sequence<br /><br /> Main article: The Simpsons opening sequence<br /> See also: Chalkboard gag, Sax solo gag, and couch gag<br /><br />The Simpsons opening sequence is one of the show's most memorable hallmarks. Many episodes open with the camera zooming through the show's title towards the town of Springfield. Then follows the members of the family on their way home. Upon entering their house, they settle down on their couch to watch television. The series' distinctive theme song was composed by musician Danny Elfman in 1989, after Groening approached him requesting a retro style piece. This piece, which took two days to create, has been noted by Elfman as the most popular of his career.[41]<br /><br />One of the most distinctive aspects of the opening is that there are several segments that are changed from episode to episode. Bart writes something different on the blackboard. Lisa sometimes plays a different solo on her saxophone and something different happens when the family enters the living room to sit on the couch. This last segment is often the only one of the three gags to survive the process of shortening the opening for some syndicated episodes and for later episodes which needed extra time. This concept of rotating elements has been subsequently used both by Groening in Futurama, and by others, such as a newspaper headline in American Dad.<br /><br />Halloween episodes<br />Bart introducing a segment of "Treehouse of Horror IV" in the manner of Rod Serling's Night Gallery.<br />Bart introducing a segment of "Treehouse of Horror IV" in the manner of Rod Serling's Night Gallery.<br /><br /> Main article: The Simpsons Halloween episodes<br /><br />The special Halloween episode has become an annual tradition. "Treehouse of Horror" (1990) established the pattern of three separate, self-contained stories in each Halloween episode. These pieces usually involve the family in some horror, science fiction, or supernatural setting and often parody or pay homage to a famous piece of work in those genres.[42] They always take place outside the normal continuity of the show. Although the Treehouse series is meant to be seen on Halloween, in recent years, new installments have premiered after Halloween. This is due to Fox's current contract with Major League Baseball's World Series.<br /><br />Humor<br /><br /> Main article: Recurring jokes in The Simpsons<br /><br />The show uses catchphrases, and most of the primary and secondary characters have at least one each.[43] Notable expressions include Homer's annoyed grunt "D'oh!", Mr. Burns' "Excellent..." and Nelson Muntz's "Ha-ha!". Some of Bart's catchphrases, such as "¡Ay, caramba!," "Don't have a cow, man!" and "Eat my shorts!" appeared on t-shirts in the show's early days.[44] However, Bart rarely used the latter two phrases until after they became popular through the merchandising. The use of many of these catchphrases has declined in recent seasons, and one episode mocked catchphrase-based humor in "Bart Gets Famous" where Bart achieves fame on the Krusty kids' show for saying "I didn't do it."[45]<br /><br />The show's humor also turns on cultural references that cover a wide spectrum of society so that viewers from all generations can enjoy the show.[46] Such references, for example, come from movies, TV, music, literature, science, and history.[46]<br /><br />Whenever possible, the animators also put jokes or sight gags into the show's background via humorous or incongruous bits of text in signs, newspapers, and elsewhere.[47] The audience may often not notice the visual jokes in a single viewing. Some are so fleeting that they become apparent only by pausing a video recording of the show.[47]<br /><br />Influences on culture<br /><br />Influences on language<br /><br /> Main article: Culturally significant neologisms from The Simpsons<br /><br />A number of neologisms that originated on The Simpsons have entered the popular vernacular.[48] The most famous is Homer's annoyed grunt: "D'oh!." So ubiquitous is the catchphrase that it is now listed in the Oxford English Dictionary,[49] but without the apostrophe. The first listed usage comes not from The Simpsons, but from a 1945 BBC radio script in which the writers spelled the word "dooh." Dan Castellaneta says he borrowed the phrase from James Finlayson, an actor in early Laurel and Hardy comedies, who pronounced it in a more elongated and whining tone.[50] The director of The Simpsons told Castellaneta to shorten the noise so that it became the well known exclamation in the TV series.[50]<br /><br />Other Simpsons expressions that have entered popular use include "excellent" (drawn out as a sinister "eeeexcelllent…" in the style of Charles Montgomery Burns), Homer's triumphant "Woohoo!" and Nelson Muntz's mocking "HA-ha!" Groundskeeper Willie's description of the French as "cheese-eating surrender monkeys" was used by conservative National Review columnist Jonah Goldberg, in 2003, after France's opposition to the proposed invasion of Iraq, and quickly spread to other journalists.[51]<br /><br />Influence on television<br /><br />The Simpsons was the first animated program in prime time since the Flintstones in the 1960s. During most of the 1980s, pundits considered animated shows as appropriate only for kids, and animating a show was too expensive to achieve a quality suitable for prime-time television. The Simpsons changed this perception.[26] The use of Korean animation studios doing in-betweening, coloring, and filming made the episodes cheaper. The success of The Simpsons and the lower production cost prompted television networks to take chances on other animated series.[26] This development led to a 1990s boom in new, animated prime-time shows, such as South Park, Family Guy, King of the Hill, Futurama and The Critic.[26] South Park later paid homage to The Simpsons with the episode "Simpsons Already Did It." (The Simpsons returned the favor with a scene at the beginning of "Bart of War.")<br /><br />The Simpsons also influenced live-action shows and inspired Malcolm in the Middle, which debuted January 9, 2000 in the time slot after The Simpsons.[6][52] Malcolm in the Middle features the use of sight gags and does not use a laugh track like most sitcoms. Ricky Gervais has called The Simpsons a major influence on his British comedy The Office, which also dispenses with a laugh track.[53]<br /><br />Critical reactions and achievements<br />The Simpsons have been awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.<br />The Simpsons have been awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.<br /><br />Awards<br /><br /> Main article: List of awards won by The Simpsons<br /><br />The Simpsons has won dozens of awards since it debuted as a series, including 23 Emmy Awards, 22 Annie Awards and a Peabody. On January 14, 2000 the Simpsons won a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In a 1998 issue celebrating the 20th century's greatest achievements in arts and entertainment, Time magazine named The Simpsons the century's best television series.[3] In that same issue, Time named Bart Simpson to the Time 100, the publication's list of the century's 100 most influential people.[54] Bart was the only fictional character on the list. In 2002, The Simpsons ranked #8 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.[55] In 2000, Entertainment Weekly magazine TV critic Ken Tucker named The Simpsons the greatest television show of the 1990s. Furthermore, viewers of the UK television channel Channel 4 have voted "The Simpsons" at the top of two polls: 2001's 100 Greatest Kids' TV shows, and 2005's 100 Greatest Cartoons, with Homer Simpson voted into first place in 2001's 100 Greatest TV Characters.<br /><br />Run length achievements<br /><br />On February 9, 1997, The Simpsons surpassed The Flintstones with the episode "The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show" as the longest-running, prime-time, animated series in America. In 2004 The Simpsons replaced The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952 to 1966) as the longest-running animated or live action sitcom, in the United States.[4] In October 2004, Scooby-Doo briefly overtook The Simpsons as the American animated show with the highest number of episodes.[56] However, network executives in April 2005 again cancelled Scooby-Doo, which finished with 371 episodes, and The Simpsons reclaimed the title with 378 episodes at the end of their seventeenth season.[5] In May 2007 The Simpsons reached their 400th episode at the end of the eighteenth season. While The Simpsons has the record for the number of episodes by an American animated show, some foreign animated series have surpassed The Simpsons. For example, the Japanese anime series Doraemon has over 600 episodes to its credit.[57]<br /><br />The year 2007 marks the 20th anniversary of the Simpsons franchise, which began as skits on The Tracey Ullman Show in 1987. With its 19th year (2007-2008), the series will be only one season behind Gunsmoke's US primetime, scripted television record of 20 produced seasons.[4] However, Gunsmoke's episode count of 635 episodes far surpasses The Simpsons, which would not reach that mark until its 29th season, under normal programming schedules.<br /><br />Criticism of declining quality<br /><br />For many years, critics' reviews of new Simpsons episodes praised the show for its wit, realism, and intelligence.[11][58] However, in the mid-90s, the tone and emphasis of the show began to change. Some critics started calling the show tired.[59] By 2000, some long-term fans had become disillusioned with the show and pointed to its shift from character-driven plots to what they perceived as an overemphasis on zany antics.[60][61]<br /><br />In 2003, to celebrate the show's 300th episode "Barting Over", USA Today published a pair of Simpsons related articles: a top-10 episodes list chosen by the webmaster of The Simpsons Archive fansite,[62] and a top-15 list by The Simpsons' own writers.[63] The most recent episode listed on the fan list was 1997's "Homer's Phobia"; the Simpsons' writers most recent choice was 2000's "Behind the Laughter." In 2004, Harry Shearer criticized what he perceived as the show's declining quality: "I rate the last three seasons as among the worst, so season four looks very good to me now."[64]<br /><br />Despite this criticism, The Simpsons has managed to maintain a large viewership and attract new fans. However, the first season had an average of 13.4 million viewers in the U.S.,[12] compared to the 17th season, which ended with an average of 9.2 million viewers.[65] In an April 2006 interview, Matt Groening said, "I honestly don't see any end in sight. I think it's possible that the show will become too financially cumbersome...but right now, the show is creatively, I think, as good or better than it's ever been. The animation is incredibly detailed and imaginative, and the stories do things that we haven't done before. So creatively there's no reason to quit."[66]<br /><br />Merchandise<br />Monopoly: The Simpsons Edition<br />Monopoly: The Simpsons Edition<br /><br /> Main article: List of The Simpsons publications<br /> See also: List of songs featured in The Simpsons, The Simpsons discography<br /><br />The popularity of The Simpsons has made it a billion dollar merchandizing industry.[15] The title family and supporting characters appear on everything from t-shirts to posters. On April 24, 2007 it was officially announced that a The Simpsons Ride will be implemented into the Universal Studios Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood. It is scheduled for a Spring 2008 opening.[67] The Simpsons has inspired special editions of well-known board games, including Clue, Scrabble, Monopoly, Operation, and The Game of Life, as well as the trivia games What Would Homer Do? and Simpsons Jeopardy!.[68] Several card games such as trump cards and The Simpsons Trading Card Game have also been released.<br />A sampling of Simpsons comic books.<br />A sampling of Simpsons comic books.<br /><br />Numerous Simpson-related publications have been released over the years. So far, nine comic book series have been published by Bongo Comics since 1993.[69] The Simpsons and Bart Simpson comics are also reprinted in the United Kingdom, under the same titles, with various stories from the other Bongo series reprinted in the main Simpsons comic. The comics have also been collected in book form; many other Simpsons books such as episode guides have also been published.<br /><br />Music is featured in The Simpsons, with characters breaking into song during the course of the series. Collections of original music featured in the TV series have been released on the albums Songs in the Key of Springfield and Go Simpsonic with The Simpsons. Several songs have been recorded with the purpose of a single or album release and have not been featured on the show. The best known single is "Do the Bartman", which was co-written by Michael Jackson[70] and became an international success. In the United Kingdom, "Deep, Deep Trouble" was released as a follow up to "Do The Bartman". The albums The Simpsons Sing the Blues and The Yellow Album contained cover versions of songs, as well as some originals.<br /><br />In a promotion for the The Simpsons Movie, twelve 7-Eleven stores were transformed into Kwik-E-Marts and sold various The Simpsons related products such as "Buzz Cola", "Krusty-O" cereal, "Pink Movie" doughnuts with sprinkles and "Squishees".[71]<br />A Seattle 7-Eleven store transformed into a Kwik-E-Mart as part of a promotion for The Simpsons Movie.<br />A Seattle 7-Eleven store transformed into a Kwik-E-Mart as part of a promotion for The Simpsons Movie.<br /><br />DVDs<br /><br /> Main articles: The Simpsons DVDs and The Simpsons DVD boxsets<br /><br />Many episodes of the show have been released on DVD and VHS over the years. When the first season DVD was released in 2001, it quickly became the best-selling television DVD in history, although it would later be overtaken by the first season of Chappelle's Show.[72] In particular, seasons 1-9 have been released on DVD in America (Region 1), with more seasons expected to be released in the future, Europe (Region 2) and Australia/New Zealand/Latin America (Region 4). Seasons 1-7 have also been released in Japan (Region 2).<br /><br />Video games<br /><br /> Main article: The Simpsons video games<br /><br />The video game industry was quick to adapt the characters and world of Springfield into games. Some of the early notable games includes Konami's arcade game The Simpsons (1991) and Acclaim Entertainment's The Simpsons: Bart vs. the Space Mutants (1991). More modern games include The Simpsons Road Rage (2001), The Simpsons Hit & Run (2003) and The Simpsons Game (2007). Two Simpsons pinball machines have been produced; one after the first season, and the other still available.<br /><br />Film<br />Official movie poster<br />Official movie poster<br /><br /> Main article: The Simpsons Movie<br /><br />There had been talk of a possible feature-length Simpsons film ever since the early seasons of the series. James L. Brooks originally thought that the story of the episode "Kamp Krusty" was suitable for a film, but encountered difficulties in trying to expand the script to feature-length.[73] For a long time, various difficulties such as lack of a suitable story and an already fully engaged crew of writers delayed the project.[66]<br /><br />20th Century Fox, Gracie Films, and Film Roman have now produced an animated Simpsons film for release on July 27, 2007.[9] The film has been directed by long-time Simpsons producer David Silverman and written by a team of Simpsons writers that includes Matt Groening, James L. Brooks, Al Jean, George Meyer, Mike Reiss, John Swartzwelder, Jon Vitti, David Mirkin, Mike Scully, Matt Selman, and Ian Maxtone-Graham.[9] Production of the film occurred alongside continued writing of the series despite long-time claims by those involved in the show that a film would enter production only after the series had concluded.<br /><br />USA Today announced July 10, 2007 that Springfield, Vermont would host the premiere of the new movie as it was the official home of the Simpson family based on votes received at their web site [USAToday.com] Fourteen Springfields throughout the United States submitted a video to show their enthusiasms for the Simpsons. In descending order of votes they were Vermont, Illinois, Oregon, Massachusetts, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, New Jersey, Colorado, Nebraska, Michigan, Louisiana, and Florida. [1]Be@$Tahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17411774385008177715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8370253107272267929.post-48582631901624140422007-07-16T01:26:00.000-07:002007-07-16T01:28:45.311-07:00Sherlock Holmes is the most popular detectiv...Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, who first appeared in publication in 1887. He is the creation of Scottish born author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. A brilliant London-based detective, Holmes is famous for his intellectual prowess, and is renowned for his skillful use of deductive reasoning (somewhat mistakenly - see inductive reasoning) and astute observation to solve difficult cases. He is arguably the most famous fictional detective ever created, and is one of the best known and most universally recognisable literary characters in any genre.<br /><br />Conan Doyle wrote four novels and fifty-six short stories that featured Holmes. All but four stories were narrated by Holmes' friend and biographer, Dr. John H. Watson, two having been narrated by Holmes himself, and two others written in the third person. The first two stories, short novels, appeared in Beeton's Christmas Annual for 1887 and Lippincott's Monthly Magazine in 1890. The character grew tremendously in popularity with the beginning of the first series of short stories in The Strand Magazine in 1891; further series of short stories and two serialized novels appeared almost right up to Conan Doyle's death in 1930. The stories cover a period from around 1878 up to 1903, with a final case in 1914.<br />Contents<br />[hide]<br /><br /> * 1 The character<br /> o 1.1 His knowledge and skills<br /> o 1.2 His personality and habits<br /> o 1.3 Holmes, Watson, and firearms<br /> o 1.4 People in his life<br /> + 1.4.1 Holmes and Women<br /> * 2 Holmesian deduction<br /> o 2.1 Principles<br /> * 3 The Great Hiatus<br /> * 4 Adaptations<br /> o 4.1 Canonical adaptations<br /> o 4.2 Related and derivative works (non-canonical)<br /> * 5 Holmesian speculation<br /> o 5.1 Holmes and Nietzsche<br /> o 5.2 The Holmes family<br /> + 5.2.1 The Holmes family and the Wold Newton family<br /> o 5.3 The societies<br /> o 5.4 The museums<br /> * 6 Influence of Holmes<br /> o 6.1 Role in the history of the detective story<br /> * 7 Notes and references<br /> * 8 Bibliography<br /> o 8.1 Novels<br /> o 8.2 Short stories<br /> o 8.3 Lists of favourite stories<br /> o 8.4 Works by other authors<br /> * 9 See also<br /> * 10 External links<br /><br />[edit] The character<br /><br />[edit] His knowledge and skills<br />Sherlock Holmes (right) and Dr. Watson, by Sidney Paget.<br />Sherlock Holmes (right) and Dr. Watson, by Sidney Paget.<br /><br />In the very first story, A Study in Scarlet, something of Holmes' background is given. In early 1881 he is presented as an independent student of chemistry with a variety of very curious side-interests, almost all of which turn out to be single-mindedly bent towards making him superior at solving crimes. In another early story, "The Adventure of the Gloria Scott", more background on what caused Holmes to become a detective is presented: a college friend's father complimented him very highly on his deductive skills.<br /><br />In A Study in Scarlet, Dr. Watson assesses Holmes's abilities thus:<br /><br /> 1. Knowledge of Literature.—Nil.<br /> 2. Knowledge of Astronomy.—Nil.<br /> 3. Knowledge of Politics.—Feeble.<br /> 4. Knowledge of Botany.—Variable. Well up in belladonna, opium, and poisons generally. Knows nothing of practical gardening.<br /> 5. Knowledge of Geology.—Practical, but limited. Tells at a glance different soils from each other. After walks, has shown me splashes upon his trousers, and told me by their colour and consistence in what part of London he had received them.<br /> 6. Knowledge of Chemistry.—Profound.<br /> 7. Knowledge of Anatomy.—Accurate, but unsystematic.<br /> 8. Knowledge of Sensational Literature.—Immense. He appears to know every detail of every horror perpetrated in the century.<br /> 9. Plays the violin well.<br /> 10. Is an expert singlestick player, boxer, and swordsman.<br /> 11. Has a good practical knowledge of British law.<br /><br />Later stories make clear, however, that the above list is misleading, and that Holmes — who has just met Watson — is pulling Watson's leg. Two examples: despite Holmes' supposed ignorance of politics, in "A Scandal in Bohemia" he immediately recognises the true identity of the supposed Count von Kramm. Regarding non-sensational literature, his speech is replete with references to the Bible, Shakespeare, and even Goethe. This is somewhat inconsistent with his scolding Watson for telling him about how the Earth revolved around the Sun, instead of the other way around, given that Holmes tries to avoid having his memory cluttered with information that is of no use to him in detective work.<br /><br />Moreover, in "The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans" Watson reports that in November 1895, "Holmes lost himself in a monograph which he had undertaken upon the Polyphonic Motets of Lassus" - a most specialised field of knowledge, for which Holmes would have had to "clutter his memory" with an enormous amount of information which had absolutely nothing to do with crime-fighting - knowledge so extensive that his monograph was taken as "the last word" on it (see [1]).<br /><br />Also in A Study in Scarlet, Conan Doyle presents a comparison between his sleuth and two earlier, more established fictional detectives: Edgar Allan Poe's C. Auguste Dupin and Emile Gaboriau's Monsieur Lecoq. The former had first appeared in The Murders in the Rue Morgue, first published in 1841, and the latter in L'Affaire Lerouge (The Lerouge Affair) in 1866. The brief discussion between Watson and Holmes about the two characters begins with a comment by Watson:<br /><br /> "You remind me of Edgar Allan Poe's Dupin. I had no idea that such individuals did exist outside of stories."<br /><br /> Sherlock Holmes rose and lit his pipe. "No doubt you think that you are complimenting me in comparing me to Dupin," he observed. "Now, in my opinion, Dupin was a very inferior fellow. That trick of his of breaking in on his friends' thoughts with an apropos remark after a quarter of an hour's silence is really very showy and superficial. He had some analytical genius, no doubt; but he was by no means such a phenomenon as Poe appeared to imagine."<br /><br /> "Have you read Gaboriau's works?" I asked. "Does Lecoq come up to your idea of a detective?"<br /><br /> Sherlock Holmes sniffed sardonically. "Lecoq was a miserable bungler," he said, in an angry voice; "he had only one thing to recommend him, and that was his energy. That book made me positively ill. The question was how to identify an unknown prisoner. I could have done it in twenty-four hours. Lecoq took six months or so. It might be made a textbook for detectives to teach them what to avoid."<br /><br />Holmes seems convinced that he is superior to both of them, while Watson expresses his admiration of the two characters. It has been suggested that this was a way for Conan Doyle to pay some respect to characters imagined by writers who had influenced him, while insisting that his creation was an improvement on theirs. However, Holmes pulls a very Dupin-esque mindreading trick on Watson in "The Adventure of the Cardboard Box" (repeated word for word in the story, "The Resident Patient," when "The Cardboard Box" was removed from the Memoirs), and, to a lesser extent, in "The Adventure of the Dancing Men".<br /><br />Holmes is also a competent cryptanalyst. He relates to Watson, "I am fairly familiar with all forms of secret writing, and am myself the author of a trifling monograph upon the subject, in which I analyse one hundred and sixty separate ciphers." One such scheme is solved using frequency analysis in "The Adventure of the Dancing Men" which uses a series of stick figures, for example:<br />Dancing men ciphertext<br /><br />Holmes has shown himself to be a master of disguise from his earliest cases, adopting personas from all walks of life: he appears as a seaman in “The Sign of Four”, an opium addict in "The Man with the Twisted Lip", an old Italian priest "The Adventure of the Final Problem", a plumber in "The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton" and even as a woman in "The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone".<br /><br />Although Holmes looks upon himself as a disembodied brain, there are times when he can become very emotional in a righteous cause, such as when he disapproves of how the banker Holder treated his son in "The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet", and rounds on the Duke in "The Priory School" for putting his own son in danger. At the end of "The Adventure of the Six Napoleons", he is touched by Inspector Lestrade's deep gratitude for assisting Scotland Yard. Watson says, "he was more nearly moved by the softer human emotions than I had ever seen him." And, in "The Adventure of the Three Garridebs", Watson is wounded by a forger he and Holmes are pursuing. While the bullet wound proved to be "quite superficial," Watson is moved by Holmes' reaction.<br /><br /> It was worth a wound — it was worth many wounds — to know the depth of loyalty and love which lay behind that cold mask. The clear, hard eyes were dimmed for a moment, and the firm lips were shaking. For the one and only time I caught a glimpse of a great heart as well as of a great brain. All my years of humble but single-minded service culminated in that moment of revelation.<br /><br />Holmes’ analysis of physical evidence is both scientific and precise. He uses latent prints such as footprints, hoof prints and bicycle tracks to identify actions at a crime scene (“A Study in Scarlet”, "The Adventure of Silver Blaze", "The Adventure of the Priory School", The Hound of the Baskervilles), the use of tobacco ashes and cigarette butts to identify criminals ("The Adventure of the Resident Patient", The Hound of the Baskervilles), the use of typewritten letters to expose a fraud ("A Case of Identity"), bullet comparison from two crime scenes ("The Adventure of the Empty House") and even an early use of fingerprints (The Norwood Builder). Holmes also demonstrated knowledge of psychology in "A Scandal in Bohemia", luring Irene Adler to betray where she had hidden the photograph based on the ’’precis’’ that an un-married woman will seek her most valuable possession in a fire, whereas a married woman will grab her baby instead.<br /><br />Despite the excitment of his life (or perhaps seeking to leave it behind) Holmes retired to the Sussex Downs to take up beekeeping ("The Second Stain"), and wrote a book on the subject. His search for relaxation can also be seen in his love in music, notably "The Red Headed League" where Holmes takes an evening off from a case to listen to Sarasate play violin.<br /><br />[edit] His personality and habits<br />Monument of Sherlock Holmes in London<br />Monument of Sherlock Holmes in London<br /><br />Holmes is not at all a stuffy straight-laced Victorian gentleman as one might think; in fact, he describes himself and his habits as "Bohemian". Modern readers of the Holmes stories are apt to be surprised that he was an occasional user (a habitual user when lacking in stimulating cases) of cocaine and morphine, though Watson describes this as Holmes' "only vice". In his personal habits, he is very disorganized, as Watson notes in "The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual", leaving everything from notes from past cases to remains of chemical experiments scattered around their rooms.<br /><br />Nevertheless, Watson was very typical of his time in not considering a vice Holmes' habit of smoking (usually a pipe) heavily, nor his willingness to bend the truth and break the law (e.g., lie to the police, conceal evidence, burgle and housebreak) when it suited his purposes. In Victorian England, such actions were not necessarily considered vices as long as they were done by a gentleman for noble purposes, such as preserving a woman's honour or a family's reputation (this argument is discussed by Holmes and Watson in "The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton"). Since many of the stories revolve around Holmes (and Watson) doing such things, a modern reader must accept actions which would be out of character for a "law-abiding" detective living by the standards of a later time. (They remain staples of detective fiction, being done in a good cause.) Holmes has a strong sense of honour and "doing the right thing".<br /><br />Holmes can often be quite dispassionate and cold; however, when hot on the trail of a mystery, he can display a remarkable passion given his usual languor. He has a flair for showmanship and often he prepares dramatic traps to capture the culprit of a crime which are staged to impress Watson or one of the Scotland Yard inspectors (Inspector Lestrade at the end of "The Norwood Builder"). He also holds back on his chain of reasoning, not revealing it or only giving cryptic hints and surprising results, until the very end, when he can explain all of his deductions at once.<br /><br />Holmes is also proud of being British, as demonstrated by the patriotic ‘VR’ (Victoria Regina – i.e. Queen Victoria) made in bullet pocks in the wall by his gun. He has also carried out counterintelligence work for his government in several cases, most conspicuously in His Last Bow, most often tracking down stolen state documents or thwarting the work of foreign spies.<br /><br />Holmes does have an ego that sometimes seems to border on arrogance; however, he has usually earned the right to such arrogance. He seems to enjoy baffling police inspectors with his superior deductions. Holmes is often quite content to allow the police to take the credit for his work, with Watson being the only one to broadcast his own roles in the case (in "The Adventure of the Naval Treaty", he remarks that of his last fifty-three cases, the police have had all the credit in forty-nine), although he enjoys receiving praise from personal friends and those who take a serious interest in his work.<br /><br />Although he initially needed Watson to share the rent of his comfortable residence at 221B Baker Street it is revealed in "The Adventure of the Dying Detective" (when he was living alone) "I have no doubt that the house might have been purchased at the price which Holmes paid for his rooms" suggesting he had developed a good income from his practice, although it is never revealed exactly how much he charges for his services. He does say, in "The Problem of Thor Bridge" that "My professional charges are upon a fixed scale. I do not vary them, save when I remit them altogether..". This is said in a context where a client is offering to double his fees; however, it is likely that rich clients provided a remuneration greatly in excess of Holmes' standard fee: in "The Adventure of the Final Problem", Holmes states that his services to the government of France and the royal house of Scandinavia had left him with enough money to retire comfortably, while in "The Adventure of Black Peter" Watson notes that Holmes would refuse to help the wealthy and powerful if their cases did not interest him, while he could devote weeks at a time to the cases of the most humble clients. He also tells Watson in "A Case Of Identity" of a golden snuff box received from the King of Bohemia after "A Scandal In Bohemia" and a fabulous ring from the Scandinavian royal family. In "The Adventure of the Priory School", Holmes "rubs his hands with glee" when the Duke notes the sum, which surprises even Watson, and then pats the cheque, saying "I am a poor man", an incident that could be dismissed to Holmes's tendency for ironic humour. Certainly, in the course of his career Holmes had worked for both the most powerful monarchs and governments of Europe (including his own) and various wealthy aristocrats and industrialists, and also been consulted by impoverished pawnbrokers and humble governesses on the lower rungs of society. The Victorian class system was much more complex than the modern day — it would have been degrading to offer a bill to a royal figure, but such a figure might well provide recompense of the equivalent of millions in modern currency.<br /><br />Holmes is generally quite fearless. He dispassionately surveys horrific, brutal crime scenes; he does not allow superstition (as in The Hound of the Baskervilles) or grotesque situations to make him afraid; and he intrepidly confronts violent murderers. He is generally unfazed by threats from his criminal enemies, and indeed Holmes himself remarks that it is the danger of his profession that has attracted him to it.<br /><br />Finally, Holmes does have capacities for human emotion and friendship. He has a remarkable capacity to gently soothe and reassure people suffering from extreme distress, a talent which comes in handy when dealing with both male and female clients who arrive at Baker Street suffering from extreme fear or nervousness. In "The Adventure of the Norwood Builder", we see an example of Holmes' affection for Dr. Watson when it is revealed that Watson has sold his practice as a doctor to a man named Verner, who, "...[gave] with astonishing little demur the highest price that I ventured to ask - an incident which only explained itself later, when I found that Verner was a distant relation of Holmes, and it was my friend who had really found the money." Again we are shown his close personal friendship with Watson, whose near-death at the hands of a counterfeiter in "The Adventure of the Three Garridebs" elicits much grief and anger from Holmes. Over time, Holmes' relations with the official Scotland Yard detectives goes from cold disdain to a strong respect. And the classic 'might-have-been' in Holmes' life is, of course Irene Adler (from "A Scandal in Bohemia"), who is later referred in the most laudatory of terms by Watson. This is the only canonical incident however, despite signs of interest in other women, Watson is frequently disappointed that Holmes shows no further interest in them once the case is solved.<br /><br />[edit] Holmes, Watson, and firearms<br /><br />Although on occasion Holmes and Watson carry pistols with them (see also Dr. Watson's revolver), there are only five times when these weapons are used:<br /><br /> * They both fire at the Andaman Islander in The Sign of Four.<br /> * They both fire at The Hound of the Baskervilles.<br /> * Watson fires at the mastiff in "The Adventure of the Copper Beeches".<br /> * Watson pistol-whips Colonel Sebastian Moran in "The Adventure of the Empty House".<br /> * Holmes pistol-whips Killer Evans in "The Adventure of the Three Garridebs" after Watson is shot.<br /><br />In "The Musgrave Ritual" it is revealed that Holmes decorated the wall of their flat with a patriotic "V.R." (Victoria Regina) done in bullet marks.<br /><br />Besides a pistol, Holmes uses a riding crop/cane as a weapon:<br /><br /> * To knock the pistol from John Clay's hand in "The Red-Headed League".<br /> * To lash out at the snake (with his cane) in "The Adventure of the Speckled Band".<br /><br />[edit] People in his life<br /><br />An estimate of Holmes's age in the short story "His Last Bow" places his year of birth around 1854.<br /><br />Historically, Holmes lived from the year 1881 at 221B Baker Street, London (in early notes it was described as being situated at Upper Baker Street), a flat up seventeen steps, where he shared many of his professional years with his good friend Dr. Watson for some time before Watson's marriage in 1887 or 1888 and after Mrs. Watson's death. The residence was maintained by his landlady, Mrs. Hudson.<br /><br />In almost all of the stories Holmes is assisted by the practical Watson, who is not only a friend but also his chronicler (his "Boswell"). Most of Holmes' stories are told as narratives, by Watson, of the detective's solutions to crimes brought to his attention by clients. Holmes sometimes criticises Watson for his writings, usually because he relates them as exciting stories rather than as objective and detailed reports focusing on what Holmes regards as the pure "science" of his craft.<br /><br />Holmes has an older brother, Mycroft Holmes, a government official, who appears in three stories: "The Greek Interpreter", "The Final Problem", and "The Bruce-Partington Plans". He is also mentioned in a number of others, including "The Empty House". Mycroft had a unique civil service position as a kind of memory-man for all aspects of government policy - a kind of walking database. Sherlock thought Mycroft more gifted but not a man of action, preferring to spend his time at the Diogenes Club, described as a club for the most un-clubable men in London.<br /><br />In three stories (The Sign of Four, A Study in Scarlet, and "The Adventure of the Crooked Man") he is assisted by a group of street children he calls the Baker Street Irregulars.<br /><br />Law enforcement officers with whom Holmes has worked include Inspector Lestrade, Tobias Gregson, Stanley Hopkins, and Athelney (or Peter) Jones, all four of Scotland Yard, and Francois Le Villard of the French police. Holmes usually baffles the police with his far more efficient and effective methods, showing himself to be a vastly superior detective, a fact that the Police seem to have learnt to take with good grace - witness Lestrade at the end of "The Six Napoleons".<br /><br />Holmes archenemy and popularly-supposed nemesis was Professor James Moriarty ("the Napoleon of Crime"), who fell, struggling with Holmes, over the Reichenbach Falls. Conan Doyle intended "The Final Problem", the story in which this occurred, to be the last that he wrote about Holmes. However, the outpouring of protests and letters demanding that he bring back his creation convinced him to continue. He did so with The Hound of The Baskervilles, although this was a case Holmes was involved in before his supposed death. His return in "The Adventure of the Empty House" had Conan Doyle explaining that only Moriarty fell over the cliff, but Holmes had allowed the world to believe that he too had perished while he dodged the retribution of Moriarty's underlings. Also, numerous sources claim that Moriarty was initially Holmes' mathematics tutor, as is also referenced in the work of Baring-Gould. Professor Moriarty also has a presence in The Valley of Fear.<br /><br />[edit] Holmes and Women<br /><br />The only woman in whom Holmes ever showed any interest that verged on the romantic was Irene Adler. According to Watson, she was always referred to by Holmes as "The Woman." Holmes himself is never directly quoted as using this term — though he does mention her actual name several times in other cases. She is also one of the few women who are mentioned in multiple Holmes stories, though she actually appears in person only in one, "A Scandal in Bohemia". She is often thought to be the only woman who broke through Holmes' reserve. She is possibly the only woman who has ever "beaten" Holmes in a mystery; this point is unclear owing to a comment with some chronological problems in one of the stories (see the Irene Adler or "The Five Orange Pips" articles for details). However, it is important to note that Watson explicitly states, "It was not that he felt any emotion akin to love for Irene Adler."<br /><br />In one story, "The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton", Holmes is engaged to be married, but only with the motivation of gaining information for his case. He clearly demonstrates particular interest in several of the more charming female clients that come his way (such as Violet Hunter of "The Adventure of the Copper Beeches", whom Watson thought might become more than a client to Holmes). However, Holmes inevitably "manifested no further interest in her when once she had ceased to be the centre of one of his problems." Holmes found their youth, beauty, and energy (and the cases they bring to him) invigorating, as opposed to an actual romantic interest.<br /><br />These episodes show that Holmes possesses a degree of charm yet, apart from the case of Adler, there is no indication of a serious or long-term interest. Watson states that Holmes has an "aversion to women" but "a peculiarly ingratiating way with [them]." Holmes stated "I am not a whole-souled admirer of womankind"; in fact he finds "the motives of women... so inscrutable... How can you build on such quicksand? Their most trivial actions may mean volumes... their most extraordinary conduct may depend upon a hairpin."<br /><br />Another point of interest in Holmes' relationships with women, is that the only joy he gets from their company is the problems they bring to him to solve. In The Sign of Four, Watson quotes Holmes as being "an automaton, a calculating machine." This references Holmes' lack of interest in relationships with women in general, and clients in particular, as Watson states that "there is something positively inhuman in you at times."<br /><br />Watson writes in "The Adventure of the Dying Detective" that Mrs. Hudson is fond of Holmes in her own way, despite his bothersome eccentricities as a lodger, owing to his "remarkable gentleness and courtesy in his dealings with women." Watson notes that while he dislikes and distrusts them, he is nonetheless a "chivalrous opponent." However, Holmes cannot be said to be misogynistic, given the number of women he helps in his work.<br /><br />Watson, on the other hand, boasts in The Sign of Four of "an experience of women which extends over many nations and three separate continents." In addition, he speaks favourably of some women — indeed, in virtually all the longer stories he remarks on the exceptional beauty of at least one female character — and actually married one, Mary Morstan of The Sign of Four.<br /><br />[edit] Holmesian deduction<br />"Holmes' belongings" including a magnifying glass, calabash pipe, and a deerstalker cap at the Sherlock Holmes Museum in London.<br />"Holmes' belongings" including a magnifying glass, calabash pipe, and a deerstalker cap at the Sherlock Holmes Museum in London.<br /><br />"From a drop of water," Holmes wrote in an essay described in A Study in Scarlet, "a logician could infer the possibility of an Atlantic or a Niagara without having seen or heard of one or the other." Holmes stories often begin with a bravura display of his talent for "deduction". It is of some interest to logicians and those interested in logic to try to analyse just what Holmes is doing when he performs his deduction. Holmesian deduction appears to consist primarily of drawing inferences based on either straightforward practical principles — which are the result of careful inductive study, such as Holmes' study of different kinds of cigar ashes — or inference to the best explanation. In many cases, the deduction can be modelled either way. In 2002, Holmes was inducted as an honorary fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry — the only fictional character so honoured — in appreciation of the contributions to forensic investigation.[1]<br /><br />[edit] Principles<br /><br />Holmes' straightforward practical principles are generally of the form, "If 'p', then 'q'," where 'p' is observed evidence and 'q' is what the evidence indicates. But there are also, as one may observe in the following example, often some intermediate principles. In "A Scandal in Bohemia" Holmes deduces that Watson had got very wet lately and that he had "a most clumsy and careless servant girl." When Watson, in amazement, asks how Holmes knows this, Holmes answers:<br /><br /> "It is simplicity itself... My eyes tell me that on the inside of your left shoe, just where the firelight strikes it, the leather is scored by six almost parallel cuts. Obviously they have been caused by someone who has very carelessly scraped round the edges of the sole in order to remove crusted mud from it. Hence, you see, my double deduction that you had been out in vile weather, and that you had a particularly malignant boot-slitting specimen of the London slavey."<br /><br />In this case, we might say Holmes employed several connected principles such as these:<br /><br /> * If leather on the side of a shoe is scored by several parallel cuts, it was caused by someone who scraped around the edges of the sole in order to remove crusted mud.<br /> * If a 19th-century London doctor's shoes are scraped to remove crusted mud, the person who so scraped them is the doctor's servant girl.<br /> * If someone cuts a shoe while scraping it to remove encrusted mud, that person is clumsy and careless.<br /> * If someone's shoes had encrusted mud on them, that person has been very wet lately and has been out in vile weather.<br /><br />By applying such principles in an obvious way (using repeated applications of modus ponens), Holmes is able to infer from<br /><br /> 'p': The sides of Watson's shoes are scored by several parallel cuts.<br /><br />to<br /><br /> 'q1': Watson's servant girl is clumsy and careless.<br /><br />and<br /><br /> 'q2': Watson has been very wet lately and has been out in vile weather.<br /><br />But perhaps Holmes is not giving a proper explanation — after all, Holmes may be well aware of Watson's servant girl. As Watson is a doctor and it has been raining, it is likely he has been out in the rain.<br /><br />Of course, Holmes' deductive reasonings are a common tool by which certain characters (particularly his astonished clients) are introduced by Holmes himself into the story. For example, in Conan Doyle's story The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist, Holmes' observations allow him to deduce that the client, Violet Smith, enjoys bicycling, due to slight roughenings of the sides of her shoe's soles from friction with the pedals. He also noted that the lady had spatulated finger-ends, which he initially assumed had been acquired from typewriting. However, he then openly corrected himself by commenting on Ms. Smith having a certain spirituality about the face (which he commented would not come from working with a typewriter), and remarked how such fingers can also develop from playing musical instruments; Thus, he identified Ms. Smith as being a musician (a music teacher to be precise).<br /><br />In other instances of Holmesian deduction, it is more difficult to model his inference as deduction using general principles, and logicians and scientists will readily recognise the method used, instead, as an "inductive" one — in particular, "argument to the best explanation", or, in Charles S. Peirce's terminology, "abduction". However, that Holmes should have called this "deduction" is entirely plausible.