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The Land of Oz is a magical country introduced in the 1900 children's novel ''
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' is a children's novel written by author L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow. It is the first novel in the Oz series of books. A Kansas farm girl named Dorothy ends up in the magical Land of Oz afte ...
'' written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by
W. W. Denslow William Wallace Denslow (; May 5, 1856 – March 29, 1915), professionally W. W. Denslow, was an American illustrator and caricaturist remembered for his work in collaboration with author L. Frank Baum, especially his illustrations of ''The ...
. Oz consists of four vast quadrants, the Gillikin Country in the north,
Quadling Country The Quadling Country is the southern division of L. Frank Baum's fictional Land of Oz, first introduced in '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900). It is distinguished by the color red, worn by most of the local inhabitants called the Quadlings as ...
in the south, Munchkin Country in the east, and
Winkie Country The Winkie Country is the western region of the fictional Land of Oz in L. Frank Baum's classic series of Oz books, first introduced in ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900). The Winkie Country is in the West, noted by later being ruled by the Wi ...
in the west. Each province has its own ruler, but the realm itself has always been ruled by a single monarch. According to ''
The Marvelous Land of Oz ''The Marvelous Land of Oz: Being an Account of the Further Adventures of the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman'', commonly shortened to ''The Land of Oz'', published in July 1904, is the second of L. Frank Baum's books set in the Land of Oz, and th ...
'', this monarch is
Princess Ozma Princess Ozma is a fictional character from the Land of Oz, created by American author L. Frank Baum. She appears in every book of the Oz series except the first, '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900). She is the rightful ruler of Oz, and Baum ...
. Baum did not intend for ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' to have any sequels, but it achieved greater popularity than any of the other fairylands he created, including the land of
Merryland The Merryland books were a genre of English 17th and 18th century erotic fiction in which the female body was described in terms of a topographical metaphor derived from a pun on Maryland. Four of the titles were published by 18th century controve ...
in Baum's children's novel '' Dot and Tot in Merryland'', written a year later. Due to Oz's worldwide success, Baum decided to return to it four years after ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' was published. For the next two decades, he described and expanded upon the land in
the Oz Books The Oz books form a book series that begins with ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900) and relates the fictional history of the Land of Oz. Oz was created by author L. Frank Baum, who went on to write fourteen full-length Oz books. All of Baum's ...
, a series which introduced many fictional characters and creatures. Baum intended to end the series with the sixth Oz book ''
The Emerald City of Oz ''The Emerald City of Oz'' is the sixth of L. Frank Baum's fourteen Land of Oz books. It was also adapted into a Canadian animated film in 1987. Originally published on July 20, 1910, it is the story of Dorothy Gale and her Uncle Henry and Aunt ...
'' (1910), in which Oz is forever sealed off and made invisible to the outside world, but this did not sit well with fans, and he quickly abandoned the idea, writing eight more successful Oz books, and even naming himself the "Royal Historian of Oz."Thurber, "The Wizard of Chittenango", p. 66. In all, Baum wrote fourteen best-selling
children's books A child ( : children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younge ...
about Oz and its enchanted inhabitants, as well as a spin-off series of six early readers. After his death in 1919, author
Ruth Plumly Thompson Ruth Plumly Thompson (27 July 1891 – 6 April 1976) was an American writer of children's stories, best known for writing many novels placed in Oz, the fictional land of L. Frank Baum's classic children's novel '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz' ...
, illustrator John R. Neill (who had previously collaborated with Baum on his Oz books) and several other writers and artists continued the series. There are now over 50 novels based upon Baum's original Oz saga. Baum characterized Oz as a real place, unlike MGM's 1939 musical movie adaptation, which presents it as a dream of lead character
Dorothy Gale Dorothy Gale is a fictional character created by American author L. Frank Baum as the protagonist in many of his ''Oz'' novels. She first appears in Baum's classic 1900 children's novel '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' and reappears in most of it ...
. According to the Oz books, it is a hidden fairyland cut off from the rest of the world by the Deadly Desert. A shorthand reference for a person living in Oz is "Ozite". The term appears in ''Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz'', ''The Road to Oz'', and ''The Emerald City of Oz''. Elsewhere in the books, "Ozmie" is also used. In the animated 1974 semi-sequel to the MGM film, '' Journey Back to Oz'', "Ozonian" is in the script. The term "Ozian" appears in the
Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...
's stage adaptation of the MGM movie and in the work '' Wicked''. "Ozmite" was used in Reilly & Lee marketing in the 1920s, a fact which has suggested to some critics that "Ozmie" may have been a
typographical error A typographical error (often shortened to typo), also called a misprint, is a mistake (such as a spelling mistake) made in the typing of printed (or electronic) material. Historically, this referred to mistakes in manual type-setting (typography) ...
.


Characteristics

Oz is, in the first book ''
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' is a children's novel written by author L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow. It is the first novel in the Oz series of books. A Kansas farm girl named Dorothy ends up in the magical Land of Oz afte ...
'', distinguished from Dorothy's native Kansas by not being civilized; this explains why Kansas does not have witches and wizards, while Oz does.Michael O. Riley, ''Oz and Beyond: The Fantasy World of L. Frank Baum'', Lawrence, KS, University Press of Kansas, 1997; p. 53. . In the third book, ''
Ozma of Oz ''Ozma of Oz: A Record of Her Adventures with Dorothy Gale of Kansas, Billina the Yellow Hen, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, the Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger; Besides Other Good People Too Numerous to Mention Faithfully Recorded Herein'', p ...
'', Oz is described as a "fairy country", new terminology that remained to explain its wonders.


Geography


The Land of Oz

Oz is roughly rectangular in shape, and divided along the diagonals into four countries: Munchkin Country (but commonly referred to as 'Munchkinland' in adaptations) in the East,
Winkie Country The Winkie Country is the western region of the fictional Land of Oz in L. Frank Baum's classic series of Oz books, first introduced in ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900). The Winkie Country is in the West, noted by later being ruled by the Wi ...
in the West (sometimes West and East are reversed on maps of Oz, see West and East below), Gillikin Country in the North, and
Quadling Country The Quadling Country is the southern division of L. Frank Baum's fictional Land of Oz, first introduced in '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900). It is distinguished by the color red, worn by most of the local inhabitants called the Quadlings as ...
in the South. In the center of Oz, where the diagonals cross, is the fabled Emerald City, capital of the land of Oz and seat to the monarch of Oz,
Princess Ozma Princess Ozma is a fictional character from the Land of Oz, created by American author L. Frank Baum. She appears in every book of the Oz series except the first, '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900). She is the rightful ruler of Oz, and Baum ...
.John Grant and John Clute, ''The Encyclopedia of Fantasy'', New York, St. Martin's Griffin, 1999; "Oz", p. 739. . The regions have a color scheme: blue for Munchkins, yellow for Winkies, red for Quadlings, green for the Emerald City, and (in works after the first) purple for the Gillikins, which region was also not named in the first book.Riley, p. 53. This emphasis on color is in contrast with Kansas; Baum, describing it, used "gray" nine times in four paragraphs. In ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'', this is merely the
favorite color In the psychology of color, color preferences are the tendency for an individual or a group to prefer some colors over others, such as having a favorite color or a traditional color. Introduction An 'ecological valence theory' (EVT) has bee ...
, used for clothing and other man-made objects, and having some influence on their choice of crops, but the basic colors of the world are natural colors. The effect is less consistent in later works. In ''
The Marvelous Land of Oz ''The Marvelous Land of Oz: Being an Account of the Further Adventures of the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman'', commonly shortened to ''The Land of Oz'', published in July 1904, is the second of L. Frank Baum's books set in the Land of Oz, and th ...
'', the book states that everything in the land of the Gillikins is purple, including the plants and mud, and a character can see that he is leaving when the grass turns from purple to green, but it also describes pumpkins as orange and corn as green in that land. Baum, indeed, never used the color scheme consistently; in many books, he alluded to the colors to orient the characters and readers to their location, and then did not refer to it again.Riley, p. 106. His most common technique was to depict the man-made articles and flowers as the color of the country, leaving leaves, grass, and fruit their natural colors. Most of these regions are settled with prosperous and contented people. However, this naturally is lacking in scope for plot. Numerous pockets throughout the Land of Oz are cut off from the main culture, for geographic or cultural reasons. Many have never heard of Ozma, making it impossible for them to acknowledge her as their rightful queen. These regions are concentrated around the edges of the country, and constitute the main settings for books that are set entirely within Oz. ''
The Lost Princess of Oz ''The Lost Princess of Oz'' is the eleventh canonical Oz book written by L. Frank Baum. Published on June 5, 1917, it begins with the disappearance of Princess Ozma, the ruler of Oz and covers Dorothy and the Wizard's efforts to find her. Th ...
'', for instance, is set entirely in rough country in Winkie Country, between two settled areas. In ''
Glinda of Oz ''Glinda of Oz'' is the fourteenth Land of Oz book written by children's author L. Frank Baum, published on July 10, 1920. It is the last book of the original Oz series, which was later continued by other authors. Like most of the Oz books, the p ...
'', Ozma speaks of her duty to discover all these stray corners of Oz.Riley, p. 223. In ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'', a
yellow brick road The yellow brick road is a fictional element in the 1900 children's novel ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' by American author L. Frank Baum. The road also appears in the several sequel Oz books such as ''The Marvelous Land of Oz'' (1904) and ''Th ...
leads from the lands of the Munchkins to the Emerald City. Other such roads featured in other works: one from Gillikin Country in ''The Marvelous Land of Oz'', and a second one from Munchkin Land in ''The Patchwork Girl of Oz''. Oz is completely surrounded on all four sides by a desert which insulates the citizens of the Land of Oz from discovery and invasion. In the first two books, this is merely a natural desert, with only its extent making it dangerous to the traveler, but in ''The Road to Oz,'' it is said to turn anyone who touches it to sand. Indeed, in ''The Marvelous Land of Oz'', Mombi tries to escape through it and Glinda chases her over the sands. Still, it is the dividing land between the magic of Oz and the outside world, and the
Winged Monkeys Winged monkeys are fictional characters created by American author L. Frank Baum in his children's novel ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900). They are jungle monkeys with bird-like feathered wings. They are most notably remembered from the fam ...
can not obey Dorothy's command to carry her home because it would take them outside the lands of Oz. In ''
Ozma of Oz ''Ozma of Oz: A Record of Her Adventures with Dorothy Gale of Kansas, Billina the Yellow Hen, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, the Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger; Besides Other Good People Too Numerous to Mention Faithfully Recorded Herein'', p ...
'', it has become a magical desert called the Deadly Desert with life-destroying sands and noxious fumes, a feature that remained constant through the rest of the series, although no actual destruction is depicted in the Oz books, unlike in the film ''
Return to Oz ''Return to Oz'' is a 1985 dark fantasy film released by Walt Disney Pictures, co-written and directed by Walter Murch. It stars Nicol Williamson, Jean Marsh, Piper Laurie, and Fairuza Balk as Dorothy Gale in her first screen role. The film ...
''.Riley, p. 139. The desert has nonetheless been breached numerous times, both by children from our world (mostly harmless), by the Wizard of Oz himself, and by more sinister characters, such as the
Nome King The Nome King is a fictional character created by American author L. Frank Baum. He is introduced in Baum's third Oz book ''Ozma of Oz'' (1907). He also appears in many of the continuing sequel '' Oz'' novels also written by Baum. Although the ch ...
, who attempted to conquer Oz. After such an attempt in ''
The Emerald City of Oz ''The Emerald City of Oz'' is the sixth of L. Frank Baum's fourteen Land of Oz books. It was also adapted into a Canadian animated film in 1987. Originally published on July 20, 1910, it is the story of Dorothy Gale and her Uncle Henry and Aunt ...
'', the book ends with
Glinda Glinda is a fictional character created by L. Frank Baum for his ''Oz'' novels. She first appears in Baum's 1900 children's classic ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'', and is the most powerful sorceress in the Land of Oz, ruler of the Quadling Coun ...
creating a barrier of invisibility around the Land of Oz, for further protection. This was, indeed, an earnest effort on Baum's part to end the series, but the insistence of readers meant the continuation of the series, and therefore the discovery of many ways for people to pass through this barrier as well as over the sands. Despite this continual evasion, the barrier itself remained; nowhere in any Oz book did Baum hint that the inhabitants were even considering removing the magical barrier.


