Star Wars sources and analogues

Star Wars – the Sci-Fi saga and cultural touchstone – is acknowledged to have been inspired by many sources. These include Hinduism, Qigong, Greek philosophy, Greek mythology, Roman history, Roman mythology, parts of the Abrahamic religions, Confucianism, Shintō and Taoism, and countless cinematic precursors. There’s also speculation that Star Wars also takes inspirations from pre-Roman Celtic folklore (King Arthur’s legends are post-Roman, set around the third century AD.)[1]

George Lucas has said that chivalry, knighthood, paladinism and related institutions in feudal societies inspired some concepts in the Star Wars movies, most notably the Jedi Knights. The work of the mythologist Joseph Campbell, especially his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces, directly influenced Lucas, and is what drove him to create the 'modern myth' of Star Wars. The natural flow of energy known as The Force is believed to have originated from the concept of prana, or qi/chi/ki, "the all-pervading vital energy of the universe".

Amongst the celebratory 30th anniversary of Star Wars, The History Channel premiered a 2-hour event covering the entire Star Wars saga entitled Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed. Featuring interviews from the likes of Stephen Colbert, Newt Gingrich, Nancy Pelosi, Tom Brokaw, Dan Rather, Peter Jackson, acclaimed scholars and others, the program delved further into the Heroic Epic concept and the influences of mythology and other motifs that were important in making Star Wars. Subjects include sins of the father and redeeming the father, coming of age, exiting the ordinary world and others.

Similarities and inspirations

Film and television

The classic science fiction film serial Flash Gordon served as an inspiration for Star Wars.

Literature

The legendary King Arthur (illustrated in the center) has a significant parallel to Luke Skywalker as a young hero embarking on a journey to restore peace and justice to his society.

Opera

Historical

The Samurai, nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan, are a strong influence on the concept of the Jedi as sword fighting martial artist warriors who served as guardians of society.

Modern and early modern history

The stormtroopers from the movies share a name with the Nazi stormtroopers (see also Sturmabteilung). Imperial officers' uniforms also resemble some historical German Army uniforms (see Wehrmacht) and the political and security officers of the Empire resemble the black clad SS down to the imitation silver death's head insignia on their officer's caps. World War II terms were used for names in Star Wars; examples include the planets Kessel (a term that refers to a group of encircled forces), Hoth (Hermann Hoth was a German general who served on the snow laden Eastern Front), and Tatooine (Tataouine - a province south of Tunis in Tunisia, roughly where Lucas filmed for the planet; Libya was a WWII arena of war).[19] Palpatine being Chancellor before becoming Emperor mirrors Adolf Hitler's role as Chancellor before appointing himself Dictator. The Great Jedi Purge alludes to the events of The Holocaust, the Great Purge, the Cultural Revolution, and the Night of the Long Knives. In addition, Lucas himself has drawn parallels between Palpatine and his rise to power to historical dictators such as Julius Caesar, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Adolf Hitler. The final medal awarding scene in A New Hope, however, references Leni Riefenstahl's Triumph of the Will.[20] The space battles in A New Hope were based on filmed World War I and World War II dogfights.[2]

Continuing the use of Nazi inspiration for the Empire, J. J. Abrams, the director of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, has said that the First Order, an Imperial offshoot which will possibly serve as the main antagonist of the sequel trilogy, is also inspired by another aspect of the Nazi regime. Abrams spoke of how several Nazis fled to Argentina after the war and he claims that the concept for the First Order came from conversations between the scriptwriters about what would have happened if they had started working together again.[21]

In a 2005 interview, George Lucas was asked the origins of the name "Darth Vader", and replied: "Darth is a variation of dark. And Vader is a variation of father. So it's basically Dark Father." (Rolling Stone, June 2, 2005). "Vader" is the Dutch word for "father" (the Dutch word is instead pronounced "fah-der"), and the German word for "father" (Vater) is similar. However, in the earliest scripts for Star Wars, the name "Darth Vader" was given to a human Imperial general with no apparent relationships.[22]

Ancient and medieval history

A depiction of a science fictional civilization living a medieval Earth-like existence; a concept that Star Wars is a major example of.

References

  1. "Celtic myths: the tales that might have inspired Star Wars and Harry Potter". History Extra.
  2. 1 2 Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy (documentary). 2004.
  3. 1 2 "Movies Star Wars: Episode 3 – Revenge of the Sith". Christianity Today. Archived from the original on May 8, 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-17.
  4. Trek Nation (2010 documentary)
  5. Higgs, John (November 7, 2015). "The Hero's Journey: The idea you never knew had shaped Star Wars". Salon. Retrieved May 24, 2016.
  6. Seastrom, Lucas O. (October 22, 2015). "MYTHIC DISCOVERY WITHIN THE INNER REACHES OF OUTER SPACE: JOSEPH CAMPBELL MEETS GEORGE LUCAS – PART I". StarWars.com. Retrieved May 24, 2016.
  7. "FREE Luke Skywalker vs. King Arthur Essay". exampleessays.com.
  8. "Star Wars/Arthurian Legend Comparison Tale". angelfire.com.
  9. The Medieval Hero on Screen: Representations from Beowulf to Buffy edited by Martha W. Driver, Sid Ray
  10. The Complete Idiot's Guide to World Mythology by Evans Lansing Smith, Nathan Robert Brown
  11. "Frank Herbert's Epic Dune Series". Kirkus Reviews.
  12. "The Quietus - Opinion - In Defence Of... - Wild Sting: In Defence Of Dune". The Quietus.
  13. "Star Wars Origins - Frank Herbert's Dune". moongadget.com.
  14. Kensler, Chris. "How 'Dune' almost prevented 'Star Wars' from ever being". Fox News.
  15. O'Falt, Chris. "Q&A: 'Jodorowsky's Dune' Explores the Unmade Space Epic That Paved the Way for 'Star Wars'". The Hollywood Reporter.
  16. "Kirby, Lucas, and Campbell". Kirby Dynamics.
  17. Ro, Ronin (2004). Tales To Astonish : Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, and the American Comic Book Revolution. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 199. ISBN 1-58234-345-4.
  18. http://www.trell.org/wagner/starwars.html
  19. 1 2 Klein, Christopher. "The Real History That Inspired "Star Wars"". HISTORY.com.
  20. "Star Wars: Attack of the Clones". TIME Magazine. 2002-04-21. Archived from the original on 2002-06-05. Retrieved 2009-12-13. The people give their democracy to a dictator, whether it's Julius Caesar or Napoleon or Adolf Hitler. Ultimately, the general population goes along with the idea ... That's the issue I've been exploring: how did the Republic turn into the Empire?
  21. Dyer, James. "JJ Abrams Spills Details On Kylo Ren".
  22. "George Lucas and the Cult of Darth Vader". Rolling Stone.
  23. Sword Fighting in the Star Wars Universe: Historical Origins, Style and Philosophy by Nick Jamilla
  24. The Mythology of Star Wars (2000 documentary)
  25. Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
  26. Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
  27. Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
  28. Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1997 special edition, 2004 DVD edition)
  29. Henthorne, Tom. "Boys to Men: Medievalism and Masculinity in Star Wars and ET: The Extra-Terrestrial." The Medieval Hero on Screen: Representations from Beowulf to Buffy (2004): 73-90.
  30. Star Wars: Evolution of the Lightsaber Duel (2015 documentary)

External links

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