John Thunstone
Encyclopedia
John Thunstone is a fictional character and the hero
of a series of stories by author Manly Wade Wellman
. Thunstone is a scholar and playboy
who investigates mysterious supernatural
events. He has the typical attributes of a heroic character being physically large and strong, intelligent, handsome, and wealthy. He is also well-read in occult
matters and has access to several weapons that are especially potent against vampire
s, werewolves and other supernatural creatures.
The name Thunstone is meant to evoke that of Saint Dunstan, patron saint of silversmiths and a noted opponent of the Devil
. Thunstone has a sword-cane with a silver
blade said to have been forged by the saint. The blade is inscribed with a text from Judges
chapter 5 in the Vulgate
, "Sic pereant omnes inimici tui" — "thus perish all your enemies". http://www.newadvent.org/bible/jdg005.htm The sword-cane had also been used by Wellman's earlier character, Judge Pursuivant
, who passed it on to Thunstone when his advanced age made him too weak to effectively wield it.
In addition to the ghost
s and other traditional supernatural beings, several of Thunstone's enemies are Wellman's unique creations. These include the shonokins, a race of human-like creatures who claim to have ruled North America
before the coming of humans. Thunstone's most persistent foe is a sorcerer named Rowley Thorne, who appears in a number of the stories. Thorne was loosely based on the real occultist Aleister Crowley
.
Thunstone originally appeared in short stories published in the pulp magazines. Wellman would later write two novels with Thunstone: What Dreams May Come
(1983) and The School of Darkness (1985). All his Thunstone short stories have been recently collected in The Third Cry to Legba and Other Invocations (2000).
In 1988, John Thunstone appeared in an episode, entitled "Rouse Him Not", of the anthology TV series Monsters. He was played by the actor Alex Cord
.
Hero
A hero , in Greek mythology and folklore, was originally a demigod, their cult being one of the most distinctive features of ancient Greek religion...
of a series of stories by author Manly Wade Wellman
Manly Wade Wellman
Manly Wade Wellman was an American writer. He is best known for his fantasy and horror stories set in the Appalachian Mountains and for drawing on the native folklore of that region, but he wrote in a wide variety of genres, including science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, detective...
. Thunstone is a scholar and playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
who investigates mysterious supernatural
Supernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
events. He has the typical attributes of a heroic character being physically large and strong, intelligent, handsome, and wealthy. He is also well-read in occult
Occult
The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...
matters and has access to several weapons that are especially potent against vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
s, werewolves and other supernatural creatures.
The name Thunstone is meant to evoke that of Saint Dunstan, patron saint of silversmiths and a noted opponent of the Devil
Devil
The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
. Thunstone has a sword-cane with a silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
blade said to have been forged by the saint. The blade is inscribed with a text from Judges
Book of Judges
The Book of Judges is the seventh book of the Hebrew bible and the Christian Old Testament. Its title describes its contents: it contains the history of Biblical judges, divinely inspired prophets whose direct knowledge of Yahweh allows them to act as decision-makers for the Israelites, as...
chapter 5 in the Vulgate
Vulgate
The Vulgate is a late 4th-century Latin translation of the Bible. It was largely the work of St. Jerome, who was commissioned by Pope Damasus I in 382 to make a revision of the old Latin translations...
, "Sic pereant omnes inimici tui" — "thus perish all your enemies". http://www.newadvent.org/bible/jdg005.htm The sword-cane had also been used by Wellman's earlier character, Judge Pursuivant
Judge Pursuivant
Judge Keith Hilary Pursuivant is a fictional character and a supporting character in a series of stories by author Manly Wade Wellman. Pursuivant is a retired judge, author, and occult scholar who investigates mysterious supernatural events....
, who passed it on to Thunstone when his advanced age made him too weak to effectively wield it.
In addition to the ghost
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
s and other traditional supernatural beings, several of Thunstone's enemies are Wellman's unique creations. These include the shonokins, a race of human-like creatures who claim to have ruled North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
before the coming of humans. Thunstone's most persistent foe is a sorcerer named Rowley Thorne, who appears in a number of the stories. Thorne was loosely based on the real occultist Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley , born Edward Alexander Crowley, and also known as both Frater Perdurabo and The Great Beast, was an influential English occultist, astrologer, mystic and ceremonial magician, responsible for founding the religious philosophy of Thelema. He was also successful in various other...
.
Thunstone originally appeared in short stories published in the pulp magazines. Wellman would later write two novels with Thunstone: What Dreams May Come
What Dreams May Come (1983 novel)
What Dreams May Come is a novel by American author Manly Wade Wellman. It is the second of three novels featuring supernatural investigator John Thunstone. The book derives its title from a line in Hamlet's famous "To be, or not to be..." soliloquy....
(1983) and The School of Darkness (1985). All his Thunstone short stories have been recently collected in The Third Cry to Legba and Other Invocations (2000).
In 1988, John Thunstone appeared in an episode, entitled "Rouse Him Not", of the anthology TV series Monsters. He was played by the actor Alex Cord
Alex Cord
Alex Cord is an American actor who is perhaps best known for portraying the role of Archangel on the television series Airwolf.-Biography:...
.