The Nome King is a fictional character created by
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
author
L. Frank Baum. He is introduced in Baum's third Oz 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 ...
'' (1907). He also appears in many of the continuing sequel ''
Oz'' novels also written by Baum. Although the character of the
Wicked Witch of the West is the most notable and famous Oz villain (due to her appearance in the 1939 MGM musical ''
The Wizard of Oz''), it is actually the Nome King who is the most frequent
antagonist throughout the entire book series.
Precursor
Katharine M. Rogers, a biographer of
L. Frank Baum, has argued that there was a precursor of the Nome King in one of Baum's pre-Oz works. In the ''
A New Wonderland'' (1899), later known as ''
The Magical Monarch of Mo'', there is an extremely similar character called King Scowleyow.
[Rogers (2002), p. 59-61] Rogers finds him a "convincingly evil"
villain despite his ridiculous name. His people reportedly live in caves and mines. They dig
iron and
tin out of the rocks in their environment. They melt these metals into bars and sell them.
[Rogers (2002), p. 59-61]
Scowleyow hates the King of Phunnyland and all his people, because they live so happily and "care nothing for
money.
[Rogers (2002), p. 59-61] He decides to destroy Phunnyland and instructs his mechanics to build what is essentially a
robot. It is described as a great man built of
cast iron
Cast iron is a class of iron–carbon alloys with a carbon content more than 2%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloy constituents affect its color when fractured: white cast iron has carbide impuriti ...
, and containing within him machinery. The robot is called "the Cast-iron Man".
[Rogers (2002), p. 59-61] The metallic creature roars, rolls his eyes, and gnashes his teeth. It is set on marching across a valley, destroying trees and houses on its path.
[Rogers (2002), p. 59-61]
Rogers notes the similarities between Scowleyow and the Nome King. They represent the negation of good will and happiness. They are associated with the underground and material wealth. Scowleyow is a powerful figure who uses his technological knowledge to create a machine capable only of destruction. And both villains demonstrate the tendency of evil towards self-destruction.
[Rogers (2002), p. 59-61]
In the novels
The character called the Nome King is originally named Roquat the Red. Later, he takes the name Ruggedo, which Baum first used in a stage adaptation. Even after Ruggedo loses his throne, he continues to think of himself as king and the Oz book authors politely refer to him that way. Authors
Ruth Plumly Thompson and
John R. Neill
John Rea Neill (November 12, 1877 – September 19, 1943) was a magazine and children's book illustrator primarily known for illustrating more than forty stories set in the Land of Oz, including L. Frank Baum's, Ruth Plumly Thompson's, and three o ...
used the traditional spelling "
gnome" so Ruggedo is the title character in Thompson's ''
The Gnome King of Oz
''The Gnome King of Oz'' (1927) is the twenty-first in the series of Oz books created by L. Frank Baum and his successors, and the seventh by Ruth Plumly Thompson. Like nineteen of the twenty previous books, it was illustrated by John R. Neill. ...
''.
In Baum's universe, the Nomes are immortal rock
fairies who dwell underground. They hide jewels and precious metals in the earth, and resent the "upstairs people" who dig down for those valuables. Apparently as revenge, the Nome King enjoys keeping surface-dwellers as
slaves—not for their labor but simply to have them.
The Nomes' greatest fear are
eggs
Humans and human ancestors have scavenged and eaten animal eggs for millions of years. Humans in Southeast Asia had domesticated chickens and harvested their eggs for food by 1,500 BCE. The most widely consumed eggs are those of fowl, especial ...
. Upon seeing
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 Boo ...
, Roquat is terrified, declaring that "Eggs are poison to Nomes!" He claims that any Nome who comes in contact with an egg will be weakened to the point that he can be easily destroyed unless he speaks a magic word only known to a few Nomes. Baum, however, strongly hints that the fear of eggs is unjustified, as 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 ...
repeatedly pelts him with eggs at the end of the novel, causing him no apparent harm beyond
stress enough to allow
Dorothy Gale to remove his
Magic Belt
The Land of Oz is a fantasy world, magical country introduced in the 1900 children's novel ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by William Wallace Denslow, W. W. Denslow.
