Children of the Corn
Encyclopedia
"Children of the Corn" is a short story by Stephen King
, first published in the March 1977 issue of Penthouse, and later collected in King's 1978 collection Night Shift
.
for vacation. As they drive through rural Nebraska
, the couple accidentally run over a young boy who ran into the road. Upon examination of the body, ignoring Vicky's pleas, Burt discovers the boy's throat had been slit and he was bleeding to death before he was hit. After opening the boy's suitcase, they find a crucifix made of corn husks, with INRI written on it. Knowing they will have to report this to the authorities, they place the body in their car's trunk and continue down the road. They eventually arrive in Gatlin, a small, isolated community that seems to be a ghost town
. When they drive through the streets and visit an empty diner
, the couple notice that many things about the town are out-of-date, such as gas prices and calendar dates. When they finally locate the police station
, they find no one. After Burt and Vicky get into another argument, Vicky threatens to drive off and leave Burt stranded in Gatlin. Burt grabs her purse, takes out her car keys, and tells her that he is going to continue exploring the town. Vicky, on the verge of hysteria, stays in the car and yells at Burt, begging him to leave Gatlin and go find somewhere else to call the police. He ignores her and walks away.
The only building in use that Burt can find is a church with a recent date on the sign out front. In stark contrast with the rest of Gatlin—which has been ravaged and neglected for years—the church is reverently cared for. Inside, Burt finds that the church has been vandalized by someone who has torn the lettering off of the walls, created a strange mosaic
of a pagan Jesus
behind the altar
, and stuffed the pipes of the organ
full of corn husks and leaves. At the altar, Burt finds a King James Bible (with several pages from the New Testament cut out), and a ledger
where names have been recorded, along with birth and death dates. While reading the book, he notices that the children's original names were changed from modern names to Biblical ones, and that everyone listed as deceased in the book had died on their 19th birthday. After hearing Vicky blow the car horn, Burt runs from the church to find that a gang of children armed with farm tools
have surrounded the car, with Vicky still inside. Burt intervenes when they attack, and kills a boy who had injured him with a knife. He discovers that Vicky has disappeared. Upon command from an older boy, the children chase Burt through Gatlin.
Finally out-running them, Burt ducks into a cornfield
and hides while his attackers search for him. He notices several odd things: there are no animals, insects, or weeds anywhere in the cornfield, and that every stalk of corn is blemish-free. Becoming lost, Burt stumbles onto a circle of empty ground in the middle of the cornfield, where he discovers Vicky's dead body. She has been tied to a cross with barbed wire, with her eyes ripped out, and her mouth stuffed with corn husks. Gatlin's previous minister and police chief, who are now skeletons, have also been crucified. As Burt starts to leave, he notices every row in the cornfield has closed up, preventing him from escaping. Burt soon realizes that something is coming for him. Before he can do anything, he is killed by a giant red-eyed monster that comes out of the cornfield. Shortly afterwards, a harvest moon
appears in the sky.
The next evening, the children of Gatlin (all members of a pagan cult that worships a demonic version of Jesus
called "He Who Walks Behind the Rows" who animistically
inhabits the cornfields that surround the town) meet where Burt and Vicky were slain. Isaac, their leader, tells them that He Who Walks Behind the Rows is displeased with their failure to catch and kill Burt, an act that the demon was forced to commit on his own. He Who Walks Behind the Rows commands that the age limit be lowered from "nineteen plantings and harvestings to eighteen". As night falls, Malachi (the killer of the boy that Burt and Vicky ran over) and all of the other eighteen-year-olds walk into the cornfield to sacrifice themselves to He Who Walks Behind the Rows. Malachi's pregnant girlfriend, Ruth, waves goodbye to him and begins to weep. It is revealed that she has a secret hatred for He Who Walks Behind the Rows and dreams of setting the cornfield on fire, but is afraid to actually do so because He Who Walks Behind the Rows can see everything, including the motives inside human hearts. The story ends by saying that the corn is pleased.
's 1973 novel Harvest Home
. Gatlin was mentioned in It
. Hemingford Home, a neighboring town to Gatlin, was also the town where Mother Abagail lived and rounded up the good survivors of the super flu in The Stand
, and was also the location of "The Last Rung on the Ladder
" and "1922
". Also in The Stand, "He Who Walks Behind The Rows" is implied to be Randall Flagg
.