<br /><br />The instances in which Holmes uses deduction tend to be those where he has amassed a large body of evidence, produced a number of possible explanations of that evidence, and then proceeds to find one explanation that is clearly the best at explaining the evidence. For example, in The Sign of Four, a man is found dead in his room, with a ghastly smile on his face, and with no immediately visible cause of death. From a whole body of background information as well as evidence gathered at and around the scene of the crime, Holmes is able to infer that the murderer is not one of the various people that Scotland Yard has in custody (each of them being an alternative explanation), but rather another person entirely. As Holmes says in the story, "How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?" This phrase has entered Western popular culture as a catchphrase.<br /><br />In the latter example, in fact, Holmes' solution of the crime depends both on a series of applications of general principles and argument to the best explanation.<br /><br />Holmes' success at his brand of deduction, therefore, is due to his mastery of both a huge body of particular knowledge of things like footprints, cigar ashes, and poisons, which he uses to make relatively simple deductive inferences, and the fine art of ordering and weighing different competing explanations of a body of evidence. Holmes is also particularly good at gathering evidence by observation, as well locating and tracking the movements of criminals through the streets of London and its environs (in order to produce more evidence) — skills that have little to do with deduction per se, but everything to do with providing the premises for particular Holmesian deductions. Four examples of Holmes' deductions of an owner's lifestyle are: Dr. Watson's old pocket watch in The Sign of Four, Dr. Mortimer's walking stick in The Hound of the Baskervilles, Mr. Grant Munro's pipe in "The Adventure of the Yellow Face" and Henry Baker's hat in "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle."<br /><br />In the stories by Conan Doyle, Holmes often remarked that his logical conclusions were "elementary," in that he considered them to be simple and obvious. He also, on occasion, referred to his friend as "my dear Watson." However, the complete phrase, "Elementary, my dear Watson," does not appear in any of the sixty Holmes stories written by Conan Doyle. It does appear at the very end of the 1929 film, The Return of Sherlock Holmes, the first Sherlock Holmes sound film, and may owe its familiarity to its use in Edith Meiser's scripts for The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes radio series. The phrase was first used by American actor William Gillette though.<br /><br />It should be noted too, that our modern stereotype of police procedure — someone who looks for physical clues, rather than someone who examines opportunity and motive — comes from Holmes.<br /><br />As mentioned in the Overview section above, Conan Doyle was an admirer of Oliver Wendell Holmes. In 1858, Holmes had written, in his Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table, “Tell me about Cuvier’s getting up a megatherium from a tooth … so all a man’s antecedents and possibilities are summed up in a single utterance….” This recalls what Schopenhauer had written in 1851, “Just as a botanist recognises the whole plant from one leaf and Cuvier constructed the entire animal from one bone, so from one characteristic action of a man we can arrive at a correct knowledge of his character.” (Parerga and Paralipomena, Vol. II, §118) These assertions are echoed in "The Five Orange Pips", in which Sherlock Holmes declared, “As Cuvier could correctly describe a whole animal by the contemplation of a single bone, so the observer who has thoroughly understood one link in a series of incidents should be able to state all the other ones, before and after.”<br /><br />Readers of the Sherlock Holmes stories have often been surprised to discover that their author, Conan Doyle, was a fervent believer in paranormal phenomena, and that the logical, skeptical character of Holmes was in opposition to his own in many ways.<br /><br />It must be noted that, in Holmesian deduction, it is important to attempt to eliminate all other possibilities, or as many as possible. This requires quite a bit of practice to reach. Watson attempts several times to perform Holmesian deductions, and even gives his explanations. However, he fails to recognise other equally probable circumstances, and is wrong on almost every count. As of 2007, the MI5 and MI6 are training their agents in Sherlockian Deduction [2].<br /><br />[edit] The Great Hiatus<br /><br />Holmes fans refer to the period from 1891 to 1894 — the time between Holmes' disappearance and presumed death in "The Adventure of the Final Problem" and his reappearance in "The Adventure of the Empty House" — as "the Great Hiatus". It is notable, though, that one later story ("The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge") is described as taking place in 1892.<br /><br />Conan Doyle wrote the stories over the course of a decade. Wanting to devote more time to his historical novels, he killed off Holmes in "The Final Problem", which appeared in print in 1893. After resisting public pressure for eight years, the author wrote The Hound of the Baskervilles, which appeared in 1901, implicitly setting it before Holmes' "death" (some theorise that it actually took place after "The Return" but with Watson planting clues to an earlier date).[3][4] The public, while pleased with the story, was not satisfied with a posthumous Holmes, and so Conan Doyle resuscitated Holmes two years later. Many have speculated on his motives for bringing Holmes back to life, notably writer-director Nicholas Meyer, who wrote an essay on the subject in the 1970s, but the actual reasons are not known, other than the obvious: publishers offered to pay generously. For whatever reason, Conan Doyle continued to write Holmes stories for a quarter-century longer.<br /><br />Some writers have come up with alternate explanations for the hiatus. In Meyer's novel, The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, the hiatus was explained as a secret sabbatical that Holmes indulged in for those years after his drug rehabilitation treatment with Sigmund Freud's help, while he light-heartedly suggested that Watson write a fictitious account claiming he had died: "They'll never believe you in any case." A recent novel, Sherlock Holmes and the Plague of Dracula, speculates that Holmes fell victim to the disease of vampirism and spent the Hiatus seeking a cure.<br /><br />John Kendrick Bangs, creator of Bangsian fantasy, wrote a book in 1897 called Pursuit of the House-Boat (a sequel to his A House-Boat on the Styx, in which the souls of famous dead people start up a club in Hades). In it, the house-boat (which was hijacked at the end of A House-Boat on the Styx by Captain Kidd) is tracked down by the members of the club with the aid of none other than Sherlock Holmes — who is indeed dead.<br /><br />In his memoirs, Conan Doyle quotes a reader, who judged the later stories inferior to the earlier ones, to the effect that when Holmes went over the Reichenbach Falls, he may not have been killed, but he was never quite the same man after.<br /><br />The differences in the pre- and post-Hiatus Holmes have in fact created speculation among those who play "The Game" (making believe Sherlock Holmes was a historical person). Among the more interesting and plausible theories: the later Holmes was in fact an impostor (perhaps even Professor Moriarty), the later stories were fictions created to fill other writers' pockets (this is often used to deal with the stories which supposedly are written by Holmes himself), and Holmes and Professor Moriarty were in fact a variation of Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Among the more fanciful theories, the story The Case of the Detective's Smile by Mark Bourne, published in the anthology Sherlock Holmes in Orbit, posits that one of the places Holmes visited during his hiatus was Alice's Wonderland. While there, he solved the case of the stolen tarts, and his experiences there contributed to his kicking the cocaine addiction.<br /><br />[edit] Adaptations<br /><br />[edit] Canonical adaptations<br /><br /> Main article: Sherlock Holmes in other media<br /><br />Vasily Livanov was awarded the OBE for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes in the Russian TV series.<br />Vasily Livanov was awarded the OBE for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes in the Russian TV series.<br /><br />As Sherlock Holmes is such a popular character, there have been many theatrical stage and cinematic adaptations of Conan Doyle's work — much in the same way that Hamlet or Dracula are often revised and adapted.<br /><br />The Guinness World Records has consistently listed him as the "most portrayed movie character" with over 70 actors playing the part in over 200 films.<br /><br />[edit] Related and derivative works (non-canonical)<br /><br /> Main article: Non-canonical works related and derived from Sherlock Holmes<br /><br />In addition to the canonical Sherlock Holmes stories, Conan Doyle's "The Lost Special" (1908) features an unnamed "amateur reasoner" clearly intended to be identified as Holmes by his readers. His explanation for a baffling disappearance, argued in Holmes' characteristic style, turns out to be quite wrong — evidently Conan Doyle was not above poking fun at his own hero. A short story by Conan Doyle using the same idea is "The Man with the Watches". Another example of Conan Doyle's humour is "How Watson Learned the Trick" (1924), a parody of the frequent Watson-Holmes breakfast table scenes. A further parody by Conan Doyle is "The Field Bazaar". He also wrote other material, especially plays, featuring Holmes. Many of these writings are collected in the books Sherlock Holmes: the Published Apocrypha edited by Jack Tracy, The Final Adventures of Sherlock Holmes edited by Peter Haining and The Uncollected Sherlock Holmes compiled by Roger Lancelyn Green.<br /><br />Sherlock Holmes' abilities as both a good fighter and as an excellent logician have been a boon to other authors who have lifted his name, or details of his exploits, for their plots. These range from Holmes as a cocaine addict, whose drug-fuelled fantasies lead him to cast an innocent Professor Moriarty as a super villain (The Seven-Per-Cent Solution), to science-fiction plots involving him being re-animated after death to fight crime in the future (Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century). However these talents have been inverted for comic effect, as in Gene Wilder's film The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother, and Thom Eberhardt's Without a Clue, which depicts Dr. Watson as the real detective genius and Holmes as a bumbling idiot who is merely a front man for Watson[5], with a plot which cleverly mirrors the real life circumstance of Conan Doyle (also a physician) who eventually tired of his creation, Sherlock Holmes.<br /><br />Some authors have supplied stories to fit the tantalising references in the canon to unpublished cases (e.g. "The giant rat of Sumatra, a story for which the world is not yet prepared" in "The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire"), notably The Exploits of Sherlock Holmes by Conan Doyle's son Adrian Conan Doyle with John Dickson Carr; others have used different characters from the stories as their own detective, e.g. Mycroft Holmes in Enter the Lion by Michael P. Hodel and Sean M. Wright (1979) or Dr. James Mortimer (from The Hound of the Baskervilles) in books by Gerard Williams.<br /><br />A common setting for uncanonical pieces pits Holmes and Watson against the Nazis. Most notable were the films made during the Second World War starring Basil Rathbone, but more recently The Curse of the Nibelung: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery. Such pieces were in the spirit of Conan Doyle's patriotism, and indeed the canonic "His Last Bow" describes Holmes and his connections with British Intelligence on the eve of the First World War.<br />Jeremy Brett’s performance as Holmes is considered definitive by many viewers.<br />Jeremy Brett’s performance as Holmes is considered definitive by many viewers.<br /><br />Jeremy Brett is generally considered the definitive Holmes of recent times, having played the role in four series ("The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes") created by John Hawkesworth for Britain's Granada Television from 1984 though to 1994 as well as depicting Holmes on stage. Brett's Dr. Watson were played by David Burke and Edward Hardwicke in the television series, and Brett himself played Watson opposite Charlton Heston's Holmes in a Los Angeles theatre production of The Crucifer of Blood before making his name as the detective.<br /><br />It is also common for writers to pit Holmes against other well-known fictional characters originating from or set in the same era as Conan Doyle's stories — particularly those who now exist in the public domain, and so can be used freely without payment of royalties to the creator. In these crossovers, Holmes has frequently interacted with Dr. Fu Manchu (in Cay Van Ash's Ten Years Beyond Baker Street), Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (in Loren D. Estleman's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Holmes) and Dracula (In Loren Estleman's Sherlock Holmes vs. Dracula or Stephen Seitz's "Sherlock Holmes and the Plague of Dracula"). He has also appeared as a significant (although often unseen) background presence in Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill's comic book series The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and also Planetary by Warren Ellis and John Cassaday.<br /><br />Other writers have Holmes meeting real people and participating in real events. In Nicholas Meyer's works, Holmes meets Sigmund Freud, Oscar Wilde, Gilbert and Sullivan, and Bram Stoker, among other Victorian celebrities. In Sherlock Holmes and the Red Demon, Minnesota journalist Larry Millett involves Holmes and Watson in the Great Hinckley Fire; their employer is railroad magnate James J. Hill, and they also meet Boston Corbett, the man who shot John Wilkes Booth. And on at least six occasions (Edward B. Hanna's novel The Whitechapel Horrors, Michael Didbin's novel The Last Sherlock Holmes Story. In Philip J. Carraher's novel The Adventure of the New York Ripper (with Holmes using the alias Simon Hawkes), Barry Day's novel Sherlock Holmes and the Apocalypse Murders, and the movies A Study in Terror and Murder by Decree) Holmes gets involved in the Jack the Ripper case. In Caitlín R. Kiernan's "The Drowned Geologist," Holmes is placed in Whitby at the same time as the stranding of the Demeter, the ship which carried Dracula to England.<br /><br />Some have even been daring enough to suggest Holmes had a relationship during the books, or to pair him up with another detective. In the Mary Russell series, by Laurie R. King Holmes is married to Mary Russell, a woman thirty-nine years his junior, and makes her his partner in detection. Carole Nelson Douglas also wrote an eight-novel detective series starring Irene Adler as a detective that also features Holmes.<br /><br />[edit] Holmesian speculation<br /><br />The 56 short stories and 4 novels written by Conan Doyle are termed "the Canon" by the Holmesians. A popular pastime among fans of Sherlock Holmes is to treat Holmes and Watson as real people, and attempt to elucidate facts about them from clues in the stories or by combining the stories with historical fact. Early scholars of the canon included Ronald Knox in Britain and Christopher Morley in New York.<br /><br />When a student at Oxford, Knox issued "Studies in the Literature of Sherlock Holmes", an essay which is regarded as the founding text of "Holmesian scholarship". That essay was re-printed, among others, in 1928 and the following year, Sydney Roberts, then a professor at Cambridge University, issued a reply to Knox's arguments, in a booklet entitled A Note on the Watson Problem. S.C. Roberts issued then a complete Watson biography. A book by T.S. Blakeney followed and the Holmesian "game" was born.<br /><br />In 1934 were founded the Sherlock Holmes Society, in London, and the Baker Street Irregulars, in New York. Both are still active today (though the Sherlock Holmes Society was dissolved in 1937 to be resuscitated only in 1951). Dorothy Sayers, creator of the detective Lord Peter Wimsey, also wrote several essays on Holmesian speculation, later published in Unpopular Opinions, including an interesting discussion of Watson's middle name. While Dorothy Sayers and many of the early "Holmesians" used the works of Conan Doyle as the chief basis for their speculations, a more fanciful school of playing the historical-Holmes game is represented by William S. Baring-Gould, author of Sherlock Holmes of Baker Street (1962), a personal "biography" of Holmes.<br /><br />A more recent "biography" is Nick Renson's 'Sherlock Holmes: The Unauthorised Biography' (Atlantic Books, 2005), and since 1998, Leslie S. Klinger is currently editing The Sherlock Holmes Reference Library, (Gasogene Books, Indianapolis), which sums up the available holmesian "scholarship" alongside the original "canonical" texts.<br /><br />[edit] Holmes and Nietzsche<br /><br />There is also the idea that many characters in the Sherlock Holmes stories were based heavily on real people, particularly Friedrich Nietzsche (who may have been the model for Holmes himself and Professor Moriarty), and that Conan Doyle borrowed from other authors, as many other writers have done. Samuel Rosenberg, in his Naked is the Best Disguise, details the striking references to Nietzsche in the Holmes stories. This is however a highly unlikely and specious theory, as it boldly attempts to ignore causality: with the first English translations of Nietzsche's works not appearing until 1899, a full twelve years after the first Holmes story was published. There is also strong belief that Holmes was based on one George Vale Owen[citation needed]. Owen was a scholar who worked with Conan Doyle, and became a close friend of his. The acknowledged model for Holmes' observational skills was Dr. Joseph Bell, whose assistant Conan Doyle had been.<br /><br />[edit] The Holmes family<br /><br />A particularly-rich area of "research" is the "uncovering" of details about Holmes' family history and early life, of which almost nothing is said in Conan Doyle's stories. In "The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter", Watson states: "I had never heard him refer to his relations, and hardly ever to his early life." But in that story, as well as introducing his brother, Holmes mentions the only facts about his family that are in any of the stories — "My ancestors were country squires... my grandmother... was the sister of Vernet, the French artist" (presumably Horace Vernet). Beyond this, all familial statements are speculation. For example, there is a certain belief that his mother was named Violet, based on Conan Doyle's fondness for the name and the four strong Violets in the canon; however, as Baring-Gould noted, in Holmes' Britain, Violet was a very common name.<br /><br />It is clear from references to "the university" in "The Adventure of the Gloria Scott", "The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual", and to some degree "The Adventure of the Three Students", that Holmes attended Oxford or Cambridge, although the question of which one remains a topic of eternal debate (Baring-Gould believed textual evidence indicated that Holmes attended both).<br /><br />The most influential "biography" of Holmes is Sherlock Holmes of Baker Street by Baring-Gould. Faced with Holmes' reticence about his family background and early life, Baring-Gould invented one for him. According to Baring-Gould, Sherlock Holmes was born in Yorkshire, the youngest of three sons of Siger Holmes and Violet Sherrinford. The middle brother, Mycroft, appears in the canon, but the eldest, Sherrinford Holmes, was invented by Baring-Gould to free Mycroft and Sherlock from the obligation of following Siger as a country squire. (In reality, "Sherrinford Holmes" was one of the names Arthur Conan Doyle considered for his hero before settling on "Sherlock".) Siger Holmes' name is derived from "The Adventure of the Empty House", in which Sherlock spends some time pretending to be a Norwegian mountaineer called Sigerson. (This hardly qualifies as a clue about the name of Sherlock's father, but in the absence of any genuine clues it was the best Baring-Gould had to work with.)<br /><br />Sherrinford had a significant role in the Doctor Who crossover novel All-Consuming Fire by Andy Lane, which also featured a cameo by Siger.<br /><br />Some other notable versions of Holmes' parentage:<br /><br /> * Nicholas Meyer's The Seven-Per-Cent Solution reveals that his mother was cheating on his father, and so his father killed both his mother and himself. It also stipulates that it was his maths professor, Professor Moriarty, who brought the news of the tragedy to young Sherlock. This not only explains his career choice, but also (in an appropriately Freudian manner) his hatred of Professor Moriarty.<br /> * Michael Harrison's I, Sherlock Holmes names his father as Captain Siger Holmes of the British East India Company.<br /> * Fred Saberhagen's The Holmes-Dracula File gives his true father as the lover of Mrs. Holmes: The vampire Radu the Handsome, a younger brother of Vlad III Dracula, who had succeeded him as a ruler of Wallachia. This would make Sherlock a nephew of Dracula (against whom he was pitted in Loren D. Estleman's novel The Case of the Sanguinary Count).<br /><br />[edit] The Holmes family and the Wold Newton family<br /><br />Based originally on the writings of Philip José Farmer, the concept of the Wold Newton family is the construction of a giant genealogical tree which connects many fictional characters to each other and to a number of historical figures. Additions to this tree are based on the writings of the original creators, pastiche writers, and "Wold Newton scholars." Sherlock Holmes has been one of the central characters of this tree. The Holmes family and its various generations have been the subject of many Wold Newton articles.<br /><br />[edit] The societies<br /><br />The two initial societies founded in 1934 were followed by many more Holmesians circles, first of all in America (where they are called "scion societies" - offshoots - of the Baker Street Irregulars), then in England and Denmark. Nowadays, there are Holmesian societies in many countries like India and Japan being the more prominent countries which have a history of such activity.<br /><br />[edit] The museums<br /><br />During the 1951 Festival of Britain, Sherlock Holmes' sitting-room was reconstructed as the masterpiece of a Sherlock Holmes Exhibition, displaying a unique collection of original material. After the 1951 exhibition closed, items were transferred to the Sherlock Holmes Pub, in London, and to the Conan Doyle Collection in Lucens (Switzerland). Both exhibitions, each including its own very good Baker Street Sitting-Room reconstruction, are still to be seen today. In 1990 The Sherlock Holmes Museum was opened in Baker Street London and the following year in Meiringen Switzerland another Museum was also opened, but naturally they include less historical material about Conan Doyle than about Sherlock Holmes himself. The Sherlock Holmes Museum at 221b Baker Street London was the first Museum in the world to be dedicated to a fictional character.<br /><br />[edit] Influence of Holmes<br /><br />[edit] Role in the history of the detective story<br /><br />A popular misconception is that the Sherlock Holmes stories gave rise to the entire genre of detective fiction. In fact, the Holmes character and his modus operandi were inspired by two predecessors, C. Auguste Dupin and Monsieur Lecoq and their technique for solving crime. Created by Edgar Allan Poe and Émile Gaboriau respectively, they were both investigators to whom even Holmes himself alluded. Many fictional sleuths have imitated Holmes' logical methods and followed in his footsteps, in various ways.<br />The Doctor takes his cue from Holmes' dress sense to disguise himself in The Talons of Weng-Chiang<br />The Doctor takes his cue from Holmes' dress sense to disguise himself in The Talons of Weng-Chiang<br /><br />Writers have produced many pop culture references to Sherlock Holmes, Conan Doyle, or characters from the stories in homage, to a greater or lesser degree. Such allusions can form a plot development, raise the intellectual level of the piece or act as easter eggs for an observant audience.<br /><br />Some have been overt, introducing Holmes as a character in a new setting, or a more subtle allusion, such as making a logical character live in an apartment at number 221b. Often the simplest reference is to dress anybody who does some kind of detective work in a deerstalker and cloak (as seen right). Another rich field of pop culture references is Holmes' ancestry and descendants (as discussed above) but really the only limit is the writer's imagination. A third major reference is the quote, "Elementary, my dear Watson." Which suprisingly enough was never actually said by Sherlock Holmes. True, Holmes has said "Elementary" and "My dear Watson" but has never actually said "Elementary my dear Watson." Another common misattributation is that Holmes, throughout the entire novel series, is never described as wearing the 'deerstalker hat'.Be@$Tahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17411774385008177715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8370253107272267929.post-71893585374832631642007-07-16T01:21:00.000-07:002007-07-16T01:26:15.860-07:00MU ONLINEMU Online (Korean: 뮤 온라인) is a 3D medieval fantasy MMORPG, produced by Webzen, a Korean gaming company. In the Philippines, the pay to play (P2P) version is distributed by Digital Media Exchange through the company Mobius Games.<br />Contents<br />[hide]<br /><br /> * 1 Gameplay<br /> * 2 Character Classes<br /> * 3 Spells and Skills<br /> * 4 Game World<br /> * 5 Items<br /> o 5.1 Armor Sets<br /> o 5.2 Weapons<br /> o 5.3 Wings<br /> o 5.4 Rings and Pendants<br /> o 5.5 Guardian Items<br /> o 5.6 Pets<br /> o 5.7 One-use Items<br /> o 5.8 Jewels<br /> o 5.9 Combination Items<br /> o 5.10 Boxes<br /> o 5.11 Other Items<br /> * 6 Events<br /> o 6.1 Blood Castle<br /> o 6.2 Devil Square<br /> o 6.3 Chaos Castle<br /> o 6.4 Castle Siege<br /> o 6.5 Crywolf Event<br /> o 6.6 Golden Troop Invasion<br /> o 6.7 White Wizard Invasion<br /> o 6.8 Server Specific Events<br /> o 6.9 MU Master Events<br /> * 7 Criticism<br /> * 8 See also<br /> * 9 References<br /> * 10 External links<br /> o 10.1 Official game websites<br /> o 10.2 Fan websites<br /><br />[edit] Gameplay<br /><br />As with many MMORPGs you select a character and fight monsters to gain experience. MU is populated by a large variety of monsters, from simple ones like goblins to frightening ones such as the Elite Yeti or Gorgon. Each monster-type is unique, has different spawn points, and drops different items. For more information regarding monster types and descriptions, refer to the Official Global Webpage.<br /><br />Outlaws and Heroes<br /><br />Outside of a duel, PvP fighting is possible but discouraged. When one player attacks another, a self-defense system is activated, in which the attacked player may kill the aggressor within a time limit. Self-defense is also activated when a player attacks an Elf's summoned creature. If one player kills another without Self-defense active, he/she becomes an Outlaw, more commonly known in-game as "Player Killer" or PK. Outlaws have disadvantages during game play, depending on his Outlaw level.<br /><br /> * Outlaw Warning: A normal player assumes this level after killing another without Self-defense. The character’s name becomes orange, there is a 1/8 chance that you will drop items when killed, and lose extra experience when killed by a mob. If attacked, you will still have Self-defense. If you kill another person within 3 hours of gaining this status, you will advance to Outlaw 1st Stage; otherwise, you will go back to normal.<br /><br /> * Outlaw 1st Stage: On this level the character’s name becomes red. The chance of dropping items upon death is 1/4, players can attack you without activating Self-defense, the Guards attack you, and you will lose even more experience when you die from a monster. Also, the Non-player character shops will refuse to sell any items to you. If three hours pass without a kill, you drop to Outlaw Warning, but another kill within that period advances you to Outlaw 2nd Stage.<br /><br /> * Outlaw 2nd Stage (Murderers): On this level the chance of dropping items at death is 50% and lose a substantial amount of experience when killed by a monster. You are also unable to warp. Players can target you as if you were a monster, and without activating Self-defense. This stage is dangerous as there is an incentive for players to become Heroes. A stage 2 Outlaw becomes almost totally black in color, and his wings, shield and weapon(s) (if any) become a crimson red color. As soon as this stage is reached, 3 hours have to pass before you revert to 1st Stage, and the timer increases by 3 hours for every additional person you kill.<br /><br />To clear Outlaw status, the character must wait a significant amount of time without killing other players. The wait can be shortened by killing large number of monsters, which is generally done in one of the servers that does not permit PvP attacks, to avoid being attacked by another person. The amount of time reduced from the outlaw penalty is equal to the monster's level in seconds, and depending on the number of monsters killed, the penalty time may be dramatically decreased.<br /><br /> * Hero: A Hero is a character that has killed three or more 2nd Stage Outlaws since logging into the account. The Heroes have a 1/32 chance of dropping items at death and will lose less experience when killed by a mob. The Hero status clears in one hour, though the timer is reset back to one hour after every PK killed. To become a Hero, you must kill three 2nd Stage Outlaws without letting them hit you. If Self-Defense activates, the kill doesn't count to become a Hero.<br /><br />Note that the chance of dropping an item at death only applies when killed by a monster, a Guard, a Hero or a Commoner. Also, items that cannot be thrown to the floor, such as wings, items +5 or above and excellent items will never drop at death.<br /><br />Character Stats<br /><br />Every character has four basic statistics: Strength, Agility, Vitality, and Energy. When you gain enough experience points and level up, you can distribute 5 points freely among these stats. Magic Gladiator and Dark Lord characters gain 7 points instead of 5. When a character reaches level 220, every level up will get you 6 points instead of 5.<br /><br /> * Strength - This is a character's physical strength. The more invested in this stat, the more damage dealt when striking with a melee weapon and the less chance of missing an enemy. Higher strength allows a character to equip stronger armor and weapons.<br /> * Agility - This measures a character's dexterity. Agility increases a character's hitting accuracy, attack speed, defense and evade rate (known in the game as defense rate). While Strength determines melee damage, Agility determines damage from a Bow or Crossbow. Some weapons and equipment require large numbers of Agility points, and every piece of Elf armor requires some.<br /> * Vitality - This is a character's toughness. Vitality gives a character extra HP so that it can survive more damaging hits.<br /> * Energy - This is a character's capability to use skills and spells. Dark Wizards and Energy Elves need large amounts of Energy to learn new spells, while Dark Knights mainly require it to use their weapon skills more often. Investing points in Energy increases maximum mana, mana recharging rate and "AG" as well as increasing the damage that a skill does.<br /> * Command – This is a special stat that only Dark Lords have. It measures the ability a Dark Lord has to handle the pets of nature. By increasing command, a Dark Lord may learn new spells (apart from Fireburst, which only requires energy, and Force, the spell given to new DL's). A Dark Lord that has raised a lot of command can also hold the maximum capacity of 80 guild members if he's a Guild Master.<br /><br />[edit] Character Classes<br /><br />At the start of the game the players can chose between three different character classes. Each class has its specific powers and items, making no class truly "better" than the other, and all three are typically used to their fullest extent when grouped together. Later on in the game, the player can create special characters only accessible to players who have reached certain levels.<br /><br />Dark Knight (DK)<br /> The Dark Knight, shortened DK, is the most popular character, most likely because of its focus on pure physical combat. Dark Knights have naturally high HP, great weapons, and the best armor. This makes them well-equipped to be the primary attacker in a party, and coupled with the "buff" of an Elf, is a mighty force indeed. Lower level DKs generally apply their stat points as they "level up" to Strength with some stat points applied to Agility. Strength is a very important stat to them because it helps them with their attack and their equipment.<br /><br />Blade Knight (BK)<br /> After completing the game’s first quest, the Dark Knights are promoted to Blade Knights, which have stronger stats and are able to use greater weapons and armor than those of Dark Knights. They can also learn new skills a Dark Knight can't learn, such as Death Stab (which requires level 160)and Rageful Blow (Which requires level 170). Also notice the character's change of hair from black to blond and long sleeves and pants.<br /><br />Dark Wizard (DW)<br /> The Dark Wizard specializes in offensive magic and can kill from a distance. Although able to handle some weapons made for Dark Knights, the Dark Wizard's weak armor and slow growth in "strength" makes this impractical. Instead, they wield magical staffs, which increase the offensive power of their spells. A well-developed Dark Wizard can grow to become a Soul Master and cause massive damage with the "Nova" spell, hitting with over 5000 points of damage, far higher than most Dark Knights can achieve. Dark Wizards, however, have the least defensive power available to any of the other classes, which makes physical combat difficult for any level. They are useful in parties, however, being able to hit from a distance with powerful spells. Lower level DWs must make a difficult choice in applying stat points: they need to grow their Energy stats in order to cast higher level spells, but need sufficient Strength in order to wield more powerful staffs and wear higher level armor.<br /><br />Soul Master (SM)<br /> After completing the game’s first quest, the Dark Wizards are promoted to Soul Masters, who can use mighty and awe inspiring spells, and can equip better armor. Also notice the character develops longer silver hair and longer sleeves.<br /><br />Air battle with wings and magic spelling.<br />Air battle with wings and magic spelling.<br /><br />Fairy Elf (FE or just Elf)<br /> Elves specialize in long-ranged combat and defensive magic. Because of the lack of synergy between their fighting and magical skills, they have been developed over time into two separate playing styles, not acknowledged by the game itself but by the players. The "Agility Elf (AE)" focuses her stats on Agility and Strength, in that order. This allows them to use the strongest bows and crossbows, and cause great amounts of damage out of harm's way. Because of their ability to attack far away from an enemy's melee attack, and a much higher defense (evade) rate, Agility Elves are great at fighting by themselves, but are also included in parties for that extra bit of damage. The "Energy Elf (EE)", focuses her attention on the Energy stat, allowing them to use monster summons and three brands of defensive spell: "Heal", "Greater Defense" and "Greater Damage" (the latter two known as "aura" and "buff", respectively, although "buff" may apply to both), but in Asian servers buffs and auras are mostly known as "++" These three spells make them invaluable to a party, allowing the top attacking players to cause more damage and receive less, and allowing lower level characters to resist attacks from strong mobs. Some players combine both styles, naming themselves "Hybrid Elves." They have high Agility in order to equip strong weapons and kill by herself, but also a good Energy stat to make herself useful in parties. Hybrids are not very popular because their buff is never as good as an EE's, and they're not as powerful as an AE. However, many AE's spend some points in Energy to gain extra Mana and AG, and to fully make use of the raised energy, they learn the corresponding buffs if applicable, and tend to be confused as Hybrids.<br /><br />Muse Elf (ME)<br /> After finishing the game’s first quest, the Elves are promoted to Muse Elves, who are stronger and can use more powerful armor and weapons. Generally the more powerful armor and weapons are used by AE's, because EE's focus their stat points towards Energy. Notice the change from a brunette ponytail to long blond hair and a different outfit.<br /><br />Magic Gladiator (MG)<br /> The Magic Gladiator is a combination of DK and DW, and can be unlocked as a new class when your character reaches level 220. He cannot wear a helm, and has three sets of class specific armor (Hurricane, Storm Crow, and Thunder Hawk) though he can also wear the armor of a DK (up to Dragon) or DW (but not those of a BK or SM). The Magic Gladiator can run without the need of +5 boots, and swim faster without the need of +5 gloves. Following the example set by Elves, Magic Gladiators tend to split into two groups, focusing on either magical prowess or physical might. MGs receive 7 stat points per level, as opposed to the 5 gained by three other classes.<br /><br />Dark Lord (DL)<br /> The Dark Lord is a fabled class and the newest character to arrive on MU. It can be created when your character reaches level 250. A Dark Lord's power is formidable, his spells can score a high amount of damage, and has the ability to control pets. Dark Lords also receive 7 stat points per level, and have the ability to swim faster/run without the need of +5 boots and gloves, like the MG. Dark Lords tend to split in two groups: Strength DL, which focuses on power, and Command DL, which focuses on using pets, leading parties and usually leading a Guild.<br /><br />[edit] Spells and Skills<br /><br />Like most RPG games, characters in MU can use many different kinds of magic and special abilities. Each character has its own set of spells and some weapons may be enchanted in order to provide the character with a specific spell. Casting a spell costs MP (mana, or magic point) and sometimes AG.<br /><br />Dark Knight and Blade Knight Skills<br /><br />A DK has the following character skills: Twisting Slash, Impale (can only be used when riding a mount unit and wielding a spear-type weapon), Greater Fortitude, Death Stab, Rageful Blow, Combo Skill (which is a combination of Twisting slash, Death stab, and Rageful blow, all executed in quick succesion), and Raid (which comes with every Dinorant). There is only one shield skill that can be used called Defend. Dark Knight weapon skills include Falling Slash, Cyclone, Stabbing, Uppercut, and Slashing.<br /><br />Dark Wizards and Soul Masters Spells<br /><br />DWs have the largest repository of spells of any character. These are Energy Ball, Fire Ball, Power Wave, Lightning, Teleport, Meteorite, Ice, Poison, Flame, Twister, Evil Spirit, Hell Fire, Aqua Beam, Blast/Cometfall, Soul Barrier and Inferno. Once a Dark Wizard has completed the class change quest and become a Soul Master, they are able to learn more spells. These are Mass Teleport, Decay, Ice Storm, and Nova.<br /><br />Elf Skills<br /><br />Depending on the playing style chosen by the player, elves may learn different types of skills. All elves may learn the Penetration skill at level 130, independently of the playing style. Agility Elves learn the very damaging Ice Arrow spell, which requires over 600 agility points. Energy Elves are able to learn a number of spells that affect other characters in the party. These are Heal, Greater Defense, and Greater Damage. They are also able to summon monsters to help fight for them. They are able to summon a Goblin, Golem, Assassin, Elite Yeti, Dark Knight (as in monster found in the lost tower), Bali (also called Vali), or a Soldier. Only one monster can be summoned at a time, and when summoning a new monster the previous monster is unsummoned. Bows and crossbows can all come with the Triple-Shot skill.<br /><br />Magic Gladiator Spells<br /><br />Magic Gladiators can use all available Dark Wizard spells except for Energy Ball (the default Dark Wizard skill) and all the SM spells. Similarly, they can use all DK and DK weapon skills, but not BK skills. Strength MGs can also use a power slash skill given to them by three swords only. One is the Rune Blade, another is the Dark Reign Blade, and the newest one is called Valiant Blade. The skill unleashes five orbs that resembles the effect of an Elf's triple shot skill. Strength MGs can also use a fire slash skill, which does high damage and can cause a fire status effect that lowers the target's defense.<br /><br />Dark Lord Spells<br /><br />The Dark Lord can learn powerful spells from scrolls. These spells are fireburst, critical damage, electric spark, and summon. Fireburst is the most commonly used spell due to its range and high damage. A DL also has an innate spell called force, and can wear any scepter equipped with a skill to transform it into the stronger force wave spell. Dark Lords can also use weapon skills normally used by DKs, although some of these weapons are restricted from DL use (Such as the Crystal Sword).<br /><br />[edit] Game World<br />One of the cities for commerce and socializing.<br />One of the cities for commerce and socializing.<br /><br />There are many maps in this game. The beginning maps are Noria, where elves begin, and Lorencia, where all other classes begin.<br /><br />NOTE: Map restrictions by level on Magic Gladiators and Dark Lords are cut by one third.<br /><br />Noria - Noria is located east of Lorencia. This is the elves’ city where the Fairy Elves start the game. Always bathed in a bright sunshine, Noria is considered the most beautiful land mass on the continent. On the center of Noria is the Chaos Machine, which is used to combine items and jewels needed to create powerful items used by the high level characters. Characters other than Fairy Elves need level 10 to visit Noria.<br /><br />Lorencia - Lorencia is a city located on the plains on the center of Mu. The Dark Knights, Dark Wizards, Magic Gladiators and Dark Lords start their careers here. This is the easiest map on the game, suitable for low-level training until they can reach the perilous lands of Devias and Dungeon. This city also is the main trading center on the game, and often you’ll find characters on the market square selling their items. Elves that wish to visit Lorencia must reach level 10 first. The entrance to Noria is located in the eastern corner of Lorencia, with the entrance to the Dungeon located slightly further north. The entrance to Davias is located on the north western edge of the map.<br /><br />Devias (or Davias) - The land of Devias, to the north of Lorencia, is a land covered with a perpetual snow. This land has stronger monsters than Noria and Lorencia, so only characters over level 15 can enter. It’s the favorite town for mid to high level characters, as it has monsters that suit their training needs.<br /><br />The Dungeon - Long before Kundun’s arrival the Dungeon was used as a jail. However when the feudal wars began, the Dungeon was abandoned, and when Kundun arrived he occupied it as an outpost from where he can send monsters to attack Lorencia. Kundun set one of his most faithful servants, Gorgon, to control it. The Dungeon is a three-story cave, becoming increasingly difficult with every floor, with Gorgon on the deepest room. One of Dungeon's particular traits is the amount of traps located on the ground and walls. Always be very careful when walking around Dungeon.<br /><br />The Lost Tower - The Lost Tower used to be a shrine dedicated to life, but it was invaded by Kundun and has been cursed with evil. Now the seven story tower is dark, and some of the most dangerous creatures of the land are in it. On the seventh floor is Balrog, A huge creature resembling a Centaur. There are many ground traps in this map, which unleash a barrage of meteorites that hit every person on-screen. People usually form groups while fighting in here, and high levels often train here. Requires level 80 to enter.<br /><br />Atlans - Atlans is the sea to the east of Noria. When Kundun arose, his ancient servant, Hydra, had fled to these seas, carrying one of the pieces of the Sealing Stone. This is one of the best training maps for mid-high level characters, and it requires level 60 to enter. Since the area is underwater the players swim instead of walk, and they can’t enter with a mount.<br /><br />Tarkan - This is a desert to the north of Atlans. This is the best map for high levels to train in. Tarkan, meaning “Desert of Death," is ridden with some of the strongest monsters found on the continent of Mu. Within Tarkan are two powerful monsters, the Zaikan and Death Beam Knight. Requires level 130 to enter.<br /><br />Icarus - This map is based on the skies above Mu. The strongest monsters on the game are found on this place. Only people that can fly using wings or with a Dinorant can enter. One of the strongest monsters, the Phoenix of Darkness, is on the highest cloud, and is hard to defeat.<br /><br />Kalima - On this map are ruins that are ravaged by a strong water current. It is an event location, so it's divided into several difficulty levels ranging from 1 to 6 with character level limitations. At the end of each map, which resembles a corridor in shape, is a monster named "Illusion of Kundun", which can range from being fairly easy, as in Kalima 1, to very difficult, as in Kalima 4, 5, and 6. However, at the end of the map on level 6 is Kundun himself, the strongest monster so far.<br /><br />Valley of Loren - A map in which Castle Siege is held, but private servers can allow visitations if they do not allow Castle Siege events. For more info see Valley of Loren.<br /><br />Land of Trials - A land reserved to the owning guild of the castle on Valley of Loren from winning the Castle Siege. The owning guild's master may choose to either block other people (so they have an exclusive training area without Kill Stealing and with very good drops) or charge players an amount fee to enter. It has recently opened on Global Servers.