Oz consists of four vast quadrants, th ...
.
Sally Roesch Wagner, in her pamphlet ''The Wonderful Mother of Oz'' suggests that
Matilda Joslyn Gage
Matilda Joslyn Gage (March 24, 1826 – March 18, 1898) was an American writer and activist. She is mainly known for her contributions to women's suffrage in the United States (i.e. the right to vote) but she also campaigned for Native Ameri ...
had made Baum aware that the egg is an important symbol of
matriarchy, and that it is this that the Nomes, among whom no females are seen in any canonical text, actually fear.
In their first encounter with Roquat, 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 ...
'',
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 i ...
, Dorothy Gale, and a party from the
Emerald City free the royal family of
Ev from his enslavement and, for good measure, take away his magic belt.
Roquat becomes so angry that he plots revenge 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 ...
''. He has his subjects dig a tunnel under the Deadly Desert while his general recruits a host of evil spirits like the Whimsies, the Growleywogs, and the Phanfasms to conquer Oz. Fortunately at the moment of invasion, Ozma wishes (using her magic belt) for a large amount of dust to appear in the tunnel. Roquat and his allies thirstily taste the Water of Oblivion and forget everything where Roquat forgets his enmity and his name.
''
Tik-Tok of Oz
''Tik-Tok of Oz'' is the eighth Land of Oz book written by L. Frank Baum, published on June 19, 1914. The book has little to do with Tik-Tok and is primarily the quest of the Shaggy Man (introduced in ''The Road to Oz'') to rescue his brother, ...
'' reintroduces the Nome King with his new name, all the Nomes, Whimsies, Growleywogs, and Phanfasms having forgotten the old one and old resentments. Using some personal magic, he has enslaved 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 ...
's brother, a miner from
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the ...
. Shaggy, with the help of
Betsy Bobbin
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 ...
, the Oogaboo army, some of Dorothy's old friends, and
Quox the
dragon, conquer the Nome King again and
Tititi-Hoochoo the Great Jinjin expels him from his kingdom, placing Chief Steward
Kaliko on the throne. In ''
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 ...
'', which is a revision of a lost 1905 novel titled ''King Rinkitink'', which, had it been published, would have been the original character's debut, Kaliko behaves much like his former master.
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 ...
'', the exile Ruggedo meets the young enchanter
Kiki Aru and plans to destroy Oz again. He gets into the country without Ozma's knowledge, creating havoc. However, he again drinks of the Water of Oblivion, and to stop him ever going bad again Ozma settles him in the
Emerald City.
Soon after taking over the Oz series, Ruth Plumly Thompson brought back Ruggedo, his memory and rancor restored and living imprisoned under the city. Finding a box of mixed magic in ''
Kabumpo in Oz
''Kabumpo in Oz'' (1922) is the sixteenth Oz book, and the second written by Ruth Plumly Thompson. It was the first Oz book fully credited to her. (Her first, ''The Royal Book of Oz'', was credited to L. Frank Baum on the cover.)
Plot summary ...
'', he grows into a giant and runs away with Ozma's royal palace on his head. He is placed on a Runaway Land which runs out to 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 ...
and strands him on an island.
In ''
The Gnome King of Oz
''The Gnome King of Oz'' (1927) is the twenty-first in the series of Oz books created by L. Frank Baum and his successors, and the seventh by Ruth Plumly Thompson. Like nineteen of the twenty previous books, it was illustrated by John R. Neill. ...
'', he is helped off the island by
Peter Brown, an athletic boy from
Philadelphia, making his first trip to Oz. He gets hit with the Silence Stone and is rendered mute.
As 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 ...
'', Ruggedo is quite friendly when he thinks he is going to get his way. After threatening the Emerald City utilizing a Cloak of Invisibility, he is hit with a Silence Stone and immediately struck dumb.
