Calbia
Encyclopedia
Calbia is a fictional country
found in the Doc Savage
novel The King Maker (1934).
Calbia is a small Balkan nation in southeastern Europe
. It lies on the Adriatic Sea
and is bordered by Greece
, Albania
, Macedonia, Serbia
, and Montenegro
. There are farmlands in the valleys and some flatlands. Otherwise it is heavily forested, usually with firs, and mountainous. The nation is largely undeveloped, though not a poor nation. One section of Calbia is rich in petroleum fields and dotted with oil wells. Asphalt roads, air fields, and development derived from this petroleum money were spreading throughout the nation in the 1930s.
Calbia had an army, air force, and nascent navy.
The capital of Calbia is San Blazna. The city streets are generally narrow, walled in by a profusion of houses built over the centuries. San Blazna lies on the River Carlos, named after the founder of the royal dynasty of Calbia, which is crossed by two large bridges. In the center of San Blazna on the left bank of the River Carlos is an ancient castle which serves as the king's palace. In medieval times the river was diverted into a moat around the castle. This moat is surrounded by a large esplanade which serves as the main promenade of the capital. In one part of town is an ancient stone house, now a national museum, which was the peasant home of the first King Le Galbin. Out the very outskirts of the capital is an old graystone citadel, a simple structure of one domed tower complete with subterranean dungeons, which was constructed by the first king of Calbia perhaps for defensive military reasons.
The Calbian language is a dialect of slavic-romance languages, the latter probably due to its proximity to Italy.
Calbia is a kingdom, ruled by a dynastic monarchy. The King of Calbia in 1934 at the time of The King Maker is Dal Le Galbin. However, the nation was forward thinking and had progressive political movements such as democratic parties and a Calbia National Women's Suffrage League.
Researcher Thomas Fortenberry has suggested that Calbia is the model for another fictional country
, Latveria
found in the Marvel Universe
. The action of The King Maker may also form the basis for the Marvel Comics supervillain character Doctor Doom
, especially when combined with another Doc Savage
villain, John Sunlight. Furthermore, Fortenberry contends that The King Maker is the origin of the fictional nation of Novenia, found in the Prince Zarkon series by Lin Carter
. This series was a self-admitted pastiche in honor of Doc Savage.
Fictional country
A fictional country is a country that is made up for fictional stories, and does not exist in real life, or one that people believe in without proof....
found in the Doc Savage
Doc Savage
Doc Savage is a fictional character originally published in American pulp magazines during the 1930s and 1940s. He was created by publisher Henry W. Ralston and editor John L...
novel The King Maker (1934).
Calbia is a small Balkan nation in southeastern Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. It lies on the Adriatic Sea
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
and is bordered by Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
, Macedonia, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, and Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
. There are farmlands in the valleys and some flatlands. Otherwise it is heavily forested, usually with firs, and mountainous. The nation is largely undeveloped, though not a poor nation. One section of Calbia is rich in petroleum fields and dotted with oil wells. Asphalt roads, air fields, and development derived from this petroleum money were spreading throughout the nation in the 1930s.
Calbia had an army, air force, and nascent navy.
The capital of Calbia is San Blazna. The city streets are generally narrow, walled in by a profusion of houses built over the centuries. San Blazna lies on the River Carlos, named after the founder of the royal dynasty of Calbia, which is crossed by two large bridges. In the center of San Blazna on the left bank of the River Carlos is an ancient castle which serves as the king's palace. In medieval times the river was diverted into a moat around the castle. This moat is surrounded by a large esplanade which serves as the main promenade of the capital. In one part of town is an ancient stone house, now a national museum, which was the peasant home of the first King Le Galbin. Out the very outskirts of the capital is an old graystone citadel, a simple structure of one domed tower complete with subterranean dungeons, which was constructed by the first king of Calbia perhaps for defensive military reasons.
The Calbian language is a dialect of slavic-romance languages, the latter probably due to its proximity to Italy.
Calbia is a kingdom, ruled by a dynastic monarchy. The King of Calbia in 1934 at the time of The King Maker is Dal Le Galbin. However, the nation was forward thinking and had progressive political movements such as democratic parties and a Calbia National Women's Suffrage League.
Researcher Thomas Fortenberry has suggested that Calbia is the model for another fictional country
Fictional country
A fictional country is a country that is made up for fictional stories, and does not exist in real life, or one that people believe in without proof....
, Latveria
Latveria
Latveria is a nation in the . It is an isolated European country ruled by the supervillain Doctor Doom, supposedly located in the Banat region. It is surrounded by the Carpathian Mountains, and also borders the Symkaria to the south. Its capital is Doomstadt.-Publication history:Latveria first...
found in the Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
. The action of The King Maker may also form the basis for the Marvel Comics supervillain character Doctor Doom
Doctor Doom
Victor von Doom is a fictional character who appears in Marvel Comics publications . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 wearing his trademark metal mask and green cloak...
, especially when combined with another Doc Savage
Doc Savage
Doc Savage is a fictional character originally published in American pulp magazines during the 1930s and 1940s. He was created by publisher Henry W. Ralston and editor John L...
villain, John Sunlight. Furthermore, Fortenberry contends that The King Maker is the origin of the fictional nation of Novenia, found in the Prince Zarkon series by Lin Carter
Lin Carter
Linwood Vrooman Carter was an American author of science fiction and fantasy, as well as an editor and critic. He usually wrote as Lin Carter; known pseudonyms include H. P. Lowcraft and Grail Undwin.-Life:Carter was born in St. Petersburg, Florida...
. This series was a self-admitted pastiche in honor of Doc Savage.