#lily-rose depp

[luegootravez]

Lily-Rose Depp in 'The Idol' (2023)

[freshmoviequotes]

Nosferatu (2024)

[princesspierpaolo]

nosferatu (2024) dir. robert eggers

[nik2blog]

This is an amazing analysis! Thank you!

The mythology behind Count Orlok and his origins.

In light of recent events, such as the premier of the movie Nosferatu by Robert Eggers, starring Lily-Rose Depp, Bill Skarsgård, and Nicholas Hoult, which in my opinion is an absolute masterpiece that managed to hypnotize me, and bring back from a deep slumber my passions and interests, I decided to go back to my roots and seek the meanings behind Orlok's origins.

Before you reluctantly begin reading or say "did you watch the original movie? do you even know what you're talking about?", remember this is an interpretation of origins, mythology, and perhaps symbolism, since this is what I specialize in.

I did not watch the original Nosferatu, or any other remake or interpretation. Still, I am Romanian, with access to certain information. Although I carry a deep respect for Vlad the Impaler, I will try as much as possible to not bring any similarities between him, Orlok, and of course, Stoker's Dracula, since this is not a comparison article, nor do I have the interest of writing about Vlad or Dracula.

This is mainly about Orlok, Romanian folklore, mythology, and Dacian origins.

The name "Nosferatu" has a vague story behind it as it is not an original name, but a re-writing of the word "necuratul", which in Romanian, is a euphemism for the devil, but could also derive from "nesuferitul" [tr: the insufferable one; the offensive one] or "nefârtatul" [tr: the demon, the devil, the unfriendly, the enemy].

The triggering factor that made me begin my digging was what the old nun from the monastery said while nursing Thomas after being found almost dead by the side of the river.

"aista o fost vrajitor la vremea lui, solomonar" || "he was a sorcerer back in his time, solomonar"

Now, the translation was a bit off, because wizard or sorcerer would be wrong, the most fitting version is in fact "warlock", Orlok being an interpretation or transcription of it.

The definition of warlock is simple - a male practitioner of witchcraft; a man who is thought to be in league with the powers of darkness and to have supernatural knowledge and means of bewitching and harming others; a man who practices black magic.

But what backs up and enriches the mythology behind Orlok is that he was called solomonar, the term being used by Professor von Franz as well.

In Romanian folklore, a solomonar was a sorcerer who was believed to control the clouds and rain, those who could bring hail/storm and heal diseases; they are also known as Zgrimințieș in Țara Moților [Germ: Motzenland], also known as Țara de Piatră [The Stone Land], an ethnographical region of Romania in the Apuseni Mountains, on the upper basin of the Arieș and Crișul Alb River rivers.

Mythology says that the solomonari have a specific book, which contains all their knowledge and power. They study and learn from it in the school from the Babariului Fortress on the Garaleu Mountain [in Dacian times, now somewhere near the Ialomița cave upper from Sinaia, and Babele, the area on the Bucegi Mountains plateau], and not all of them are selected to become a solomonar, only one out of seven. One source states that a solomonar is an initiated priest. This is directly related to the myths about geto-dacian priests called Kapnobatai or Ktisai, who used to live in solitary places, forests, or near the mountain rivers.

One more thing worth mentioning regarding the Solomonar education is that it was believed to be held somewhere at the ends of the Earth in a hole or a cave, and that the lectures would be taught by the devil himself. But not all children would be selected to carry on with such education, only the ones carrying a specific birthmark - a particular type of membrane on their head or on the whole of their body. An extension of this information has it that these students would avoid the sun for seven days during their study, making them some type of Strigoi or Vampire.

Another aspect that has to be written down is the concept of strigoi, as it is directly related to solomonari, having Dacian origins as well.

In Romanian folklore, there are two types of strigoi, the born ones, or the ones who became, and Orlok is most probably one that was turned into a strigoi, as it can be directly linked to the tradition showed practiced by the gypsies, explaining his disgust and slight anger in the scene when Thomas mentioned it.

Those who are believed to become strigoi are children who died without being baptized, the dead who during their life have done terrible things to everyone around them, and those who die young via hanging, drowning, being shot, etc [Vlad the Impaler's older brother is believed to be one as he had an absolutely horrible death, at the age of 17 being beaten, tortured, having his eyes gouged out with hot iron and buried alive], and the dead ones left unsupervised over which a car, dog, mouse, or any other bird has stepped over. Our tradition is to never leave the dead alone in the house until burial and to always be there someone to look over them, especially at night.

My take on Orlok's life before Ellen is that he was indeed a rich man, who practiced black magic, and was feared. Perhaps the villagers hunted him down, killed him, and buried him. That might be how he was turned into a strigoi, which is directly related to the myth of the vampire. But what's more intriguing is that he mentions Ellen waking him up from his slumber, which makes me believe the villagers have experienced some terrors, causing them to dig up his grave and put a spike through his heart, their attempt failing, and having Orlok roaming back on the surface of the Earth again.

[limeshade]

NOSFERATU (2024) New Mexican-release posters

[bebx]

Eva Green as Isabelle in The Dreamers (2003) † Venus de Milo (130 BC) by Alexandros of Antioch

Lily-Rose Depp as Ellen Hutter in Nosferatu (2024) † Somnambulant (1878) by Maxmilián Pirner

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Lily-Rose Depp in Nosferatu (2024), Robert Eggers

[pierppasolini]

Nosferatu (2024) // dir. Robert Eggers

[atsev]

NOSFERATU 2024, dir. Robert Eggers

[deathtown]

Nosferatu (2024)

[hotcelebeauties]

Lily-Rose Depp

[tearblossom]

There's a love triangle element there, of course. And we talked about that a lot; I spoke about that with Rob a lot. And that's definitely something that he, I mean, clearly, wanted to infuse into the story. . . . It's not just that this thing is haunting you, you might kind of want it as well. . . . And it, of course, leads to a larger theme of the darkness that we might be pulled to, and what we think we need or what we really want to want, and what we really want. And I think there's an internal battle going on within her, for sure, throughout the whole movie. And I think she really does love her husband and I think he really is her anchor to the earthly realm in every way. And I think she's holding to that so tightly. And then when he goes away he leaves her more vulnerable to these darker forces that exist within her that I think she really is trying to repress in order to be the woman that she's supposed to be by every standard of the time that this takes place in. It's interesting because when we were talking about those scenes at the end of the movie, Rob wanted there to be a palpable desire there. It's a sacrifice for sure, but there's an "indulging in the thing that you're trying to stay away from" element, as well.

— Lily-Rose Depp

[freshmoviequotes]

The Idol (2023)

[princesspierpaolo]

nosferatu (2024) dir. robert eggers

[culturevape]

Double Fantasy

[mumblo-number-five]

Lily-Rose Depp