<br /><br />Arena or Stadium - Should two guilds be at war they can reason their fights playing 'MU Battle Soccer' in the arena, where both killing the adversaries and scoring goals renders the guild points. Other players may watch the game if they want. The arena is usually used for repotting because of its easy access to the Stadium Guard who sells potions. On most private servers, Arena is considered as a training place.<br /><br />Aida - The grassy lowlands of MU, it is like her sister map Noria but much bigger and beautiful, it is extensive and holds strong monsters.<br /><br />Crywolf - The Crywolf map can be entered through the Valley of Loren. It is an event map where characters must protect a statue while also fighting off powerful monsters, including the boss Balgass. -- in private servers Crywolf is one of those maps that are incredulous, and hard to go in most especially since it contains the strongest monsters in the game.<br /><br />Kanturu/Kantur - A new map that comes with the season 2. it can be entered through Tarkan. As is Crywolf, this map is only for events. It isn't available in Global Mu Online yet.<br /><br />[edit] Items<br /><br />The availability of different types of items on MU is considered the most interesting feature of the game. Besides the normal item variety, items may contain special bonuses that are assigned almost randomly. Creating a 'perfect' (as in maximum levelled) item within the game is almost impossible. Since items can be so different, it's quite common to have your own custom set of armor.<br /><br />Item Level<br /><br />A DW wearing a Staff of Kundun+13 in the game.<br />A DW wearing a Staff of Kundun+13 in the game.<br /><br />The item can have different levels ranging from 0 to 13 on the global servers and often going further on other servers. The item will change colors or even glow depending on its level. While a higher level item is stronger than a lower level item, it will also require more strength and agility to be used.<br /><br />Example: Bill of Balrog +4, Elven Bow +2, etc.<br /><br /> * Level 0, 1 and 2 items won't glow. These items appear normal, but some high level items have a glow even in this state, such as the Dragon Spear.<br /> * Level 3 and 4 items are tinted red. These items are rather common.<br /> * Level 5 and 6 items are tinted blue. Some weak items drop at levels 5 and 6. Greater items must be upgraded to these levels and beyond with jewels, although some can be acquired from boxes.<br /> * Level 7 and 8 items glow slightly. You can only obtain one of these through upgrading, trading or dropping a box (Or any "Drop" Item, like a Ring of Warrior).<br /> * Level 9, 10, and 11 items glow strongly. Level 11 items usually have an occasional glow of white to distinguish them from level 9 and 10 items.<br /> * Level 12 and 13 items glow like +9 to +11, but it has a quick white flash every now and then.<br /><br />PRIVATE SERVER ONLY<br /><br /> * Level 14 items glow like +13 items.<br /> * Level 15 items turn into transparent reddish objects (yet, other players see it as +14).<br /><br />If the character wears a full set of the same armor, extra effects will be bestowed upon the character. A set with only level 10 or higher items will make small lights will fly around the character when he stands still and gives a 5% total defense boost. A set with level 11 or higher items only will add lines of energy circling around the character giving a 10% defense boost. At level 12 and 13, the lines will become an aura around the character and will add a 15% and/or 20% boost.<br /><br />Item Bonuses<br /><br />Items may randomly have bonuses attached to them. They are commonly known as "options" throughout the game. These bonuses make the item stronger. These bonuses, similarly to an item's level, can be increased using a Jewel of Life. The levels range in increments of 4 (ex. +4,+8, +12, +16, and 28) on armor and swords, and increments of (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30) on shields. The maximum bonus on an armor or weapon piece is +16 (on regular MU ONLINE) or +28 (on private servers), or +20 (on regular MU ONLINE) or +28 (on private servers) defense rate on a shield.<br /><br />Example: Bill of Balrog +4+8, Elven bow +0+12<br /><br /> * Weapons: The bonus increases damage.<br /> * Armor: The bonus increases total defense by a percentage (Rather than a constant value), which can prove to be extremely useful.<br /> * Shields: The bonus increases the defense rate, which affects the probability of the character being hit by an enemy.<br /><br />Luck Items - When an item has luck, Jewels of Soul will have an extra 25% chance of succeeding (making the passing rate 75%). When using the Chaos Machine, it will then have a 75% chance of upgrading to +10, and a 70% chance of upgrading to +11, +12, and +13. If an item does not have luck, it will only have a 50% chance of succeeding with Jewel of Soul up to +9, and when using the Chaos Machine, it will only have a 50% chance of upgrading to +10 and a 45% chance of upgrading to +11, +12, and +13. Most importantly in combat, luck gives gives an extra 5% chance of hitting critical damage for every luck item the character is currently wearing.<br /><br />Excellent Items - Very special and rare items that can give an extra and powerful boost to your items. An excellent item will glow the colors of a rainbow, and its text will appear in a fluorescent green color. An excellent item will have additional properties which vary from increasing total mana, to increasing overall damage. An excellent item can also increase in level, have a luck option, and have a bonus option just like normal items. Excellent weapons and armors have different bonuses. Pendants are classed with weapons, and rings are classed with armors. Before the item's normal name is the word "excellent."<br /><br />Example: Excellent Elven Bow.<br /><br />Regular excellent items can have one or two excellent options.<br /><br />The bonuses for excellent weapons are:<br /><br /> * Excellent damage rate +10%<br /> * Increase (wizardry) dmg +level/20<br /> * Increase (wizardry) dmg +2%<br /> * Increase attacking (wizardry) speed +7<br /> * Increase life after monster + life/8<br /> * Increase mana after monster + mana/8<br /><br />and for excellent armor & shields:<br /><br /> * Defense success rate +10%<br /> * Reflect damage +5%<br /> * Damage decrease +4%<br /> * Increase HP +4%<br /> * Increase mana +4%<br /> * Increase zen after hunt +40%<br /><br />Ancient Items - Even more rare than excellent items. These items have their defense/damage values increased beyond the levels of excellent items. Ancient items are characterised with text the same color as excellent items and a blue background behind the text. A blue glow will appear around the outside of these items. Each set has a different ancient metal and unlocks different options. The item carries the prefix of the appropriate ancient metal, for example, Apollo Pad Pants or Heras Skull Shield. Each set has a specific metal, and not all sets can have ancient metals. Along with the same options as excellent items, ancient items can additionally have the following "set" options that are only applied when your character is wearing more than one ancient item of the same set. The options are unique to each set. For example, a Gaion Storm Crow set has the following options:<br /><br /> * Ignore enemy defense 5%<br /> * Double DMG rate 15%<br /> * Increase skill dmg +15<br /> * Excellent DMG rate 15%<br /> * Increase excellent DMG +30<br /> * Increase wizardry damage +10%<br /> * Increase strength +30<br /><br />while an Argo Spirit Set has the following options:<br /><br /> * Agility+30<br /> * Power+30<br /> * Increase attacking skill+25<br /> * Double DMG rate 5%<br /><br />[edit] Armor Sets<br /><br />These are the armor sets that are used by the characters. The sets are made of Boots, Gloves, Pants, Armor and Helm. The Magic Gladiator cannot wear a helm so its sets do not include helms, therefore giving this character class a disadvantage. The armor a character is wearing provides an easy way to guess a character's experience and overall power. Some higher level characters who are not able to afford more expensive armors may be mistaken for a low level. Wearing a complete set of armor where all the pieces come from the same armor set gives a bonus to defense rate equal to 10% of total defense.<br /><br />The sets that a Dark Knight can wear are (In order of strength from least to greatest) Leather, Bronze, Scale, Brass, Plate, Dragon and Black Dragon, once a Dark Knight has completed the class change quest to become a Blade Knight, he is able to wear new sets of armor like Dark Phoenix, Great Dragon, Dragon Knight and Ashcrow. Dark Wizards are able to wear the Pad, Bone, Sphinx and Legendary sets. Once they become Soul Masters they can also wear the Grand Soul, Dark Soul and Venom Mist sets. Elves can wear the Vine, Silk, Wind, Spirit and Guardian sets. Once they become Muse Elves they can also wear the Divine, Red Spirit and Sylpid Ray armors.<br /><br />Magic Gladiator are a special class that can wear any of the Dark Knight and Dark Wizard sets. However they cannot wear any of the Blade Knight or Soul Master sets, nor the DK's Black Dragon set. Since they can't have the complete set because of the inability to wear a helmet, they don't gain any bonuses in Defense or Defense Rate. To make up for this they are given their own sets that other classes can't wear. These are called the Storm Crow, Thunder Hawk, Hurricane, Volcano and Valiant.<br /><br />Like the Magic Gladiator, the Dark Lord can also wear some of the Dark Knight armor: the Leather, Bronze and Scale sets, on certain private servers they can also wear Dark Wizard armor: Pad Set, Bone Set, Sphinx Set, Legendary Set. However, they are also given their own unique sets. These are named the Light Plate, Adamantine, Dark Steel, Dark Master, Sunlight and Grand Champion.<br /><br />[edit] Weapons<br /><br />Swords<br /><br />Swords are either one-handed or two-handed. They come with a variety of skills including Uppercut, Falling slash, Lunge, Cyclone and Slashing. Swords are usable by Dark Knights and Magic Gladiators, altough some have no class restriction (Such as the Blade).<br /><br />Axes<br /><br />Axes are like swords, but they are stronger and attack more slowly. They are usually two-handed. The strongest axe a Dark Knight can use is the Chaos Dragon Axe. It is the strongest weapon for Dark Knights, although they get better weapons when becoming Blade Knights. Elves have elven axes.<br /><br />Blunt Weapons<br /><br />These are heavy and strong, made to crush bones, but are very slow. They are used mainly by Dark Knights, but the Elemental Mace can be used by elves and is usually accompanied by an Elemental Shield.<br /><br />Bows<br /><br />Bows and crossbows can only be equipped by Elves. The bow must be placed in the left-hand equipment slot, while the arrows must be placed in the right-hand one. If an Elf runs out of arrows, she will be unable to attack. All bows may have the Triple Shot skill.<br /><br />Crossbows<br /><br />Crossbows, as with bows, can only be equipped by elves. They are similar to bows. The ammunition type they require are bolts. These can also come with the Triple Shot skill. The crossbow must go in the right-hand slot and the bolts in the left-hand slot.<br /><br />Spears and Scythes<br /><br />These are powerful two-handed weapons that usually combine power and speed. They are very popular, and usually require less strength and more agility. Elves may also use these, but they won't be very strong with them. Only with weapons of this class equipped can you use the Impaling skill. You can tell whether a weapon is a spear or not (and thus Impale-compatible) by looking at how your character holds the weapon. If the character holds the weapon diagonally, it is a spear.<br /><br />Staffs<br /><br />The staffs in Mu aren't very strong for physical attacks, but instead increase the power of the spells cast. These can only be equipped by Dark Wizards and Magic Gladiators.<br /><br />Shields<br /><br />Some Shields can be used by any character class, although most are designed specifically for one class only. The Grand Soul Shield, for example, is the best shield that a Dark Wizard can wear and is worn with a one-handed staff. There are also Elf-specific shields that are worn with an Elven Axe or Elemental Mace. The only skill they can come with shields is the defend skill.<br /><br />Scepters<br /><br />These weapons can only be wielded by Dark Lords. They tend to have more inherent speed than most one-handed weapons and increase a pet's damage.<br /><br />[edit] Wings<br />Giant-monster attacked in air.<br />Giant-monster attacked in air.<br /><br />Wings provide a powerful increase in damage and decrease in damage received for a character, and also allow you to tell that a character is over level 180. Wings allow a character to hover over the ground instead of walking, and are faster than walking or running. They may have options attached, such as Automatic HP Recovery, and they also allow entrace into Icarus. To use first stage wings, the character must be level 180 or higher. Second stage wings require a minimum of level 215 (220 in MU Philippines), making them reserved to the most dedicated players. They are manufactured in the Chaos Machine, and each class has its own type of wings:<br /><br /> * Satan/Devil Wings (for Dark Knights & Magic Gladiators)<br /> * Heaven Wings (for Dark Wizards & Magic Gladiators)<br /> * Fairy/Elven Wings (for Elves)<br /> * Dragon Wings (for Blade Knights)<br /> * Soul Wings (for Soul Masters)<br /> * Spirit Wings (for Muse Elves)<br /> * Darkness Wings (for Magic Gladiators)<br /> * Cape of Dark Lord (for Dark Lords)<br /><br />[edit] Rings and Pendants<br /><br />These items provide resistance towards certain status effects, but can also provide HP recovery, mana increase and AG (stamina) increase through options. Rings and Necklaces/Pendants aren't stackable when it comes to elemental resistance, so if a character is wearing two or more of the same type, only the highest level one will be counted. However, any options such as recovery rate and excellent options are stackable.<br /><br /> * Pendants – These items protect your character against certain elements that come from monster attack. A character can wear only one pendant at a time. Excellent pendants may have one or more weapon-type options.<br /> * Rings - There are three types of rings -- regular rings, which work just like pendants, Transformation Rings and Rings of Wizard. Transformation Rings transform your character into a monster, and you appear exactly the same as they do (including the attacking animations), only your name is still displayed over your head. The Ring of Wizard is a special drop gotten during White Wizard Invasions, which increases damage and attack speed, only one can be carried by a character at a time, and cannot be repaired. A character can wear two rings at a time. Excellent rings may have one or more armor-type options.<br /><br />[edit] Guardian Items<br /><br />You can equip guardians to give your character a boost during battle. However they aren't cheap and they are disposable items. They have 255 HP when they are picked up, and taking damage will lower their health values, although the amount of damage they receive depends on your character's defense.<br /><br /> * Angel - Increases your max HP by 50 points. Absorbs 20% damage received.<br /> * Imp - Increases your attack by 30%. Your character loses 3 HP every time you score a hit.<br /> * Uniria - Increases your defense rate by 30% (you dodge attacks more easily), and also makes you move at the same speed you would when running. It is a mount unit, so you can use the Impale Skill while on it, but you may not enter Atlans or Icarus while riding it.<br /> * Dinorant - Created by in the Chaos Machine (using 10 Unirias and one Jewel of Chaos), the Dinorant is like a combination of the other three guardian items; it allows the wearer to run at the same speed as a uniria and use the impale skill, absorbs damage like an angel (However, it only absorbs 10% rather than 20% and does not increase hp) and increases damage dealt like an Imp (An increase of only 15%, as compared to the 30% of an imp). It may have extra options, like additional attack speed, more damage absorption and AG increase. It also allows the character to enter Icarus, as an alternative to wings. It comes with a DK-exclusive Raid skill, the only ranged skill a DK can use.<br /> * Fenrir (Black, Blue or Red) -This pet can be used by all classes, the minimum level to use it is level 300. The blue ones have a defensive power, the black ones have the abillity to increase the damage, while the red ones are the normal, they all have a special ability used to hit nearly all monsters in the screen, but has a delay each repetitious time.<br /><br />[edit] Pets<br />Fenrir, the latest pet added to Mu.<br />Fenrir, the latest pet added to Mu.<br /><br />Pets can be used by a Dark Lord. So far there are three different kind of pets. They are similar to Guardian Items, but they have unique abilities, can be leveled and recover their health.<br /><br /> * Dark Spirit - A raven that can directly attack a target, helping the Dark Lord to fight. It has 4 different stances -- Follow, Auto-attack, Attack with Character and Attack Target. It is mounted on the shield slot on the inventory.<br /> * Dark Horse - A pet that the Dark Lord Rides. It adds huge amount of defense ,damage absorption and the Earthquake skill, which does tremendous damage and knocks back all targets.The Dark Horse also increases moving speed beyond even that of wings. Dark Horses are equipped in the same slot as Guardian items.<br /> * Fenrir - A pet similar to the Dark Lord's horse. These creatures can be equipped by every class. The Fenrir's Plasma Storm Attack deals damage and reduces armor durability during PVP.<br /><br />[edit] One-use Items<br /><br /> * Scroll of Town Portal - Using this item you'll be sent back to the map's default safe zone. An alternative to warping for low level characters and Outlaws.<br /> * Healing Potions - These will recover your HP.<br /> * Mana Potions - These will recover your MP. When your MP depletes, one potion is used automatically.<br /> * Antidotes - These will cure the effects of poison, a useful item to have when your hp is low.<br /> * SD Potion - The newest type of potion that came with Season 2. It is used to restore SD.<br /> * Potion of Soul - Has many effects, such as increasing attack speed, increasing resistance of lighting and ice, among others.<br /> * Ale - Increases your attack speed by 20 for the next minute. Your character will have a tint of red.<br /> * Arrows - Ammo for Bows. One arrow item can contain up to 255 arrows.<br /> * Bolts - Ammo for Crossbows. One crossbolt item can contains up to 255 bolts.<br /> * Fruit – These are made in the Chaos Machine with a Jewel of Creation and a Jewel of Chaos. There is one type of fruit for each character stat, and when used the fruit will increase the appropriate stat by between 1 and 3 points. However, the amount of stat points that a character may earn from eating fruits is limited (but it increases with level).<br /><br />[edit] Jewels<br /><br />These are the second most expensive, rare and useful items on MU. There are 5 different jewels, each one with its own use. According to the story, each of the jewels is a fragment of the sealing stone that held Kundun before it shattered.<br /><br /> * Jewel of Chaos - It lets you combine using the Chaos Machine and is the most common. Combining Chaos with Bless and Soul upgrades your items to +10, +11, +12 and +13, however if fails, you will lose your item. These are used as a form of currency.<br /> * Jewel of Bless - Allows you to upgrade your items up to +6. Its chance of being successful is 100%. This is also a form of currency in Mu. The Jewel of Bless is also used to heal fenrirs. Also used as a form of currency.<br /> * Jewel of Soul - Allows you to upgrade your items up to +9. It can also upgrade +0 items, but unlike Bless, this jewel will work only 50% of the time. If the item has luck, this chance increases to 75%. If it fails, however, the item's level may drop by 1 level or if the item is +7 or +8 it will be returned to +0. These are used as a form of currency as well.<br /> * Jewel of Life - This jewel increases an item's option by 1 level. It is the only way to make an item have a +16 (global) or +28 (private servers) option or a shield have a +20 (global) or +35 (private servers) option. It has a 50% chance of success, regardless of luck, and if it fails, your item will lose its option.<br /> * Jewel of Creation - Combining a Jewel of Creation with a Jewel of Chaos may create a fruit. This fruit, when eaten, will boost one of your stats by 1-3 points. This used to be the rarest jewel in Mu until the Chaos Castle event started, where it's a common winning prize.<br /> * Jewel of Guardian - The Jewel of Guardian is used during the Castle Siege to create life stones and for the Lord's Mix.<br /> * Jewel of Harmony - The newst type of jewel that came with Season 2. It is used to strengthen items.<br /><br />[edit] Combination Items<br /><br />These are items included in some recipes and are used in combination with jewels to form newer items (wings, cape, ticket to devil square, cloak of invisibility, etc.) through the Chaos Goblin in Noria<br /><br /> * Loch's feather - It is a rare item usually dropped by a monster in Icarus that is used in the Chaos Machine to create second level wings.<br /> * Crest of Monarch - It is a rare item usually dropped by a monster in Icarus that is used in the Chaos Machine to create Cape of Dark Lord.<br /> * Gemstones- Base item for creating higher refining stone<br /> * Higher Refining Stone - Used for creating Jewel of Harmony<br /> * Devil's Eye (1,2,3,4,5, and 6) - Used togther with the devil's key and jewel of chaos to create a ticket to devil square.<br /> * Devil's Key (1,2,3,4,5 and 6) - Used togther with the devil's eye and jewel of chaos to create a ticket to devil square.<br /> * Scroll of Archangel (1,2,3,4,5,6 and 7) - Used together with the blood bone and jewel of chaos to create a cloak of invisibility. This cloak is used to join blood castle event.<br /> * Blood Bone (1,2,3,4,5,6 and 7) - Used together with the scroll of archangel and jewel of chaos to create a cloak of invisibility. This cloak is used to join blood castle event.<br /> * Bless of Guardian - Combined with Armor of Guardsman and used in making a fenrir. A certain number is required. (can be stacked)<br /> * Fragment of Horn - Used in making a fenrir. A certain number is required. (can be stacked)<br /> * Claw of Beast - Used in making a fenrir. A certain number is required. (can be stacked)<br /><br />[edit] Boxes<br /><br />These are rare items dropped only by Golden Mobs (monsters). To open a box and find out what is inside it, it must be dropped from the player's inventory onto the ground. It could drop zen, a good regular item (+4/+5 +option and maybe +luck), an excellent item, or nothing. The boxes currently implemented are Boxes of Luck, Heaven (private servers only), and Kundun. A Box of Kundun will have a level associated with it, ranging from +1 to +5, that determines the reward.<br /><br />Boxes according to mob and location:<br /><br /> * Box of Luck - Golden Budge Dragon (Lorencia, Devias and Noria)<br /> * Box of Kundun +1 - Golden Goblin (Lorencia and Noria)<br /> * Box of Kundun +2 - Taikon (comes with Golden Soldiers in Devias)<br /> * Box of Kundun +3 - Golden Dragon (Lorencia, Devias, and Noria)<br /> * Box of Kundun +4 - Golden Lizard King (comes with Golden Vepars in Atlans)<br /> * Box of Kundun +5 - Golden Tantallos (comes with Golden Iron Wheels in Tarkan)<br /><br />[edit] Other Items<br /><br /> * Sign of Lord - SOLs are stackable up to 255 pieces to form a set. It is used to participate in Castle Siege<br /> * Chocolate Box (Pink, Red or Blue) - Randomly drops zen, a jewel, an upgraded item or an excellent item<br /> * Box of Red/Green/Blue Ribbon - Randomly drops zen, a jewel, an upgraded item or an excellent item<br /> * Star of Sacred Birth - Randomly drops zen, a jewel or an upgraded item<br /> * Heart of Love - Randomly drops zen, a jewel or an upgraded item<br /> * Firecracker - Randomly drops zen, a jewel, an upgraded item or an excellent item<br /> * Gold/Silver Medal - Randomly drops zen, a jewel or an upgraded item<br /><br />[edit] Events<br /><br />[edit] Blood Castle<br /><br />Blood Castle is an event where players must recover a fallen angel's weapon at the end of the castle. Players in the event progress through different stages of the castle, including killing a certain amount of monsters and destroying a gate and a statue. When the statue is destroyed, the fallen angel's weapon will be recovered, and should be returned to the fallen angel. Once it is returned, the player who returned it will be rewarded with two Jewels of Chaos, some zen and some experience.<br /><br />[edit] Devil Square<br /><br />Devil Square can be entered by talking to Charon on Noria. It is divided into either four or seven different stages. The stage that a character must enter depends on its level. Once this event starts, many monsters will continually spawn and slowly wander around aimlessly. The goal of this event is to survive for 20 minutes while killing monsters to score points and obtain experience.<br /><br />[edit] Chaos Castle<br />Snapshot from Chaos Castle<br />Snapshot from Chaos Castle<br /><br />Chaos Castle is an event where all the competing players are placed against each other along with some monsters in a free-for-all deathmatch. To enter, an armor of the guard must be purchased from a shop. When a notice apears that Chaos Castle is about to start, you can click on the armor and it will send you to Chaos Castle. You must pay a fee to enter, depending on your level<br /><br />Before Chaos Castle starts, a random competitor would be awarded all the fee the players paid to enter this event.<br /><br />All of the participating players will appear to be wearing the same armor, and each class will appear to be wielding identical weapons, but their inventories won't actually be altered in any way. Notice that players may wear their wings but have to get in without driving a pet. Once Chaos Castle has started, it will fill up with look-alike monsters until it contains 100 characters. Some of this monsters are traps which explodes when killed, killing players near it. Monsters also drops jewels upon death. While the players are fighting, the castle will start to perish and break up from the sides, doing so until there are only around six player squares left. In order to complete the event, a player must survive through the event and eliminate all of the other participants. The winner will receive a Jewel of Life or Jewel of Creation or a very slight chance of getting an Ancient item.<br /><br />[edit] Castle Siege<br /><br />The Castle Siege event takes place in the Valley of Loren. The castle may be ruled by a guild, and if any guild wants, they can lay siege to the castle in an attempt to win possession of it. However, the siege isn’t easy, as the castle is protected by the “home guild” characters and soldiers. This is the "Epic of Loren" quest (the Castle Siege). This is considered to be one of the most amazing parts of MU, and excites all of its users.<br /><br />The lord of the castle can rule the castle when event starts. He can buy additional troops (archer or spearman) which are NPC's and fight the enemy automatically. The attacking guild also has a few tricks up its sleeve. They can bring special potions for faster attacking and more damage. However the main quest in this event is to defend the castle by defeating the enemy and to not let the attacking guild to destroy the statues of castle. When the statues are destroyed, the attacking guild can easily take the castle and the defenders will lose.<br /><br />[edit] Crywolf Event<br /><br />At the time of this event, The Crywolf Fortress change from a safe zone to a battle zone. Everyone in the server cluster is allowed to participate. The characters have to fight against waves of mosters that try to destroy the 5 pillar around the Crystal Wolf Statue. In this event, 5 level 350 or higher muse elves protect and give power to pillars, while the other characters defend against the monsters that enter into the fortress.<br /><br />[edit] Golden Troop Invasion<br /><br />Some special types of monsters don't have precise spawning points and appear occasionally within the game. These monsters are golden in appearance and are much stronger than the regular non-golden types. Rare treasures will be dropped when they are defeated. Two common golden monsters are Golden Budge Dragons and Golden Goblins. The former drop Boxes of Luck and the latter drop Boxes of Kundun +1. Both of these monsters can only show up in Lorencia, Noria or Devias. There is also a Golden Titan that spawns in Devias, Golden Drakan that spawns in Lorencia, Noria or Devias, Golden Lizard King that spawns in Atlans and a Golden Tantallos that spawns in Tarkan. They drop Boxes of Kundun +2, +3, +4 and +5 respectively. Also appears other Golden monsters like the Golden Soldier Troop, but these monsters don't drop Boxes of Kundun, only items or zen.<br /><br />[edit] White Wizard Invasion<br /><br />These are events where a giant wizard and an army of orcs appear at random locations in Devias, Noria and Lorencia. Killing the White Wizard earns you a Jewel of Bless and having your name displayed on the screen. Orcs may drop either 100,000 zen or the Ring of Wizard, which increases attack speed and damage.<br /><br />[edit] Server Specific Events<br /><br />Sometimes a server may run an in-game event for fun. In some cases, special monsters created especially for these events will show up on certain maps, often carrying valuable items. The events that take place depend entirely on the administrators and Game Masters of a server.<br /><br />[edit] MU Master Events<br /><br />Game Masters, known in Global MU Online as "MU Masters" or [MM]'s will occasionally appear in a server with a server-specific event. These events typically are a "Catch the [MM]", "Find the [MM]" or a "Scavenger Hunt". All of this events are won in a similar fashion, by opening trade with the [MM]. All three of these event variants have the same reward of one Jewel of Bless and one Jewel of Soul. In addition, the winner gets his/her name posted on the screen for all players to see.<br /><br />In the Catch the [MM] event, one of the [MM]'s will post a clue as to which map he or she will be. The [MM] will be riding his pet, usually a Fenrir, in an area of the map in question. The first player that can catch up to the [MM] and open a trade wins the two jewels.<br /><br />The Find the [MM] event is similar, but the [MM] will hide anywhere in the map that he or she specifies. This includes inside one of the three towns, which is considered the fairest of all the [MM] events. This is so because all players move at the same speed inside the towns. The winner is the first to find and open trade with the [MM].<br /><br />The Scavenger Hunt begins with an [MM] listing three items he or she asks for. The [MM] reveals where he or she will be waiting for the first player to come to them. The first player to show them all three items in a trade window wins the event.<br /><br />One common complaint about these events is that they are infrequent and when they do happen, they happen in bunches. Another is that most take place at odd hours, which depends on the region the player lives (this complaint is mostly heard from players in the Americas). In addition, some players have been known to complain about instances of bias and favoritism on the [MM]'s part, though these complaints are based mostly on circumstantial evidence. The most common complaint is that there seems to be too few [MM]'s.<br /><br />[edit] Criticism<br /><br />There has been a lot of criticism to the game. Mainly because it is one of the hardest games to level up in. But commotion started when K2 opened P2P+. P2P+ gives players 3x experience, higher drop rates, events, and customer support, which F2P lacks. This means that if you are F2P and get hacked, K2 will do nothing to help you. This problem of unbalance has caused many players to give up Global Mu Online and play other games, some of them even going to private servers. While it takes a F2P who plays at least 1 hour per day 3-4 months to get to level 70-100 (it used to take about 1 year before the Elf Soldier was introduced), P2P players will get to level 200-300 in 2 months. Thus increasing the numbers of max level characters and making Global Mu Online more like a private server.<br /><br />Player's criticism has also concentratedon K2 Network's apparent lack of Customer Support for the P2P (Premium) servers. Customer support was one of the main selling points used by K2 Networks for introducing P2P. But even so, there are many complains about players getting "scammed" (robbed) by other players on Premium Servers and K2 Network not taking action against the scammers. K2 Network has listed the actions it promises to take against scammers on the Global MU Online website. Players have complained that K2 Network has failed to deliver on the actions it has promised to take against scammers. Most players report getting a standard "there's nothing we can do" message after submitting a complaint for getting scammed.<br /><br />Another common area of criticism from players is the use of hacks and bots by certain players. A few players have developed hacks that enable them to kill other players in PvP mode with a single blow, irregardless of the victims' level or armor (called a "speed hack" because it seems to freeze the victim). Several videos of these hacks have made their way to other websites such as YouTube. This has forced the hackers to move almost exclusively to anonymous events, such as Chaos Castle, damaging the event's credibility. Other players have developed or obtained a bot, a hack that allows them to attack, pick up items and even reappear on the same spot they were after getting killed automatically, allowing the user to leave their character on a certain location for hours on end obtaining experience points without actually playing the game. This has given those players a distinct advantage over the rest of the players on MU Online. Bots are also responsible for aiding hackers in obtaining other players' usernames and passwords, since many contain a key counter. The majority of players who have had their accounts hacked into have reported getting a bot a few days, or even hours prior. To date, neither K2 Network nor Webzen have acted on disabling bots or speed hacks.Be@$Tahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17411774385008177715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8370253107272267929.post-26805116227669127692007-07-16T01:20:00.000-07:002007-07-16T01:21:34.897-07:00ALL ABOUT NIGHT ELVESThe Night elves are a fictional race in Blizzard Entertainment's Warcraft series of computer games and novels.<br />Contents<br />[hide]<br /><br /> * 1 Background<br /> * 2 History<br /> o 2.1 Highborne<br /> * 3 Trivia<br /> o 3.1 Male flirts<br /> o 3.2 Female flirts<br /> o 3.3 Male jokes<br /> o 3.4 Female jokes<br /> * 4 References<br /> * 5 External links<br /><br />[edit] Background<br /><br />Night Elves (or kaldorei, meaning "children of the moon" in Darnassian, the Night Elves' native tongue) have a skin color that ranges from deep lavender to marble white, and they have extremely long (almost lagomorphic) ears, and hair in various cool-toned shades including blue, purple, green, white and black. The eyes of the males glow with a bright silver light, while those of the females glow a bright blue-white, but in some rare cases an amber eyed Night Elf is born, the amber color signify they are destined for great things. The race is tall, with the men standing approximately at 7.5 feet. The men are always of a slim-waisted yet rock-like, extremely muscular build including gigantic bear-like arms and hands. Malfurion Stormrage has antlers like a deer, although this seems to be atypical and is likely the result of his druidic learning. The women are very different, having a slim, athletic build, but still standing nearly as tall as the men. Unlike most other Elves, Night Elf men often have thick beards and bushy eyebrows. In Warcraft III, the Night Elves lived on the continent known as Kalimdor and were never seen by, and only known of by a few Orcs or Humans until they were introduced to the Warcraft Universe in Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos. In World of Warcraft, they live on the tree-island of Teldrassil, which is north and slightly west of Kalimdor. The greatest population of Night Elves reside in their capital city, Darnassus.<br />Night Elf crest, "Icon of Wisdom."<br />Night Elf crest, "Icon of Wisdom."<br /><br />Many male elves are druids while many females become warriors in a group known as the "Sentinels." In World of Warcraft, however, both males and females can take on the role of druid, warrior, hunter, rogue or priest indiscriminately. In Warcraft III, the Night Elves were neutral but in World of Warcraft they have become a part of the Alliance. The night elf racial mounts are the Frostsaber (white tiger with either spots or stripes) and the Nightsaber (dark tiger available with stripes only). There are also other breeds of ridable saber cats called stormsabers and wintersabers; however, these epic mounts are only available at level 60. In Warcraft III they also had a strange form of Hippogryph as well, it being raven and deer, in the manner of a Peryton instead of the usual eagle and horse combination. This creature is used as an air transport in World of Warcraft.<br /><br />Before the end of Warcraft III all Night Elf druids were male, and slept for thousands of years in the Emerald Dream while the women were left to protect their slumber. Hence the females became prominent in combat. They were described by Grom Hellscream in Warcraft III as too savage to be High Elves, and as "the perfect warriors".<br /><br />In World of Warcraft, they are the second most popular race on American and European servers, right behind humans.[1] The Night Elf Hunter is supposedly the most popular race/class combination in World of Warcraft.[citation needed]<br /><br />[edit] History<br /><br />Night Elves were immortal until the destruction of the World Tree at the end of WarCraft III: Reign of Chaos. The forces of the Burning Legion had fought their way to the World Tree, which their commander, Archimonde, had set his sights upon. When Archimonde reached the tree, however, he discovered that he had walked into a trap set by Malfurion Stormrage. Thousands of wisps surrounded the Eredar and exploded all at once destroying him and damaging the World Tree. While this prevented Archimonde from destroying the world, it also deprived the Night Elves of the immortality that the tree had granted them. Not all of them adjusted to mortality well and many were terrified by the prospects of illness, aging, and eventual death.<br /><br />It wasn't long before some of the druids decided to make a new World Tree and thus regain their immortality; an idea that achieved popularity with many of the Kal'dorei. Malfurion warned them that such a selfish act would never be blessed by nature and forbade the creation of a new tree. After making this proclamation, Malfurion became trapped within the Emerald Dream and not even the green dragons who lived within the Emerald Dream could find him. With Malfurion incapacitated, leadership of the druids fell to Fandral Staghelm who was one of the Night Elves in favor of creating a new World Tree. Under Staghelm, a second tree was brought into existence and named Teldrassil. Unfortunately, Malfurion's prediction was correct; the new tree was not blessed by nature and the Night Elves did not gain new immortality from its creation as intended. The new World Tree radiated corruption that drove creatures and people inhabiting the area mad and filled them with mindless aggression. This is just one example of the negative effects Teldrassil has had on the world around it. Teldrassil's one positive effect is the wondrous city of Darnassus that was built upon it.<br /><br />After the wars played in Warcraft III and Frozen Throne, which caused the destruction of most of the High Elves, the Night Elves are the most numerous Elven race in the world of Azeroth.<br /><br />[edit] Highborne<br /><br />The Highborne (Quel'dorei in elven tongue) were the personal servants of Queen Azshara in Kalimdor. Upon discovery of the Well of Eternity, they began to probe the well for secrets to discover the nature of its power. However the Highborne began to spend large amounts of time around it and it began to adversely affect them. Many began to shy away from speaking with the other Night Elves outside of the Highborne circle and increasingly delved into work concerning the Well. After much study, Queen Azshara encountered and made a pact with Sargeras, leader of the Burning Legion. In return for untold power, Azshara and the Highborne would open a portal into Azeroth for Sargeras and his minions. Sargeras rewarded several Highborne with a new more powerful form: the Satyr. However Malfurion Stormrage, with the help of Tyrande Whisperwind, Cenarius, and fellow Night Elves were able to drive the Burning Legion back. But because the summoning was interrupted the spell went awry and resulted in a terrible explosion that destroyed part of the land of Kalimdor, giving away to the Maelstrom. After the terrible destruction Malfurion and his followers reached the mainland with a few remnants of the Highborne. Malfurion did not punish them; he was content that the surviving Highborne could do no more damage without the Well's power. The ones that survived eventually left, under the leadership of Dath'Remar, to look for a new home. However Queen Azshara and some of her followers survived the explosion and sank to the bottom of the sea eventually mutating into the Naga. And there they remained until contacted centuries later by the Betrayer, Illidan.<br /><br />Highborne ruins dot the lands of Kalimdor from Darkshore all the way to Azshara (the land named after the Highborne queen). Bashal'Aran and Ameth'Aran in Darkshore are the ruins of two large Highborne settlements that are occupied now only by demons and the tormented spirits of the Highborne. The Ruins of Eldareth in Azshara are all that remains of the Highborne Night Elves' ancient capital city. It is now overrun with a tribe of the Naga known as the Spitelash. Perhaps the most intriguing Highborne ruin in Kalimdor is Dire Maul. At the height of Highborne power, Dire Maul was known as the city of Eldre'Thalas, inside whose high walls were guarded many of Queen Azshara's most prized and powerful arcane secrets. Though it was ravaged by the Great Sundering of the world, much of the ancient city still stands. The three distinct districts of the city are overrun with a variety of dangerous creatures including Highborne spectres, demonic satyrs, and the Gordok Ogre tribe.<br /><br />[edit] Trivia<br /><br /> * The male Night Elf dance is based upon Michael Jackson in his concert performance of "Billie Jean".<br /> * The female dance is based upon Alizee in her concert performance of "J'en ai marre!".<br /><br />[edit] Male flirts<br /><br /> * I'm a force of nature.<br /> * You're an Emerald Dream come true.<br /> * Wanna bring out the animal in me?<br /> * Baby, I'm mortal now, times a-wasting.<br /> * I hope you're not afraid of snakes.<br /><br />[edit] Female flirts<br /><br /> * There's nothing like sleeping in the forest under the moonlight.<br /> * Sure, I've got exotic piercings.<br /> * If I wasn't purple you'd see I was blushing.<br /> * I'm the type of girl your mother warned you about.<br /><br />[edit] Male jokes<br /><br /> * Man, I was halfway through the Emerald Dream when I had to pee.<br /> * What? I didn't hear that.<br /> * Who wants to live forever?<br /> * Is that thing sharp? Could that thing cut me? I'm not immortal now you know.<br /> * I don't mind the Gnomes, I'm just worried about tripping over them.<br /> * Last night I went to an awesome stag party.<br /> * I don't know about you but I can't understand a thing those wisps say. I usually just nod.<br /> * You know those ancient protectors in Darnassus? They're not that old.<br /><br />[edit] Female jokes<br /><br /> * Actually I'm more of a morning elf.<br /> * I think guys just use the Emerald Dream as an excuse to avoid calling me back.<br /> * You know wisps are actually pretty useful for personal hygiene.<br /> * Oh I'm dancing again. I hope all your friends are enjoying the show.<br /> * You know, I have to keep moving at night. Or I'll disappear.Be@$Tahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17411774385008177715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8370253107272267929.post-27759811540179569702007-07-16T01:16:00.000-07:002007-07-16T01:20:18.492-07:00Blood elves storyThe Blood Elves (or Sin'dorei, in their own tongue) are a faction of the former High Elf race in the Warcraft Universe.<br />Contents<br />[hide]<br /><br /> * 1 Background<br /> * 2 Magic Addiction<br /> o 2.1 In Azeroth<br /> o 2.2 The Holy Light and the Blood Elves<br /> * 3 World of Warcraft Gameplay<br /> o 3.1 Blood Elf racial abilities<br /> o 3.2 Classes<br /> o 3.3 Class Specific Racial Traits<br /> + 3.3.1 Reasons for racial abilities<br /> * 4 Trivia<br /> * 5 References<br /> * 6 External links<br /><br />[edit] Background<br />Blood Elf Crest<br />Blood Elf Crest<br /><br />The Blood Elves are a faction of the remnants of the High Elves who survived the destruction of Quel'Thalas by The Scourge. They style themselves as Blood Elves in remembrance of their slaughtered brethren. At first they remained loyal to the failing Alliance in Lordaeron and its racist human commander in the region, Grand Marshal Garithos, who despised all non-human races. Despite the obvious talent of their leader, Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider, Garithos saw the Blood Elves as expendable and repeatedly assigned them impossible missions, ordering them to hold off major Undead assaults without any support from Human or Dwarven troops. Garithos hoped to use these battles as a way to gradually kill off the Blood Elves while also taking care of the main threat posed by The Scourge.<br /><br />During one such hopeless battle against the Undead near Dalaran, a desperate Kael was approached by a contingent of Naga, a serpentine race descended from the Night Elves, and their general, the Sea Witch Lady Vashj. Vashj offered Kael the assistance of her forces and advised him to abandon the failing Alliance. Kael refused at first but was eventually forced to accept Vashj's offer in order to win the battle and save his people.<br /><br />Garithos discovered this ruse and used the event as an excuse to exterminate the Blood Elves. Along with his brethren, Kael was thrown into the underground dungeons of Dalaran to await execution. The night before the execution, however, Kael was rescued by Vashj, who had infiltrated the dungeons through the sewers. Together, they freed Kael's people, overcame the jailors, and escaped through the same magical portal Kel'Thuzad used to summon Archimonde to Azeroth. And there they came to land on the shattered world called Outland, formerly the Orcish homeworld of Draenor.