Baldanders
Encyclopedia
Baldanders or The Soon-Another is a creature of Germanic
literary myth that features protean properties.
after reading the description of Proteus in The Odyssey. According to Sachs’ and collected descriptions, the Baldanders is a creature that is symbolic for the continual change in nature and society as well as the importance of familiarizing oneself with the common from another perspective. Its name is derived from the combination of German words for Soon (Bald) and Another (Anders).
Baldanders was later featured in a novel by Grimmelshausen
, Simplicius Simplicissimus to which the creature was further elaborated on by the alternate author and even illustrated on the cover page. In it, the hero of the story stumbles upon a stone statue of an ancient Germanic god. Once touched by the protagonist, the statue explains that it is the Soon-Another or Baldanders to which the statue demonstrates its powers and transforms into a variety of objects.
Baldanders are often described as having a human torso and head, having either a single goat leg attached to the hip or a goat leg and a bird leg together as well as large bird wings and a fish tail. The rendition in Grimmelshausen's novel depicts the baldanders carrying a sword sheathed on a belt as well as a large book containing drawn pictures of all the forms they have taken. Their primary goal it seems is to change into as many shapes and objects in existence as possible.
In further literature, the Baldanders was featured in the bestiary The Book of Imaginary Beings by Jorge Luis Borges
. Plus, in The Book of the New Sun
series by Gene Wolfe
, a reoccurring character’s name was Baldanders, which Wolfe affirmed was based on Borges description. In music, the Baldanders was the subject of a song by the 1970s German folk/progressive rock band Ougenweide
.
The Baldanders is also mentioned in Japanese video games. In the Sega Mega Drive
game Curse
, the player controlled The Baldanders star fighter which was created by an ancient alien super technology. Also, the Playstation2 and portable game Puyo Puyo Fever 2 features a character who is a large dog in knight's armor named Baldanders. In the game Final Fantasy XIII
, Baldanders is an antagonist and fal'Cie who poses as a human named Galenth Dysley. In the English translation, his name is Latinized as Barthandelus.
Germanic peoples
The Germanic peoples are an Indo-European ethno-linguistic group of Northern European origin, identified by their use of the Indo-European Germanic languages which diversified out of Proto-Germanic during the Pre-Roman Iron Age.Originating about 1800 BCE from the Corded Ware Culture on the North...
literary myth that features protean properties.
Origin
Baldanders was first conceived by shoemaker and writer Hans SachsHans Sachs
Hans Sachs was a German meistersinger , poet, playwright and shoemaker.-Biography:Hans Sachs was born in Nuremberg . His father was a tailor. He attended Latin school in Nuremberg...
after reading the description of Proteus in The Odyssey. According to Sachs’ and collected descriptions, the Baldanders is a creature that is symbolic for the continual change in nature and society as well as the importance of familiarizing oneself with the common from another perspective. Its name is derived from the combination of German words for Soon (Bald) and Another (Anders).
Baldanders was later featured in a novel by Grimmelshausen
Hans Jakob Christoffel von Grimmelshausen
Hans Jakob Christoffel von Grimmelshausen was a German author.-Biography:Grimmelshausen was born at Gelnhausen. At the age of ten he was kidnapped by Hessian soldiery, and in their midst tasted the adventures of military life in the Thirty Years' War...
, Simplicius Simplicissimus to which the creature was further elaborated on by the alternate author and even illustrated on the cover page. In it, the hero of the story stumbles upon a stone statue of an ancient Germanic god. Once touched by the protagonist, the statue explains that it is the Soon-Another or Baldanders to which the statue demonstrates its powers and transforms into a variety of objects.
Baldanders are often described as having a human torso and head, having either a single goat leg attached to the hip or a goat leg and a bird leg together as well as large bird wings and a fish tail. The rendition in Grimmelshausen's novel depicts the baldanders carrying a sword sheathed on a belt as well as a large book containing drawn pictures of all the forms they have taken. Their primary goal it seems is to change into as many shapes and objects in existence as possible.
Popular culture
Being a creature of literature, the Baldanders is not often featured in contemporary works. However, there have been a few mentions and inclusions of the creature in various media.In further literature, the Baldanders was featured in the bestiary The Book of Imaginary Beings by Jorge Luis Borges
Jorge Luis Borges
Jorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges Acevedo , known as Jorge Luis Borges , was an Argentine writer, essayist, poet and translator born in Buenos Aires. In 1914 his family moved to Switzerland where he attended school, receiving his baccalauréat from the Collège de Genève in 1918. The family...
. Plus, in The Book of the New Sun
The Book of the New Sun
The Book of the New Sun is a novel in four parts written by science fiction and fantasy author Gene Wolfe. It chronicles the journey and ascent to power of Severian, a disgraced journeyman torturer who rises to the position of Autarch, the one ruler of the free world...
series by Gene Wolfe
Gene Wolfe
Gene Wolfe is an American science fiction and fantasy writer. He is noted for his dense, allusive prose as well as the strong influence of his Catholic faith, to which he converted after marrying into the religion. He is a prolific short story writer and a novelist, and has won many awards in the...
, a reoccurring character’s name was Baldanders, which Wolfe affirmed was based on Borges description. In music, the Baldanders was the subject of a song by the 1970s German folk/progressive rock band Ougenweide
Ougenweide
Ougenweide is a progressive rock band from Germany. They are notable for being pioneers of the medieval folk rock subgenre. The name comes from Middle High German ougenweide .- The beginning :...
.
The Baldanders is also mentioned in Japanese video games. In the Sega Mega Drive
Sega Mega Drive
The Sega Genesis is a fourth-generation video game console developed and produced by Sega. It was originally released in Japan in 1988 as , then in North America in 1989 as Sega Genesis, and in Europe, Australia and other PAL regions in 1990 as Mega Drive. The reason for the two names is that...
game Curse
Curse (video game)
Curse is a 1989 Japanese shoot 'em up Sega Mega Drive game developed by Micronet. It was a sideways scrolling shoot 'em up spread across five levels...
, the player controlled The Baldanders star fighter which was created by an ancient alien super technology. Also, the Playstation2 and portable game Puyo Puyo Fever 2 features a character who is a large dog in knight's armor named Baldanders. In the game Final Fantasy XIII
Final Fantasy XIII
is a console role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360. Released in 2009 in Japan and 2010 in North America and PAL regions, it is the thirteenth major installment in the Final Fantasy series...
, Baldanders is an antagonist and fal'Cie who poses as a human named Galenth Dysley. In the English translation, his name is Latinized as Barthandelus.