Iconography is the branch of art history which studies the identification, description, and the interpretation of the content of images. The word ''iconography'' literally means "image writing", and comes from the Greek ''εἰκών'' "image" and ''γράφειν'' "to write". A secondary meaning is the painting of icons in the Byzantine and Orthodox Christian tradition. Still in art history, an iconography may also mean a particular depiction of a subject in terms of the content of the image, such as the number of figures used, their placing and gestures. The term is also used in many academic fields other than art history, for example semiotics and media studies, and in general usage, for the content of images, the typical depiction in images of a subject, and related senses. Sometimes distinctions have been made between ''Iconology'' and ''Iconography'', although the definitions and so the distinction made varies.

Iconography as a field of study

Foundations of iconography

Early Western writers who took special note of the content of images include Giorgio Vasari, whose ''Ragionamenti'', interpreting the paintings in the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, reassuringly demonstrates that such works were difficult to understand even for well-informed contemporaries. Gian Pietro Bellori, a 17th century biographer of artists of his own time, describes and analyses, not always correctly, many works. Lessing's study (1796) of the classical figure Amor with an inverted torch was an early attempt to use a study of a type of image to explain the culture it originated in, rather than the other way round. Iconography as an academic art historical discipline developed in the nineteenth-century in the works of scholars such as Adolphe Napoleon Didron (1806–1867), Anton Heinrich Springer (1825–1891), and Émile Mâle (1862–1954) all specialists in Christian religious art, which was the main focus of study in this period, in which French scholars were especially prominent. Richard Krautheimer, a specialist on early medieval churches and another German émigré, extended iconographical analysis to architectural forms.

The period from 1940 can be seen as one where iconography was especially prominent in art history. Whereas most icongraphical scholarship remains highly dense and specialized, some analyses began to attract a much wider audience, for example Panofsky's theory (now generally out of favour with specialists) that the writing on the rear wall in the ''Arnolfini Portrait'' by Jan van Eyck turned the painting into the record of a marriage contract. Holbein's ''The Ambassadors'' has been the subject of books for a general market with new theories as to its iconography, and the best-sellers of Dan Brown include theories, disowned by most art historians, on the iconography of works by Leonardo da Vinci.

Technological advances allowed the building-up of huge collections of photographs, with an iconographic arrangement or index, which include those of the Warburg Institute and the ''Index of Christian Art'' at Princeton (which has made a specialism of iconography since its early days in America). These are now being digitised and made available online, usually on a restricted basis.

With the arrival of computing, the Iconclass system, a highly complex way of classifying the content of images, with 28,000 classification types, and 14,000 keywords, was developed in the Netherlands as a standard classification for recording collections, with the idea of assembling huge databases that will allow the retrieval of images featuring particular details, subjects or other common factors. For example, the Iconclass code "71H7131" is for the subject of "Bathsheba (alone) with David's letter", whereas "71" is the whole "Old Testament" and "71H" the "story of David". A number of collections of different types have been classified using Iconclass, notably many types of old master print, the collections of the Gemäldegalerie, Berlin and the German Marburger Index. These are available, usually on-line or on DVD. The system can also be used outside pure art history, for example on sites like Flickr.

Brief survey of iconography

Iconography in religious art

Religious images are used to some extent by all major religions, including both Indian and Abrahamic faiths, and often contain highly complex iconography, which reflects centuries of accumulated tradition.

Iconography in Indian religions

Central to the iconography and hagiography of Indian religions are mudra or gestures with specific meanings. Other features include the aureola and halo, also found in Christian and Islamic art, and divine qualities and attributes represented by asana and ritual tools such as the dharmachakra, vajra, dadar, chhatra, sauwastika, phurba and danda. The symbolic use of colour to denote the Classical Elements or Mahabhuta and letters and bija syllables from sacred alphabetic scripts are other features. Under the influence of tantra art developed esoteric meanings, accessible only to initiates; this is an especially strong feature of Tibetan art. The art of Indian Religions esp. Hindus in its numerous sectoral divisions is governed by sacred texts called the Aagama which describes the ratio and proportion of the icon, called ''taalmaana'' as well as mood of the central figure in a context. For example Narasimha an incarnation of Vishnu though considered a wrathful deity but in few contexts is depicted in pacified mood.

Although iconic depictions of, or concentrating on, a single figure are the dominant type of Buddhist image, large stone relief or fresco narrative cycles of the ''Life of the Buddha'', or tales of his previous lives, are found at major sites like Sarnath, Ajanta, and Borobudor, especially in earlier periods. Conversely, in Hindu art, narrative scenes have become rather more common in recent centuries, especially in miniature paintings of the lives of Krishna and Rama.

Christian iconography

Christian art began, about two centuries after Christ, by borrowing motifs from Roman Imperial imagery, classical Greek and Roman religion and popular art - the motif of Christ in Majesty owes something to both Imperial portraits and depictions of Zeus. In the Late Antique period iconography began to be standardised, and to relate more closely to Biblical texts, although many gaps in the canonical Gospel narratives were plugged with matter from the apocryphal gospels. Eventually the Church would succeed in weeding most of these out, but some remain, like the ox and ass in the Nativity of Christ. After the period of Byzantine iconoclasm iconographical innovation was regarded as unhealthy, if not heretical, in the Eastern Church, though it still continued at a glacial pace. More than in the West, traditional depictions were often considered to have authentic or miraculous origins, and the job of the artist was to copy them with as little deviation as possible. The Eastern church also never accepted the use of monumental high relief or free-standing sculpture, which it found too reminiscent of paganism. Most modern Eastern Orthodox icons are very close to their predecessors of a thousand years ago, though development, and some shifts in meaning, have occurred - for example the old man wearing a fleece in conversation with Saint Joseph usually seen in Orthodox Nativities seems to have begun as one of the shepherds, or the prophet Isaiah, but is now usually understood as the "Tempter" (Satan).

In both East and West, numerous iconic types of Christ, Mary and saints and other subjects were developed; the number of named types of icons of Mary, with or without the infant Christ, was especially large in the East, whereas Christ Pantocrator was much the commonest image of Christ. Especially important depictions of Mary include the Hodegetria and Panagia types. Traditional models evolved for narrative paintings, including large cycles covering the events of the Life of Christ, the Life of the Virgin, parts of the Old Testament, and, increasingly, the lives of popular saints. Especially in the West, a system of attributes developed for identifying individual figures of saints by a standard appearance and symbolic objects held by them; in the East they were more likely to identified by text labels.

From the Romanesque period sculpture on churches became increasingly important in Western art, and probably partly because of the lack of Byzantine models, became the location of much iconographic innovation, along with the illuminated manuscript, which had already taken a decisively different direction from Byzantine equivalents, under the influence of Insular art and other factors. Developments in theology and devotional practice produced innovations like the subject of the Coronation of the Virgin and the Assumption, both associated with the Franciscans, as were many other developments. Most painters remained content to copy and slightly modify the works of others, and it is clear that the clergy, by whom or for whose churches most art was commissioned, often specified what they wanted shown in great detail.

The theory of typology, by which the meaning of most events of the Old Testament was understood as a "type" or pre-figuring of an event in the life of, or aspect of, Christ or Mary was often reflected in art, and in the later Middle Ages came to dominate the choice of Old Testament scenes in Western Christian art. Whereas in the Romanesque and Gothic periods the great majority of religious art was intended to convey often complex religious messages as clearly as possible, with the arrival of Early Netherlandish painting iconography became highly sophisticated, and in many cases appears to be deliberately enigmatic, even for a well-educated contemporary. The subtle layers of meaning uncovered by modern iconographical research in works of Robert Campin such as the Mérode Altarpiece, and of Jan van Eyck such as the Madonna of Chancellor Rolin and the Washington Annunciation lie in small details of what are on first viewing very conventional representations. When Italian painting developed a taste for enigma, considerably later, it most often showed in secular compositions influenced by Renaissance Neo-Platonism.

From the 15th century religious painting gradually freed itself from the habit of following earlier compositional models, and by the 16th century ambitious artists were expected to find novel compositions for each subject, and direct borrowings from earlier artists are more often of the poses of individual figures than of whole compositions. The Reformation soon restricted most Protestant religious painting to Biblical scenes conceived along the lines of history painting, and after some decades the Catholic Council of Trent reined in somewhat the freedom of Catholic artists.

Secular Western painting

Secular painting became far more common from the Renaissance, and developed its own traditions and conventions of iconography, in history painting, which includes mythologies, portraits, genre scenes, and even landscapes, not to mention modern media and genres like photography, cinema, political cartoons, comic books and anime.

Renaissance mythological painting was in theory reviving the iconography of the ancient world, but in practice themes like Leda and the Swan developed on largely original lines, and for different purposes. Personal iconographies, where works appear to have significant meanings individual to, and perhaps only accessible by, the artist, go back at least as far as Hieronymous Bosch, but have become increasingly significant with artists like Goya, William Blake, Gauguin, Picasso, Frida Kahlo and Joseph Beuys.

Iconography in disciplines other than art history

Iconography, often of aspects of popular culture, is a concern of other academic disciplines including Semiotics, Anthropology, Sociology, Media Studies and Cultural Studies. These analyses in turn have affected conventional art history, especially concepts such as signs in semiotics Discussing imagery as iconography in this way implies a critical "reading" of imagery that often attempts to explore social and cultural values. Iconography is also used within film studies to describe the visual language of cinema, particularly within the field of genre criticism.

Articles with iconography studies on individual works

Castelseprio frescoes

The Flagellation by Piero della Francesca

The Wilton Diptych

St. Jerome in His Study by Antonello da Messina

Two Venetian Ladies and St. Augustine in His Study by Vittore Carpaccio

Melencolia I by Albrecht Dürer

Marie de' Medici cycle by Rubens

William Hogarth paintings and prints

Works cited

Białostocki, Jan, ''Iconography'', ''Dictionary of The History of Ideas'', Online version, University of Virginia Library, Gale Group, 2003

Cook, Pam and Mieke Bernink, eds. 1999. ''The Cinema Book''. 2nd ed. London: BFI Publishing. ISBN 0851707262.