<br /><br />Here, Vashj revealed to Kael a startling truth: like the Naga, he and his people were terminally addicted to magic that they had once wielded so effortlessly. The High Elves had drawn their power from the mystical Sunwell in Quel'Thalas for millenia. But once it was consumed by the Scourge, they had been left with nothing to sate their thirst for the arcane. Vashj promised him a solution if they could find her master, the renegade demon hunter, now part demon himself, Illidan Stormrage.<br /><br />Three days into their march through Outland and other places, they came across a Night Elven stronghold and discovered that Illidan had been captured by the Barrow Deeps Warden, Maiev Shadowsong, who had been hunting him relentlessly since his escape from Kalimdor. The Blood Elf and Naga forces rescued Illidan from the Night Elves who had taken him captive.<br /><br />Once free, Illidan told Kael that his people's addiction could not be cured but it could be fed and promised the Blood Elves enough magic — from demonic sources — to satisfy them if they would help him conquer Outland. The shattered world would serve as a new home for the Blood Elves and a refuge for Illidan and his Naga after failing to destroy the Frozen Throne. Ironically, the Blood Elves had contributed greatly to this failure, when earlier, at Dalaran, they had helped the Night Elves under Maiev and Malfurion Stormrage disrupt a spell that Illidan was casting to melt the glaciers of Northrend, the arctic stronghold of the Scourge. With no choice, Kael and his people pledged their loyalty to Illidan in the hopes of their survival.<br /><br />Illidan taught Kael and the Blood Elves how to draw magic from demons to satisfy their addiction. Illidan, the Blood Elves, and the Naga, then liberated "the Broken" of the Draenei, exiled remnants of the Eredar race who had been twisted by demons and hunted almost to extinction by the Fel Orcs under the rule of Magtheridon, a Pit Lord who had ruled Outland since the closing of the Dark Portal. After closing the dimensional gates from which Magtheridon summoned demons from the Twisting Nether to bolster his forces, the three commanders, assisted by Draenei under the elder seer Akama, stormed Magtheridon's stronghold in the Black Citadel and took it by force.<br /><br />Moments after the citadel fell, Kil'jaeden, the Burning Legion's last great demonlord and Illidan's new master, appeared. Furious over Illidan's earlier failure to destroy the Frozen Throne, Kil'jaeden was bemused that Illidan was foolish enough to try and hide from him in Outland. Illidan claimed he came to Outland to bolster his forces. Kil'Jaeden saw promise in Illidan's new followers and decided to give him one last chance.<br /><br />Under Illidan's leadership, the Blood Elves and Naga then travelled to Northrend, where they ultimately failed in their mission to destroy the Frozen Throne and were defeated by Arthas and the Undead Scourge. The Blood Elves and Vashj's Naga retreated back to Outland with Illidan where they established permanent settlements.<br /><br />The remaining Blood Elves on Azeroth have reconstructed much of the forests of Quel'Thalas. They have turned to the Horde to help them find their way to Outland where they can once again be united with their leader Prince Kael'thas.<br /><br />[edit] Magic Addiction<br /><br />Due to the reckless channelling of the vast amount of magic the High elves wielded during the pinnacle of their empire, the High elves developed an insatiable thirst for magic; this addiction, if not fed, will eventually result in insanity, then death. Previously the source from which this thirst was fed was from their beloved Sunwell; a vast magical fountain constructed on an underlying node of power. The Sunwell was one of the most powerful magic artifacts in all of Azeroth. Radiant with magic power, this artifact fed the former High elves with unimaginable magic. One dreadful day, however, the High elves were severed from the source of their magic and as a result, they suffered indignities and fell into darkness. In the High elves' darkest moment, Kael'thas Sunstrider, the last of the Royal bloodline gathered the last of the remaining High elves, renaming them Blood elves in honor to their fallen brethren. He then proceeded to teach them how to tap into other ambient magical sources, feeding upon it to sustain themselves temporarily.<br /><br />After the Blood elves joined Illidan and the Naga, they were granted powerful demonic magic that not only sustained them, but strengthened them as well. They now revel in the source of their dark powers and have regained much of their former strength. More reckless then ever before these Blood Elves will stop at nothing to gain power, regardless of the costs. While the dark magics they now wield are enough to sustain them, the Blood Elves always look for more ways to boost their own power and do not hesitate to ruthlessly exploit any magic wielding creature, feeding upon its essence until only a shell remains, devoid of all life.<br /><br />Their 'thirst' for magic may be noticed in The Burning Crusade game, which allows Blood Elf players to play as nearly all of the mana-based classes: Warlock, Paladin, Priest, Mage and Hunter. The Druid and the Shaman are absent from this list, as the Blood Elves long turned away from the naturalist ways of their Night Elf kin, and want nothing to do with the shamanistic culture, believing only in their race's fortitude.<br /><br />[edit] In Azeroth<br /><br />The Blood Elves are not necessarily evil, though they may seem hateful, reckless, and arrogant. Much like the Forsaken, they are a race that has endured many accumulated tragedies in recent times and are trying, if by desperate measures, to find their place in the order of things once more. Their unorthodox practices, however, have earned them several enemies and many more critics.<br /><br />The Blood Elves are at the very least cordial with the Forsaken, as a former High elf, Sylvanas Windrunner, leads the sentient undead and likewise strives to attain a place for her people in Azeroth. The Orcs, having been slaves to warlock magic and demonic corruption themselves, are wary of their new allies but will give them the benefit of the doubt with hopes for their redemption (this is the same reason Thrall allowed the Forsaken to join the Horde). The Tauren, though appalled by the Blood Elves' magical addiction, share the Orcs' viewpoint. The Darkspear Trolls, despite their hatred of elves, remain loyal to Thrall - and it would seem the two races share a common loathing of the Amani trolls, whom the elves of Quel'thalas have fought against for generations. The playable Blood Elves in the expansion have no affiliation with the Broken or the Naga, as they are those who have not yet joined Kael'thas's forces in Outland; Instead, they have remained behind, to show others the way to their beloved leader, Kael'thas Sunstrider. In addition they seek to rebuild their former seat of power; their ancient capital; Quel'thalas.<br /><br />The Horde's hesitant reception of the Blood Elves pales in comparison to the Alliance's outright rejection of them. The Humans, Dwarves, and Gnomes spurn their former allies as traitors to their cause, while the few remaining High Elves view them with both abhorrence and pity. While the Draenei as a whole do not have anything against the Blood Elves, a group of Draenei, the Aldor, oppose the ideas of a group of Blood Elves, the Scryers, both of which are in the city of Shattrath. The worst treatment of all, however, comes from the Night Elves, who are disgusted by the Blood Elves and are near-genocidal towards them, viewing them as too dangerous to be left alive.<br /><br />[edit] The Holy Light and the Blood Elves<br /><br />The Holy Light is not only a gift for dedication to the defense of Life, Justice, Truth, and Righteousness; it is a magical power, and as such, it can be stolen, harnessed and used as weapon for malicious purposes. Despite the fact that the majority of the Blood Elves lost their faith in the Light after the destruction of Quel'Thalas, they have found new ways to harness the divine power without the need for the years of rigorous study and faith in the light normally associated with the divine arts. Usually this divine power is only granted to the most devoted followers of the light who wish to heal, save, and sacrifice themselves for the innocent lives of others. However, Blood Elves despise such teachings, which they regard as weakness, and instead now channel this stolen magic for their own twisted ends.[citation needed]<br /><br />They manage use of The Light by siphoning the energies of a captured Naaru known as M'uru, a being that can best be described as The Light incarnate. Using their dark powers, the Blood Elves are able to bless their people with the power taken from the Naaru. This gives them the ability to become paladins. While these Blood Elf paladins, known to their people as Blood Knights, have nearly all the same abilities as those of the Alliance, their darker ties cause them to have unique skills.[1]<br /><br />[edit] World of Warcraft Gameplay<br /><br />[edit] Blood Elf racial abilities<br /><br />Blood Elf racial abilities include:[2]<br /><br /> Mana Tap<br /><br /> Reduces target's mana by 50 and charges you with Arcane energy for 10 min. This effect stacks up to 3 times. 30-second cooldown. Scales with level.<br /><br /> Arcane Torrent<br /><br /> Silence all enemies within 8 yards for 2 sec. In addition, you gain 10-161 Mana (10 Energy for Rogues) for each Mana Tap charge currently affecting you.<br /><br /> Arcane Affinity<br /><br /> Enchanting skill increased by 10.<br /><br /> Magic Resistance<br /><br /> All resistances increased by 5.<br /><br />[edit] Classes<br /><br /> For more details on this topic, see Classes in World of Warcraft.<br /><br />Blood elf characters can play as the following classes:<br /><br /> * Hunter<br /> * Mage<br /> * Paladin (Blood Knight)<br /> * Priest<br /> * Rogue<br /> * Warlock<br /><br />Though the Warrior class is available to all other races, the Blood Elves never received this, instead getting the Paladin class. Blizzard made this hard-to-decide change during internal testing The Burning Crusade. They chose to "balance out the draenei Shaman class, in exchange for a few other changes."<br /><br />[edit] Class Specific Racial Traits<br /><br />Priests receive the racial ability Consume Magic. Consume Magic dispels one beneficial Magic effect from the caster and gives them 120 to 154 mana. (453 to 488 mana at level 70) - instant cast, two-minute cooldown.<br /><br />Paladins receive Seal of Blood. Enables all melee attacks to deal additional Holy damage equal to 40% normal weapon damage, but the Paladin loses health equal to 10% of the total damage inflicted. Unleashing the Seal's energy will judge an enemy, instantly causing 295 to 325 Holy damage at the cost of health equal to 33% of the damage caused. (210 mana at level 64) - instant cast.<br /><br />[edit] Reasons for racial abilities<br />The elves have long delved into the magic and arcane as evident by their cultural centerpiece, the Sunwell. Thus, they have developed a natural Arcane Affinity as a result of the well's magical presence, making the blood elves naturally skilled with arcane arts such as Enchanting. The elves' constant exposure to the Sunwell also gave them a natural defense against many kinds of magical manipulation, granting them a natural Magical Resistance. After the destruction of the Sunwell during the Third War, the remaining blood elves developed the skill of Mana Tapping to feed their magical addiction, allowing them to tap into the arcane energies of other beings. Arcane Torrent comes as a natural manipulation of these consumed energies and allows the elves to absorb and unleash the energies gathered.<br /><br />[edit] Trivia<br /><br /> * The male Blood Elf dance in World of Warcraft is actually based on Napoleon's dance from the movie Napoleon Dynamite. It was originally based on the "Jack Rabbit Slims" dance scene from Pulp Fiction, but was changed after a lawsuit (unverified) was threatened by choreographer Robert Kehr.[3]<br /> * The female Blood Elf dance in World of Warcraft is actually based on Britney Spears' Toxic performance during live concerts.<br /> * Male Blood Elves were originally thinner, rather than their current toned form. Some beta-testers complained about the perceived femininity of their look. Blizzard gave them a more masculine build though this may not have been the only deciding factor.[4] However, male blood elves in World of Warcraft retain some effeminate aspects in their voiced emotes, such as /silly ("Don't you wish your girlfriend was hot like me?") Except for the skeletal Undead, they are still the slimmest race.<br /> * Before the official release of Burning Crusade, the Blood Elves had a hairstyle resembling Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy VII<br /> * The male blood elves in World of Warcraft are voiced by veteran voice actor Cam Clarke.<br /> * The female blood elf flirt "No, no I won't do that. But my sister will..." is a reference to the ZZ Top track, Tube Snake Boogie.<br /> * One of the Male Blood Elf flirts "I know every rose has its thorn, but if you would just pour some sugar on me we could rock and roll all night and par-tay every day..." is from the songs Every Rose Has Its Thorn, Pour Some Sugar on Me and Rock and Roll All Nite by rock bands Poison, Def Leppard and Kiss, respectively.Be@$Tahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17411774385008177715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8370253107272267929.post-32290245357112715482007-07-16T00:49:00.000-07:002007-07-16T00:54:30.151-07:00Greek mythologyGreek mythology is the body of stories belonging to the Ancient Greeks concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. Modern scholars refer to the myths and study them in an attempt to throw light on the religious and political institutions of Ancient Greece and on the Ancient Greek civilization, and to gain understanding of the nature of myth-making itself.[1]<br /><br />Greek mythology is embodied explicitly in a large collection of narratives and implicitly in representational arts, such as vase-paintings and votive gifts. Greek myth explains the origins of the world and detail the lives and adventures of a wide variety of gods, goddesses, heroes, heroines, and other mythological creatures. These accounts were initially disseminated in an oral-poetic tradition; the Greek myths are known today primarily from Greek literature. The oldest known literary sources, the epic poems Iliad and Odyssey, focus on events surrounding the Trojan War. Two poems by Homer's near contemporary Hesiod, the Theogony and the Works and Days, contain accounts of the genesis of the world, the succession of divine rulers, the succession of human ages, the origin of human woes, and the origin of sacrificial practices. Myths are also preserved in the Homeric Hymns, in fragments of epic poems of the Epic Cycle, in lyric poems, in the works of the tragedians of the 5th century BC, in writings of scholars and poets of the Hellenistic Age and in writers of the time of the Roman Empire, for example, Plutarch and Pausanias.<br /><br />Monumental evidence at Mycenaean and Minoan sites helped to explain many of the questions about Homer's epics and provided archaeological proofs of many of the about gods and heroes. Greek mythology was also depicted in artifacts; Geometric designs on pottery of the 8th century BC depict scenes from the Trojan cycle, as well as the adventures of Heracles. In the succeeding Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic periods, Homeric and various other mythological scenes appear to supplement the existing literary evidence.[2]<br /><br />Greek mythology has had extensive influence on the culture, the arts and the literature of Western civilization and remains part of Western heritage and language. It has been a part of the educational fabric from childhood, while poets and artists from ancient times to the present have derived inspiration from Greek mythology and have discovered contemporary significance and relevance in classical mythological themes.[3]<br />Contents<br />[hide]<br /><br /> * 1 Definition<br /> * 2 Sources of Greek mythology<br /> o 2.1 Literary sources<br /> o 2.2 Archaeological sources<br /> * 3 Survey of mythic history<br /> o 3.1 Age of gods<br /> + 3.1.1 Cosmogony and cosmology<br /> + 3.1.2 Greek gods<br /> o 3.2 Age of gods and men<br /> o 3.3 Heroic age<br /> + 3.3.1 Heracles and the Heracleidae<br /> + 3.3.2 Argonauts<br /> + 3.3.3 House of Atreus and Theban Cycle<br /> + 3.3.4 Trojan War and aftermath<br /> * 4 Greek and Roman conceptions of myth<br /> o 4.1 Philosophy and myth<br /> o 4.2 Hellenistic and Roman rationalism<br /> o 4.3 Syncretizing trends<br /> * 5 Modern interpretations<br /> o 5.1 Comparative and psychoanalytic approaches<br /> o 5.2 Origin theories<br /> * 6 Motifs in Western art and literature<br /> * 7 Notes<br /> * 8 References<br /> o 8.1 Primary sources (Greek and Roman)<br /> o 8.2 Secondary sources<br /> * 9 Further reading<br /> * 10 External links<br /><br />[edit] Definition<br /><br />The Greek term mythologia is a compound of two smaller words:<br /><br /> * muthos (μῦθος) — which in Classical Greek means roughly "the speech", "words with action" (Aeschylus: "ἔργῳ κοὐκέτι μύθῳ" [from word to dead])[4] and, by expansion, a "ritualized speech act", as of a chieftain at an assembly, or of a poet or priest,[1] or a narration (Aeschylus: Ἀκούσει μῦθον ἐν βραχεῖ λόγῳ [The whole tale you will hear in brief space of time]).[5]<br /> * logos (λόγος) — which in Classical Greek stands for (a) the (oral or written) expression of thoughts and (b) the ability of a person to express his thoughts (inward logos).[6]<br /><br />[edit] Sources of Greek mythology<br />Prometheus (1868 by Gustave Moreau). The myth of Prometheus was first attested by Hesiodus and then constituted the basis for a tragic trilogy of plays, possibly by Aeschylus, consisting of Prometheus Bound, Prometheus Unbound and Prometheus Pyrphoros<br />Prometheus (1868 by Gustave Moreau). The myth of Prometheus was first attested by Hesiodus and then constituted the basis for a tragic trilogy of plays, possibly by Aeschylus, consisting of Prometheus Bound, Prometheus Unbound and Prometheus Pyrphoros<br />The Roman poet Virgil, here depicted in the 5th century manuscript the Vergilius Romanus, preserved details of Greek mythology in many of his writings.<br />The Roman poet Virgil, here depicted in the 5th century manuscript the Vergilius Romanus, preserved details of Greek mythology in many of his writings.<br />Achilles killing a Trojan prisoner in front of Charon on a red-figure Etruscan calyx-krater, made towards the end of the 4th century-beginning of the 3rd century BC.<br />Achilles killing a Trojan prisoner in front of Charon on a red-figure Etruscan calyx-krater, made towards the end of the 4th century-beginning of the 3rd century BC.<br /><br />Greek mythology is known today primarily from Greek literature and representations on visual media dating from the Geometric period (c. 900-800 BCE) onward.[7]<br /><br />[edit] Literary sources<br /><br />Mythical narration plays an important role in nearly every genre of Greek literature. Nevertheless, the only general mythographical handbook to survive from Greek antiquity was the Library of Pseudo-Apollodorus, which attempts to reconcile the contradictory tales of the poets and provides a grand summary of traditional Greek mythology and heroic legends.[8]<br /><br />Among the literary sources first in age are Homer's two epic poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey. Other poets completed the "epic cycle", but these later and lesser poems are now almost entirely lost. Despite their traditional name, the Homeric Hymns have no connection with Homer. They are choral hymns from the earlier part of the so-called Lyric age.[9] Hesiod, a possible contemporary with Homer, offers in Theogony (Origin of the Gods) the fullest account of the earliest Greek myths, dealing with the creation of the world; the origin of the gods, Titans and Giants; elaborate genealogies and folktales and etiological myths. Hesiod's Works and Days, a didactic poem about farming life, also includes the myths of Prometheus, Pandora and the Four Ages. The poet gives advice on the best way to succeed in a dangerous world rendered yet more dangerous by its gods.[2]<br /><br />Lyrical poets sometimes take their subjects from myth, but the treatment becomes gradually less narrative and more allusive. Greek lyric poets, including Pindar, Bacchylides, Simonides, and bucolic poets, such as Theocritus and Bion, provide individual mythological incidents.[10] Additionally, myth was central to classical Athenian drama. The tragic playwrights Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides took their plots from the age of heroes and the Trojan War. Many of the great tragic stories (i.e. Agamemnon and his children, Oedipus, Jason, Medea etc.) took on their classic form in these tragic plays. For his part, the comic playwright Aristophanes used myths, as in The Birds or The Frogs.[11]<br /><br />Historians Herodotus and Diodorus Siculus, and geographers Pausanias and Strabo, who traveled around the Greek world and noted the stories they heard, supply numerous local myths, often giving little-known, alternative versions.[10] Herodotus in particular, searched the various traditions presented him in and found the historical or mythological roots in the confrontation between Greece and the East.[12]<br /><br />The poetry of the Hellenistic and Roman ages, which although composed as a literary rather than cultic exercise, nevertheless contains many important details that would otherwise be lost. This category includes the works of:<br /><br /> 1. The Roman poets Ovid, Statius, Valerius Flaccus, Seneca and Virgil with Servius's commentary.<br /> 2. The Greek poets of the Late Antique period: Nonnus, Antoninus Liberalis and Quintus Smyrnaeus.<br /> 3. The Greek poets of the Hellenistic period: Apollonius of Rhodes, Callimachus, Pseudo-Eratosthenes and Parthenius.<br /> 4. The ancient novels of Greeks and Romans such as Apuleius, Petronius, Lollianus and Heliodorus.<br /><br />The Fabulae and Astronomica of the Roman writer styled Pseudo-Hyginus are two important, non-poetical compendiums of myth. The Imagines of Philostratus the Elder and Younger and the Descriptions of Callistratus, are two other useful sources.<br /><br />Finally, the Christian apologist Arnobius, quoting cult practices in order to disparage them, and a number of Byzantine Greek writers provide important details of myth, some of it sourced from lost Greek works. These preservers of myth include Hesychius' lexicon, the Suda, and the treatises of John Tzetzes and Eustathius. The Christian moralizing view of Greek myth is encapsulated in the saying En panti muthoi kai to Daidalou musos ("In every myth there is also the defilement of Daidalos"), on which subject the encyclopedic Sudas reported of the role of Daedalus in satisfying the "unnatural lust" of Pasiphae for the bull of Poseidon: "Since the origin and blame for these evils were attributed to Daidalos and he was loathed for them, he became the subject of the proverb."[13]<br /><br />[edit] Archaeological sources<br /><br />The discovery of the Mycenaean civilization by German amateur archaeologist, Heinrich Schliemann, in the 19th century, and the discovery of the Minoan civilization in Crete by British archaeologist, Sir Arthur Evans, in the 20th century, helped to explain many of the questions about Homer's epics and provided archaeological proof of many of the mythological details about gods and heroes. Unfortunately, the evidence about myth and ritual at Mycenaean and Minoan sites is entirely monumental, as the Linear B script (an ancient form of Greek found in both Crete and Greece) was mainly used to record inventories, though the names of gods and heroes have been doubtfully revealed.[2]<br /><br />Geometric designs on pottery of the 8th century BC depict scenes from the Trojan cycle, as well as the adventures of Heracles.[2] These visual representations of myths are important for two reasons; on the one hand, many Greek myths are attested on vases earlier than in literary sources (of the twelve labors of Heracles, only the Cerberus adventure occurs for the first time in a literary text[14]) and, on the other hand, visual sources sometimes represent myths or mythical scenes that are not attested in any extant literary source. In some cases, the first known representation of a myth in geometric art predates its first known representation in late archaic poetry by several centuries.[7] In the Archaic (c. 750–c. 500 BC), Classical (c. 480–323 BC), and Hellenistic periods, Homeric and various other mythological scenes appear to supplement the existing literary evidence.[2]<br /><br />[edit] Survey of mythic history<br /><br />The Greeks' mythology has changed over time to accommodate the evolution of their own culture. The earlier inhabitants of the Balkan Peninsula were an agricultural people who assigned a spirit to every aspect of nature. Eventually, these vague spirits assumed human shape and entered the local mythology as gods and goddesses.[15] When tribes from the north of the Balkan Peninsula invaded, they brought with them a new pantheon of gods, based on conquest, force, prowess in battle, and violent heroism. Other older deities of the agricultural world fused with those of the more powerful invaders or else faded into insignificance.[16]<br /><br />After the middle of the Archaic period myths about relationships between male gods and male heroes become more and more frequent, indicating the parallel development of pedagogic pederasty (Eros paidikos, παιδικός ἔρως), thought to have been introduced around 630 BC. By the end of the 5th century BC, poets had assigned at least one eromenos to every important god except Ares and to many legendary figures.[17] Previously existing myths, such as that of Achilles and Patroclus, were also cast in a pederastic light.[18] Alexandrian poets at first, then more generally literary mythographers in the early Roman Empire, often adapted stories of Greek mythological characters.<br /><br />The achievement of epic poetry was to create story-cycles, and as result to develop a sense of mythological chronology. Thus Greek mythology unfolds like a phase in the development of the world and of man.[19] While self-contradictions in the stories make an absolute timeline impossible, an approximate chronology may be discerned. The mythological history of the world can be divided in 3 or 4 broader periods:<br /><br /> 1. The myths of origin or age of gods (Theogonies, "births of gods"): myths about the origins of the world, the gods, and the human race.<br /> 2. The age when gods and mortals mingled freely: stories of the early interactions between gods, demigods, and mortals.<br /> 3. The age of heroes (heroic age), where divine activity was more limited. The last and greatest of the heroic legends is the stories of the Trojan War and after (regarded by some researchers as a separate fourth period).[20]<br /><br />While the age of gods has often been of more interest to contemporary students of myth, the Greek authors of the archaic and classical eras had a clear preference for the age of heroes. For example, the heroic Iliad and Odyssey dwarfed the divine-focused Theogony and Homeric Hymns in both size and popularity. Under the influence of Homer the "hero cult" leads to a restructuring in spiritual life, expressed in the separation of the realm of the gods from the realm of the dead (=heroes), of the Olympian from the Chthonic.[21] In the Works and Days, Hesiod makes use of a scheme of Four Ages of Man (or Races): Golden, Silver, Bronze, and Iron. These races or ages are separate creations of the gods, the Golden Age belonging to the reign of Cronus, the subsequent races the creation of Zeus. Hesiod intercalates the Age (or Race) of Heroes just after the Bronze Age. The final age was the Iron Age, during which the poet himself lived. The poet regards it as the worst; the presence of evil was explained by Pandora's myth.[22] In Metamorphoses Ovid follows Hesiod's concept of the four ages.[23]<br /><br />[edit] Age of gods<br /><br />[edit] Cosmogony and cosmology<br /><br /> See also: Greek primordial gods and Family tree of the Greek gods<br /><br />Amor vincit omnia (Love Conquers All), a depiction of the god of love, Eros. By Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, circa 1601-1602.<br />Amor vincit omnia (Love Conquers All), a depiction of the god of love, Eros. By Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, circa 1601-1602.<br /><br />"Myths of origin" or "creation myths" represent an attempt to render the universe comprehensible in human terms and explain the origin of the world.[24] The most widely accepted account of beginning of things as reported by Hesiod's Theogony, starts with Chaos, a yawning nothingness. Out of the void emerged Ge or Gaia (the Earth) and some other primary divine beings: Eros (Love), the Abyss (the Tartarus), and the Erebus.[25] Without male assistance Gaia gave birth to Uranus (the Sky) who then fertilised her. From that union were born, first, the Titans: six males and six females (Oceanus, Coeus and Crius and Hyperion and Iapetus, Theia and Rhea, Themis and Mnemosyne, Phoebe and Tethys, and Cronus); then the one-eyed Cyclopes and the Hecatonchires or Hundred-Handers. Cronus ("the wily, youngest and most terrible of [Gaia's] children"[25])castrated his father and became the ruler of the gods with his sister-wife Rhea as his consort and the other Titans became his court. This motif of father/son conflict was repeated when Cronus was confronted by his son, Zeus. Zeus, persuaded by his mother, challenged him to war for the kingship of the gods. At last, with the help of the Cyclopes, (whom Zeus freed from Tarturus), Zeus and his siblings were victorious, while Cronus and the Titans were hurled down to imprisonment in Tartarus.[26]<br /><br />The earliest Greek thought about poetry considered the theogony to be the prototypical poetic genre — the prototypical mythos — and imputed almost magical powers to it. Orpheus, the archetypal poet, was also the archetypal singer of theogonies, which he uses to calm seas and storms in Apollonius' Argonautica, and to move the stony hearts of the underworld gods in his descent to Hades. When Hermes invents the lyre in the Homeric Hymn to Hermes, the first thing he does is sing the birth of the gods.[27] Hesiod's Theogony is not only the fullest surviving account of the gods, but also the fullest surviving account of the archaic poet's function, with its long preliminary invocation to the Muses. Theogony was also the subject of many lost poems, including those attributed to Orpheus, Musaeus, Epimenides, Abaris and other legendary seers, which were used in private ritual purifications and mystery-rites. There are indications that Plato was familiar with some version of the Orphic theogony.[28] A few fragments of these works survive in quotations by Neoplatonist philosophers and recently unearthed papyrus scraps. One of these scraps, the Derveni Papyrus now proves that at least in the 5th century BC a theogonic-cosmogonic poem of Orpheus was in existence. This poem attempted to outdo Hesiod's Theogony and the genealogy of the gods was extended back with Nyx (Night) as an ultimate beginning before Uranus, Cronus and Zeus.[29]<br /><br />The first philosophical cosmologists reacted against, or sometimes built upon, popular mythical conceptions that had existed in the Greek world for some time. Some of these popular conceptions can be gleaned from the poetry of Homer and Hesiod. In Homer, the Earth was viewed as a flat disk afloat on the river of Oceanus and overlooked by a hemispherical sky with sun, moon and stars. The Sun (Helios) traversed the heavens as a charioteer and sailed around the Earth in a golden bowl at night. Sun, earth, heaven, rivers, and winds could be addressed in prayers and called to witness oaths. Natural fissures were popularly regarded as entrances to the subterranean house of Hades, home of the dead.[30]<br /><br />[edit] Greek gods<br /><br /> See also: Religion in ancient Greece and Twelve Olympians<br /><br />The Twelve Olympians by Monsiau, circa late 18th century.<br />The Twelve Olympians by Monsiau, circa late 18th century.<br /><br />After the overthrow of the Titans, a new pantheon of gods and goddesses emerged. Among the principal Greek deities were the Olympians (The limitation of their number to twelve seems to have been a comparatively modern idea),[31] residing atop Mount Olympus under the eye of Zeus. Besides the Olympians, the Greeks worshiped various gods of the countryside, the goat-god Pan, Nymphs (spirits of rivers), Naeads (who dwelled in springs), Dryads (who were spirits of the trees), Nereids (who inhabited the sea), river gods, Satyrs, and others. In addition, there were the dark powers of the underworld, such as the Erinyes (or Furies), said to pursue those guilty of crimes against blood-relatives.[32] In order to honor the ancient Greek pantheon, poets composed the Homeric Hymns (a group of thirty-three songs).[33] Gregory Nagy regards "the larger Homeric Hymns as simplex preludes (compared with Theogony), each of which invokes one god".[34]<br /><br />In the wide variety of myths and legends that Greek mythology consists of, the deities that were native to the Greek peoples are described as having essentially corporeal but ideal bodies. According to Walter Burkert, the defining characteristic of Greek anthropomorphism is that "the Greek gods are persons, not abstractions, ideas or concepts".[35] Regardless of their underlying forms, the ancient Greek gods have many fantastic abilities; most significantly, the gods are not affected by disease, and can be wounded only under highly unusual circumstances. The Greeks considered immortality as the distinctive characteristic of their gods; this immortality, as well as unfading youth, was insured by the constant use of nectar and ambrosia, by which the divine blood was renewed in their veins.[36]<br />Zeus, disguised as a swan seduces Leda, the Queen of Sparta. A sixteenth century copy of the lost original by Michelangelo.<br />Zeus, disguised as a swan seduces Leda, the Queen of Sparta. A sixteenth century copy of the lost original by Michelangelo.<br /><br />Each god descends from his or her own genealogy, pursues differing interests, has a certain area of expertise, and is governed by a unique personality; however, these descriptions arise from a multiplicity of archaic local variants, which do not always agree with one another. When these gods were called upon in poetry, prayer or cult, they are referred to by a combination of their name and epithets, that identify them by these distinctions from other manifestations of themselves (e.g. Apollo Musagetes is "Apollo, [as] leader of the Muses"). Alternatively the epithet may identify a particular and localized aspect of the god, sometimes thought to be already ancient during the classical epoch of Greece.<br /><br />Most gods were associated with specific aspects of life. For example, Aphrodite was the goddess of love and beauty, Ares was the god of war, Hades the god of the dead, and Athena the goddess of wisdom and courage.[37] Some deities, such as Apollo and Dionysus, revealed complex personalities and mixtures of functions, while others, such as Hestia (literally "hearth") and Helios (literally "sun"), were little more than personifications. The most impressive temples tended to be dedicated to a limited number of gods, who were the focus of large pan-Hellenic cults. It was, however, common for individual regions and villages to devote their own cults to minor gods. Many cities also honored the more well-known gods with unusual local rites and associated strange myths with them that were unknown elsewhere. During the heroic age, the cult of heroes (or demi-gods) supplemented this of the gods.<br /><br />[edit] Age of gods and men<br />The Marriage of Peleus and Thetis, by Hans Rottenhammer<br />The Marriage of Peleus and Thetis, by Hans Rottenhammer<br /><br />Bridging the age when gods lived alone and the age when divine interference in human affairs was limited was a transitional age in which gods and men moved together. These were the early days of the world when the groups mingled more freely than they did later. Most of these tales were later told by Ovid's Metamorphoses and they are often divided in two thematic groups: tales of love, and tales of punishment.[38]<br /><br />Tales of love often involve incest, or the seduction or rape of a mortal woman by a male god, resulting in heroic offspring. The stories generally suggest that relationships between gods and mortals are something to avoid; even consenting relationships rarely have happy endings.[39] In a few cases, a female divinity mates with a mortal man, as in the Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite, where the goddess lies with Anchises to produce Aeneas.[40] The marriage of Peleus and Thetis, which yielded Achilles, is another such myth.<br />Dionysus with satyrs. Interior of a cup painted by the Brygos Painter, Cabinet des Médailles<br />Dionysus with satyrs. Interior of a cup painted by the Brygos Painter, Cabinet des Médailles<br /><br />The second type (tales of punishment) involves the appropriation or invention of some important cultural artifact, as when Prometheus steals fire from the gods, when Tantalus steals nectar and ambrosia from Zeus' table and gives it to his own subjects—revealing to them the secrets of the gods, when Prometheus or Lycaon invents sacrifice, when Demeter teaches agriculture and the Mysteries to Triptolemus, or when Marsyas invents the aulos and enters into a musical contest with Apollo. Prometheus' adventures mark "a place between the history of the gods and that of man".[41] An anonymous papyrus fragment, dated to the third century BC, vividly portrays Dionysus' punishment of the king of Thrace, Lycurgus, whose recognition of the new god came too late, resulting in horrific penalties that extended into the afterlife.[42] The story of the arrival of Dionysus to establish his cult in Thrace was also the subject of an Aeschylean trilogy.[43] In another tragedy, Euripide's The Bacchae, the king of Thebes, Pentheus, is punished by Dionysus, because he disrespected the god and spied on his Maenads, the female worshippers of the god.[44]<br /><br />In another story, based on an old folktale-motif,[45] and echoeing a similar theme, Demeter was searching for her daughter, Persephone, having taken the form of an old woman called Doso, and received a hospitable welcome from Celeus, the King of Eleusis in Attica. As a gift to Celeus, because of his hospitality, Demeter planned to make Demophon as a god, but she was unable to complete the ritual because his mother Metanira walked in and saw her son in the fire and screamed in fright, which angered Demeter, who lamented that foolish mortals do not understand the concept and ritual.[46]<br />Achilles binds the wound of Patroclus, on a late archaic Kylix by the Sosias painter.<br />Achilles binds the wound of Patroclus, on a late archaic Kylix by the Sosias painter.<br /><br />[edit] Heroic age<br /><br />The age in which the heroes lived is known as the heroic age.[47] The epic and genealogical poetry created cycles of stories clustered around particular heroes or events and established the family relationships between the heroes of different stories; they thus arranged the stories in sequence. According to Ken Dowden, "there is even a saga effect: we can follow the fates of some families in successive generations".[19]<br /><br />After the rise of the hero cult, gods and heroes constitute the sacral sphere and are invoked together in oaths, and prayers which are addressed to them.[21] In contrast to the age of gods, during the heroic age the roster of heroes is never given fixed and final form; great gods are no longer born, but new heroes can always be raised up from the army of the dead. Another important difference between the hero cult and the cult of gods is that the hero becomes the centre of local group identity.[21]<br /><br />The monumental events of Heracles are regarded as the dawn of the age of heroes. To the Heroic Age are also ascribed three great military events, the Argonautic expedition and the Trojan War as well as the Theban War.[48]<br /><br />[edit] Heracles and the Heracleidae<br /><br /> For more details on this topic, see Heracles and Heracleidae<br /><br />Herakles with his baby Telephos (Louvre Museum, Paris).<br />Herakles with his baby Telephos (Louvre Museum, Paris).<br /><br />Most scholars maintain, behind Heracles' complicated mythology there was probably a real man, perhaps a chieftain-vassal of the kingdom of Argos. Traditionally, Heracles was the son of Zeus and Alcmene, granddaughter of Perseus.[49] His fantastic solitary exploits, with their many folk tale themes, provided much material for popular legend. He is portrayed as a sacrificier, mentioned as a founder of altars, and imagined as a voracious eater himself; it is in this role that he appears in comedy, while his tragic end provided much material for tragedy — Heracles is regarded by Thalia Papadopoulou as "a play of great significance in examination of other Euripidean dramas".[50] In art and literature Heracles was represented as an enormously strong man of moderate height; his characteristic weapon was the bow but frequently also the club. The vase paintings demonstrate the unparalleled popularity of Heracles, his fight with the lion being depicted many hundreds of times.[51]<br /><br />Heracles also entered Etruscan and Roman mythology and cult, and the exclamation "mehercule" became as familiar to the Romans as "Herakleis" was to the Greeks.[51] In Italy he was worshipped as a god of merchants and traders, although others also prayed to him for his characteristic gifts of good luck or rescue from danger.[49]<br /><br />Heracles attained the highest social prestige through his appointment as official ancestor of the Dorian kings. This probably served as a legitimation for the Dorian migrations into the Peloponnese. Hyllus, the eponymous hero of one Dorian phyle, became the son of Heracles and one of the Heracleidae or Heraclids (the numerous descendants of Heracles, especially the descendants of Hyllus — other Heracleidae included Macaria, Lamos, Manto, Bianor, Tlepolemus, and Telephus). These Heraclids conquered the Peloponnesian kingdoms of Mycenae, Sparta and Argos, claiming, according to legend, a right to rule it through their ancestor. Their rise to dominance is frequently called the "Dorian invasion". The Lydian and later the Macedonian kings, as rulers of the same rank, also became Heracleidae.[52]<br /><br />Other members of this earliest generation of heroes, such as Perseus, Deucalion, Theseus and Bellerophon, have many traits in common with Heracles. Like him, their exploits are solitary, fantastic and border on fairy tale, as they slay monsters such as the Chimera and Medusa. Bellerophon's adventures are commonplace types, similar to the adventures of Heracles and Theseus. Sending a hero to his presumed death is also a recurrent theme of this early heroic tradition, used in the cases of Perseus and Bellerophon.[53]<br /><br />[edit] Argonauts<br /><br /> For more details on this topic, see Argonauts.<br /><br />Engraving (Digitally enhanced for visibility) from the Cista Ficoroni, an Etruscan ritual vessel (Galleria Borghese, Rome), picturing two Argonauts before a hunt. The personages have been tentatively identified as Heracles and Hylas.<br />Engraving (Digitally enhanced for visibility) from the Cista Ficoroni, an Etruscan ritual vessel (Galleria Borghese, Rome), picturing two Argonauts before a hunt. The personages have been tentatively identified as Heracles and Hylas.<br /><br />The only surviving Hellenistic epic, the Argonautica of Apollonius of Rhodes (epic poet, scholar, and director of the Library of Alexandria) tells the myth of the voyage of Jason and the Argonauts to retrieve the Golden Fleece from the mythical land of Colchis. In the Argonautica, Jason is impelled on his quest by king Pelias, who receives a prophecy that a man with one sandal would be his nemesis. Jason loses a sandal in a river, arrives at the court of Pelias, and the epic is set in motion. Nearly every member of the next generation of heroes, as well as Heracles, went with Jason in the ship Argo to fetch the Golden Fleece. This generation also included Theseus, who went to Crete to slay the Minotaur; Atalanta, the female heroine; and Meleager, who once had an epic cycle of his own to rival the Iliad and Odyssey. Pindar, Apollonius and Apollodorus endeavor to give full lists of the Argonauts.[54]<br /><br />Although Apollonius wrote his poem in the 3rd century BC, the composition of the story of the Argonauts is earlier than Odyssey, which shows familiarity with the exploits of Jason (the wandering of Odysseus may have been partly founded on it).[55] In ancient times the expedition was regarded as a historical fact, an incident in the opening up of the Black Sea to Greek commerce and colonization.[56] It was also extremely popular, forming a cycle to which a number of local legends became attached. The story of Medea, in particular, caught the imagination of the tragic poets.[57]<br /><br />[edit] House of Atreus and Theban Cycle<br /><br /> See also: Theban Cycle and Seven Against Thebes<br /><br />Cadmus Sowing the Dragon's teeth, by Maxfield Parrish, 1908<br />Cadmus Sowing the Dragon's teeth, by Maxfield Parrish, 1908<br /><br />In between the Argo and the Trojan War, there was a generation known chiefly for its horrific crimes. This includes the doings of Atreus and Thyestes at Argos. Behind the myth of the house of Atreus (one of the two principal heroic dynasties with the house of Labdacus) lies the problem of the devolution of power and of the mode of accession to sovereignty. The twins Atreus and Thyestes with their descendants played the leading role in the tragedy of the devolution of power in Mycenae.[58]<br /><br />The Theban Cycle deals with events associated especially with Cadmus, the city's founder, and later with the doings of Laius and Oedipus at Thebes; a series of stories that lead to the eventual pillage of that city at the hands of the Seven Against Thebes (it is not known whether the Seven against Thebes figured in early epic) and Epigoni.[59] As far as Oedipus is concerned, early epic accounts seem to have followed a different pattern (in which he continued to rule at Thebes after the revelation that Iokaste was his mother and subsequently married a second wife who became the mother of his children) from the one known to us through tragedy (e.g. Sophocles' "Oedipus the King") and later mythological accounts.