Winged monkeys

Last updated
"The monkeys caught Dorothy in their arms and flew away with her"--illustration by W. W. Denslow in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) BauW170B.jpg
"The monkeys caught Dorothy in their arms and flew away with her"—illustration by W. W. Denslow in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)

Winged monkeys are fictional characters that first appeared in the 1900 children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz , written by the American author L. Frank Baum. They are described as jungle monkeys with bird-like feathered wings. They are playful, intelligent, and speak English. They are initially under the control of the Wicked Witch of the West, but are later controlled by the protagonist, Dorothy Gale. They lift Dorothy and fly her to two distant locations.

Contents

The Winged Monkeys next appeared in the 1939 musical film adaption of the novel, The Wizard of Oz. In the film they have a much smaller role than in the book, and do not speak (or at least were never given any dialogue), but it was their first appearance in an Oz-based film. After 1939, similar characters have appeared in numerous books, films, computer games and other popular media.

The now widely used but inaccurate term flying monkey has been adopted in psychology, referring to someone who performs enabling work on behalf of an abusive person. It does not really fit with the depiction in the book, where the avian simians are under the magic spell of the Golden Cap, and must obey its wearer.

Wizard of Oz

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz book (1900)

The Winged Monkeys started as free creatures living in the jungles of the fictional Land of Oz from the children's fiction novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. They were a rather carefree but mischievous bunch, until their king, as a prank, tossed Quelala, a richly dressed human friend of theirs into a deep river, ruining his velvet costume. His fiancée, a princess named Gayelette, was furious since this was their wedding day. She had ruled part of Oz's northern quadrant, Gillikin Country, and was a sorceress. As punishment for the prank, she enslaved them and made them obey the Golden Cap. Any wearer of the cap could make three demands of the monkeys. Later, this cap fell into the hands of the Wicked Witch of the West, who used it to make the Monkeys help her in conquering Oz's western quadrant (the Winkie Country), enslave the native Winkies, and drive the Wizard of Oz out of her territory when he attempted to overthrow her.

After the fictional character Dorothy Gale melted the Wicked Witch, she put on the cap, unaware of its power. When she learns its power, she uses it to influence the Winged Monkeys to transport her and her companions to the Emerald City, during which journey the Monkey King tells Dorothy the story of how they were enslaved by Gayelette. Then Dorothy asked them to carry her back to Kansas, but the Winged Monkeys could not leave the magical realm of Oz; thus the second request was wasted. Dorothy's third and final request was for them to carry her and her company over the rocky mountains inhabited by the Hammer-Heads, who would not let them pass over their turf.

Dorothy ends up handing the Golden Cap over to the character Glinda, the beautiful Good Witch of the South. Glinda then ordered the winged monkeys to carry Dorothy's companions back to their new homes in Oz after Dorothy's departure, and then to simply cease to bother people and not play pranks on them anymore. She then gave the Winged Monkeys the cap as their own, breaking the curse and setting them free.

The Wizard of Oz film (1939)

In the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz , the Monkeys are intelligent enough to obey commands, but do not speak as they do in the book. They abduct Dorothy and her dog Toto and dismantle the Scarecrow, but do nothing to the Tin Man or the Cowardly Lion, leaving them free to put the Scarecrow back together and rescue Dorothy. There is no mention of any three wishes in the film, suggesting that the Monkeys serve the witch out of fear, although the Golden Cap is seen briefly. The analogue to the Monkey King, one Nikko, whose wings have been clipped, is played by midget performer Pat Walshe. He is seen in several sequences, including when he is ordered by the Witch to throw Toto in a river; an order that Dorothy prevents him from carrying out. Nikko is also shown with the Witch as she angrily throws down the hour glass after the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Cowardly Lion rescue Dorothy, and once more after the Witch has melted. His name is shown only in the credits, as "Nikko" is never spoken on screen.