G Schiller, ''Iconography of Christian Art, Vol. I'',1971 (English trans from German), Lund Humphries, London, ISBN 853312702

See also

Cultural icon

Donor portrait

Gay icon

Halo (religious iconography)

Logo

Meme

National emblem

Pop icon

Symbolic anthropology

Symbology

Symbolism (disambiguation)

*Specific religions:

**Early Christian art

*

**Saint symbology

*Buddhist art

**Ashtamangala

**Greco-Buddhist art

**Iconography of the Buddha (Thailand and Laos)

**Korean Buddhist sculpture

**Thangka

**Three hares

Individuals:

*Erwin Panofsky

External links

What iconographers do - case study

Iconography of Deities and Demons in the Ancient Near East (Project of the Swiss National Science Foundation at the Universities of Zurich and Fribourg)

Web site for European Sacred Mountains, Calvaries and Devotional Complexes

Christian Iconography

Essays on Iconography

Sacred Icons in Modern Era about the Cult of Great Mother

Orthodox Christian and Eastern rite Catholic teaching about Iconography

Notes

Category:Art history

ca:Iconografia cs:Ikonografie de:Ikonografie es:Iconografía eo:Ikonografio fr:Iconographie gl:Iconografía hr:Ikonografija io:Ikonografio id:Ikonografi it:Iconografia he:איקונוגרפיה hu:Ikonográfia arz:ايقونوجرافيا nl:Iconografie ja:図像学 no:Ikonografi nn:Ikonografi pl:Ikonografia pt:Iconografia ru:Иконография sh:Ikonografija fi:Ikonografia sv:Ikonografi th:ประติมานวิทยา uk:Іконографія

Coordinates	37°46′45.48″N122°25′9.12″N
name	Max Richter
background	non_performing_personnel
born	1966, Germany
occupation	Composer, pianist, producer
years active	1990s–present
label	Fat Cat Records
website	maxrichtermusic.com
notable instruments	}}

Max Richter (born 1966) is a German-born British composer.

Biography

Richter studied composition and piano at University of Edinburgh, the Royal Academy of Music and with Luciano Berio in Florence . After finishing his studies, Richter co-founded the contemporary classical ensemble Piano Circus. He stayed with the group for ten years, commissioning and performing works by Arvo Pärt, Brian Eno, Philip Glass, Julia Wolfe and Steve Reich. The ensemble was signed to Decca/Argo, producing five albums. In 1996, Max collaborated with Future Sound of London on their album ''Dead Cities'', beginning as a pianist, but ultimately working on several tracks, as well as co-writing one track (titled "Max"). Richter subsequently worked with the band over a period of two years, also contributing to the albums ''The Isness'' and ''The Peppermint Tree and Seeds of Superconsciousness''. In 2000, Richter worked with Mercury Prize winner Roni Size on the Reprazent album ''In the Mode''. Richter produced Vashti Bunyan's album ''Lookaftering'' (2005) and Kelli Ali's album ''Rocking Horse'' in 2008.

Solo work

In 2002, Richter released his solo debut ''Memoryhouse'', an experimental album of “documentary music” recorded with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, which explores real and imaginary stories and histories. It combines ambient sounds, voices, and poetry readings. The album went out of print several years later, but was re-released in 2009. Four tracks (“Europe, After the Rain”, “The Twins (Prague)”, “Fragment“, and “Embers”) were used in the six-part 2005 BBC documentary ''Auschwitz: The Nazis and the Final Solution'' produced by Laurence Rees. On his second album, ''The Blue Notebooks'' (2004), actress Tilda Swinton reads from Kafka’s ''Blue Octavo'' and other "shadow journals". ''Songs from Before'' (2006) features Robert Wyatt reading texts by Haruki Murakami. Richter released his fourth solo album ''24 Postcards in Full Colour'', a collection of 24 classically-composed miniatures for ringtones, in 2008. The pieces are a series of variations on the basic material, scored for strings, piano and electronics. Richter's latest album, ''Infra'', is an extension of his 25-minute score for a ballet choreographed by Wayne McGregor which was staged at the Royal Opera House. ''Infra'' is composed of music written for piano, electronics and string quintet, the full performance score, as well as material that subsequently developed from the construction of the album.

Film Scores

Richter has composed numerous film soundtracks. He executed the score to Ari Folman’s Golden Globe-winning film ''Waltz with Bashir'' in 2007, supplanting the standard orchestral soundtrack with synth-based sounds. Richter wrote the music for Feo Aladag's film ''Die Fremde'' (with additional music by Stéphane Moucha). In 2010, Dinah Washington's "This Bitter Earth" was remixed with Richter's "On the Nature of Daylight" for the Martin Scorsese film ''Shutter Island''. In July 2010, "On The Nature Of Daylight" and "Vladimir's Blues" featured throughout the BBC Two two-part drama ''Dive'', which was co-written by Bafta award winning Dominic Savage and Simon Stevens. Richter also wrote the soundtrack to Peter Richardson’s documentary, ''How to die in Oregon'',and the score to ''Les Impardonnables'' (2011) directed by André Téchiné. Films featuring Max's music which go on release in 2011 include French drama ''Elle s’appelait Sarah'' by Gilles Paquet-Brenner, and David MacKenzie's romantic thriller ''Perfect Sense''. Richter is currently composing the score to Ari Folman’s new film ''The Congress'' which is set for release in 2012-13.

Collaborations

Richter wrote the score to ''Infra'' as part of a Royal Ballet-commissioned collaboration with dancer Wayne McGregor and artist Julian Opie. The production was staged at the Royal Opera House in London in 2008. In 2010, Richter's soundscape ''The Anthropocine'' formed part of Darren Almond’s film installation at the White Cube gallery in London.

Solo discography

''Memoryhouse'' (BBC, 2002)

''The Blue Notebooks'' (Fat Cat Records, 2004)

''Songs from Before'' (Fat Cat Records, 2006)

''24 Postcards in Full Colour'' (Fat Cat Records, 2008)

''Infra'' (Fat Cat Records, 2010)

Film scores

''Soundproof'' (2006) Director: Edmund Coulthard

''Henry May Long'' (2007) Director: Randy Sharp

''Hope'' (2007) Director: Stanislav Mucha

''Waltz with Bashir'' (2008) Director: Ari Folman. Won 'Best Composer' at the 21st annual European Film Awards.

''Darwin – Notes From A Genius'' (2008) Producer: Jeremy Bristow

''Frankie Howerd: Rather You Than Me'' Director: John Alexander

''Die Wilde Farm'' (2009) Director: Dominique Garing & Frédéric Goupil

''Lila, Lila'' (2009) Director: Alain Gsponer

''Penelopa'' (2009) Director: Brian Ferris

''How to Die in Oregon'' (2010) Director: Peter D. Richardson

''Sarah’s Key'' (2010) Director: Gilles Paquet-Brenner

''My Trip to Al-Qaeda'' (2010) Director: Alex Gibney

''Die Fremde'' (2010) Director: Feo Aladağ

''The Womb'' (2010) Director: Benedek Fliegauf

''Impardonnables'' (2011) Director: André Téchiné

''Perfect Sense'' (2011) Director: David MacKenzie

References

External links

Official Website

Max Richter on Myspace

FatCat Records Artist page

Max Richter Facebook

Max Richter Twitter

Review of 'Infra' in Tokafi Magazine

Review of 'Infra' in Nowness magazine

Category:21st-century classical composers Category:European Film Awards winners (people) Category:Postminimalist composers Category:Experimental composers Category:British film score composers Category:German film score composers Category:British pianists Category:German pianists Category:British people of German descent Category:1966 births Category:Living people

de:Max Richter (Komponist) es:Max Richter fr:Max Richter he:מקס ריכטר hu:Max Richter pl:Max Richter pt:Max Richter ru:Рихтер, Макс

Coordinates	37°46′45.48″N122°25′9.12″N
name	Keep of Kalessin
landscape	yes
background	group_or_band
origin	Trondheim, Norway
genre	Black metal (early)Melodic black metal, melodic death metal (later)
years active	1993–200020032005–present
label	Nuclear BlastCandlelightTabuIndie
associated acts	1349, Aptorian Demon, Antares Predator, Gehenna, Gorgoroth, Mayhem, Satyricon, Tormentor, Subliritum| website www.keepofkalessin.no
current members	Obsidian C.ThebonWizziacVyl
past members	See below
notable instruments	}}

Keep of Kalessin is an extreme metal band from Trondheim, Norway formed in 1993. The group's early lineup consisted of Ghash on vocals, Obsidian C. (the group founder) on guitars and keyboards, Warach on bass, and Vyl on drums. They released two albums under this lineup: ''Through Times of War'' in 1997, and ''Agnen: A Journey Through the Dark'' in 1999, before splitting up. Obsidian C. then toured with Satyricon, but revived the Keep of Kalessin name for a 2003 EP, ''Reclaim''. In 2006 he reconstituted the group with a new lineup and released a third full-length, ''Armada)''. They toured with Behemoth and Dimmu Borgir early in 2008. Their fourth album Kolossus was released on June 6, 2008. They take their name from Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea series of books, where Kalessin is the name of the arch-dragon who is the bearer of the Earthsea world. Keep of Kalessin was nominated for a Spellemannprisen in the metal category in 2008.

Biography

Unlike most black metal bands, ''Keep of Kalessin'' is in its harshness still melodic and technically oriented. In contrast to traditional Norwegian black metal, Keep of Kalessin also make use of other instruments like the piano, keyboards and synthesizers. They started experimenting with a new sound which gave ''Keep of Kalessin'' its new character after Obsidian C. recruited the new band-members Thebon, Wizziac and Vyl for their album ''Armada'' in 2006, the follow-up after the ''Reclaim'' EP in 2003. Before ''Reclaim'', the band had a much darker and colder character because of the different line-up they had back in the days. The line-up split in 2000, though Obsidian C. still wanted to make something of the band and the split-up wasn't the end of the band yet. He wanted to give Keep of Kalessin a unique character and develop its music, and improve himself too as a musician and lyrics writer, but the band still needed a drummer who could keep up with his riffing and he couldn't find one in Trondheim. After nearly 3 years, the band Satyricon was in the need of a guitarist and Obsidian C. participated in the auditions and "played the ass off" some other 30 guitarists who also had applied for the job. He made it to the band and came in contact with Satyricon's drummer Frost.