[60]<br /><br />[edit] Trojan War and aftermath<br />In The Rage of Achilles by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1757, Fresco, 300 x 300 cm, Villa Valmarana, Vicenza) Achilles is outraged that Agamemnon would threaten to seize his warprize, Briseis, and he draws his sword to kill Agamemnon. The sudden appearance of the goddess Minerva, who, in this fresco, has grabbed Achilles by the hair, prevents the act of violence.<br />In The Rage of Achilles by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1757, Fresco, 300 x 300 cm, Villa Valmarana, Vicenza) Achilles is outraged that Agamemnon would threaten to seize his warprize, Briseis, and he draws his sword to kill Agamemnon. The sudden appearance of the goddess Minerva, who, in this fresco, has grabbed Achilles by the hair, prevents the act of violence.<br /><br /> For more details on this topic, see Trojan War and Epic Cycle<br /><br />Greek mythology culminates in the Trojan War, fought between the Greeks and Troy, and its aftermath. In Homer's works the chief stories have already taken shape and substance, and individual themes were elaborated later, especially in Greek drama. The Trojan War acquired also a great interest for the Roman culture because of the story of Aeneas, a Trojan hero, whose journey from Troy led to the founding of the city that would one day become Rome, is recounted in Virgil's Aeneid (Book II of Virgil's Aeneid contains the best-known account of the sack of Troy).[61] Finally there are two pseudo-chronicles written in Latin that passed under the names of Dictys Cretensis and Dares Phrygius.[62]<br /><br />The Trojan War cycle, a collection of epic poems, starts with the events leading up to the war: (Eris and the golden apple of Kallisti, the Judgement of Paris, the abduction of Helen, the sacrifice of Iphigenia at Aulis). To recover Helen, the Greeks launched a great expedition under the overall command of Menelaus' brother, Agamemnon, king of Argos or Mycenae, but The Trojans refused to return Helen. The Iliad, which is set in the tenth year of the war, tells of the quarrel between Agamemnon and Achilles, who was the finest Greek warrior, and the consequent deaths in battle of Achilles' friend Patroclus and Priam's eldest son, Hector. After Hector's death the Trojans were joined by two exotic allies, Penthesilea, queen of the Amazons, and Memnon, king of the Ethiopians and son of the dawn-goddess Eos.[63] Achilles killed both of these, but Paris then managed to kill Achilles with an arrow. Before they could take Troy, the Greeks had to steal from the citadel the wooden image of Pallas Athena (the Palladium). Finally, with Athena's help, they built the Trojan Horse. Despite the warnings of Priam's daughter Cassandra, the Trojans were persuaded by Sinon, a Greek who feigned desertion, to take the horse inside the walls of Troy as an offering to Athena; the priest Laocoon, who tried to have the horse destroyed, was killed by sea-serpents. At night the Greek fleet returned, and the Greeks from the horse opened the gates of Troy. In the total sack that followed, Priam and his remaining sons were slaughtered; the Trojan women passed into slavery in various cities of Greece. The adventurous homeward voyages of the Greek leaders (including the wanderings of Odysseus and Aeneas (the Aeneid), and the murder of Agamemnon) were told in two epics, the Returns (Nostoi; lost) and Homer's Odyssey.[64] The Trojan cycle also includes the adventures of the children of the Trojan generation (e.g. Orestes and Telemachus).[63]<br />El Greco was inspired in his Laocoon (1608-1614, oil on canvas, 142 x 193 cm, National Gallery of Art, Washington) by the famous myth of the Trojan cycle. Laocoon was a Trojan priest who tried to have the Trojan horse destroyed, but was killed by sea-serpents.<br />El Greco was inspired in his Laocoon (1608-1614, oil on canvas, 142 x 193 cm, National Gallery of Art, Washington) by the famous myth of the Trojan cycle. Laocoon was a Trojan priest who tried to have the Trojan horse destroyed, but was killed by sea-serpents.<br /><br />The Trojan War provided a variety of themes and became a main source of inspiration for ancient Greek artists (e.g. metopes on the Parthenon depicting the sack of Troy); this artistic preference for themes deriving from the Trojan Cycle indicates its importance for the ancient Greek civilization.[64] The same mythological cycle also inspired a series of posterior European literary writings. For instance, Trojan Medieval European writers, unacquainted with Homer at first hand, found in the Troy legend a rich source of heroic and romantic storytelling and a convenient framework into which to fit their own courtly and chivalric ideals. 12th century authors, such as Benoît de Sainte-Maure (Roman de Troie [Romance of Troy, 1154–60]) and Joseph of Exeter (De Bello Troiano [On the Trojan War, 1183]) describe the war while rewriting the standard version they found in Dictys and Dares. They thus follow Horace's advice and Virgil's example: they rewrite a poem of Troy instead of telling something completely new.[65]<br /><br />[edit] Greek and Roman conceptions of myth<br /><br />Mythology was at the heart of everyday life in ancient Greece.[66] Greeks regarded mythology as a part of their history. They used myth to explain natural phenomena, cultural variations, traditional enmities and friendships. It was a source of pride to be able to trace one's leaders' descent from a mythological hero or a god. Few ever doubted that there was truth behind the account of the Trojan War in the Iliad and Odyssey. According to Victor Davis Hanson, a military historian, columnist, political essayist and former Classics professor, and John Heath, associate professor of Classics at Santa Clara University, the profound knowledge of the Homeric epos was deemed by the Greeks the basis of their acculturation. Homer was the "education of Greece" (Ἑλλάδος παίδευσις), and his poetry "the Book".[67]<br /><br />[edit] Philosophy and myth<br />Raphael's Plato in The School of Athens fresco (probably in the likeness of Leonardo da Vinci). The philosopher expelled the study of Homer, of the tragedies and of the related mythological traditions from his utopian Republic.<br />Raphael's Plato in The School of Athens fresco (probably in the likeness of Leonardo da Vinci). The philosopher expelled the study of Homer, of the tragedies and of the related mythological traditions from his utopian Republic.<br /><br />After the rise of philosophy, and history, prose and rationalism in the late 5th century BC the fate of myth became uncertain, and mythological genealogies gave place to a conception of history which tried to exclude the supernatural (such as the Thucydidean history).[68] While poets and dramatists were reworking the myths, Greek historians and philosophers were beginning to criticize them.[9]<br /><br />A few radical philosophers like Xenophanes of Colophon were already beginning to label the poets' tales as blasphemous lies in the 6th century BC; Xenophanes had complained that Homer and Hesiod attributed to the gods "all that is shameful and disgraceful among men; they steal, commit adultery, and deceive one another".[69] This line of thought found its most sweeping expression in Plato's Republic and Laws. Plato created his own allegorical myths (such as the vision of Er in the Republic), attacked the traditional tales of the gods' tricks, thefts and adulteries as immoral, and objected to their central role in literature.[9] Plato's criticism (he called the myths "old wives' chatter")[70] was the first serious challenge to the Homeric mythological tradition.[67] For his part Aristotle ctiticized the Pre-socratic quasi-mythical philosophical approach and underscored that "Hesiod and the theological writers were concerned only with what seemed plausible to themselves, and had no respect for us [...] But it is not worth taking seriously writers who show off in the mythical style; as for those who do proceed by proving their assertions, we must cross-examine them".[68]<br /><br />Nevertheless, even Plato did not manage to wean himself and his society from the influence of myth; his own characterization for Socrates is based on the traditional Homeric and tragic patterns, used by the philosopher to praise the righteous life of his teacher:[71]<br />“ But perhaps someone might say: "Are you then not ashamed, Socrates, of having followed such a pursuit, that you are now in danger of being put to death as a result?" But I should make to him a just reply: "You do not speak well, Sir, if you think a man in whom there is even a little merit ought to consider danger of life or death, and not rather regard this only, when he does things, whether the things he does are right or wrong and the acts of a good or a bad man. For according to your argument all the demigods would be bad who died at Troy, including the son of Thetis, who so despised danger, in comparison with enduring any disgrace, that when his mother (and she was a goddess) said to him, as he was eager to slay Hector, something like this, I believe,<br /><br /> My son, if you avenge the death of your friend Patroclus and kill Hector, you yourself shall die;<br /> for straightway, after Hector, is death appointed unto you (Hom. Il. 18.96) [...] "<br /><br /> ”<br /><br />Hanson and Heath estimate that Plato's rejection of the Homeric tradition was not favorably received by the grassroots Greek civilization.[67] The old myths were kept alive in local cults; they continued to influence poetry, and to form the main subject of painting and sculpture.[68]<br /><br />More sportingly, the 5th century BC tragedian Euripides often played with the old traditions, mocking them, and through the voice of his characters injecting notes of doubt. Yet the subjects of his plays were taken, without exception, from myth. Many of these plays were written in answer to a predecessor's version of the same or similar myth. Euripides impugns mainly the myths about the gods and begins his critique with an objection similar to the one previously expressed by Xenocrates: the gods, as traditionally represented, are far too crassly anthropomorphic.[69]<br /><br />[edit] Hellenistic and Roman rationalism<br />Cicero saw himself as the defender of the established order, despite his personal scepticism with regard to myth and his inclination towards more philosophical conceptions of divinity.<br />Cicero saw himself as the defender of the established order, despite his personal scepticism with regard to myth and his inclination towards more philosophical conceptions of divinity.<br /><br />During the Hellenistic period, mythology took on the prestige of elite knowledge that marks its possessors as belonging to a certain class. At the same time, the skeptical turn of the Classical age became even more pronounced.[72] Greek mythographer Euhemerus established the tradition of seeking an actual historical basis for mythical beings and events.[73] Although his original work (Sacred Scriptures) is lost, much is known about it from what is recorded by Diodorus and Lactantius.[74]<br /><br />Rationalizing hermeneutics of myth became even more popular under the Roman Empire, thanks to the physicalist theories of Stoic and Epicurean philosophy. Stoics presented explanations of the gods and heroes as physical phenomena, while the euhemerists rationalized them as historical figures. At the same time, the Stoics and the Neoplatonists promoted the moral significations of the mythological tradition, often based on Greek etymologies.[75] Through his Epicurean message, Lucretius had sought to expel superstitious fears from the minds of his fellow-citizens.[76] Livy, too, is sceptical about the mythological tradition and claims that he does not intend to pass judgement on such legends (fabulae).[77] The challenge for Romans with a strong and apologetic sense of religious tradition was to defend that tradition while conceding that it was often a breeding-ground for superstition. The antiquarian Varro, who regarded religion as a human institution with great importance for the preservation of good in society, devoted rigorous study to the origins of religious cults. In his Antiquitates Rerum Divinarum (which has not survived, but Augustine's City of God indicates its general approach) Varro argues that whereas the superstitious man fears the gods, the truly religious person venerates them as parents.[76] In his work he distinguished three kinds of gods:<br /><br /> * The gods of nature: personifications of phenomena like rain and fire.<br /> * The gods of the poets: invented by unscrupulous bards to stir the passions.<br /> * The gods of the city: invented by wise legislators to soothe and enlighten the populace.<br /><br />Roman Academic Cotta ridicules both literal and allegorical acceptance of myth, declaring roundly that myths have no place in philosophy.[78] Cicero is also generally disdainful of myth, but, like Varro, he is emphatic in his support for the state religion and its institutions. It is difficult to know how far down the social scale this rationalism extended.[77] Cicero asserts that no one (not even old women and boys) is so foolish as to believe in the terrors of Hades or the existence of Scyllas, centaurs or other composite creatures,[79] but, on the other hand, the orator elsewhere complains of the superstitious and credulous character of the people.[80] De Natura Deorum is the most comprehensive summary of Cicero's line of thought.[81]<br /><br />[edit] Syncretizing trends<br />In Roman religion the worship of the Greek god Apollo (early Imperial Roman copy of a fourth century Greek original, Louvre Museum) was combined with the cult of Sol Invictus. The worship of Sol as special protector of the emperors and of the empire remained the chief imperial religion until it was replaced by Christianity.<br />In Roman religion the worship of the Greek god Apollo (early Imperial Roman copy of a fourth century Greek original, Louvre Museum) was combined with the cult of Sol Invictus. The worship of Sol as special protector of the emperors and of the empire remained the chief imperial religion until it was replaced by Christianity.<br /><br />During the Roman era appears a popular trend to syncretize multiple Greek and foreign gods in strange, nearly unrecognizable new cults. Syncretization was also due to the fact that the Romans had little mythology of their own, and inherited the Greek mythological tradition; therefore, the major Roman gods were syncretized with those of the Greeks.[77] In addition to the combination of the two mythological traditions, the association of the Romans with eastern religions led to further syncretizations.[82] For instance, the cult of Sun was introduced in Rome after Aurelian's successful campaigns in Syria. The Asiatic divinities Mithras (that is to say, the Sun) and Ba'al were combined with Apollo and Helios into one Sol Invictus, with conglomerated rites and compound attributes.[83] Apollo might be increasingly identified in religion with Helios or even Dionysus, but texts retelling his myths seldom reflected such developments. The traditional literary mythology was increasingly dissociated from actual religious practice.<br /><br />The surviving 2nd century collection of Orphic Hymns and Macrobius's Saturnalia are influenced by the theories of rationalism and the syncretizing trends as well. The Orphic Hymns are a set of pre-classical poetic compositions, attributed to Orpheus, himself the subject of a renowned myth. In reality, these poems were probably composed by several different poets, and contain a rich set of clues about prehistoric European mythology.[84] The stated purpose of the Saturnalia is to transmit the Hellenic culture he has derived from his reading, even though much of his treatment of gods is colored by Egyptian and North African mythology and theology (which also affect the interpretation of Virgil). In Saturnalia reappear mythographical comments influenced by the euhemerists, the Stoics and the Neoplatonists.[75]<br /><br />[edit] Modern interpretations<br /><br /> For more details on this topic, see Modern understanding of Greek mythology.<br /><br />The genesis of modern understanding of Greek mythology is regarded by some scholars as a double reaction at the end of the eighteenth century against "the traditional attitude of Christian animosity", in which the Christian reinterpretation of myth as a "lie" or fable had been retained.[85] In Germany, by about 1795, there was a growing interest in Homer and Greek mythology. In Göttingen Johann Matthias Gesner began to revive Greek studies, while his successor, Christian Gottlob Heyne, worked with Johann Joachim Winckelmann, and laid the foundations for mythological research both in Germany and elsewhere.[86]<br /><br />[edit] Comparative and psychoanalytic approaches<br />Max Müller is regarded as one of the founders of comparative mythology. In his Comparative Mythology (1867) Müller analysed the "disturbing" similarity between the mythologies of "savage" races with those of the early European races.<br />Max Müller is regarded as one of the founders of comparative mythology. In his Comparative Mythology (1867) Müller analysed the "disturbing" similarity between the mythologies of "savage" races with those of the early European races.<br /><br /> See also: Comparative mythology<br /><br />The development of comparative philology in the 19th century, together with ethnological discoveries in the 20th century, established the science of myth. Since the Romantics, all study of myth has been comparative. Wilhelm Mannhardt, Sir James Frazer, and Stith Thompson employed the comparative approach to collect and classify the themes of folklore and mythology.[87] In 1871 Edward Burnett Tylor published his Primitive Culture, in which he applied the comparative method and tried to explain the origin and evolution of religion.[88] Tylor's procedure of drawing together material culture, ritual and myth of widely separated cultures influenced both Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell. Max Müller applied the new science of comparative mythology to the study of myth, in which he detected the distorted remains of Aryan nature worship. Bronislaw Malinowski emphasized the ways myth fulfills common social functions. Claude Lévi-Strauss and other structuralists have compared the formal relations and patterns in myths throughout the world.[87]<br />For Karl Kerényi mythology is "a body of material contained in tales about gods and god-like beings, heroic battles and journeys to the Underworld -- mythologem is the best Greek word for them -- tales already well-known but not amenable to further re-shaping".<br />For Karl Kerényi mythology is "a body of material contained in tales about gods and god-like beings, heroic battles and journeys to the Underworld -- mythologem is the best Greek word for them -- tales already well-known but not amenable to further re-shaping".[89]<br /><br />Sigmund Freud introduced a transhistorical and biological conception of man and a view of myth as an expression of repressed ideas. Dream interpretation is the basis of Freudian myth interpretation and Freud's concept of dreamwork recognizes the importance of contextual relationships for the interpretation of any individual element in a dream. This suggestion would find an important point of rapprochment between the structuralist and psychoanalytic approaches to myth in Freud's thought.[90] Carl Jung extended the transhistorical, psychological approach with his theory of the "collective unconscious" and the archetypes (inherited "archaic" patterns), often encoded in myth, that arise out of it.[2] According to Jung, "myth-forming structural elements must be present in the unconscious psyche".[91] Comparing Jung's methodology with Joseph Campbell's theory, Robert A. Segal concludes that "to interpret a myth Campbell simply identifies the archetypes in it. An interpretation of the Odyssey, for example, would show how Odysseus’s life conforms to a heroic pattern. Jung, by contrast, considers the identification of archetypes merely the first step in the interpretation of a myth".[92] Karl Kerenyi, one of the founders of modern studies in Greek mythology, gave up his early views of myth, in order to apply Jung's theories of archetypes to Greek myth.[93]<br /><br />[edit] Origin theories<br /><br /> See also: Similarities between Roman, Greek, and Etruscan mythologies<br /><br />Jupiter et Thétis by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, 1811.<br />Jupiter et Thétis by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, 1811.<br /><br />There are various modern theories about the origins of Greek mythology. According to the Scriptural Theory, all mythological legends are derived from the narratives of the Scriptures, though the real facts have been disguised and altered.[94] According to the Historical Theory all the persons mentioned in mythology were once real human beings, and the legends relating to them are merely the additions of later times. Thus the story of Aeolus is supposed to have risen from the fact that Aeolus was the ruler of some islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea.[95] The Allegorical Theory supposes that all the ancient myths were allegorical and symbolical. While the Physical Theory subscribed to the idea that the elements of air, fire, and water were originally the objects of religious adoration, thus the principal deities were personifications of these powers of nature.[96] Max Müller attempted to understand an Indo-European religious form by tracing it back to its Aryan, "original" manifestation. In 1891, he claimed that "the most important discovery which has been made during the nineteenth century with respect to the ancient history of mankind [...] was this sample equation: Sanskrit Dyaus-pitar = Greek Zeus = Latin Jupiter = Old Norse Tyr".[97] In other cases, close parallels in character and function suggest a common heritage, yet lack of linguistic evidence makes it difficult to prove, as in the comparison between Uranus and the Sanskrit Varuna or the Moirae and the Norns.[98]<br />Aphrodite and Adonis, Attic red-figure aryballos-shaped lekythos by Aison (c. 410 BC, Louvre, Paris).<br />Aphrodite and Adonis, Attic red-figure aryballos-shaped lekythos by Aison (c. 410 BC, Louvre, Paris).<br /><br />Archaeology and mythography, on the other hand, has revealed that the Greeks were inspired by some of the civilizations of Asia Minor and the Near East. Adonis seems to be the Greek counterpart — more clearly in cult than in myth — of a Near Eastern "dying god". Cybele is rooted in Anatolian culture while much of Aphrodite's iconography springs from Semitic goddesses. There are also possible parallels between the earliest divine generations (Chaos and its children) and Tiamat in the Enuma Elish.[99] According to Meyer Reinhold, "near Eastern theogonic concepts, involving divine succession through violence and generational conflicts for power, found their way [...] into Greek mythology".[100] In addition to Indo-European and Near Eastern origins, some scholars have speculated on the debts of Greek mythology to the pre-Hellenic societies: Crete, Mycenae, Pylos, Thebes and Orchomenos.[101] Historians of religion were fascinated by a number of apparently ancient configurations of myth connencted with Crete (the god as bull, Zeus and Europa, Pasiphaë who yields to the bull and gives birth to the Minotaur etc.) Professor Martin P. Nilsson concluded that all great classical Greek myths were tied to Mycenaen centres and were anchored in pehistoric times.[102] Nevertheless, according to Burkert, the iconography of the Cretan Palace Period has provided almost no confirmation for these theories.[103]<br /><br />[edit] Motifs in Western art and literature<br /><br /> For more details on this topic, see Greek mythology in western art and literature.<br /> See also: List of movies based on Greco-Roman mythology<br /><br />Botticelli's The Birth of Venus (c. 1485-1486, oil on canvas, Uffizi, Florence) — a revived Venus Pudica for a new view of pagan Antiquity-- is often said to epitomize for modern viewers the spirit of the Renaissance.<br />Botticelli's The Birth of Venus (c. 1485-1486, oil on canvas, Uffizi, Florence) — a revived Venus Pudica for a new view of pagan Antiquity-- is often said to epitomize for modern viewers the spirit of the Renaissance.[2]<br /><br />The widespread adoption of Christianity did not curb the popularity of the myths. With the rediscovery of classical antiquity in the Renaissance, the poetry of Ovid became a major influence on the imagination of poets, dramatists, musicians and artists.[104] From the early years of Renaissance, artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael, portrayed the pagan subjects of Greek mythology alongside more conventional Christian themes.[104] Through the medium of Latin and the works of Ovid, Greek myth influenced medieval and Renaissance poets such as Petrarch, Boccaccio and Dante in Italy.[2]<br /><br />In Northern Europe, Greek mythology never took the same hold of the visual arts, but its effect was very obvious on literature. The English imagination was fired by Greek mythology starting with Chaucer and John Milton and continuing through Shakespeare to Robert Bridges in the 20th century. Racine in France and Goethe in Germany revived Greek drama, reworking the ancient myths.[104] Although during the Enlightenment of the 18th century reaction against Greek myth spread throughout Europe, the myths continued to provide an important source of raw material for dramatists, including those who wrote the libretti for many of Handel's and Mozart's operas.[105] By the end of the 18th century, Romanticism initiated a surge of enthusiasm for all things Greek, including Greek mythology. In Britain, new translations of Greek tragedies and Homer inspired contemporary poets (such as Alfred Lord Tennyson, Keats, Byron and Shelley) and painters (such as Lord Leighton and Lawrence Alma-Tadema).[106] Christoph Gluck, Richard Strauss, Jacques Offenbach and many others set Greek mythological themes to music.[2] American authors of the 19th century, such as Thomas Bulfinch and Nathaniel Hawthorne, held that the study of the classical myths was essential to the understanding of English and American literature.[107] In more recent times, classical themes have been reinterpreted by dramatists Jean Anouilh, Jean Cocteau, and Jean Giraudoux in France, Eugene O'Neill in America, and T.S. Eliot in Britain and by novelists such as James Joyce and André Gide.[2]Be@$Tahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17411774385008177715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8370253107272267929.post-990633634101411092007-07-16T00:45:00.000-07:002007-07-16T00:48:05.559-07:00ALL ABOUT PALADINSA paladin or paladine (derivative terms from palatine, and Latin palatinus, plural palatini) is a certain high-level official found in numerous countries of medieval and early modern Europe.<br /><br />Originally, the paladine was created first in Ancient Rome as a chamberlain of the Emperor and the imperial palace guard called praetorian guard by Diocletian. In the early Middle Ages, the meaning changed into the official of the Catholic Church in the pope's service and one of the major nobleman of the Holy Roman Empire, named Count Palatine. Similar titles were also used in 19th century Hungary and in the German Empire and United Kingdom during the early 20th century.<br /><br />In medieval literature, the paladins or Twelve Peers were known in the Matter of France as the retainers of Charlemagne. Based on this usage, the term can also refer to an honorable knight, which has been used in contemporary fantasy literature.<br />Contents<br />[hide]<br /><br /> * 1 Derivative terms<br /> * 2 History<br /> o 2.1 Ancient Rome<br /> o 2.2 Holy Roman Empire<br /> o 2.3 Catholic Church<br /> o 2.4 Modern usage<br /> * 3 Fiction<br /> * 4 Present day<br /> * 5 Notes<br /> * 6 References<br /><br />[edit] Derivative terms<br /><br />The different spellings originate from the different languages that used the title throughout the ages (a phenomenon called lenition). The word "paladin" evolved from the Latin word palatinus, meaning "belonging to the Palatine Hill", where the house of the Roman emperor was situated since Augustus. The meaning of the term changed only little, because throughout the Middle Ages, Latin was the dominant language in writings. But its spelling was slightly changed in the European languages: Latin palatinus, plural palatini, became in French palaisin, and with the Norman dynasty came to English as paladin and paladine, and German Paladin. The term was also adopted to describe the residence of the Ancient Roman palatinus, the palatium. In the early Middle Ages the German “paladin” was the elector of the King, and he was given the palatinate to have a territory as a basis to sustain him (Pfalz).<br /><br />The word palace also developed from “palatium”, so that a paladin was in one sense a palace official. Other uses are the titles of "mayor of the palace" and "count palatine". The original Middle French form is palaisin. The English paladin was loaned into Early Modern English from the Italian form, paladino, because late medieval treatments of the "Matter of France" were mostly by Italian authors such as Ludovico Ariosto and Matteo Maria Boiardo.<br /><br />The word palatinus and its derivatives also translate the titles of certain great functionaries in eastern Europe, such as the Slavic voivode, a military governor of a province.<br /><br />[edit] History<br /><br />[edit] Ancient Rome<br /><br />The Paladines of the Imperial Guard were named after its neighboring Scholae Palatinae. The Scholae Palatinae, itself named after its location on Palatine Hill, the mythical founding place of Rome, was the older of two schools of the ancient Salii brotherhood of God of War Mars, which lent some of their symbols to the emperial, later the papal palace.<br />Official and ceremonial hat of the Salii, later adopted by the Catholic Church<br />Official and ceremonial hat of the Salii, later adopted by the Catholic Church<br /><br />Originally the term paladine was applied to the chamberlains and to some troops guarding the palace of the Roman emperor. In Constantine's time, the title was also used for the most advanced field force of the army, the Praetorian Guard, that might guard the Roman Emperor on campaigns. The traditions of the two groups of 12 Salii priests and of the Praetorian Guard soon merged into one, creating an image of an influential official with nonphysical, even sacral connotations.<br /><br />[edit] Holy Roman Empire<br /><br />From the Middle Ages on, the term palatine was applied to various different officials across Europe. The most important of these was the comes palatinus, the count palatine, who in Merovingian and Carolingian times (5th through 10th century) was an official of the sovereign's household, in particular of his court of law. The count palatine was the official representative at proceedings of the court such as oath takings or judicial sentences and was in charge of the records of those developments. At first he examined cases in the king's court and was authorized to carry out the decisions, in time, these rights extended to having own judicial rights. In addition to those responsibilities, the count palatine had administrative functions, especially concerning the king's household.<br /><br />In the ninth century Carolingean rule came to an end and the title of Holy Roman emperor with it. About a century later the title was resurrected by Otto I though the new empire was now centered in Germany rather than France. Under the German kings of the Saxon and Salian dynasties (10th to 12th century), the function of the counts palatine corresponded to those of the missi dominici at the Carolingian Court. They had various tasks: representatives of the king in the provinces, they were responsible for the administration of the royal domain and for the protecting and guiding the legal system in certain duchies, such as Saxony and Bavaria, and, in particular, Lotharingia. Later other palatine rights were absorbed by ducal dynasties, by local families, or, in Italy, by bishops. Increasigly, the count palatine of Lotharingia, whose office had been attached to the royal palace at Aachen from the 10th century onward, became the real successor to the Carolingian count palatine. From his office grew the Countship Palatine of the Rhine, or simply the Palatinate, which became a great territorial power from the time of the emperor Frederick I (Barbarossa) (d. 1190) on. The term palatine reoccurs under Charles IV, but they had only voluntary jurisdiction and some honorific functions.<br /><br />[edit] Catholic Church<br /><br /> Main article: Palatinus (Roman Catholic Church)<br /><br />In the Middle Ages, the judices palatini ('[papal] palace judges') were the highest administrative officers of the pope's household; with the growth of the temporal power of the popes they acquired great importance.<br /><br />[edit] Modern usage<br /><br />In Early Modern England, the term palatinate, or county palatine, was also applied to counties of lords who could exercise powers normally reserved to the crown. Likewise, there were palatine provinces among the English colonies in North America: Cecilius Calvert, Lord Baltimore, was granted palatine rights in Maryland in 1632, as were the proprietors of the Carolinas in 1663.[1]<br /><br />In 19th century Britain and Germany, paladin was an official rank and considered an honorary title for one in service of the emperors. It was a Knight with additional honours, they were entitled to exercise powers normally reserved to the crown.<br /><br />During the second reinstating of a German Empire called the Third Reich, Hermann Göring was also given the title “Paladin”, referring to the tradition of a title that made the carrier second to the king.[2]<br /><br />[edit] Fiction<br />Roland is girt with a sword by Charlemagne; from a manuscript of a chanson de geste.<br />Roland is girt with a sword by Charlemagne; from a manuscript of a chanson de geste.<br /><br />Paladin as a word referring to a champion or warrior of the European Middle Ages is often used to describe Charlemagne's legendary retainers, the Twelve Peers of mediaeval chansons de geste and romances. In the original version in Latin, palatinus was used, and the number resembles that of the Salii priests mentioned above. These characters and their associated exploits are largely later fictional inventions, with some basis on historical Frankish retainers of the 8th century and events such as the Battle of Roncevaux Pass and the confrontation of the Frankish Empire with Umayyad Al-Andalus in the Marca Hispanica<br /><br />The names of the twelve paladins vary from romance to romance, and often more than twelve paladins are named. The number is popular because it resembles the twelve Apostles – giving the king the position of Jesus not out of arrogance, but the conscience of the holy mission a king has. All Carolingian paladine stories feature paladins by the names of Roland and Oliver. Other recurring characters are Archbishop Turpin, Ogier the Dane, Huon of Bordeaux, Fierabras, Renaud de Montauban, and Ganelon. Tales of the paladins of Charlemagne once rivalled the stories of King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table in popularity. Ariosto and Boiardo, whose works were once as widely read and respected as Shakespeare's, contributed most prominently to the literary/poetical reworking of the tales of the epic deeds of the paladins.<br />The death of Roland at the Battle of Roncevaux, from an illustrated manuscript of the 1450s<br />The death of Roland at the Battle of Roncevaux, from an illustrated manuscript of the 1450s<br /><br />The twelve paladins of Charlemagne are listed in the Old French Chanson de Roland as follows: Roland, Charlemagne's nephew and the chief hero among the paladins, Oliver, Roland's friend and strongest ally, and Gérin, Gérier, Bérengier, Otton, Samson, Engelier, Ivon, Ivoire, Anséis, Girard (similar spellings are possible).<br /><br />The Italians Ariosto and Boiardo listed the paladins quite differently, but kept the number of twelve:<br /><br /> * Orlando — Roland, Charlemagne's nephew and the chief hero among the paladins.<br /> * Oliver — rival to Roland<br /> * Ferumbras — (Fierabras), the Saracen who became a Christian<br /> * Astolpho — descended from Charles Martel and cousin to Orlando<br /> * Ogier the Dane<br /> * Ganelon the betrayer, who appears in Canto XXXII of the Inferno by Dante Alighieri<br /> * Rinaldo — Renaud de Montauban<br /> * Malagigi — Maugris, a sorcerer<br /> * Florismart — friend to Orlando<br /> * Guy de Bourgogne<br /> * Namo — (Naimon, Aymon, or Namus), Rinaldo's father<br /> * Otuel — another converted Saracen<br /><br />The Celtic revival of the 1880s benefitted the Arthurian material and encouraged its reworking and recirculation. No such aura of latter-day romance could assist the Charlemagne material, which remained strongly Christian and triumphalist in its presentation in contrast to the melancholy of the ultimate failure of the Arthurian heroes, and their ambiguous position at the transition from Celtic paganism to Christianity. As a result, contemporary readers know Arthur and his Camelot well while hearing little of the paladins of Charlemagne, who once enjoyed similar renown.<br /><br />[edit] Present day<br /><br />The official title has come out of fashion, but the meaning of a character full of virtue remains, and one called a paladin is meant to be a thoughtful, virtuous man. Given the history of the term, it would give a wrong impression, since a paladin is in a way close to a monk.<br /><br />Some modern role playing games, such as Dungeons & Dragons and World of Warcraft, and fantasy literature make use of a "paladin" character class based on the medieval concept. Fantasy paladins are usually holy knights, combining both combat and healing abilities.<br /><br />Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina also uses the nickname "Paladins" for their athletic teams.<br /><br />Also, as 19th and early 20th century politics, paladin/paladine might be a honorary title in reality or fiction.Be@$Tahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17411774385008177715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8370253107272267929.post-22961809247367225782007-07-16T00:42:00.000-07:002007-07-16T00:45:06.930-07:00Orc storyOrc is a word used to refer to various tough and warlike humanoid creatures in various fantasy settings, particularly in the stories of Middle-earth written by J. R. R. Tolkien and derivative fictions. Orcs are often portrayed as misshapen humanoids with brutal, warmongering, sadistic, yet cowardly tendencies, although some settings and writers describe them as a proud warrior race with a strong sense of honour. They are variously portrayed as physically stronger or weaker than humans, but always high in numbers. They often ride wolves or wargs. In many role-playing and computer games, though not in Tolkien's works, Orcs have green skin (earning the name "Greenskins" in most games) and have faces that resemble a cross between a pig and a primate. Ogre is sometimes used as a synonym or refers to a similar creature within the fiction.<br />Contents<br />[hide]<br /><br /> * 1 Etymology of the word "orc"<br /> o 1.1 Old English influence<br /> o 1.2 Early modern usage<br /> o 1.3 Similar words of distinct origin<br /> * 2 Blake's Orc<br /> * 3 Tolkien's Orcs<br /> * 4 Orcs in other fantasy works<br /> o 4.1 Dungeons & Dragons<br /> o 4.2 Warhammer<br /> o 4.3 Warcraft<br /> o 4.4 Final Fantasy XI<br /> o 4.5 The Elder Scrolls series<br /> o 4.6 Lineage II<br /> o 4.7 Hârn<br /> o 4.8 Earthdawn and Shadowrun<br /> o 4.9 Sovereign Stone Series<br /> o 4.10 The Killing Spirit<br /> o 4.11 The Three Towns<br /> o 4.12 Utopia<br /> o 4.13 Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura<br /> o 4.14 Orkworld<br /> o 4.15 Magic: The Gathering<br /> o 4.16 Disciples<br /> o 4.17 Siege of Avalon<br /> o 4.18 Fallout<br /> o 4.19 Palladium Fantasy<br /> o 4.20 Flintloque<br /> o 4.21 Ciredaun<br /> o 4.22 Orcish music<br /> o 4.23 Gothic Trilogy<br /> o 4.24 Ragnarok Online<br /> * 5 Places<br /> * 6 References<br /> * 7 See also<br /> * 8 External links<br /><br />[edit] Etymology of the word "orc"<br /><br />The modern use of the English word "orc" to denote a race of evil, humanoid creatures begins with J.R.R. Tolkien.<br /><br />Tolkien's earliest elvish dictionaries include the entry "Ork (orq-) monster, ogre, demon" together with "orqindi ogresse." Tolkien sometimes used the plural form orqui in his early texts.<br /><br />Tolkien sometimes, particularly in The Hobbit, used the word "goblin" instead of "orc", (though they are completely different) to describe the same type of creature.[1] Later in his life he expressed an intention to change the spelling of "orc" to "ork" in The Silmarillion[2] but the only place where that spelling surfaced in his lifetime was in the published version of The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, in the poem Bombadil Goes Boating ("I'll call the orks on you: that'll send you running!"). In the posthumously published Silmarillion, the spelling "orcs" was retained.<br /><br />[edit] Old English influence<br /><br />Tolkien's own statements about the real-world origins of his use of the word "orc" are as follows:<br /><br /> * "the word is, as far as I am concerned, actually derived from Old English orc 'demon', but only because of its phonetic suitability"[3]<br /><br /> * "I originally took the word from Old English orc (Beowulf 112 orc-neas and the gloss orc = þyrs ('ogre'), heldeofol ('hell-devil'). This is supposed not to be connected with modern English orc, ork, a name applied to various sea-beasts of the dolphin order."[4]<br /><br /> * "The word used in translation of Q urko, S orch is Orc. But that is because of the similarity of the ancient English word orc, 'evil spirit or bogey', to the Elvish words. There is possibly no connection between them. The English word is now generally supposed to be derived from Latin Orcus."[5]<br /><br />The word *orcné (attested in the plural orcnéas) is a hapax legomenon in the poem Beowulf. It is generally supposed to contain an element -né, cognate to Gothic naus and Old Norse nár, both meaning "corpse". The usual Old English word for "corpse" is líc, but -né appears in dryhtné "dead body of a warrior", where dryht is the name of a military unit (vaguely translated "band", "host", etc.). In *orcné, if it is to be glossed as "orcus-corpse" the meaning may be "corpse from Orcus (i.e. the underworld)" or "devil-corpse", understood as some sort of walking dead. This etymology is plausible, but remains conjectural. The word orc appears in two other locations in Beowulf, but in both cases refers to cups of precious metal found in a treasure-hoard.<br /><br />Old English þyrs, given as a gloss for Latin orcus, is cognate to Old Norse þurs "giant, ogre" (both from Common Germanic *thurisaz, in Norse mythology referring to one of the monstrous descendants of the giant Ymir. But it is to be noted in connection with Tolkien's reference to a gloss orc=þyrs that while there is an entry in an 11th century English glossary which implies such an equivalence ("[Latin] orcus [Old English] orc þyrs oððe heldeofol", this is in fact a conflation of two glosses in an earlier glossary of the 7th century, found in two different places, namely: "[Latin] orcus [Old English] orc" and "[Latin] orcus [Old English] þyrs oððe heldiubol." The first of these two glosses is in a section devoted to household implements, and orcus is, in that place, a corruption of Latin urceus "jug, pitcher" or of orca "pot, jar". The word orc in these glosses only has the meaning "cup"; it is descended from an early Germanic borrowing from urceus, related to Gothic aurkeis "cup".<br /><br />Tolkien's assumption that orc and þyrs had the same meaning was therefore an error, though one shared for several decades by other scholars, as it had entered into some commonly-used dictionaries of Old English (e.g. Bosworth and Toller's "An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary" (1898), corrected in later editions).<br /><br />[edit] Early modern usage<br /><br />As far as what otherwise might have influenced Tolkien, the OED lists a 1656 use (see below) of an English word ‘orke’ in a way reminiscent of giants, ogres and the like. It is presumed that such usage (orke=ogre) came into English via fairy tales from the continent, especially from Charles Perrault (17th cent. France), who himself borrowed most of his stories (and developed his 'ogre') from the 16th century Italian writers Giovanni Francesco Straparola and Giambattista Basile. (Straparola [c. 1440–c. 1557] has been credited with introducing to Europe the literary form of the 'fairy tale'.)<br /><br />Basile (d. 1632) wrote in the Naples dialect (though Naples was, at that time, controlled by Spain), claiming simply to be passing on oral folktales from his region that he'd collected over the years. In at least a dozen or more tales, Basile used 'huorco' (or 'huerco', 'uerco') which is the Neapolitan form of ‘orco’ [modern It. ‘giant’, 'monster'] to describe a large, speaking, mannish beast (hairy and tusked) that lived away in a dark forest or garden, and that might be evil (capturing/eating humans), indifferent or even benevolent - all depending on the tale. (See especially his tales Peruonto and Lo Cuento dell'Uerco.)<br /><br />But the 1656 English use of 'orke' (forty-one years before Perrault published his Mother Goose tales) comes from a fairy-tale by Samuel Holland entitled Don Zara, which is a pastiche and parody of fantastical Spanish romances like Don Quixote, and presumably is populated by beasts and monsters common to them. (Note: Straparola was translated into Spanish in 1583. Independent of this, there is in Spain to this day the folktale of the ‘huerco’ or ‘güercu’, which is a harbinger of impending death; a shade in the form of the person about to die.)<br /><br />From under the OED entry ‘orc’:<br /><br /> * 1605 J. SYLVESTER tr. G. de S. Du Bartas Deuine Weekes & Wks. (II. i. 337) “Insatiate Orque, that euen at one repast, Almost all creatures in the World would waste.” [seeming ‘orca’ usage]<br /> * 1656 S. HOLLAND Don Zara (I. i. 6) “Who at one stroke didst pare away three heads from off the shoulders of an Orke, begotten by an Incubus.” [seeming ‘ogre’ usage]<br /> * 1854 Putnam's Monthly Mag. (Oct. 380/1) “The elves and the nickers, the orcs and the giants." [usage unclear]<br /> * 1865 C. KINGSLEY Hereward (I. i. 71) “But beyond, things unspeakable — dragons, giants, rocs, orcs, witch-whales … ” [usage unclear]<br /><br />Whether 'orke', 'ogre', 'huerco' or 'orco', the word ultimately comes from Latin Orcus, and has apparently descended by several stages through the meanings "underworld, hell", "devil", "evil creature" and at last "ogre". Note that Tolkien and the lexicons he used also attributed the origin of the doubtful Old English orc to Orcus, and that in one of his invented languages the word for "orc" also had the form orco.