Whangdoodle
Encyclopedia
The Whangdoodle is a fanciful creature
, as described in folklore
and children's literature
, most notably used by British authors Roald Dahl
and Julie Andrews
.
It is of American origin circa 1856. Popularized by appearing in a sermon parody attributed to William P. Brannan as "Where the lion roareth and the whangdoodle mourneth for her first-born," published in The Harp of a Thousand Strings: Or, Laughter for a Lifetime (1858).
's books called The Minpins
, the whangdoodles are mentioned by the mother of one of the main characters when she is telling him not to go in a forest because Whangdoodles live there.
James and the Giant Peach
One of the firemen near the end of the book refers to the centipede as a Whangdoodle.
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Willy Wonka mentions that he saved the Oompa Loompas from Whangdoodles and various other monsters.
by singer and actress Dame Julie Andrews
(under her married name Julie Edwards — more recent editions credit her as Julie Andrews Edwards).
A Whangdoodle is an intelligent
creature that is capable of speech
. (The last Whangdoodle also likes candy a great deal; his favorite kind is called "wodge".)
It resembles a moose
with rather short legs, fantastic horns
and has a sweet tooth
often marked with a daisy. It can change color based on its emotion
s (for example, blue is depressed) and grows a new set of bedroom slipper
s on its feet each year. Their bedroom slippers can be any color with any design. Even the Whangdoodles themselves do not know what their next bedroom slippers will look like until they start to appear on their feet.
Countless theories about the origin of Whangdoodles have been propounded through the ages. Recent research performed by Professor Tiberius Quidpro PHD, SC, DD, details a book recovered from the Papal archives written by Cornelius Tacitus ca. AD 56, a Roman historian and senator of the Roman Empire, in which, suggests Julie Andrews Edwards based her book loosely on a “Mystical-Being” born somewhere in the area around the Mediterranean, ca. BC 12. Tacitus’ book ‘Perpexia Priscus Vicis Insulto, a di Obduro Maximus Whangdoolius’; translated from Latin as “Mysteries of the Ancient Time Reviled by the Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles” tells a detailed accounting of the life of a man named “Libròs Jòsef Matthias Maximus”. In his writings Tacitus explains how Libròs Jòsef Matthias Maximus was imbued with powers by the god and goddess Faunus and Justitia to balance the world of man and beast. Jove the ruler of the gods, impressed with his findings, bestowed upon him the title of ‘Whangdoodle’, and charging him with continuing this task until all man and beast are gone or a suitable replacement is found.
In the book, the spread of human
ity and technology
across the world threatens the Whangdoodle species with extinction
, not because they are not hunted by humans but rather because they are endangered by their own shyness
and by depression
caused by humankind's rationalistic
disbelief in fantastic creatures. The last surviving Whangdoodle retreats to Whangdoodleland, a place where humans cannot follow, and lives in a castle
, reigning as king
over the land, which is filled with fantastic creatures.
Over time, they visit Whangdoodleland repeatedly, each time coming closer to their goal of reaching the Whangdoodle's palace. They meet many strange creatures, including the beautiful but messy Whiffle Bird. She becomes their guide and saves them many times with her warnings, which are always useful though often hard to decipher. Many monsters are sent by the oily Prock, who is the Prime Minister of Whangdoodleland and does not want them to meet the Whangdoodle. After many adventures during which the children show great bravery, they are finally able to reach the palace and meet the fabulous Whangdoodle. They realize that his greatest desire is another Whangdoodle to keep him company. He and the children convince the professor to use his scientific skill to try to create a female Whangdoodle. After great effort, the professor does so, allowing the Whangdoodle to marry and no longer be lonely. The entire land rejoices, and the children return home, with the promise that they will visit again.
include a mention a Whangdoodle singing in the titular hobo
's paradise.
Legendary creature
A legendary creature is a mythological or folkloric creature.-Origin:Some mythical creatures have their origin in traditional mythology and have been believed to be real creatures, for example the dragon, the unicorn, and griffin...
, as described in folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
and children's literature
Children's literature
Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...
, most notably used by British authors Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl was a British novelist, short story writer, fighter pilot and screenwriter.Born in Wales to Norwegian parents, he served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, in which he became a flying ace and intelligence agent, rising to the rank of Wing Commander...
and Julie Andrews
Julie Andrews
Dame Julia Elizabeth Andrews, DBE is an English film and stage actress, singer, and author. She is the recipient of Golden Globe, Emmy, Grammy, BAFTA, People's Choice Award, Theatre World Award, Screen Actors Guild and Academy Award honors...