In ''
Pirates in Oz
200px, Cover of ''Pirates in Oz''.
''Pirates in Oz'' (1931) is the twenty-fifth in the series of Oz books created by L. Frank Baum and his successors, and the eleventh written by Ruth Plumly Thompson. It was illustrated by John R. Neill.
Plot
P ...
'', the dumb Ruggedo finds a town in the
Land of Ev
The Land of Ev is a fictional country in the Oz books of L. Frank Baum and his successors. The country was first visited in Baum's third Oz novel, 1907's ''Ozma of Oz'', and was the first of Baum's countries that surround the Land of Oz. This book ...
called Menankypoo, whose people speak with words across their foreheads and seek a dumb king. Peter,
Pigasus and
Captain Samuel Salt aid in his defeat and he is transformed into a jug.
In ''
Handy Mandy in Oz
''Handy Mandy in Oz'' (1937) is the thirty-first of the Oz books created by L. Frank Baum and his successors, and the seventeenth written by Ruth Plumly Thompson. It was illustrated by John R. Neill.
Synopsis
The book's heroine is an "honest an ...
'', the Wizard of Wutz, the handsome but cruel King of the Silver Mountain, restored Ruggedo's proper form. At the end of that book,
Himself the Elf transforms both of them into cacti, so that they can never make trouble again.
Ruggedo made no further appearances in the original Oz series, but his further adventures have been written in several later books (some of which harmonize with one another; others which are contradictory).
The Nome King and the Gnome King
Much fan discussion has revolved around the identity of The Gnome King in Baum's ''
The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus
''The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus'' is a 1902 children's book, written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by Mary Cowles Clark.
Setting
Plot
As a baby, Santa Claus is found in the Forest of Burzee by Ak, the Master Woodsman of the World ( ...
'', a jolly rock dweller who does not believe in giving, but only in even exchange. His gnomes watch over the rocks in the
Forest of Burzee and make sleigh bells for each of
Santa Claus
Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnigh ...
's
ten reindeer that he gives in exchange for toys for his children. An editor's note to Judy Pike's article "The Decline and Fall of the Nome King" conjectures that the Gnome King is the Nome King's father.
Analysis
Concerning the original depiction of the Nome King by
L. Frank Baum, essayist Suzanne Rahn has suggested that he was a "distinctly American kind of monarch". Rather than a traditional king, the Nome King was more of an
industrial capitalist. His power resided in controlling a
monopoly. Rahn compares the king to
industrialists
A business magnate, also known as a tycoon, is a person who has achieved immense wealth through the ownership of multiple lines of enterprise. The term characteristically refers to a powerful entrepreneur or investor who controls, through pers ...
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie (, ; November 25, 1835August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century and became one of the richest Americans in ...
(1835–1919),
J. P. Morgan (1837-1913), and
John D. Rockefeller
John Davison Rockefeller Sr. (July 8, 1839 – May 23, 1937) was an American business magnate and philanthropist. He has been widely considered the wealthiest American of all time and the richest person in modern history. Rockefeller was ...
(1839–1937).
[Tuerk (2007), p. 59-76] Richard Tuerk expands this theory to include the other Nome King,
Kaliko. In ''
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 ...
'' (1916), Kaliko says to his allies Queen Cor and King Gos: "as a matter of business policy we powerful Kings must stand together and trample the weaker ones under our feet". In this case, Baum makes his replacement Nome king sound like a stereotypical capitalist from his time period.
[Tuerk (2007), p. 59-76]
According to Jack Zipes, the Gnome King represents
materialist
Materialism is a form of philosophical monism which holds matter to be the fundamental substance in nature, and all things, including mental states and consciousness, are results of material interactions. According to philosophical materialism ...
greed. He is driven by a lust for power for the sake of power.
[Zipes (2006), p. 105-137] Once defeated, the King gains a new sinister motivation,
revenge
Revenge is committing a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance, be it real or perceived. Francis Bacon described revenge as a kind of "wild justice" that "does... offend the law ndputteth the law out of office." Pr ...
