User:PS3 wins/Reineers
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Contents |
[edit] Original eight
[edit] Sleigh order
The original eight reindeer are arranged as follows on Santa's sleigh, assuming that the reindeer are named in the poem from front to back, with the reindeer on the left being male, and the reindeer on the right being female.
| Front | |
|---|---|
| Dasher | Dancer |
| Prancer | Vixen |
| Comet | Cupid |
| Donner | Blitzen |
(In the film Santa Claus: The Movie, the arrangement is reversed, with Donner and Blixem/Blitzen (Claus' two reindeer from his mortal life) in the lead.)
† The last two reindeer names were 'Donner' and Blixem when the poem was first published anonymously in the Troy, New York Sentinel on 1823-12-23.[1] When Moore later published the work as his own (Poems, 1844), the names were spelled Donder and Blitzen.[2] In a number of later reprintings, name is further simplified to Donner.[3]
In An American Anthology, 1787–1900, Edmund Clarence Stedman reprints the 1844 Moore version of the poem, including the German spelling of "Donner and Blitzen", rather than the earlier Dutch version from 1823, "Dunder and Blixem". Both phrases translate as "Thunder and Lightning" in English, though German for thunder is now spelled Donner, and the Dutch words would nowadays be spelled Donner and Bliksem.
According to the Donner Home Page,[4] Robert May used Donner and Blitzen in his 1939 story "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer." The sheet music for Johnny Marks' 1949 song "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer" also uses Donner and Blitzen.
[edit] Descriptions
- Dasher - The first reindeer and the right-hand leader of the sleigh before Rudolph was included. He is the speediest reindeer.
- Dancer - The second reindeer and the left leader before Rudolph was included. She is the graceful reindeer.
- Prancer - The third reindeer and on the right in the second row. He is the most powerful reindeer.
- Vixen - The fourth reindeer and on the left-hand side in the second row. She is beautiful, and also powerful like her companion Prancer.
- Comet - The fifth reindeer and on the right-hand side in the third row. He brings wonder and happiness to children when Santa flies over everyone's houses.
- Cupid - The sixth reindeer and on the left-hand side in the third row. She brings love and joy to children when Santa flies over everyone's houses.
- Donner - The seventh reindeer and on the right-hand side in the fourth row.
- Blitzen - The eighth reindeer and on the left-hand side in the fourth row. She is the "lightning" reindeer, but in American pop culture Blixem/Blitzen is frequently portrayed as a male.
[edit] Additional reindeer since the writing of the poem
[edit] Rudolph (the red-nosed reindeer)
Rudolph's story was originally written in verse by Robert L. May for the Montgomery Ward chain of department stores in 1939 and published as a book to be given to children in the store at Christmas time.
According to this story, Rudolph was the son of Donder, and was born with a glowing red nose, which made him a social outcast among the other reindeer. However, one Christmas eve it was too foggy for Santa Claus to make his flight around the world. About to cancel, Santa suddenly noticed Rudolph's nose, and decided it could be a makeshift lamp to guide his sleigh. Since then Rudolph has been said to be a permanent member of Santa's team, and leads them on their way.
Rudolph's story is a popular Christmas story that has been retold in numerous forms including a popular song, a television special, and even a feature film.
[edit] Robbie
Robbie is Rudolph's son. He was created as part of an animated BBC Christmas comedy television special, that was made in aid of the charity Comic Relief.
[edit] Olive, the Other Reindeer
Although not actually a reindeer, Olive is a fictional dog who believes she might be a reindeer. In Matt Groening's 1999 Christmas special Olive, the Other Reindeer, the new character is added to the team to lead Santa's sleigh, at least temporarily. The name is a reference to the phonetic sound of the phrase, "All of the other reindeer."
[edit] Santa Claus is Watching You
In the song "Santa Claus is Watching You" by Ray Stevens, the reindeer include the traditional ones plus "Bruce and Marvin, Leon, Cletus and George and Bill and Slick, and Do-right, Clyde (who's actually a camel borrowed from Stevens's previous song Ahab the Arab) and Ace and Blackie and Queenie, and Prince and Spot and Rover." What happened to Rudolph? In the original 1965 version of the song, Rudolph "dislocated his hip in a Twist contest", so Clyde is his replacement. In a later version of the song, in which the singer is talking to his lover, Rudolph is "on a stakeout" at the lover's house (making sure said person remains true to the singer).
[edit] Leroy the Redneck Reindeer
In the song "Leroy the Redneck Reindeer" sung by Joe Diffie, the title character fills in for an ill Rudolph. Leroy's customs surprise the other reindeer, but the sleigh team eventually accepts him.
