Summerisle (The Wicker Man)
Encyclopedia
Summerisle is a fictional island introduced in the 1973
British
cult film The Wicker Man.
Summerisle should not be confused with the real-life Summer Isles
situated off the coast of Scotland
, which are frequently mistaken for the fictional island seen in The Wicker Man.
) during a dialogue with the character of Sgt. Howie (Edward Woodward
).
According to the film, Summerisle lies off the western coast of Scotland
, and once earned a pittance through fishing
and sheep farming
. In 1868, the (presumably) first Lord Summerisle came to the island, attracted by the volcanic soil and the warm gulf stream
surrounding Summerisle, utilising it to grow certain types of fruits and vegetables. In doing so, Lord Summerisle attempted to win over the inhabitants by converting them from Christianity
to "the old gods"
.
When the crops became successful, the inhabitants of Summerisle fully embraced paganism, and the Christian ministers were banished to the mainland. Summerisle continued to be fruitful and prosperous for several years, and the inhabitants continued to worship pagan deities, with particular emphasis on fertility rituals.
The principal events of the film describe the failure of Summerisle's crops, and how the inhabitants lure an outsider from the mainland under false pretences to be sacrificed to their gods in a giant Wicker Man
, in the hope that the crops will prosper once again.
No solid layout of the island is given in the film, although notable buildings featured in the film include The Green Man
public house, a ruined churchyard
, and a small library.
to a private island situated in the Puget Sound region
of Washington state in America
.
In the remake, Summersisle is made prosperous by the production of honey
, introduced by a local landowner. Like the original film, the inhabitants of Summersisle were convinced to revert to paganism when the island produced high yields of honey. In the remake, however, the inhabitants also adopted a strict form of matriarchy
, and the men of Summersisle were kept solely for breeding or to be sacrificed in giant Wicker Man
statues annually to ensure successful harvests of honey each year.
For reasons that go unexplained in the remake, the yield of honey inexplicably drops, and the matriarchs of Summersisle are forced to sacrifice a male from the mainland in the hope of increasing their next yield of honey.
, all of which are similar to Summerisle in the sense that they are isolated communities whose inhabitants are non-Christian polytheists
.
, the role of Summerisle is taken by the fictional village of Tressock, which is located somewhere in the Scottish lowlands. Like The Wicker Man, the inhabitants of Tressock also worship a modern form of Celtic paganism
, but have also devised their own unique ritual of "hunting the Laddie", where they hunt down a victim and devour him upon capture. This DVD may be titled under the name,"The Wicker Tree".
(as yet unnamed) where the inhabitants practice Norse paganism
in the modern day.
1973 in film
The year 1973 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*The Marx Brothers' Zeppo Marx divorces his second wife, Barbara Blakely. Blakely would later marry actor/singer Frank Sinatra....
British
Cinema of the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom has had a major influence on modern cinema. The first moving pictures developed on celluloid film were made in Hyde Park, London in 1889 by William Friese Greene, a British inventor, who patented the process in 1890. It is generally regarded that the British film industry...
cult film The Wicker Man.
Summerisle should not be confused with the real-life Summer Isles
Summer Isles
The Summer Isles are an archipelago lying in the mouth of Loch Broom, in the Highland region of Scotland.-Geography:The only inhabited isle, Tanera Mòr, is also the largest. It is home to an Atlantic salmon fish farm, some rental holiday homes, a café and a post office, which has operated its own...
situated off the coast of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, which are frequently mistaken for the fictional island seen in The Wicker Man.
The Wicker Man
Much of the island's history is provided within The Wicker Man, particularly by the character of Lord Summerisle (Christopher LeeChristopher Lee
Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee, CBE, CStJ is an English actor and musician. Lee initially portrayed villains and became famous for his role as Count Dracula in a string of Hammer Horror films...
) during a dialogue with the character of Sgt. Howie (Edward Woodward
Edward Woodward
Edward Albert Arthur Woodward, OBE was an English stage and screen actor and singer. After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art , Woodward began his career on stage, and throughout his career he appeared in productions in both the West End in London and on Broadway in New York...
).
According to the film, Summerisle lies off the western coast of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, and once earned a pittance through fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
and sheep farming
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
. In 1868, the (presumably) first Lord Summerisle came to the island, attracted by the volcanic soil and the warm gulf stream
Gulf Stream
The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe, the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates at the tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean...
surrounding Summerisle, utilising it to grow certain types of fruits and vegetables. In doing so, Lord Summerisle attempted to win over the inhabitants by converting them from Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
to "the old gods"
Celtic mythology
Celtic mythology is the mythology of Celtic polytheism, apparently the religion of the Iron Age Celts. Like other Iron Age Europeans, the early Celts maintained a polytheistic mythology and religious structure...