<br /><br />Words derived from or related to Italian orco are fairly common in Mediterranean countries; in addition to Italian dialectal uerco, huerco and huorco and Spanish güercu, there is also Tyrolean ork which may be either a house gnome or a mountain spirit that acts as protector of wildlife [1]. Such creatures have little in common with Tolkien's orcs.<br /><br />Tolkien, being born in 1892, would certainly have been exposed to the Mother Goose tales and the like. Whether he ever read Straparola, Basile or even Holland's Don Zara is unknown. Whatever the case, he certainly would have come across creatures (orkes and ogres) descended etymologically from L. ‘Orcus’, and not just in Beowulf – though that earliest image seems to be the one that most ‘stuck’ in his mind.<br /><br />Tolkien explicitly denied any intended connection between his "orc" and the other existing English word orc, referring to the killer whale (Orcinus orca), the grampus and other cetaceans. This is a borrowing from Latin orca (used by Pliny to refer to some kind of whale, quite likely Orcinus orca).<br /><br />For more on Tolkien's invented etymology of the word "orc", see Tolkien's Orcs below.<br /><br />[edit] Similar words of distinct origin<br /><br />The use of the word "orc" in any of its monstrous senses should not be confused with various other words that have a superficial resemblance, including Gaelic orc (a Goidelic form of Proto-Indo-European *porkos "young pig") and Norse ørkn meaning "seal" [2].<br /><br />[edit] Blake's Orc<br /><br /> Main article: Orc (William Blake)<br /><br />Orc (a proper name) is also one of the characters in the writings of William Blake.<br /><br />Unlike the medieval sea beast, or Basile's (see above) & Tolkien's humanoid monster, Blake's Orc is a positive figure; the embodiment of creative passion and energy, Orc being an anagram of Cor, heart.<br /><br />[edit] Tolkien's Orcs<br /><br /> Main article: Orc (Middle-earth)<br /><br />The humanoid, non-maritime race of Orcs that exist in Middle-earth are J. R. R. Tolkien's invention. The term 'Orc' is usually capitalised in Tolkien's writing, but not necessarily in other sources. In Tolkien's writing, Orcs are of human shape, but smaller than Men, ugly, and filthy. In a private letter, Tolkien describes them as "squat, broad, flat-nosed, sallow-skinned, with wide mouths and slant eyes".[6] Although not dim-witted, they are portrayed as dull and miserable beings, who are only able to destroy, not to create.<br /><br />Orcs are first described in The Tale of Tinúviel as "foul broodlings of Melko [sic] who fared abroad doing his evil work". In The Fall of Gondolin Tolkien wrote that "all that race were bred by Melko of the subterranean heats and slime. Their hearts were of granite and their bodies deformed; foul their faces which smiled not, but their laugh that of the clash of metal, and to nothing were they more fain than to aid in the basest of the purposes of Melko."<br /><br />Orcs eat all manner of flesh, including human. In Chapter II of The Two Towers, Grishnákh, an Orc from Mordor, claims that the Isengard Orcs eat Orc-flesh, but whether that is true or a statement spoken in malice is uncertain; what does seem certain is that, true or false, the Orcs resent that description. However, knowing what they are like and from later events, it seems likely that Orcs do eat other Orcs. Later in The Two Towers, Merry and Pippin are presented with meat by an orc after a fight occurred in which the Uruk-hai killed several orcs; the narration is vague as to what species the flesh belongs to. In the film, the famous line "Looks like meat's back on the menu, boys," occurs when an orc is killed by another in an attempt to protect their captives. Tolkien also describes them as bow-legged. They fight with ferocity (so long as a guiding 'will' [e.g., Morgoth or Sauron] compels/directs them). In some places, Tolkien describes Orcs as mainly being battle fodder (Cf. The Battles of the Fords of Isen). Orcs are used as soldiers by both the greater and lesser villains of The Lord of the Rings — Sauron and Saruman.<br /><br />In some versions of his stories, Tolkien conceived Orcs to be marred Elves, enslaved by Morgoth, broken and twisted into his evil soldiers. Other versions (including notes made both early and late in Tolkien's life) have Orcs as 'parodies' or false-creations of Morgoth's that are animated solely by his evil will (or, perhaps, by his own essence diffused into each), and made intentionally to mock or spite Eru Ilúvatar's creations — the Eldar and Edain.<br /><br />Tolkien also "suggested" that Men were cross-bred with Orcs under Morgoth's lieutenant, Sauron (and possibly under Morgoth himself). The fierce black orcs known as Uruks were created in this way.[citation needed] The process was later repeated during the War of the Ring by Saruman, enabling him to create the "fighting" Uruk-Hai.<br /><br />When writing The Hobbit, Tolkien carried over the concept of the "orc" that he had developed in writing early versions of The Silmarillion, just as he carried over references to Elves, Gondolin, and other elements of the Silmarillion. In The Hobbit, however, he mostly used the word 'goblin' for these creatures, though the word "orc" occasionally appears: e.g. when Gandalf describes the Grey Mountains as being "simply stiff with goblins, hobgoblins, and orcs of the worst description". In The Lord of the Rings, "Orc" is used predominantly to describe such creatures, and the use of the term "goblin" seems restricted to use by the Hobbits, though the term is used by others and applied to the advanced Uruk-hai.<br /><br />In The Two Towers and The Return of the King, Saruman bred his own "modified" Uruk-hai. These were larger and much stronger, and could resist the sunlight.<br /><br />Within Tolkien's invented languages, the Elvish words for "orc" are derived from a root ruk referring to fear and horror, from which is derived an expanded form of the root, uruk. A noun *uruku is produced from the extended root. This eventually turns into Quenya urco, plural urqui. A related word *urkō produces Sindarin orch, plural yrch. The Quenya words are said to be less specific in meaning than the Sindarin, meaning "bogey". For the specific creatures called yrch by the Sindar, the Quenya word orco, with plurals orcor and orqui, was created.<br /><br />These orcs had similar names in other languages of Middle-earth: in Orkish uruk (restricted to the larger soldier-orcs), in the language of the Drúedain gorgûn, in Khuzdul rukhs, plural rakhâs, and in the language of Rohan and in the Common Speech orc.<br /><br />[edit] Orcs in other fantasy works<br /><br />in Letter #210, Tolkien describes the Orcs as "degraded and repulsive versions of the (to Europeans) least lovely Mongol-types". The similarity between the word Orc and Turk is striking. Since the publication of Tolkien's epic novel, The Lord of the Rings, creatures called "orcs" have become a fixture of fantasy fiction and role-playing games. In these derivative sources, orcs and goblins are usually considered distinct races of goblinoids. For some time they were often depicted with pig-like faces, although there is no such description in Tolkien's work. A possible explanation of this is the coincidence with Irish orc (cognate of English pork) that means 'swine'. An alternative theory is that they were often depicted as pig-like due to the tusked and pig-like description of the orco (ogre) in Canto 17 of Ariosto's Orlando Furioso. (The orco is, of course, described as pig-like because it gave Ariosto a chance to rhyme orco with porco "pig".)<br /><br />In the 1980s another orc archetype was introduced by the table-top miniature war games Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40,000; a heavily-muscled, green-skinned barbarian with exaggerated tusks, brow, and lower jaw. This is the first instance of an Orc being green[citation needed]. This style of orc has since become popular in a vast number of fantasy settings and games, including a signature of the Warcraft series of computer games and spin-offs.<br /><br />In the The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, a new race of horned orc-like creatures called Bulblins appeared, replacing the anthropomorphic moblins.<br /><br />[edit] Dungeons & Dragons<br /><br />For orcs in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, see Orc (Dungeons & Dragons).<br /><br />[edit] Warhammer<br /><br /> Main articles: Orc (Warhammer) and Ork (Warhammer 40,000)<br /><br />Games Workshop's Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40,000 games feature Orcs as well (spelt Orks in Warhammer 40,000). The latter setting is unique for featuring Orks in a science fiction environment, capable of building crude, but functional vehicles, firearms and even spaceships. Anatomically, Warhammer Orcs are no taller but substantially broader than humans, with short legs and long arms much like an ape. They have massive heads which come directly forward on their necks, giving them a stooping appearance. They have tough thick green skin which is highly resistant to pain. Warhammer Orcs aren't very smart, but can be cunning at times. They are extremely warlike and the whole society is geared towards constant warfare. The constant need to fight is the expression of Orc culture, a fact that keeps the Orcs from forming anything but temporary alliances with each other. In combat they can transform even the most common object into a lethal killing instrument. Orcs tend to ally with Goblins (called Gretchin in Warhammer 40,000) and Snotlings, but their alliance is more of a matter of the Orcs bullying their smaller Goblinoid (Orkoid in Warhammer 40,000) cousins into being everything from servants, to Human (Goblin) shields, to an emergency food source. They worship a pair of gods known as Gork and Mork (other gods were included in earlier editions of the game, but are no longer included).<br /><br />[edit] Warcraft<br /><br /> Main article: Orc (Warcraft)<br /><br />In the Warcraft computer game series Orcs are depicted as more ethically and socially complex than in most renditions. The great Orcish race is a savage but noble society made of shamanistic and fierce warriors. Their race came from the world of Draenor, and were corrupted by a demonic force known as the Burning Legion, as the Legion saw that they could make a most fierce and savage army. Under the Legion's influence, the Orcish Horde slaughtered the Draenei, who consequently fled from Draenor to escape the Legion, and then were led to the world of Azeroth. After two devastating wars, the Orcs were finally defeated on Azeroth and rounded up into internment camps. They remained there until a young Orc named Thrall, who was raised by humans, rallied them together, freed the Horde from their demonic taint, and helped return them to their shamanistic roots.<br /><br />Warcraft Orcs are humanoid, but prodigiously muscled and green with broad noses and distinctive tusked mouths. Male orcs are significantly larger than humans, around 6 and a half feet tall when standing straight. Females are slightly larger than a human female, and while much more slender than their male counterparts, they are nonetheless well-muscled. Female orcs' tusks are very small to nearly nonexistent, arguably more exaggerated canines than tusks. Orc warriors are characterized by wearing scant armor with horned helmets and wielding axes as weapons. Warcraft is one of the few settings in which Orcs are not inherently evil, and, after significant plot developments in the latest Warcraft games, can even be heroic. One could consider the orcs unfairly treated by humans and not only misunderstood, but vilified. The humans' (of which were already somewhat xenophobic) enmity and prejudice towards the Orcs can be traced back to the first and second invasions, and could be fully justified, as it was orcs under the control of the Burning Legion that invaded.<br /><br />Their political standpoint in the Warcraft universe is set as the leading race of the Horde, an association of races made to help their mutual survival. Trolls, a similar species in the game, live in the same area as the orcs in World of Warcraft - bringing many similarities between them besides the differences of their origins and body type.<br /><br />[edit] Final Fantasy XI<br /><br />In the MMORPG Final Fantasy XI, the Orcs are a tribe of Beastmen. Though the Orcish Empire lies far to the north, its advance forces have two large strongholds near the city of San d'Oria: the Davoi Monastery and Fort Ghelsba. The Orcs frequently launch small missions out of their strongholds, and they practically control Jugner Forest and Ronfaure. Personality-wise, they follow the same pattern as many fantasy Orcs: brutish, savage and slow witted. Their entire culture is centred on violence; service in the Orcish military is mandatory for both males and females, and social standing is determined by military rank. The Orcs formerly occupied a sacred garden in Ronfaure which was destroyed as the San d’Orian Empire expanded during the Age of Power, adding to their already fierce hatred of the peoples of Vana'diel. The San d'Orian cathedral teaches that during the Age of Darkness, the Orcs (and other beastmen) were constructed by the god Promathia to constantly battle with the human(oid)s of Vana'diel, adding to the distance between most people and beastmen. Orcs have a variety of classes...Warrior, Black Mage, Thief, White Mage, Ranger.<br /><br />[edit] The Elder Scrolls series<br /><br />Orsimer (Pariah Folk) (Mer implying an elven race) are sophisticated barbarian beast peoples of the Wrothgarian and Dragontail Mountains and are noted for their unshakeable courage in war and their unflinching endurance of hardships. In the past, Orcs have been widely feared and hated by the other nations and races of Tamriel, but they have slowly won acceptance in the Empire, in particular for their distinguished service in the Emperor's Legions. Orcish armorers are prized for their craftsmanship, and Orc warriors in heavy armor are among the finest front-line troops in the Empire. Most Imperial citizens regard Orc society as rough and cruel, but there is much to admire in their fierce tribal loyalties and generous equality of rank and respect among the sexes. According to ancient legend, they were once elves before the Daedric Prince Boethiah defiled their god and stole their heritage by deceiving and leading them astray. The Orcs of the Elder Scrolls are generally depicted as of similar stature and build as large humans. Their culture produces proud, but often dull-witted, warriors (although some have demonstrated exceptional intelligence). They have bestial faces, with piggish, upturned noses and often with tusks. The female Orcs appear slightly more human, but also have a trace of the bestiality in their features. Until the events of Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall, Orcs were rampaging monsters hunted by the other races. Their leader, Gortwog, tired of their nomadic lives and outlaw nature, used Numidium to found the city Nova Orsinium (New Orc Town, a mixture of Cyrodiilic and Aldmeris etymology), winning his race recognition (if not quite respect) as citizens of the Empire. Though some orcs have turned to this new way of life, many are still outlaws. Orcs have gendered-patronymic surnames, being either Gro-patronym for males or Gra-patronym for females. The main idea that separates the Elder Scroll Orcs from other fantasy series is that in the Elder Scrolls series, Orcs are accepted beings, and are not associated with evil. They are as respected as the other races in the empire, the Argonians, Bretons, the Dunmer, the Altmer, Imperials, Khajiit, the Nords, Redguard, and the Bosmer.<br /><br />[edit] Lineage II<br /><br />In Korean MMORPG Lineage II, orcs are one of the 5 races you can choose when creating a new character. The Orc race is the race of fire, so they worship a god of fire, Paagrio. Orcs live in the land of Elmore, where they have been banished after they were defeated by the human-elf alliance. Orcs have the second greatest physical strength and the fastest recovery rate. They have natural resistances for various negative effects, such as poison or sickness. They also have the fastest health and mana regain. However, they lack in accuracy, evasion, speed and casting speed. Orcs are now slowly preparing to take the command of Aden once again, after they were defeated the last time. They live for war and for pride.<br /><br />The orcs in this game have stylized hair (mostly braided or tied) and heavily muscled bodies. Although they are not as exaggerated as the WH orcs, they still have fangs, but with more sexual appeal.<br /><br />[edit] Hârn<br /><br />In the Hârn universal fantasy role-playing setting (and the distinct subsequently developed game system) created by N. Robin Crossby and published by Columbia Games, orcs are called Gargûn. While loosely derived from the Middle-earth legendarium, they have a distinct morphology and life-cycle similar to the naked mole rat. There are five distinct species of Gargun, none of whom can interbreed. They are squat, hairy, nasty, brutish, and short creatures. Some species are subterranean, while others can be found above ground in roving bands. One of the larger species is the Gargu-Khanu. Gargu-Khanu are often found in mixed-species colonies where they are overlords of the smaller vassal species, controlling access to the singular breeding queen of the other species as well as their own.<br /><br />[edit] Earthdawn and Shadowrun<br /><br />In the fantasy role-playing games Earthdawn and Shadowrun, orks are, in contrast to the common fantasy Orc, neither inherently good nor evil. In Earthdawn they have their place among the other name-giving races: Humans, dwarfs, elves, obsidimen, t'skrang, trolls, and windlings. In Shadowrun, orks are just one race among others on Earth in the years past 2050. They emerged during the Unexplained Genetic Expression in the year 2021 as either young humans changed to orks or ones born as orks from human parents. They are categorized as homo sapiens robustus, and are considered metahumans, like trolls, elves, and dwarfs. Orks are able to interbreed with humans and fellow metahumans. Despite this, their offspring will be of the race of only one of their parents. No half-breeds exist. They grow much faster than humans, reach maturity at the age of 12, and give birth to a litter of about four children, though six to eight are not uncommon. Their average life-expectancy is about 35 to 40 years. They are physically larger and stronger than humans. Their mental capacities are considered slightly inferior on average to humans, though they are still not as dull as the average troll.<br /><br />[edit] Sovereign Stone Series<br /><br />In the Sovereign Stone Trilogy, Orks' are a seafaring people, and with Humans, Elves, Dwarves and Lizardmen, one of the five great species that rule the land. They are very superstitious, believing in even the slightest omen. They are aligned to the element of water and their leader, The Captain of Captains, possesses one fifth of the prized Sovereign Stone as well as being a Dominion Lord.<br /><br />[edit] The Killing Spirit<br /><br />The Killing Spirit, a fantasy novel written by Sean-Michael Argo, engages the race of orcs from their own perspective. The orcs are presented as being the creations of a race of gods, called the Sheul. While similar to the Middle-earth legendarium, the orcs are divided into two groups. The first group are swarthy and stooped, living in clans on the coasts and mainland. The other group are tall and proud tribal warriors of dark forests and frozen mountains. The orcish women live in communal huts and choose mates based on perceived 'supremacy'. Unlike other fantasy settings, the orcs of this setting are portrayed as being highly intelligent and able to use magic, though have a brutish language that combines with their violent tendencies to create the illusion of simplicity. A unique element is that they are able to use magic to transform themselves into eldritch berzerkers, which they call the Gor-Angir, or 'the killing spirit'.<br /><br />[edit] The Three Towns<br /><br />In the fantasy realm of the Three Towns[3] the orcs are a vile race of strong, squat, furry humaniods in league with the iron brotherhood (an evil race of men). The orcs originate in the foothills of mount drassa, and have crossbred with many of the native human barbarians there, it is speculated that their crossbreeding with the race of giants has created the ogres, but this is not explained in enough detail to know for certain. The orcs pillage the Three Towns in order to accumulate enough sacrifices to revive their blood god.<br /><br />[edit] Utopia<br /><br />In Utopia, a web-based tactic game, Orcs are one of the 8 races. In Utopia, Orcs are known for good offensive abilities and weak capabilities in the art of magic and thievery. They are a destructive and evil race by description. In the real game, there are no good or evil races. There is no visual description of Orcs in Utopia because of the non-visual, text based nature of the game.<br /><br />As of the "Age of Bravery" (36th age), orcs have been changed. They are now apart of only 6 races. They have gained the ability to spread the plague (an ability formerly owned solely by the now non-existent race of the undead). The orc's strong offensive capabilities have remained, but the hinderance to magic and thievery have been removed, and have been replaced by the disabilities of no benefit from honor and less effective sciences.<br /><br />[edit] Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura<br /><br />In Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura, orcs are descended from early humans, although they were popularly considered a monstrous race before the Industrial Revolution. They generally look like savage parodies of humans. Orcs are strong and hardy but live short life spans. Before the Industrial Revolution, they were nomads who lived off the land and occasionally off of people unlucky enough to travel near them. As time passes, more orcs move to cities, where their strength and stamina make them ideal factory workers. Although they are considered intellectually inferior, their lack of brain power may be the result of their poor upbringing and educational opportunities; people of orcish descent who receive the opportunity to reach their full potential prove to be as able-minded as humans.<br /><br />[edit] Orkworld<br /><br />Orkworld is a role-playing game which attempts to develop orcs as a complete and viable culture. The Orkworld version operates in a matriarchal society with very strong communal ties. They are attempting to hold off genocidal humans, elves, and dwarves.<br /><br />[edit] Magic: The Gathering<br /><br />In the CCG Magic:The Gathering, Orcs are portrayed as generally cowardly warriors who relied extensively on the smaller, less intelligent Goblins when waging warfare. Very few creatures of the "Orc" type were printed, most of which appeared in the Fallen Empires and Ice Age expansion sets. While Orcs were reprinted in more recent core sets, they never appeared in any subsequent expansion sets until Coldsnap. This is possibly due to being superfluous; Goblins best represented the unthinking and vicious warmongering associated with the game's Red color. Coldsnap, however, introduces more Orc cards, along with a legendary Orc Shaman.<br /><br />[edit] Disciples<br /><br />In the strategy game series Disciples, Orcs are the dominant race of the "greenskin" species, which also includes various goblins, trolls, ogres, and cyclopes. It is to be noted that there are two strains of orcs: "small mouth" types, which appear to be constitute a lower caste, and "large mouth" types, which are dominant, being stronger and better-equipped. Orc Kings may be of a still different strain, being bulkier. Although they are the most intelligent, and therefore ruling, race of all greenskins, they live in disorganized tribal societies, and although they are sometimes hired as mercenaries, they are usually considered no more than a nuisance by more civilised races.<br /><br />[edit] Siege of Avalon<br /><br />The role-playing game Siege of Avalon features a race of human-orc hybrids called Sha'ahoul. They are a race of nomads, whose beliefs forbid them from farming or building. When they discover human kingdoms (who do both), they form a unified horde and declare war on humans. Most of the Sha'ahoul look similar to the Warhammer orcs - large, stocky, filled with bloodlust, etc. There is a caste, however, who look very much like the humans of the Seven Kingdoms and are adept at magical arts. Their more brutish cousins prefer weapons to magic, but the leader of the Sha'ahoul horde understands the need for magic against the powerful wizards of the kingdoms. While their beliefs forbid them from building structures on the ground, the Sha'ahoul can still build primitive warships, which they use to set up blockades against human supply ships.<br /><br />[edit] Fallout<br /><br />The Fallout series of games featured a race of Super Mutants, who physically and mentally resembled fantasy Orcs (big, green, ugly, not too bright, etc.). These Super Mutants are quite adept at using advanced weapons like plasma rifles and laser chainguns.<br /><br />[edit] Palladium Fantasy<br /><br />In the Palladium Fantasy Role-playing Game, orcs are a race of stupid, but strong, humanoids who may be descended from faeries. They are frequently the pawns of more powerful creatures, as they tend to respect strength (be it physical or magical). They have very strong family ties, however.<br /><br />[edit] Flintloque<br /><br />In Flintloque, a fantasy wargame based on the Napoleonic Wars Orcs come from Albion and Guinelia, representing the English and Irish, specifically. They have similar cultures to their real world counterparts at that time.<br /><br />[edit] Ciredaun<br /><br />In the fantasy world of Ciredaun, Orcs are a the result of Ogre-Elf crossbreeding.<br /><br />[edit] Orcish music<br /><br />The Swedish music group Za Frûmi started making music inspired by orcs in the year 2000. Since then 2 CDs been released in their orcish tale. Speech in the music is in black speech. The debut CD is called Za Shum Ushatar Uglakh, which means "the great warrior Uglakh".<br /><br />[edit] Gothic Trilogy<br /><br />In the Gothic Role-playing Games, the orcs are in a war with the humans from the Kingdom of Myrtana. The only weapon Myrtana has against the Orcs is a magical Ore, found in the mines of the isle Khorinis, which is where the orcs originate.<br /><br />The band 3 Inches of Blood has a song called "Destroy the Orcs"<br /><br />The French Zeuhl band Magma released two songs about orcs: "Soleil d'Ork" (from the album Udu Wudu) and "Ork Alarm" (from the album Kohntarkosz).<br /><br /><br />[edit] Ragnarok Online<br /><br />A place called Orc village is filled with orcs. This village is located near Geffen and accessible via a kafra from Prontera. The orcs are of different kinds, namely orc ladies, orc warriors, high orcs, orc archers, orc lord and orc hero. Underneath the village, a dungeon is located. The dungeon is filled with undead orcs such as orc zombies, orc skeleton and zenorcs.Be@$Tahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17411774385008177715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8370253107272267929.post-46729609050645867002007-07-16T00:38:00.002-07:002007-07-16T00:42:40.715-07:00Dwarf storyThis page is about the legendary race, for the medical condition see dwarfism, and for other meanings see Dwarf (disambiguation).<br />Men hur kommer man in i berget, frågade tomtepojken ("But how do I get into the mountain?" the young dwarf asked.) by John Bauer<br />Men hur kommer man in i berget, frågade tomtepojken ("But how do I get into the mountain?" the young dwarf asked.) by John Bauer<br /><br />A dwarf is a short, stocky humanoid creature in Norse mythology as well as other Germanic mythologies, fairy tales, fantasy fiction and role-playing games.<br /><br />The plural form dwarfs has been traced to the 17th century. The alternate plural dwarves has been recorded in the early 18th century, but was not generally accepted until used by Philologist J. R. R. Tolkien in his fantasy novel The Hobbit. Neither is the historical plural: dwarf was pluralized dwarrow in Anglo-Saxon.[1] Although dwarrow has passed from the language, both dwarfs and dwarves are in current use. Many grammarians prefer dwarfs, many fantasists prefer dwarves. The form dwarfs is generally used for real people affected by dwarfism; the form dwarves is used for the mythical people described by Tolkien and others.<br /><br />In mythology, Dwarves are much like humans, but generally prefer to live underground and/or in mountainous areas. Some literature and games ascribe to dwarves the ability to see in the dark and other adaptations for living underground. Here they have accumulated treasures of gold, silver, and precious stones, and pass their time in fabricating costly weapons and armor. They are famed miners and smiths although, like humans, they specialise in any number of trades. Generally shorter than humans, they are on average stockier and hairier, usually sporting full beards. Though slow runners and poor riders, dwarves are said to be excellent warriors and defenders of their strongholds. Some myths and games also ascribe to dwarves the ability to forge magical items. In Norse mythology, for instance, dwarvish smiths created some of the greatest and most powerful items of power, including the magic chain Gleipnir that bound the wolf, Fenris as well as Mjolnir, the hammer of Thor.<br />Contents<br />[hide]<br /><br /> * 1 Mythology and folklore<br /> o 1.1 Origin<br /> o 1.2 Speculative origins<br /> o 1.3 Other mythological beings characterised by shortness<br /> o 1.4 The creation of dwarves in Norse mythology<br /> o 1.5 Dwarf places<br /> o 1.6 Dwarves in Arthurian legend<br /> o 1.7 Folk tales (and similar stories) featuring dwarves<br /> * 2 Dwarves and the Orange Alternative<br /> * 3 Dwarves in modern fantasy fiction<br /> o 3.1 Tolkien's dwarves<br /> o 3.2 Dwarves after Tolkien<br /> + 3.2.1 Dwarves in role-playing games<br /> + 3.2.2 Dwarves in Artemis Fowl<br /> o 3.3 Female dwarves<br /> * 4 See also<br /> * 5 Modern fantasy with major roles for Dwarves<br /> * 6 Bibliography<br /> * 7 References<br /> * 8 External links<br /><br />[edit] Mythology and folklore<br /><br />For Norse dwarves specifically, see that article.<br />A modern depiction of a dwarf<br />A modern depiction of a dwarf<br /><br />Dwarves are described as being about the height of a 3-year old human child (about 3 feet tall), ugly and big-headed. Nidavellir is the land of the dwarves in Norse mythology. Some dwarves of mythology and fairy tales include: Rumpelstiltskin, the dwarves from Snow White, Dvalin, Lit, Fjalar and Galar, Alvis, Eitri, Brokkr, Hreidmar, Alfrik, Berling, Grer, Fafnir, Otr, Regin (rarely given as Mimir), Andvari (or Alberich), and Gimli.<br /><br />In Northumbria, dwarves are oftened called Duergar or Dwergar. The most famous example of these Northumbrian dwarves are the The Dwarves of Simonside.([1]). The word 'Duergar is similar to the Norse word Dvergar, meaning dwarves.<br /><br />[edit] Origin<br /><br />Dwarves seem to have developed from a belief in spirits of the earth. Like the elves, which are connected to nature and fertility, the dwarves are given their own worldly association. In mythology, real objects or places are frequently appointed their own spirits; this is a result of the animistic beliefs in human culture. Gnomes and sylphs are other examples of the connection between real and spiritual ideas. In Norse Mythology, wights are an over-arching description of spirits of nature, and dwarves fill a part of this. From the dwarves' association with the earth, and the remarkable complexity of Norse-and-Germanic Mythology, dwarves have become connected to other associations with the earth, such as minerals and mining. The idea of a race of creatures that organizes and provides the minerals under the ground was easy for a religious and theistic culture to believe, and the creation of supernatural explanations for mysterious events is universal in mythology.<br /><br />[edit] Speculative origins<br /><br />Stories of dwarves may have a historical background[citation needed]: during the Bronze Age, tin miners from southern and south-Eastern Europe slowly migrated northwest, since the relatively rare tin, which is needed to make bronze, was more common in the north. Being southerners, they generally were of shorter stature than northern Europeans[citation needed] and had darker skin, hair and beards. Their knowledge of metallurgy might have seemed magical to the northerners, whose lifestyle was still neolithic; the southerners' superior weapons and armour might well have been perceived as enchanted. This would explain why stories of dwarves are especially common in Northern Europe, and also why dwarves are portrayed as workers, while few other mythological creatures seem to be associated with any kind of organized industry.<br /><br />It is also a historical fact that mines were quite often run by (ab)using children turned into working slaves. The reason was simple: mines are narrow, smaller people like children can move more easy. The hard work in the mines was dangerous, and even those who survived more than a few years often remained physically damaged, having a hunchback for example. Working in mines also means being dusty and dirty. All in all this leads to a picture of small men (children) looking old (deformations, dusty, tired) in a tight connection to mining and smithing.<br /><br />More generally, the pygmies of Africa, the short Eskimos, Sami (Lapps), the Asian Dropa pygmies of Tibet, short rainforest natives, people with dwarfism, and similarly short people may have had a hand in the origin of dwarf legends in many countries.<br /><br />The field of Depth Psychology has suggested that dwarfs are most frequently psychological symbols of what Carl G. Jung termed the "Shadow." The Shadow is the portion of the human psyche which contains personalities, behaviors, and/or events that have been suppressed by consciousness in the unconscious in a personal, societal, or collective manner.<br /><br />Another origin might go back to hunter-gatherer times, when only those with physical defects would be available to do anything other than hunting and gathering. Those with dwarfism might be stuck as permanent craftsmen, and an association between crafting, and dwarfism might have developed. As for being great craftsmen, there is no doubt[citation needed]: many of today’s greatest artists, architects, and gold smiths are dwarfs[citation needed]. This doesn't explain why no other physical defects have been associated with crafting, nor does it explain why this association hasn't popped up in other cultures.<br /><br />[edit] Other mythological beings characterised by shortness<br /><br />Finns had folklore about different kinds of small beings. Sometimes small creatures appeared from the sea and achieved miraculous deeds, which nobody else could do. There were also tales about the folk or race of creatures called Hiisi. Hiisis were usually evil and small in size. Prehistoric stone structures were said to have been built by Hiisis and giants.<br /><br />Other similar mythological creatures include:<br /><br /> * underground or secluded: mine kobolds (German), gnomes (alchemy), Kallikantzaroi (Modern Greek), knockers (Cornish—see Pasty), huldufólk (Icelandic)<br /> * house spirits: vetter (Scandinavian, including the tomte), Brownies (British), Domovoi (Slavic), Krasnoludek and Krasnal (Polish)<br /> * others: pygmies (Classical Greek), Hackers (Sweden), leprechauns (Irish), menehune (Polynesian), Ebu Gogo (Indonesian), Bes (an ancient Egyptian god).<br /><br />[edit] The creation of dwarves in Norse mythology<br /><br />"Then the gods set themselves in their high-seats and held counsel. They remembered how the dwarves had quickened in the mould of the earth like maggots in flesh. The dwarves had first been created and had quickened in Ymir's flesh, and were then maggots; but now, by the decision of the gods, they got the understanding and likeness of men, but still had to dwell in the earth and in rocks. Modsogner was one dwarf and Durin another. So it is said in the Völuspá:<br /><br /> Þá gengu regin öll<br /> á rökstóla,<br /> ginnheilög goð,<br /> ok um þat gættusk,<br /> hverr skyldi dverga<br /> dróttir skepja,<br /> ór Brimis blóði<br /> ok ór Bláins leggjum.<br /> Þar var Mótsognir<br /> mæztr um orðinn<br /> dverga allra,<br /> en Durinn annarr.<br /> Þeir mannlíkön<br /> mörg um gørðu,<br /> dvergar, ór jörðu,<br /> sem Durinn sagði.(standardised)<br /><br /> <br /><br /> Then sought the gods<br /> their assembly-seats,<br /> The holy ones,<br /> and council held,<br /> To find who should raise<br /> the race of dwarves<br /> Out of Brimir’s blood<br /> and the legs of Blain.<br /> There was Motsognir<br /> the mightiest made<br /> Of all the dwarves,<br /> and Durin next;<br /> Many a likeness<br /> of men they made,<br /> The dwarves in the earth,<br /> as Durin said." (Bellow's translation)<br /><br />[edit] Dwarf places<br /><br />The Dwarves' Cavern (in Hasel, Germany) was supposedly once home to many dwarves. This legend gives the cavern its name.<br /><br />Harz Mountains (in Germany): On the north and south sides of the Harz mountains, and in areas of the Hohenstein region, there once lived many thousands of dwarves according to local tradition. In the clefts of the cliffs, the dwarf caves still exist.<br /><br />Simonside Hills (in Northumberland, England) in folklore is home to malicious dwarves who cause the deaths of hikers.<br /><br />Tyre (in Lebanon): In ancient Jewish scriptures, dwarves were numerous in the towers of the fortresses of Tyre.<br /><br />[edit] Dwarves in Arthurian legend<br /><br />Though most dwarves in the Arthurian romances of Chrétien de Troyes seem to be short humans, there is a reference to a kingdom or kingdoms of dwarves (suggesting a non-human race) in "Erec and Enide." The following passage is from Carleton W. Carroll's translation.<br /><br /> "The lord of the dwarves came next, Bilis, king of the Antipodes. The man of whom I'm speaking was indeed a dwarf and full brother of Bliant. Bilis was the smallest of all the dwarves, and Bliant his brother the largest of all the knights in the kingdom by half a foot or a full hands'-breadth. To display his power and authority Bilis brought in his company two kings who were dwarves, who held their land by his consent, Gribalo and Glodoalan, people looked at them with wonder. When they arrived at court, they were very cordially welcomed; at court all three were honoured and served like kings, for they were very noble men."<br /><br />More ambiguous are the dwarfs found in attendance on ladies in romances. Although these might be humans afflicted with dwarfism, who were often kept as curiosities by courts and nobles of the era, the ladies are often of uncertain origin themselves; many enchantresses were in original stories fairies, and their attendants might likewise be nonhuman.[2]<br /><br />[edit] Folk tales (and similar stories) featuring dwarves<br /><br />The Adventures of Billy McDaniel, Aid & Punishment, Bottile Hill, Chamois-Hunter, The Cobbler and the Dwarfs, Curiosity Punished, Dwarf in Search of Lodging, Dwarf-Husband, Dwarf's Banquet, Dwarves Borrowing Bread, Dwarf's Feast, Dwarves on the Tree, Dwarves Stealing Corn, Dwarf-Sword Tirfing, The Field of Ragwort, Fir Cones, Freddy and his Fiddle, Friendly Dwarves, Gertrude and Rosy, The Girl Who Picked Strawberries, The Hazel-nut Child, The Hill-Man at the Dance, History of Dwarf Long Nose, Journey of Dwarves Over the Mountain, Knurremurre, Laird O' Co', Little Mukra, Loki & the Dwarf, Lost Bell, Nihancan & Dwarf's Arrow, Nutcracker Dwarf, Rejected Gift, Snow-White and Rose-Red, Rumpelstiltskin, The Silver Bell, Sir Thynnè, The Skipper and the Dwarfs, Smith Riechert, Snow White, The Story of Maia, Thorston & the Dwarf, The Three Little Men in the Wood, Thumbkin, Timimoto, Wonderful Little Pouch, The Yellow Dwarf<br /><br />[edit] Dwarves and the Orange Alternative<br />The Dwarf - the symbol of the Orange Alternative - now has a statue in Wrocław (Breslau), Poland, in the place where all Dwarf happenings started.<br />The Dwarf - the symbol of the Orange Alternative - now has a statue in Wrocław (Breslau), Poland, in the place where all Dwarf happenings started.<br /><br />During the 1980s, behind the Iron Curtain, in Poland, the Dwarves entered into politics. This happened thanks to an underground artistic opposition movement known as the Orange Alternative. The Orange Alternative was created in 1981 by Waldemar Fydrych alias "Major", a graduate of history and art history at the University of Wrocław. He began his opposition activities by painting absurd dwarf graffiti on spots created by the authorities covering up anti-communist slogans.<br /><br />[edit] Dwarves in modern fantasy fiction<br /><br />[edit] Tolkien's dwarves<br />See Dwarf (Middle-earth)<br /><br />Traditionally, the plural of dwarf was "dwarfs", especially when referring to actual humans with dwarfism, but ever since J. R. R. Tolkien used dwarves in his fantasy novel The Hobbit, the subsequentThe Lord of the Rings (often published in three volumes), and the posthumously published The Silmarillion, the plural forms "dwarfs" has been replaced by "dwarves". (When discussing Tolkien's universe, though, only the latter should be used.) Tolkien, who was fond of low philological jests, also suggested two other plural forms, dwarrows and dwerrows; but he never used them in his writings, apart from the name 'Dwarrowdelf', the Western name for Khazad-dûm or Moria, which was, inside his fiction, a calque of the Westron name Phurunargian. His Dwarves' name for themselves was Khazâd, singular probably Khuzd. 'Dwarrow' is the plural of Dweorh in Anglo-Saxon.<br /><br />The Dwarves were created by Aulë, one of the Valar, when he grew impatient waiting for the coming of Children of Ilúvatar. Ilúvatar gave them life after speaking to Aulë about what he had done and seeing that he was both humble and repentant.<br /><br />Dwarves in Tolkien are long-lived, living nearly four times the age of man (about 250 years), but are not prolific breeders, having children rarely and spaced far apart, and having few women among them. Dwarvish children are cherished by their parents, and are defended at all costs from their traditional enemies, such as Orcs. A longstanding enmity between Dwarves and Elves is also a staple of the racial conception.<br /><br />Many modern views of dwarves have been inspired by Tolkien's works. An example of this is Christopher Paolini's Eragon. In both cases dwarves are small, stout, bearded men-like creatures who favor the mattok or battle axe as primary weapons. These dwarves also burrow in mountains, being very skilled miners and making entire civilizations under the mountains. In The Lord of the Rings, one of these mine-civilizations is called Moria. In Eragon, a very similar civilization is called Farthen Dur.<br /><br />[edit] Dwarves after Tolkien<br /><br />Tolkien's immense popularity led to numerous imitators, and rewrites and reworkings of his plots were extremely common, as a bit of reading through the advertisements in the back of paperback fantasy books printed in around 1960–1980 will show. The Dwarves from the book The Hobbit became the fathers to hordes of dwarves that would follow, with their surly, somewhat suspicious demeanour passing to an entire race. Still, re-envisionings and creative reuses of the concept exist.<br /><br />[edit] Dwarves in role-playing games<br />A Dwarf from the MMORPG World of Warcraft<br />A Dwarf from the MMORPG World of Warcraft<br /><br />The Dwarves of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game are closely derived from the Old Norse stereotype popularised by J. R. R. Tolkien, although a few unique variants on the theme exist.<br /><br />In Warhammer Fantasy, dwarves are miners and blacksmiths of great repute who live in massive halls beneath the mountains. In addition, they are consummate engineers who are often portrayed as having a very down-to-earth attitude. They are very technollogically advanced, being able to access handguns, pistols, cannons, and even more outlandish technological devices such as flame cannons, organ guns, and gyrocopters. Like most modern interpretations (originating with Tolkien and used in Dungeons and Dragons) dwarves have an antipathy against Elves.<br /><br />In Arcanis, dwarves are descended from a race of Celestial Giants, cursed by the King of the Human Gods to forever be stunted and live under the earth.<br /><br />In the MMORPG RuneScape, dwarves are, obviously, a short race with short tempers to match. They are also blessed with a remarkable ingenuity that surpasses the other races. Their particular interest is in engineering, for it seems to them a thoroughly sensible way of doing things that weaker and more foolish races resort to magic for. This mistrust of magic is a long-held conviction for the dwarves, who, aside from the odd casting of Superheat Item, have not used magic in any significant way since the construction of Keldagrim all those many centuries ago.<br /><br />The dwarves of RuneScape are an especially economically aware race, as visitors to Keldagrim will notice when they first view the impressive trading floor in the Consortium's Palace. The Consortium, who rule the dwarves, are the most powerful of the dwarven corporations and their wealth is beyond compare even among other races. This is no real surprise, of course, for the dwarves have been mining for gold and precious stones and metals since well before humans abandoned their nomadic existence.<br /><br /><br />In Earthdawn, dwarves are one of the more widespread races. They generally have a lifespan of around 100-120 years and are great craftsmen. Appearance wise, they are around 4 feet tall, stocky and well muscled with short legs and slightly pointed ears.<br /><br />In Warcraft the Dwarven archetype is taken to the extreme in emulating the highland miners of the British Isles replete with Scottish accents and inhabitting the Brittonic sounding kingdom of Khaz Modan.<br /><br />Dwarves in the Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game are also accomplished smiths, but their distrust of magic dates to the Elf-Dwarf War, where the Dwarves caused many atrocities by misusing magic. Their descendants have since sworn to never use magic.<br /><br />In the MMORPG Guild Wars, Dwarves are a strong race that resides in the Shiverpeak Mountains, and are in the middle of a fierce civil war between the Deldrimor Dwarves, lead by the King Jalis Ironhammer, a powerful warrior who uses a mighty hammer, and the Stone Summit, who believe that only Dwarves are pure and worth living. They are lead by the powerful elementalist, Dagnar Stonepate, who rides on a mighty ice drake.<br /><br />In The Elder Scrolls series of RPGs, the Dwarves are, in fact, a sub-race of elves known as the Dwemer, or "Deep Ones". The name "Dwarves" was given to the Dwemer by a race of friendly giants the Dwemer were reputed to have encountered in the mountains to the west of Resdayn. In the case of the Dwemer, therefore, "Dwarf" is a misnomer, used commonly by the misinformed. The Dwemer were an advanced race, creating complex mechanisms and high-quality armor. One example of their machinery is the Imperial Orrery, a planetarium within the Imperial City's Arcane University.