West and East

The first known map of Oz was a glass slide used in Baum's ''Fairylogue and Radio-Play'' traveling show, showing the blue land of the Munchkins in the east and the yellow land of the Winkies in the west. These directions are confirmed by the text of all of Baum's Oz books, especially the first, in which the Wicked Witch of the East rules over the
Munchkin A Munchkin is a native of the fictional Munchkin Country in the Oz books by American author L. Frank Baum. They first appear in the classic children's novel '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900) where they welcome Dorothy Gale to their city i ...
s, and the
Wicked Witch of the West The Wicked Witch of the West is a fictional character who appears in the classic children's novel '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900), created by American author L. Frank Baum. In Baum's subsequent ''Oz'' novels, it is the Nome King who is ...
rules over the Winkies. Like traditional western maps, the ''Fairylogue and Radio-Play'' map showed the west on the left, and the east on the right. However, the first map of Oz to appear in an Oz book had those directions reversed, and the
compass rose A compass rose, sometimes called a wind rose, rose of the winds or compass star, is a figure on a compass, map, nautical chart, or monument used to display the orientation of the cardinal directions (north, east, south, and west) and thei ...
adjusted accordingly. It is believed that this is a result of Baum copying the map from the wrong side of the glass slide, effectively getting a mirror image of his intended map. When he realized he was copying the slide backward, he reversed the compass rose to make the directions correct. However, an editor at Reilly and Lee reversed the compass rose, thinking he was fixing an error, and resulting in further confusion. Most notably, this confused Ruth Plumly Thompson, who frequently reversed directions in her own Oz books as a result. Another speculation stems from the original conception of Oz, which at first appeared to be situated in an American desert. If Baum thought of the country of the Munchkins as the nearest region to him, it would have been in the east while he lived in Chicago, but when he moved to California, it would have been in the west. Modern maps of Oz are almost universally drawn with the Winkies in the west and the Munchkins in the east, although west and east often appear reversed. Many Oz fans believe this is the correct orientation, perhaps as a result of Glinda's spell, which has the effect of confusing most standard compasses; perhaps resembling its similarity to the world Alice found
through the looking glass ''Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There'' (also known as ''Alice Through the Looking-Glass'' or simply ''Through the Looking-Glass'') is a novel published on 27 December 1871 (though indicated as 1872) by Lewis Carroll and the ...
in which everything was a mirror image, or perhaps just reflecting the alien nature of Oz. In
Robert A. Heinlein Robert Anson Heinlein (; July 7, 1907 – May 8, 1988) was an American science fiction author, aeronautical engineer, and naval officer. Sometimes called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was among the first to emphasize scientific accu ...
's book '' The Number of the Beast'' he posits that Oz is on a retrograde planet, meaning that it spins in the opposite direction of Earth so that the sun seems to rise on one's left as one faces north.
March Laumer March Laumer (17 August 1923 – 12 January 2000) was an American author, primarily of books on the Land of Oz.Paul S. Ritz, "Remembering March Laumer," ''The Baum Bugle'', Vol. 44 No. 1 (Spring 2000), p. 11. March Laumer was born in Birmingh ...
's ''The Magic Mirror of Oz'' attributes the changes to a character named Till Orangespiegel attempting to turn the Land of Oz orange.


Location

Oz, like all of Baum's fantasy countries, was presented as existing as part of the real world, albeit protected from civilization by natural barriers. Indeed, in the first books, nothing indicated that it was not hidden in the deserts of the United States. It gradually acquired neighboring magical countries, often from works of Baum's that had been independent, as Ix from ''
Queen Zixi of Ix ''Queen Zixi of Ix, or The Story of the Magic Cloak'', is a children's book written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by Frederick Richardson. It was originally serialized in the early 20th-century American children's magazine '' St. Nicholas'' ...
'', and Mo from ''
The Magical Monarch of Mo ''The Surprising Adventures of the Magical Monarch of Mo and His People'' (copyright registered June 17, 1896) is the first full-length children's fantasy novel by L. Frank Baum. Originally published in 1899 as ''A New Wonderland, Being the Fi ...
''. The first of these is Ev, introduced in ''
Ozma of Oz ''Ozma of Oz: A Record of Her Adventures with Dorothy Gale of Kansas, Billina the Yellow Hen, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, the Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger; Besides Other Good People Too Numerous to Mention Faithfully Recorded Herein'', p ...
''. In '' Tik-Tok of Oz'' (1914), Baum included maps in the endpapers (see above) which definitively situated Oz on a continent with its neighboring countries. Oz is the largest country on the continent unofficially known as Nonestica (this name was proposed by Robert R. Pattrick for the whole of the countries surrounding Oz; Pattrick proposed "Ozeria" for the whole continent, but that name is generally unused in fan discussions), which also includes the countries of Ev, Ix, and Mo, which has also been known as Phunniland, among others. Nonestica is, according to the map, in the
Nonestic Ocean The Land of Oz is a magical country introduced in the 1900 children's novel ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow. Oz consists of four vast quadrants, the Gillikin Country in the north, Quadl ...
. A fair amount of evidence in the books points to this continent as being envisioned as somewhere in the southern
Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the conti ...
. At the opening of ''
Ozma of Oz ''Ozma of Oz: A Record of Her Adventures with Dorothy Gale of Kansas, Billina the Yellow Hen, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, the Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger; Besides Other Good People Too Numerous to Mention Faithfully Recorded Herein'', p ...
,''
Dorothy Gale Dorothy Gale is a fictional character created by American author L. Frank Baum as the protagonist in many of his ''Oz'' novels. She first appears in Baum's classic 1900 children's novel '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' and reappears in most of it ...
is sailing to
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
with her Uncle Henry when she is washed overboard (in a chicken coop, with
Billina Billina is a fictional character in the classic children's series of Oz books by American author L. Frank Baum. She is introduced in ''Ozma of Oz'' (1907). Jack Snow, ''Who's Who in Oz'', Chicago, Reilly & Lee, 1954; New York, Peter Bedrick Book ...
the yellow hen), and lands on the shore of Ev—a rare instance in which an outsider reaches the Oz landmass through non-magical (or ''apparently'' non-magical) means. Palm trees grow outside the Royal Palace in the Emerald City, and horses are not native to Oz, both points of consistency with a South-Pacific location; illustrations and descriptions of round-shaped and domed Ozite houses suggest a non-Western architecture. Conversely, Oz has technological, architectural, and urban elements typical of Europe and North America around the turn of the twentieth century; but this may involve cultural input from unusual external sources (see History below). Ruth Plumly Thompson asserts in her first Oz book, ''
The Royal Book of Oz ''The Royal Book of Oz'' (1921) is the fifteenth in the series of Oz books, and the first to be written after L. Frank Baum's death. Although Baum was credited as the author, it was written entirely by Ruth Plumly Thompson. Beginning in the 19 ...
'', that the language of Oz is English, which also suggests European or American influence. An argument against the South Pacific is that the seasons in Oz are shown as the same seasons in the United States at the same time. In addition, in '' The Wishing Horse of Oz'', Pigasus follows the
North Star Polaris is a star in the northern circumpolar constellation of Ursa Minor. It is designated α Ursae Minoris ( Latinized to ''Alpha Ursae Minoris'') and is commonly called the North Star or Pole Star. With an apparent magnitude that ...
when he flies to Thunder Mountain, which could only be done in the Northern Hemisphere.


Inspiration

Baum's creation of the Emerald City may have been inspired by the White City of the
World Columbian Exposition The World's Columbian Exposition (also known as the Chicago World's Fair) was a world's fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. The centerpiece of the Fair, hel ...
, which he visited frequently. Its quick building, in less than a year, may have been an element in the quick construction of the Emerald City in the first book.Riley, p. 57. Schematically, Oz is much like the United States, with the Emerald City taking the place of
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
: to the East, mixed forest and farmland; to the West, treeless plains and fields of
wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...
; to the South, warmth and lush growth, and red earth. Ruth Plumly Thompson took a different direction with her Oz books, introducing European elements such as the title character of ''
The Yellow Knight of Oz ''The Yellow Knight of Oz'' (1930) is the twenty-fourth in the series of Oz books created by L. Frank Baum and his successors, and the tenth written by Ruth Plumly Thompson. It was illustrated by John R. Neill. Plot Sir Hokus of Pokes grows t ...
'', a knight straight out of
Arthurian Legend The Matter of Britain is the body of medieval literature and legendary material associated with Great Britain and Brittany and the legendary kings and heroes associated with it, particularly King Arthur. It was one of the three great Wester ...
.


Witches and wizards

At the time of ''
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' is a children's novel written by author L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow. It is the first novel in the Oz series of books. A Kansas farm girl named Dorothy ends up in the magical Land of Oz afte ...
'', the lands in the North, South, East, and West of Oz are each ruled by a
Witch Witchcraft traditionally means the use of Magic (supernatural), magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In Middle Ages, medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually ...
. The Witches of the North and South are good, while the Witches of the East and West are wicked.
Glinda Glinda is a fictional character created by L. Frank Baum for his ''Oz'' novels. She first appears in Baum's 1900 children's classic ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'', and is the most powerful sorceress in the Land of Oz, ruler of the Quadling Coun ...
(the Good Witch of the South) is later revealed to be the most powerful of the four, although later Oz books reveal that the
Wicked Witch of the West The Wicked Witch of the West is a fictional character who appears in the classic children's novel '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900), created by American author L. Frank Baum. In Baum's subsequent ''Oz'' novels, it is the Nome King who is ...
was so powerful, even Glinda feared her. After Dorothy's house crushes the Wicked Witch of the East, thereby liberating the Munchkins from bondage, the Good Witch of the North tells Dorothy that she (the Witch of the North) is not as powerful as the Wicked Witch of the East had been, or she would have freed the Munchkins herself. During the first scene in Oz in ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'', the Good Witch of the North (Locasta or Tattypoo) explains to Dorothy that Oz still has witches and wizards, not being civilized, and goes on to explain that witches and wizards can be both good and evil, unlike the evil witches that Dorothy had been told of. That book contained only the four witches (besides the humbug wizard), but despite Ozma's prohibition on magic, many more magicians feature in later works. Baum tended to capitalize the word "Witch" when referring to the Witches of the North, South, East, or West but did not do so when referring to witches in general. For example, in the aforementioned first scene of ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'', Locasta (or Tattypoo) thanks Dorothy for killing the "Wicked Witch of the East", and introduces herself as "the Witch of the North", with the word "Witch" capitalized in both cases. However, when she goes on to tell Dorothy that "I he Witch of the Northam a good witch, and the people love me", the word "witch" is not capitalized. White is the traditional color of witches in Oz. The Good Witch of the North wears a pointed white hat and a white gown decorated with stars, while Glinda, the Good Witch of the South (called a "sorceress" in later books), wears a pure white dress. Dorothy is taken for a witch not only because she had killed the Wicked Witch of the East, but because her dress is blue and white checked. Ozma, once on the throne, prohibits the use of magic by anyone other than
Glinda Glinda is a fictional character created by L. Frank Baum for his ''Oz'' novels. She first appears in Baum's 1900 children's classic ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'', and is the most powerful sorceress in the Land of Oz, ruler of the Quadling Coun ...
the Good, the Wizard of Oz, and herself – as, earlier, the Good Witch of the North had prohibited magic by any other witch in her domains. The illicit use of magic is a frequent feature of villains in later works in the series, appearing in ''
The Scarecrow of Oz ''The Scarecrow of Oz'' is the ninth book set in the Land of Oz written by L. Frank Baum. Published on July 16, 1915, it was Baum's personal favorite of the Oz books and tells of Cap'n Bill and Trot journeying to Oz and, with the help of the Scar ...
'', ''
Rinkitink in Oz ''Rinkitink in Oz: Wherein is Recorded the Perilous Quest of Prince Inga of Pingaree and King Rinkitink in the Magical Isles that Lie Beyond the Borderland of Oz.'' is the tenth book in the Land of Oz series written by L. Frank Baum. It was publ ...
'', ''
The Lost Princess of Oz ''The Lost Princess of Oz'' is the eleventh canonical Oz book written by L. Frank Baum. Published on June 5, 1917, it begins with the disappearance of Princess Ozma, the ruler of Oz and covers Dorothy and the Wizard's efforts to find her. Th ...
'', ''
The Tin Woodman of Oz ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
'', and ''
The Magic of Oz ''The Magic of Oz '' is the thirteenth Land of Oz book written by L. Frank Baum. Published on June 7, 1919, one month after the author's death, ''The Magic of Oz'' relates the unsuccessful attempt of the Munchkin boy Kiki Aru and former Nome K ...
''.


