Vulgaria
Encyclopedia
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an barony visited by the Potts family and Truly Scrumptious
Truly Scrumptious
Truly Scrumptious is a fictional character in the 1968 film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, based on the children's novel of the same name by Ian Fleming.She does not appear in the book. In the film the character is portrayed by singer/actress Sally Ann Howes....
in their flying car, in the 1968 children's film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (film)
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is a 1968 musical film with a script by Roald Dahl and Ken Hughes, and songs by the Sherman Brothers, loosely based on Ian Fleming's novel Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: The Magical Car. It starred Dick Van Dyke as Caractacus Potts and Sally Ann Howes as Truly Scrumptious. The...
and the 2002 stage adaptation
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (musical)
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, also known as Chitty the Musical, is a stage musical based on the 1968 film produced by Cubby Broccoli. The music and lyrics were written by Richard and Robert Sherman with book by Jeremy Sams.-Productions:...
.
About Vulgaria
Vulgaria is a scenic, mountainous region similar to AustriaAustria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
or southern Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It is a remote and secluded country that is apparently not on any maps. Vulgaria's exact location in Europe is not known but it has a coast. The national language appears to be a form of English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, with slight touches of Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
and German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
included. The Baron and Baroness refer to each other as "Liebchen", and the words "Fräulein", "wunderbar" and "adieu" are heard. In addition, the Toymaker and several villagers can be seen wearing lederhosen
Lederhosen
Lederhosen are breeches made of leather; they may be either short or knee-length. The longer ones are generally called Bundhosen....
.
It is a barony ruled by the horrible Bomburst couple, the Baron Bomburst
Baron Bomburst
Baron Bomburst is a fictional character and the primary antagonist in the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. The character did not appear in Ian Fleming's original novel; it was created by the film's screenwriter, Roald Dahl. Played by Gert Fröbe, Bomburst rules the Barony of Vulgaria together with his...
and the Baroness Bomburst
Baroness Bomburst
Baroness Bomburst is a fictional character and one of the antagonists in the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and in the later stage musical adaptation. The character was created by screenwriter Roald Dahl and did not appear in the original Ian Fleming novel....
. They reside in their vast castle with thousands of servants and courtiers, all of whom are as cruel as they are, and they rule through fear and intimidation. Deep down, however, they are childish and flamboyant, and can also be considered stupid. The national symbols of Vulgaria are a black eagle and its flag which is a horizontal tricolor of black, white, and purple.
Neuschwanstein Castle was used to portray the Baron's castle in the film.
The story
As beautiful as Vulgaria seems at first, no children can be found playing in its streets and the citizens are distant and aloof. When Caractacus Potts and Truly Scrumptious arrive in the country with the twins Jeremy and Jemima, they are puzzled as to why the grim-faced, desolate townspeople are horrified to see the children. Potts remarks upon this and Truly whispers to him that there is not a single child in sight.Suddenly a fanfare sounds and the terrified citizens flee to their homes and lock themselves in. A friendly toymaker (Benny Hill
Benny Hill
Benny Hill was an English comedian and actor, notable for his long-running television programme The Benny Hill Show.-Early life:...
) takes the family in and hides them. He explains that the children are in grave danger, as the land is ruled over by the cruel and merciless Baron
Baron Bomburst
Baron Bomburst is a fictional character and the primary antagonist in the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. The character did not appear in Ian Fleming's original novel; it was created by the film's screenwriter, Roald Dahl. Played by Gert Fröbe, Bomburst rules the Barony of Vulgaria together with his...
and Baroness Bomburst
Baroness Bomburst
Baroness Bomburst is a fictional character and one of the antagonists in the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and in the later stage musical adaptation. The character was created by screenwriter Roald Dahl and did not appear in the original Ian Fleming novel....
. They hate children and have them captured and imprisoned by the inhuman Child Catcher
Child Catcher
The Child Catcher is the supporting antagonist of the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and in the later stage musical adaptation. The character was created by the film's screenwriter, Roald Dahl, and did not appear in the original Ian Fleming book...
, although a handful of children are in hiding in the sewers beneath the streets. The citizens of Vulgaria live in constant fear of their rulers.
Eventually, the Potts family encourage the children to strike back at the Bombursts, and plan to do so at the Baron's birthday party. A huge battle takes place in the castle between the children, the Bombursts, their army and the Child Catcher. Despite their power the Bombursts are ultimately wiped out by the army of villagers who rise to put an end to them. The Bombursts try to escape through a secret exit, but land in a cage and are trapped by the children and exiled.
The musical
- In the current stage musical the two Vulgarian spies had the following dialogue:
-
- Gordon: But can't I be Vulgar [A Vulgarian] AND be English?
- Boris: No! Then you would be American!
- In the musical, Vulgaria seems to be a dictatorshipDictatorshipA dictatorship is defined as an autocratic form of government in which the government is ruled by an individual, the dictator. It has three possible meanings:...
