Jareth
Encyclopedia
Jareth, the Goblin King is a fictional character
in the 1986 fantasy movie Labyrinth
. Jareth (David Bowie
) is a powerful, mysterious creature who has an antagonistic yet strangely flirtatious relationship with Sarah (Jennifer Connelly
), the film's teenage heroine. He also appears in the film's adaptations, including the Marvel comic books, story book, graphic novel, novelization, coloring books, and photo album.
King of The Labyrinth, a vast kingdom within another realm. Though the ruler of the goblins, Jareth actually is not a goblin
, and he appears human, though he could also be a fey. In the first draft of the script, however, he turned into a goblin when Sarah rejected him, thus suggesting that he was a goblin to begin with. His powers include the ability to form crystal orbs in his hands, which can create illusions of all types or to view things from a distance
. Jareth uses his magical crystals to show dreams and offers the crystals to Sarah as a symbol of dreams. Another inspiration for the idea of Jareth's magical crystals is Hand with Reflecting Sphere by M.C. Escher, i. e. the inspiration for the mirror properties of the crystals and their power to show reflections of dreams.
Jareth is also a master of disguise. He can transform
into a barn owl
. In the movie he disguised himself as a blind beggar once, and in the Return to Labyrinth manga as a thespian, Jareth Quinn. In Return to Labyrinth, he also slicks his hair back and wears spectacles while wearing a suit as Toby's guidance counselor.
Jareth resents his position as Goblin King and yearns for a different life, probably somewhere down in Soho
according to rock legend David Bowie
, who first portrayed Jareth in 1986. He has a great deal of angst that only grows when he develops an affection for Labyrinth protagonist, Sarah, as revealed through David Bowie's songs from the film and the Return to Labyrinth manga.
According to the music video for Underground and Return to Labyrinth and hinted at in the Labyrinth novelization, Jareth has a human alter ego (in Return to Labyrinth he uses the alias Jareth Quinn). In the novelization of Labyrinth Jeremy (who resembles Jareth) is an actor with whom Sarah's biological mother, an actress, had run off years earlier, after they had starred in a show together. Jeremy is also the man who gave Sarah her music box, which in the book plays "Greensleeves
", and in the movie plays "As the World Falls Down
", the same song that Jareth uses to try to seduce Sarah while within his Labyrinth.
In the novelization and according to the song "Within You" part of what Jareth wants from Sarah is for her to believe in him so that he may become a real being and not just exist within her fantasy. Though Sarah renounces the power Jareth holds over her it does appear she actually gives him what he wants.
The line "I ask for so little. Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave," embodies what Jareth feels for young Sarah Williams.
" and one for the song "As the World Falls Down
". The Labyrinth music videos are available on the VHS tape "The Bowie Video Collection" and the two-disc DVD set, "The Best of Bowie
."
Underground
In the "Underground" music video, David Bowie seems to borrow the character of Jeremy from the Labyrinth novelization, the lover of Sarah's estranged biological mother, and merged him as a sort of alter ego for Jareth, who seems to be struggling with a desire for a human life and his love of the magic and authority he has as Goblin King. In the video, we see Jeremy performing in a literal hole in the wall style nightclub. As he walks along after the performance, he finds himself seeing various strange creatures out of the corner of his eye, beings that lure him to the magical realm of the underground where he is their king.
As the World Falls Down
In this music video, Jareth has a more subdued form and his castle has the seeming look of an office though the double doors of a castle and the fact that Hoggle, the dwarf, is doing the cleaning tend to reveal that this is no typical place of business. Jareth pines for Sarah, and an older version of the Sarah pines for Jareth and her adventure within the Labyrinth but neither one seems quite willing to go to the other.
According to the Return to Labyrinth
manga, Jareth has ruled the Labyrinth for 1,300 years. In the manga Mizumi calls him a sorcerer. He does not appear to age between the film and the events of Return to Labyrinth, which happen many years later.
In the manga, Jareth establishes Sarah's then-teenaged brother Toby as his heir, leaving him in charge of the Labyrinth during a rather delicate time. The story also expands on Jareth's obsession with Sarah, embellishing on his twisted desire for both her love, and revenge upon her. In one section of book two of Return to Labyrinth, it could be interpreted as Jareth intending on Sarah to become his queen (an idea that was also included in the original first draft of the screenplay).
released two Jareth action figures: a 12 inch one, dressed in black (it can talk, speaking lines from the movie), and a 7 inch one, which comes with a figure of Hoggle the dwarf.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the 1986 fantasy movie Labyrinth
Labyrinth (film)
Labyrinth is a 1986 British/American fantasy film directed by Jim Henson, produced by George Lucas, and designed by Brian Froud. Henson collaborated on the screenwriting with children's author Dennis Lee, Terry Jones from Monty Python, and Elaine May .The film stars David Bowie as Jareth the Goblin...