Obsidian C. didn't give up on Keep of Kalessin and as soon as Frost heard its material, without hesitation, he immediately said yes when Obsidian C. asked him to do the drumming on his new EP. As the band's new guitarist, Obsidian C. also toured with the band and this made it possible to recruit Attila Csihar for his EP to do the vocals. This new line-up recorded Keep of Kalessin's new EP ''Reclaim'' and sky-rocketed the band into the elite black metal scene of Norway. But the line-up did not last and fell apart because of the distances between the band members. Still, this would not stop Obsidian C. and he was more and more determined to bring Keep of Kalessin to the masses. As part of Satyricon he toured a lot with the band and understood that touring is a must to promote a band. Not much later he teamed up again with Vyl, who was a part of the band before the breakup in 2000. Now the band still needed a vocalist and preferably a bassist as well. This is when Thebon (vocals) and Wizziac (bass guitar) became part of the band.

Together with Torstein Parelius – the lyric writer from their EP ''Reclaim'' – the new line-up spent 2 years preparing to record their next album entitled ''Armada''. This elevated the band to a higher place in the elite black metal scene of Norway and the band finally had a line-up which could last and made the band even more promising than before.

This same line-up recorded in 2007 the new album ''Kolossus'', released in the summer of 2008, demonstrating the band improved their sound after the well received and highly acclaimed release ''Armada'' in 2006 which even got some good attention from the more mainstream media in Norway. This resulted in a nomination for the Spellemannprisen in the metal category in 2008. On Kolossus they started to experiment more with different instruments and the band indeed created a unique character for Keep of Kalessin.

In 2010, Keep of Kalessin entered a song in the Melodi Grand Prix, the annual competition to select Norway's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest, which was hosted by the country due to its victory in the 2009 content, becoming the first heavy metal band to vie in the competition. The band performed their new song, "The Dragontower", in the first of 3 semi-final rounds and advanced to the Gold Final round, where the band finished in 3rd place overall through a combined viewer and jury vote.

Obsidian C. announced in the ''Studio Report 4'' video of ''Kolossus'' that they're already working on some new songs for the next album.

Discography

Studio releases

''Through Times of War'' (1997)

''Agnen: A Journey Through the Dark'' (1999)

''Armada'' (2006)

''Kolossus'' (2008)

''Reptilian'' (2010)

Extended plays

''Reclaim'' (2003)

Demos

''Skygger av Sorg'' (1996)

Band members

Current members

Arnt "Obsidian C." Grønbech - guitars, keyboards, bass, backing vocals (1993–present)

Torbjørn "Thebon" Schei - vocals (2005–present)

Robin "Wizziac" Isaksen - bass, backing vocals (2005–present)

Vegar "Vyl" Larsen - drums, guitar (1996–1999, 2005–present)

Former members

''Ghâsh'' - Vocals - (1996–1999)

''Warach (Øyvind A.Winther)'' - Bass - (1996–1999)

''Attila Csihar'' - Vocals - (2003)

''Frost (Kjetil-Vidar Haraldstad)'' - Drums - (2003)

''Cernunnus (Tor-Helge Skei)'' - Guitars (2003)

''Kesh'' - Bass (2003)

''Remi(Snake)Normann'' - lead guitar- (2010)

References

External links

Keep of Kalessin Official Homepage

Category:Norwegian black metal musical groups Category:Musical groups established in 1993 Category:1993 establishments in Norway Category:Melodi Grand Prix contestants

bg:Keep of Kalessin da:Keep of Kalessin de:Keep of Kalessin es:Keep of Kalessin fr:Keep of Kalessin it:Keep of Kalessin lt:Keep of Kalessin nl:Keep Of Kalessin ja:キープ・オヴ・カレシン no:Keep of Kalessin pl:Keep of Kalessin ro:Keep of Kalessin ru:Keep of Kalessin fi:Keep of Kalessin sv:Keep of Kalessin

Coordinates	37°46′45.48″N122°25′9.12″N
name	Jim Morrison
background	solo_singer
birth name	James Douglas Morrison
alias	Mr. Mojo Risin' (anagram of "Jim Morrison"), The Lizard King
born	December 08, 1943Melbourne, Florida, United States
died	July 03, 1971Paris, France
genre	Psychedelic rock, blues rock, acid rock, rock and roll, hard rock
occupation	musician, songwriter, poet, filmmaker, actor
instrument	Vocals, Piano
years active	1963–1971
label	Elektra, Columbia
associated acts	The DoorsRick & the Ravens
website	thedoors.com }}

James Douglas "Jim" Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) was an American lead singer and lyricist of the rock band The Doors, as well as a poet. After The Doors' explosive rise to fame in 1967, Morrison developed a severe alcohol and drug dependence which culminated in his death in Paris in 1971 at age 27, due to a suspected heroin overdose. However the events surrounding his death continue to be the subject of controversy, as no autopsy was performed on his body after death and the exact cause of his death is disputed by many to this day.

Jim Morrison would often improvise poem passages while the band played live, which was his trademark. He is widely regarded, with his wild personality and performances, as one of the most iconic, charismatic and pioneering frontmen in rock music history. Morrison was ranked number 47 on ''Rolling Stone's'' "100 Greatest Singers of All Time", and number 22 on ''Classic Rock Magazine's'' "50 Greatest Singers In Rock".

Early years

James Douglas Morrison was born in Melbourne, Florida, to future Rear Admiral George Stephen Morrison and Clara Morrison. Morrison had a sister, Anne Robin, who was born in 1947 in Albuquerque, New Mexico; and a brother, Andrew Lee Morrison, who was born in 1948 in Los Altos, California. He was of Irish and Scottish descent. Morrison reportedly had an I.Q. of 149.

In 1947, Morrison, then four years old, allegedly witnessed a car accident in the desert, where a family of American Indians were injured and possibly killed. He referred to this incident in a spoken word performance on the song "Dawn's Highway" from the album ''An American Prayer'', and again in the songs "Peace Frog" and "Ghost Song."

Morrison believed the incident to be the most formative event of his life, and made repeated references to it in the imagery in his songs, poems, and interviews. His family does not recall this incident happening in the way he told it. According to the Morrison biography ''No One Here Gets Out Alive'', Morrison's family did drive past a car accident on an Indian reservation when he was a child, and he was very upset by it. The book ''The Doors'', written by the remaining members of The Doors, explains how different Morrison's account of the incident was from the account of his father. This book quotes his father as saying, "We went by several Indians. It did make an impression on him [the young James]. He always thought about that crying Indian." This is contrasted sharply with Morrison's tale of "Indians scattered all over the highway, bleeding to death." In the same book, his sister is quoted as saying, "He enjoyed telling that story and exaggerating it. He said he saw a dead Indian by the side of the road, and I don't even know if that's true."

With his father in the United States Navy, Morrison's family moved often. He spent part of his childhood in San Diego. In 1958, Morrison attended Alameda High School in Alameda, California. He graduated from George Washington High School (now George Washington Middle School) in Alexandria, Virginia, in June 1961. His father was also stationed at Mayport Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Florida.

Morrison was inspired by the writings of philosophers and poets. He was influenced by Friedrich Nietzsche, whose views on aesthetics, morality, and the Apollonian and Dionysian duality would appear in his conversation, poetry and songs. He read "Plutarch’s Lives of the Noble Greeks" (''Parallel Lives''). He also read the French Symbolist poet Arthur Rimbaud, whose style would later influence the form of Morrison’s short prose poems. He was also influenced by Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Kenneth Patchen, Michael McClure and Gregory Corso. His English teacher once commented, "I felt that Jim was the only one in the class who read Ulysses, and understood it." Honoré de Balzac, Jean Cocteau, and Molière also interested Morrison, along with most of the French existentialist philosophers. His senior-year English teacher said that, "Jim read as much and probably more than any student in class, but everything he read was so offbeat I had another teacher, who was going to the Library of Congress, check to see if the books Jim was reporting on actually existed. I suspected he was making them up, as they were English books on sixteenth- and seventeenth-century demonology. I’d never heard of them, but they existed, and I’m convinced from the paper he wrote that he read them, and the Library of Congress would’ve been the only source."

Morrison went to live with his paternal grandparents in Clearwater, Florida, where he attended classes at St. Petersburg Junior College. In 1962, he transferred to Florida State University (FSU) in Tallahassee, where he appeared in a school recruitment film. While attending FSU, Morrison was arrested for a prank, following a home football game.

In January 1964, Morrison moved to Los Angeles, to attend the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He attended Jack Hirschman's class on Antonin Artaud in the Comparative Literature program within the UCLA English Department. Artaud's brand of surrealist theatre had a profound impact on Morrison's dark poetic sensibility of cinematic theatricality.

Morrison completed his undergraduate degree at UCLA's film school and the Theater Arts department of the College of Fine Arts in 1965. In an early display of rebellion, he refused to attend the graduation ceremony, his degree diploma being mailed to him. He made two films while attending UCLA. ''First Love'', the first of these films, made with Morrison's classmate and roommate Max Schwartz, was released to the public when it appeared in a documentary about the film ''Obscura''. During these years, while living in Venice Beach, he became friends with writers at the ''Los Angeles Free Press''. Morrison was an advocate of the underground newspaper until his death in 1971. He later conducted a lengthy and in-depth interview with Bob Chorush and Andy Kent, both working for the Free Press at the time (January 1971), and was planning on visiting the headquarters of the busy newspaper shortly before leaving for Paris.

The Doors

In the Summer of 1965, after graduating from the UCLA, Morrison led a bohemian lifestyle in Venice Beach. Living on the rooftop of a building inhabited by his old UCLA cinematography friend Dennis Jakobs, he wrote the lyrics of many of the early songs the Doors would later perform live and record on albums, the most notable being "Moonlight Drive" and "Hello, I Love You". According to Jakobs, he lived on canned beans and LSD daily for several months. Morrison and fellow UCLA student Ray Manzarek were the first two members of The Doors, forming the group during that same Summer of 1965. They actually met months earlier as fellow cinematography students. The now-legendary story claims that Manzarek was lying on the beach at Venice one day, accidentally encountered Morrison, he was impressed with Morrison's poetic lyrics, claiming that they were "rock group" material. Thereafter, drummer John Densmore and guitarist Robby Krieger joined. Krieger auditioned at Densmore's recommendation and was then added to the lineup. All three musicians shared a common interest in the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's Meditation practices at the time, attending scheduled classes, but Morrison was not involved in this series of classes, claiming later (prior to the famous Hollywood Bowl show in July 1968) that he "did not meditate".