.
It is of American origin circa 1856. Popularized by appearing in a sermon parody attributed to William P. Brannan as "Where the lion roareth and the whangdoodle mourneth for her first-born," published in The Harp of a Thousand Strings: Or, Laughter for a Lifetime (1858).
The Minpins
In one of Roald DahlRoald Dahl
Roald Dahl was a British novelist, short story writer, fighter pilot and screenwriter.Born in Wales to Norwegian parents, he served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, in which he became a flying ace and intelligence agent, rising to the rank of Wing Commander...
's books called The Minpins
The Minpins
The Minpins is a book by Roald Dahl with illustrations by Patrick Benson. It was published in 1991, a few months after Dahl's death in November 1990, and it is believed to be the author's final contribution to literature after an illustrious career spanning almost half a century.-Synopsis:Little...
, the whangdoodles are mentioned by the mother of one of the main characters when she is telling him not to go in a forest because Whangdoodles live there.
James and the Giant PeachJames and the Giant PeachJames and the Giant Peach is a popular children's novel written in 1961 by British author Roald Dahl. The original first edition published by Alfred Knopf featured illustrations by Nancy Ekholm Burkert. However, there have been various reillustrated versions of it over the years, done by Michael...
One of the firemen near the end of the book refers to the centipede as a Whangdoodle.Willy Wonka & the Chocolate FactoryWilly Wonka & the Chocolate FactoryWilly Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is a 1971 musical film adaptation of the 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, directed by Mel Stuart, and starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. The film tells the story of Charlie Bucket as he receives a golden ticket and visits Willy...
Willy Wonka mentions that he saved the Oompa Loompas from Whangdoodles and various other monsters.The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles
A different Whangdoodle is described in the children's novel The Last of the Really Great WhangdoodlesThe Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles
The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles is a children's novel written by Julie Edwards, the married name of singer and actress Dame Julie Andrews. More recent editions credit the book to "Julie Andrews Edwards".-Plot summary:...
by singer and actress Dame Julie Andrews
Julie Andrews
Dame Julia Elizabeth Andrews, DBE is an English film and stage actress, singer, and author. She is the recipient of Golden Globe, Emmy, Grammy, BAFTA, People's Choice Award, Theatre World Award, Screen Actors Guild and Academy Award honors...
(under her married name Julie Edwards — more recent editions credit her as Julie Andrews Edwards).
A Whangdoodle is an intelligent
Intelligence
Intelligence has been defined in different ways, including the abilities for abstract thought, understanding, communication, reasoning, learning, planning, emotional intelligence and problem solving....
creature that is capable of speech
Speech
Speech is the human faculty of speaking.It may also refer to:* Public speaking, the process of speaking to a group of people* Manner of articulation, how the body parts involved in making speech are manipulated...
. (The last Whangdoodle also likes candy a great deal; his favorite kind is called "wodge".)
It resembles a moose
Moose
The moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...
with rather short legs, fantastic horns
Horn (anatomy)
A horn is a pointed projection of the skin on the head of various animals, consisting of a covering of horn surrounding a core of living bone. True horns are found mainly among the ruminant artiodactyls, in the families Antilocapridae and Bovidae...
and has a sweet tooth
Sweet tooth
Sweet Tooth may refer to:* Sweet Tooth , a character in the Twisted Metal video game series* Sweet Tooth , a strip in the British comic Whizzer and Chips, and later Buster...
often marked with a daisy. It can change color based on its emotion
Emotion
Emotion is a complex psychophysiological experience of an individual's state of mind as interacting with biochemical and environmental influences. In humans, emotion fundamentally involves "physiological arousal, expressive behaviors, and conscious experience." Emotion is associated with mood,...
s (for example, blue is depressed) and grows a new set of bedroom slipper
Slipper
A slipper or houseshoe is a semi-closed type of indoor/outdoor shoe, consisting of a sole held to the wearer's foot by a strap running over the toes or instep. Slippers are soft and lightweight compared to other types of footwear. They are mostly made of soft or comforting materials that allow a...
s on its feet each year. Their bedroom slippers can be any color with any design. Even the Whangdoodles themselves do not know what their next bedroom slippers will look like until they start to appear on their feet.
