Jinjur
Encyclopedia
Jinjur is the main antagonist of The Marvelous Land of Oz
. She is a character in the Oz books by L. Frank Baum
and his successors. She first appears in The Marvelous Land of Oz as a self-appointed general leading an "Army of Revolt"—an all-woman force seeking to end the reign of the Scarecrow
and take over Emerald City
.
The revolt is a parody of the contemporaneous movement for women's suffrage
, which Baum supported. (His mother-in-law was prominent suffragist Matilda Joslyn Gage
.) General Jinjur's followers use both violence (sharp knitting needles) and their feminine privileges to gain advantage: no man will hit a pretty girl, and Jinjur boasts "there is not an ugly face in my entire Army." Yet those same young women are temporarily routed by an incursion of mice. Jinjur's regime assigns Emerald City husbands to domestic tasks thought to be women's work, such as cooking and cleaning; the men quickly get worn out, and eventually their wives are happy to take over those tasks and do them competently again.
Jinjur's name, pronounced as "ginger
," implies that she has a rather volatile nature; however, she is not evil, but misguided. She is also cowardly, and dances on the throne when she sees the field mice. While she works with the witch Mombi
, Jinjur is secretly afraid of her, and quickly pledges loyalty to Princess Ozma
after she loses the throne to Glinda
and her army (which is also made up entirely of female soldiers).
In Ozma of Oz
Jinjur makes a brief appearance as a dairy farmer's wife. She says she is happy and contented, but also reports that her (unseen) husband is nursing a black eye after milking the wrong cow. The Patchwork Girl of Oz
reports that Jinjur is a talented painter who helps to restore her old nemesis, the Scarecrow.
In The Tin Woodman of Oz
, Jinjur makes her most significant reappearance in the series. She still lives on a farm in the Munchkin Country
, but her husband is nowhere to be seen. She is startled at first by the incursion of the Tin Woodman
, the Scarecrow
, and their companions, who have been transformed into animals by a wicked sorceress, Mrs. Yoop, but when the situation is explained, she calms down and is helpful and friendly.
Jinjur is usually illustrated wearing a feminized version of a military
dress uniform
of the period before World War I
, with a skirt in place of trousers, high boots, a military-style frogged tunic, and a tall shako
. Her army, in similar uniforms, looks like a crack drill team or chorus line.
, Jinjur is part of Oz's Fredom Fighters. In issue #0, it was revealed that her husband was turned into a jewel by Ruggedo and crushed in his hand.
. She has long dark hair, wears a green uniform, and generally acts impertinent while her army acts lackdaisical.
In the Anime
series, Ozu no Mahōtsukai, she is depicted as a fiery red-head sporting a tiara, cape and mischievous smile.
Julee Cruise
portrayed her in in a stage version
performed by The Children's Theatre Company and School of Minneapolis that was released on home video
by MCA
, though she sings in a much lower register than she does for David Lynch
and Angelo Badalamenti
.
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 on July 5, 1904, is the second of L. Frank Baum's books set in the Land of Oz, and the sequel to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. This and the next...
. She is a character in the Oz books by L. Frank Baum
L. Frank Baum
Lyman Frank Baum was an American author of children's books, best known for writing The Wonderful Wizard of Oz...
and his successors. She first appears in The Marvelous Land of Oz as a self-appointed general leading an "Army of Revolt"—an all-woman force seeking to end the reign of the Scarecrow
Scarecrow (Oz)
The Scarecrow is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum and illustrator William Wallace Denslow. In his first appearance, the Scarecrow reveals that he lacks a brain and desires above all else to have one. In reality, he is only two days old and merely...
and take over Emerald City
Emerald City
The Emerald City is the fictional capital city of the Land of Oz in L. Frank Baum's Oz books, first described in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz...
.
The revolt is a parody of the contemporaneous movement for women's suffrage
Women's suffrage
Women's suffrage or woman suffrage is the right of women to vote and to run for office. The expression is also used for the economic and political reform movement aimed at extending these rights to women and without any restrictions or qualifications such as property ownership, payment of tax, or...
, which Baum supported. (His mother-in-law was prominent suffragist Matilda Joslyn Gage
Matilda Joslyn Gage
Matilda Electa Joslyn Gage was a suffragist, a Native American activist, an abolitionist, a freethinker, and a prolific author, who was "born with a hatred of oppression".-Early activities:...
.) General Jinjur's followers use both violence (sharp knitting needles) and their feminine privileges to gain advantage: no man will hit a pretty girl, and Jinjur boasts "there is not an ugly face in my entire Army." Yet those same young women are temporarily routed by an incursion of mice. Jinjur's regime assigns Emerald City husbands to domestic tasks thought to be women's work, such as cooking and cleaning; the men quickly get worn out, and eventually their wives are happy to take over those tasks and do them competently again.
Jinjur's name, pronounced as "ginger
Ginger
Ginger is the rhizome of the plant Zingiber officinale, consumed as a delicacy, medicine, or spice. It lends its name to its genus and family . Other notable members of this plant family are turmeric, cardamom, and galangal....
," implies that she has a rather volatile nature; however, she is not evil, but misguided. She is also cowardly, and dances on the throne when she sees the field mice. While she works with the witch Mombi
Mombi
Mombi is a wicked old witch from L. Frank Baum Oz Books. She appears in the book The Marvelous Land of Oz and is alluded to in other works. Of all the wicked witches in L...
