Elora Danan
Encyclopedia
Elora Danan is a fictional character from the 1988 fantasy Willow
, played by infant twins Kate and Ruth Greenfield. Babies Isla Brentwood, Laura Hopkirk and Gina Nelson played her for the parts filmed in New Zealand
. In the more dangerous scenes, however, "a thirteen-pound animatronics baby with a remote-controlled moveable head and mouth" was used instead. She is a Daikini, the average-sized race of people in the film (as opposed to the dwarf-sized Nelwyns).
Fearful of a prophecy
that a girl would be born who would bring about her downfall, the evil Queen Bavmorda imprisoned all pregnant women in the realm. Elora was born in prison and identified as the prophesied one by a birthmark on her arm. Queen Bavmorda wanted to kill her at birth, but her mother convinced a nursemaid to smuggle the infant out. Both mother and nursemaid died to keep her safe.
After the nursemaid's death, Elora was found by a young Nelwyn farmer named Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis
), who initially wanted nothing to do with her but later embraced his role as her protector and attempts to take her to Tir Asleen
. The queen's efforts to destroy Elora Danan, preventing the prophecy, led to Queen Bavmorda's fall. Afterward, Willow leaves the baby in caring arms of Madmartigan and Sorsha, the new queen.
Elora Danan appeared again in the Chronicles of the Shadow War trilogy of books by Chris Claremont & George Lucas: "Shadow Moon" (HC 1995, SC 1996), "Shadow Dawn" (HC 1996, SC 1998), and "Shadow Star" (HC 1999, SC 2000), this time as the protagonist heroine of the tales. The trilogy takes place thirteen years after the movie, which allows for far greater character development than was possible when Elora was an infant. As Jim Smith explains, she is the focus of these books, rather than Willow.
Willow (film)
Willow is a 1988 American fantasy film directed by Ron Howard and produced/co-written by George Lucas. Warwick Davis stars in the film, as well as Val Kilmer, Joanne Whalley, Jean Marsh, and Patricia Hayes...
, played by infant twins Kate and Ruth Greenfield. Babies Isla Brentwood, Laura Hopkirk and Gina Nelson played her for the parts filmed in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. In the more dangerous scenes, however, "a thirteen-pound animatronics baby with a remote-controlled moveable head and mouth" was used instead. She is a Daikini, the average-sized race of people in the film (as opposed to the dwarf-sized Nelwyns).
Fearful of a prophecy
Self-fulfilling prophecy
A self-fulfilling prophecy is a prediction that directly or indirectly causes itself to become true, by the very terms of the prophecy itself, due to positive feedback between belief and behavior. Although examples of such prophecies can be found in literature as far back as ancient Greece and...
that a girl would be born who would bring about her downfall, the evil Queen Bavmorda imprisoned all pregnant women in the realm. Elora was born in prison and identified as the prophesied one by a birthmark on her arm. Queen Bavmorda wanted to kill her at birth, but her mother convinced a nursemaid to smuggle the infant out. Both mother and nursemaid died to keep her safe.
After the nursemaid's death, Elora was found by a young Nelwyn farmer named Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis
Warwick Davis
Warwick Ashley Davis is an English actor. He is most notable for playing the title characters in Willow and the Leprechaun film series, as well as for his roles in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi and the Harry Potter movies. Davis currently stars in the sitcom Life's Too Short, written...
), who initially wanted nothing to do with her but later embraced his role as her protector and attempts to take her to Tir Asleen
Tir Asleen
Tir Asleen is a fictional location from the 1988 fantasy Willow. It is where the sorceress Fin Raziel leads the halfling Willow, the swordsman Madmartigan, and the infant Elora Danan. There, a good king and queen will raise the baby girl....
. The queen's efforts to destroy Elora Danan, preventing the prophecy, led to Queen Bavmorda's fall. Afterward, Willow leaves the baby in caring arms of Madmartigan and Sorsha, the new queen.
Elora Danan appeared again in the Chronicles of the Shadow War trilogy of books by Chris Claremont & George Lucas: "Shadow Moon" (HC 1995, SC 1996), "Shadow Dawn" (HC 1996, SC 1998), and "Shadow Star" (HC 1999, SC 2000), this time as the protagonist heroine of the tales. The trilogy takes place thirteen years after the movie, which allows for far greater character development than was possible when Elora was an infant. As Jim Smith explains, she is the focus of these books, rather than Willow.