Countless theories about the origin of Whangdoodles have been propounded through the ages. Recent research performed by Professor Tiberius Quidpro PHD, SC, DD, details a book recovered from the Papal archives written by Cornelius Tacitus ca. AD 56, a Roman historian and senator of the Roman Empire, in which, suggests Julie Andrews Edwards based her book loosely on a “Mystical-Being” born somewhere in the area around the Mediterranean, ca. BC 12. Tacitus’ book ‘Perpexia Priscus Vicis Insulto, a di Obduro Maximus Whangdoolius’; translated from Latin as “Mysteries of the Ancient Time Reviled by the Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles” tells a detailed accounting of the life of a man named “Libròs Jòsef Matthias Maximus”. In his writings Tacitus explains how Libròs Jòsef Matthias Maximus was imbued with powers by the god and goddess Faunus and Justitia to balance the world of man and beast. Jove the ruler of the gods, impressed with his findings, bestowed upon him the title of ‘Whangdoodle’, and charging him with continuing this task until all man and beast are gone or a suitable replacement is found.
In the book, the spread of human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
ity and technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
across the world threatens the Whangdoodle species with extinction
Extinction
In biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or of a group of organisms , normally a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point...
, not because they are not hunted by humans but rather because they are endangered by their own shyness
Shyness
In humans, shyness is a social psychology term used to describe the feeling of apprehension, lack of comfort, or awkwardness experienced when a person is in proximity to, approaching, or being approached by other people, especially in new situations or with unfamiliar people...
and by depression
Depression (mood)
Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings and physical well-being. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, or restless...
caused by humankind's rationalistic
Rationalism
In epistemology and in its modern sense, rationalism is "any view appealing to reason as a source of knowledge or justification" . In more technical terms, it is a method or a theory "in which the criterion of the truth is not sensory but intellectual and deductive"...
disbelief in fantastic creatures. The last surviving Whangdoodle retreats to Whangdoodleland, a place where humans cannot follow, and lives in a castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
, reigning as king
King
- Centers of population :* King, Ontario, CanadaIn USA:* King, Indiana* King, North Carolina* King, Lincoln County, Wisconsin* King, Waupaca County, Wisconsin* King County, Washington- Moving-image works :Television:...
over the land, which is filled with fantastic creatures.
Plot summary
Two brothers and a sister named Ben, Tom and Lindy meet an eccentric but delightful man on an outing to the zoo. He tells them about the whangdoodle and that there is only one left. The boys did not believe that the whangdoodle really existed. So the man told them to look it up in the dictionary. A few days later on Halloween, Tom dares Lindy to knock on the door of a house that has a reputation for being haunted. To their surprise, the same man lives there. He is Professor Savant, a geneticist who has recently won the Nobel science Prize. The children and professor become great friends. As they spend more and more time with him, he teaches them to pay attention to the world around them, and exercise their imaginations. He tells them about the Whangdoodle and Whangdoodleland, which he has been studying for many years; however, although he has visited the land, he has never been able to meet the Whangdoodle himself, and has almost given up on doing so. He realizes that the children, whose imaginations are far more flexible due to their youth, may be able to help him, and they enthusiastically agree to do so.Over time, they visit Whangdoodleland repeatedly, each time coming closer to their goal of reaching the Whangdoodle's palace. They meet many strange creatures, including the beautiful but messy Whiffle Bird. She becomes their guide and saves them many times with her warnings, which are always useful though often hard to decipher. Many monsters are sent by the oily Prock, who is the Prime Minister of Whangdoodleland and does not want them to meet the Whangdoodle. After many adventures during which the children show great bravery, they are finally able to reach the palace and meet the fabulous Whangdoodle. They realize that his greatest desire is another Whangdoodle to keep him company. He and the children convince the professor to use his scientific skill to try to create a female Whangdoodle. After great effort, the professor does so, allowing the Whangdoodle to marry and no longer be lonely. The entire land rejoices, and the children return home, with the promise that they will visit again.
The Big Rock Candy Mountain
Some versions of the song The Big Rock Candy MountainBig Rock Candy Mountain
Big Rock Candy Mountain, first recorded by Harry McClintock in 1928, is a song about a hobo's idea of paradise, a modern version of the medieval concept of Cockaigne...
include a mention a Whangdoodle singing in the titular hobo
Hobo
A hobo is a term which is often applied to a migratory worker or homeless vagabond, often penniless. The term originated in the Western—probably Northwestern—United States during the last decade of the 19th century. Unlike 'tramps', who work only when they are forced to, and 'bums', who do not...
's paradise.