A year later, the story was adapted into a larger-budget film re-adopting the original name, Children of the Corn
, starring Peter Horton
and Linda Hamilton
. Several sequels and quasi-remakes followed. An uncredited Charlize Theron
, Naomi Watts
and Eva Mendes
have each appeared in one of the sequels. Other well known actors who have made sequel appearances include Nancy Allen
, Stacy Keach
, Ahmet Zappa
, Karen Black
, David Carradine
, Fred Williamson
and Michael Ironside
.
In September 2009, the Syfy
channel premiered a new television movie version
– which is based on King's short story.
album “Follow the Leader”
alludes to that short story.
Children of the Corn and the character Malachi was referenced in Eminem's song "Bagpipes from Baghdad" in his sixth studio album Relapse
(2009).
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
, first published in the March 1977 issue of Penthouse, and later collected in King's 1978 collection Night Shift
Night Shift (book)
Night Shift is the first collection of short stories by Stephen King, first published in 1978. Many of King's most famous short stories were included in this collection.-Stories collected:-Details:...
.
Plot summary
In an attempt to save their crumbling marriage, Burt and Vicky, a bickering couple, are driving to CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
for vacation. As they drive through rural Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, the couple accidentally run over a young boy who ran into the road. Upon examination of the body, ignoring Vicky's pleas, Burt discovers the boy's throat had been slit and he was bleeding to death before he was hit. After opening the boy's suitcase, they find a crucifix made of corn husks, with INRI written on it. Knowing they will have to report this to the authorities, they place the body in their car's trunk and continue down the road. They eventually arrive in Gatlin, a small, isolated community that seems to be a ghost town
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
. When they drive through the streets and visit an empty diner
Diner
A diner, also spelled dinor in western Pennsylvania is a prefabricated restaurant building characteristic of North America, especially in the Midwest, in New York City, in Pennsylvania and in New Jersey, and in other areas of the Northeastern United States, although examples can be found throughout...
, the couple notice that many things about the town are out-of-date, such as gas prices and calendar dates. When they finally locate the police station
Police station
A police station or station house is a building which serves to accommodate police officers and other members of staff. These buildings often contain offices and accommodation for personnel and vehicles, along with locker rooms, temporary holding cells and interview/interrogation rooms.- Facilities...
, they find no one. After Burt and Vicky get into another argument, Vicky threatens to drive off and leave Burt stranded in Gatlin. Burt grabs her purse, takes out her car keys, and tells her that he is going to continue exploring the town. Vicky, on the verge of hysteria, stays in the car and yells at Burt, begging him to leave Gatlin and go find somewhere else to call the police. He ignores her and walks away.
The only building in use that Burt can find is a church with a recent date on the sign out front. In stark contrast with the rest of Gatlin—which has been ravaged and neglected for years—the church is reverently cared for. Inside, Burt finds that the church has been vandalized by someone who has torn the lettering off of the walls, created a strange mosaic
Mosaic
Mosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. It may be a technique of decorative art, an aspect of interior decoration, or of cultural and spiritual significance as in a cathedral...
of a pagan Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
behind the altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
, and stuffed the pipes of the organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
full of corn husks and leaves. At the altar, Burt finds a King James Bible (with several pages from the New Testament cut out), and a ledger
Ledger
A ledger is the principal book or computer file for recording and totaling monetary transactions by account, with debits and credits in separate columns and a beginning balance and ending balance for each account. The ledger is a permanent summary of all amounts entered in supporting journals which...
where names have been recorded, along with birth and death dates. While reading the book, he notices that the children's original names were changed from modern names to Biblical ones, and that everyone listed as deceased in the book had died on their 19th birthday. After hearing Vicky blow the car horn, Burt runs from the church to find that a gang of children armed with farm tools
Garden tool
A garden tool is any one of many tools made for gardens and gardening and overlaps with the range of tools made for agriculture and horticulture...
have surrounded the car, with Vicky still inside. Burt intervenes when they attack, and kills a boy who had injured him with a knife. He discovers that Vicky has disappeared. Upon command from an older boy, the children chase Burt through Gatlin.