Animals

There are different kinds of
animal Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the biological kingdom Animalia. With few exceptions, animals consume organic material, breathe oxygen, are able to move, can reproduce sexually, and go through an ontogenetic stage ...
s living in Oz. According to Baum, all animals in Oz have the ability to speak because it is a "fairy" kingdom. When asked by his readers why Dorothy's dog Toto did not speak, Baum insisted that he had the ability to, but did not choose to speak. Toto finally does so in '' Tik-Tok of Oz''. Among the many animals in Oz are: * A-B-Sea Serpent – A sea serpent that is composed of alphabet blocks. * Chiss – An evil
porcupine Porcupines are large rodents with coats of sharp spines, or quills, that protect them against predation. The term covers two families of animals: the Old World porcupines of family Hystricidae, and the New World porcupines of family, Erethiz ...
spirit that can launch his quills. * Comfortable Camel – A
bactrian camel The Bactrian camel (''Camelus bactrianus''), also known as the Mongolian camel or domestic Bactrian camel, is a large even-toed ungulate native to the steppes of Central Asia. It has two humps on its back, in contrast to the single-humped dro ...
from outside of the Land of Oz who found his way into the country along with the Doubtful Dromedary and they joined Dorothy Gale's party to find the Scarecrow. He almost always feels comfortable during his eventful journey. *
Cowardly Lion The Cowardly Lion is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum. He is depicted as an African lion, but like all animals in Oz, he can speak. Since lions are supposed to be "The Kings of Beasts," the Cowardly ...
– The Cowardly Lion is one of Dorothy Gale's friends. *
Crab Crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" (abdomen) ( el, βραχύς , translit=brachys = short, / = tail), usually hidden entirely under the thorax. They live in all th ...
– A crab ended up in an argument with a Zebra to determine if the world had more water, or more land * Doubtful Dromedary – A
dromedary The dromedary (''Camelus dromedarius'' or ;), also known as the dromedary camel, Arabian camel, or one-humped camel, is a large even-toed ungulate, of the genus '' Camelus'', with one hump on its back. It is the tallest of the three species o ...
from outside of the Land of Oz who along with the Comfortable Camel found their way into the country and they joined Dorothy Gale's party to find the Scarecrow. He doubts nearly everything that anyone says. *
Dragon A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted a ...
s – Dragons are the toughest creatures in the Land of Oz and its neighboring countries. The ones in Gillikin Country live underground and are allowed to come out once every 100 years in search of food. * Field Mice – The Tin Man once saved the Queen of the Field Mice from a wildcat. Her kind later helps Dorothy and her friends get out of a deadly poppy field. The mice also reappear in the Marvelous Land of Oz to help the Scarecrow on his quest to reclaim his throne from General Jinjur, by hiding inside his clothes and jumping out to scare Jinjur's guards. * Foolish Owl – The Foolish Owl lives in Munchkin Country. She and the Wise Donkey are public advisers. * Giant Purple Spiders – A race of
spider Spiders (order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species ...
s in Gillikin Country that catch travelers in their webs and make them their servants. *
Glass Cat Bungle, the Glass Cat is a character in the Oz books of L. Frank Baum. History Bungle first appears in ''The Patchwork Girl of Oz'', the seventh of Baum's fourteen Oz books. The magician Dr. Pipt tests his Powder of Life by animating an orna ...
– A glass sculpture brought to life by the
Powder of Life The Land of Oz is a magical country introduced in the 1900 children's novel ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow. Oz consists of four vast quadrants, the Gillikin Country in the north, Quadl ...
. * Gump – Gumps are common creatures in the Land of Oz. They are elk-like creatures with wide-spreading antlers, caprine whiskers, and a turned-up nose. *
Hippocampus The hippocampus (via Latin from Greek , 'seahorse') is a major component of the brain of humans and other vertebrates. Humans and other mammals have two hippocampi, one in each side of the brain. The hippocampus is part of the limbic syste ...
– A race of half-horse half-fish aquatic creatures that live in Lake Orizon within Munchkin Country. The lake monster Quiberon once ate them into extinction. After Quiberon was turned to stone by the Wizard of Oz, he used his magic to reconstitute the bones of the Hippocampuses, causing their species to live once more. * Hip-po-gy-raf – A Hip-po-gy-raf lives in Munchkin Country west of Mount Munch. It appears to be a combination of a
hippopotamus The hippopotamus ( ; : hippopotamuses or hippopotami; ''Hippopotamus amphibius''), also called the hippo, common hippopotamus, or river hippopotamus, is a large semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of only two exta ...
and a
giraffe The giraffe is a large African hoofed mammal belonging to the genus ''Giraffa''. It is the tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant on Earth. Traditionally, giraffes were thought to be one species, '' Giraffa camelopardal ...
. * Hungry Tiger – The Hungry Tiger is the Cowardly Lion's best friend. * Jackdaws – A bunch of Jackdaws live in Quadling Country. *
Kabumpo Kabumpo, the Elegant Elephant of Pumperdink, is a fictional character in the ''Oz'' books of Ruth Plumly Thompson. Jack Snow, ''Who's Who in Oz'', Chicago, Reilly & Lee, 1954; New York, Peter Bedrick Books, 1988; p. 115. History Kabumpo first ...
– The elegant
elephant Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantida ...
of Pumperdink. * Kalidahs – The Kalidahs have the head and back legs of a
tiger The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living Felidae, cat species and a member of the genus ''Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily pr ...
and the arms, torso, and feet of a
bear Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family Ursidae. They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the No ...
. Their claws are known to rip a lion in half. *
Kangaroo Kangaroos are four marsupials from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning "large foot"). In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the red kangaroo, as well as the antilopine kangaroo, eastern ...
– A mittens-wearing kangaroo lives near the village of Fuddlecumjig. * Lonesome Duck – The Lonesome Duck is the only duck in the Land of Oz. * Orks – Orks are unusual flying animals that have the blended characteristics of a
common ostrich The common ostrich (''Struthio camelus''), or simply ostrich, is a species of flightless bird native to certain large areas of Africa and is the largest living bird species. It is one of two extant species of ostriches, the only living members ...
and a
parrot Parrots, also known as psittacines (), are birds of the roughly 398 species in 92 genera comprising the order Psittaciformes (), found mostly in tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three superfamilies: the Psittacoide ...
. * Rak – A terrible beast with a horrible appetite and a bad disposition. It is said to be bigger than 100 men and can eat any living thing. *
Rattlesnake Rattlesnakes are venomous snakes that form the genera ''Crotalus'' and ''Sistrurus'' of the subfamily Crotalinae (the pit vipers). All rattlesnakes are vipers. Rattlesnakes are predators that live in a wide array of habitats, hunting small an ...
– A rattlesnake serves as a companion of the A-B-Sea Serpent. * Squirrel King – The King of the
Squirrel Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae, a family that includes small or medium-size rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and flying squirrels. ...
s that live in Winkie Country. *
Stork Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long, stout bills. They belong to the family called Ciconiidae, and make up the order Ciconiiformes . Ciconiiformes previously included a number of other families, such as herons an ...
– A stork once helped Dorothy and her companions rescue Scarecrow. *
Unicorn The unicorn is a legendary creature that has been described since antiquity as a beast with a single large, pointed, spiraling horn projecting from its forehead. In European literature and art, the unicorn has for the last thousand years o ...
s – A group of unicorns that live at Unicorners within Munchkin Country. *
Winged Monkeys Winged monkeys are fictional characters created by American author L. Frank Baum in his children's novel ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900). They are jungle monkeys with bird-like feathered wings. They are most notably remembered from the fam ...
– Monkeys with bird wings. They obey the owner of the Golden Cap that summons them three times. * Wise Donkey – The Wise Donkey was a former citizen of the Land of Mo who often advised the King of Mo. He now lives in Munchkin Country with the Foolish Owl. *
Zebra Zebras (, ) (subgenus ''Hippotigris'') are African equines with distinctive black-and-white striped coats. There are three living species: the Grévy's zebra (''Equus grevyi''), plains zebra (''E. quagga''), and the mountain zebra (''E. zebr ...
– A Zebra ended up in an argument with a Crab to determine if there was either more water in the world or more land.


Other races

There is a multitude of other races living in the land of Oz, many of which only appear once. Among the known races are: * The Bun People of Bunbury – The Bun People are made of baked goods like
bread Bread is a staple food prepared from a dough of flour (usually wheat) and water, usually by baking. Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cultures' diet. It is one of the oldest human-made f ...
s, buns,
cake Cake is a flour confection made from flour, sugar, and other ingredients, and is usually baked. In their oldest forms, cakes were modifications of bread, but cakes now cover a wide range of preparations that can be simple or elaborate ...
s, and
muffin A muffin is an individually portioned baked product, however the term can refer to one of two distinct items: a part-raised flatbread (like a crumpet) that is baked and then cooked on a griddle (typically unsweetened), or an (often sweetene ...
s of all varieties. * The Bunnies of Bunnybury – A race of civilized
rabbit Rabbits, also known as bunnies or bunny rabbits, are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also contains the hares) of the order Lagomorpha (which also contains the pikas). ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' includes the European rabbit sp ...
s. * The China People – A race of beings that are made of
china China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...
(porcelain) that live in Quadling Country. * The Cuttenclips – A race of living
paper doll Paper dolls are figures cut out of paper or thin card, with separate clothes, also made of paper, that are usually held onto the dolls by paper folding tabs. They may be a figure of a person, animal or inanimate object. Paper dolls have been ine ...
s that live in Quadling Country. * The Dicks – The topsy-turvy inhabitants of Dicksy Land. * The Equinots – A race of
centaur A centaur ( ; grc, κένταυρος, kéntauros; ), or occasionally hippocentaur, is a creature from Greek mythology with the upper body of a human and the lower body and legs of a horse. Centaurs are thought of in many Greek myths as bein ...
s. * The Flatheads – A race of flat-headed humans who carry their brains in cans. * The Flutterbudgets – A race of people who entertain foolish fears and spend time worrying over nothing. * The Fuddles – A race of anthropomorphic
jigsaw puzzle A jigsaw puzzle is a tiling puzzle that requires the assembly of often irregularly shaped interlocking and mosaiced pieces, each of which typically has a portion of a picture. When assembled, the puzzle pieces produce a complete picture. In t ...
s that live in Fuddlecumjig. * The Hammerheads – An armless race with extensible necks and hard heads. * The Hoopers – A race of 10 ft. tall humanoids that live in the Purple Forest of Gillikin Country and can roll into hoops by grabbing their toes with their hands. * The Hoppers – A race of one-legged people that live inside a mountain in Quadling Country. * The Horners – A race of strange one-horned people that live inside a mountain in Quadling Country. * The Hyups – A subspecies of Munchkins that live on Mount Munch. * The Loons – A race of living
balloon A balloon is a flexible bag that can be inflated with a gas, such as helium, hydrogen, nitrous oxide, oxygen, and air. For special tasks, balloons can be filled with smoke, liquid water, granular media (e.g. sand, flour or rice), or lig ...
people that live in Loonville. * The Magical Mimics – A race of evil shape-shifting creatures that are a type of Erb that live on Mount Illuso. * The Middlings - A race of large mud creatures with dry grass hair that live beneath the surface of Munchkin Country. * The Rigmaroles – A race of people that make long deliberate speeches which make use of many words. * The Scares – A race of grotesque beings that reside in Scare City within Quadling Country. * The Scooters – A race of people that live on the waters of the Gillikin River. They have long boat-like feet and have sails growing from their wrists to their ribs. * The Skeezers – A race of anatomically normal humans who are often in conflicts with the Flatheads. * The Sticks-in-the-Muds – A tribe of mud-covered people on stilts that live in Marsh Land within Winkie Country. * The Thists – A race of creatures that has diamond-shaped heads and heart-shaped bodies that live in Thi. * The Tottenhots – A race of small mischievous people who live on the borders of Quadling Country and Winkie Country. * The Utensians – A race of living utensils that live in Utensia in Quadling Country. * The Yips – A small community of people that resemble the Hyups. Outside of them are many other strange races who are often found living in the wilderness of Oz. Despite the overlordship of Ozma, many of the communities live autonomously. Oz has great tolerance for eccentricity and oddness. Many characters in Oz are animated objects. Such figures as the Glass Cat, the
Scarecrow A scarecrow is a decoy or mannequin, often in the shape of a human. Humanoid scarecrows are usually dressed in old clothes and placed in open fields to discourage birds from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops.Lesle ...
,
Jack Pumpkinhead Jack Pumpkinhead is a fictional character from the Land of Oz and appears in several of the classic children's series of Oz books by American author L. Frank Baum. The Classic Oz Books Jack first appeared as a main character in the second Oz ...
, the
Sawhorse In woodworking, a saw-horse or sawhorse (saw-buck, trestle, buck) is a trestle structure used to support a board or plank for sawing. A pair of sawhorses can support a plank, forming a scaffold. In certain circles, it is also known as a ' ...
, and others are common. Entire regions are the homes of such animated beings. The Dainty China Country is entirely filled with creatures made of china, who would freeze into figurines if removed. The China Princess lives in fear of breaking because she would never be as pretty again, even if repaired. Many other characters are highly individual, even unique members of a species. Many such people from the outer worlds find refuge in Oz, which is highly tolerant of eccentricity.


