Happy Labor Day to my fellow Americans, and happy Monday to everyone else. I originally wasn’t going to schedule a post for today, but then I realized that there are plenty of people who don’t have the day off and who might enjoy a little bit of word play.
For today’s Word-Hoard entry, I decided to have a brief look at a very famous and influential poem, rather than a single word. “Jabberwocky,” in case you’re unfamiliar, is a poem written by Lewis Carroll and appearing in his 1871 novel Through the Looking-Glass.
“Jabberwocky” is notable for being mostly nonsense. That is, it’s filled to the brim with meaningless words of Carroll’s own invention. Despite this, many of them have since taken on meaning and been reused and referred to again and again.
Let us read:
Jabberwocky
’Twas brillig, and the slithy tovesDid gyre and gimble in the wabe:All mimsy were the borogoves,And the mome raths outgrabe.“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!Beware the Jubjub bird, and shunThe frumious Bandersnatch!”He took his vorpal sword in hand;Long time the manxome foe he sought—So rested he by the Tumtum treeAnd stood awhile in thought.And, as in uffish thought he stood,The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,And burbled as it came!One, two! One, two! And through and throughThe vorpal blade went snicker-snack!He left it dead, and with its headHe went galumphing back.“And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?Come to my arms, my beamish boy!O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!”He chortled in his joy.’Twas brillig, and the slithy tovesDid gyre and gimble in the wabe:All mimsy were the borogoves,And the mome raths outgrabe.
A few highlights –
Jubjub bird: If you’re a fan of the Simpsons, you may recall that Selma’s pet lizard is named Jub-Jub.
Bandersnatch: The bandersnatch has appeared as a random monster in numerous Final Fantasy games. Zelazny worked it into the 8th of his Amber books. “Bandersnatches” appear as creatures in the Shadowrun game universe, and Larry Niven applies the name to a type of alien creature in his “Known Space” stories.
Vorpal Sword: “Vorpal” was a term taken directly into Dungeons and Dragons, and numerous other games and stories have borrowed the word as well (sometimes as “vorpal blade”).
Galumph: This one has become a regular dictionary word, meaning to move or tread clumsily and heavily.
Chortle: This, too, has become a pretty common (written) word for a laugh or chuckle.
For my part, Jabberwocky always makes me think of that 1985 Alice in Wonderland TV movie. I remember it quite fondly, but as a little boy I found the scenes with the Jabberwock monster a bit frightening.
Great analysis! I actually read Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass a few years ago . . . very trippy.
Fun fact: A vorpal blade is also a weapon in the original Fantasy Fantasy.
Oh yeah, that thing springs up everywhere! Cool 🙂
The Alice books are definitely worth rereading every now and again. Another older work rich with inspirational material!
The Bandersnatch Group is the name of the company that holds the IP for The Wheel of Time.
Ha – there you go! Nice catch on that!