Finally out-running them, Burt ducks into a cornfield
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
and hides while his attackers search for him. He notices several odd things: there are no animals, insects, or weeds anywhere in the cornfield, and that every stalk of corn is blemish-free. Becoming lost, Burt stumbles onto a circle of empty ground in the middle of the cornfield, where he discovers Vicky's dead body. She has been tied to a cross with barbed wire, with her eyes ripped out, and her mouth stuffed with corn husks. Gatlin's previous minister and police chief, who are now skeletons, have also been crucified. As Burt starts to leave, he notices every row in the cornfield has closed up, preventing him from escaping. Burt soon realizes that something is coming for him. Before he can do anything, he is killed by a giant red-eyed monster that comes out of the cornfield. Shortly afterwards, a harvest moon
Harvest moon
The Full Harvest Moon is the full moon that occurs closest to the autumnal equinox.-Appearance:All full moons rise around the time of sunset. In general the moon rises about 3 minutes later each day...
appears in the sky.
The next evening, the children of Gatlin (all members of a pagan cult that worships a demonic version of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
called "He Who Walks Behind the Rows" who animistically
Animism
Animism refers to the belief that non-human entities are spiritual beings, or at least embody some kind of life-principle....
inhabits the cornfields that surround the town) meet where Burt and Vicky were slain. Isaac, their leader, tells them that He Who Walks Behind the Rows is displeased with their failure to catch and kill Burt, an act that the demon was forced to commit on his own. He Who Walks Behind the Rows commands that the age limit be lowered from "nineteen plantings and harvestings to eighteen". As night falls, Malachi (the killer of the boy that Burt and Vicky ran over) and all of the other eighteen-year-olds walk into the cornfield to sacrifice themselves to He Who Walks Behind the Rows. Malachi's pregnant girlfriend, Ruth, waves goodbye to him and begins to weep. It is revealed that she has a secret hatred for He Who Walks Behind the Rows and dreams of setting the cornfield on fire, but is afraid to actually do so because He Who Walks Behind the Rows can see everything, including the motives inside human hearts. The story ends by saying that the corn is pleased.
Connections to other books
Similar themes found in David Pinner's Ritual (1963) and Tom TryonTom Tryon
Tom Tryon was an American film and television actor, best known for playing the title role in the film The Cardinal and the Walt Disney television character Texas John Slaughter...
's 1973 novel Harvest Home
Harvest Home (novel)
Harvest Home is the name of a 1973 novel by Thomas Tryon, which he wrote in the wake of his 1971 critically acclaimed The Other. Harvest Home was a New York Times bestseller. The book became an NBC mini-series called The Dark Secret of Harvest Home starring Bette Davis and David Ackroyd in 1978...
. Gatlin was mentioned in It
It (novel)
It is a 1986 horror novel by American author Stephen King. The story follows the exploits of seven children as they are terrorized by the eponymous inter-dimensional predatory life-form that exploits the fears and phobias of its victims in order to disguise itself while hunting its prey. "It"...
. Hemingford Home, a neighboring town to Gatlin, was also the town where Mother Abagail lived and rounded up the good survivors of the super flu in The Stand
The Stand
The Stand is a post-apocalyptic horror/fantasy novel by American author Stephen King. It demonstrates the scenario in his earlier short story, Night Surf...
, and was also the location of "The Last Rung on the Ladder
The Last Rung on the Ladder
"The Last Rung on the Ladder" is a short story by Stephen King, first published in King's 1978 collection Night Shift.-Plot summary:The protagonist is burdened with deep guilt and regret after discovering that his estranged sister has committed suicide. He recounts one fateful day long ago when...
" and "1922
1922 (novella)
1922 is a novella by Stephen King, published in his collection Full Dark, No Stars .-Synopsis:1922 is a first-person account by Wilfred James, the story's unreliable narrator. He writes a lengthy confession for the murder of his wife, Arlette, in Hemingford Home, Nebraska, in 1922.Wilfred owns...