, Jinjur is secretly afraid of her, and quickly pledges loyalty to Princess Ozma
Princess Ozma
Princess Ozma is a fictional character in the Land of Oz, created by L. Frank Baum. She appears in every book of the series except the first, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz .She is the rightful ruler of Oz, and L...
after she loses the throne to Glinda
Glinda
Glinda is a fictional character in the Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum. She is the most powerful sorceress of Oz, ruler of the Quadling Country south of the Emerald City, and protector of Princess Ozma.- Literature :Baum's 1900 children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz...
and her army (which is also made up entirely of female soldiers).
In Ozma of Oz
Ozma of Oz
Ozma of Oz: A Record of Her Adventures with Dorothy Gale of Kansas, the Yellow Hen, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, Tiktok, the Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger; Besides Other Good People too Numerous to Mention Faithfully Recorded Herein published on July 30, 1907, was the third book of L....
Jinjur makes a brief appearance as a dairy farmer's wife. She says she is happy and contented, but also reports that her (unseen) husband is nursing a black eye after milking the wrong cow. The Patchwork Girl of Oz
The Patchwork Girl of Oz
The Patchwork Girl of Oz by L. Frank Baum, is a children's novel, the seventh set in the Land of Oz. Characters include the Woozy, Ojo "the Unlucky", Unc Nunkie, Dr. Pipt, Scraps , and others. The book was first published on July 1, 1913, with illustrations by John R. Neill...
reports that Jinjur is a talented painter who helps to restore her old nemesis, the Scarecrow.
In The Tin Woodman of Oz
The Tin Woodman of Oz
The Tin Woodman of Oz: A Faithful Story of the Astonishing Adventure Undertaken by the Tin Woodman, Assisted by Woot the Wanderer, the Scarecrow of Oz, and Polychrome, the Rainbow's Daughter is the twelfth Land of Oz book written by L. Frank Baum and was originally published on May 13, 1918...
, Jinjur makes her most significant reappearance in the series. She still lives on a farm in the Munchkin Country
Munchkin Country
Munchkin Country is the Eastern region in the fictional Land of Oz in L. Frank Baum's Oz books, first described in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. In Wizard it was originally called "the land of Munchkins", and "Munchkin Country" in all subsequent Oz books...
, but her husband is nowhere to be seen. She is startled at first by the incursion of the Tin Woodman
Tin Woodman
The Tin Woodman, sometimes referred to as the Tin Man or the Tin Woodsman , is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum...
, the Scarecrow
Scarecrow
A scarecrow is, essentially, a decoy, though traditionally, a human figure dressed in old clothes and placed in fields by farmers to discourage birds such as crows or sparrows from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops.-History:In Kojiki, the oldest surviving book in Japan...
, and their companions, who have been transformed into animals by a wicked sorceress, Mrs. Yoop, but when the situation is explained, she calms down and is helpful and friendly.
Jinjur is usually illustrated wearing a feminized version of a military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
dress uniform
Uniform
A uniform is a set of standard clothing worn by members of an organization while participating in that organization's activity. Modern uniforms are worn by armed forces and paramilitary organizations such as police, emergency services, security guards, in some workplaces and schools and by inmates...
of the period before World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, with a skirt in place of trousers, high boots, a military-style frogged tunic, and a tall shako
Shako
A shako is a tall, cylindrical military cap, usually with a peak or visor and sometimes tapered at the top...
. Her army, in similar uniforms, looks like a crack drill team or chorus line.
Recent appearances
In the comic book, OzOz (comics)
Oz is a comic book series created by Ralph Griffth , Stuart Kerr , and Bill Bryan, artist. The series was begun by Caliber Comics...
, Jinjur is part of Oz's Fredom Fighters. In issue #0, it was revealed that her husband was turned into a jewel by Ruggedo and crushed in his hand.
Portrayals
Caroline Berner plays Jinjur in The Wonderful Land of OzThe Wonderful Land of Oz
The Wonderful Land of Oz is a 1969 film by Barry Mahon, based on the novel The Marvelous Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum. A low budget but faithful adaptation, the film stars Mahon's son, Channy as Tip, Zisca Baum as Mombi, Caroline Berner as General Jinjur, George Wadsworth as Jack Pumpkinhead, Gil...
. She has long dark hair, wears a green uniform, and generally acts impertinent while her army acts lackdaisical.
In the Anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series, Ozu no Mahōtsukai, she is depicted as a fiery red-head sporting a tiara, cape and mischievous smile.
Julee Cruise
Julee Cruise
Julee Cruise is an American singer, and actress.With a distinctive, airy voice, Cruise has recorded three albums, but is probably best known for the lead vocal on "Falling," the theme song for the cult U.S. television series Twin Peaks...
portrayed her in in a stage version
The Marvelous Land of Oz (musical)
The Marvelous Land of Oz is a musical play by Thomas W. Olson , Gary Briggle , and Richard Dworsky , based on the novel by L. Frank Baum...
performed by The Children's Theatre Company and School of Minneapolis that was released on home video
Home video
Home video is a blanket term used for pre-recorded media that is either sold or rented/hired for home cinema entertainment. The term originates from the VHS/Betamax era but has carried over into current optical disc formats like DVD and Blu-ray Disc and, to a lesser extent, into methods of digital...
by MCA
Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Universal Studios Home Entertainment is the home video division of Universal Pictures...
, though she sings in a much lower register than she does for David Lynch
David Lynch
David Keith Lynch is an American filmmaker, television director, visual artist, musician and occasional actor. Known for his surrealist films, he has developed his own unique cinematic style, which has been dubbed "Lynchian", and which is characterized by its dream imagery and meticulous sound...
and Angelo Badalamenti
Angelo Badalamenti
Angelo Badalamenti is an American composer, known for his movie soundtrack work for director David Lynch, notably Blue Velvet, the Twin Peaks saga and Mulholland Drive...
.