There is only a glimpse of the Golden Cap in the film: after Dorothy and the Lion awake after Glinda breaks the spell on the poppies conjured by the Witch, she is seen watching them in anger in her crystal ball. Nikko hands her the Golden Cap and she utters the "somebody always helps that girl" line, before throwing the cap across the room angrily. The reason for this brief appearance comes from a scene deleted from the final film. In the script, after the Witch conjures up the poppies that put Dorothy, Toto, and the Lion to sleep, she orders Nikko to fetch the Golden Cap so she can summon the winged monkeys and they can take the Ruby Slippers from the sleeping girl. However, she never gets a chance as the spell is broken before she can. Why the Witch doesn't use the Golden Cap to summon the monkeys when she sends them off into the Winkie Forest to capture Dorothy and Toto is unknown. In the film, the cap looks almost identical to the original artwork by W. W. Denslow in the book.

The musical number "The Jitterbug" dealt with a magic insect sent by the Witch to weaken the invaders before the Monkeys arrived catch them. The visual footage is lost, but the soundtrack survives, and the song is often incorporated into stage productions based on the movie, with extra activity for the Monkeys to perform.

Appearances in later media

In psychology

The erroneous term flying monkey has been used in psychology to refer to enablers of an abusive person, such as a narcissist or a sociopath. It particularly indicates someone who does work on the behalf of the abuser, as the Winged monkeys do for the witch in the original book. [4]

The abuser will typically use family, friends, or coworkers who are loyal and/or subservient to them as flying monkeys to subvert or attack their intended targets. The flying monkey may act as a courier of information between parties, or as someone who pleads the case on behalf of the abuser. The flying monkeys themselves might buy into the abuser's false personality, might be too afraid of the abuser to stand up to them, or may themselves suffer from a mental disorder that the abuser exploits, such as having narcissistic or sociopathic tendencies themselves. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wizard of Oz (character)</span> Character from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkle Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs is a fictional character in the Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum. The character was further popularized by a stage play and several films, including the classic 1939 film and the 2013 prequel adaptation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glinda</span> The Wonderful Wizard of Oz character

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 Country South of the Emerald City, and protector of Princess Ozma.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Land of Oz</span> Fantasy land created by L. Frank Baum

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.

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 the principal villain; the Wicked Witch of the West is rarely even referred to again after her death in the first book.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wicked Witch of the East</span> Fictional character

The Wicked Witch of the East is a fictional character created by American author L. Frank Baum. She is a crucial character but appears only briefly in Baum's classic children's series of Oz novels, most notably The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900).

<i>The Muppets Wizard of Oz</i> 2005 musical fantasy television film

The Muppets' Wizard of Oz is a 2005 musical fantasy television film directed by Kirk R. Thatcher, and the third television film featuring the Muppets. The film stars Ashanti, Jeffrey Tambor, Quentin Tarantino, David Alan Grier, Queen Latifah, as well as Muppet performers Steve Whitmire, Dave Goelz, Bill Barretta, and Eric Jacobson. A contemporary adaptation of the 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, the story follows young Dorothy Gale, who works in her Aunt Em's diner, but dreams of becoming a singer somewhere beyond her small Kansas town. Swept up by a tornado, in her trailer home with pet prawn Toto, she lands in Oz and embarks on a journey to meet the Wizard who can help make her dreams come true.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Good Witch of the North (Baum)</span> The Wonderful Wizard of Oz character

The Good Witch of the North, sometimes named Locasta or Tattypoo, is a fictional character in the Land of Oz, created by American author L. Frank Baum. She is the elderly and mild-mannered Ruler of the Gillikin Country. Her only significant appearance in Baum's work is in Chapter 2 of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900), in which she introduces Dorothy Gale to Oz and sends her to meet the Wizard, after placing a protective kiss on her forehead. She makes a brief cameo appearance at Princess Ozma's birthday party in The Road to Oz (1909), but is otherwise only mentioned elsewhere in the series.

<i>The Wizard of Oz</i> (TV series) Animated television series based on the 1939 movie

The Wizard of Oz is a 1990 American animated television series produced by DIC Animation City to capitalize on the popularity of the 1939 film version, to which DiC had acquired the rights from Turner Entertainment, Co. The series aired for thirteen episodes and premiered on ABC, starting on September 8, 1990. The show presented a number of stories and characters from L. Frank Baum's original Oz series.

<i>The Wonderful Wizard of Oz</i> (TV series) 1986 TV series

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, known in Japan as Ozu no Mahōtsukai, is a Japanese anime television series adaptation based on four of the original early 20th century Oz books by L. Frank Baum. In Japan, the series aired on TV Tokyo from 1986 to 1987. It consists of 52 episodes, which explain other parts of the Oz stories, including the events that happened after Dorothy returned home.