<br /><br />[edit] Dwarves in Artemis Fowl<br /><br />In a rather more creative reworking, the Artemis Fowl series' dwarves act as a sort of earthworm, tunnelling through soil and loose rocks and getting nutrition thereby, excreting it just as fast as they eat it except when they need to build up pressure to break through a layer of solid rock. They are short, round, and hairy, have large tombstone teeth, unhingible jaws, sensitive beard hair, suction-cup-like pores, luminous and hardening spit, and are incredibly foul smelling. They are sensitive, intelligent, and have tendencies for being criminals. The most famous one is Mulch Diggums. Dwarves are, in some legends, said to have a third eyeball located just below the ribcage, in place of a navel. This was reportedly because they were omnipotent, and could see into one's soul. Dwarves are also known for loving gold and gems, tunnelling, and the dark. They are very sensitive to the sun and can burn in mere minutes. They absolutely hate fire.<br /><br />[edit] Female dwarves<br /><br />A long standing source of interest (and humour) comes from the allusion of Tolkien to female dwarves having actual beards or simply disguising themselves as such. In addition to being rare creatures they are perhaps not often featured in many fantasy milieu for this reason. A more cynical suspicion is that female dwarves (unlike, say, female humans or elves) lack sex appeal and consequently are of little interest to fantasy fans. In Peter Jackson's The Two Towers film, Gimli and Éowyn have a conversation about them on their way to Helm's Deep. Gimli said: "it's true you don't see many dwarf women. And in fact, they're so alike us in voice and appearance that they're often mistaken for dwarf men." Tolkien comments further, paraphrased by Gimli in the movie, that "this has given rise to the foolish opinion among Men that there are no dwarf-women, and that dwarves 'grow out of stone' " (Gimli: "pop out of holes in the ground!... which is of course ridiculous"). In The Chronicles of Narnia, in fact, C. S. Lewis, who was a friend of Tolkien, described his Dwarfs [sic] as doing just this, and it is entirely possible that Tolkien was ribbing Lewis in making this point. Interestingly, though, Lewis' all-male Dwarfs are capable of mixing with humans to make half-Dwarfs, such as Doctor Cornelius, the tutor of Prince Caspian.<br /><br />In the MMORPG RuneScape, female dwarves are as present in the game as the females of other races.<br /><br />In Dungeons & Dragons, the status of beards on dwarven women varies by setting: In Greyhawk, dwarven women grow beards but generally shave; in Forgotten Realms they grow sideburns but not beards or mustaches; and in Eberron they do not grow beards at all.<br /><br />In the Discworld novels, Terry Pratchett says that this is a major problem for dwarves, and states that the point of dwarvish relationships is to 'tactfully find out which sex the other one is '<br /><br />Arcanum: Of Steamworks & Magick Obscura features only male dwarves, and asking one about dwarven women is taboo, tantamount to insulting him. The game's manual hints that the reason for this is that the birth of a female dwarf is a rare event, with dwarven men outnumbering the women 2-to-1, and dwarven women are pregnant with their children for up to ten years, during which time their health is greatly at risk. Dwarven culture, therefore, requires that female dwarves spend almost all of their lives concealed from the outside world, for their own safety.<br /><br />In the RPG Castle Falkenstein, all dwarves are male. They marry with women from other Faerie races, such as Naiads or Selkies; their daughters are all members of their mother's race, and their sons are all dwarves. Given that the Naiads and Selkies are all female, this would appear to suggest that this is simply a marked example of sexual dimorphism.<br /><br />In a notable departure from convention, dwarven females in the Korea-produced Lineage II MMORPG are very comely, young-looking women (almost girls, actually), a shocking contrast to the grizzled, old look of male dwarves. Female dwarves how ever are taller than males and look more like young girls with big heads and stomachs<br /><br />In the Warhammer world, Dwarves are depicted as having female members of the race. Female members are rarely seen, however, as most Dwarven warriors are male. From what evidence can be gathered, female Dwarfs of the Warhammer kind look like female equivalents of their male counterparts, possessing long, platted hair instead of beards.<br /><br />To put it up in Shakespearean words: "Beard or no beard, that is the question." Both forms are used in fantasy literature and role games, just alike there is literature including and excluding the existance of female dwarves. Sometimes this point indicates if the author is "pro-dwarf" or "contra-dwarf"-minded. This is one point were one oft the big advantages of the fantasy- and role playing genre occures: at least, it is up to anybody to make an own picture of female dwarves.Be@$Tahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17411774385008177715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8370253107272267929.post-43745681001062827262007-07-16T00:38:00.001-07:002007-07-16T00:38:51.552-07:00Undead storyUndead is a collective name for mythological beings that are deceased yet behave as if alive. Undead may be spiritual, such as ghosts, or corporeal, such as Vampires and Zombies. Undead are featured in the legends of most cultures and in many works of fiction, especially fantasy and horror fiction.<br /><br />Bram Stoker considered the term "The Un-Dead" for the original title for his novel Dracula,[1] and its use in the novel is mostly responsible for the modern sense of the word. The word does appear in English before Stoker but with the more literal sense of "alive" or "not dead," for which citations can be found in the Oxford English Dictionary. Stoker's use of the term refers only to vampires, and the extension to other types of supernatural beings arose later. Most commonly, it is now taken to refer to supernatural beings which had at one time been alive and continue to display some aspects of life after death, but the usage is highly variable.<br />Contents<br />[hide]<br /><br /> * 1 Examples<br /> o 1.1 Traditional forms<br /> + 1.1.1 Corporeal<br /> + 1.1.2 Incorporeal<br /> o 1.2 In fiction<br /> + 1.2.1 Corporeal<br /> + 1.2.2 Semi-corporeal<br /> + 1.2.3 Non-corporeal<br /> * 2 Creation<br /> * 3 Vulnerabilities<br /> * 4 Fiction and films<br /> * 5 Games and popular culture<br /> * 6 In philosophy<br /> * 7 See also<br /> * 8 Footnotes and references<br /><br />[edit] Examples<br /><br />[edit] Traditional forms<br /><br />[edit] Corporeal<br /><br />Corporeal undead have an animated physical body that is otherwise biologically deceased.<br /><br /> * Ashwatthama, from Hindu mythology<br /> * Draugr, from Norse mythology<br /> * Drekavac and an assortment of similar creatures, from south Slavic mythology<br /> * Ghoul, from Arab folklore.<br /> * Jiang Shi (hopping corpse), often refered to as Chinese Vampire, of Chinese folklore<br /> * Kirkonväki, "folk of church" from western Finnish folklore<br /> * Koschei the Deathless, lichlike undead czar, which has a pagan origination as the darkness-god (Chernobog)<br /> * Medieval revenant, stories of undead from medieval chroniclers.<br /> * Vampire, of East European folklore (though the term may be applied loosely to any undead blood-sucking creature, and such are present in many different cultures).<br /> * Zombie, originating with the Voodoo tradition. Typically lacking intelligence, and under control of a slave-master.<br /><br />[edit] Incorporeal<br /><br />Incorporeal undead have no tangible form, but exist in the world of the living as spiritual entities.<br /><br /> * Ghost, common in many cultures — all types of non-corporeal undead could be said to be variations of ghosts.<br /> * Myling, an incarnation of the soul of an unbaptized or murdered child from Scandinavian folklore<br /> * Phantom, a spirit which may be sensed, heard, or experienced, but perhaps not seen.<br /> * Poltergeist, spirit or ghost that manifests by moving and influencing inanimate objects, originally of German origin.<br /> * Spectre, a spirit with a visible presence. They can be quite strong.<br /> * Will o' the wisp, sometimes said to be undead spirits in parts of Europe and North America.<br /> * Wraith, an apparition of a living person, or the ghost of a dead person. How strong they are depends on how strong the person was in life.<br /><br />[edit] In fiction<br /><br />[edit] Corporeal<br /><br /> * Death knight, an undead corruption of a righteous warrior who broke his code of honor and embraced evil. An anti-Paladin is a form of death knight.<br /> * Dracula, the villain of Bram Stoker's novel of the same name.<br /> * Ghast, a stronger breed of ghoul.<br /> * Inferi, reanimated corpses from the Harry Potter series. Known to be used to defend Voldemort's Locket Horcrux, but most likely have other uses.<br /> * Lich, an unholy living corpse, usually that of an evil sorcerer, possessing great magical powers.<br /> * Mohrg, reanimated dead being controlled by a parasite.<br /> * Mummy, reanimated, mummified corpse, sometimes found in modern pop-horror.<br /> * Revenant, a sentient creature whose desire to complete a goal (usually to avenge its death) allows it to return from the grave as a creature vaguely resembling an intelligent zombie. Revenants exist primarily in role-playing games and horror movies. Examples include The Crow and Al Simmons, the protagonist of Spawn.<br /> * Ringwraith, from J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. Also called Nazgûl and Ulairi the nine Ringwraiths were once mortal men of great power who became neither dead nor alive under the power of the Nine Rings (they never died in the first place, though).<br /> * Skeletons are usually animated through magic. They generally are unintelligent and dependent on their animator for motivation, since they do not have brains.<br /> * Wight, an invisible being, neither dead nor alive. They are of moderate strength and are often attached to a specific place.<br /> * Zombie, a cannibalistic reanimated corpse in modern media and fiction, distinct from Voodoo zombies.<br /> * Vampire, a vampire bite causes the victim to die and become a vampire itself, known for feeding on the blood of mortal humans.<br /><br />[edit] Semi-corporeal<br /><br /> * Barrow-wights, spirits that can transition from non-corporeal to corporeal forms<br /><br />[edit] Non-corporeal<br /><br /> * Demilich, a Lich that has increased its power to become incorporeal and travel through various planes of existence. However, it keeps a physical avatar, generally in the form of a skull. Destroying the skull is the only way to destroy the Lich.<br /> * Ghosts<br /> * Shade (Undead)<br /> * Shadow (Dungeons & Dragons)<br /> * Wraith, a spirit-being that heralds a living person's death.<br /> * Spectres<br /><br />[edit] Creation<br /><br />Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's novel Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus introduced a new variant of undead, the dead brought back to "life" by science, though Frankenstein's creature bears some similarity to a golem. Similar works include H.P. Lovecraft's short story "Herbert West—Reanimator" and the Re-Animator film franchise inspired by the story.<br /><br />Both legend and popular culture discuss various methods for creating undead creatures. Most involve the reanimation of a corpse, as with zombies, skeletons, and ghouls. Regarding ghosts, the spirit lives on after death, forming an intangible physical body that often mirrors the one the spirit had in life.<br /><br />In some cases, the undead, especially skeletons and zombies, are under the control of a sorcerer. In other cases, such as zombies as depicted in film and vampires, the undead existence is passed on like a curse or disease. With liches, the powers of undead are sought after by the participant of a magical ritual that turns them from a living being to a lich. Ghosts are said to be kept in their undead state by willpower, either from a keen desire to remain with the living or from a wish to see something completed that they could not do during their lifetime.<br /><br />[edit] Vulnerabilities<br />Information icon This article or section may fail to make a clear distinction between fact and fiction.<br />Please edit this article, according to the fiction guidelines, to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. (talk, help)<br />? This section may contain original research or unverified claims.<br />Please help Wikipedia by adding references. See the talk page for details.<br /><br />In fiction and folklore, undead creatures are often hostile toward the living. Defending against the undead is often difficult as they are usually depicted as being resistant to normal attacks, as seen in most zombie movies (Only a direct shot to the head seems to stop most zombies. An example would be Night of the Living Dead). Nonetheless, they are often vulnerable to sacred or blessed objects, such as crosses and holy water. This is seen in the Final Fantasy series, and Dracula, when a crucifix burns the vampire. In some games, undead are damaged by magic spells that normally heal a living being and by fire-based attacks.<br /><br />Vampires traditionally can be killed by a stake through the heart or by decapitation, though various traditions have different means of dealing with them. [2]<br /><br />Zombies are often portrayed as able to attack when dismembered. The zombie-like ghouls in Night of the Living Dead could be dispatched by a "shot in the head, or a heavy blow to the skull".<br /><br />Incorporeal undead are frequently shown as being difficult to defend against because normal physical weapons pass harmlessly through their forms. In some games (such as Dungeons & Dragons) ghosts can only be dispatched by enchanted or silver weapons.[3] However, in other fiction the only way to get rid of them permanently is to discover what duty or task they failed to complete in life (such as in Chapter 4 of The Monk by Matthew Gregory Lewis). [4]<br /><br />Undead are often depicted as vulnerable to sunlight and fire. They may also perish when their creator is likewise dispatched. Undead may be unable to cross certain symbolic boundaries or even natural barriers like running water. Mummies are exceptionally vulnerable to water as it dissolves its flesh and dampens its bandages, destroying them by using the damp bandages to crush its dusty core.<br /><br />In some cultures, various plants are said to repel the undead. Examples include garlic and wolfsbane, as well as rosewood, rowan, hazel, willow, and holly. This modern tradition appears to be based on pre-Christian belief that some plants are sacred[citation needed].<br /><br />Additionally, a line of salt is sometimes said to act as a barrier to the undead[citation needed].<br /><br />[edit] Fiction and films<br /><br /> See also: Vampire fiction and Zombies in popular culture<br /><br />Many films have been made about the undead, usually vampires, zombies, and mummies, including the classics Dracula, The Crow, Night of the Living Dead, and The Mummy. The Evil Dead series also largely deals with the undead, but in a broader respect.<br /><br />[edit] Games and popular culture<br /><br />Undead are a popular adversary in fantasy and horror settings. They feature prominently in many role-playing games, computer role-playing games, MMORPGs and strategy games. In such games, special rules are often given for the undead.<br /><br />In Dungeons & Dragons and similar systems, clerics can attempt to "turn" undead by invoking their patron deities or channeling "positive energy" (other-dimensional life energy, which animates and heals living creatures, and is the antithesis of negative energy, which animates and heals undead creatures.) This forces the undead creature away from the cleric; powerful clerics are capable of completely destroying weaker undead creatures with this ability. Although the act of turning away the undead relies primarily on power of faith, a holy symbol is usually required as a focus for the divine power being invoked. This is derived from the traditional notion that vampires could be repelled by the cross. Clerics of evil gods can rebuke and control the undead in a similar fashion, by means of necromancy.[5]<br /><br />In Dungeons & Dragons and other games such as Final Fantasy, undead can be damaged by using magical effects that heal normal living beings.[6]<br /><br />Undead characters appear in many roles, be it a mindless horde of opponents (such as zombies or skeletons) or a thoughtful, plotting villain (such as vampires). Some games feature undead playable characters, such as Vampire: The Masquerade and World of Warcraft. Others, such as Diablo 2, allow the player to take on the role of a Necromancer and raise undead from corpses.<br /><br />In some stories and settings, such as the Lorien Trust LARP, the word "unliving" is used as a preferential synonym. In reference to the political correctness movement, the undead are sometimes jokingly referred to as the "living-impaired". Vampires were sometimes likewise referred to as "Undead Americans" by characters in the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the spin-off Angel.<br /><br />One of the most enduring characters in the largest U.S.-based professional wrestling promotion, World Wrestling Entertainment, is The Undertaker, who has been portrayed for most of his WWE tenure (which began in 1990) as a remorseless undead being.<br /><br />[edit] In philosophy<br /><br />Jacques Derrida used the myth of the undead as a means to deconstruct the binary opposition between life and death.Be@$Tahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17411774385008177715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8370253107272267929.post-45336834323869960492007-07-16T00:33:00.002-07:002007-07-16T00:35:19.571-07:00ALL ABOUT WORLD OF WARCRAFTWorld of Warcraft (commonly abbreviated as WoW) is a pay-to-play massively multiplayer online role-playing game. It is Blizzard Entertainment's fourth game set in the fantasy Warcraft Universe, first introduced by Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994.[4] World of Warcraft takes place within the world of Azeroth, four years after the events at the conclusion of Blizzard's previous release, Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne. Blizzard Entertainment announced World of Warcraft on September 2, 2001.[5] The game was released on November 23, 2004, celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Warcraft franchise.<br /><br />Although its initial release was hampered by server stability and performance issues,[6] the game became a financial success[7][8] and the world's largest MMORPG in terms of monthly subscribers.[9][10][11] On March 7, 2007, Blizzard announced that the user base for World of Warcraft had reached a new milestone, with 8.5 million players worldwide.[12] There are more than 2 million players in North America, 1.5 million players in Europe, and 3.5 million players in China as of January, 2007.[13] The game has won numerous awards and recognitions, including GameSpot's Game of the Year Award for 2004.<br /><br />There is also a World of Warcraft Board Game published by Fantasy Flight Games and a World of Warcraft Trading Card Game published by Upper Deck Entertainment.<br /><br />The first official expansion pack of the game, The Burning Crusade, was released on January 16, 2007.<br />Contents<br />[hide]<br /><br /> * 1 Gameplay<br /> o 1.1 Characters<br /> + 1.1.1 Races and classes<br /> + 1.1.2 Character types<br /> + 1.1.3 Professions<br /> + 1.1.4 Items and equipment<br /> + 1.1.5 Mounts<br /> + 1.1.6 PvP rankings<br /> o 1.2 The world<br /> + 1.2.1 Geography<br /> + 1.2.2 Cities<br /> + 1.2.3 Villages and outposts<br /> + 1.2.4 Instances<br /> o 1.3 Major world events<br /> + 1.3.1 The Darkmoon Faire<br /> + 1.3.2 Corrupted Blood plague<br /> + 1.3.3 The Gates of Ahn'Qiraj<br /> + 1.3.4 The Scourge Invasion<br /> + 1.3.5 The Dark Portal Opens: War Unleashed Upon Azeroth<br /> * 2 Realms<br /> o 2.1 Player versus Environment (PvE)<br /> o 2.2 Player versus Player (PvP)<br /> o 2.3 Roleplaying (RP)<br /> o 2.4 Role-playing Player versus Player (RPPvP)<br /> * 3 Version history<br /> * 4 Pricing<br /> * 5 Virtual community<br /> o 5.1 Modifications<br /> * 6 Controversy and criticism<br /> * 7 Film adaptation<br /> * 8 In popular culture<br /> * 9 See also<br /> * 10 References<br /> * 11 External links<br /><br />Gameplay<br />A screenshot of the game<br />A screenshot of the game<br /><br />Unlike previous games in the Warcraft series, World of Warcraft is not a real-time strategy game, but is an MMORPG. As with other MMORPGs, such as EverQuest, players control a character avatar within a persistent gameworld, exploring the landscape, fighting monsters, and performing quests on behalf of computer-controlled characters (also called NPCs—non-player characters). The game rewards success through money, items, and experience, which in turn allow players to improve in skill and power. In addition, players may opt to take part in battles against other players of an enemy faction, including both duels and fights.<br /><br />The majority of the quests during the early and middle stages of gameplay can be completed without the help of other players, particularly if the player is at a higher level than that which the quest suggests. Other portions of the game such as dungeons (also called instances) are designed to require cooperation with other players for success. Dungeons are designed for parties ranging from two to five players, up to a maximum of 40 for the significantly more difficult "raids". The highest level, most complex dungeons and encounters are designed to take raiding guilds a lot of time (sometimes even months) and many attempts before they succeed.<br /><br />Characters<br /><br />Characters in World of Warcraft are tied to specific user accounts. User accounts can be used on all servers, or realms. Characters can be moved between servers in the same region (e.g., from one European server to another, but not from a European server to an American one) for a fee. As of this time, one may move a character from a Player Verses Player (PvP) realm to another PvP realm, or a Player Verses Environment(PvE) realm, but one may not move a character from a PvE realm to a PvP realm. The two playable factions currently in the game are the Alliance and Horde both consisting of five different races each. There are a total of 9 playable classes. The Burning Crusade expansion released on January 16, 2007 added one new race to each faction (the Blood Elves and the Draenei). In a decision by Blizzard each of these new races are able to play as the previously faction-specific class of the opposite faction. This means that a Blood Elf can be a Paladin, and a Draenei can be a Shaman. (Before the Burning Crusade only Alliance players were able to be Paladins, and only Horde players were able to be Shamans.)<br /><br />Races and classes<br /><br /> Main articles: Races in the Warcraft universe and Classes in World of Warcraft<br /><br />Players create characters which serve as their avatars in the online world of Azeroth. When creating a character in World of Warcraft, the player can choose from ten different races and nine different character classes. The races are split into two diametrically opposed factions, the Alliance and the Horde.<br /><br /> * The Alliance currently consists of Humans, Night Elves, Dwarves, Gnomes and Draenei (Draenei characters require The Burning Crusade expansion in order to be created.[14])<br /> * The Horde currently consists of Orcs, Tauren, Undead (also known as Forsaken), Trolls and Blood Elves (Blood Elf characters require The Burning Crusade expansion in order to be created.)<br /><br />In addition to the ten playable races there are many NPC races including (but not limited to) Goblins, Ogres, Murlocs, and Naga.<br /><br />The nine available classes are Druid, Hunter, Mage, Paladin, Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warlock, and Warrior. The Paladin class was previously only available to the Alliance, and the Shaman only available to the Horde. However with the release of Burning Crusade the Draenei (Alliance) are able to be Shamans and the Blood Elves (Horde) are able to be Paladins, thus removing the previous faction exclusivity. Classes are primarily limited by race: for example Night Elves can only be Druids, Hunters, Priests, Rogues or Warriors.<br /><br />Character types<br /><br />There are two types of characters in the game: Player Characters (PC) and Non-Player Characters (NPCs), the latter having many different offshoots. Player Characters are the various players around the world. The color of a PC's name tag can vary from blue, green, yellow or red depending on faction and Player vs. Player (PvP) status. Non-Player Characters are characters that can only interact with player characters through scripted events or artificial intelligence (AI).<br /><br />There are three types of NPCs. Friendly NPCs, whose names are displayed in green, cannot attack a friendly player, and a friendly player cannot attack it. Hostile NPCs, whose names are in red, will attack any player with whom it is hostile. Hostile NPCs are either of the opposing faction or are mobs (enemies controlled by AI). Neutral NPCs, whose names are displayed in yellow, are neutral and will only attack if provoked.<br /><br />Some NPC interaction is affected by the reputation a player has with them. For example, certain NPC merchants will have more items available for a player if that player has a higher reputation with the merchant’s faction. Players’ standing with a faction can be increased or decreased by killing certain mobs or handing in items to certain NPCs.<br /><br />Players cannot gain reputation with opposing factions; the Horde cannot gain reputation with any Alliance-only faction and vice versa.<br /><br />NPCs in major and minor cities can buy and sell merchandise, train class and profession skills, give quests and provide a large number of services that are needed in the game. While some will merely offer advice or further the story, others patrol around set paths to keep cities defended against attacking players or hostile NPCs that may attempt to invade a city.<br /><br />Professions<br /><br />During the course of playing the game, players may choose to develop side skills for their character(s). These non-combat skills are called professions. Professions are divided into two separate categories, primary and secondary. Primary professions are those skills related to weapon/armor creation and/or enhancement. The primary professions in WoW can be subdivided into gathering professions: Herbalism, Mining, Skinning and crafting professions: Blacksmithing, Leatherworking, Tailoring, Alchemy. There is also a Enchanting profession, that allows one to enchant weapons and armor, and also disenchant magical items a character has in his or her possession. A character is limited to two primary professions. The Crafting professions also have specialization categories, that, when trained, allow for more diverse items to be created, depending on the character's direction in the game. Secondary professions are skills that serve to enhance the player's experience. The Secondary professions are First Aid, Cooking and Fishing. Characters can learn all 3 Secondary professions. The Rogue class has 2 unique secondary professions: Poisons and Lockpicking.<br /><br />Items and equipment<br /><br />Player characters can acquire various items in the game. Items can vary from resources such as herbs or raw ores to items to be retrieved for quests. Player characters can also equip different weapons and armor, either to customize their character or improve abilities such as better attacks or defense skills. Item rarity is classified by the color of the item name: grey means poor rarity, white means common, green means uncommon, blue means rare, purple means "epic" and orange means "legendary".<br /><br />Mounts<br /><br /> Main article: Mounts (World of Warcraft)<br /><br />A mount refers to an item that, upon activation, changes the character, to represent the player is riding an animal, as opposed to the normal movement of walking/running. Players of certain levels and skill ability have available to them the option of acquiring these mounts in order to increase their movement speed on land. Mounts can also be acquired via reputation with certain factions, completion of quests or through special items produced in related material, or as very rare loot drops obtained by defeating bosses in instances. In the expansion pack Burning Crusade, the ability to purchase or acquire flying mounts became available in the expansion areas.<br /><br />PvP rankings<br /><br /> See also: World of Warcraft Player versus Player.<br /><br />Upon defeating another player of the opposite faction in a PvP combat the victor earns "Honor Points" which may be spent as currency to purchase various rewards like armor, weapons and mounts. Some rewards require marks of honor from various Battlegrounds as well (a loss in a battleground awards the losing team 1 mark, while a victory awards the winning team 3). A recently added PvP activity (the Arenas) offer gladiator-like combat in a World of Warcraft setting. The Arenas[15] have a separate system from the Battlegrounds. Instead of honor, the Arenas give "Arena Points" which can be spent to purchase items just like Honor Points. There are also "Arena seasons" where, at the end of each season, the best Arena teams in each category(2v2, 3v3 and 5v5) are awarded unique Epic or Legendary quality items. Only level 70 players can participate in rated arena matches. Lower level players can always participate in arenas but no arena points are awarded.<br /><br />Players can also be rewarded with titles[16] in the Arenas if they belong to one of the top teams at the end of an Arena season. These ranks are (from highest to lowest) Gladiator, Duelist, Rival and Challenger.<br /><br />With the release of version 2.0, a change was made to the honor system making it easier to obtain cetain powerful items. This change was met with mixed reactions. Some criticized the change, claiming that the huge dedication in time and effort that players put forth under the old system had now been cheapened. Others, however, welcomed the change, since they felt the massive amount of time required under the old system was excessive and unhealthy, and was unreasonable for most people with jobs and other responsibilities.<br /><br />As of March 2007, Blizzard has added a section to their main website where any player on any realm can view their current arena team's rankings called "The Armory"[2]. In addition, this can also be used to view a player's equipped items, professions, and lifetime Honorable Kills.<br /><br />The world<br /><br />Geography<br />World of Warcraft Cosmic Map (Including 'Outland')<br />World of Warcraft Cosmic Map (Including 'Outland')<br /><br />The current virtual world is built around two different planets: Azeroth and Outland. Azeroth currently consists of two continents: The Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor.<br /><br />Kalimdor is the beginning continent for the Horde races of the Orcs, Trolls and Tauren. It is also home to the Alliance races of the Night Elves, and the Draenei (added in The Burning Crusade).<br /><br />The Eastern Kingdoms is the beginning continent for the Horde races of the Undead and Blood Elves (added in The Burning Crusade). It also serves as the home of the Alliance races of the Humans, Dwarves, and Gnomes.<br /><br />Another planet, Outland, was added after the release of The Burning Crusade. It is only accessible to those who have bought and activated the expansion pack. It is initially reached by traveling through the Dark Portal in the Blasted Lands.<br /><br />Cities<br /><br />There are four capital cities for each faction and one neutral city.<br /><br />Horde cities include:<br /><br /> * Thunder Bluff in Mulgore<br /> * Orgrimmar in Durotar<br /> * Undercity in the Tirisfal Glades<br /> * Silvermoon City in Eversong Woods; added after the release of The Burning Crusade<br /><br />Alliance cities include:<br /><br /> * Stormwind in Elwynn Forest<br /> * Ironforge in Dun Morogh<br /> * Darnassus in Teldrassil<br /> * Exodar in Azuremyst Isle; added after the release of The Burning Crusade<br /><br />Neutral cities include:<br /><br /> * Shattrath City in Terrokkar Forest, added in The Burning Crusade<br /><br />Villages and outposts<br /><br />The Horde and Alliance both have several villages and outposts that serve as quest and flight hubs to players. Horde villages include Revantusk Village, Splintertree Post, Ghost Walker Post and more. Alliance villages include Refuge Pointe, Lakeshire, Theramore and more.<br /><br />In addition, several in-game factions maintain villages and outposts where either Alliance or Horde (or both) can obtain quests, reputation-based items or flight paths. Such neutral areas may have auction houses and/or banks.<br /><br />The most well-known neutral settlements are the Goblin villages of Ratchet, Booty Bay, Gadgetzan, and Everlook. Other examples include the posts and villages maintained by the Cenarion Circle, Sporeggar, Argent Dawn, Thorium Brotherhood and other organizations.<br /><br />Instances<br /><br /> Main article: Instance (World of Warcraft)<br /><br />Instances, also known as instance dungeons or simply "dungeons", are areas where multiple copies of the same area can exist concurrently.[17] This means that multiple groups can both be doing the same activities in the same location, yet not interfering with one another.<br /><br />"Instance" can also refer to a particular copy of such an area. Other areas, such as battlegrounds, are also instances, enabling multiple groups of players to participate at the same time.<br /><br />Major world events<br /><br />For a time, it was argued that dynamic world-changing events were in extremely short supply in Warcraft. There was an overall feeling that the ongoing "wars" from which the game takes its name were external and out of touch from the player base. The only cross-faction interaction took place during server-crashing city raids and skirmishes in certain "hot spots" around the world such as the popular "Southshore Tug of War" in which Alliance and Horde forces would fight back and forth over the stretch of land between Southshore and Tarren Mill.<br /><br />The first world events were added in the form of outdoor raid bosses that could be accessed without entering an instance. These bosses were the blue dragon Azuregos of Azshara and the Burning Legion demon Lord Kazzak in the Blasted Lands. These were followed by four green dragons corrupted by the "Emerald Nightmare." In addition, certain areas of Azeroth experience an "elemental invasion" where waves of elemental-class monsters will run rampant for a time or until they are destroyed.[18]<br /><br />Blizzard has also implemented holiday content that could be considered a world event. Valentine's Day, Easter, Independence Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, as well as New Year's and its lunar counterpart all have their Warcraft-themed counterparts. During these week-long events players partake in holiday-themed quests usually involving humorous references to real-world pop culture surrounding the holiday. For example, one of the Winter's Veil (Christmas) quests involves fighting a creature known as the Greench and rescuing a kidnapped reindeer named Metzen (styled after lead designer, Chris Metzen).<br /><br />The Darkmoon Faire<br /><br />In patch 1.6, players were given the opportunity to plunder the first new 40-player raid dungeon added since launch: Blackwing Lair. However, a more peaceful distraction appeared traveling across Azeroth and coming to rest in Mulgore and Elwynn Forest on opposing months called The Darkmoon Faire. The Darkmoon Faire features attractions from across the globe such as the world's strongest woman, a petting zoo for some of Azeroth's most interesting creatures, various games of skill, a fortune teller, a giant human-launching cannon, and plenty of ale.<br /><br />Players can perform quests for various members of the Faire and receive Darkmoon Prize Tickets in return. These tickets can then be redeemed for items of various quality, from "Month-Old Mutton" to epic-quality jewelry. Additionally, players can occasionally find Darkmoon Cards scattered throughout the world. 8 sets exist at the present time: Beasts, Elementals, Portals, Warlords, Blessings, Furies, Lunacy, and Storms[19]. Collecting all eight cards of a set (Ace through 8) allows the player to combine them into a deck and redeem them for a powerful, epic-quality trinket depending on which set was completed.<br /><br />The Faire sees sporadic updates and expansions in a semi-regular fashion. The most recent addition was a 'battle' minigame in which players take control of tiny, remote controlled tanks called 'Tonks' which use various weapons to disable other Tonks.<br /><br />Corrupted Blood plague<br /><br /> Main article: Corrupted Blood<br /><br />While not an intentional world event, the Corrupted Blood plague nonetheless was one of the first events to affect entire servers. Patch 1.7 saw the opening of Zul'Gurub, the game's first 20-player raid dungeon where players faced off against an ancient tribe of jungle trolls under the sway of the ancient Blood God, Hakkar the Soulflayer. Upon engaging Hakkar, players were stricken by a debuff (a spell that negatively affects a player) called "Corrupted Blood" which would periodically sap their life. The disease would also be passed on to other players who were simply standing in close proximity to an infected person. Originally this malady was confined within the Zul'Gurub instance but made its way into the outside world by way of hunter or warlock pets that contracted the disease.<br /><br />Within hours Corrupted Blood had infected entire cities such as Ironforge and Orgrimmar because of their high player concentrations. Low-level players were killed in seconds by the high-damage disease. Eventually Blizzard fixed the issue so that the plague could not exist outside of Zul'Gurub.<br /><br />The Gates of Ahn'Qiraj<br /><br />Patch 1.9 saw the first true world event in the World of Warcraft. Located in the mysterious insect-infested, quasi-Egyptian themed area of Silithus, Ahn'Qiraj was the capital city of the powerful Qiraji, a race of magical creatures under the thrall of an ancient and terrible Old God who was chained beneath the earth in ages past. A coalition of Night Elves and dragons of the Four Flights fought a war against the Qiraji and their Silithid minions and sealed them behind the Scarab Wall. However, after many centuries the bonds of their prison began to break and Silithus was overrun by the creatures once more. A call for War against Ahn'Qiraj went out and the combined might of the Alliance and Horde sealed away the menace of the Old God for good.<br /><br />The world event was triggered by a twofold action. First, the entire server population was able to take part in the Ahn'Qiraj War Effort. Players of every level could turn in various items in both Ironforge and Orgrimmar for their faction's respective war preparations. Metals, herbs, textiles, and other commodities were all collected in great quantities. For example, one collector in Ironforge required players to turn in a stack of 20 runecloth bandages at a time. The total number of runecloth bandages required numbered in the tens of thousands. The faster materials were turned in, the faster the War would commence. In the weeks leading up to the opening of the gates many servers were neck-and-neck as Blizzard provided a rankings page to monitor the progress of each realm. In the end the realm Medivh succeeded in being the first to open the gates of Ahn'Qiraj.<br /><br />At the same time the War Effort was taking in supplies, high level players could engage in a quest chain that spanned the entire world to piece together an artifact called the Scepter of the Shifting Sands. This item would be necessary to ring the Scarab Gong and break the seals holding the Scarab Wall closed. When the War Effort was completed the armies of the Alliance and Horde would march to Ahn'Qiraj. In a spectacular set-piece the armies formed ranks outside the Scarab Wall and the gong was sounded by one lucky person per server. The gates opened and the minions of the Qiraji spilled out in a titanic melee. Additionally, invasions of Silithid insects occurred in almost every populated area of Azeroth.<br /><br />With the initial event completed the gates were open to everyone on a given server and players were able to access two new raid dungeons: the 20-man ruins zone and the 40-man temple zone and a few new quests.<br /><br />The Scourge Invasion<br /><br />The Invasion began with the launch of patch 1.11. Outside each major city and at various high level zones in the game players could encounter floating undead constructs called Necropoleis or necropolises with at least four groups of undead creatures spread out in a diamond formation below. At each point lay a necrotic crystal guarded by legions of undead. Upon destroying these crystals players could render the accompanying necropolis inert for a time and score a "victory" against the Scourge.<br /><br />The Dark Portal Opens: War Unleashed Upon Azeroth<br /><br />On January 9, 2007, the Dark Portal in Blasted Lands opened, with demons pouring out. This event signaled the beginning of the World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade expansion, much of the content of which is accessed by going through the portal. The demon leader Lord Kazzak escaped through the portal, replacing his presence with Highlord Kruul who attacked several areas in the game world. The world event lasted for a week before the release of The Burning Crusade expansion.<br /><br />Realms<br /><br />World of Warcraft uses server clusters (known as 'realms') to allow players to choose their preferred gameplay type and to allow the game to support as many subscribers as it does. Users may have up to ten characters per realm and up to a maximum of fifty characters per account.[20] There are four types of realms: Normal (also known as PvE or player versus environment), PvP (player versus player), RP (a roleplaying Normal/PvE server) and RP-PvP (roleplaying PvP server). The latter two enforce a set of roleplaying rules - players can be penalized for not roleplaying.[21]<br /><br />Blizzard posts announcements on the login screen of World of Warcraft and on the official forums about realm status or issues. The status for each realm can also be viewed on their main website.<br /><br />Player versus Environment (PvE)<br /><br />On the PvE (also known as Normal) realms throughout most of the world the PvP flag may only be enabled by actively turning it on, attacking a PvP-flagged player or NPC, entering a "PvP Territory" (such as a Battleground), entering an "Enemy Territory" (an enemy faction Capital City) or casting a positive spell on a friendly PvP-flagged player or NPC. The PvP flag will be removed after 5 minutes from the last PvP action. If the PvP flag was enabled using the command the player will need to turn it off using the same command and then avoid PvP combat for 5 minutes.<br /><br />Player versus Player (PvP)<br /><br />On a PvP realm, players are flagged for PvP by default. This flag is only disabled when a character is in a friendly faction city or a zone dedicated to newly created characters. All other zones are considered "contested territory" - players are automatically flagged for PvP upon entering a contested zone. Most players will not need to enter a contested zone until roughly level 20.<br /><br />On PvP servers, a player is limited to creating characters on one faction. This is in contrast to PvE servers, where a player may create both Horde and Alliance characters.<br /><br />The PvP servers also feature a more "hands-off" approach to server policies, facilitating the state of open war in these servers. Thus, The in-game GMs will deal with pvp related offenses differently than on the PvE realms, and some player actions are allowed to occur. These actions include, but are not limited to, corpse camping, spawn killing, and other PvP related sections of Blizzard's harassment policy.<br /><br />Roleplaying (RP)<br /><br />The roleplaying servers use the same ruleset as PvE realms, with the exception that players must act and behave in character, and must follow "naming rules" when they name their character. This means that if players go onto one of these realms, those players act as their characters and anything that is not done in character is then out of character and usually in ((brackets)), or preceded by "OOC:". It is also against the rules to be off-topic in all public channels, such as General and Trade.[22]<br /><br />However, it should be noted that this is very rarely enforced (unless brought to a Gamemaster's attention numerous times)[citation needed], and out of character chat is common on RP servers, though usually not in such a blatant manner as on non-RP servers.<br /><br />Role-playing Player versus Player (RPPvP)<br /><br />The role-playing PvP realms are an extension to the role-playing realms in that they use the PvP ruleset instead of the Normal (PvE) ruleset. Blizzard did not initially have this server type when the game was launched. It was added later, largely due to player request.<br /><br /><br />Version history<br /><br />World of Warcraft runs natively on both Macintosh and Windows platforms. Boxed copies of the game use a hybrid CD to install the game, eliminating the need for separate Mac and Windows retail products. The game allows all users to play together, regardless of their operating system.<br /><br />Although there is no official version for any other platform, support for World of Warcraft is present in Windows API implementations Wine and Cedega, allowing the game to be played under Linux[23] and FreeBSD.[24]<br /><br />As of Patch 1.9.3 the game added native support for the newer Intel-powered Macs, making World of Warcraft a Universal application (as defined by Apple). As a result of this, the minimum supported Mac OS X version has been changed to 10.3.9; World of Warcraft version 1.9.3 and later will not launch on older versions of Mac OS X.[25]<br /><br />Due to the fact that new content is constantly being added to the game official system requirements often change. As of version 1.12.0 the requirements for Windows have increased from requiring 256 MB to 512 MB of RAM and official Windows 98 technical support has been dropped even though the game should still run fine.