The Doors took their name from the title of Aldous Huxley's ''The Doors of Perception'' (a reference to the "unlocking" of "doors of perception" through psychedelic drug use). Huxley's own title was a quotation from William Blake's ''The Marriage of Heaven and Hell'', in which Blake wrote: "If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is, infinite."

Although Morrison is known as the lyricist for the group, Krieger also made significant lyrical contributions, writing or co-writing some of the group's biggest hits, including "Light My Fire", "Love Me Two Times", "Love Her Madly" and "Touch Me". On the other hand, Morrison, who didn't write songs using an instrument, would come up with melodies for his own lyrics, with the other band members contributing chords and rhythm. He didn't play any instrument live (except for maracas on a few occasions) or in the studio, but he played the piano on "Orange County Suite".

In June 1966, Morrison and The Doors were the opening act at the Whisky a Go Go on the last week of the residency of Van Morrison's band Them. Van's influence on Jim's developing stage performance was later noted by John Densmore in his book ''Riders On The Storm'': "Jim Morrison learned quickly from his near-namesake's stagecraft, his apparent recklessness, his air of subdued menace, the way he would improvise poetry to a rock beat, even his habit of crouching down by the bass drum during instrumental breaks." On the final night, the two Morrisons and the two bands jammed together on "Gloria".

The Doors achieved national recognition after signing with Elektra Records in 1967. The single "Light My Fire" eventually reached number one on the ''Billboard'' Pop Singles chart. Later, The Doors appeared on ''The Ed Sullivan Show'', a popular Sunday night variety series that had introduced The Beatles and Elvis Presley to the nation. Ed Sullivan requested two songs from The Doors for the show, "People Are Strange", and "Light My Fire". The censors insisted that they change the lyrics of "Light My Fire" from "Girl we couldn't get much higher" to "Girl we couldn't get much better"; this was reportedly due to what could be perceived as a reference to drugs in the original lyric. Giving assurances of compliance to Sullivan, Morrison then proceeded to sing the song with the original lyrics anyway. He later said that he had simply forgotten to make the change. This so infuriated Sullivan that he refused to shake their hands after their performance and had a show producer tell the band that they would never do ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' again. Morrison reportedly said to the producer: "Hey man. We just ''did'' the Sullivan Show." In 1967, Morrison and The Doors produced a promotional film for "Break on Through (To the Other Side)", which was their first single release. The video featured the four members of the group playing the song on a darkened set with alternating views and close-ups of the performers while Morrison lip-synched the lyrics. Morrison and The Doors continued to make music videos, including "The Unknown Soldier", "Moonlight Drive", and "People Are Strange".

By the release of their second album, ''Strange Days'', The Doors had become one of the most popular rock bands in the United States. Their blend of blues and rock tinged with psychedelia included a number of original songs and distinctive cover versions, such as their rendition of "Alabama Song", from Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill's operetta, ''Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny''. The band also performed a number of extended concept works, including the songs "The End", "When the Music's Over", and "Celebration of the Lizard".

In 1967, photographer Joel Brodsky took a series of black-and-white photos of Morrison, in a photo shoot known as "The Young Lion" photo session. These photographs are considered among the most iconic images of Jim Morrison and are frequently used as covers for compilation albums, books, and other memorabilia of the Doors and Morrison. In 1968, The Doors released their third studio album, ''Waiting for the Sun''. Their fourth album, ''The Soft Parade'', was released in 1969. It was the first album where the individual band members were given credit on the inner sleeve for the songs they had written.

After this, Morrison started to show up for recording sessions inebriated. He was also frequently late for live performances. As a result, the band would play instrumental music or force Manzarek to take on the singing duties.

By 1969, the formerly svelte singer gained weight, grew a beard, and began dressing more casually — abandoning the leather pants and concho belts for slacks, jeans and T-shirts.

During a 1969 concert at the Dinner Key Auditorium in Miami, Morrison attempted to spark a riot in the audience. He failed, but a warrant for his arrest was issued by the Dade County Police department three days later for indecent exposure. Consequently, many of The Doors' scheduled concerts were canceled. In 2007 Florida Governor Charlie Crist suggested the possibility of a posthumous pardon for Morrison, which was announced as successful on Dec. 9, 2010. Drummer John Densmore denied Morrison ever exposed himself on stage that night.

(See also Miami incident)

Following ''The Soft Parade'', The Doors released the ''Morrison Hotel'' album. After a lengthy break the group reconvened in October 1970 to record their last album with Morrison, ''L.A. Woman''. Shortly after the recording sessions for the album began, producer Paul A. Rothchild — who had overseen all their previous recordings — left the project. Engineer Bruce Botnick took over as producer.

Solo: poetry and film

Morrison began writing in adolescence. In college, he studied the related fields of theater, film, and cinematography.

He self-published two volumes of his poetry in 1969, ''The Lords / Notes on Vision'' and ''The New Creatures''. ''The Lords'' consists primarily of brief descriptions of places, people, events and Morrison's thoughts on cinema. ''The New Creatures'' verses are more poetic in structure, feel and appearance. These two books were later combined into a single volume titled ''The Lords and The New Creatures''. These were the only writings published during Morrison's lifetime.

Morrison befriended Beat Poet Michael McClure, who wrote the afterword for Danny Sugerman's biography of Morrison, ''No One Here Gets Out Alive''. McClure and Morrison reportedly collaborated on a number of unmade film projects, including a film version of McClure's infamous play ''The Beard'', in which Morrison would have played Billy the Kid.

After his death, two volumes of Morrison's poetry were published. The contents of the books were selected and arranged by Morrison's friend, photographer Frank Lisciandro, and girlfriend Pamela Courson's parents, who owned the rights to his poetry. ''The Lost Writings of Jim Morrison'' Volume 1 is titled ''Wilderness,'' and, upon its release in 1988, became an instant ''New York Times'' best seller. Volume 2, ''The American Night,'' released in 1990, was also a success.

Morrison recorded his own poetry in a professional sound studio on two separate occasions. The first was in March 1969 in Los Angeles and the second was on December 8, 1970. The latter recording session was attended by Morrison's personal friends and included a variety of sketch pieces. Some of the segments from the 1969 session were issued on the bootleg album ''The Lost Paris Tapes'' and were later used as part of the Doors' ''An American Prayer'' album, released in 1978. The album reached number 54 on the music charts. The poetry recorded from the December 1970 session remains unreleased to this day and is in the possession of the Courson family.

Morrison's best-known but seldom seen cinematic endeavor is ''HWY: An American Pastoral'', a project he started in 1969. Morrison financed the venture and formed his own production company in order to maintain complete control of the project. Paul Ferrara, Frank Lisciandro and Babe Hill assisted with the project. Morrison played the main character, a hitch hiker turned killer/car thief. Morrison asked his friend, composer/pianist Fred Myrow, to select the soundtrack for the film.

Personal life

Morrison's family

Morrison's early life was a nomadic existence typical of military families. Jerry Hopkins recorded Morrison's brother, Andy, explaining that his parents had determined never to use corporal punishment on their children. They instead instilled discipline and levied punishment by the military tradition known as "dressing down". This consisted of yelling at and berating the children until they were reduced to tears and acknowledged their failings.

Once Morrison graduated from UCLA, he broke off most of his family contact. By the time Morrison's music ascended to the top of the charts in 1967 he had not been in communication with his family for more than a year and falsely claimed that his parents and siblings were dead (or claiming, as it has been widely misreported, that he was an only child). This misinformation was published as part of the materials distributed with The Doors' self-titled debut album.

In a letter to the Florida Probation and Parole Commission District Office dated October 2, 1970, Morrison's father acknowledged the breakdown in family communications as the result of an argument over his assessment of his son's musical talents. He said he could not blame his son for being reluctant to initiate contact and that he was proud of him nonetheless.

George Morrison was not supportive of his son's career choice in music. One day, an acquaintance brought over a record thought to have Jim on the cover. The record was the Doors self-titled debut. The young man played the record for Morrison's father and family. After hearing the record, Morrison's father wrote him a letter telling him "to give up any idea of singing or any connection with a music group because of what I considered to be a complete lack of talent in this direction."

Women in his life

Morrison met his long-term companion, Pamela Courson, well before he gained any fame or fortune, and she encouraged him to develop his poetry. At times, Courson used the surname "Morrison" with his apparent consent or at least lack of concern. After Courson's death on April 25, 1974, the probate court in California decided that she and Morrison had what qualified as a common-law marriage (see below, under "Estate Controversy").

Morrison's and Courson's relationship was a stormy one, with frequent loud arguments and periods of separation. Biographer Danny Sugerman surmised that part of their difficulties may have stemmed from a conflict between their respective commitments to an open relationship and the consequences of living in such a relationship.

In 1970, Morrison participated in a Celtic Pagan handfasting ceremony with rock critic and science fiction/fantasy author Patricia Kennealy. Before witnesses, one of them a Presbyterian minister, the couple signed a document declaring themselves wedded, but none of the necessary paperwork for a legal marriage was filed with the state. Kennealy discussed her experiences with Morrison in her autobiography ''Strange Days: My Life With and Without Jim Morrison'' in an interview reported in the book ''Rock Wives''.

Morrison also regularly had sex with fans and had numerous short flings with women who were celebrities, including Nico, the singer associated with The Velvet Underground, a one night stand with singer Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane, an on-again-off-again relationship with ''16 Magazine'''s Gloria Stavers and an alleged alcohol-fueled encounter with Janis Joplin. However rock musician and rock star expert, Alice Cooper, declared on his syndicated radio show that Jim was scrupulously true to Pamela on tour, eschewing all sexual encounters. Linda Ashcroft in her book "Wild Child: My Life With Jim Morrison" details her life with Morrison as well. Judy Huddleston also recalls her relationship with Morrison in "This is The End...My Only Friend: Living and Dying with Jim Morrison". At the time of his death there were reportedly as many as 20 paternity actions pending against him, although no claims were made against his estate by any of the putative paternity claimants.

Death

Morrison flew to Paris in March 1971, took up residence in a rented apartment on the rue Beautreillis on the Right Bank, and went for long walks through the city, admiring the city's architecture. During that time, Morrison shaved his beard and lost some of the weight he had gained in the previous months. The last studio recording was with two American street musicians  — a session dismissed by Manzarek as "drunken gibberish". The session included a version of a song-in-progress, "Orange County Suite", which can be heard on the bootleg ''The Lost Paris Tapes''.

