"The monkeys caught Dorothy in their arms and flew away with her": illustration by W. W. Denslow in L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, 1900

Winged monkeys (often referred to in adaptations and popular culture as flying monkeys) are characters from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, of enough impact between the books and the 1939 movie to have taken their own place in popular culture, regularly referenced in comedic or ironic situations as a source of evil or fear. Categories: Stub | Oz ... Lyman Frank Baum (May 15, 1856 – May 6, 1919) was an American author, actor, and independent filmmaker best known as the creator, along with illustrator W. W. Denslow, of one of the most popular books in American childrens literature, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, better known today as simply... The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) is a childrens book written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W.W. Denslow. ... The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) is a childrens book written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W.W. Denslow. ... The Wizard of Oz (film) redirects here. ...

Baum

In the original Oz novels, these were just what the name implies: intelligent monkeys with wings. They were controlled by a golden hat, initially worn by the Wicked Witch of the West who used it to set the monkeys upon Dorothy and her friends. At one point they destroy the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman entirely, leaving them scattered across the landscape. In return, the Wicked Witch is allowed 3 wishes that leave her entirely responsible for any mishaps or misconceptions. The Oz books form a book series that begins with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and that relates the history of the Land of Oz. ... The Wicked Witch, as portrayed by Margaret Hamilton in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz The Wicked Witch of the West (or simply The Wicked Witch) is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum in his childrens books. ... For the Doctor Who character, see Ace (Doctor Who). ... The Scarecrow is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum and illustrator William Wallace Denslow. ... The Tin Woodman (also known as The Tin Man or The Tin Woodsman (the latter appearing only in adaptations)) is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum. ...

An account in the The Wonderful Wizard of Oz explained that the hat was made and imbued with power by a princess named Gayelette. When she was to marry a man named Quelala, the monkeys played a prank on him. Angry, she made the cap, and gave it to Quelala as a wedding present. Quelala merely ordered the monkeys to no longer play pranks, but somehow, the cap fell into the hands of the Wicked Witch. After her death, Dorothy used the cap three times, and finally gave it to Glinda, who ordered the monkeys to carry Dorothy's companions back to their homes in Oz, and then to cease to bother people, and then gave them the cap as their own, to free them.^[1] The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) is a childrens book written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W.W. Denslow. ... Gayelette is a character in L. Frank Baums novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. ... Glinda depicted on the cover of Glinda of Oz Glinda (or Glinda the Good Witch) is a fictional character in the Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum. ...

They were never included in any of the subsequent Oz books. The Oz books form a book series that begins with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and that relates the history of the Land of Oz. ...

Depictions in modern fiction

In the film version of The Wiz, the Flying Monkeys are a motorcycle gang, whose leader is named Cheetah, after the Tarzan character. Their metal wings are part of their motorcycles, but these apparently dissolved with the witch's other magic, as they are absent when carrying Dorothy and her friends back to the Emerald City. The Wiz is a 1978 American musical film (see 1978 in film) produced by Motown Productions and Universal Pictures, and released by Universal on October 24, 1978. ... For other uses, see Tarzan (disambiguation). ...

In Gregory Maguire's revisionist novels Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West and Son of a Witch, the flying monkeys were created by Elphaba (the Witch) as part of her experiments on the nature of the soul and what distinguishes non-speaking animals from intelligent, speaking Animals. In these novels, most of the flying monkeys cannot speak, but Elphaba's favorite (named Chistery) has a distinctive speech pattern characterized by the repetition of similar-sounding words. In the musical adaptation, the monkeys gain wings as part of a magic spell gone awry. Gregory Maguire (born June 9, 1954 in Albany, New York) is an American author. ... In fiction, revisionism is the retelling of a story or type of story with substantial alterations in character or environment, to revise the view shown in the original work. ... Wicked, or Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, is a parallel novel by Gregory Maguire. ... Son of a Witch book cover Son of a Witch is a sequel to Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, and the fifth revisionist novel written by Gregory Maguire. ... Elphaba is the name given to the Wicked Witch of the West in Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, as well as in the Broadway adaptation, Wicked. ... Chistery is a charcter in Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West and in Wicked. ... Wicked is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a libretto by Winnie Holzman. ...

The Vertigo comic book series Fables features a flying monkey named Bufkin, who may be a survivor of a conquered Land of Oz. Vertigo logo Vertigo is an imprint of comic book and graphic novel publisher DC Comics. ... Fables is a Vertigo comic book series created and written by Bill Willingham. ... Oz is a fairy country (fantasy region) containing four lands under the rule of one monarch. ...

The Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon refers to a legendary breed of flying monkeys, the Harpeth Hills Flying Monkeys, named after the geologic region where they are said to reside. // The Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon was inaugurated on November 19, 2006, when 97 runners braved hills, monkeys, and gray clouds, with the first place male finisher coming in at 2:50:25 and the first place female finisher at 3:11:05. ...

Political interpretations

Main article: Political interpretations of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

1885 Puck cartoon shows President Cleveland as Lion, and shows other politicians as chattering (flying?) monkeys. Cleveland has captured and is killing one monkey.

