Old Shatterhand
Encyclopedia
Old Shatterhand is a fictional character in western novels by German
writer Karl May
(1842-1912). He is the German friend and blood brother
of Winnetou
, the fictional chief of the Mescalero
tribe of the Apache
. He is the main character in the Eurowestern by the same name
from 1964, starring Lex Barker
.
Old Shatterhand is the alter ego
of Karl May, and May himself maintained that he experienced all the adventures in person, even though in fact he did not visit America until after he wrote most of his well-known Western stories, and never traveled west of Buffalo, NY. Most of the stories are written from a first person perspective, and Winnetou often calls Old Shatterhand my brother Scharlee ('Scharlee' being a German phonetic approximation of 'Charlie', and ultimately meaning Karl in German). May also wrote stories about the same character traveling the Orient
, where he is known as Kara Ben Nemsi
.
May attached the prefix Old to the names of several of his characters, considering it to be typically American and a sign of the characters' great experience. In the stories, Old Shatterhand is given the name by his friend Sam Hawkins (who also originates from Germany but is already an old-timer in the American West), as he was able to knock his opponents unconscious with a single punch from his fist aimed at the head (specifically the temple).
Old Shatterhand owns two famous rifles, the Bärentöter (Bear Killer) and the Henrystutzen (Henry carbine
), both made by a fictional gunsmith called Henry in St. Louis
(based on gunsmith Benjamin Tyler Henry
1821-1898). The Henrystutzen was able to fire 25 shots without reloading, probably a hyperbolic reference to the Henry rifle
. Old Shatterhand rode a horse called Hatatitla (Lightning), which he got from Winnetou, who rode the horse's brother, called Iltschi (meaning Wind).
The tales may have been an influence on the creation of the Lone Ranger
media franchise.
In some early stories (Old Firehand (1875), Im fernen Westen (1879), Der Scout (1888/89)) there is an anonymous first-person narrator, who was changed to Old Shatterhand by revision for Winnetou II.
In the story Im Reiche des silbernen Löwen IV (1903) Kara Ben Nemsi says he was Old Shatterhand.
of the 1960s by American actor Lex Barker
.
In contrast to the stories in the movies Unter Geiern (1964) and Der Ölprinz (1965) Old Surehand (starred by Stewart Granger
) was the hero instead of Old Shatterhand. Old Surehand is another character created by Karl May. Karl May dedicated three volumes to him, who is like Old Shatterhand a renowned Western hero and best friends with the Native Americans. Unlike Old Shatterhand, Old Surehand is a half-blood Native himself, though raised in a white family.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
writer Karl May
Karl May
Karl Friedrich May was a popular German writer, noted mainly for adventure novels set in the American Old West, and similar books set in the Orient and Middle East . In addition, he wrote stories set in his native Germany, in China and in South America...
(1842-1912). He is the German friend and blood brother
Blood brother
Blood brother can refer to one of two things: two males related by birth, or two or more men not related by birth who have sworn loyalty to each other. This is usually done in a ceremony, known as a blood oath, where the blood of each man is mingled together...
of Winnetou
Winnetou
Winnetou is a fictional Native American hero of several novels written by Karl May in German, including the sequels Winnetou I through Winnetou IV....
, the fictional chief of the Mescalero
Mescalero
Mescalero is an Apache tribe of Southern Athabaskan Native Americans. The tribe is federally recognized as the Mescalero Apache Tribe of the Mescalero Apache Reservation in southcentral New Mexico...
tribe of the Apache
Apache
Apache is the collective term for several culturally related groups of Native Americans in the United States originally from the Southwest United States. These indigenous peoples of North America speak a Southern Athabaskan language, which is related linguistically to the languages of Athabaskan...
. He is the main character in the Eurowestern by the same name
Old Shatterhand (film)
The film Old Shatterhand is a very successful Eurowestern based on the character Old Shatterhand invented by German novelist Karl May. It is a French, Italian, Yugoslavian, West German co-production filmed in 70mm. With about 5,000,000 DM in production the film was the most expensive Karl May...
from 1964, starring Lex Barker
Lex Barker
Lex Barker was an American actor best known for playing Tarzan of the Apes and leading characters from Karl May's novels.-Early life:...
.
Old Shatterhand is the alter ego
Alter ego
An alter ego is a second self, which is believe to be distinct from a person's normal or original personality. The term was coined in the early nineteenth century when dissociative identity disorder was first described by psychologists...
of Karl May, and May himself maintained that he experienced all the adventures in person, even though in fact he did not visit America until after he wrote most of his well-known Western stories, and never traveled west of Buffalo, NY. Most of the stories are written from a first person perspective, and Winnetou often calls Old Shatterhand my brother Scharlee ('Scharlee' being a German phonetic approximation of 'Charlie', and ultimately meaning Karl in German). May also wrote stories about the same character traveling the Orient
Orient
The Orient means "the East." It is a traditional designation for anything that belongs to the Eastern world or the Far East, in relation to Europe. In English it is a metonym that means various parts of Asia.- Derivation :...