. In the film it is, strictly, merely the feudal estates attaching to the incumbent barony, Baron Bomburst. A baron is one of the lower ranks of nobilityNobilityNobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
. However, the extent and nature of the Baron's authority, the apparent deference of his subjects to his whims, and the size and population of the estate comprising Vulgaria might perhaps more likely have been historically associated with a higher ranking title such as a margraviate, a duchyDuchyA duchy is a territory, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess.Some duchies were sovereign in areas that would become unified realms only during the Modern era . In contrast, others were subordinate districts of those kingdoms that unified either partially or completely during the Medieval era...
, or a Grand DuchyGrand duchyA grand duchy, sometimes referred to as a grand dukedom, is a territory whose head of state is a monarch, either a grand duke or grand duchess.Today Luxembourg is the only remaining grand duchy...
.
- In the musical, Vulgaria seems to be a dictatorship
Other uses of the name "Vulgaria(n)"
- Another country named 'Vulgaria' is found in the Three StoogesThree StoogesThe Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy act of the early to mid–20th century best known for their numerous short subject films. Their hallmark was physical farce and extreme slapstick. In films, the Stooges were commonly known by their first names: "Moe, Larry, and Curly" and "Moe,...
' short film Dutiful But DumbDutiful But DumbDutiful but Dumb is the 54th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
. The Vulgarians shoot foreign photographers as spies; the Stooges are sent by a magazine to take pictures. - "Vulgaria" now colloquially refers to a neighborhood whose smaller single-family homes have been demolished and replaced with over-sized, ostentatious, architectural behemoths commonly referred to as "McMansionMcMansionMcMansion is a pejorative term for a large new house which is judged as pretentious, tasteless, or badly designed for its neighborhood. Alternately, a McMansion is a large house in a sub-division of similarly large houses, which all seem mass produced and lacking distinguishing characteristics, and...
s". - In the Finnish science-fiction spoof "Star Wreck: In the PirkinningStar Wreck: In the PirkinningStar Wreck: In the Pirkinning is a 2005 motion picture produced by five friends in a two-room flat with a small budget and the support of a few hundred fans and dozens of acquaintances. Star Wreck: In the Pirkinning is the seventh production in the Star Wreck movie series, the first of professional...
" the Vulcans of the original Star TrekStar TrekStar Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
franchise are parodied as "Vulgarians" (Vulgaarit in the Finnish original). - "The Vulgarians" by Robert Osborn was published in 1960 by the New York Graphic Society. The book described itself as "a satire in pictures and words" focused "on the decline of greatness and rise of mediocrity in America".
- The 2008 chick flickChick flickChick flick is a slang term for a film mainly dealing with love and romance designed to appeal to a female target audience. Although many types of films may be directed toward the female gender, "chick flick" is typically used only in reference to films that are heavy with emotion or contain themes...
Angus, Thongs and Perfect SnoggingAngus, Thongs and Perfect SnoggingAngus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging is a 2008 British coming of age film film co-written and directed by Gurinder Chadha starring Georgia Groome. It is based on two teenage novels by Louise Rennison: Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging and It's OK, I'm Wearing Really Big Knickers...
uses Vulgaria as a place slags go to. - Vulgarian is a term coined by Jack Hansen, one of 3 of the original Vulgarians now deceased, reluctantly used by members of the Appalachian Mountain Club to refer to a group of climbers who frequented the Shawangunk RidgeShawangunk RidgeThe Shawangunk Ridge , also known as the Shawangunk Mountains or The Gunks, is a ridge of bedrock in Ulster County, Sullivan County and Orange County in the state of New York, extending from the northernmost point of New Jersey to the Catskill Mountains.The ridgetop, which widens considerably at...
area during the late 1950s and 1960s. Most of the Vulgarians were college students from New York City. The Vulgarians were opposed to the Appalachian Mountain Club's (or anyone's) regulation of the sport of rock climbing. The Vulgarians, in turn, referred to the Appalachian Mountain Club members as "Appies". The Vulgarians were generally very adept climbers who pushed the technical standards of sport higher, but were also notorious for raucous partying and drug use, and the occasional nude climb. Dick Williams was a celebrated Vulgarian. A short-lived magazine named the "Vulgarian Digest" http://www.scribd.com/doc/7291095/Vulgarian-Digest was published by the group documenting some of their escapades, ethos, as well as non-climbing items of interest. - The term "Vulgarians" also refers to an ensemble of fictional renaissance festival characters that performed at the Michigan Renaissance FestivalMichigan Renaissance FestivalThe Michigan Renaissance Festival is a Renaissance fair, an interactive outdoor event that focuses on recreating the look and feel of a fictional English village called Hollygrove during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in the latter half of the 16th Century...
during the mid 1980s through the early 1990s, which were based in part on characters from the film, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. They wore primarily black or dark costumes with exaggerated features, as well as white makeup, behaved in an outrageous manner, and had a flag with a black eagle and purple background as their emblem. The Festival has recently revived the Vulgarians as part of the cast.
- It sounds like BulgariaBulgariaBulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...