Greetings all from Northern Oz! This chilly month brings on snow, wintry chill, and flying monkeys?! Yup! You heard me right. These magical flying creatures got their start in the Gillikin Country. So, for this post, we will showcase that origin, discuss the media adaptations that have showcase this wonderfully winged beings, and ways you can bring some good ol' flying monkey charm to your neck of the woods. So, let's get started! The story of the winged monkeys was introduced in Baum's first book, "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz". As the story goes, in the Gillikin Country lived Princess Gayelette. One day, she met a prince, Qualala, who fell in love with her as well. On their wedding day, the flying monkeys played a prank on the prince by pushing him into the river. The princess was not happy about this, so she put a curse on the flying monkeys that they will never leave the land of Oz and will be subject to committing the deeds requested of them by the one who holds The Golden Cap. Check out my post all about the Golden Cap. Now, as far as their origins, not much is told; however, since the Gillikin Country was created around the 7th century and Princess Gayelette's wedding happened around 1871, it can be assumed that the monkeys origin in Oz began somewhere between that time period. For more information about the Royal Timeline of Oz, check it out my Oz Resources page. In terms of magic, the only magical component of the winged monkeys is that they are monkeys who can fly, which is impressively wonderful as it is. These magical, flying beasts have been seen in a wide variety of film and TV adaptations. Check the wide array of versions that have come to fruition already. After seeing all the amazing adaptations that have brought these winged wonders to life, you may be curious how you can bring them into your neck of the woods. There are a multitude of ways, starting with watching any of the adaptations mentioned above. You can also find a wide variety of comic adaptations out there that feature the winged monkeys like the Marvel versions (either the 1975 or 2011 editions). There are a ton of illustrated versions of the story out there as well, which you can always check out. This illustration from Charles Santore's version in 1991 is always favorite. These fantastical beasties also make an appearance in a number of computer games like The Wizard of Oz section of G5's Sherlock Holmes Match-3 game. If you are looking for souvenirs to collect, then you will want to check out the Oz Museums or All Things Oz Museums online (or in person) items. There are tons of options and even more always popping up. Which versions do you like? Share them in the comments below. Well, that will do it for another month. Come back next month when we check out another magical creature in the marvelous Land of Oz. Now, FLY, my PRETTIES! FLY!
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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. |