. He and his allies want to enslave people to attain wealth and power. Oz is Baum's version of the
utopia and the Nome King strives to undermine this utopian civilization.
[Zipes (2006), p. 105-137]
Zipes believes that Baum was against any kind of violence. 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 ...
'' (1910), the Nome King's invasion of Oz is therefore defeated in a non-violent way. Baum invented a
fountain filled with the water of oblivion. A single sip of this water makes the drinker forget everything, including any evil intentions. The would-be invaders of Oz drink from the fountain, forget everything, and return home.
[Zipes (2006), p. 105-137] Zipes argues that Baum was not going for a message of
turning the other cheek
Turning the other cheek is a phrase in Christian doctrine from the Sermon on the Mount that refers to responding to insult without retort and allowing more insult. This passage is variously interpreted as accepting one's predicament, commanding n ...
. He was aware that if one uses the same methods as one's enemies, one risks becoming like them. If the defenders of Oz became cutthroat and militant like the Nome King and his forces, this would have tarnished the spirit and principles of Oz. So their victory, as orchestrated by Ozma is using a different method, oblivion. The method is creative,
humane
Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, culture, an ...
, and
humanitarian.
[Zipes (2006), p. 105-137]
Gore Vidal
Eugene Luther Gore Vidal (; born Eugene Louis Vidal, October 3, 1925 – July 31, 2012) was an American writer and public intellectual known for his epigrammatic wit, erudition, and patrician manner. Vidal was bisexual, and in his novels and es ...
argued that Oz represents a "pastoral dream" deriving from the ideals of
Thomas Jefferson, though here the
slaves have been replaced by
magic
Magic or Magick most commonly refers to:
* Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces
* Ceremonial magic, encompasses a wide variety of rituals of magic
* Magical thinking, the belief that unrel ...
and good will. The Nome King and his
black magic
Black magic, also known as dark magic, has traditionally referred to the use of supernatural powers or magic for evil and selfish purposes, specifically the seven magical arts prohibited by canon law, as expounded by Johannes Hartlieb in 145 ...
represent a technological civilization, driven by machines and
industrialization
Industrialisation ( alternatively spelled industrialization) is the period of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial society. This involves an extensive re-organisation of an econom ...
. Vidal concluded that "the Nome King has governed the
United States for more than a century; and he shows no sign of wanting to abdicate."
[Zipes (2006), p. 105-137]
Zipes believes that Baum was essentially a
fairy tale writer. He places him in a group of writers with
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian er ...
(1812–1870),
John Ruskin
John Ruskin (8 February 1819 20 January 1900) was an English writer, philosopher, art critic and polymath of the Victorian era. He wrote on subjects as varied as geology, architecture, myth, ornithology, literature, education, botany and poli ...
(1819-1900),
George MacDonald
George MacDonald (10 December 1824 – 18 September 1905) was a Scottish author, poet and Christian Congregational minister. He was a pioneering figure in the field of modern fantasy literature and the mentor of fellow writer Lewis Carroll. ...
(1824–1905), and
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...
(1854–1900). They brought an oppositional political perspective to their fairy tales and questioned the classical fairy tales and society at large. They reached out to young readers from the
upper class, the
petite bourgeoisie, and the
working class. The literary fairy tale was their political weapon and they preached a message of social liberation. In Zipes words': "Their art was a subversive symbolic act intended to illuminate concrete utopias waiting to be realized once the
authoritarian
Authoritarianism is a political system characterized by the rejection of political plurality, the use of strong central power to preserve the political ''status quo'', and reductions in the rule of law, separation of powers, and democratic voti ...
rule of the Nome King could be overcome".
[Zipes (2006), p. 105-137]
Rogers points that ''The Emerald City of Oz'' (1910) was supposed to be the finale of the Oz series. Following the end of the Nome King's invasion, Baum announced that the Land of Oz was forever closed from the outside world. The truth was that the writer had become tired of the series. In the preface of ''
Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz'' (1908), Baum humorously complained that children kept asking him for more Oz tales. He claimed that he knew of many other stories and hoped to tell them as well. In other words, he was ready to move on to other works.