. Jareth (David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
) is a powerful, mysterious creature who has an antagonistic yet strangely flirtatious relationship with Sarah (Jennifer Connelly
Jennifer Connelly
Jennifer Lynn Connelly is an American film actress, who began her career as a child model. She appeared in magazine, newspaper and television advertising, before making her motion picture debut in the 1984 crime film Once Upon a Time in America...
), the film's teenage heroine. He also appears in the film's adaptations, including the Marvel comic books, story book, graphic novel, novelization, coloring books, and photo album.
Biography
Jareth is the GoblinGoblin
A goblin is a legendary evil or mischievous illiterate creature, a grotesquely evil or evil-like phantom.They are attributed with various abilities, temperaments and appearances depending on the story and country of origin. In some cases, goblins have been classified as constantly annoying little...
King of The Labyrinth, a vast kingdom within another realm. Though the ruler of the goblins, Jareth actually is not a goblin
Goblin
A goblin is a legendary evil or mischievous illiterate creature, a grotesquely evil or evil-like phantom.They are attributed with various abilities, temperaments and appearances depending on the story and country of origin. In some cases, goblins have been classified as constantly annoying little...
, and he appears human, though he could also be a fey. In the first draft of the script, however, he turned into a goblin when Sarah rejected him, thus suggesting that he was a goblin to begin with. His powers include the ability to form crystal orbs in his hands, which can create illusions of all types or to view things from a distance
Remote viewing
Remote viewing is the practice of seeking impressions about a distant or unseen target using paranormal means, in particular, extra-sensory perception or "sensing with mind"...
. Jareth uses his magical crystals to show dreams and offers the crystals to Sarah as a symbol of dreams. Another inspiration for the idea of Jareth's magical crystals is Hand with Reflecting Sphere by M.C. Escher, i. e. the inspiration for the mirror properties of the crystals and their power to show reflections of dreams.
Jareth is also a master of disguise. He can transform
Shapeshifting
Shapeshifting is a common theme in mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. It is also found in epic poems, science fiction literature, fantasy literature, children's literature, Shakespearean comedy, ballet, film, television, comics, and video games...
into a barn owl
Barn Owl
The Barn Owl is the most widely distributed species of owl, and one of the most widespread of all birds. It is also referred to as Common Barn Owl, to distinguish it from other species in the barn-owl family Tytonidae. These form one of two main lineages of living owls, the other being the typical...
. In the movie he disguised himself as a blind beggar once, and in the Return to Labyrinth manga as a thespian, Jareth Quinn. In Return to Labyrinth, he also slicks his hair back and wears spectacles while wearing a suit as Toby's guidance counselor.
Jareth resents his position as Goblin King and yearns for a different life, probably somewhere down in Soho
Soho
Soho is an area of the City of Westminster and part of the West End of London. Long established as an entertainment district, for much of the 20th century Soho had a reputation for sex shops as well as night life and film industry. Since the early 1980s, the area has undergone considerable...
according to rock legend David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, who first portrayed Jareth in 1986. He has a great deal of angst that only grows when he develops an affection for Labyrinth protagonist, Sarah, as revealed through David Bowie's songs from the film and the Return to Labyrinth manga.
According to the music video for Underground and Return to Labyrinth and hinted at in the Labyrinth novelization, Jareth has a human alter ego (in Return to Labyrinth he uses the alias Jareth Quinn). In the novelization of Labyrinth Jeremy (who resembles Jareth) is an actor with whom Sarah's biological mother, an actress, had run off years earlier, after they had starred in a show together. Jeremy is also the man who gave Sarah her music box, which in the book plays "Greensleeves
Greensleeves
"Greensleeves" is a traditional English folk song and tune, a ground of the form called a romanesca.A broadside ballad by this name was registered at the London Stationer's Company in September 1580 as "A New Northern Dittye of the Lady Greene Sleeves". It then appears in the surviving A Handful of...
", and in the movie plays "As the World Falls Down
As the World Falls Down
"As the World Falls Down" is a song written by David Bowie in 1986 for the soundtrack of the film Labyrinth.The song is the backdrop for an illusion which Jareth the Goblin King builds around Sarah through the use of an enchanted peach. The illusion is of a masquerade ball inside a bubble...
