Welcome to Day 4 of the AtoZChallenge and the letter D. Every day in April (except Sundays) I will be making a post about shapeshifters of all kinds. Check back to see my choices and, from time to time some flash fiction too.
D is for
Thulsa Doom
Thulsa Doom is basically responsible for creating Conan. By massacring Conan's people, the Cimmerians, when Conan was a child, and sending him to the Wheel of Pain to be a slave, Doom set Conan on the path that made him the great warrior he became.
When we first meet him, Doom is a raiding wardlord with his eyes on world domination. When we meet him again after Conan is grown, he is a charismatic cult leader who demands total loyalty from his followers until death.
His cult is that of the snake and Thulsa Doom has the ultimate power to turn himself into a huge serpent. Of course he never expected Conan to come looking for revenge.
Werewolf of the Day
Draugluin (Legendarium J.R.R. Tolkien)
I bring you a classic werewolf today, the lord and sire of his kind. Draugluin is a werewolf created by J.R.R. Tolkein in his epic, the Silmarillion. Draugluin means blue wolf in Sindarin, and unlike the werewolves of other universes, the werewolves of middle earth do not transform into men, they are always wolves, but they have the intelligence of mortal men.
Draugluin was created by Sauron himself with the aid of Morgoth. Bred from the wolves of the first age he was inhabited with an evil spirit and became an abomination. He is the sire to all werewolves, which may also have mutated into the wargs of the third age.
He lived in Tol-in-Gaurhoth with Sauron, his master, and was killed by Huan during the Quest for the Silmaril. He was the greatest of all werewolves.
Thank you for visiting.
- IMHO James Earl Jones has one of the two best voices in cinema history, the other being Morgan Freeman, do you agree?
- Are you a Tolkein fan? Have you read the Silmarillion?
I haven't yet read the Silmarillion (I know...), so I hadn't heard of the Draugluin. Very interesting. And Thulsa Doom! I didn't remember him until you mentioned he was played by James Earl Jones, then it came back. :) Such a great actor.
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Hi Tasha - I had the Silmarllion at one stage - but didn't read it ... Tolkein was an amazing writer and creator of worlds. James Earl Jones and Morgan Freeman have wonderful voices ... cheers Hilary
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Oh, that voice - it's so easily identifiable and clear. As Darth Vader, he stole the film with his voice alone. Morgan Freeman's narrative in Shawshank is also a winner.
ReplyDeleteI'm a Tolkien fan since a small child, but must confess I've not read the Silmarillion.
@Raesquiggles from
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I read the Silmarillion a long time ago and don't remember Draugluin... I probably should get round to reading it again.
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Conan was a great movie and having James Earl Jones in it made it even better...and with that hair. Ha!
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Love the Conan movies. And who doesn't love James earl jones? He is the voice of the beloved Darth Vader. And yes, I agree that Morgan freeman has the best voice, but so did Alan Rickman :( and Benedict Cumberbatch too.
ReplyDeleteI LOVED the Silmarillion when I was a teenager. I moved on to actual mythologies later, but at the time, it was so epic and melodramatic and full of angst, it was perfect for a teen romantic... :D I still have a soft spot for it.
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I haven't read Tolkien, but have seen some of the movies. I remember Jones turning into that snake--so creepy.
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Werewolf of the day... That's awesome. I read some Tolkien, but I was more fascinated by his life story than the books he wrote.
ReplyDeleteThe Silmarillion was far too dense for me to read despite loving the LOTR books, so I had no idea Tolkein had created a werewolf. You learn something every day, I guess!
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I never imagined the stately James Earl Jones as an evil-doer. What fun! Yes, he and Morgan Freeman have distinctive, well-modulated voices as does Sir John Gielgud. (I actually saw Sir John Gielgud walking down the street in London one day.) Lauren Bacall has a pretty awesome voice, too, and Kathy Bates's voice can send chills down your spine when the occasion calls for it.
ReplyDeleteHubby and I used to watch all the Conan tales. And I agree, Jones and Freeman have excellent narrative voices. Also John Forsythe and Charlton Heston.
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James Earl Jones, Morgan Freeman, and Barry White. I could listen to them ALL day and ALL night!
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I have a first edition Silmarillion, and no I haven't read it (though I've tried). And yes there's not many with a voice like James Earl Jones.
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Does having three copies of the LOTR make me a fan? I think it is time to dust off the Silmarillion and read it again.
ReplyDeleteAwesome analysis of Conan I enjoyed reading it. I am a Tolkein fan, but haven't read The Silmarillion. It is in my pile of TBR.
ReplyDeleteThanks For sharing :)
Cheers!
I'm a James Earl Jones fan so this comes as a pleasant surprise. Might have to watch him as Thulsa Doom. Tolkien yes, but I admit I didn't finish the series. Went straight to the movies. Thanks Tasha! Your theme is amazing.
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With a name like Doom, he probably wasn't going to be nice.
ReplyDeleteI am a Tolkien fan but haven't got round to the Silmarillion. I hear it is a bit dense, but I ought to get to it someday!
In some ways, the Devil could be considered a shapeshifter, thought you could argue he's more of an illusionist.
ReplyDeleteJames Earl Jones and Morgan Freeman both have great voices. I don't remember much from Conan as I saw it so many years ago. I never got into Tolkien past elementary school, but I know the stories are popular.
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