History


Prehistory

The history of Oz before ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (often called the prehistory of Oz as it takes place before Baum's "histories") is often the subject of dispute, as Baum himself gave conflicting accounts. In ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'', the title character recounts that he was a ventriloquist and a circus balloonist from
Omaha Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest c ...
, and during one flight the rope for his parachute vent became tangled, preventing him from descending until the next morning, and he awoke to find that he was floating over a strange land. When he landed, the people thought he was a great wizard because of his ability to fly. He did not disabuse them of this notion, and with his new power over them, he had them build a city with a palace in the center of Oz. He also ordered them to wear green glasses so it would appear to be made entirely of emeralds. However, in the later Oz books the city is depicted as actually being made of emerald or other green materials. The Wizard was a young man when he first arrived in Oz and grew old while he was there.Riley, p. 146. Afraid of the Wicked Witches of the West and the East, who, unlike him, could do real magic, the Wizard hid away in a room of his palace and refused to see visitors. He lived in this way until the arrival of Dorothy in the first book. In ''
The Marvelous Land of Oz ''The Marvelous Land of Oz: Being an Account of the Further Adventures of the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman'', commonly shortened to ''The Land of Oz'', published in July 1904, is the second of L. Frank Baum's books set in the Land of Oz, and th ...
'' the prehistory was changed slightly. Glinda, the Good Witch of the South, reveals that the Wizard usurped the previous king of Oz
Pastoria King Pastoria is a fictional character mentioned in the Oz books by American author L. Frank Baum. He was the rightful ruler and King of the undiscovered Land of Oz, but was mysteriously removed from his position when the Wizard of Oz unexpect ...
and hid away his daughter Ozma. This was Baum's reaction to the popular 1903 Broadway extravaganza Baum adapted from his book, ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'', in which the Wizard took the role of the main antagonist and the Wicked Witch of the West was left out. The Wizard, however, had been more popular with his readers than he thought. In ''
Ozma of Oz ''Ozma of Oz: A Record of Her Adventures with Dorothy Gale of Kansas, Billina the Yellow Hen, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, the Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger; Besides Other Good People Too Numerous to Mention Faithfully Recorded Herein'', p ...
'', he omitted any mention of the Wizard's having usurped the throne of Ozma's father, but the largest changes occurred in the next book. In the preface to ''
Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz ''Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz'' is the fourth book set in the Land of Oz written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by John R. Neill. It was published on June 18, 1908 and reunites Dorothy Gale with the humbug Wizard from '' The Wonderful Wiza ...
'', Baum remarks that the Wizard had turned out to be a popular character with the children who had read the first book and so he brought the Wizard back. During it, the Wizard relates yet another account of his history in Oz, telling Ozma that his birth name was Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkle Emmanuel Ambroise Diggs, which, being a very long and cumbersome name, and as his other initials spelled out "PINHEAD," he preferred to leave just as O.Z. The balloon part of his story was unchanged, except for the detail added by Ozma, that the people probably saw his initials on his balloon and took them as a message that he was to be their king. She relates that the country was already named Oz (a word which in their language means "great and good") and that it was typical for the rulers to have names that are variations of Oz (King Pastoria being a notable exception to this rule). Ozma elaborates further, saying that there were once four Wicked Witches in Oz, who leagued together to depose the King, but the Wicked Witches of the North and South were defeated by Good Witches before the Wizard arrived in Oz. According to this version, the King at the time was Ozma's grandfather. This version of prehistory restores the Wizard's reputation, but adds the awkwardness of both Ozma and her father having been born in captivity. In ''
The Tin Woodman of Oz ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
'' Baum writes how Oz came to be a fairyland: :'' Oz was not always a fairyland, I am told. Once it was much like other lands, except it was shut in by a dreadful desert of sandy wastes that lay all around it, thus preventing its people from all contact with the rest of the world. Seeing this isolation, the fairy band of
Queen Lurline Queen Lurline is a fictional character in the Oz books by L. Frank BaumRaylyn Moore, ''Wonderful Wizard, Marvelous Land'', Bowling Green, OH, Bowling Green University Popular Press, 1974; p. 117. and other authors. The name "Lurline" is a va ...
, passing over Oz while on a journey, enchanted the country and so made it a Fairyland. And Queen Lurline left one of her fairies to rule this enchanted Land of Oz, and then passed on and forgot all about it.'' Thenceforward, no one in Oz would ever age, get sick, or die. After becoming a fairyland, Oz harbored many Witches, Magicians, and Sorcerers until the time when Ozma made magic illegal without a permit. In yet another inconsistency, it is implied that Ozma was the fairy left behind by Queen Lurline to rule the country, contradicting the story where she was Pastoria's daughter. This is later confirmed in ''
Glinda of Oz ''Glinda of Oz'' is the fourteenth Land of Oz book written by children's author L. Frank Baum, published on July 10, 1920. It is the last book of the original Oz series, which was later continued by other authors. Like most of the Oz books, the p ...
'': :''"If you are really Princess Ozma of Oz," the Flathead said, "you are one of that band of fairies who, under Queen Lurline, made all Oz a Fairyland. I have heard that Lurline left one of her own fairies to rule Oz, and gave the fairy the name of Ozma."'' While this explains why no one dies or ages, and nevertheless there are people of different ages in Oz, it is completely inconsistent with the earlier versions of the prehistory. Maguire, author of '' Wicked'' addresses this inconsistency by saying that the people of Oz believe that Ozma is reincarnated—that her spirit was left behind by Lurline, but her body is reborn to different mortal queens. In Jack Snow's '' The Magical Mimics in Oz'', the prehistory story is retold. This version relates that Ozma was given to the king of Oz as an adoptive daughter, for he was old and had no children. In the Magic Land stories of
Alexander Melentyevich Volkov Alexander Melentyevich Volkov (russian: Александр Мелентьевич Волков ; 14 June 1891 – 3 July 1977) was a Soviet novelist, playwright, university lecturer. Аuthor of novels, short stories, plays and poems for chil ...
, the prehistory is quite different. The land was created 6,000–7,000  years ago by a wizard named Hurricap, who was tired of people coming to him with requests, so he decided to find a place without them annoying him. He found a remote land and separated it from the rest of the world, along with putting the enchantments of eternal spring and talking animals (Volkov's version doesn't include any forms of immortality). However, he failed to notice that the land already contained people (since he was a giant, already suffering from nearsightedness in his advanced age, and the people in the Magic Land were much shorter than in other places), but, upon discovering the fact, decided that removing the enchantments would be unnecessary. Instead, he ordered the people to keep away from his castle. After that, the notable events included a conquest attempt by a sorceress named Arachna (Gurrikap was still alive, and put her in an enchanted sleep for 5,000  years. Her awakening formed the story for the fifth book in Volkov's series), an unsuccessful coup by a prince named Bofaro to overthrow his father about 1,000  years ago (He and his accomplices were banished to a cave and became the Magic Land's main source of metal and gems, an analog to the Nomes), and the arrival of the Four Witches (which only occurred about 500  years ago in this continuity).


History through the first six books

Eventually, Dorothy Gale and her whole house are blown into Oz from
Kansas Kansas () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its Capital city, capital is Topeka, Kansas, Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita, Kansas, Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebras ...
by a tornado. When the house lands, it crushes the Wicked Witch of the East, ruler of the
Munchkin A Munchkin is a native of the fictional Munchkin Country in the Oz books by American author L. Frank Baum. They first appear in the classic children's novel '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900) where they welcome Dorothy Gale to their city i ...
s. In an attempt to get back to her home, she journeys to the Emerald City. Along the way, she meets the
Tin Woodman Nick Chopper, the Tin Woodman, also known as the Tin Man or—mistakenly—the "Tin Woodsman," is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum. Baum's Tin Woodman first appeared in his classic 1900 book '' ...
, the
Cowardly Lion The Cowardly Lion is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum. He is depicted as an African lion, but like all animals in Oz, he can speak. Since lions are supposed to be "The Kings of Beasts," the Cowardly ...
, and the
Scarecrow A scarecrow is a decoy or mannequin, often in the shape of a human. Humanoid scarecrows are usually dressed in old clothes and placed in open fields to discourage birds from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops.Lesle ...
, all of whom accompany her. Once there, they become the first people to gain an audience with the Wizard since he went into seclusion, although he disguises himself because Dorothy now has the Wicked Witch of the East's magic silver shoes, and he is afraid of her. The Wizard sends Dorothy and her party to destroy the
Wicked Witch of the West The Wicked Witch of the West is a fictional character who appears in the classic children's novel '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900), created by American author L. Frank Baum. In Baum's subsequent ''Oz'' novels, it is the Nome King who is ...
and in exchange promises to grant her request to be sent home. Surprisingly, Dorothy "destroys" the Witch by throwing a pail of water on her, causing her to melt. Defeated, the Wizard reveals to the group that he is in fact not a real wizard and has no magical powers, but he promises to grant Dorothy's wish and take her home himself in his balloon. He leaves the Scarecrow in his place to rule Oz. Finally, it is discovered that the wizard had given the daughter of the last king of Oz, Princess Ozma, to the old witch
Mombi Mombi is a fictional character in L. Frank Baum's classic children's series of Oz Books. She is the most significant antagonist in the second Oz book ''The Marvelous Land of Oz'' (1904), and is alluded to in other works. Mombi plays a very impor ...
to have her hidden away. Mombi had turned Ozma into a boy named Tip, whom she raised. When all of this is revealed Tip is turned back into Ozma and takes her rightful place as the benevolent ruler of all of Oz. Ozma successfully wards off several attempts by various armies to overthrow her. To prevent any upheaval of her rule over Oz, she outlaws the practice of all magic in Oz except by herself, the returned and reformed wizard, and by Glinda, and she has Glinda make all of Oz invisible to outsiders. Ozma remains the ruler of Oz for the entire series.


Economy and politics

Some political analysts have claimed that Oz is a thinly disguised
socialist Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the ...
utopia A utopia ( ) typically describes an imaginary community or society that possesses highly desirable or nearly perfect qualities for its members. It was coined by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book '' Utopia'', describing a fictional island soc ...
, though some Baum scholars disagree. Advocates of this theory support it using this quotation from ''
The Emerald City of Oz ''The Emerald City of Oz'' is the sixth of L. Frank Baum's fourteen Land of Oz books. It was also adapted into a Canadian animated film in 1987. Originally published on July 20, 1910, it is the story of Dorothy Gale and her Uncle Henry and Aunt ...
'': : There were no poor people in the land of Oz because there was no such thing as money, and all property of every sort belonged to the Ruler. Each person was given freely by his neighbors whatever he required for his use, which is as much as anyone may reasonably desire. Every one worked half the time and played half the time, and the people enjoyed the work as much as they did the play because it is good to be occupied and to have something to do. There were no cruel overseers set to watch them, and no one to rebuke them or to find fault with them. So each one was proud to do all he could for his friends and neighbors and was glad when they would accept the things he produced. This is a revision of the original society: in the first two books, the people of Oz lived in a money-based economy. For instance, the people of the Emerald City use "green pennies" as coinage.''The Annotated Wizard of Oz'', p. 202. Money was not abolished in the course of the series, but excised from the conception of Oz. Indeed, in ''
The Magic of Oz ''The Magic of Oz '' is the thirteenth Land of Oz book written by L. Frank Baum. Published on June 7, 1919, one month after the author's death, ''The Magic of Oz'' relates the unsuccessful attempt of the Munchkin boy Kiki Aru and former Nome K ...
'', a character from Oz gets into trouble when he goes to Ev because he was unaware of the concept of money. This decision to remove money from Oz may reflect Baum's own financial difficulties in the times when he was writing these books. Since Oz is ruled by a
monarch A monarch is a head of stateWebster's II New College DictionarMonarch Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest authority ...
, benevolent though she may be, Oz is closer in nature to an
absolute monarchy Absolute monarchy (or Absolutism as a doctrine) is a form of monarchy in which the monarch rules in their own right or power. In an absolute monarchy, the king or queen is by no means limited and has absolute power, though a limited constituti ...
than a communist or Marxist state. When she was first introduced, Ozma was the monarch specifically of the Emerald City, but in the description of ''Ozma of Oz'', Oz is presented as a federal state, rather like the
German Empire The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...
, in monarchies rather than republics: having an overall ruler in Ozma, and individual kings and queens of smaller portions. The society grew steadily more utopian, in that its peace and prosperity were organized, but from the first book, it was a stupendously wealthy country, in contrast to Kansas's crop failures, droughts, and mortgages—just as it also is colorful to contrast with Kansas's gray. On the other hand, despite the presence of the Emerald City, Oz is an agrarian country, similar to Kansas; the story has been interpreted as a
populist Populism refers to a range of political stances that emphasize the idea of "the people" and often juxtapose this group against " the elite". It is frequently associated with anti-establishment and anti-political sentiment. The term develop ...
parable, and certainly contains many populist themes. In '' The Wonder City of Oz'', Princess Ozma (called "Queen Ozma" in this book) is seen running for election ("ozlection") to her office as a ruler against Jenny Jump, a half-fairy newcomer from
New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delawa ...
. However, this book was not written by Baum, but by John R. Neill, Baum's second successor. Further, the concept of the "ozlection" was not in Neill's manuscript for the book but was added by an editor at Reilly and Lee, the publisher. At times the rulers of Oz's territories have grander titles than would normally be customary, but this is done mostly for the satisfaction of the incumbents. The ruler of the Winkie Country is the Emperor, the Tin Woodman. The ruler of the
Quadling Country The Quadling Country is the southern division of L. Frank Baum's fictional Land of Oz, first introduced in '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900). It is distinguished by the color red, worn by most of the local inhabitants called the Quadlings as ...
is Glinda the Good. The Munchkin Country is ruled by a king, later identified as Cheeriobed, who is revealed to be married to the Good Witch of the North, who, a spell broken, abdicates leadership of the Gillikin Country to Joe King and Queen Hyacinth of Up Town. The Royal Flag of Oz is based on the map of the Land of Oz; the four colors represent the four countries, and the green star represents the Emerald City.


Defense

Oz is mostly a peaceful land and the idea of subversion is largely unknown to its people. Most military positions are only formal. This has caused many problems, such as in ''
The Marvelous Land of Oz ''The Marvelous Land of Oz: Being an Account of the Further Adventures of the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman'', commonly shortened to ''The Land of Oz'', published in July 1904, is the second of L. Frank Baum's books set in the Land of Oz, and th ...
'' when the Emerald City (which was only guarded by an elderly doorman and one soldier who was the entire Army of Oz at the time) was easily conquered by the Army of Revolt led by General Jinjur. This army was in turn overwhelmed by another army of girls led by Glinda. Security of Oz is mostly maintained by magic such as Glinda's spell making Oz completely invisible. Oz also has a natural barrier in the form of a desert that surrounds the land: anyone who touches the desert turns to sand. The
Nome King The Nome King is a fictional character created by American author L. Frank Baum. He is introduced in Baum's third Oz book ''Ozma of Oz'' (1907). He also appears in many of the continuing sequel '' Oz'' novels also written by Baum. Although the ch ...
has tried to conquer Oz on several occasions. A nominal army once existed, but it had an extremely large officers/privates ratio; other than its commander the Tin Woodman and one private, the portion of it seen in ''Ozma of Oz'' was composed entirely of cowardly officers. At the end of the book, it was said that there are three privates all in all, and it is unknown how many—if any—officers were left at home during Ozma's travel to Ev. The private seen in the book named Omby Amby, is later promoted to Captain-General. In the book ''The Emerald City of Oz'', there are 2 towns called Rigmarole Town and Flutterbudgets that are the defensive settlements of Oz. In the movie ''
Return to Oz ''Return to Oz'' is a 1985 dark fantasy film released by Walt Disney Pictures, co-written and directed by Walter Murch. It stars Nicol Williamson, Jean Marsh, Piper Laurie, and Fairuza Balk as Dorothy Gale in her first screen role. The film ...
,'' the mechanical man Tik-Tok is the entire Royal Army of Oz. Attempts by outsiders to conquer the Land of Oz are frequent, particularly in the Oz books by Ruth Plumly Thompson. But these attempts are always successfully thwarted in the end, usually by Ozma or by forces sympathetic to her.