Morrison died on July 3, 1971. In the official account of his death, he was found in a Paris apartment bathtub by Courson. Pursuant to French law, no autopsy was performed because the medical examiner claimed to have found no evidence of foul play. The absence of an official autopsy has left many questions regarding Morrison's cause of death.

In ''Wonderland Avenue'', Danny Sugerman discussed his encounter with Courson after she returned to the U.S. According to Sugerman's account, Courson stated that Morrison had died of a heroin overdose, having insufflated what he believed to be cocaine. Sugerman added that Courson had given numerous contradictory versions of Morrison's death, at times saying that she had killed Morrison, or that his death was her fault. Courson's story of Morrison's unintentional ingestion of heroin, followed by accidental overdose, is supported by the confession of Alain Ronay, who has written that Morrison died of a hemorrhage after snorting Courson's heroin, and that Courson nodded off instead of phoning for medical help, leaving Morrison bleeding to death.

Ronay confessed in an article in ''Paris Match'' that he then helped cover up the circumstances of Morrison's death. In the epilogue of ''No One Here Gets Out Alive'', Hopkins and Sugerman write that Ronay and Agnès Varda say Courson lied to the police who responded at the death scene, and later in her deposition, telling them Morrison never took drugs.

In the epilogue to ''No One Here Gets Out Alive'', Hopkins says that 20 years after Morrison's death, Ronay and Varda broke silence and gave this account: They arrived at the house shortly after Morrison's death and Courson said that she and Morrison had taken heroin after a night of drinking. Morrison had been coughing badly, had gone to take a bath, and vomited blood. Courson said that he appeared to recover and that she then went to sleep. When she awoke sometime later Morrison was unresponsive, and so she called for medical assistance.

Courson died of a heroin overdose three years later. Like Morrison, she was 27 years old at the time of her death. Contrary to initial reports circulating in 1974, she is not buried with Morrison, but rather her cremated ashes are interred in a wall at Fairhaven Memorial Park in Santa Ana, CA USA, with the plaque bearing the name "Pamela Susan Morrison".

In the epilogue of ''No One Here Gets Out Alive'', Hopkins and Sugerman also claim that Morrison had asthma and was suffering from a respiratory condition involving a chronic cough and throwing up blood on the night of his death. This theory is partially supported in ''The Doors'' (written by the remaining members of the band) in which they claim Morrison had been coughing up blood for nearly two months in Paris. None of the members of the Doors were in Paris with Morrison in the months before his death.

According to an outside individual who witnessed the funeral at Père Lachaise, a woman by the name of Madame Colinette who was at the cemetery that day mourning the recent loss of her husband, the ceremony was "pitiful", with several of the attendants muttering a few words, throwing flowers over the casket, then leaving quickly and hastily within minutes as if their lives depended upon it. Those who attended included Alain Ronay, Agnes Varda, Bill Siddons (manager), Courson, and Robin Wertle (Morrison's Canadian private secretary at the time for a few months).

In the first version of ''No One Here Gets Out Alive'' published in 1980, Sugerman and Hopkins gave some credence to the rumor that Morrison may not have died at all, calling the fake death theory “not as far-fetched as it might seem”. This theory led to considerable distress for Morrison's loved ones over the years, notably when fans would stalk them, searching for evidence of Morrison's whereabouts. In 1995 a new epilogue was added to Sugerman's and Hopkins's book, giving new facts about Morrison's death and discounting the fake death theory, saying “As time passed, some of Jim and Pamela [Courson]'s friends began to talk about what they knew, and although everything they said pointed irrefutably to Jim's demise, there remained and probably always will be those who refuse to believe that Jim is dead and those who will not allow him to rest in peace.” In a July 2007 newspaper interview, a self-described close friend of Morrison's, Sam Bernett, resurrected an old rumor and announced that Morrison actually died of a heroin overdose in the Rock 'n' Roll Circus nightclub, on the Left Bank in Paris. Bernett claims that Morrison came to the club to buy heroin for Courson then did some himself and died in the bathroom. Bernett alleges that Morrison was then moved back to the rue Beautreillis apartment and dumped in the bathtub by the same two drug dealers from whom Morrison had purchased the heroin. Bernett says those who saw Morrison that night were sworn to secrecy in order to prevent a scandal for the famous club, and that some of the witnesses immediately left the country. There have been many other conspiracy theories surrounding Morrison's death but are less supported by witnesses than are the accounts of Ronay and Courson.

Morrison's death at age twenty-seven included him in a phenomenon called the 27 Club, which currently consists of six other prominent musicians who have died at the same age.

Grave site

Morrison is buried in the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, one of the city's most visited tourist attractions. The grave had no official marker until French officials placed a shield over it, which was stolen in 1973. In 1981, Croatian sculptor Mladen Mikulin placed a bust of Morrison and the new gravestone with Morrison's name at the grave to commemorate the 10th anniversary of his death; the bust was defaced through the years by cemetery vandals and later stolen in 1988. In the 1990s Morrison's father, George Stephen Morrison, placed a flat stone on the grave. The stone bears the Greek inscription: ΚΑΤΑ ΤΟΝ ΔΑΙΜΟΝΑ ΕΑΥΤΟΥ, literally meaning "according to his own daemon" and usually interpreted as "true to his own spirit". Mikulin later made two more Morrison portraits in bronze but is awaiting the license to place a new sculpture on the tomb.

Estate controversy

In his will, made in Los Angeles County on February 12, 1969, Morrison (who described himself as "an unmarried person") bequeathed his entire estate to Courson, also naming her co-executor with his attorney, Max Fink; she thus inherited everything upon Morrison’s death in 1971.

When Courson died in 1974, a battle ensued between Morrison’s and Courson’s parents over who had legal claim to Morrison’s estate. Since Morrison left a will, the question was effectively moot. Upon his death, his property became Courson’s, and on her death her property passed to her next heirs at law, her parents. Morrison's parents contested the will under which Courson and now her parents had inherited their son’s property.

To bolster their position, Courson’s parents presented a document they claimed she had acquired in Colorado, apparently an application for a declaration that she and Morrison had contracted a common-law marriage under the laws of that state. The ability to contract a common-law marriage was abolished in California in 1896. California's conflict of laws rules provided for recognition of common-law marriages when lawfully contracted in foreign jurisdictions — and Colorado was one of the eleven U.S. jurisdictions that still recognized common-law marriage.

Artistic influences

As a naval family the Morrisons relocated frequently. Consequently Morrison's early education was routinely disrupted as he moved from school to school. Nonetheless was drawn to the study of literature, poetry, religion, philosophy and psychology, among other fields.

Biographers have consistently pointed to a number of writers and philosophers who influenced Morrison's thinking and, perhaps, behavior. While still in his teens Morrison discovered the works of philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. He was also drawn to the poetry of William Blake, Charles Baudelaire and Arthur Rimbaud. Beat Generation writers such as Jack Kerouac also had a strong influence on Morrison's outlook and manner of expression; Morrison was eager to experience the life described in Kerouac's ''On the Road''. He was similarly drawn to the works of the French writer Louis-Ferdinand Céline. Céline's book, ''Voyage au Bout de la Nuit'' (''Journey to the End of the Night'') and Blake's ''Auguries of Innocence'' both echo through one of Morrison's early songs, "End of the Night". Morrison later met and befriended Michael McClure, a well known beat poet. McClure had enjoyed Morrison's lyrics but was even more impressed by his poetry and encouraged him to further develop his craft.

Morrison's vision of performance was colored by the works of 20th-century French playwright Antonin Artaud (author of ''Theater and its Double'') and by Julian Beck's Living Theater.

Other works relating to religion, mysticism, ancient myth and symbolism were of lasting interest, particularly Joseph Campbell's ''The Hero with a Thousand Faces.'' James Frazer's ''The Golden Bough'' also became a source of inspiration and is reflected in the title and lyrics of the song "Not to Touch the Earth".

Morrison was particularly attracted to the myths and religions of Native American cultures. While he was still in school, his family moved to New Mexico where he got to see some of the places and artifacts important to the Southwest Indigenous cultures. These interests appear to be the source of many references to creatures and places such as lizards, snakes, deserts and "ancient lakes" that appear in his songs and poetry. His interpretation of the practices of a Native American "shaman" were worked into parts of Morrison's stage routine, notably in his interpretation of the Ghost Dance, and a song on his later poetry album, ''The Ghost Song''.

Jim Morrison's vocal influences were Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra, which is evident in his own baritone crooning style used in several of the Doors songs. It is mentioned within the pages of "No One Here Gets Out Alive" by Danny Sugerman, that Morrison as a teenager was such a fan of Presley's music that he demanded people be quiet when Elvis was on the radio. The Frank Sinatra influence is mentioned in the pages of "The Doors, The Illustrated History" also by Sugerman, where Frank Sinatra is listed on Morrison's Band Bio as being his favorite singer. Reference to this can also be found in a Rolling Stone article about Jim Morrison, regarding the top 100 rock singers of all time.

Legacy

Morrison remains one of the most popular and influential singer-songwriters in rock history as The Doors' catalog has become a staple of classic rock radio stations. To this day he is widely regarded as the prototypical rock star: surly, sexy, scandalous and mysterious. The leather pants he was fond of wearing both on stage and off have since become stereotyped as rock star apparel. In 2011, a ''Rolling Stone'' readers' pick placed Jim Morrison in fifth place of the magazine's "Best Lead Singers of All Time".

Iggy and the Stooges are said to have formed after lead singer Iggy Pop was inspired by Morrison while attending a Doors concert in Ann Arbor, Michigan. One of Pop's most popular songs, "The Passenger", is said to be based on one of Morrison's poems. After Morrison's death, Pop was considered as a replacement lead singer for The Doors; the surviving Doors gave him some of Morrison's belongings and hired him as a vocalist for a series of shows. Wallace Fowlie, professor emeritus of French literature at Duke University, wrote ''Rimbaud and Jim Morrison,'' subtitled ''"The Rebel as Poet – A Memoir".'' In this he recounts his surprise at receiving a fan letter from Morrison who, in 1968, thanked him for his latest translation of Arthur Rimbaud's verse into English. "I don't read French easily", he wrote, "...your book travels around with me." Fowlie went on to give lectures on numerous campuses comparing the lives, philosophies and poetry of Morrison and Rimbaud.