". Also in The Stand, "He Who Walks Behind The Rows" is implied to be Randall Flagg
Randall Flagg
Randall Flagg is a fictional character created by Stephen King. Flagg has appeared in seven novels by King, sometimes as the main antagonist and others in a brief cameo. He often appears under different names; most are abbreviated by the initials R.F. There are exceptions to this rule; in The Dark...
.
Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
The story was first adapted into a short film in 1983, Disciples of the Crow.A year later, the story was adapted into a larger-budget film re-adopting the original name, Children of the Corn
Children of the Corn (1984 film)
Children of the Corn is a 1984 horror film based upon the 1977 short story of the same name by Stephen King. Directed by Fritz Kiersch, the film stars Peter Horton and Linda Hamilton...
, starring Peter Horton
Peter Horton
Peter Horton is an American actor and director. He played the role of Prof. Gary Shepherd on the popular television series Thirtysomething until 1991.-Early life:...
and Linda Hamilton
Linda Hamilton
Linda Carroll Hamilton is an American actress best known for her portrayal of Sarah Connor in The Terminator and its sequel Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Catherine Chandler in the television series Beauty and the Beast, for which she was nominated for two Golden Globes and an Emmy...
. Several sequels and quasi-remakes followed. An uncredited Charlize Theron
Charlize Theron
Charlize Theron is a South African actress, film producer and former fashion model.She rose to fame in the late 1990s following her roles in 2 Days in the Valley, Mighty Joe Young, The Devil's Advocate and The Cider House Rules...
, Naomi Watts
Naomi Watts
Naomi Ellen Watts is a British actress. Watts began her career in Australian television, where she appeared in series such as Hey Dad..! , Brides of Christ , and Home and Away . Her film debut was the 1986 drama For Love Alone...
and Eva Mendes
Eva Mendes
Eva Mendes is an American actress.She began acting in the late 1990s, and after a series of minor roles and performances in several smaller films such as Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror and Urban Legends: Final Cut , she broke into the mainstream, appearing in leading roles in Hollywood...
have each appeared in one of the sequels. Other well known actors who have made sequel appearances include Nancy Allen
Nancy Allen (actress)
Nancy Anne Allen is a Golden Globe nominated American actress and cancer activist.Allen began an acting and modelling career as a child, and from the mid-1970s appeared in small film roles, most notably the anchor of Robert Zemeckis's ensemble comedy I Wanna Hold Your Hand...
, Stacy Keach
Stacy Keach
Stacy Keach is an American actor and narrator. He is most famous for his dramatic roles; however, he has done narration work in educational programming on PBS and the Discovery Channel, as well as some comedy and musical...
, Ahmet Zappa
Ahmet Zappa
Ahmet Emuukha Rodan Zappa is an American musician, actor and novelist.-Early life:Ahmet was born in Los Angeles, California, the third of four children born to businesswoman Adelaide Gail Sloatman and musician Frank Zappa. Ahmet's father was of Sicilian, Greek-Arab and French descent and his...
, Karen Black
Karen Black
Karen Black is an American actress, screenwriter, singer, and songwriter. She is noted for appearing in such films as Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, The Great Gatsby, Rhinoceros, The Day of the Locust, Nashville, Airport 1975, and Alfred Hitchcock's final film, Family Plot...
, David Carradine
David Carradine
David Carradine was an American actor and martial artist, best known for his role as a warrior monk, Kwai Chang Caine, in the 1970s television series, Kung Fu, which later had a 1990s sequel series, Kung Fu: The Legend Continues...
, Fred Williamson
Fred Williamson
Fred "The Hammer" Williamson is an American actor, architect, and former professional American football defensive back who played mainly in the American Football League during the 1960s.-Football career:...
and Michael Ironside
Michael Ironside
Michael Ironside is a Canadian-born actor. He has also worked as a voice actor, producer, film director, and screenwriter in movie and television series in various Canadian and American productions. He is best known for playing villains and "tough guy" heroes, though he has also portrayed...
.
In September 2009, the Syfy
Syfy
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
channel premiered a new television movie version
Children of the Corn (2009 film)
Children of the Corn is a 2009 made-for-television supernatural horror film directed, written and produced by Donald P. Borchers and based on the 1977 short story of the same name by Stephen King...
– which is based on King's short story.