Return to Oz is a 1964 animated television special produced by Crawley Films for Videocraft International. It first aired on 9 February 1964 in the United States on NBC's The General Electric Fantasy Hour block, then later aired on syndication from 1965 to the 1990s and on the Disney Channel in 1995. It was directed by F. R. Crawley, Thomas Glynn and Larry Roemer from a teleplay by Romeo Muller, who later wrote Dorothy in the Land of Oz. This was the first special produced by Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass of Rankin/Bass Productions.

<i>The Wizard of Oz</i> (1987 musical)

The Wizard of Oz is a musical with a book by John Kane, music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by E. Y. Harburg. It has additional background music by Herbert Stothart. It is based on the 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum and the 1939 film version written by Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf.

<i>The Wizard of Oz</i> (2011 musical) 2011 musical based on the 1939 film

The Wizard of Oz is a 2011 musical based on the 1939 film of the same name in turn based on L. Frank Baum's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, with a book adapted by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jeremy Sams. The musical uses the Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg songs from the film and includes some new songs and additional music by Lloyd Webber and additional lyrics by Tim Rice. It is the third stage musical adaptation of the film following the 1942 version for the St. Louis Municipal Opera and the 1987 version for the Royal Shakespeare Company.

<i>The Wizard of Oz</i> (1942 musical) 1942 musical commissioned by the Muny

The Wizard of Oz is a musical commissioned by The Muny based on the 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum and the 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz, using the film's songs by Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg. The book of the musical is by Frank Gabrielson, who would later write an adaptation of The Marvelous Land of Oz (1960) for Shirley Temple (1960).

Dorothy of Oz is a 1989 children's novel written by L. Frank Baum's great-grandson Roger S. Baum. The book details Dorothy Gale returning to the Land of Oz when a Jester has been using the wand of the Wicked Witch of the West to take over the Land of Oz. The book was adapted into a film called Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return in 2014 by Clarius Entertainment.

<i>Guardians of Oz</i> 2015 Mexican film

Guardians of Oz is a 2015 animated adventure film, directed by Alberto Mar and executive produced by Jorge Gutierrez. The film was produced by Ánima Estudios, Discreet Arts, and distributed by FilmSharks International. The film is the first English-language and flagship CG production for Ánima Estudios, as well as the studio's biggest production and is described as Mexico's biggest animated production. Mexico's take on the early 20th century Wizard of Oz books by L. Frank Baum, it features an original story and new characters, and was released theatrically on 10 April 2015 in Mexico.

<i>Dorothy Must Die</i> 2014 novel

Dorothy Must Die is a 2014 young adult book by Danielle Paige and her debut novel. The book, which was produced through Full Fathom Five, was released on April 1, 2014 through HarperCollins and was preceded by the novella No Place Like Oz.

<i>The Wicked Will Rise</i>

The Wicked Will Rise is a young adult novel by Danielle Paige, and the sequel to the 2014 book Dorothy Must Die. It was published by HarperCollins on March 30, 2015. It continues the story of high school girl Amy Gumm in her mission to assassinate Dorothy Gale, who has become twisted and evil.

<i>Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz</i> Childrens animated television series

Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz is an American animated children's television series loosely based on L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its subsequent books, as well as its 1939 film adaptation. The series debuted on Boomerang SVOD on June 29, 2017. The series was picked up for the second and third seasons. The series ended on July 31, 2020, lasting for three years.

References

  1. ""A Touch More Evil: Azkadellia's World", SciFi Pulse video (Atom Films mirror) - November 13, 2007". Atomfilms.com. Archived from the original on June 7, 2008. Retrieved 2009-11-09.
  2. Moorcock, Michael (2008). Elric: The Stealer of Souls . New York: Del Rey. pp.  72–74. ISBN   978-0-345-49862-5.
  3. Shazam! Vol. 3 #7. DC Comics.
  4. "Narcissists and Their Flying Monkeys". PsychCentral.com. 4 July 2019. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
  5. "Are You a Narcissist's Flying Monkey?". Psychology Today. Retrieved 25 December 2022.