Nelebel's Fairyland
Encyclopedia
Nelebel's Fairyland is a twentieth-century fairy tale
, a fantasy
short story
written by L. Frank Baum
, famous as the creator of the Land of Oz
. The story was first printed in the June 1905 issue of The Russ, the student newspaper of Russ High School in San Diego, California
. It was reprinted in The Baum Bugle
in 1962, and again in a 1980 collection of some of Baum's short fiction.
In the context of Baum's fantasy world, "Nelebel's Fairyland" is noteworthy as one of the small cluster of works that invoke Baum's specific non-Oz fairy domain, the Forest of Burzee
, with its distinctive inhabitants of ryls and knooks and gigans as well as the more traditional fairies
, pixies, and gnomes
. In the story, the queen of the Burzee fairies is Lulea, as in Queen Zixi of Ix
, rather than Zurline, as in The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus
.
"Nelebel's Fairyland" tells of how the fairy princess Nelebel was exiled from the Forest of Burzee for some unknown offense. She and her retinue of ryls, knooks, and gigans travel across the sea to a strange shore. Nelebel's retinue magically terraform the place into a beautiful landscape — known today as San Diego Bay
.
"The Nelebel story provides our earliest evidence that Baum's imaginary world" of Oz, Burzee, and their related and neighboring countries "is located somewhere in the Pacific Ocean." Baum would confirm this point of geography two years later: in his 1907 novel Ozma of Oz
, Dorothy arrives in the Land of Ev
, a borderland of Oz, after being washed overboard on a voyage from the United States to Australia.
Baum uses his ryls and knooks in several narratives, but "gigans" are mentioned solely in this story, nowhere else in his canon. The creatures are described as "only strong and faithful." They build up the terrain of San Diego Bay, including Point Loma, by playing in the sand while Nelebel sleeps. Baum also writes that "seventy-four years, five months and eight days after the events I am recording, Queen Lulea, becoming annoyed at the awkwardness of the huge gigans, transformed them into rampsies — the smallest of all immortals. So there are no gigans at all, in these days."
Fairy tale
A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...
, a fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
written 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...
, famous as the creator of the Land of Oz
Land of Oz
Oz is a fantasy region containing four lands under the rule of one monarch.It was first introduced in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, one of many fantasy countries that he created for his books. It achieved a popularity that none of his other works attained, and after four years, he...
. The story was first printed in the June 1905 issue of The Russ, the student newspaper of Russ High School in San Diego, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It was reprinted in The Baum Bugle
The Baum Bugle
The Baum Bugle: A Journal of Oz is the official journal of The International Wizard of Oz Club. The journal was founded in 1957, with its first issue released in June of that year . It publishes three times per year, with issues dated Spring, Autumn, and Winter; Issue No. 1 of Volume 50 appeared in...
in 1962, and again in a 1980 collection of some of Baum's short fiction.
In the context of Baum's fantasy world, "Nelebel's Fairyland" is noteworthy as one of the small cluster of works that invoke Baum's specific non-Oz fairy domain, the Forest of Burzee
Forest of Burzee
The Forest of Burzee is a fictional fairy-tale land originated by L. Frank Baum, famous as the creator of the Land of Oz.Baum first introduced the Forest of Burzee in his 1902 book The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, where the fictional setting receives its most extensive treatment and detailed...
, with its distinctive inhabitants of ryls and knooks and gigans as well as the more traditional fairies
Fairy
A fairy is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, a form of spirit, often described as metaphysical, supernatural or preternatural.Fairies resemble various beings of other mythologies, though even folklore that uses the term...
, pixies, and gnomes
Gnome
A gnome is a diminutive spirit in Renaissance magic and alchemy, first introduced by Paracelsus and later adopted by more recent authors including those of modern fantasy literature...
. In the story, the queen of the Burzee fairies is Lulea, as in Queen Zixi of Ix
Queen Zixi of Ix
Queen Zixi of Ix, or The Story of the Magic Cloak is a children's book written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by Frederick Richardson. It was originally serialized in the early 20th century American children's magazine St. Nicholas from November 1904 to October 1905, and was published in book...
, rather than Zurline, as in The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus
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.-Infancy, Youth, Motivation:...
.
"Nelebel's Fairyland" tells of how the fairy princess Nelebel was exiled from the Forest of Burzee for some unknown offense. She and her retinue of ryls, knooks, and gigans travel across the sea to a strange shore. Nelebel's retinue magically terraform the place into a beautiful landscape — known today as San Diego Bay
San Diego Bay
San Diego Bay is a natural harbor and deepwater port adjacent to San Diego, California. It is 12 mi/19 km long, 1 mi/1.6 km–3 mi/4.8 km wide...
.
"The Nelebel story provides our earliest evidence that Baum's imaginary world" of Oz, Burzee, and their related and neighboring countries "is located somewhere in the Pacific Ocean." Baum would confirm this point of geography two years later: in his 1907 novel 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....
, Dorothy arrives in the Land of Ev
Land of Ev
The Land of Ev is a fictional country in the Oz books of L. Frank Baum and his successors. Its exact location is unclear between text and maps. The Road to Oz states that Ev is to the north of the Land of Oz, and in Ozma of Oz, Princess Ozma of Oz and her procession enter the Munchkin Country and...
, a borderland of Oz, after being washed overboard on a voyage from the United States to Australia.
Baum uses his ryls and knooks in several narratives, but "gigans" are mentioned solely in this story, nowhere else in his canon. The creatures are described as "only strong and faithful." They build up the terrain of San Diego Bay, including Point Loma, by playing in the sand while Nelebel sleeps. Baum also writes that "seventy-four years, five months and eight days after the events I am recording, Queen Lulea, becoming annoyed at the awkwardness of the huge gigans, transformed them into rampsies — the smallest of all immortals. So there are no gigans at all, in these days."