Film series
- Disciples of the Crow (1983)
- Children of the CornChildren of the Corn (1984 film)Children of the Corn is a 1984 horror film based upon the 1977 short story of the same name by Stephen King. Directed by Fritz Kiersch, the film stars Peter Horton and Linda Hamilton...
(1984) - Children of the Corn II: The Final SacrificeChildren of the Corn II: The Final SacrificeChildren of the Corn II: The Final Sacrifice is the sequel to the 1984 movie Children of the Corn. This sequel, directed by David F. Price, stars Terence Knox, Ryan Bollman, Ned Romero, and Paul Scherrer. The film was released in theatres by Dimension Films in January 1993, with the video release...
(1993) - Children of the Corn III: Urban HarvestChildren of the Corn III: Urban HarvestChildren of the Corn III: Urban Harvest is the third film in the Children of the Corn series, based on the short story of the same name by Stephen King...
(1995) - Children of the Corn IV: The GatheringChildren of the Corn IV: The GatheringChildren of the Corn IV: The Gathering is the fourth film in the Children of the Corn horror series. It was released in 1996, and directed by Greg Spence...
(1996) - Children of the Corn V: Fields of TerrorChildren of the Corn V: Fields of TerrorChildren of the Corn V: Fields of Terror is a 1998 motion picture and the fifth installment of the Children of the Corn series. It is also the third Children of the Corn movie released by Dimension Films and Miramax Films...
(1998) - Children of the Corn 666: Isaac's ReturnChildren of the Corn 666: Isaac's ReturnChildren of the Corn 666: Isaac's Return is the sixth film in the Children of the Corn series. It is the fourth film that went direct-to-video...
(1999) - Children of the Corn: RevelationChildren of the Corn: RevelationChildren of the Corn: Revelation is a 2001 horror film directed by Guy Magar and is the seventh and final film in the original Children of the Corn film series. It was released straight to DVD.-Plot:...
(2001) - Children of the Corn (2009)Children of the Corn (2009 film)Children of the Corn is a 2009 made-for-television supernatural horror film directed, written and produced by Donald P. Borchers and based on the 1977 short story of the same name by Stephen King...
(2009) - Children of the Corn: Genesis (2011)
Other References
The title of the track “Children of the Korn” on metal band's KornKorn
Korn is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The current band line up includes four members: Jonathan Davis, James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, and Ray Luzier. The band was formed as an expansion of L.A.P.D.The band released their first demo album,...
album “Follow the Leader”
Follow the Leader (Korn album)
Follow the Leader is the third studio album by American nu metal band Korn. The album was released on August 18, 1998, through Immortal/Epic. This was their first album not produced by Ross Robinson...
alludes to that short story.
Children of the Corn and the character Malachi was referenced in Eminem's song "Bagpipes from Baghdad" in his sixth studio album Relapse
Relapse
Relapse, in relation to drug misuse, is resuming the use of a drug or a dependent substance after one or more periods of abstinence. The term is a landmark feature of both substance dependence and substance abuse, which are learned behaviors, and is maintained by neuronal adaptations that mediate...
(2009).
See also
- Film seriesFilm seriesA film series is a collection of related films in succession. Their relationship is not fixed, but generally share a common diegetic world. Sometimes the work is conceived as a multiple-film work, for example the Three Colours series, but in most cases the success of the original film inspires...
- List of Stephen King films
- Short fiction by Stephen KingShort fiction by Stephen KingThis is a list of short fiction by Stephen King. This includes short stories, novelettes, and novellas, as well as poems. It is arranged chronologically by first publication...
- "The Wacky Molestation AdventureThe Wacky Molestation Adventure"The Wacky Molestation Adventure" is sixteenth episode of the fourth season of the animated television series South Park, and the 64th episode of the series overall. "The Wacky Molestation Adventure" originally aired in the United States on December 13, 2000 on Comedy Central.-Plot:Cartman has four...
", a South ParkSouth ParkSouth Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
episode with a similar plot - Who Can Kill a Child?Who Can Kill a Child?Who Can Kill a Child? is a 1976 Spanish horror film directed by Narciso Ibáñez Serrador. It is about an English couple who find an island inhabited by maniacal children.-Plot:...
, a movie released a year before the novel, with a similar plot