Eddie Vedder, lead singer of Pearl Jam, Layne Staley, the late vocalist of Alice in Chains, Scott Weiland, the vocalist of Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver, Julian Casablancas of The Strokes, James LaBrie of Dream Theater, as well as Scott Stapp of Creed, claimed Morrison to be their biggest influence and inspiration. Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver have both covered "Roadhouse Blues" by the Doors. Weiland also filled in for Morrison to perform "Break On Through" with the rest of the Doors. Stapp filled in for Morrison for "Light My Fire", "Riders on the Storm" and "Roadhouse Blues" on ''VH1 Storytellers''. Creed performed their version of "Roadhouse Blues" with Robbie Krieger for the 1999 Woodstock Festival.

The book ''The Doors'' by the remaining Doors quotes Morrison's close friend Frank Lisciandro as saying that too many people took a remark of Morrison's that he was interested in revolt, disorder, and chaos “to mean that he was an anarchist, a revolutionary, or, worse yet, a nihilist. Hardly anyone noticed that Jim was restating Rimbaud and the Surreal poets.”

Books

By Jim Morrison

''The Lords and the New Creatures'' (1969). 1985 edition: ISBN 0-7119-0552-5

''An American Prayer'' (1970) privately printed by Western Lithographers. (Unauthorized edition also published in 1983, Zeppelin Publishing Company, ISBN 0-915628-46-5. The authenticity of the unauthorized edition has been disputed.)

''Wilderness: The Lost Writings Of Jim Morrison'' (1988). 1990 edition: ISBN 0-14-011910-8

''The American Night: The Writings of Jim Morrison'' (1990). 1991 edition: ISBN 0-670-83772-5

About Jim Morrison

Dylan Jones, ''Jim Morrison: Dark Star'', (1990) ISBN 0-7475-0951-4

Linda Ashcroft, ''Wild Child: Life with Jim Morrison'', (1997) ISBN 1-56025-249-9

Lester Bangs, "Jim Morrison: Bozo Dionysus a Decade Later" in ''Main Lines, Blood Feasts, and Bad Taste: A Lester Bangs Reader'', John Morthland, ed. Anchor Press (2003) ISBN 0-375-71367-0

Patricia Butler, ''Angels Dance and Angels Die: The Tragic Romance of Pamela and Jim Morrison'', (1998) ISBN 0-8256-7341-0

Stephen Davis, ''Jim Morrison: Life, Death, Legend'', (2004) ISBN 1-59240-064-7

John Densmore, ''Riders on the Storm: My Life With Jim Morrison and the Doors'' (1991) ISBN 0-385-30447-1

Dave DiMartino, ''Moonlight Drive'' (1995) ISBN 1-886894-21-3

Wallace Fowlie, ''Rimbaud and Jim Morrison'' (1994) ISBN 0-8223-1442-8

Jerry Hopkins, ''The Lizard King: The Essential Jim Morrison'' (1995) ISBN 0-684-81866-3

Jerry Hopkins and Danny Sugerman, ''No One Here Gets Out Alive'' (1980) ISBN 0-85965-138-X

Patricia Kennealy, ''Strange Days: My Life With and Without Jim Morrison'' (1992) ISBN 0-525-93419-7

Frank Lisciandro, ''Morrison — A Feast of Friends'' (1991) ISBN 0-446-39276-6, ''Morrison — Un festin entre amis'' (1996) (French)

Frank Lisciandro, ''Jim Morrison — An Hour For Magic'' (A Photojournal) (1982) ISBN 0-85965-246-7, ''James Douglas Morrison'' (2005) (French)

Ray Manzarek, ''Light My Fire'' (1998) ISBN 0-446-60228-0L. First by Jerry Hopkins and Danny Sugerman (1981)

Peter Jan Margry, The Pilgrimage to Jim Morrison's Grave at Père Lachaise Cemetery: The Social Construction of Sacred Space. In idem (ed.), ''Shrines and Pilgrimage in the Modern World. New Itineraries into the Sacred.'' Amsterdam University Press, 2008, p. 145–173.

Thanasis Michos, ''The Poetry of James Douglas Morrison'' (2001) ISBN 960-7748-23-9 (Greek)

Mark Opsasnick, ''The Lizard King Was Here: The Life and Times of Jim Morrison in Alexandria, Virginia'' (2006) ISBN 1-4257-1330-0

James Riordan & Jerry Prochnicky, ''Break on through : The Life and Death of Jim Morrison'' (1991) ISBN 0-688-11915-8

Adriana Rubio, ''Jim Morrison: Ceremony...Exploring the Shaman Possession'' (2005) ISBN

The Doors (remaining members Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger, John Densmore) with Ben Fong-Torres, ''The Doors'' (2006) ISBN 1-4013-0303-X

Films

Documentaries featuring Jim Morrison

''The Doors Are Open'' (1968)

''Live in Europe'' (1968)

''Live at the Hollywood Bowl'' (1968)

''Feast of Friends'' (1969)

''The Doors: A Tribute to Jim Morrison'' (1981)

''The Doors: Dance on Fire'' (1985)

''The Soft Parade, a Retrospective'' (1991)

''Final 24: Jim Morrison'' (2007), The Biography Channel

''The Doors: No One Here Gets Out Alive'' (2009)

''When You're Strange'' (2009)

Films about Jim Morrison

''The Doors'' (1991), A fiction film by director Oliver Stone, starring Val Kilmer as Morrison and with cameos by Krieger and Densmore. Kilmer's performance was praised by some critics. Members of the group criticized Stone's portrayal of Morrison, and noted that numerous events depicted in the movie were pure fiction.

References

External links

Earliest film of Jim Morrison

A lost painting collaboration with Jim Morrison intended for his American Prayer Album

George Washington High School Alumni Association, Alexandria, Va., Morrison page

Category:1943 births Category:1971 deaths Category:American baritones Category:American expatriates in France Category:American film actors Category:American musicians of Irish descent Category:American musicians of Scottish descent Category:American poets Category:American rock singers Category:American singer-songwriters Category:American spoken word artists Category:Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery Category:The Doors members Category:Florida State University alumni Category:Military brats Category:Musicians from Florida Category:Obscenity controversies Category:People from Brevard County, Florida Category:Psychedelic drug advocates Category:Recipients of American gubernatorial pardons Category:University of California, Los Angeles alumni Category:Writers from Florida

af:Jim Morrison ast:Jim Morrison bn:জিম মরিসন be:Джым Морысан be-x-old:Джым Морысан bar:Jim Morrison bs:Jim Morrison br:Jim Morrison bg:Джим Морисън ca:Jim Morrison cs:Jim Morrison cy:Jim Morrison da:Jim Morrison de:Jim Morrison et:Jim Morrison el:Τζιμ Μόρισον es:Jim Morrison eo:Jim Morrison eu:Jim Morrison fa:جیم موریسون fr:Jim Morrison fy:Jim Morrison ga:Jim Morrison gl:Jim Morrison ko:짐 모리슨 hi:जिम मॉरिसन hr:Jim Morrison io:Jim Morrison id:Jim Morrison it:Jim Morrison he:ג'ים מוריסון ka:ჯიმ მორისონი lv:Džims Morisons lt:Jim Morrison hu:Jim Morrison mk:Џим Морисон nl:Jim Morrison ja:ジム・モリソン no:Jim Morrison nn:Jim Morrison oc:Jim Morrison pl:Jim Morrison pt:Jim Morrison ro:Jim Morrison ru:Моррисон, Джим sq:Jim Morrison simple:Jim Morrison sk:Jim Morrison sl:Jim Morrison sr:Џим Морисон sh:Jim Morrison fi:Jim Morrison sv:Jim Morrison ta:ஜிம் மோரிசன் th:จิม มอร์ริสัน tr:Jim Morrison uk:Джим Моррісон vi:Jim Morrison yo:Jim Morrison zh-yue:Jim Morrison zh:吉姆·莫里森

Coordinates	37°46′45.48″N122°25′9.12″N
Name	Tutankhamun
Alt name	Tutankhamen, Tutankhaten, Tutankhamon possibly Nibhurrereya (as referenced in the Amarna letters)
Reign	ca. 1333–1323 BC
Dynasty	18th Dynasty
Predecessor	Smenkhkare? or Neferneferuaten?
Successor	Ay
Spouse	Ankhesenamen
Notes	See Tutankhamun#Names
Children	two daughters
Father	Akhenaten
Mother	unidentified mummy, "The Younger Lady"
Birth date	ca. 1341 BC
Death date	ca. 1323 BC (aged c.18)
Burial	KV62
Monuments	}}

Tutankhamun (alternately spelled with ''Tutenkh-'', ''-amen'', ''-amon''), Egyptian '''', ; approx. 1341 BC – 1323 BC) was an Egyptian pharaoh of the 18th dynasty (ruled c.1333 BC – 1323 BC in the conventional chronology), during the period of Egyptian history known as the New Kingdom. His original name, Tutankhaten, means "Living Image of Aten", while Tutankhamun means "Living Image of Amun". In hieroglyphs, the name Tutankhamun was typically written Amen-tut-ankh, because of a scribal custom that placed a divine name at the beginning of a phrase to show appropriate reverence. He is possibly also the ''Nibhurrereya'' of the Amarna letters, and likely the 18th dynasty king 'Rathotis' who, according to Manetho, an ancient historian, had reigned for nine years — a figure which conforms with Flavius Josephus's version of Manetho's ''Epitome''.

The 1922 discovery by Howard Carter and George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon of Tutankhamun's nearly intact tomb received worldwide press coverage. It sparked a renewed public interest in ancient Egypt, for which Tutankhamun's burial mask remains the popular symbol. Exhibits of artifacts from his tomb have toured the world. In February 2010, the results of DNA tests confirmed that he was the son of Akhenaten (mummy KV55) and his sister/wife (mummy KV35YL), whose name is unknown but whose remains are positively identified as "The Younger Lady" mummy found in KV35.

Life

Tutankhamun was the son of Akhenaten (formerly Amenhotep IV) and one of Akhenaten's sisters. As a prince he was known as Tutankhaten. He ascended to the throne in 1333 BC, at the age of nine or ten, taking the reign name of Tutankhamun. His wet-nurse was a woman called Maia, known from her tomb at Saqqara.

When he became king, he married his half-sister, Ankhesenepatan, who later changed her name to Ankhesenamun. They had two daughters, both stillborn.