[Rogers (2002), p. 149-175] This complain also appeared 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 Ba ...
'' (1909), where he hinted at a coming finale to the series.
In this novel, the Nome King has lost all traces of being jolly and good-humored. He has long been stewing over his defeat and the loss of his magic belt. He feels nothing but a constant
anger
Anger, also known as wrath or rage, is an intense emotional state involving a strong uncomfortable and non-cooperative response to a perceived provocation, hurt or threat.
A person experiencing anger will often experience physical effects, su ...
, which has destroyed his own capacity to feel happiness and makes his subjects miserable as well. The King himself points that he is now angry morning, noon, and night. He sees his situation as monotonous and preventing him from gaining any pleasure in life.
Rogers observes that the King now resembles any number of historical rulers. He has become an irresponsible
tyrant, and is driven only by
malice. He also resembles a naughty child given to impotent rages. He starts the book by storming and raving "all by himself". He walks up and down in his jewel-studded cavern and gets angrier all the time. He also turns his anger towards his own subjects, when they disagree with him. He punishes them by throwing them away, though Baum does not really explain the meaning of this punishment. Rogers suggests that it sounds "mysteriously horrible".
Despite Baum's intentions to end the Oz series, he eventually returned to it. He continued writing it from 1912 until his death in 1919. His motivations for returning to it were the readers' continued demand for new stories, his financial need for commercially successful stories, and his own fascination with the world of Oz.
[Zipes (2007), p. 216-217] In this second period of Oz, Oz becomes a "
socialist paradise
In religion, paradise is a place of exceptional happiness and delight. Paradisiacal notions are often laden with pastoral imagery, and may be cosmogonical or eschatological or both, often compared to the miseries of human civilization: in paradis ...
". The threats to it are genetic experimentation and abuse of magic. The Nome King returns in ''
Tik-Tok of Oz
''Tik-Tok of Oz'' is the eighth Land of Oz book written by L. Frank Baum, published on June 19, 1914. The book has little to do with Tik-Tok and is primarily the quest of the Shaggy Man (introduced in ''The Road to Oz'') to rescue his brother, ...
'' (1914), where he represents cruel oppression.
[Zipes (2007), p. 216-217]
Jason M. Bell and Jessica Bell trace the slavery and
emancipation theme in the Oz tales to Baum's own childhood. As a child, Baum experienced the
American Civil War (1861-1865) and the consequent
abolition of slavery in the United States
From the late 18th to the mid-19th century, various states of the United States of America allowed the enslavement of human beings, mostly of African Americans, Africans who had been transported from Africa during the Atlantic slave trade. The ...
. The heroes of the Oz tales tend to be abolitionists and strive to end slavery in any form. The villains are slave owners who seek to enslave others and institute slavery. The inevitable conflict between the two sides is a recurring theme in the Oz tales and has in their view contributed to the enduring popularity of the series.
[Bell (2010), p. 225-247] The Bells argue that it is no coincidence that abolitionist
Dorothy Gale is from Kansas. Baum was a child during the
Bleeding Kansas
Bleeding Kansas, Bloody Kansas, or the Border War was a series of violent civil confrontations in Kansas Territory, and to a lesser extent in western Missouri, between 1854 and 1859. It emerged from a political and ideological debate over the ...
conflict (1854-1861). Thousands of abolitionists moved to Kansas to vote against slavery, while
Border Ruffian
Border ruffians were proslavery raiders, crossing from the slave state of Missouri into the Kansas Territory, to help ensure Kansas entered the Union as a slave state. They were a key part of the violent period called Bleeding Kansas, that pea ...
s from
Missouri crossed the borders to stop them.