[26]<br /><br />Pricing<br />The current login screen, as of the release of the Burning Crusade<br />The current login screen, as of the release of the Burning Crusade<br /><br />World of Warcraft is priced differently in different regions of the world. Usually, the pricing model is similar to that of MMORPGs previously released in the market.<br /><br />In the United States and Canada, Blizzard distributes World of Warcraft via retail software packages that originally had a suggested retail price of US$50 at the time of release, but have since dropped to around $20. The software package includes 30 days of gameplay (worth $15) for no additional cost. After 30 days in order to continue playing additional play time must be purchased using a credit card or prepaid game card. The minimum gameplay duration that a player can purchase is 30 days using a credit card, 60 using a prepaid game card. A player also has the option of purchasing three or six months of gameplay at once for a slight (6% to 15%) discount. A player pays about US$0.50 for one day of gameplay.[27]<br /><br />In South Korea, there is no software package or CD key requirement to activate the account. In order to play the game, however, players need to purchase time credits online via credit card or the ARS billing system. The minimum gameplay duration that a player can purchase via credit card is five hours. A player may also purchase game time by thirty hours or by increments of one week. A player also has the option of purchasing game time by one, three or six months of gameplay at once for a slight discount.[28] As of December 17, 2006, 30 days of gameplay costs ₩19,800 (US$21.46).<br /><br />In China, because a large number of the players do not own the computer they use to play games (e.g. Internet cafes), the CD keys can be purchased independently of the software package. The CD key, which is required to activate an account, is sold for ¥30 (US$3.75) each. The software packages vary in price depending on the items they contain. In order to play the game, the player would need to purchase prepaid game cards in denominations of ¥30 each that can be played for 66 hours and 40 minutes.[29] This equates to exactly ¥0.45 (US$0.06) for one hour of gameplay. A monthly fee model is not available to players of this region.<br /><br />In Australia, the United States and many European countries video game stores commonly stock the trial version of World of Warcraft in DVD form priced at A$2 or €2 including VAT, which include the game and 14 days of gameplay, after which the player would have to upgrade to a retail account by supplying a valid credit card, or purchasing a game card as well as a retail copy of the game.<br /> Suggested Retail Price Monthly Fee Paid Character Transfer Fee<br />Europe €19.99[30] €11-€13[30] €19.99[31]<br />United Kingdom £14.99[30] £7.70-£9[30] £14.99[31]<br />North America<br />Oceania US$20[32] $13-$15[33] $25[34]<br /><br />Virtual community<br /><br />In addition to playing the game itself and conversing on discussion forums provided by Blizzard, World of Warcraft players often participate in the World of Warcraft virtual community in creative ways, including fan artwork[35] and comic strip style storytelling.[36] Blizzard furthers this community by offering in-game and out-of-game prizes, as well as highlighting community events and occurrences. Blizzard has also provided incentives for introducing new members to World of Warcraft. In late October 2005 each subscribed player received a 10-day free pass[37] which they suggested be employed as seasonal gifts that could either be used by the current player or given to a friend. These passes would generate a free month's usage if the guest player purchased a full account.<br /><br />There are various memes, including "Face Melting,"[38] a reference to a very long thread on the priest forums on the World of Warcraft website that consisted of players saying, "You will melt faces as a Shadow Priest in PvP" in different ways. This is because the icon for Mind Flay, a powerful skill used heavily by Shadow Priests, looks like a melting face. Another popular phenomenon in the community are machinima videos such as the one [39] starring a player named Leeroy Jenkins, showing him and his guild in a funny encounter. Leeroy's popularity inspired more videos and tributes in other games, and he was even part of a clue on the November 16, 2005 episode of the TV game show College Jeopardy!.[40] These memes gain notoriety through postings on the World of Warcraft Forums.[41]<br /><br />As of August 2005, the Dark Iron server has been home to the guilds of web-comic creators Scott Kurtz (PvP) and Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins (Penny Arcade). Kurtz created Panda Attack and Djörk on the Horde side, while Holkins and Krahulik initiated a series of guilds that is now known as the Penny Arcade Alliance. This event is referred to as the Comic Guild Wars, and has created healthy competition between the authors, to the extent of dedicating some of their strips to the subject. Tim Buckley of Ctrl+Alt+Del and the creators of Holy Bibble have also joined in on making guilds for Dark Iron players.<br /><br />Modifications<br />A heavily modified World of Warcraft user interface<br />A heavily modified World of Warcraft user interface<br /><br />World of Warcraft includes significant support for modifications to the user interface (UI) of a game, colloquially known as "mods" and "addons". At a simple level it allows full control over the content of toolbars and hot keys, as well as macros to automate sets of operations and the ability to script much more elaborate tools. The range of modifications that are available can be anything from ways to automatically advertise trade skills, to adding extra rows of button bars for spells, skills and more. There are also various humorous mods, including one that reproduces the infamous Leeroy Jenkins sound.[42]<br /><br />As of the 2.0 release of World of Warcraft, certain modifications and "Addons" no longer function the way they were intended by the addon designer, as the way that an addon interacts with the game has been changed. This has forced all addons pre-2.0 to have to be rewritten. This is such a drastic change to the addons that all players must now download new copies of the addon that they were using. More information on this topic is available in this forum post, made by a Blizzard MVP (Most Valuable Poster).<br /><br />Addons are created using one or both Lua and XML, and images used for modifications are created using the .TGA (Targa) and .BLP image formats. Blizzard has also released a User Interface Customization tool to support and encourage UI modders.[43] However, Blizzard is unable to endorse or provide support for third party interfaces due to issues that may be caused by them.<br /><br />Some third-party programs that operate in a stand-alone mode, or independent of World of Warcraft, may be considered exploits, especially if they automate operation beyond that made available using the built-in macro functionality, or pass information in or out of the game. Use of these is against the Terms of Service agreed to when playing the game, and as such, may lead to possible suspension or closure of accounts. Blizzard has stated on the official forums that any modification that uses the Lua programming language will not be considered an exploit, though Blizzard reserves the right to change information available via the Lua language if the modification changes the nature of encounters in the game.[44]<br /><br />Controversy and criticism<br /><br /> Main article: Criticism of World of Warcraft<br /><br />Although widely popular (with 8 million players), World of Warcraft has received a moderate amount of criticism. Stories of game addiction to the popular video game are a common source of criticism. In June of 2005 it was reported that a child had died due to neglect by her World of Warcraft-addicted parents.[45] In August of that year, the government of the People's Republic of China proposed new rules to curb what they perceived to be social and financial costs brought on by the popularity of games such as World of Warcraft. The measure would enforce a time limit on China's estimated total of 20 million gamers.[46] The Chinese government and The9, the licensee for World of Warcraft in China, have likewise imposed a modification on Chinese versions of the game which places flesh on bare-boned skeletons and transforms dead character corpses into neat graves in an attempt to "promote a healthy and harmonious online game environment".[47]<br /><br />Dr. Maressa Orzack, a clinical psychologist at McLean Hospital in Newton, Massachusetts, was interviewed August 8, 2006, stating that of the 6 million subscribers "I'd say that 40 percent of the players are addicted."[48] The 40 percent figure was not derived from a scientific study overseen by Dr. Orzack, but rather came from "a forum that Nick Yee runs". She added in an August 2006 interview that "even if the percentage is 5 to 10 percent which is standard for most addictive behaviors, it is a huge number of people who are out of control."[49] Also, according to Dr. John Grohol, a colleague of Orzack's, "Dr. Orzack is not claiming that up to 40% of World of Warcraft gamers are addicted based upon any actual evidence or surveys of players. This is just her opinion, based upon her own experience and observation of the problem."[50]<br /><br />In 2006, Blizzard's treatment of a transgender player who created a guild for other gay or gay-friendly players caught some media attention, and that of gay rights group, Lambda Legal. The incident resulted in changes to the game's terms of service and customer support.[51]<br /><br />After Blizzard started offering free trial gameplay accounts, players started receiving increasing numbers of spam sent by bots in the virtual mailboxes of their characters, advertising virtual gold, honor, and experience selling services.[52] One study shows that this problem is particularly prevalent on the European realms.[53] In patch 2.1, Blizzard responded to this by adding additional anti-spam mechanics including whisper throttling, and the "Report spam" function.<br /><br />Film adaptation<br /><br />In May 2006, production company Legendary Pictures acquired film rights to adapt Warcraft for the big screen with the game's publisher, Blizzard Entertainment. Blizzard had originally considered hiring a scribe for the film adaptation before teaming up with Legendary Pictures.[54] The companies plan to create a film that would not follow any of the Warcraft games' storylines but still take place in the fantasy universe.[55] According to Blizzard's Chief Operating Officer Paul Sams, the film's budget would be over $100 million.[56]<br /><br />In June 2007, Legendary Pictures chairman Thomas Tull said that the studio was working closely with Blizzard's designers and writers to adapt World of Warcraft. Tull explained the desire to have a good story for the film adaptation, "I think some of the stuff that makes a game translate well... if there's a lore, if there's a road and story and a world that's been created, and characters that are interesting in a way that's more than just point and shoot."[57] World of Warcraft's lead designer Rob Pardo expressed interest in being able to adapt the intellectual property of World of Warcraft to the appropriate medium of the film. He also added that the designers were collaborating with Legendary Pictures on story and script development.[58]<br /><br />In popular culture<br /><br /> * The South Park episode "Make Love, Not Warcraft" prominently featured World of Warcraft through machinima animation. Blizzard actively collaborated with the South Park animation team in the making of the episode.[59] The episode drew 3.4 million viewers, making it Comedy Central's best mid-season premiere since 2000.[60]<br /> * The September 22, 2006 episode of Stargate Atlantis, The Return Part 1, featured a scene where Dr. Weir distracts geeky scientist Bill Lee by telling him she too is a fan of World of Warcraft.[61]<br /> * The October 10, 2006 episode of Help Me Help You, "Fun Run," involves Inger meeting her online husband from the game.[62]<br /> * On November 20, 2006, Blizzard announced that major national television stations would begin airing the first World of Warcraft TV spot in North America. The commercial is an edit of a scene from the cult comedy film Office Space with footage of the game and a World of Warcraft box overlaid onto the original footage.[63]Be@$Tahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17411774385008177715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8370253107272267929.post-75068841591046841342007-07-16T00:33:00.001-07:002007-07-16T00:33:36.341-07:00ALL SCANDINAVIAN GODSDivided between the Æsir and the Vanir, and sometimes including the jötnar (giants), the dividing line between these groups is less than clear. However, it is usually accepted that the Æsir (including Óðinn, Þórr and Týr) were warrior gods, while the Vanir (mainly Njörðr, Freyja and Freyr) were fertility gods. Various other groups of beings, including elves, dwarves and jötnar were probably minor gods, and might have had small cults and sacred places devoted to them.<br />Contents<br />[hide]<br /><br /> * 1 The gods and their function<br /> * 2 Lesser figures<br /> * 3 Lists of Norse gods and goddesses contained in the Prose Edda<br /> o 3.1 Gods<br /> o 3.2 Goddesses<br /> * 4 Pseudo-Norse gods and goddesses<br /><br />[edit] The gods and their function<br /><br /> * Baldr - God of radiance, peace, and rebirth. Consort: Nanna<br /> * Borr - Father of Óðinn, Vili and Ve. Consort: Bestla<br /> * Bragi - God of poetry. Consort: Iðunn<br /> * Búri - The first god and father of Borr.<br /> * Dagr - God of the daytime, son of Delling and Nótt.<br /> * Delling - God of dawn and father of Dagr by Nótt.<br /> * Eir - Goddess of healing.<br /> * Forseti - God of justice, peace and truth. Son of Baldr and Nanna.<br /> * Freya - Goddess of fertility, wealth, love, beauty, magic, prophecy, war, battle, and death. Consort: Óðr<br /> * Freyr - God of prosperity and wealth. Consort: Gerð<br /> * Frigg - Goddess of marriage and motherhood. Consort: Óðinn<br /> * Fulla - Frigg´s handmaid.<br /> * Gefjun - Goddess of fertility and plough.<br /> * Hel - Queen of Hel, the Norse underworld.<br /> * Heimdallr (Rígr) - One of the Æsir and guardian of Ásgarð, their realm.<br /> * Hermóðr - Óðinn's son.<br /> * Hlín - Goddess of consolation.<br /> * Höðr - God of winter.<br /> * Hœnir - The silent god.<br /> * Iðunn - Goddess of youth. Consort: Bragi.<br /> * Jörð - Goddess of the Earth. Mother of Þórr by Óðinn.<br /> * Kvasir - God of inspiration.<br /> * Lofn - Goddess of love.<br /> * Loki - Trickster and god of mischief, strife and fire. Consort: Sigyn (also called Saeter)<br /> * Máni - God of Moon.<br /> * Mímir - Óðinn´s uncle.<br /> * Nanna - An Ásynja married with Baldr and mother to Forseti.<br /> * Nerþus - A goddess mentioned by Tacitus. Her name is connected to that of Njörðr.<br /> * Njörðr - God of sea, wind, fish, and wealth.<br /> * Nótt - Goddess of night, daughter of Narvi and mother of Auð, Jörð and Dagr by Naglfari, Annar and Delling, respectively.<br /> * Óðinn (Wodan) - Lord of the Æsir. God of both wisdom and war. Consort: Frigg.<br /> * Sága - An obscure goddess, possibly another name for Frigg.<br /> * Sif - Wife of Thor.<br /> * Sjöfn - Goddess of love.<br /> * Skaði - Goddess of winter Njörðr's wife.<br /> * Snotra - Goddess of prudence.<br /> * Sol (Sunna) - Goddess of Sun.<br /> * Thor (Donar) - God of thunder and battle. Consort: Sif.<br /> * Týr (Ziu, Saxnot) - God of war and justice.<br /> * Ullr - God of skill, hunt, and duel. Son of Sif.<br /> * Váli - God of revenge.<br /> * Vár - Goddess of contract.<br /> * Vé - One of the three gods of creation. Brother of Óðinn and Vili.<br /> * Víðarr- Son of Odin and the giantess Gríðr.<br /> * Vili - One of the three gods of creation. Brother of Óðinn and Vé.<br /> * Vör - Goddess of wisdom.<br /><br />[edit] Lesser figures<br /><br /> * Ægir - Ruler of the sea. Consort: Rán<br /> * Andhrímnir - Cook of the gods.<br /> * Aurvandil - A minor character in the Skáldskaparmál with cognates in other Germanic tales.<br /> * Elli - Personification of old age.<br /> * Magni - Son of Þórr and Járnsaxa.<br /> * Meili - Þórr's brother.<br /> * Miming<br /> * Móði - Son of Þórr.<br /> * Óttar<br /> * Rán - Keeper of the drowned. Consort: Ægir<br /> * Þrúðr - Daughter of Þórr and Sif.<br /><br />[edit] Lists of Norse gods and goddesses contained in the Prose Edda<br /><br />[edit] Gods<br />Gylfaginning (20-34)<br /><br /> * Óðinn<br /> * Þórr god of thunder<br /> * Baldr<br /> * Njörðr<br /> * Freyr<br /> * Týr<br /> * Bragi<br /> * Heimdall<br /> * Höðr<br /> * Víðar<br /> * Áli or Váli<br /> * Ullr<br /> * Forseti<br /> * Loki<br /><br /> Skáldskaparmál (1)<br /><br /> * Óðinn<br /> * Þórr<br /> * Njörðr<br /> * Freyr<br /> * Týr<br /> * Heimdall<br /> * Bragi<br /> * Víðar<br /> * Váli<br /> * Ullr<br /> * Hœnir<br /> * Forseti<br /> * Loki<br /><br /> Thula<br /><br /> * Ygg<br /> * Þórr god of thunder<br /> * Yngvi-Freyr<br /> * Víðar<br /> * Baldr<br /> * Váli<br /> * Heimdall<br /> * Týr<br /> * Njörðr<br /> * Bragi<br /> * |Höðr<br /> * Forseti<br /> * Loki<br /><br />[edit] Goddesses<br />Gylfaginning (35)<br /><br /> * Frigg<br /> * Sága<br /> * Eir<br /> * Gefjon<br /> * Fulla<br /> * Freyja<br /> * Sjöfn<br /> * Lofn<br /> * Vár<br /> * Vör<br /> * Syn<br /> * Hlín<br /> * Snotra<br /> * Gná<br /> * Sol<br /> * Bil<br /><br /> Skáldskaparmál (1)<br /><br /> * Frigg<br /> * Freyja<br /> * Gefjon<br /> * Iðunn<br /> * Gerd<br /> * Sigyn<br /> * Fulla<br /> * Nanna<br /><br /> Thula<br /><br /> * Frigg<br /> * Freyja<br /> * Fulla<br /> * Snotra<br /> * Gerð<br /> * Gefjon<br /> * Gná<br /> * Lofn<br /> * Skaði<br /> * Jörð<br /> * Iðunn<br /> * Ilm<br /> * Bil<br /> * Njörun<br /> * Hlín<br /> * Nanna<br /> * Hnoss<br /> * Rind<br /> * Sjöfn<br /> * Sol<br /> * Sága<br /> * Sigyn<br /> * Vör<br /> * Vár<br /> * Syn<br /> * Þrúð<br /> * Rán<br /><br />[edit] Pseudo-Norse gods and goddesses<br /><br />Some characters sometimes presented as Norse deities do not occur in the ancient sources.<br /><br /> * Astrild (Actually a synonym for Amor and Cupid invented and used by Nordic Baroque and Rococo authors. Might be confused with Freyja.)<br /> * Jofur (Actually a synonym for Jupiter invented and used by Nordic Baroque and Rococo authors. Might be confused with Thor.)<br /><br />The following pseudo-deities are presented in Encyclopedia Mythica as Norse.<br /><br /> * Brono (Claimed to be the god of daylight and the son of Baldr. Original source unknown. Might be confused with Dagr or Forseti.)<br /> * Geirrendour (Claimed to be the father of the billow maidens. Original source unknown. Might be confused with Ægir.)<br /> * Glúm (Claimed to be an attendant of Frigg. Source unknown.)<br /> * Laga (Claimed to be the goddess of wells and springs. May be the same as Laha, a Celtic goddess of wells and springs.)Be@$Tahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17411774385008177715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8370253107272267929.post-22392832929706492262007-07-16T00:32:00.001-07:002007-07-16T00:32:54.537-07:00ALL ABOUT DRAGONSThe dragon is a mythical creature typically depicted as a gigantic and powerful serpent or other reptile with magical or spiritual qualities.<br />Contents<br />[hide]<br /><br /> * 1 Overview<br /> * 2 Symbolism<br /> o 2.1 In Christianity<br /> o 2.2 Chinese zodiac<br /> o 2.3 In East Asia<br /> * 3 Speculation on the origins of dragons<br /> * 4 Dragons in world mythology<br /> * 5 Notable dragons<br /> o 5.1 In myth<br /> o 5.2 In literature and fiction<br /> o 5.3 As emblems<br /> * 6 See also<br /> * 7 Further reading<br /> * 8 Notes<br /> * 9 References<br /> * 10 External links<br /><br />[edit] Overview<br />Engraving of Ouroboros (a dragon swallowing its own tail) by Lucas Jennis, in alchemical tract titled De Lapide Philisophico.<br />Engraving of Ouroboros (a dragon swallowing its own tail) by Lucas Jennis, in alchemical tract titled De Lapide Philisophico.<br /><br />Dragons are commonly portrayed as serpentine or reptilian, hatching from eggs and possessing extremely large, typically scaly, bodies; they are sometimes portrayed as having large eyes, a feature that is the origin for the word for dragon in many cultures, and are often (but not always) portrayed with wings and a fiery breath. Some dragons do not have wings at all, but look more like long snakes. Dragons can have a variable number of legs: none, two, four, or more when it comes to early European literature. Modern depictions of dragons are very large in size, but some early European depictions of dragons were only the size of bears, or, in some cases, even smaller, around the size of a butterfly.<br /><br />Although dragons (or dragon-like creatures) occur in many legends around the world, different cultures have varying stories about monsters that have been grouped together under the dragon label. Chinese dragons (Simplified Chinese: 龙; Traditional Chinese: 龍; Pinyin: lóng), and Eastern dragons generally, are usually seen as benevolent, whereas European dragons are usually malevolent (there are of course exceptions to these rules). Malevolent dragons also occur in Persian mythology (see Azhi Dahaka) and other cultures.<br /><br />Dragons are particularly popular in China. Along with the phoenix, the dragon was a symbol of the Chinese emperors. Dragon costumes manipulated by several people are a common sight at Chinese festivals.<br /><br />Dragons are often held to have major spiritual significance in various religions and cultures around the world. In many Eastern and Native American cultures dragons were, and in some cultures still are, revered as representative of the primal forces of nature and the universe. They are associated with wisdom—often said to be wiser than humans—and longevity. They are commonly said to possess some form of magic or other supernormal power, and are often associated with wells, rain, and rivers. In some cultures, they are said to be capable of human speech. They are also said to be able to talk to all animals.<br /><br />The term dragoon, for infantry that move around by horse yet still fight as foot soldiers, is derived from their early firearm, the "dragon", a wide-bore musket that spat flame when it fired, and was thus named for the mythical creature.<br /><br />[edit] Symbolism<br />Dragon waterspout on Ulm Cathedral<br />Dragon waterspout on Ulm Cathedral<br />Dobrynya Nikitich slaying Zmey Gorynych, by Ivan Bilibin<br />Dobrynya Nikitich slaying Zmey Gorynych, by Ivan Bilibin<br /><br />In medieval symbolism, dragons were often symbolic of apostasy and treachery, but also of anger and envy, and eventually symbolized great calamity. Several heads were symbolic of decadence and oppression, and also of heresy. They also served as symbols for independence, leadership and strength. Many dragons also represent wisdom; slaying a dragon not only gave access to its treasure hoard, but meant the hero had bested the most cunning of all creatures. In some cultures, especially Chinese, or around the Himalayas, dragons are considered to represent good luck. Dragons are depicted in medieval symbolism to be the size of a bear or smaller. Most dragons posses magical abilities.<br /><br />Joseph Campbell in the The Power of Myth viewed the dragon as a symbol of divinity or transcendence because it represents the unity of Heaven and Earth by combining the serpent form (earthbound) with the bat/bird form (airborne).<br /><br />Dragons embody both male and female traits, as in the example from Aboriginal myth that raises baby humans to adulthood, training them for survival in the world.[1] Another striking illustration of the way dragons are portrayed is their ability to breathe fire but live in the ocean. Dragons represent the joining of the opposing forces of the cosmos.<br /><br />Yet another symbolic view of dragons is the Ouroborus, or the dragon encircling and eating its own tail. When shaped like this the dragon becomes a symbol of eternity, natural cycles, and completion.<br /><br />[edit] In Christianity<br />Pope Sylvester I portrayed slaying a dragon and resurrecting its victims<br />Pope Sylvester I portrayed slaying a dragon and resurrecting its victims<br /><br />The Latin word for a dragon, draco (genitive: draconis), actually means snake or serpent, emphasizing the European association of dragons with snakes, not lizards or dinosaurs as they are commonly associated with today. The Medieval Biblical interpretation of the Devil being associated with the serpent who tempted Adam and Eve, thus gave a snake-like dragon connotations of evil. Generally speaking, Biblical literature itself did not portray this association (save for the Book of Revelation, whose treatment of dragons is detailed below). The demonic opponents of God, Christ, or good Christians have commonly been portrayed as reptilian or chimeric.<br /><br />In the Book of Job Chapter 41, there are references to a sea monster Leviathan, which has some dragon-like characteristics.<br /><br />In Revelation 12:3, an enormous red beast with seven heads is described, whose tail sweeps one third of the stars from heaven down to earth (held to be symbolic of the fall of the angels, though not commonly held among biblical scholars). In most translations, the word "dragon" is used to describe the beast, since in the original Greek the word used is drakon (δράκον).<br /><br />In iconography, some Catholic saints are depicted in the act of killing a dragon. This is one of the common aspects of Saint George in Egyptian Coptic iconography,[2] on the coat of arms of Moscow, and in English and Catalan legend. In Italy, Saint Mercurialis, first bishop of the city of Forlì, is also depicted slaying a dragon.[3] Saint Julian of Le Mans, Saint Veran, Saint Crescentinus, Saint Margaret of Antioch, Saint Martha, and Saint Leonard of Noblac were also venerated as dragon-slayers.<br /><br />[edit] Chinese zodiac<br />"Nine Dragons" handscroll section, by Chen Rong, 1244 AD, Chinese Song Dynasty, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.<br />"Nine Dragons" handscroll section, by Chen Rong, 1244 AD, Chinese Song Dynasty, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.<br /><br />The years 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024, 2036, 2048, 2060 etc. (every 12 years — 8 AD) are considered the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese zodiac.<br /><br />The Chinese zodiac purports that people born in the Year of the Dragon are healthy, energetic, excitable, short-tempered, and stubborn. They are also supposedly honest, sensitive, brave, and inspire confidence and trust. The Chinese zodiac purports that people whose zodiac sign is the dragon are the most eccentric of any in the eastern zodiac. They supposedly neither borrow money nor make flowery speeches, but tend to be soft-hearted which sometimes gives others an advantage over them. They are purported to be compatible with people whose zodiac sign is of the rat, snake, monkey, and rooster.<br /><br />[edit] In East Asia<br /><br /> Main articles: Chinese dragon and Japanese dragon<br /><br />Dragons are commonly symbols of good luck or health in some parts of Asia, and are also sometimes worshipped. Asian dragons are considered as mythical rulers of weather, specifically rain and water, and are usually depicted as the guardians of pearls.<br /><br />In China, as well as in Japan and Korea, the Azure Dragon is one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellation, representing spring, the element of Wood and the east. Chinese dragons are often shown with large pearls in their grasp, though some say that it is really the dragon's egg. The Chinese believed that the dragons lived underwater most of the time, and would sometimes offer rice as a gift to the dragons. The dragons were not shown with wings like the European dragons because it was believed they could fly using magic.<br /><br />A Yellow dragon (Huang long) with five claws on each foot, on the other hand, represents the change of seasons, the element of Earth (the Chinese 'fifth element') and the center. Furthermore, it symbolizes imperial authority in China, and indirectly the Chinese people as well. Chinese people often use the term "Descendants of the Dragon" as a sign of ethnic identity. The dragon is also the symbol of royalty in Bhutan (whose sovereign is known as Druk Gyalpo, or Dragon King).<br />A naga guarding the Temple of Wat Sisaket in Viang Chan, Laos<br />A naga guarding the Temple of Wat Sisaket in Viang Chan, Laos<br /><br />In Vietnam, the dragon (Vietnamese: rồng) is the most important and sacred symbol. The dragon is strongly influenced by the Chinese dragon. According to the ancient creation myth of the Kinh people, all Vietnamese people are descended from dragons through Lạc Long Quân, who married Âu Cơ, a fairy. The eldest of their 100 sons founded the first dynasty of Hùng Vương Emperors.<br /><br />In the Philippines, the Bakonawa appears as a gigantic serpent that lives in the sea. Ancient natives believed that the Bakonawa caused the moon or the sun to disappear during an eclipse.<br /><br />The Nāga - a minor deity taking the form of a serpent - is common within both the Hindu and Buddhist traditions. Technically, the naga is not a dragon, though it is often taken as such; the term is ambiguous, and refers both to a tribe of people known as 'Nāgas', as well as to elephants and ordinary snakes. Within a mythological context, it refers to a deity assuming the form of a serpent with either one or many heads.<br /><br />Occasionally the Buddha is depicted as sitting upon the coils of a serpent, with a fan of several serpent heads extending over his body. This is in reference to Mucalinda, a Nāga that protected Śākyamuni Buddha from the elements during the time of his enlightenment. Separated from the contextualising effect of the Buddha story, people may see only the head and thus infer that Mucalinda is a dragon, rather than a deity in serpentine form. Stairway railings on Buddhist temples will occasionally be worked to resemble the body of a Nāga with the head at the base of the railing. In Thailand, the head of Nāga, in a more impressionistic form, can be seen at the corners of temple roofs, with Nāga’s body forming the ornamentation on roofline eves up to the gables.<br /><br />[edit] Speculation on the origins of dragons<br /><br />It has been suggested that legends of dragons are based upon ordinary creatures coupled with common psychological tendencies amongst disparate groups of humans.<br /><br />Some believe that the dragon may have had a real-life counterpart from which the various legends arose — typically dinosaurs or other archosaurs are mentioned as a possibility — but there is no physical evidence to support this claim, only alleged sightings collected by cryptozoologists. In a common variation of this hypothesis, giant lizards such as Megalania are substituted for the living dinosaurs. Some believe dragons are mental manifestations representing an assembly of inherent human fears of reptiles, teeth, claws, size and fire in combination. All of these hypotheses are widely considered to be pseudoscience.<br /><br />Dinosaur and mammalian fossils were occasionally mistaken as the bones of dragons and other mythological creatures — a discovery in 300 BC in Wucheng, Sichuan, China, was labeled as such by Chang Qu.[4] It is unlikely, however, that these finds alone prompted the legends of such monsters, but they may have served to reinforce them.<br /><br />[edit] Dragons in world mythology<br /><br />The ancient Mesopotamian god Marduk and his dragon, from a Babylonian cylinder seal<br /><br /><br /> <br /><br />Dragon carving on Hopperstad stave church, Norway<br /><br /><br /> <br /><br />Saint George slaying the dragon, as depicted by Paolo Uccello, c. 1470<br /><br /><br /> <br /><br />The red dragon of Wales, Y Ddraig Goch, on the Flag of Wales<br /><br /><br />Asian dragons<br />Indonesian dragon Naga or Nogo Naga is a mythical animal from Indonesian mythology, and the myth encompasses almost all of the islands of Indonesia, especially those who were influenced heavily by Hindu culture(including Malaya. in fact, the word 'Naga' is a common noun for dragon in Malay). Like its Indian counterpart, it is considered as divine in nature, benevolent, and often associated with sacred mountains, forests, or certain parts of the sea.<br /><br />In some parts of Indonesia, Dragon or Naga is depicted as a gigantic serpent with a golden crown on its forehead, and there is a persistent belief among certain peoples that Nagas are still alive in uncharted mountains, lakes and active volcanoes. In Java and Bali, dragons represent goodness, and gods send dragons to the earth in order to maintain the force of good and gave people prosperity. Some natives claimed sightings of this fabled beast, and considered as a good omen if someone happen to glimpse one of these animals, but misfortune if the dragons talked to them.<br /><br />Cambodian myth also involves nagas. Cambodian myth has it that the Cambodian nation began with offspring of a naga and royal human.<br />Chinese dragon Lóng (or Lung) The Chinese dragon, is a mythical Chinese creature that also appears in other East Asian cultures, and is also sometimes called the Oriental (or Eastern) dragon. Depicted as a long, snake-like creature with four claws, it has long been a potent symbol of auspicious power in Chinese folklore and art. Lóng have a long, scaled serpentine form combined with the attributes of other animals; most (but not all) are wingless, and has four claws on each foot (five for the imperial emblem). They are rulers of the weather and water, and a symbol of power.<br />Japanese dragon Ryū Similar to Chinese dragons, with three claws instead of four. They are benevolent (with exceptions), associated with water, and may grant wishes.<br />Philippine Dragon Bakonawa The Bakonawa appears as a gigantic serpent that lives in the sea.<br /><br />Ancient natives believed that the Bakonawa caused the moon or the sun to disappear during an eclipse.<br /><br />It is said that during certain times of the year, the bakonawa arises from the ocean and proceeds to swallow the moon whole. To keep the Bakonawa from completely eating the moon, the natives would go out of their houses with pans and pots in hand and make a noise barrage in order to scare the Bakonawa into spitting out the moon back into the sky.<br /><br />In popular Filipino folk literature, the Bakonawa is said to have a sister in the form of a sea turtle. The sea turtle would visit a certain island in the Philippines in order to lay its eggs. However, locals soon discovered that every time the sea turtle went to shore, the water seemed to follow her, thus reducing the island's size. Worried that their island would eventually disappear, the locals killed the sea turtle.<br /><br />When the Bakonawa found out about this, it arose from the sea and ate the moon. The locals were so afraid that they prayed to Bathala to punish the Bakonawa. Bathala refused but instead, told them to bang some pots and pans in order to disturb the Bakonawa. The Bakonawa then regurgitated the moon and disappeared, never to be seen again.<br /><br />The island where the sea turtle lays its eggs is said to exist until today. Some sources say that the island might just be one of the Turtle Islands.<br />Korean dragon Yong A sky dragon, essentially the same as the Chinese lóng. Like the lóng, yong and the other Korean dragons are associated with water and weather.<br />yo A hornless ocean dragon, sometimes equated with a sea serpent.<br />kyo A mountain dragon.<br />Vietnamese dragon Rồng or Long These dragons' bodies curve lithely, in sine shape, with 12 sections, symbolising 12 months in the year. They are able to change the weather, and are responsible for crops. On the dragon's back are little, uninterrupted, regular fins. The head has a long mane, beard, prominent eyes, crest on nose, but no horns. The jaw is large and opened, with a long, thin tongue; they always keep a châu (gem/jewel) in their mouths (a symbol of humanity, nobility and knowledge).<br />Siberian dragon Yilbegan Related to European Turkic and Slavic dragons<br />Indian Dragon Vyalee and Naga There is some debate as to whether or not Vyalee is considered a dragon. It is found in temples and is correlated with the goddess Parvati. Naga is the main dragon of Indian and Hindu mythology. Nagas are a race of magical serpents that live below water. Their king wears a golden crown atop his head. The Nagas are associated with Buddha and mainly with Lord Vishnu and his incarnations (Dasavataras). When Krishna was a child, he wrestled with a Naga that was obstructing a lake.<br />Pacific dragons<br />Māori dragon Taniwha In Māori mythology, Taniwha are beings that live in deep pools in rivers, dark caves, or in the sea, especially in places with dangerous currents or deceptive breakers. Some can tunnel through the earth, uprooting trees in the process. Some taniwha are credited with creating harbours by carving out a channel to the ocean. Other taniwha are said to have caused landslides beside lakes or rivers. At sea, taniwha often take the form of a whale or a large shark. In inland waters, they may still be of whale-like dimensions, but look more like a gecko or a tuatara, having a row of spines along the back. Other taniwha appear as a floating log, which behaves in a disconcerting way. The word taniwha has been reconstructed to Proto-Oceanic *tanifa, with the meaning 'species of shark'.<br />European dragons<br />Sardinian dragon scultone The dragon named "scultone" or "ascultone" was a legend in Sardinia, Italy for many a millennium. It had the power to kill human beings with its gaze. It was a sort of basilisk, lived in the bush and was immortal.<br />Scandinavian & Germanic dragons Lindworm Lindworms are serpent-like dragons with either two or no legs. In Nordic and Germanic heraldry, the lindworm looks the same as a wyvern. The dragon Fafnir was a lindworm.<br />Welsh dragon Y Ddraig Goch The red dragon is the traditional symbol of Wales and appears on the Welsh national flag.<br />Hungarian dragons (Sárkányok) zomok A great snake living in a swamp, which regularly kills pigs or sheep. A group of shepherds can easily kill them.<br />sárkánykígyó A giant winged snake, which in fact a full-grown zomok. It often serves as flying mount of the garabonciások (a kind of magician). The sárkánykígyó rules over storms and bad weather.<br />sárkány A dragon in human form. Most of them are giants with multiple heads. Their strength is held in their heads. They become gradually weaker as they lose their heads.<br />Slavic dragons zmey, zmiy, змей, or zmaj Similar to the conventional European dragon, but multi-headed. They breathe fire and/or leave fiery wakes as they fly. In Slavic and related tradition, dragons symbolize evil. Specific dragons are often given Turkic names (see Zilant, below), symbolizing the long-standing conflict between the Slavs and Turks.<br />Romanian dragons Balaur Balaur are very similar to the Slavic zmey: very large, with fins and multiple heads.<br />Chuvash dragons Vere Celen Chuvash dragons represent the pre-Islamic mythology of the same region.<br />Asturian dragons Cuélebre In Asturian mythology the Cuélebres are giant winged serpents, which live in caves where they guard treasures and kidnapped xanas. They can live for centuries and, when they grow really old, they use their wings to fly. Their breath is poisonous and they often kill cattle to eat. Asturian term Cuelebre comes from Latin colŭbra, i.e. snake.<br />Tatar dragons Zilant Really closer to a wyvern, the Zilant is the symbol of Kazan. Zilant itself is a Russian rendering of Tatar yılan, i.e. snake.<br />Turkish dragons Ejderha or Evren This creature is strikingly different from its fire breathing, flying European counterpart. The Turkish Dragon secretes flames from its tail, and there is no mention in any legends of its having wings, or even legs. In fact, most Turkish (and later, Islamic) sources describe dragons as gigantic snakes. The blood of the Turkish Dragon has its medical properties, becoming a panacea if drawn from the head and a lethal poison if drawn from the tail.<br />Basque dragons Herensuge Basque for "dragon". One legend has St. Michael descending from Heaven to kill it, but only when God agreed to accompany him, so fearful it was.<br />Sugaar The male god of Basque mythology, also called Maju, was often associated to a serpent or snake, though he can adopt other forms.<br />American dragons<br />Meso-American dragon Feathered Serpent Feathered serpent deity responsible for giving knowledge to mankind, and sometimes also a symbol of death and resurrection.<br />Inca dragon Amaru A dragon (sometimes called a snake) on the Inca culture. The last Inca emperor Tupak Amaru's name means "Lord Dragon"<br />Brazilian dragon Boi-tata A dragon-like animal (sometimes like a snake) of the Brazilian Indian cultures.<br />Chilean dragon Caicaivilu and Tentenvilu Snake-type dragons, Caicaivilu was the sea god and Tentenvilu was the earth god, both from the Chilean island Chiloé.<br />African dragons<br />North African dragon Amphisbaena Possibly originating in northern Africa (and later moving to Greece), this was a two-headed dragon (one at the front, and one on the end of its tail). The front head would hold the tail (or neck as the case may be) in its mouth, creating a circle that allowed it to roll.<br />Egyptian dragon Apep The ancient Egyptians believed that the deity Ra battled this cobra-like dragon whenever he (as the sun) sank below the horizon. Apep was a symbol of evil and chaos.<br />Dragon-like creatures<br />Basilisk A basilisk is hatched by a cockerel from a serpent's egg. It is a lizard-like or snake-like creature that can supposedly kill by its gaze, its voice, or by touching its victim.<br />Leviathan In Hebrew mythology, a leviathan was a large creature with fierce teeth. Contemporary translations identify the leviathan with the crocodile, but maintaining a strict Biblical perspective the leviathan can breathe fire (Job 41:18-21), can fly (Job 41:5), it cannot be pierced with spears or harpoons (Job 41:7), its scales are so closely fit that there is no room between them (Job 41:15-16), it walks upright (Job 41:12), its mouth is powerful and contains many formidable teeth (Job 41:14), its underbelly has sharp scales that could cut a person (Job 41:30), and, over all, it is a terrifying creature. Over time, the term came to mean any large sea monster; in modern Hebrew, "leviathan" simply means whale. A sea serpent is also closely related to the dragon, though it is more snakelike and lives in the water.<br />Wyvern Much more similar to a dragon than the other creatures listed here, a wyvern is a winged serpent with either two or no legs. The term wyvern is used in heraldry to distinguish two-legged from four-legged dragons.<br />Zmeu Derived from the Slavic dragon, zmeu are humanoid figures that can fly and breathe fire.<br />Cockatrice A bird-like reptile sometimes confused with a basilisk.<br />Quetzalcóatl A Central-American or Mexican creature with both scales and feathers worshipped by the Toltecs and Aztecs.<br /><br />[edit] Notable dragons<br /><br />[edit] In myth<br /><br /> Main article: List of dragons in mythology and folklore<br /><br /> * Azhi Dahaka was a three-headed demon often characterized as dragon-like in Persian Zoroastrian mythology.<br /> * Similarly, Ugaritic myth describes a seven-headed sea serpent named Lotan.<br /> * The Hydra of Greek mythology is a water serpent with multiple heads with mystic powers. When one was chopped off, two would regrow in its place. This creature was vanquished by Heracles and his cousin.<br /> * Smok Wawelski was a Polish dragon who was supposed to have terrorized the hills around Kraków in the Middle Ages.<br /> * Y Ddraig Goch is now the symbol of Wales (see flag, above), originally appearing as the red dragon from the Mabinogion story Lludd and Llevelys.<br /> * Nidhogg, a dragon in Norse mythology, was said to live in the darkest part of the Underworld, awaiting Ragnarok. At that time he would be released to wreak destruction on the world.<br /> * Orochi, the eight-headed serpent slain by Susanoo in Japanese mythology<br /><br />[edit] In literature and fiction<br /><br /> Main article: List of fictional dragons<br /><br />The Old English epic Beowulf ends with the hero battling a dragon.<br /><br />Dragons remain fixtures in fantasy books, though portrayals of their nature differ. For example, Smaug, from The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien, who is a classic, European-type dragon; deeply magical, he hoards treasure and burns innocent towns. Contrary to most old folklore and literature J. R. R. Tolkien's dragons are very intelligent and can cast spells over mortals.<br /><br />A common theme in literature concerning dragons is the partnership between humans and dragons. This is evident in Dragon Rider and the Inheritance Trilogy. Most notably it is featured in Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series.<br /><br />Dragons have been portrayed in several movies of the past few decades, and in many different forms. In Dragonslayer (1981), a "sword and sorcerer"-type film set in medieval Britain, a dragon terrorizes a town's population. In contrast, Dragonheart (1996), though also given a medieval context, was a much lighter action/adventure movie that spoofed the "terrorizing dragon" stereotype, and depicts dragons as usually good beings, who in fact often save the lives of humans. Dragons can also be passionate protectors, just like the dragon in Shrek and Shrek 2, who displays her affection for a donkey. Reign of Fire (2002), also dark and gritty, dealt with the consequences of dormant dragons reawakened in the modern world.<br /><br />Dragons are common (especially as non-player characters) in Dungeons & Dragons and in some computer fantasy role-playing games. They, like many other dragons in modern culture, run the full range of good, evil, and everything in between. See Dragon (Dungeons & Dragons) for additional information.<br /><br />On the lighter side, Puff the Magic Dragon was first a poem, later a song made famous by Peter, Paul and Mary, that has become a pop-culture mainstay.<br /><br />[edit] As emblems<br /><br />The dragon is the emblem of Ljubljana, Slovenia. The city has a dragon bridge which is embellished with four dragon depictions. The city's basketball club is nicknamed the "Green Dragons". License plates on cars from the city also feature a dragon depiction.<br /><br />Y Ddraig Goch (IPA: [ə ðraig gox]) (Welsh for the red dragon) appears on the national Flag of Wales (the flag itself is also called the "Draig Goch"), and is the most famous dragon in Britain. There are many legends about y Ddraig Goch.<br /><br />The dragon is also in the emblem of FC Porto, a sports club from Portugal, which is nicknamed "Dragões" (Dragons). Their football stadium is also nicknamed "Estádio do Dragão" (Dragon Stadium) and has a large bronze Dragon logo at the entrance.Be@$Tahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17411774385008177715noreply@blogger.com0