Characters

Recurring characters in the classic Oz series include: *
Dorothy Gale Dorothy Gale is a fictional character created by American author L. Frank Baum as the protagonist in many of his ''Oz'' novels. She first appears in Baum's classic 1900 children's novel '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' and reappears in most of it ...
– A heroic little orphan girl from
Kansas Kansas () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its Capital city, capital is Topeka, Kansas, Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita, Kansas, Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebras ...
. In later Oz books, she eventually moves to Oz permanently after visiting the land several times and having several adventures there. Dorothy ultimately becomes best friends with
Princess Ozma Princess Ozma is a fictional character from the Land of Oz, created by American author L. Frank Baum. She appears in every book of the Oz series except the first, '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900). She is the rightful ruler of Oz, and Baum ...
who proclaims her an official princess of Oz. * Toto – Dorothy's little black dog whom she loves dearly. Toto is a
sidekick A sidekick is a slang expression for a close companion or colleague (not necessarily in fiction) who is, or is generally regarded as, subordinate to the one they accompany. Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, ...
companion, loyally following his mistress Dorothy on most of her adventures. It is revealed in " Tik-Tok of Oz" that even though Toto is not a fairy dog, he can still talk in Oz, he just chooses not to. *
Princess Ozma Princess Ozma is a fictional character from the Land of Oz, created by American author L. Frank Baum. She appears in every book of the Oz series except the first, '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900). She is the rightful ruler of Oz, and Baum ...
– The long-lost child Queen and rightful ruler of Oz. She is the only child of Oz's deceased mortal king,
Pastoria King Pastoria is a fictional character mentioned in the Oz books by American author L. Frank Baum. He was the rightful ruler and King of the undiscovered Land of Oz, but was mysteriously removed from his position when the Wizard of Oz unexpect ...
who ruled before the Wizard arrived. She is established upon the throne as the true heir shortly after ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' takes place. * Uncle Henry – Dorothy's uncle who is a Kansas farmer and the husband of Aunt Em. He ultimately moves to Oz with Dorothy and Aunt Em when the bank forecloses on his farm. *
Aunt Em Aunt Em is a fictional character from the Oz books. Jack Snow, ''Who's Who in Oz'', Chicago, Reilly & Lee, 1954; New York, Peter Bedrick Books, 1988; p. 10. She is the aunt of Dorothy Gale and wife of Uncle Henry, and lives together with them on a ...
– Dorothy's aunt, and the wife of uncle Henry. She ultimately moves to Oz with Dorothy and uncle Henry. * The Good Witch of the North – The elderly ruler of the northern Gillikins. She is known by Locasta Tattypoo and became the ruler of the Gillikin Country after she overthrew Mombi, the Wicked Witch of the North. She was also the first witch Dorothy encountered upon her first arrival in Oz in ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz''. * The
Scarecrow A scarecrow is a decoy or mannequin, often in the shape of a human. Humanoid scarecrows are usually dressed in old clothes and placed in open fields to discourage birds from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops.Lesle ...
– A living stuffed man of straw who was made in Oz's eastern quadrant called Munchkin Country. He is also a good friend of Dorothy. At the end of ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' he became the King of Oz and ruled its imperial capital called the Emerald City after the Wizard left. However, he gladly relinquished the title when Ozma was found. * The
Tin Woodman Nick Chopper, the Tin Woodman, also known as the Tin Man or—mistakenly—the "Tin Woodsman," is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum. Baum's Tin Woodman first appeared in his classic 1900 book '' ...
(a.k.a. Nick Chopper) – An enchanted woodsman made entirely out of tin and is a good friend of Dorothy. He was a
Munchkin A Munchkin is a native of the fictional Munchkin Country in the Oz books by American author L. Frank Baum. They first appear in the classic children's novel '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900) where they welcome Dorothy Gale to their city i ...
but is the current Emperor of the western Winkies and lives in a tin castle. He became the official ruler of the
Winkie Country The Winkie Country is the western region of the fictional Land of Oz in L. Frank Baum's classic series of Oz books, first introduced in ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900). The Winkie Country is in the West, noted by later being ruled by the Wi ...
after the
Wicked Witch of the West The Wicked Witch of the West is a fictional character who appears in the classic children's novel '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900), created by American author L. Frank Baum. In Baum's subsequent ''Oz'' novels, it is the Nome King who is ...
was destroyed by Dorothy in ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz''. * The
Cowardly Lion The Cowardly Lion is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum. He is depicted as an African lion, but like all animals in Oz, he can speak. Since lions are supposed to be "The Kings of Beasts," the Cowardly ...
– The talking lion who is a good friend of Dorothy. At the end of ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'', he became the King of the Beasts and overcame his cowardly ways. In later Oz books, he becomes best friends with the Hungry Tiger; together they rule Oz's Animal Kingdom and are the royal chariot pullers for Princess Ozma. * The Wizard (Oscar Diggs) – The former ruler of Oz and the Emerald City before the Scarecrow and Princess Ozma. A skilled circus entertainer and ventriloquist from
Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest ...
, he used his magic tricks to create illusions that made it appear as if he had real powers. Once a humbug, he is now a real wizard after being trained by both Ozma and Glinda, who successfully taught him how to perform honest magic. *
Glinda Glinda is a fictional character created by L. Frank Baum for his ''Oz'' novels. She first appears in Baum's 1900 children's classic ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'', and is the most powerful sorceress in the Land of Oz, ruler of the Quadling Coun ...
– The beautiful and wise Good Witch of the South who rules the southern Quadlings in a ruby palace. She became the benevolent sorceress of the
Quadling Country The Quadling Country is the southern division of L. Frank Baum's fictional Land of Oz, first introduced in '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900). It is distinguished by the color red, worn by most of the local inhabitants called the Quadlings as ...
after she vanquished the
Wicked Witch of the South This is a list of characters in the original Oz books by American author L. Frank Baum. The majority of characters listed here unless noted otherwise have appeared in multiple books under various plotlines. ''Land of Oz, Oz'' is made up of four ...
(although the classic MGM musical movie of 1939 incorrectly portrays her as the Good Witch of the North). * Guardian of the Gates – The friendly gatekeeper responsible for adorning the visitors who wish to enter Oz's capital with the green-tinted spectacles. He is described as being a very jolly and short man who wears fancy green clothing and has green-tinted skin. *
Soldier with the Green Whiskers The Soldier with the Green Whiskers is a character from the fictional Land of Oz who appears in the classic children's series of Oz books by American author L. Frank Baum and his successors. He is first introduced in ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz ...
– The Captain-General of the Royal Army of Oz who guards the main entrance of the royal palace in the Emerald City. His real name is Omby Amby Wantowin Battles. He is a very tall man who has a very long green beard. *
Jellia Jamb Jellia Jamb is a fictional character from the classic children's series of Oz books by American author L. Frank Baum. She is first introduced in ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900), as the head maid who works in the royal palace of the Emerald ...
– The young maid who works in the Emerald City's royal palace. She is also known as the "''pretty green girl''", with pretty green eyes and pretty green hair. Jellia becomes Ozma and Dorothy's favorite servant out of the city's staff administration. *
Jack Pumpkinhead Jack Pumpkinhead is a fictional character from the Land of Oz and appears in several of the classic children's series of Oz books by American author L. Frank Baum. The Classic Oz Books Jack first appeared as a main character in the second Oz ...
– An enchanted man made out of wooden branches with a carved jack-o-lantern pumpkin for a head. Jack was brought to life with the magic "Powder of Life" potion. * The
Sawhorse In woodworking, a saw-horse or sawhorse (saw-buck, trestle, buck) is a trestle structure used to support a board or plank for sawing. A pair of sawhorses can support a plank, forming a scaffold. In certain circles, it is also known as a ' ...
– An animated sawhorse who becomes a steed of sorts for Princess Ozma and her friends. He was brought to life with the "Powder of Life". * H. M. Woggle-Bug, T.E. – An intelligent insect who was magnified into a human-sized bug. *
Jinjur General Jinjur is an antagonist in ''The Marvelous Land of Oz''. She is a character in the Oz books by L. Frank Baum and his successors.Jack Snow, ''Who's Who in Oz'', Chicago, Reilly & Lee, 1954; New York, Peter Bedrick Books, 1988; pp. 109 ...
– A former General of the all-female Army of Revolt. *
Billina Billina is a fictional character in the classic children's series of Oz books by American author L. Frank Baum. She is introduced in ''Ozma of Oz'' (1907). Jack Snow, ''Who's Who in Oz'', Chicago, Reilly & Lee, 1954; New York, Peter Bedrick Book ...
– A yellow hen and good friend of Dorothy. Upon arriving in Oz, Billina becomes Queen of the chickens. * Tik-Tok – A mechanical and super-intelligent
clockwork Clockwork refers to the inner workings of either mechanical devices called clocks and watches (where it is also called the movement) or other mechanisms that work similarly, using a series of gears driven by a spring or weight. A clockwork mech ...
robot A robot is a machine—especially one programmable by a computer—capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically. A robot can be guided by an external control device, or the control may be embedded within. Robots may be ...
(one of the first robots in literature). * The Hungry Tiger – The Cowardly Lion's closest companion besides the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman. * The
Shaggy Man The Shaggy Man is a character in the Oz books by L. Frank Baum. He first appeared in the book ''The Road to Oz'' in 1909. He is a kindly old wandering hobo, dressed in rags. His philosophy of life centers on both love and an aversion to material ...
– A homeless but friendly man from "the real world". He ends up living in Oz permanently. *
Button-Bright This is a list of characters in the original Oz books by American author L. Frank Baum. The majority of characters listed here unless noted otherwise have appeared in multiple books under various plotlines. '' Oz'' is made up of four divisions ...
– A lost little boy of only four- or five-years-old. He is from a wealthy family in
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...
but has many adventures in Oz and its neighboring kingdoms. *
Eureka Eureka (often abbreviated as E!, or Σ!) is an intergovernmental organisation for research and development funding and coordination. Eureka is an open platform for international cooperation in innovation. Organisations and companies applying th ...
– Dorothy's pink and purple kitten. * The
Patchwork Girl The Patchwork Girl (a.k.a. Scraps) is a character from the fantasy Oz Book series by L. Frank Baum. She first appeared in ''The Patchwork Girl of Oz''. History Scraps is a teenaged (possibly fourteen) living rag doll made of patchwork, butto ...
(a.k.a. "Scraps") – A life-size living
doll A doll is a model typically of a human or humanoid character, often used as a toy for children. Dolls have also been used in traditional religious rituals throughout the world. Traditional dolls made of materials such as clay and wood are foun ...
made entirely of a colorful patchwork quilt. She was brought to life with the magic "Powder of Life" potion by a young Munchkin boy named Ojo. Scraps also becomes the love interest of the Scarecrow. * Ojo – A young boy of Munchkin descent. * Betsy Bobbin – A girl a year older than Dorothy from
Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...
who comes to Oz with a talking mule named Hank after being shipwrecked. *
Polychrome Polychrome is the "practice of decorating architectural elements, sculpture, etc., in a variety of colors." The term is used to refer to certain styles of architecture, pottery or sculpture in multiple colors. Ancient Egypt Colossal statu ...
– A colorful and ethereal sky fairy and the youngest daughter of the
Rainbow A rainbow is a meteorological phenomenon that is caused by reflection, refraction and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in a spectrum of light appearing in the sky. It takes the form of a multicoloured circular arc. Rainbows c ...
. *
Trot The trot is a ten-beat diagonal horse gait where the diagonal pairs of legs move forward at the same time with a moment of suspension between each beat. It has a wide variation in possible speeds, but averages about . A very slow trot is someti ...
– A girl who comes to Oz by accident and who is a year younger than Dorothy. *
Cap'n Bill This is a list of characters in the original Oz books by American author L. Frank Baum. The majority of characters listed here unless noted otherwise have appeared in multiple books under various plotlines. ''Land of Oz, Oz'' is made up of four ...
– An ex-sailor with a wooden leg who visits Oz and is friends with Trot. *
Kabumpo Kabumpo, the Elegant Elephant of Pumperdink, is a fictional character in the ''Oz'' books of Ruth Plumly Thompson. Jack Snow, ''Who's Who in Oz'', Chicago, Reilly & Lee, 1954; New York, Peter Bedrick Books, 1988; p. 115. History Kabumpo first ...
– The Elegant Elephant of Pumperdink. * Jenny Jump – A 15-year-old girl from
New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delawa ...
who became a half-fairy. *
Pastoria King Pastoria is a fictional character mentioned in the Oz books by American author L. Frank Baum. He was the rightful ruler and King of the undiscovered Land of Oz, but was mysteriously removed from his position when the Wizard of Oz unexpect ...
– The former mortal King of Oz who ruled long before the Wizard came and is the deceased father of Princess Ozma. *
Mombi Mombi is a fictional character in L. Frank Baum's classic children's series of Oz Books. She is the most significant antagonist in the second Oz book ''The Marvelous Land of Oz'' (1904), and is alluded to in other works. Mombi plays a very impor ...
– The former Wicked Witch of the North. Mombi once ruled the northern quadrant of Oz until the Good Witch Locasta Tattypoo overthrew her. She also was partially responsible for the mysterious disappearance of Princess Ozma. * The
Nome King The Nome King is a fictional character created by American author L. Frank Baum. He is introduced in Baum's third Oz book ''Ozma of Oz'' (1907). He also appears in many of the continuing sequel '' Oz'' novels also written by Baum. Although the ch ...
– The main villain and antagonist in the Oz books. He is Oz's most threatening enemy who resides in the neighboring Nome Kingdom separated from Oz by the Deadly Desert. The Nome King is always trying to conquer Oz or thinking of ways to overthrow it throughout most of the entire series.


