Gothic - Mythogical references in Bond novels (minor spoilers)
perdogg
Posts: 432MI6 Agent
Has anyone noticed the gothic/mytholgical references in the novels?
Take Moonraker, both Willy Krebs and Dr Walter are described as "freakish" (as are the two goons in TSWLM who tried to torch The Shady Pine) and the general description of Hugo Drax is almost of that of a monster.
It is said that Simone Latrelle (Solitaire) is modeled after the "White witch of Jamaica" Annie Palmer. Mr Big being akin to the Baron Samedi.
Gala Brand's full name is Galatea, who was a mythical sea nymph.
Dr No's descriptions is that of alien from outer space:
"It was impossible to tell Doctor No's age...there were no lines on the face. It was odd to see the forehead as smooth as the top of a polished skull. Even the cavernous indrawn cheeks below below the prominent cheekbone looked as smooth as fine ivory. There was something Daliesque about the eyebrows, which were fine and black and sharply upswept as if they had been painted on as make-up for the conjurer. Below them, slanting jet black eyes stared out of the skull. They were without eyelashes......The fine thin nose ended very close above the a wide compressed wound of a mouth which...showed only cruelty and authority,"
The Disco Volante or Flying Saucer in TB
The numerous references to Dragons; e.g. Draco and Drax.
Take Moonraker, both Willy Krebs and Dr Walter are described as "freakish" (as are the two goons in TSWLM who tried to torch The Shady Pine) and the general description of Hugo Drax is almost of that of a monster.
It is said that Simone Latrelle (Solitaire) is modeled after the "White witch of Jamaica" Annie Palmer. Mr Big being akin to the Baron Samedi.
Gala Brand's full name is Galatea, who was a mythical sea nymph.
Dr No's descriptions is that of alien from outer space:
"It was impossible to tell Doctor No's age...there were no lines on the face. It was odd to see the forehead as smooth as the top of a polished skull. Even the cavernous indrawn cheeks below below the prominent cheekbone looked as smooth as fine ivory. There was something Daliesque about the eyebrows, which were fine and black and sharply upswept as if they had been painted on as make-up for the conjurer. Below them, slanting jet black eyes stared out of the skull. They were without eyelashes......The fine thin nose ended very close above the a wide compressed wound of a mouth which...showed only cruelty and authority,"
The Disco Volante or Flying Saucer in TB
The numerous references to Dragons; e.g. Draco and Drax.
"And if I told you that I'm from the Ministry of Defence?" James Bond - The Property of a Lady
Comments
I'm with you. Two more examples would be the 'dragon' in Dr. No, and the giant octopus attack (!).
Not to mention the whole affair at Dr. Shatterhand's garden of death.
~ Casino Royale, Ian Fleming
http://www.archive.org/stream/devilwithjamesbo008995mbp/devilwithjamesbo008995mbp_djvu.txt
particularly in Chapter 4, "Doctor No Revisited".
Always thought that was a good one.
Dr No was based on Fu Manchu by Sax Rohmer. In Fact, there are similar scenes in "The Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu".
Point to ponder. Both Aleister Crowley (Basis for Le Chiffre in Casino Royale) and Sax Rohmer were in the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.
~ Casino Royale, Ian Fleming
There's plenty of Gothic stuff in Ian Fleming's penultimate James Bond novel You Only Live Twice.
1. Le Chiffre – Some say that the character is based on Aleister Crowley, member Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.
2. The Nine of Hearts – In Tarot cards, the nine of hearts is sometimes titled Happiness, but it is also known as Victory.
3. Agent 007 – 7 being a lucky number.
Live and Let Die
1. General reference to Voodoo.
2. Mr BIG being described as a corpse who has washed up.
3. Solitaire – Some say that the character is based on Annie Palmer, the White Witch of Rose Hall, Jamaica.
Moonraker
1. Hugo Drax – Drax means Dragon.
2. Gala(tea) Brand –Greek Mythology. Galatea is the name of Polyphemus 's object of desire in Theocritus's Idylls VI and XI and is linked with Polyphemus again in the myth of Acis and Galatea in Ovid's Metamorphoses. Polyphemus was one of the gigantic one-eyed son of Poseidon and Thoosa in Greek mythology, one of the Cyclopes (source Wikipedia). We know that Drax had a war injury that resulted in disfiguration of half his face. From her description, any man would want to have her.
3. The description of Drax, Kreb, and Dr Walter are described as “people from another planet” (chapter 11).
Diamonds are Forever
1. City known as Spectreville (ghost).
From Russia with Love
1. Events take place on Friday - August 13th 1954. Friday the 13th is unlucky.
2. Spektor Machine (reference to Ghost).
3. Red Grant struck in England during full moons, like a werewolf.
Dr No
1. Dr No – The character is based on Fu Manchu. Fu Manchu was created by Sax Rohmer. Sax Rohmer was a self-proclaimed member of the Hermetic Order of Gold Dawn.
2. Reference to a “Dragon” on the island.
3. Dr No is described as being almost alien. "It was impossible to tell Doctor No's age...there were no lines on the face. It was odd to see the forehead as smooth as the top of a polished skull. “Even the cavernous indrawn cheeks below below the prominent cheekbone looked as smooth as fine ivory. There was something Daliesque about the eyebrows, which were fine and black and sharply upswept as if they had been painted on as make-up for the conjurer. Below them, slanting jet black eyes stared out of the skull. They were without eyelashes......The fine thin nose ended very close above the a wide compressed wound of a mouth which...showed only cruelty and authority, (Dr No – Chapter 14) "
Goldfinger
1. Reference to Heaven. Bond thinks he has been killed and is in Heaven waiting to meet Jill and Vesper Lynd.
Thunderball
1. Disco Volante – “Flying Saucer”
The Spy Who Loved Me
1. Events take place on Friday - October 13th 1962. Friday the 13th is unlucky.
2. Horror is described as being “skeletal” and Sluggy is described as a “young monster”.
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
1. According to “The Making of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” the novel contains various references to religion. Tracey being St Theresa and her father Marc-Ange Draco (Mark Angel Dragon).
You Only Live Twice
1. Agent 7777 – 7 is a lucky number.
2. Magic 44 – Magic and ‘44’. 4 is an unlucky number in Japanese. Four is pronounced "shi" which is the same pronunciation as death.
The Man with the Golden Gun
1. unknown
1. The street number of the house in Jamaica was 3 1/2 Love lane, obviously half of 007.
2. Chapter 12 - "In a glass, very Darkly" Is a take off of a title written by Irish gothic writer J. Sheridan Le Fanu.
Addendum - You Only Live Twice.
1. The battle at the Shiro ends at around Midnight.
For Your Eyes Only - Bond describes Judy Havelock as "a beautiful unkempt Dryad". Dryads were tree nymphs from Greek mythology.