[Bell (2010), p. 225-247] The Nome King is a slave owner and a
chauvinist
Chauvinism is the unreasonable belief in the superiority or dominance of one's own group or people, who are seen as strong and virtuous, while others are considered weak, unworthy, or inferior. It can be described as a form of extreme patriotism ...
. He is outsmarted and humiliated by Billina the hen, and literally left with egg on his face. The writers find it telling that the
hyper-masculine Nomes and their King are terrified of feminine eggs.
[Bell (2010), p. 225-247]
In other media
The Nome King was first played by
Paul de Dupont in ''
The Fairylogue and Radio-Plays
''The Fairylogue and Radio-Plays'' was an early attempt to bring L. Frank Baum's Oz books to the motion picture screen. It was a mixture of live actors, hand-tinted magic lantern slides, and film. Baum himself would appear as if he were giving a ...
'' (1908).
John Dunsmure played Ruggedo, the Metal Monarch in the stage play ''
The Tik-Tok Man of Oz
''The Tik-Tok Man of Oz'' is a musical play with book and lyrics by L. Frank Baum and music by Louis F. Gottschalk that opened at the Majestic Theatre in Los Angeles, California on March 31, 1913. It is loosely inspired by Baum's book '' Ozma of ...
'' (1913), by Baum,
Louis F. Gottschalk, and
Victor Schertzinger, produced in
Los Angeles by
Oliver Morosco
Oliver Morosco (June 20, 1875 – August 25, 1945) was an American theatrical producer, director, writer, film producer, and theater owner. He owned the Morosco Photoplay Company. He brought many of his theater actors to the screen. Frank A. Garb ...
. In the play, he sings a duet with
Polychrome titled "When in Trouble Come to Papa". As in the novel, the lack of females among Nomes causes Ruggedo to be willing to take her as wife, sister, or daughter so long as she remains to brighten his kingdom, and the song has him trying out the father option.
Over the summer of 2007,
South Coast Repertory
South Coast Repertory (SCR) is a professional theatre company located in Costa Mesa, California.
Tony Award-winning South Coast Repertory, founded in 1964 by David Emmes and Martin Benson, is led by Artistic Director David Ivers and Managing Dir ...
performed a play called Time Again in Oz, featuring many familiar Oz characters, such as Roquat the Nome King, Tik-Tok, Uncle Henry, and, of course, Dorothy. Instead of being portrayed as an old man that looks like a mineral, Roquat is identified as being tall, rock-like with a boulder-like mass for his torso, and wears a large crown upon his rocky head. He controls the Nomes at will, headed by his lead Nome, Feldspar, who is very similar to
Chistery, the flying monkey character from the Broadway adaptation,
Wicked
Wicked may refer to:
Books
* Wicked, a minor character in the ''X-Men'' universe
* '' Wicked'', a 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire that inspired the musical of the same name
* ''Wicked'', the fifth novel in Sara Shepard's ''Pretty Little Liars'' s ...
.
The Nome King was portrayed on film by
Nicol Williamson 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 ...
'' which was based loosely on the books ''
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 ...
'' and ''
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 ...
''. In that film, his rock-like nature was taken to the extreme via
Will Vinton's
Claymation
Clay animation or claymation, sometimes plasticine animation, is one of many forms of stop-motion animation. Each animated piece, either character or background, is "deformable"—made of a malleable substance, usually plasticine clay.
Tra ...
. His personality and characterization largely stays true to how he is portrayed in the original novels, being seemingly fair and courteous to Dorothy and her companions under the belief that they will fail a game he sets up for them (in which they touch an ornament from his collection and say "Oz" simultaneously, having three chances each to do so) in order to give them a chance to locate the Scarecrow, whom the Nome King transformed into an ornament shortly after their entering of his domain. Of the group, all but Dorothy fail and are subsequently transformed also. As this occurs, the Nome King progressively becomes more organic looking in appearance, and would have most likely became completely human should Dorothy failed on her last guess (why the Nome King so desires this is never elaborated upon). It is only when she successfully locates the Scarecrow and her friends, subsequently reverting the Nome King to his original form, does he reveal a more sadistic and threatening side to his character (hinted at throughout the film in his earlier exchanges with Princess Mombi and also his Nome Messenger). Hungry for revenge, he grows to an enormous size surrounded in a blaze of fire and tries to eat the protagonists in a scene inspired by
Georges Méliès
Marie-Georges-Jean Méliès (; ; 8 December 1861 – 21 January 1938) was a French illusionist, actor, and film director. He led many technical and narrative developments in the earliest days of cinema.
