The Monstrefact: Falkor from "The Neverending Story"

In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the luckdragon Falkor from Michael Ende’s 1979 novel “The Neverending Story” and its 1984 film adaptation.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Stuff to Blow Your Mind, a production of iHeartRadio.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
Hi, my name is Robert Lamman. This is The Monster Fact,
a short form series from Stuff to Blow Your Mind,
focusing on mythical creatures, ideas, and monsters in time. Previously
on The Monster Fact, I talked about the evil Gomork
from The Never Ending Story, So today I like to
talk about what is essentially his opposite, the Luck Dragon Falcore.

(00:35):
In the nineteen eighty four movie, Falcore rescues a tray
you from the swamp of sadness and near death at
the jaws of Gomork. In the nineteen seventy nine novel
that it is, of course based upon a tray You
instead meets him within the layer of Yigrimoule, the mini
the Horror of Horrors, a vast swarm of insects with
a collective intelligence. In the novel's original German language, Falcore's

(00:59):
name is actually something like fukor, thought to be an
adaptation of the Japanese fukuiyu, meaning crouching dragon. The name
change was apparently to prevent the character's name in English
from sounding like an expletive. Author Michael Inda describes the
Luck Dragon as long and graceful, with pearly pink and

(01:21):
white scales, a lion like head, and ruby red eyes,
very much in keeping with Eastern dragon motifs. The nineteen
eighty four film famously incorporates soothing dog like elements, which
have of course become iconic. It's such a beautiful design,
practically realized on the screen, and I also love how

(01:41):
it stands in opposition to Gomork's appearance. On one hand,
we have the wild wolf and on the other hand
a synthesis of fearsome but serene celestial dragon and the
friendly domestic dog, best friend of humanity. He is wise, patient,
but also a little fierce and powerful in his own right,

(02:02):
naturally in line with Eastern dragon motifs. Falcore has no wings. Okay,
how does he fly? Then? Well, for that answer, you know,
we largely have to look to Eastern traditions, the Eastern
traditions that inspired Falcore's creator. In the foundational nineteen thirteen
text The Dragon in China and Japan by Marinus Wilhelm

(02:23):
de Weiser, the author generally stresses the connection between Eastern
dragons and the sky, and also with weather, either innate
or via magical parts or items. Such as a pearl.
The dragon is able to fly through its given domain,
and sometimes they're described or depicted as using a cloud

(02:44):
as a vehicle. So the cloud is this thing that
they are resting upon or immersed within, and they're traveling
around because they are in the cloud. I think as
outsiders to these traditions, it's easy to miss this detail.
Though at the same time, this is also just a
way of usually depicting the power of the dragon. Its
power its domain again, is that of the storm and sky.

(03:06):
I think we can easily compare as well the implied
movement of such wingless sky serpents to the smooth observe
twisting movements of sea snakes and eels, as well as
of course terrestrial snakes. We can never discount the human imagination.
Look at a snake, watch its movement, and then imagine
such a thing swimming through the sky. And finally we

(03:28):
have the connection again to weather and storms, with the
form and movements of the Eastern Dragon, sometimes resembling lightning
cutting across the sky. So all of this kind of
comes together into that classical Eastern Dragon motif. Again, I
think all of this is what makes the film Falcore
so memorable, especially because he combines the might and power

(03:52):
of the Eastern Dragon with the friendly, comforting charm of
a family pet. After all, the story is very much
about the power of books, and books outside of a
dog are of course, man's best friend. Falcore is a
fitting companion for a child in a world of human fantasy.
Just imagine the power of raw creative thought, though largely

(04:14):
domesticated in the best sense of the word. He empowers
a tray you. He grants him nearly infinite mobility across fantasia,
and even an enduring, if not absolute, protection from the
creativity destroying hunger of the Nothing. Tune in for additional
episodes of The Monster Fact the Artifact for Animalius to

(04:37):
Pindium each week. As always, you can email us at
contact at stuff to Blow your Mind dot com.

Speaker 1 (04:51):
Stuff to Blow Your Mind is production of iHeartRadio. For
more podcasts from my Heart Radio, visit the iHeartRadio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite os.