Some historians who interpret The Wizard of Oz as a political allegory suggest the Winged Monkeys represent African-Americans, oppressed by an overbearing force and who are relieved to be free of that bondage when the evil force is terminated. Others see them as hired Pinkerton Agents who worked for the Trusts in the 1890s and hounded labor unions. (L. Frank Baum made an explicit reference to Pinkerton agents in a later book, "Lost Princess of Oz", p 211) Most readers in 1900 read The Wonderful Wizard of Oz as a fairy tale, but cartoonists recognized that Baum and Denslow were using images that editorial cartoonists had long used to portray American politicians. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1500x951, 192 KB) Summary Grover Cleveland as King of Beasts, with flying monkeys, 1885 Puck cartoon. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1500x951, 192 KB) Summary Grover Cleveland as King of Beasts, with flying monkeys, 1885 Puck cartoon. ... Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837–June 24, 1908), was the twenty-second and twenty-fourth President of the United States. ... Pinkerton guards escort strikebreakers in Buchtel, Ohio, 1884 The Pinkerton National Detective Agency was a private U.S. security guard and detective agency established by Allan Pinkerton in 1850. ... Lyman Frank Baum (May 15, 1856 – May 6, 1919) was an American author, actor, and independent filmmaker best known as the creator, along with illustrator W. W. Denslow, of one of the most popular books in American childrens literature, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, better known today as simply...

References in popular culture

• Flying monkeys have appeared in The Simpsons, Montgomery Burns owns a a few of them, though they are unable to fly.
• Flying monkeys are mentioned in Buffy the Vampire Slayer as a demon species. Andrew Wells summoned a group of them attack a Sunnydale High drama club production of Romeo & Juliet.
• In the movie Jumanji, monkeys see inside a TV shop on a television the winged monkeys from the Wizard of Oz, so they break inside the shop and steal TV sets.
• In the 1973 movie Hunter, actual footage from the Wizard of Oz movie is used to brainwash a race-car driver, terrorizing him until he screamed the line "Stop the monkeys! PLEASE Stop the monkeys!"
• The music video for "Heretics & Killers" by Protest The Hero opens with a shot of the front page of a newspaper stating 'The Witch is Dead: Flying Monkeys Out of Work'. The remainder of the video features the bandmembers dressed as the Flying Monkeys, trying (and failing) at various jobs, begging on the street, getting thrown out of a bar, and rocking out.
• In the DCOM movie Halloweentown High Debbie Reynolds' character Aggie Cromwell say "Whoever heard of hockey without Flying Monkeys".
• United States Naval Academy midshipmen refer to West Point cadets as woops because of the similarity between the cadet's gray, high collar uniforms with those of the flying monkeys.
• In the Being Ian episode Is There an Ian in the House?, Nurse Sturgeon yells out "RELEASE THE FLYING MONKEYS!" Her assistant then says that flying monkeys don't exist.
• A Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon in Nashville, TN honors flying monkeys on the basis of a local legend.
• Political humorist Lewis Black made reference to evil flying monkeys while referring to North Korea in one of his stand-up bits.
• A pair of large flying monkey statues from the Wizard of Oz over look the city of Burlington Vermont. They sit atop the One Main building located on the waterfront of Lake Champlain. Architects inspired by the duo have copied the flying statues and incorporated other monkeys into a new structure on the waterfront near the One Main building. The Monkey's originally sat on top of a now closed water bed store, aptly titled " Emerald City Waterbeds", which was also in Burlington VT. The flying monkeys have become a must see for tourists and are one of Burlington's most beloved distinguishing landmarks.
• Flying monkeys appear in Fables (Vertigo), both at the Farm and Bufkin, an administrative assistant.
• Bat-winged monkeys called "mongbats" appear as monsters in the Ultima fantasy computer role-playing games from Origin Systems.^[2]
• The 2007 Sci Fi television miniseries Tin Man depicts a re-imagining of Baum's world of Oz, including bat-winged monkeys called "mobats" that are the familiars of the sorceress Azkadellia.^[3]

Simpsons redirects here. ... ̪ For other people named Mr. ... For other uses, see Buffy the Vampire Slayer (disambiguation). ... Andrew Wells is a fictional character in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, played by Tom Lenk. ... Romeo y Julieta is also a brand of Cuban cigars. ... Jumanji is a 1995 feature film directed by Joe Johnston and based on Chris Van Allsburgs popular 1982 book, Jumanji. ... Protest the Hero (abbreviated as PTH or simply Protest) is a Canadian band from Whitby, Ontario. ... This article is about Disney Channel Original Movies. ... Halloweentown High is a Disney Channel Original Movie released in October of 2004 to go along with the holiday of Halloween as did the previous films. ... For other persons named Debbie Reynolds, see Deborah Reynolds (disambiguation). ... The United States Naval Academy (USNA) is an institution for the undergraduate education of officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps and is in Annapolis, Maryland . ... Alternate meanings: West Point (disambiguation). ... Being Ian is a Canadian animated series, produced by Studio B Productions, Corus Entertainment and Nelvana, focusing on the young Ian Kelley, who is 12, who aspires to become a filmmaker. ... // The Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon was inaugurated on November 19, 2006, when 97 runners braved hills, monkeys, and gray clouds, with the first place male finisher coming in at 2:50:25 and the first place female finisher at 3:11:05. ... Lewis Niles Black (born August 30, 1948) is a Grammy Award-winning American stand-up comedian, author, playwright, and actor. ... Fables is a Vertigo comic book series created and written by Bill Willingham. ... It has been suggested that Mongbat (Ultima) be merged into this article or section. ... For other uses, see Fantasy (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Origin Systems, Inc. ... Sci Fi Pictures original movies are that produced by the Sci Fi Channel. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Tin Man is a three-part television miniseries from RHI Entertainment and Sci Fi Pictures original films that is airing each night on the Sci Fi Channel on December 2-December 4, 2007 at 9 pm Eastern. ... “Familiar” redirects here. ... The Enchanted Garden of Messer Ansaldo by Marie Spartali Stillman: a magician makes his garden bear fruit and flowers in winter. ... Azkadellia the Sorceress is a character in the 2007 television miniseries Tin Man, played by Kathleen Robertson and Alexia Fast (as Young Azkadellia). ...

References