.
When the crops became successful, the inhabitants of Summerisle fully embraced paganism, and the Christian ministers were banished to the mainland. Summerisle continued to be fruitful and prosperous for several years, and the inhabitants continued to worship pagan deities, with particular emphasis on fertility rituals.
The principal events of the film describe the failure of Summerisle's crops, and how the inhabitants lure an outsider from the mainland under false pretences to be sacrificed to their gods in a giant Wicker Man
Wicker Man
A wicker man was a large wicker statue of a human used by the ancient Druids for human sacrifice by burning it in effigy, according to Julius Caesar in his Commentarii de Bello Gallico...
, in the hope that the crops will prosper once again.
No solid layout of the island is given in the film, although notable buildings featured in the film include The Green Man
Green Man
A Green Man is a sculpture, drawing, or other representation of a face surrounded by or made from leaves. Branches or vines may sprout from the nose, mouth, nostrils or other parts of the face and these shoots may bear flowers or fruit...
public house, a ruined churchyard
Churchyard
A churchyard is a patch of land adjoining or surrounding a church which is usually owned by the relevant church or local parish itself. In the Scots language or Northern English language this can also be known as a kirkyard or kirkyaird....
, and a small library.
2006 remake
In the 2006 remake, the island is renamed Summersisle, and is changed from a remote island off the west coast of ScotlandScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
to a private island situated in the Puget Sound region
Puget Sound region
The Puget Sound region is an inland area of the Pacific Northwest in Washington , including Puget Sound, the Puget Sound lowlands, and the surrounding region roughly west of the Cascade Range and east of the Olympic Mountains.- History :...
of Washington state in America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
In the remake, Summersisle is made prosperous by the production of honey
Honey
Honey is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees is the one most commonly referred to and is the type of honey collected by beekeepers and consumed by humans...
, introduced by a local landowner. Like the original film, the inhabitants of Summersisle were convinced to revert to paganism when the island produced high yields of honey. In the remake, however, the inhabitants also adopted a strict form of matriarchy
Matriarchy
A matriarchy is a society in which females, especially mothers, have the central roles of political leadership and moral authority. It is also sometimes called a gynocratic or gynocentric society....
, and the men of Summersisle were kept solely for breeding or to be sacrificed in giant Wicker Man
Wicker Man
A wicker man was a large wicker statue of a human used by the ancient Druids for human sacrifice by burning it in effigy, according to Julius Caesar in his Commentarii de Bello Gallico...
statues annually to ensure successful harvests of honey each year.
For reasons that go unexplained in the remake, the yield of honey inexplicably drops, and the matriarchs of Summersisle are forced to sacrifice a male from the mainland in the hope of increasing their next yield of honey.
Similar locations
Other fictional locations with pagan connotations appear elsewhere in The Wicker Man TrilogyThe Wicker Man Trilogy
The Wicker Man trilogy is a series of three horror films by British author and director Robin Hardy. Hardy announced plans for the trilogy in a 2007 interview with The Guardian newspaper, though the first film in the trilogy, The Wicker Man, was originally made 35 years before, in 1973.The films...
, all of which are similar to Summerisle in the sense that they are isolated communities whose inhabitants are non-Christian polytheists
Polytheism
Polytheism is the belief of multiple deities also usually assembled into a pantheon of gods and goddesses, along with their own mythologies and rituals....
.
Cowboys for Christ
In the novel (and later film) Cowboys for Christ by Robin HardyRobin Hardy
Robin Moore Hardy is the author of more than twenty published books and several unpublished manuscripts. She currently resides in North Texas. Her first novel, Chataine's Guardian, was the runner-up for the Gold Medallion Book Award in 1985....
, the role of Summerisle is taken by the fictional village of Tressock, which is located somewhere in the Scottish lowlands. Like The Wicker Man, the inhabitants of Tressock also worship a modern form of Celtic paganism
Celtic mythology
Celtic mythology is the mythology of Celtic polytheism, apparently the religion of the Iron Age Celts. Like other Iron Age Europeans, the early Celts maintained a polytheistic mythology and religious structure...
, but have also devised their own unique ritual of "hunting the Laddie", where they hunt down a victim and devour him upon capture. This DVD may be titled under the name,"The Wicker Tree".
Twilight of the Gods
In the final installment of the trilogy, Twilight of the Gods, the role of Summerisle is taken by a location in IcelandIceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
(as yet unnamed) where the inhabitants practice Norse paganism
Norse paganism
Norse paganism is the religious traditions of the Norsemen, a Germanic people living in the Nordic countries. Norse paganism is therefore a subset of Germanic paganism, which was practiced in the lands inhabited by the Germanic tribes across most of Northern and Central Europe in the Viking Age...
in the modern day.