Other media


The 1939 MGM film's Oz

The Land of Oz as portrayed in the classic MGM musical movie of 1939, is quite different from that portrayed in Baum's books. The most notable difference is that in the film the entire land of Oz appears to be dreamed up by
Dorothy Gale Dorothy Gale is a fictional character created by American author L. Frank Baum as the protagonist in many of his ''Oz'' novels. She first appears in Baum's classic 1900 children's novel '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' and reappears in most of it ...
(thus making it a dream world), although, Dorothy earnestly corrects the adults at the end that she was indeed there, and an image of Dorothy's falling farmhouse returning to earth is presented. The apparent message is that one should appreciate one's home, no matter how dull it may look or uninteresting its surroundings may be, for having a home and a family is not something that should be taken for granted. This contrasts sharply with the books, in which Dorothy and her family are eventually invited to move to Oz due to a bank foreclosure on the farm, showing both that Oz is a real place, and that it is a utopia compared to the prairies of
Kansas Kansas () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its Capital city, capital is Topeka, Kansas, Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita, Kansas, Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebras ...
. There are many other small differences between the books and the movie. For example, when Dorothy arrives in
Munchkinland Munchkin Country or Munchkinland, as it is referred to in the famous MGM musical film version, is the fictional eastern region of the Land of Oz in L. Frank Baum's Oz books, first described in ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900). Munchkin Cou ...
the
Munchkin A Munchkin is a native of the fictional Munchkin Country in the Oz books by American author L. Frank Baum. They first appear in the classic children's novel '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900) where they welcome Dorothy Gale to their city i ...
s are seen wearing colorful costumes, but in the book, Munchkins are said to only wear blue as blue is the official dominant color of the east. The first witch Dorothy meets in Oz in the book is the Good Witch of the North, a minor character that only had one other appearance in Baum's books but is an important figure of Oz nonetheless. In the movie, this character is conflated with that of
Glinda Glinda is a fictional character created by L. Frank Baum for his ''Oz'' novels. She first appears in Baum's 1900 children's classic ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'', and is the most powerful sorceress in the Land of Oz, ruler of the Quadling Coun ...
, who is the Good Witch of the South and does not make an appearance until the very end of Baum's story. The character of Glinda in the books dresses in all white silk, as white is the traditional color for good witches, whereas in the film she is seen in pink. It is also worthy of note that the Dorothy of the books is only a little girl who is no older than twelve-years-old. However, she is mature and very resourceful, only crying when faced with ultimate despair, whereas the older Dorothy of the movie (portrayed as a twelve-year-old by sixteen-year-old
Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. While critically acclaimed for many different roles throughout her career, she is widely known for playing the part of Dorothy Gale in '' The ...
) spends several portions of the film crying and being told by others what to do, however, her fear was overshadowed by the Cowardly Lion's. This is more consistent with Thompson's portrayal of Dorothy—Baum is known for his strong and independent female characters. The Wicked Witch of the West is portrayed in the book as having only one eye, which is so powerful it could see distant objects like a telescope, but in the movie, she uses a crystal ball to watch Dorothy and her friends from afar. The 1939 MGM film makes the first reference to The Witches of the East and West being sisters, which was not the case in the book; none of the Witches in Baum's Oz are related. The Wizard of Oz does not resort to anywhere near as much trickery in the movie as in the book. In the book he entertains each member of Dorothy's party on a different day, and takes a different form for each; appearing as a giant green head, a beautiful fairy, a great beast, and a levitating ball of fire. In the movie, he takes only one of these forms—that of the giant green head. The nature of the Emerald City is changed in the film. In the book, the city is not actually all green, but everyone is forced to wear green-tinted spectacles (ostensibly to protect their eyes from the glory and splendor of the luxurious city), thus making everything appear green. In the film, the city is actually green. The architecture of the Emerald City in the movie uses a much more contemporary Art Deco style than Baum could have imagined. In the book, a giant green wall studded in glittering emeralds surrounds the entire city, whereas in the movie there is only a gate opening. The movie replaces the charmed Silver Shoes with pointed toes of the book with Ruby-Red Slippers. This was because full-color motion pictures were still a relatively new technology in 1939, and MGM wanted to show off the visually dazzling process. Shiny red shoes were more impressive in a color motion picture compared to silver ones. Due to the popularity of the movie, the green witch and the Ruby Slippers are more well known to the general public and pop culture than their book counterparts and are even considered iconic.


Gregory Maguire's revisionist Oz

In his revisionist Oz novels '' Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West'', '' Son of a Witch'', ''
A Lion Among Men ''A Lion Among Men'' is a fantasy novel by American writer Gregory Maguire, the third book in his ''The Wicked Years'' series. It was released in the UK on October 2, 2008, October 8 in the US, and on October 14, 2008 in the rest of Europe. Pri ...
'' and '' Out of Oz'',
Gregory Maguire Gregory Maguire (born June 9, 1954) is an American novelist. He is the author of '' Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West'', '' Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister'', and several dozen other novels for adults and children. Many ...
portrays a very different version of the Land of Oz. Maguire's Oz is not Baum's utopia, but a land troubled by political unrest and economic hardship. One political issue in Maguire's novels is the oppression of the Animals (Maguire distinguishes speaking Animals from non-speaking animals by the use of initial capital letters). There are many religious traditions in Maguire's Oz, including Lurlinism (which regards the Fairy Lurline as Oz's creator), Unionism, which worships the Unnamed God, and the pleasure faiths which had swept Oz during the time that the witches were at Shiz. An example of the pleasure faiths was tic-tok (where creatures were enchanted to tell secrets or the future and run by clockwork), and sorcery. Maguire's presentation of Oz's geography is also tinged with politics. A large political prison, Southstairs, exists in caverns below the Emerald City. Gillikin, home of Shiz University, has more industrial development than other parts of Oz. Munchkinland is Oz's breadbasket and at one point declares its independence from the rule of the Emerald City. Quadling Country is largely marshland, inhabited by the artistic and sexually free Quadlings. The Vinkus (Maguire's name for Winkie Country) is largely open grassland, populated by semi-nomadic tribes with brown skin. The musical '' Wicked'', based on Maguire's first Oz novel, portrays an Oz slightly closer to the version seen in Baum's novels and 1939
film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmospher ...
. The oppression of the Animals is still a theme, but the geographical and religious divisions portrayed in Maguire's novel are barely present. In both the book and musical, several characters from the traditional Oz stories are present with different names. Glinda was called Galinda but changed her name. The Wicked Witch of the West is called
Elphaba Elphaba Thropp is a fictional character in '' Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West'' by Gregory Maguire, as well as in the Broadway and West End adaptations, '' Wicked''. In the original 1900 L. Frank Baum book '' The ...
, the Wicked Witch of the East is called Nessarose. In the musical, but not in the book,
Boq Boq is a minor character in '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' by L. Frank Baum. Jack Snow, ''Who's Who in Oz'', Chicago, Reilly & Lee, 1954; New York, Peter Bedrick Books, 1988; p. 23. He becomes a more prominent character in Gregory Maguire's 19 ...
becomes the Tin Man, and
Fiyero ''Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West'' is an American novel published in 1995, written by Gregory Maguire with illustrations by Douglas Smith. It is the first in ''The Wicked Years'' series, and was followed by ''Son of a ...
becomes the Scarecrow.


Alexander Melentyevich Volkov's Magic Land

Alexander Melentyevich Volkov Alexander Melentyevich Volkov (russian: Александр Мелентьевич Волков ; 14 June 1891 – 3 July 1977) was a Soviet novelist, playwright, university lecturer. Аuthor of novels, short stories, plays and poems for chil ...
was a Russian author best known for his translation of ''The Wizard of Oz'' into Russian, and for writing his own original sequels, which were based only loosely on Baum's. Volkov's books have been translated into many other languages, and are better known than Baum's in some countries. The books, while still aimed at children, feature many mature political and ethical elements. They have been retranslated into English by Peter L. Blystone and partially by March Laumer, who used elements of them in his own books.


March Laumer's Oz

March Laumer March Laumer (17 August 1923 – 12 January 2000) was an American author, primarily of books on the Land of Oz.Paul S. Ritz, "Remembering March Laumer," ''The Baum Bugle'', Vol. 44 No. 1 (Spring 2000), p. 11. March Laumer was born in Birmingh ...
was one of the first authors to continue the Oz series after the Famous Forty. His books were written with the permission of Contemporary Books, who owned Reilly & Lee, the original publisher. His canon includes everything he knew of that was set in the land of Oz, including Volkov's Russian Oz, the MGM movie, the Disney sequel, and many of Baum's own books that most fans do not consider canonical. Laumer also made several controversial changes to Oz. He married off several of the major characters, often to unlikely prospects. For example, the intelligent and mature sorceress Glinda was married to Button-Bright, who had been a small and dim-witted child throughout Baum's books. He also aged Dorothy to a teenager to make her a romantic prospect for several characters, made Ozma a
lesbian A lesbian is a Homosexuality, homosexual woman.Zimmerman, p. 453. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate n ...
based on her upbringing as a boy, and made the Shaggy Man an
ephebophile Ephebophilia is the primary sexual interest in mid-to-late adolescents, generally ages 15 to 19. The term was originally used in the late 19th to mid-20th century. It is one of a number of sexual preferences across age groups subsumed under the t ...
based on his frequent travels with young girls. Laumer's books do not portray one consistent version of Oz. Because most of his books were collaborations, he often included elements of other author's visions of Oz which may have been inconsistent with his own. For example, while he explicitly made Dorothy sixteen in ''A Fairy Queen in Oz'', he had her physically eight in ''Aunt Em and Uncle Henry in Oz''; and while he portrayed Volkov's Oz as a parallel universe in ''Farewell to Oz'' he also showed Volkov's characters living in Baum's Oz in many of his other books, such as ''Aunt Em and Uncle Henry in Oz''. Despite these discrepancies, many of his books are consistent with each other, and characters introduced in some often appear in others.


Philip José Farmer's Oz

Philip José Farmer portrays a very different Oz in his book ''
A Barnstormer in Oz ''A Barnstormer in Oz: A Rationalization and Extrapolation of the Split-Level Continuum'' is a 1982 novel by Philip José Farmer and is based on the setting and characters of L. Frank Baum's '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz''. The central characte ...
''. The premise is that nothing after the first book occurred—Dorothy never returned to Oz, and instead grew up, got married, and had a son. Her son, Hank Stover, is the main character, a
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
veteran flier and the titular barnstormer. While flying in his
Curtiss JN-4 The Curtiss JN "Jenny" was a series of biplanes built by the Curtiss Aeroplane Company of Hammondsport, New York, later the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company. Although the Curtiss JN series was originally produced as a training aircraft for th ...
biplane A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While a ...
he enters a green haze and emerges in the civil war-stricken land of Oz. Farmer portrays the land of Oz as a
science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...
author, attempting to explain scientifically many of the "magical" elements of Baum's story.


Robert A. Heinlein's Oz

The main characters of
Robert A. Heinlein Robert Anson Heinlein (; July 7, 1907 – May 8, 1988) was an American science fiction author, aeronautical engineer, and naval officer. Sometimes called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was among the first to emphasize scientific accu ...
's books '' The Number of the Beast'' and '' The Pursuit of the Pankera'' pass through many famous fictional worlds including those of ''
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (commonly ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English novel by Lewis Carroll. It details the story of a young girl named Alice who falls through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world of anthropomorphic creature ...
''; ''
Gulliver's Travels ''Gulliver's Travels'', or ''Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. In Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon, and then a Captain of Several Ships'' is a 1726 prose satire by the Anglo-Irish writer and clergyman Jonathan ...
'', specifically Lilliput; E.E. "Doc" Smith's
Lensman The ''Lensman'' series is a series of science fiction novels by American author E. E. "Doc" Smith. It was a runner-up for the 1966 Hugo award for Best All-Time Series, losing to the ''Foundation'' series by Isaac Asimov. Plot The series begins ...
universe;
Asgard In Nordic mythology, Asgard (Old Norse: ''Ásgarðr'' ; "enclosure of the Æsir") is a location associated with the gods. It appears in a multitude of Old Norse sagas and mythological texts. It is described as the fortified home of the Æsir ...
, connected to Heinlein's own Future History universe by the Rainbow Bridge for one specific reason in one specific location; and
Ringworld ''Ringworld'' is a 1970 science fiction novel by Larry Niven, set in his Known Space universe and considered a classic of science fiction literature. ''Ringworld'' tells the story of Louis Wu and his companions on a mission to the Ringworld, a ...
; as well as some of Heinlein's own works, specifically those set in his Future History through which
Lazarus Long Lazarus Long is a fictional character featured in a number of science fiction novels by Robert A. Heinlein. Born in 1912 in the third generation of a selective breeding experiment run by the Ira Howard Foundation, Lazarus (birth name Woodrow Wi ...
moves; and of course the Land of Oz itself. The Oz portrayed in the book is very close to Baum's Oz, although Heinlein does make an attempt to explain some things from the standpoint of a science fiction author. He explains that Oz is on a retrograde planet, where the direction of rotation relative to the poles is reversed, resulting in the sun seeming to rise in what would normally be the west. Heinlein also explains that the population remains steady in Oz despite the lack of death because it is impossible for children to be born in Oz. When the population does increase through immigration, Glinda just extends the borders an inch or two in each direction, which makes more than enough space for all additional people.


