As we enter into the brunt of summer and its scorching heat, we are going to cross the dry and sandy deadly desert to visit the infamous Nome Kingdom this August. Located West of the Vinkus (or "Winkie") Country, across the deadly desert, lies the entire kingdom of Nomes and their various leaders. We will discuss its supposed origins, its notable residents and locales as well as its media legacy and how you can bring this dusty, rocky part of Oz to your neck of the woods. So, let us begin our exploration of the dry and notorious region of Nonestica, the name for the region outside of the Land of Oz. The Nome Kingdom is located on the outside of the Land of Oz across the Deadly Desert in vast and cavernous tunnels underground. The origin of this kingdom is implied to have been around as long as the residents of Burzee as the Nome King was in attendance of the Council of Immortals. It is also suggested in Baum's Ozma of Oz that the kingdom must have existed as long as the Land of Ev since they were knew plenty of each kingdom's existence. The Royal Timeline of Oz suggests that the most notable Nome King was crowned around 1668 A.D. and all the kingdoms of Nonestica were relocated to the dimension of Imaginum around 622 A.D. So, that puts the Nome Kingdom's origins at least between those two dates. So fascinating! The Nome Kingdom appears in a number of Baum's books starting with Ozma of Oz and continuing through to Rinkitink of Oz. It also appears in later author's books like The Hungry Tiger of Oz by Ruth Plumly Thompson and could be equated to vast world of Southstairs Prison in Son of a Witch.
The Nome Kingdom has appeared in a wide variety of adaptations but has mostly focused on the throne room and its entrance. In Dorothy Meets Ozma of Oz (1987), the entrance featured a large Iron Giant; whereas Lost in Oz (2017) featured large iron fist mechanically driven guarding the entrance. Upon entering the Kingdom, according to different adaptations, you can experience multiple areas like the Throne Room (as seen Disney's Return to Oz and Amazon Studios' Lost in Oz), a large expanse of tunnels and rocky terrain (Cinar's Oz saga or Baum's Rinkitink in Oz), or taken to one of the rooms of the Nome King or Chancellor (as shown in Baum's Tik Tok of Oz). In Tik Tok of Oz, Queen Ann's army from Oogaboo ended up in a pit that ended traversing them to unknown and exotic locations within the Nome Kingdom. In Rinkitink of Oz, Prince Inga and his companions also got tricked by the Nome King's disorienting tunnels and ended up in many trick tunnels, one of which included a giant. So, however you would like to explore the Nome Kingdom, feel free to check out any adaptation listed in this post to experience this terrifying and disorienting world. So, how can you bring the dusty, rocky, and disillusioning place to your neck of the woods? Well, you can always check out one of the adaptations mentioned in this post that features the Nome King within his kingdom. You can also check out the many illustrated versions out there like Marvel's Ozma of Oz comic illustrated by Skottie Young and story by Eric Shanower (seen above left). The other comic adaptation (seen above right) never was made commercially but did appear as an advertisement in Marvel's Treasure of Oz: The Marvelous Land of Oz, published in 1975. But, don't fret, there is another comic that was published by Scholastic c. 1985 featuring a comic novelization of Disney's Return to Oz (cover seen below). It is wonderful! Additionally, you can check out the drawings from Baum's original text here. Also, if you check out Crossover Adventure Production's Chronicles of Oz: Ozma of Oz, the caverns of the Nome Kingdom are explored, including the entrance with the Iron Giant along with the throne room and the ornament room. I also think a great way to bring this world to your own is to attempt to put together a map of the underground realm of this kingdom. It might start with the entrance leading to the throne room and extending out to other rooms from there. It is up to you how you venture into this kingdom, so as we close out our tour of the Nome Kingdom, feel free to let me know in the comments below which was your favorite part of this vast and endless kingdom; and, until next time, we'll be seeing somewhere in the Oz-verse.
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May 2024
AuthorMy name is Vinkus Ken and I have been a long time fan of many things in Oz and how their world truly does emulate much of ours. Did you know that they have a flag of their own? Or did you know that they have a law about only having 9 jurors in their courts? Also, Oz has a court system! I like to introduce facts that seem meaningless and bring meaning to them by comparing them to our world. So, come along on this journey and enjoy the ride. |