Méliès was well known for the use of ...
's ''
The Conquest of the Pole'' (1912). He is eventually destroyed by ingesting the hidden
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 Boo ...
's chicken egg, laid in a panic by the hen (herself hiding in
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 ...
's hollow head), since eggs are poisonous to Nomes. In Kansas, his counterpart is Dr. J.B. Worley (also portrayed by Williamson) who is a psychiatrist obsessed with machines and has an interest in electro-therapy. Dorothy was taken to his clinic when she was unable to sleep. By the end of the movie, it was mentioned by Aunt Em that Dr. Worley perished in the fire trying to save his machines.
Roquat, having regained his original name, is the villain of ''
The Oz-Wonderland War'', published by
DC Comics and starring
Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew. Much of the story retreads material from ''
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 ...
'', as he has also regained the Magic Belt, and it must be seized again. He uses Nomes that parody the
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in ''The Fantastic Four'' #1 (cover dated Nov. 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism in the medium. It was the first s ...
and the
Hulk that get pelted by
Easter Eggs, again to no apparent harm, as in the book.
Michael G. Ploog, who was a conceptual artist of ''Return to Oz'', wrote and illustrated a
graphic novel
A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...
based on ''The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus'' in which the Gnome King looked like the Nome King's likeness in the film, but whose function was greatly expanded from the novel to be the ruler of all the Immortals.
In
L. Sprague de Camp
Lyon Sprague de Camp (; November 27, 1907 – November 6, 2000) was an American writer of science fiction, fantasy and non-fiction. In a career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, including novels and works of non-fiction, including biog ...
's ''
Harold Shea'' series he teams his protagonist with the Nome King in "
Sir Harold and the Gnome King."
In
Bill Willingham's Vertigo
Vertigo is a condition where a person has the sensation of movement or of surrounding objects moving when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. This may be associated with nausea, vomiting, sweating, or difficulties w ...
comic book series ''
Fables'', the Nome King has sided with the Adversary and is now the ruler of Oz. He is later deposed in an uprising led by former
Fabletown resident
Bufkin, one of 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 famo ...
native to Oz.
[''Fables'' #149]
In the comic book ''The Oz/Wonderland Chronicles'' #1 (2006), Ruggedo is coerced by a new Witch to bring the
Jabberwocky
"Jabberwocky" is a nonsense poem written by Lewis Carroll about the killing of a creature named "the Jabberwock". It was included in his 1871 novel ''Through the Looking-Glass'', the sequel to ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (1865). The b ...
creature to life.
In the novel ''
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West'', the Nome King is alluded to once, along with other underground threats believed by the citizens of Wicked's Oz to be mere legend. It is not officially stated whether the Nome King, or other figures undeniably real in Baum's Oz such as
Lurline, actually exist in Maguire's Oz.
In ''
Blade: Trinity'', Zoe is read the Oz books by her mother and she later compares
Drake to the Nome King in that he is bad simply because he has never tried to be good.
In ''
Emerald City Confidential
''Emerald City Confidential'' is a 2009 computer adventure game conceived by Dave Gilbert (game designer), Dave Gilbert, developed by Wadjet Eye Games, and published through PlayFirst. It follows the protagonist Petra, Emerald City's only Private ...
'', the Nome King is now a bartender and is mostly reformed (although he is not above using illegal magic to gain back his fortune).
Sherwood Smith
Sherwood Smith (born 1951) is an American fantasy and science fiction writer for young adults and adults. Smith is a Nebula Award finalist and a longtime writing group organizer and participant.