L. Sprague de Camp's Oz

L. Sprague de Camp, like Heinlein, brings his own characters to Oz in his book ''
Sir Harold and the Gnome King ''Sir Harold and the Gnome King'' is a fantasy novella American writer L. Sprague de Camp, part of the Harold Shea series he originated in collaboration with Fletcher Pratt and later continued with Christopher Stasheff. It was first published in ...
'', part of the collaborative
Harold Shea The "Harold Shea" Stories is a name given to a series of five science fantasy stories by the collaborative team of L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt and to its later continuation by de Camp alone, Christopher Stasheff, Holly Lisle, John Mad ...
series. Unlike Heinlein, he does not attempt to explain Oz as science fiction, though he does deviate from the original corpus. He follows Thompson's Oz books, thus using her spelling of "Gnome" and her final fate of the character, but he postulates an incident that has removed the Ozites' immortality, with the result that both Ozma and Dorothy have aged and married by the time his story takes place.


Tad Williams' ''Otherland'' Oz

In the ''
Otherland ''Otherland'' is a science fiction tetralogy by American writer Tad Williams, published between 1996 and 2001. The story is set on Earth near the end of the 21st century, probably between 2082 and 2089, in a world where technology has advanced ...
'' series, by
Tad Williams Robert Paul "Tad" Williams (born March 14, 1957) is an American fantasy and science fiction writer. He is the author of the multivolume ''Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn'' series, ''Otherland'' series, and '' Shadowmarch'' series as well as the stan ...
, a virtual reality version of Oz exists, wherein real-world antagonists play sadistic versions of the roles of the Tin Man, The Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion, in a twisted, martial, and post-apocalyptic version of Oz, populated both by characters from the novels, and a large quantity of male and female humans who go by the names "Henry" and "Em" respectively. The humans, computer-generated characters based on the lost minds of children drawn into the Otherland program, look forward to a messianic prophecy foretelling the coming of "The Dorothy," where a child would be born among them.


The Outer Zone (''Tin Man'')

2007
Sci Fi Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi Channel, later shortened to Sci Fi; stylized as SYFY) is an American basic cable channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. Lau ...
television miniseries '' Tin Man'' reinvents Oz as the Outer Zone (O.Z.), a parallel universe that was first visited by
Dorothy Gale Dorothy Gale is a fictional character created by American author L. Frank Baum as the protagonist in many of his ''Oz'' novels. She first appears in Baum's classic 1900 children's novel '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' and reappears in most of it ...
during the latter
Victorian Era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwa ...
and is ruled over by her descendants. It is implied, by reference to centuries having elapsed since Dorothy came to the O.Z., that time has progressed at different rates in the O.Z. and "the other side". The re-imagined Oz is described as a place where "the paint has peeled, and what was once the goodness of Oz has become the horrible bleakness of the O.Z." The
scenic design Scenic design (also known as scenography, stage design, or set design) is the creation of theatrical, as well as film or television scenery. Scenic designers come from a variety of artistic backgrounds, but in recent years, are mostly train ...
of the O.Z. features elements of
steampunk Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that incorporates retrofuturistic technology and aesthetics inspired by 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery. Steampunk works are often set in an alternative history of the Victorian ...
, particularly the "1930s fascist realist" decor of the evil sorceress's palace and the computer-generated Central City, analog of the Emerald City.


''Emerald City Confidential''

The 2009 point-and-click adventure video game '' Emerald City Confidential'' reinvents Oz in a
film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American '' ...
style, with
Dorothy Gale Dorothy Gale is a fictional character created by American author L. Frank Baum as the protagonist in many of his ''Oz'' novels. She first appears in Baum's classic 1900 children's novel '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' and reappears in most of it ...
as a femme fatale, the Lion as a corrupt lawyer, and some other changes.


''Once Upon a Time''

The Land of Oz appears in the TV series '' Once Upon a Time'' and is the focus of the episodes "
It's Not Easy Being Green ''It's Not Easy Being Green'' is a television series on BBC Two starring Dick Strawbridge and focusing on how to live an environmentally friendly, low impact life. Three series were produced. Series one followed Strawbridge, his wife Brigit ...
", "
Kansas Kansas () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its Capital city, capital is Topeka, Kansas, Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita, Kansas, Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebras ...
", " Heart of Gold", "
Our Decay "Our Decay" is the sixteenth episode of the fifth season of the American fantasy drama series '' Once Upon a Time'', which aired on April 3, 2016. In this episode, Belle, Zelena, and Baby Hood end up in the Underworld. In flashbacks, Hades and Ze ...
", "
Ruby Slippers The ruby slippers are the magic pair of shoes worn by Dorothy Gale as played by Judy Garland in the 1939 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musical film '' The Wizard of Oz''. Because of their iconic stature, the ruby slippers are among the most valuable items ...
", and " Where Bluebirds Fly". It was also seen briefly in the episodes "
Sisters A sister is a woman or a girl who shares one or more parents with another individual; a female sibling. The male counterpart is a brother. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to ...
" and " Chosen".


Magic of Oz

Being a fantasy series Oz is rich in magic. In particular, there are many magic items that play an important role in the series.


Silver Shoes/Ruby Slippers

When Dorothy leaves Oz after having several adventures there and befriending many of Oz's natives, she is magically carried over the Deadly Desert by means of the charmed
Silver Shoes The Silver Shoes are the magical shoes that appear in L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' as heroine Dorothy Gale's transport home. They are originally owned by the Wicked Witch of the East but passed to Dorothy when he ...
she had been given shortly after her unexpected arrival when her farmhouse landed on and killed the previous pair's owner, the Wicked Witch of the East. After knocking her heels together three times and wishing to return home, Dorothy is lifted into the air and transported to Kansas. The shoes, however, slip off of Dorothy's feet and are lost forever in the desert. Baum states the silver shoes are never recovered. In the 1939 film, the shoes are changed to
Ruby Slippers The ruby slippers are the magic pair of shoes worn by Dorothy Gale as played by Judy Garland in the 1939 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musical film '' The Wizard of Oz''. Because of their iconic stature, the ruby slippers are among the most valuable items ...
. When Dorothy clicks her heels together she closes her eyes and says: ''"There's no place like home''". She then wakes up in her bedroom in Kansas believing her experience in Oz to be an elaborate dream. The silver shoes and ruby slippers are also used in several other versions including ''Wicked'' by
Gregory Maguire Gregory Maguire (born June 9, 1954) is an American novelist. He is the author of '' Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West'', '' Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister'', and several dozen other novels for adults and children. Many ...
. Here the shoes are constructed as a gift and have a chameleon effect. They are decorated with thousands of glittering glass beads that change colors according to the lighting. They can also appear to be several different colors all at once. The shoes are also lost when Dorothy is teleported back home just like in Baum's novel. The Broadway musical based on Maguire's book further shows that they were all silver, but were changed to ruby red by a spell put upon them by the Witch of the West
Elphaba Elphaba Thropp is a fictional character in '' Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West'' by Gregory Maguire, as well as in the Broadway and West End adaptations, '' Wicked''. In the original 1900 L. Frank Baum book '' The ...
, enabling her sister the Witch of the East Nessarose, who prior had been confined to a wheelchair, to magically walk. In in 1985's
Return to Oz ''Return to Oz'' is a 1985 dark fantasy film released by Walt Disney Pictures, co-written and directed by Walter Murch. It stars Nicol Williamson, Jean Marsh, Piper Laurie, and Fairuza Balk as Dorothy Gale in her first screen role. The film ...
, the ruby slippers have been recovered from their place in the Deadly Desert by the
Nome King The Nome King is a fictional character created by American author L. Frank Baum. He is introduced in Baum's third Oz book ''Ozma of Oz'' (1907). He also appears in many of the continuing sequel '' Oz'' novels also written by Baum. Although the ch ...
. A little-known adaptation of the original story made for British television in the mid-90s starring Denise van Outen explained that they had belonged to a visitor from over the rainbow who came to Oz before Dorothy and they were obtained by the Witch when the visitor wished herself home and they fell off her feet on the return trip.


Powder of Life

The Powder of Life is a magic substance from the book series, which first appears in ''
The Marvelous Land of Oz ''The Marvelous Land of Oz: Being an Account of the Further Adventures of the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman'', commonly shortened to ''The Land of Oz'', published in July 1904, is the second of L. Frank Baum's books set in the Land of Oz, and th ...
''. It is a magical powder that brings inanimate objects to life. The
witch Witchcraft traditionally means the use of Magic (supernatural), magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In Middle Ages, medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually ...
Mombi Mombi is a fictional character in L. Frank Baum's classic children's series of Oz Books. She is the most significant antagonist in the second Oz book ''The Marvelous Land of Oz'' (1904), and is alluded to in other works. Mombi plays a very impor ...
first obtained it from a "crooked magician." Later in the series, it is revealed that the substance is made by a Dr. Pipt. In order to make the substance, Dr. Pipt had to stir four large
cauldron A cauldron (or caldron) is a large pot ( kettle) for cooking or boiling over an open fire, with a lid and frequently with an arc-shaped hanger and/or integral handles or feet. There is a rich history of cauldron lore in religion, mythology, and ...
s for six years. Only a few grains of the powder could be made at a time. It is always described as being carried in a
pepper Pepper or peppers may refer to: Food and spice * Piperaceae or the pepper family, a large family of flowering plant ** Black pepper * ''Capsicum'' or pepper, a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family Solanaceae ** Bell pepper ** Chili ...
box. In ''
The Marvelous Land of Oz ''The Marvelous Land of Oz: Being an Account of the Further Adventures of the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman'', commonly shortened to ''The Land of Oz'', published in July 1904, is the second of L. Frank Baum's books set in the Land of Oz, and th ...
'', the Powder of Life was used to bring Jack Pumpkinhead, the Sawhorse, and
the Gump This is a list of characters in the original Oz books by American author L. Frank Baum. The majority of characters listed here unless noted otherwise have appeared in multiple books under various plotlines. '' Oz'' is made up of four divisions t ...
to life. The first batch of the powder in Mombi's possession was activated by the following incantation and the action that had to be associated with: * Raise the left hand, little finger pointing upward, and say: "Weaugh!" * Raise the right hand, thumb pointing upward, and say: "Teaugh!" * Raise both hands, with all the fingers and thumbs spread out, and say: "Peaugh!" In ''
The Road to Oz ''The Road to Oz: In Which Is Related How Dorothy Gale of Kansas, The Shaggy Man, Button Bright, and Polychrome the Rainbow's Daughter Met on an Enchanted Road and Followed it All the Way to the Marvelous Land of Oz.'' is the fifth of L. Frank B ...
'', Dr. Pipt's sister Dyna activated the Powder of Life with a simple wish that brought the rug of her late blue bear pet to life. In ''
The Patchwork Girl of Oz ''The Patchwork Girl of Oz'' by L. Frank Baum is a children's novel, the seventh in the Oz series. Characters include the Woozy, Ojo "the Unlucky", Unc Nunkie, Dr. Pipt, Scraps (the patchwork girl), and others. The book was first published ...
'' it brings the title character to life, also the glass cat and a phonograph. Mombi's shaker also contained three "wishing pills" fabricated by Dr. Nikidik. The Powder has been used by Volkov in his series. There, it is produced from a certain plant of such viability that the smallest piece can grow into a plant within a day, on any surface except for solid metal. However, if it is sun-dried on such a surface, it turns into the Powder of Life. No incantation is required to make the powder work. The second book of the series is centered around a man who animates an army of wooden soldiers with the Powder and uses them for conquering the Magic Land. In ''
Return to Oz ''Return to Oz'' is a 1985 dark fantasy film released by Walt Disney Pictures, co-written and directed by Walter Murch. It stars Nicol Williamson, Jean Marsh, Piper Laurie, and Fairuza Balk as Dorothy Gale in her first screen role. The film ...
'', the magic words to bring the inanimate object to life were "WEAUGH, TEAUGH, PEAUGH".


Magic Belt

The Magic Belt is first introduced in ''
Ozma of Oz ''Ozma of Oz: A Record of Her Adventures with Dorothy Gale of Kansas, Billina the Yellow Hen, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, the Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger; Besides Other Good People Too Numerous to Mention Faithfully Recorded Herein'', p ...
''. The belt belonged to the
Nome King The Nome King is a fictional character created by American author L. Frank Baum. He is introduced in Baum's third Oz book ''Ozma of Oz'' (1907). He also appears in many of the continuing sequel '' Oz'' novels also written by Baum. Although the ch ...
, but
Dorothy Gale Dorothy Gale is a fictional character created by American author L. Frank Baum as the protagonist in many of his ''Oz'' novels. She first appears in Baum's classic 1900 children's novel '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' and reappears in most of it ...
stole it and defeated him. When she leaves Oz, she gives it to Ozma for safekeeping. In most Oz books, the Magic Belt grants its wearer the ability to transform anyone into any form, and the ability to transport anyone anywhere, and also makes its wearer impervious to harm. In some books, it also grants limited wishes. In ''
Ozma of Oz ''Ozma of Oz: A Record of Her Adventures with Dorothy Gale of Kansas, Billina the Yellow Hen, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, the Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger; Besides Other Good People Too Numerous to Mention Faithfully Recorded Herein'', p ...
'', its power is limited: its magic cannot affect objects which are made of wood. In the non-canonical ''
The Oz Kids ''The Oz Kids'' is an American direct-to-video animated fantasy comedy-drama series produced by Hyperion Animation based on '' The Wizard of Oz'', L. Frank Baum's 1900 children's novel, and its various sequels. Nine episodes were released between ...
'' animated series, the Magic Belt belonged to Dot.