Reign

Given his age, the king probably had very powerful advisers, presumably including General Horemheb, the Vizier Ay, and Maya, the "Overseer of the Treasury". Horemheb records that the king appointed him 'lord of the land' as hereditary prince to maintain law. He also noted his ability to calm the young king when his temper flared.

Domestic policy

In his third regnal year, Tutankhamun reversed several changes made during his father's reign. He ended the worship of the god Aten and restored the god Amun to supremacy. The ban on the cult of Amun was lifted and traditional privileges were restored to its priesthood. The capital was moved back to Thebes and the city of Akhetaten abandoned. This is also when he changed his name to Tutankhamun.

As part of his restoration, the king initiated building projects, in particular at Thebes and Karnak, where he dedicated a temple to Amun. Many monuments were erected, and an inscription on his tomb door declares the king had "spent his life in fashioning the images of the gods". The traditional festivals were now celebrated again, including those related to the Apis Bull, Horemakhet, and Opet. His restoration stela says:

The temples of the gods and goddesses ... were in ruins. Their shrines were deserted and overgrown. Their sanctuaries were as non-existent and their courts were used as roads ... the gods turned their backs upon this land ... If anyone made a prayer to a god for advice he would never respond.

Foreign policy

The country was economically weak and in turmoil following the reign of Akhenaten. Diplomatic relations with other kingdoms had been neglected, and Tutankhamun sought to restore them, in particular with the Mitanni. Evidence of his success is suggested by the gifts from various countries found in his tomb. Despite his efforts for improved relations, battles with Nubians and Asiatics were recorded in his mortuary temple at Thebes. His tomb contained body armour and folding stools appropriate for military campaigns. However, given his youth and physical disabilities, which seemed to require the use of a cane in order to walk (he died at age 18), historians speculate that he did not take part personally in these battles.

Health and appearance

Tutankhamun was slight of build, and was roughly tall.http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061128084450.htm He had large front incisors and the overbite characteristic of the Thutmosid royal line to which he belonged. He also had a pronounced dolichocephalic (elongated) skull, although it was within normal bounds and highly unlikely to have been pathological. Given the fact that many of the royal depictions of Akhenaten often featured such an elongated head, it is likely an exaggeration of a family trait, rather than a distinct abnormality. The research also showed that the Tutankhamun had "a slightly cleft palate" and possibly a mild case of scoliosis.

Cause of death

There are no surviving records of Tutankhamun's final days. What caused Tutankhamun's death has been the subject of considerable debate. Major studies have been conducted in an effort to establish the cause of death.

Although there is some speculation that Tutankhamun was assassinated, the general consensus is that his death was accidental. A CT scan taken in 2005 shows that he had badly broken his leg shortly before his death, and that the leg had become infected. DNA analysis conducted in 2010 showed the presence of malaria in his system. It is believed that these two conditions (malaria and leiomyomas) combined, led to his death.

Probable product of incest

According to the September 2010 issue of ''National Geographic'' magazine, Tutankhamun was the result of a incestuous relationship and, because of that, may have suffered from several genetic defects that contributed to his early death. For years, scientists have tried to unravel ancient clues as to why the boy king of Egypt, who reigned for 10 years, died at the age of 18. Several theories have been put forth; one was that he was killed by a blow to the head. Another put the blame on a broken leg. As recently as June 2010, German scientists said they believe there is evidence he died of sickle cell disease.

Research conducted by archaeologists, radiologists, and geneticists who started performing CT scans on Tutankhamun in 2005 found that he was not killed by a blow to the head, as previously thought. That same team began doing DNA research on Tutankhamun's mummy, as well as the mummified remains of other members of his family, in 2008. DNA tests finally put to rest questions about Tutankhamun's lineage, proving that his father was Akhenaten, but that his mother was not one of Akhenaten’s known wives. His mother was one of Akhenaten’s five sisters, although it is not known which one. New CT images discovered congenital flaws, which are more common among the children of incest. Siblings are more likely to pass on twin copies of harmful genes, which is why children of incest more commonly manifest genetic defects. It is suspected he also had a partially cleft palate, another congenital defect.

The team was able to establish with a probability of better than 99.99 percent that Amenhotep III was the father of the individual in KV55, who was in turn the father of Tutankhamun. The DNA of the so-called Younger Lady (KV35YL), found lying beside Queen Tiye in the alcove of KV35, matched that of the boy king. Her DNA proved that, like Akhenaten, she was a child of Amenhotep III and Tiye; thus, Tutankhamun's parents were brother and sister. Queen Tiye held much political influence at court and acted as an adviser to her son after the death of her husband. Some geneticists dispute these findings, however, and "complain that the team used inappropriate analysis techniques."

While the data are still incomplete, the study suggests that one of the mummified fetuses found in Tutankhamun's tomb is the daughter of Tutankhamun himself, and the other fetus is probably his child as well. So far only partial data for the two female mummies from KV21 has been obtained. One of them, KV21A, may well be the infants' mother and thus, Tutankhamun's wife, Ankhesenamun. It is known from history that she was the daughter of Akhenaten and Nefertiti, and thus likely to be her husband's half-sister. Another consequence of inbreeding can be children whose genetic defects do not allow them to be brought to term.

The research team consisted of Egyptian scientists Yehia Gad and Somaia Ismail from the National Research Center in Cairo. The CT scans were conducted under the direction of Ashraf Selim and Sahar Saleem of the Faculty of Medicine at Cairo University. Three international experts served as consultants: Carsten Pusch of the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Germany; Albert Zink of the EURAC-Institute for Mummies and the Iceman in Bolzano, Italy; and Paul Gostner of the Central Hospital Bolzano.

As stated above, the team discovered DNA from several strains of a parasite proving he was infected with the most severe strain of malaria several times in his short life. Malaria can trigger circulatory shock or cause a fatal immune response in the body, either of which can lead to death. If Tutankhamun did suffer from a bone disease which was crippling, it may not have been fatal. "Perhaps he struggled against others [congenital flaws] until a severe bout of malaria or a leg broken in an accident added one strain too many to a body that could no longer carry the load," wrote Zahi Hawass, archeologist and head of Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquity involved in the research.

Tomb

Tutankhamun was buried in a tomb that was small relative to his status. His death may have occurred unexpectedly, before the completion of a grander royal tomb, so that his mummy was buried in a tomb intended for someone else. This would preserve the observance of the customary seventy days between death and burial.

King Tutankhamun's mummy still rests in his tomb in the Valley of the Kings. On November 4, 2007, 85 years to the day after Carter's discovery, the 19-year-old pharaoh went on display in his underground tomb at Luxor, when the linen-wrapped mummy was removed from its golden sarcophagus to a climate-controlled glass box. The case was designed to prevent the heightened rate of decomposition caused by the humidity and warmth from tourists visiting the tomb.

Discovery of tomb

Tutankhamun seems to have faded from public consciousness in Ancient Egypt within a short time after his death, and remained virtually unknown until the 1920s. His tomb was robbed at least twice in antiquity, but based on the items taken (including perishable oils and perfumes) and the evidence of restoration of the tomb after the intrusions, it seems clear that these robberies took place within several months at most of the initial burial. Eventually the location of the tomb was lost because it had come to be buried by stone chips from subsequent tombs, either dumped there or washed there by floods. In the years that followed, some huts for workers were built over the tomb entrance, clearly not knowing what lay beneath. When at the end of the twentieth dynasty the Valley of the Kings burials were systematically dismantled, the burial of Tutankhamun was overlooked, presumably because knowledge of it had been lost and his name may have been forgotten.

Exhibitions

Relics from Tutankhamun's tomb are among the most traveled artifacts in the world. They have been to many countries, but probably the best-known exhibition tour was ''The Treasures of Tutankhamun'' tour, which ran from 1972 to 1979. This exhibition was first shown in London at the British Museum from March 30 until September 30, 1972. More than 1.6 million visitors came to see the exhibition, some queuing for up to eight hours and it was the most popular exhibition in the Museum's history. The exhibition moved on to many other countries, including the USA, USSR, Japan, France, Canada, and West Germany. The Metropolitan Museum of Art organized the U.S. exhibition, which ran from November 17, 1976 through April 15, 1979. More than eight million attended.

In 2004, the tour of Tutankhamun funerary objects entitled "Tutankhamen: The Golden Hereafter" made up of fifty artifacts from Tutankhamun’s tomb and seventy funerary goods from other 18th Dynasty tombs began in Basle, Switzerland, went to Bonn Germany, the second leg of the tour, and from there toured the United States. The exhibition returned to Europe and to London. The European tour was organised by the Art and Exhibition Hall of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), and the Egyptian Museum in cooperation with the Antikenmuseum Basel and Sammlung Ludwig. Deutsche Telekom sponsored the Bonn exhibition.

In 2005, Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, in partnership with Arts and Exhibitions International and the National Geographic Society, launched the U.S. tour of the Tutenkahamun treasures and other 18th Dynasty funerary objects this time called "Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs". It was expected to draw more than three million people.

The exhibition started in Los Angeles, California, then moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Chicago and Philadelphia. The exhibition then moved to London before finally returning to Egypt in August 2008. Subsequent events have propelled an encore of the exhibition in the United States, beginning with the Dallas Museum of Art in October 2008 which hosted the exhibition until May 2009. The tour continued to other U.S. cities. After Dallas the exhibition moved to the de Young Museum in San Francisco, followed by the Discovery Times Square Exposition in New York City.

In 2011 the exhibition will visit Australia for the first time, opening at the Melbourne Museum in April for its only Australian stop before Egypt's treasures return to Cairo.

The exhibition includes 80 exhibits from the reigns of Tutankhamun's immediate predecessors in the Eighteenth dynasty, such as Hatshepsut, whose trade policies greatly increased the wealth of that dynasty and enabled the lavish wealth of Tutankhamun's burial artifacts, as well as 50 from Tutankhamun's tomb. The exhibition does not include the gold mask that was a feature of the 1972-1979 tour, as the Egyptian government has determined that the mask is too fragile to withstand travel and will never again leave the country.

A separate exhibition called "Tutankhamun and the World of the Pharaohs" began at the Ethnological Museum in Vienna from March 9 to September 28, 2008 showing a further 140 treasures from the tomb. This exhibition continued to Atlanta and the Indianapolis Children's Museum.