Smith's works include the YA novel '' Crown Du ...
's novels ''
The Emerald Wand of Oz'' and ''
Trouble Under Oz'' feature Ruggedo's son, Prince Rikiki, who aspires to regain his father's kingdom.
The Nome King appears in ''
Dorothy and the Witches of Oz
''Dorothy and the Witches of Oz'' is a 2012 film directed by Leigh Scott, based on the early 20th century novels ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'', ''Ozma of Oz'', ''The Road to Oz'' and '' The Magic of Oz'' by L. Frank Baum. The film stars Paulie Red ...
'' played by professional wrestler
Al Snow
Allen Ray Sarven (born July 18, 1963) is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Al Snow. He is best known as a wrestler for Smoky Mountain Wrestling, Extreme Championship Wrestling, and World Wrestling Entertainment. S ...
. He is among the villains that accompanies the Wicked Witch of the West in her attack on Earth. During the climax of the film, the Nome King fights the Tin Man and is defeated by him.
The Nome King appears in the comic series ''
Fables''. He is the current ruler of that land, as well as many of the surrounding kingdoms and Imperial districts. Nome King attended the Imperial conference called after the destruction of the magic grove and was positively delighted by the plans outlined by the Snow Queen for the effective genocide of the mundane population. He did feel, however, that the plan could be improved with his assistance, feeling that he had many minions that could be of great use. In the wake of the fall of the Adversary's Empire, the Nome King creates his own pan-Ozian empire. He was killed during Bufkin's revolution when the Nome King's own hanging rope magically came to life and snapped its master's head off.
The Nome King appears in the season one finale of ''
Emerald City'' portrayed by
Julian Bleach. He appears as a flayed man trapped by Mistress East in the Prison of the Abject, possibly even the first to be imprisoned there. Dorothy Gale frees him in her search of someone able to control the stone giants. He manages to find his skin and puts it back on, before growing bat-like wings and flying to the Emerald City. While his name isn't revealed, it appears he is a form of the so-called "Beast Forever" that the people of Oz are afraid of. The episode ends with Dorothy being called back to Oz to help save it from the Beast Forever. The Beast Forever's identity is revealed in the credits, which list him as "Roquat".
The Nome King appears in ''
Tom and Jerry: Back to Oz'' voiced by
Jason Alexander
Jay Scott Greenspan (born September 23, 1959), known professionally as Jason Alexander, is an American actor, comedian, host and director. An Emmy and Tony winner, he is best known for his role as George Costanza in the television series ''Sei ...
. He has taken over the Emerald City, captured Glinda and Tuffy, took Glinda's wand, and now he wants to destroy Dorothy and seize her ruby slippers. Since his great fear of the Wizard has kept him underground, Dorothy and her friends journey to Topeka to get the Wizard to return to the Land of Oz and set everything straight. The Nome King is defeated when he falls under the Jitterbug's dancing spell and loses the Ruby Slippers when Tom and Jerry try to keep him from falling into the Pit of Nome Return. His Kansas counterpart is Lucius Bibb who is the neighbor of Aunt Em and Uncle Henry. He files a lawsuit claiming that the twister released some of the Gale pigs who then plundered his prize watermelon patch. He takes the animals away unless Aunt Em, Uncle Henry, and their farmhands can get jobs to get the money to keep their farm animals in twenty-four hours. By the end of the film, Dorothy, Toto, Tom, and Jerry use the potion the Wizard gave them to help pay off Mr. Bibb and have him cancel his lawsuit against the Gale farm where he gets a larger watermelon.
The Nome King appears in ''
Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz'' portrayed by
JP Karliak. His plans to take over the Land of Oz and his fear of chickens remain intact with the series.
References
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{{Oz
Fictional kings
Nome King
Fictional dictators
Fictional gnomes
Literary characters introduced in 1907
Oz (franchise) characters who use magic
Male literary villains
Fantasy film characters
Public domain characters in the United States