", the same song that Jareth uses to try to seduce Sarah while within his Labyrinth.
In the novelization and according to the song "Within You" part of what Jareth wants from Sarah is for her to believe in him so that he may become a real being and not just exist within her fantasy. Though Sarah renounces the power Jareth holds over her it does appear she actually gives him what he wants.
The line "I ask for so little. Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave," embodies what Jareth feels for young Sarah Williams.
Jareth in music videos
Besides the film, David Bowie portrays Jareth in two music videos. One for the song "UndergroundUnderground (song)
"Underground" is a song from the soundtrack of the film Labyrinth, performed by David Bowie.- Details :The track was something of an experiment for Bowie, dabbling in gospel music to a small extent, helped by a large chorus of backing vocalists and blues guitarist Albert Collins, but retaining use...
" and one for the song "As the World Falls Down
As the World Falls Down
"As the World Falls Down" is a song written by David Bowie in 1986 for the soundtrack of the film Labyrinth.The song is the backdrop for an illusion which Jareth the Goblin King builds around Sarah through the use of an enchanted peach. The illusion is of a masquerade ball inside a bubble...
". The Labyrinth music videos are available on the VHS tape "The Bowie Video Collection" and the two-disc DVD set, "The Best of Bowie
The Best of Bowie
The Best of Bowie is a David Bowie compilation album released in 1980. In addition to including the rare 7" edits of "Fame" and "Golden Years", the compilation contains unique edits of "Life on Mars?" and "Diamond Dogs", ostensibly to allow all 16 tracks to fit on one LP. The cover was based on the...
."
Underground
In the "Underground" music video, David Bowie seems to borrow the character of Jeremy from the Labyrinth novelization, the lover of Sarah's estranged biological mother, and merged him as a sort of alter ego for Jareth, who seems to be struggling with a desire for a human life and his love of the magic and authority he has as Goblin King. In the video, we see Jeremy performing in a literal hole in the wall style nightclub. As he walks along after the performance, he finds himself seeing various strange creatures out of the corner of his eye, beings that lure him to the magical realm of the underground where he is their king.
As the World Falls Down
In this music video, Jareth has a more subdued form and his castle has the seeming look of an office though the double doors of a castle and the fact that Hoggle, the dwarf, is doing the cleaning tend to reveal that this is no typical place of business. Jareth pines for Sarah, and an older version of the Sarah pines for Jareth and her adventure within the Labyrinth but neither one seems quite willing to go to the other.
Jareth in Return to Labyrinth
Little is known about Jareth's personal life or history. As revealed in Volume 2 of the manga, Jareth at one point or another had a romantic relationship with Mizumi, the Queen of Moraine. However, the relationship failed when Mizumi did something Jareth could not forgive her for. To protect himself from all others, Jareth built the Labyrinth to keep everyone else out, including Mizumi.According to the Return to Labyrinth
Return to Labyrinth
Return to Labyrinth is an original English-language manga based on the Jim Henson fantasy film, Labyrinth. Jake T. Forbes is credited as the creator, and Chris Lie is the illustrator. The covers for all four volumes were drawn by Kouyu Shurei. It is published by Tokyopop.Return to Labyrinth is a...
manga, Jareth has ruled the Labyrinth for 1,300 years. In the manga Mizumi calls him a sorcerer. He does not appear to age between the film and the events of Return to Labyrinth, which happen many years later.
In the manga, Jareth establishes Sarah's then-teenaged brother Toby as his heir, leaving him in charge of the Labyrinth during a rather delicate time. The story also expands on Jareth's obsession with Sarah, embellishing on his twisted desire for both her love, and revenge upon her. In one section of book two of Return to Labyrinth, it could be interpreted as Jareth intending on Sarah to become his queen (an idea that was also included in the original first draft of the screenplay).
Action figures
NECANational Entertainment Collectibles Association
The National Entertainment Collectibles Association or NECA is an American manufacturer of collectibles typically licensed from films, video-games, sports, music, and television based in New Jersey...
released two Jareth action figures: a 12 inch one, dressed in black (it can talk, speaking lines from the movie), and a 7 inch one, which comes with a figure of Hoggle the dwarf.
Sources
- A.C.H. Smith: The Labyrinth: A novel. Henry Holt & Co, 1986. ISBN 978-0-03-007322-9