Magic Picture

In Ozma's boudoir hangs a picture in a radium frame. This picture usually appears to be of pleasant countryside, but when anyone wishes for the picture to show a particular person or place, the scene will display what is wished for. Sometimes the onlooker is able to hear sounds from the scene within the Magic Picture and sometimes an additional device is necessary to transmit sound. A similar device is present in Volkov's series. There, it is given as a present to the Scarecrow by the
Good Witch of the South Glinda is a fictional character created by L. Frank Baum for his ''Oz'' novels. She first appears in Baum's 1900 children's classic ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'', and is the most powerful sorceress in the Land of Oz, ruler of the Quadling Cou ...
. It is a box of pink wood with a thick frosted glass screen. The device is password activated and limited in range to the Magic Land (with the exception of deep caverns and certain types of magical interference). The box is shown to be virtually indestructible; it withstood repeated abuse from a villain attempting to use it.


Great Book of Records

Glinda's Great Book of Records'' is introduced in Chapter 29 of ''
The Emerald City of Oz ''The Emerald City of Oz'' is the sixth of L. Frank Baum's fourteen Land of Oz books. It was also adapted into a Canadian animated film in 1987. Originally published on July 20, 1910, it is the story of Dorothy Gale and her Uncle Henry and Aunt ...
'': " 'It is a record of everything that happens,' replied the Sorceress. 'As soon as an event takes place, anywhere in the world, it is immediately found printed in my Magic Book. So when I read its pages I am well informed.' " The Book proves useful in ''
The Scarecrow of Oz ''The Scarecrow of Oz'' is the ninth book set in the Land of Oz written by L. Frank Baum. Published on July 16, 1915, it was Baum's personal favorite of the Oz books and tells of Cap'n Bill and Trot journeying to Oz and, with the help of the Scar ...
'' and ''
Glinda of Oz ''Glinda of Oz'' is the fourteenth Land of Oz book written by children's author L. Frank Baum, published on July 10, 1920. It is the last book of the original Oz series, which was later continued by other authors. Like most of the Oz books, the p ...
''; and it recurs in many of the stories of Baum's successors and imitators. For instance, in ''The Number of the Beast'', the Book is shown to cover more than simply Oz. It provided information concerning the "Black Hats" attempting to murder the four protagonists which enabled Glinda to devise a set of magical glasses requested by Hilda Burroughs that enable her to spot a Black Hat no matter how disguised. It is one of the prime magic devices of Oz; villains steal it when they can (as in ''
The Lost Princess of Oz ''The Lost Princess of Oz'' is the eleventh canonical Oz book written by L. Frank Baum. Published on June 5, 1917, it begins with the disappearance of Princess Ozma, the ruler of Oz and covers Dorothy and the Wizard's efforts to find her. Th ...
'' or in '' Handy Mandy in Oz''). Since it covers the planet and not merely Oz, the Book's entries are compressed and sometimes cryptic, and difficult to decipher (as in '' Paradox in Oz'' or ''
Queen Ann in Oz ''Queen Ann in Oz'' is a 1993 children's novel written by Karyl Carlson and Eric Gjovaag, and illustrated by William Campbell and Irwin Terry. As its title indicates, the book is an entry in the large and growing literature on the Land of Oz, beg ...
''). The book is also featured in the fantasy series ''Once Upon a Time''. Zelena reads the book ignoring Glinda's warning and turns green again because she felt betrayed as it was mentioned in the book that Dorothy would save Oz from a great evil (Zelena thought that evil was her but this was never revealed).


The Love Magnet

A rusty-looking horseshoe magnet that causes everyone to love its owner. It is closely associated with the
Shaggy Man The Shaggy Man is a character in the Oz books by L. Frank Baum. He first appeared in the book ''The Road to Oz'' in 1909. He is a kindly old wandering hobo, dressed in rags. His philosophy of life centers on both love and an aversion to material ...
. In ''
The Road to Oz ''The Road to Oz: In Which Is Related How Dorothy Gale of Kansas, The Shaggy Man, Button Bright, and Polychrome the Rainbow's Daughter Met on an Enchanted Road and Followed it All the Way to the Marvelous Land of Oz.'' is the fifth of L. Frank B ...
'', he finds that being loved by everyone can be inconvenient. In '' Tik-Tok of Oz'' he reveals that Ozma has modified its powers so that it only works when it is displayed and affects only the feelings of those who see it. It is an essential plot-element in ''
The Shaggy Man of Oz ''The Shaggy Man of Oz'' (1949) is the thirty-eighth in the series of Oz books created by L. Frank Baum and his successors, and the second and last by Jack Snow. It was illustrated by Frank G. Kramer. The book entered the public domain in the Un ...
''. Ozma keeps it hanging over the gate into the Emerald City so that all who enter will come with love, although this does not always seem to happen.


Magic Fan

The Magic Fan is brought to Oz by Dorothy in ''
The Royal Book of Oz ''The Royal Book of Oz'' (1921) is the fifteenth in the series of Oz books, and the first to be written after L. Frank Baum's death. Although Baum was credited as the author, it was written entirely by Ruth Plumly Thompson. Beginning in the 19 ...
''. Several subsequent books mention it. It creates a powerful wind, capable of blowing away an invading army.


Fountain of Oblivion

A fountain in the Emerald City, erected by the witch Glinda to reform a wicked king of Oz in the past. Anyone who drinks from it forgets everything he knows, including his own name. It appears in Baum's ''
The Emerald City of Oz ''The Emerald City of Oz'' is the sixth of L. Frank Baum's fourteen Land of Oz books. It was also adapted into a Canadian animated film in 1987. Originally published on July 20, 1910, it is the story of Dorothy Gale and her Uncle Henry and Aunt ...
'' and ''
The Magic of Oz ''The Magic of Oz '' is the thirteenth Land of Oz book written by L. Frank Baum. Published on June 7, 1919, one month after the author's death, ''The Magic of Oz'' relates the unsuccessful attempt of the Munchkin boy Kiki Aru and former Nome K ...
'', and also plays an important role in the later contributor stories ''
The Forbidden Fountain of Oz ''The Forbidden Fountain of Oz'' is a 1980 children's novel written by Eloise Jarvis McGraw and her daughter Lauren Lynn Mcgraw (or McGraw Wagner), and illustrated by Dick Martin. As its title indicates, the book is one entry in the long-running ...
'', ''
The Shaggy Man of Oz ''The Shaggy Man of Oz'' (1949) is the thirty-eighth in the series of Oz books created by L. Frank Baum and his successors, and the second and last by Jack Snow. It was illustrated by Frank G. Kramer. The book entered the public domain in the Un ...
'', ''
The Wicked Witch of Oz ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
'', and '' Paradox in Oz''.


Magic Dinner Bell

Created by the Red Jinn, it summons a slave named Ginger, who appears bearing a tray full of delicious food when the bell is rung. Besides providing food, the bell also provides a means of escape from danger: anyone who holds onto the slave when he disappears after bringing the food is transported with him to the Red Jinn's castle. There are actually two magic dinner bells, one in the Emerald City and another which the Red Jinn keeps for himself and uses while traveling. The bell is first introduced in ''
Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz ''Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz'' (1929) is the twenty-third of the series of Oz books created by L. Frank Baum and continued by other writers; it is the ninth Oz book written by Ruth Plumly Thompson. It was Illustrated by John R. Neill. Synopsis A r ...
'' and also appears in '' The Purple Prince of Oz'' and '' The Silver Princess in Oz''.


Miscellaneous


Talking animals

In Oz, animals such as the Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger can talk, and all native animals appear to be capable of speech. '' Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West'' emphasized the difference between Animals and animals. Animals (capitalized) are sentient beings that can talk. Several theories exist as to how animals gained the gift of speech. The treatment of non-native animals was inconsistent. In the first book, the dog Toto never speaks, although brought to Oz; in ''The Patchwork Girl of Oz'', Dorothy specifies that he cannot speak because he is not a fairy dog. However, in ''Ozma of Oz'', the
chicken The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adu ...
Billina Billina is a fictional character in the classic children's series of Oz books by American author L. Frank Baum. She is introduced in ''Ozma of Oz'' (1907). Jack Snow, ''Who's Who in Oz'', Chicago, Reilly & Lee, 1954; New York, Peter Bedrick Book ...
acquires speech merely by being swept to the lands near Oz, and in ''
Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz ''Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz'' is the fourth book set in the Land of Oz written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by John R. Neill. It was published on June 18, 1908 and reunites Dorothy Gale with the humbug Wizard from '' The Wonderful Wiza ...
'', the same is true of the kitten Eureka and the cab
horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million yea ...
Jim when reaching the land of Mangaboos, a similarly magical land. In '' Tik-Tok of Oz'', Baum restored the continuity: Toto can speak, and always could, but never bothered to, because it was unnecessary. An additional inconsistency is introduced with ''Tik-Tok of Oz'': Hank the Mule cannot speak until reaching the Land of Oz, although he lands on the shore of Ev first, where Billina the chicken gained the ability to speak. This might be because ''Tik-Tok of Oz'' was originally a stage play version of ''Ozma of Oz''; Dorothy was replaced by Betsy because he had sold the stage rights for Dorothy, and Billina was replaced by Hank because a mule could more convincingly be played by two people in a costume. Hank probably could not talk because Baum already had two speaking comedy characters, the Shaggy Man and Tik-Tok. Thus Hank would fill a better niche as a visual comedy character, in the tradition of British pantomime. The part of Hank was also an analog to the part of Dorothy's cow Imogene, Toto's replacement on stage in the immensely successful 1903 Broadway version of '' The Wizard of Oz'', a success that Baum sought to duplicate for the rest of his life. There is one small kingdom in Oz where animals are unable to talk: Corumbia.


Origin of the name Oz

A legend of uncertain validity is that when relating bedtime stories (the earliest form of the Oz books) Baum was asked by his niece, Ramona Baxter Bowden, the name of the magical land. He glanced at a nearby filing cabinet, which had three drawers, labeled A–G, H–N, and O–Z. Thus he named the land Oz. This story was first told in 1903, but his wife always insisted that the part about the filing cabinet was not true.''The Annotated Wizard of Oz'', p. 103. In ''
Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz ''Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz'' is the fourth book set in the Land of Oz written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by John R. Neill. It was published on June 18, 1908 and reunites Dorothy Gale with the humbug Wizard from '' The Wonderful Wiza ...
'', the name is translated as "great and good". Several of Baum's fairy stories that take place in the United States were situated on the
Ozark Plateau The Ozarks, also known as the Ozark Mountains, Ozark Highlands or Ozark Plateau, is a physiographic region in the U.S. states of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and the extreme southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cover a significant por ...
, and the similarity of the name may not be a coincidence. ''Oz'' is a common vernacular contraction of ''
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
'' (Australia—Aussie—Aus—Oz). Australia is a large continent predominated by desert regions, with pockets of intense green tropical, sub-tropical and sub-alpine green lands and
rainforest Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforest can be classified as tropical rainforest or temperate rainfores ...
s. It is quite possible that Baum took the popular nickname of Australia as the national name for his fictional world. Also, note that many fans place Oz in the South Pacific, see
Location In geography, location or place are used to denote a region (point, line, or area) on Earth's surface or elsewhere. The term ''location'' generally implies a higher degree of certainty than ''place'', the latter often indicating an entity with an ...
above. However, according to the
Oxford English dictionary The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the first and foundational historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP). It traces the historical development of the English language, providing a c ...
, the first references to Australia by this name were made in 1902—after the first book had been published. Nevertheless, spoken references would certainly have been in use before first appearing in print (as noted by Oxford), hence possibly before the writing of the book. It is also possible that it is based on the " Óg" in
Tír na nÓg In Irish mythology Tír na nÓg (; "Land of the Young") or Tír na hÓige ("Land of Youth") is one of the names for the Celtic Otherworld, or perhaps for a part of it. Tír na nÓg is best known from the tale of Oisín and Niamh. Other Old Ir ...
. While no direct link between the mythology of Oz and the realm of Irish folklore has been conclusively proven, certain similarities, for instance
Ogma OGMA – Indústria Aeronáutica de Portugal S.A. is a Portuguese aerospace company focused on aircraft maintenance and manufacturing. History OGMA was founded as part of the reorganisation of the Portuguese Army's Aeronautic Service on June ...
and
Princess Ozma Princess Ozma is a fictional character from the Land of Oz, created by American author L. Frank Baum. She appears in every book of the Oz series except the first, '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900). She is the rightful ruler of Oz, and Baum ...
, are compelling.


Legacy

In 2018, The Lost Art of Oz project was initiated to locate and catalog the surviving original artwork John R. Neill,
W. W. Denslow William Wallace Denslow (; May 5, 1856 – March 29, 1915), professionally W. W. Denslow, was an American illustrator and caricaturist remembered for his work in collaboration with author L. Frank Baum, especially his illustrations of ''The ...
, Frank Kramer, Richard "Dirk" Gringhuis and Dick Martin created to illustrate the Oz book series.


References


External links

*
The Complete Oz WorksThe original artwork from the Oz book series on www.lostartofoz.com

Hungry Tiger Talk discussion of Oz maps
{{DEFAULTSORT:Land Of Oz Fictional elements introduced in 1900 Fiction about invisibility Fantasy worlds Fictional kingdoms