Curse

For many years, rumors of a "Curse of the Pharaohs" (probably fueled by newspapers seeking sales at the time of the discovery) persisted, emphasizing the early death of some of those who had first entered the tomb. However, a recent study of journals and death records indicates no statistical difference between the age of death of those who entered the tomb and those on the expedition who did not.

Aftermath of death

Although it is unknown how he met his death, the Amarna letters indicate that Tutankhamun's wife, recently widowed, wrote to the Hittite king Suppiluliuma I, asking if she could marry one of his sons, saying that she was very afraid, but would not take one of her own people as husband. However, the son was killed before reaching his new wife. Shortly afterward Ay married Tutankhamun's widow and became Pharaoh as a war between the two countries was fought, and Egypt was left defeated.

Significance

Tutankhamun was nine years old when he became pharaoh and reigned for approximately ten years. In historical terms, Tutankhamun's significance stems from his rejection of the radical religious innovations introduced by his predecessor and father, Akhenaten. Secondly, his tomb in the Valley of the Kings was discovered by Carter almost completely intact — the most complete ancient Egyptian royal tomb ever found. As Tutankhamun began his reign at such an early age, his vizier and eventual successor Ay was probably making most of the important political decisions during Tutankhamun's reign.

Tutankhamun was one of the few kings worshiped as a god and honored with a cult-like following during his lifetime. A stela discovered at Karnak and dedicated to Amun-Re and Tutankhamun indicates that the king could be appealed to in his deified state for forgiveness and to free the petitioner from an ailment caused by wrongdoing. Temples of his cult were built as far away as in Kawa and Faras in Nubia. The title of the sister of the Viceroy of Kush included a reference to the deified king, indicative of the universality of his cult.

In popular culture

If Tutankhamun is the world's best known pharaoh, it is partly because his tomb is among the best preserved, and his image and associated artifacts the most-exhibited. As Jon Manchip White writes, in his foreword to the 1977 edition of Carter's ''The Discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamun'', "The pharaoh who in life was one of the least esteemed of Egypt's kings has become in death the most renowned." As a side effect, the interest in this tomb and its alleged "curse" led to horror movies featuring a vengeful mummy.

Film and television

''We Want Our Mummy'', a 1939 film by the Three Stooges. In it, the slapstick comedy trio explores the tomb of the midget King Rutentuten (pronounced "rootin'-tootin'") and his Queen, Hotsy Totsy. A decade later, they were crooked used-chariot salesmen in ''Mummy's Dummies'', in which they ultimately assist a different King Rootentootin (Vernon Dent) with a toothache.

King Tut, played by Victor Buono, was a villain on the ''Batman'' TV series which aired from 1966 to 1968. Mild-mannered Egyptologist William Omaha McElroy, after suffering a concussion, came to believe he was the reincarnation of Tutankhamun. His response to this knowledge was to embark upon a crime spree that required him to fight against the "Caped Crusaders", Batman and Robin.

The Discovery Kids animated series ''Tutenstein'' stars a fictional mummy based on Tutankhamun, named Tutankhensetamun and nicknamed Tutenstein in his afterlife. He is depicted as a lazy and spoiled 10-year-old mummy boy who must guard a magical artifact called the Scepter of Was from the evil Egyptian god of Set.

The first episode of the 2005 BBC series ''Egypt: Rediscovering a Lost World'' focuses on the life and death of Tutankhamun and the serendipitous discovery of his tomb.

''La Reine Soleil'' (2007 animated film by Philippe Leclerc), features Akhenaten, Tutankhaten (later Tutankhamun), Akhesa (Ankhesenepaten, later Ankhesenamun), Nefertiti, and Horemheb in a complex struggle pitting the priests of Amun against Akhenaten's intolerant monotheism.

Other

"King Tut", a whimsical 1978 song by (American comedian) "Steve Martin and the Toot Uncommons" (a backup group consisting of members of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band).

1989 televison networks often advertised commercials for ''King Kuts'' dog food, complete with Anubis-styled canine animation and music to the tune of "Camel Caravan." The can label was also adorned with themed heiroglyphs.

The mummy of Tutankhamun is depicted as a villain in Raj Comics's ''Nagraj'', a Hindi superhero comicbook. In this series, his mask is the source of his power.

For "''Transformers''" the Decepticon character Frenzy repeats the name, "Tutankhamun."

The video game ''Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy'' features a fictional representation of Prince Tutankhamun. Tutankhamun is the victim of an unnamed magical ritual which results in almost instantaneous mummification and extraction of what appears to be his "life force". In the instruction manual, the Mummy is described as young, inexperienced and naive.

Names

At the reintroduction of traditional religious practice, his name changed. It is transliterated as twt-ˤnḫ-ỉmn ḥq3-ỉwnw-šmˤ, and according to modern Egyptological convention is written Tutankhamun Hekaiunushema, meaning "Living image of Amun, ruler of Upper Heliopolis". On his ascension to the throne, Tutankhamun took a ''praenomen''. This is transliterated as nb-ḫprw-rˤ, and, again, according to modern Egyptological convention is written Nebkheperure, meaning "Lord of the forms of Re". The name ''Nibhurrereya'' in the Amarna letters may be closer to how his praenomen was actually pronounced.

References

Further reading

Andritsos, John. Social Studies of ancient Egypt: Tutankhamun. Australia 2006

Booth, Charlotte. ''The Boy Behind the Mask''", Oneworld, ISBN 978-1-85168-544-8

Brier, Bob. ''The Murder of Tutankhamun: A True Story''. Putnam Adult, April 13, 1998, ISBN 0-425-16689-9 (paperback)/ISBN 0-399-14383-1 (hardcover)/ISBN 0-613-28967-6 (School & Library Binding)

Carter, Howard and Arthur C. Mace, ''The Discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamun''. Courier Dover Publications, June 1, 1977, ISBN 0-486-23500-9 ''The semi-popular account of the discovery and opening of the tomb written by the archaeologist responsible''

Desroches-Noblecourt, Christiane. Sarwat Okasha (Preface), ''Tutankhamun: Life and Death of a Pharaoh''. New York: New York Graphic Society, 1963, ISBN 0-8212-0151-4 (1976 reprint, hardcover) /ISBN 0-14-011665-6 (1990 reprint, paperback)

Edwards, I.E.S., ''Treasures of Tutankhamun''. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1976, ISBN 0-345-27349-4 (paperback)/ISBN 0-670-72723-7 (hardcover)

Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities, ''The Mummy of Tutankhamun: the CT Scan Report'', as printed in ''Ancient Egypt'', June/July 2005.

Haag, Michael. "The Rough Guide to Tutankhamun: The King: The Treasure: The Dynasty". London 2005. ISBN 1-84353-554-8.

Hoving, Thomas. ''The search for Tutankhamun: The untold story of adventure and intrigue surrounding the greatest modern archeological find''. New York: Simon & Schuster, October 15, 1978, ISBN 0-671-24305-5 (hardcover)/ISBN 0-8154-1186-3 (paperback) ''This book details a number of interesting anecdotes about the discovery and excavation of the tomb''

James, T. G. H. ''Tutankhamun''. New York: Friedman/Fairfax, September 1, 2000, ISBN 1-58663-032-6 (hardcover) ''A large-format volume by the former Keeper of Egyptian Antiquities at the British Museum, filled with colour illustrations of the funerary furnishings of Tutankhamun, and related objects''

Neubert, Otto. ''Tutankhamun and the Valley of the Kings''. London: Granada Publishing Limited, 1972, ISBN 583-12141-1 (paperback) ''First hand account of the discovery of the Tomb''

Reeeves, C. Nicholas. ''The Complete Tutankhamun: The King, the Tomb, the Royal Treasure''. London: Thames & Hudson, November 1, 1990, ISBN 0-500-05058-9 (hardcover)/ISBN 0-500-27810-5 (paperback) ''Fully covers the complete contents of his tomb''

Rossi, Renzo. Tutankhamun. Cincinnati (Ohio) 2007 ISBN 978-0-7153-2763-0, a work all illustrated and coloured.

External links

Grim secrets of Pharaoh's city BBC News

Tutankhamun and the Age of the Golden Pharaohs website

''The Independent'', October 20, 2007: "A 3,000-year-old mystery is finally solved: Tutankhamun died in a hunting accident". See also video at ''The-Maker.net''

British Museum Tutankhamun highlight

King Tut: Ancient Egypt Unveiled - slideshow by ''Life magazine''

Category:Pharaohs of the Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt Category:Amarna Period Category:Atenism Category:Curses Category:Historical deletion in ancient Egypt Category:Ancient child rulers Category:Ancient Egyptian mummies Category:1340s BC births Category:1320s BC deaths

ar:توت عنخ أمون az:Tutanhamon bn:তুতানখামেন zh-min-nan:Tutankhamun be:Тутанхамон bcl:Tutankhamun bs:Tutankhamon bg:Тутанкамон ca:Tutankamon cv:Тутанхамон cs:Tutanchamon cy:Tutankhamun da:Tutankhamon de:Tutanchamun et:Tutanhamon es:Tutankamon eo:Tutanĥamono eu:Tutankhamon fa:توت‌عنخ‌آمون fr:Toutânkhamon fy:Toetanchamon ga:Tútancáman gl:Tutankhamon ko:투탕카멘 hi:तुथंखमुन hr:Tutankamon ig:Tutankhamun id:Tutankhamun is:Tútankamon it:Tutankhamon he:תות ענח' אמון ka:ტუტანხამონი kk:Тутанхамон ku:Tutankhamun lv:Tutanhamons lt:Tutanchamonas hu:Tutanhamon mk:Тутанкамон arz:توت عنخ امون ms:Tutankhamun nl:Toetanchamon ja:ツタンカーメン no:Tutankhamon nn:Tutankhamon oc:Totankhamòn pms:Totankhamon pl:Tutanchamon pt:Tutancâmon ro:Tutankhamon ru:Тутанхамон scn:Tutankhamon simple:Tutankhamun sk:Tutanchamón sl:Tutankamon sr:Тутанкамон sh:Tutankhamon fi:Tutankhamon sv:Tutankhamun tl:Tutankhamun ta:துட்டன்காமன் th:ฟาโรห์ทุตอังค์อามุน tg:Тутонхомун tr:Tutankhamun uk:Тутанхамон vi:Tutankhamun fiu-vro:Tutanhamon yo:Tutankhamun zh-yue:圖坦卡門 zh:图坦卡蒙