As we end our year of magic in Oz, we look to the Land of Oz and the magic that emanates from its roots. One village, within the Quadling Country, has deep roots in magic and utensils. Yup, I said that right. As if Oz could not get any weirder and unique, there is a small kingdom in the Quadling Country that is made up of entirely and exclusively utensils. Of course, there are tons of villages around Oz and the Quadling Country that are impacted by magic like the town of Cuttenclips (a town of magical paper cut outs), the town of Fuddlecumjig (a town of walking, talking puzzle people), and the mysterious realm of the Hammerheads, who crush anything with their heads. However, I thought since we are about to go into the month of Thanksgiving meals, what better way to celebrate the Ozian food and our kitchens than with the magic of Utensia. So, we will explore its origins, its legacy and magic, along with how you can bring such magic to your neck of the woods. So, let's head south and visit Utensia! Oh no! We've been captured. What will we do? Well, why we await what will happen to us, let’s talk to some of the locals about how this town came.to be and look around to see what we can learn. Well, first, we are brought to court with his highness KING KLEAVER, standing on his chopping block next to his son, PRINCE KLEAVER, ready to give out a verdict and sentence. Walking through the town, we learned that the town is protected by the SPOON BRIGADE, with CAPTAIN DIPP as their leader. Other notable members of this village we encountered were the JUDGE SIFTER, the HIGH PRIEST COLLANDER, MR. PAPRICA, MR. POPP, and SIR JABBER. We also saw that the around the town, as we are in the town square, that there are stovetops, ovens, refrigerators, cupboards, and drawers that function as the houses to these utensils. These locals refer to themselves as Utensians and there are a lot of them in this small kingdom. So, where did it come from? We first learn about Utensia in Baum's sixth book, The Emerald City of Oz, released in 1910. Unfortunately, there is no origin to this town divulged in the one chapter that they are introduced as the entire conversation within the town is what crime Dorothy has committed, which was none, and what should they do with her, which was to send her out of the town to get blueberries since she was hungry and there is no food in Utensia. It really does make one wonder, why was this village created, what is its purpose and what is it even doing there? It does feel like another half-hearted attempt at fantastical creatures, but you can jot down your theories in the comments below and let me know what you think about how this place originated. I think that the Utensils were discarded but brought olive unexpectedly by the Magic of Oz. But, what exactly was done? Well, the magic of Oz that is active in Utensia is making these inanimate utensils come to life. Additionally, they have the ability to speak, walk, and have their own thoughts regarding various events and activities. I have my own ideas about this village and others that since Oz is magical in itself, anything that can be influenced by magic, will be influenced by magic. In the case of the Cuttenclips, another village in Quadling Country, Glinda gave enchanted paper to the leader, Ms. Cuttenclip, to do with as she wanted. Knowing this, it does seem to imply that anything in Oz that can be influenced by magic is enchanted and infused with magic. When it comes to the legacy of Utensia, there are minimal adaptations that feature this small village in the Quadling Country. It's first appearance comes in the book, The Emerald City of Oz by L. Frank Baum. If you would like to hear this village come to life in a wonderful audio performance, check out the theatrical adaptation from the Colonial Radio Theatre Company. If you click on the image above, you will find this story and more done by this company. Next up, in 2013, Marvel's The Emerald City of Oz featured many storyboard scenes from this village. If you would like to check that story out, feel free to check out how to get your own copy from your local comic book store or on Amazon's Comixology. Around 2017, Amazon's Lost in Oz introduced various scenes that featured citizens from Utensia like a fork that works for the Nome King or citizens walking around The Emerald City. Notable episodes that feature these characters include Season 1, Episodes 3 and 12; then, in Season 2, episodes 2 and 4. Be sure to check it out on Amazon Prime. Now, how do you bring this village or other magical villages from Oz to your neck of the woods? Why through crafts, of course. Utensia is the exact kind of village that you can take wiggly or google eyes and glue them to any of your utensils. It works on a lot of different levels and if you want to create a whole claymation experience, why not just make a movie that tells all about the origins of this lovely and magical village? It would be awesome to see. But let me know, how would you bring other villages like the Cuttenclips or the Rigamaroles to life? There are quite a lot of options to choose from, so what do you think?
Also, before we end our year of magic, I want to know what has been your favorite part of our year of magic? We will definitely come back to another year of magic, but in the mean time, we will be starting our third year of Oz celebrations starting in December with each month celebrating a different location in Oz and its surrounding locales. It will be our YEAR Of THE GEOGRAPHY OF OZ. In December, what better place to start than with Santa’s birth place, Burzee and its connecting region, appropriately called the Laughing Valley of HoHaHo. See you next month and have a great Thanksgiving in the Land of Oz!
0 Comments
|
Posts by Years
All
Archives
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. |