, where he is known as Kara Ben Nemsi
Kara Ben Nemsi
Kara Ben Nemsi is a fictional character in the works of Karl May, best-selling 19th century German writer...
.
May attached the prefix Old to the names of several of his characters, considering it to be typically American and a sign of the characters' great experience. In the stories, Old Shatterhand is given the name by his friend Sam Hawkins (who also originates from Germany but is already an old-timer in the American West), as he was able to knock his opponents unconscious with a single punch from his fist aimed at the head (specifically the temple).
Old Shatterhand owns two famous rifles, the Bärentöter (Bear Killer) and the Henrystutzen (Henry carbine
Henry Carbine
The Henry Carbine is a fictional gun, probably based on the Henry repeating rifle. It was thought out by German writer Karl May as a gun named the Henry Carbine after its design engineer...
), both made by a fictional gunsmith called Henry in St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
(based on gunsmith Benjamin Tyler Henry
Benjamin Tyler Henry
Benjamin Tyler Henry was an American gunsmith and manufacturer. He was the inventor of the Henry rifle, the first reliable lever-action repeating rifle....
1821-1898). The Henrystutzen was able to fire 25 shots without reloading, probably a hyperbolic reference to the Henry rifle
Henry rifle
The Henry repeating rifle was a lever-action, breech-loading, tubular magazine rifle.-History:The original Henry rifle was a .44 caliber rimfire, lever-action, breech-loading rifle designed by Benjamin Tyler Henry in the late 1850s. The Henry rifle was an improved version of the earlier Volcanic...
. Old Shatterhand rode a horse called Hatatitla (Lightning), which he got from Winnetou, who rode the horse's brother, called Iltschi (meaning Wind).
The tales may have been an influence on the creation of the Lone Ranger
The Lone Ranger
The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked Texas Ranger who, with his Native American companion Tonto, fights injustice in the American Old West. The character has become an enduring icon of American culture....
media franchise.
Travel stories
- Deadly Dust (1880, later revised for Winnetou III)
- Ein Oelbrand (1882/83)
- Im »wilden Westen« Nordamerika's (1882/83, later revised for Winnetou III)
- Winnetou I (1893, temporarily also entitled as Winnetou der Rote Gentleman I)
- Winnetou II (1893, temporarily also entitled as Winnetou der Rote Gentleman II)
- Winnetou III (1893, temporarily also entitled as Winnetou der Rote Gentleman III)
- Old Surehand I (1894)
- Old Surehand II (1895)
- Old Surehand III (1896)
- Satan und Ischariot I (1896)
- Satan und Ischariot II (1897)
- Satan und Ischariot III (1897)
- Gott läßt sich nicht spotten (within Auf fremden Pfaden, 1897)
- Ein Blizzard (within Auf fremden Pfaden, 1897)
- Mutterliebe (1897/98)
- „Weihnacht!“ (1897)
- Im Reiche des silbernen Löwen I (1898)
- Winnetou IV (1910)
Stories for the youth
- Unter der Windhose (1886, later also within Old Surehand II)
- Der Sohn des Bärenjägers (1887, since 1890 within Die Helden des Westens)
- Der Geist des Llano estakado (1888, since 1890 within Die Helden des Westens)
- Der Schatz im Silbersee (1890/91)
- Der Oelprinz (1893/94)
- Der schwarze Mustang (1896/97)
In some early stories (Old Firehand (1875), Im fernen Westen (1879), Der Scout (1888/89)) there is an anonymous first-person narrator, who was changed to Old Shatterhand by revision for Winnetou II.
In the story Im Reiche des silbernen Löwen IV (1903) Kara Ben Nemsi says he was Old Shatterhand.
Movies
The character of Old Shatterhand was played in the German Karl May moviesKarl May movies
Karl May films are films based on stories and characters by German author Karl May . The characters Old Shatterhand, Winnetou, and Kara Ben Nemsi are very famous in Central Europe....
of the 1960s by American actor Lex Barker
Lex Barker
Lex Barker was an American actor best known for playing Tarzan of the Apes and leading characters from Karl May's novels.-Early life:...
.
- Der Schatz im Silbersee (The Treasure of Silver Lake) (1962), dir.: Dr. Harald ReinlHarald ReinlHarald Reinl was an Austrian film director. He is especially known for the movies he made based on Edgar Wallace and Karl May books .He started his career as an extra in the mountain-films of Arnold Fanck...
- Winnetou 1. Teil (Apache Gold) (1963), dir.: Dr. Harald Reinl
- Old ShatterhandOld Shatterhand (film)The film Old Shatterhand is a very successful Eurowestern based on the character Old Shatterhand invented by German novelist Karl May. It is a French, Italian, Yugoslavian, West German co-production filmed in 70mm. With about 5,000,000 DM in production the film was the most expensive Karl May...
(Apaches Last Battle) (1964), dir.: Hugo FregoneseHugo FregoneseHugo Fregonese was an Argentine film director who worked both in Hollywood and in Argentina....
(imdb.com) - Winnetou 2. Teil (Last of the Renegades) (1964), dir.: Dr. Harald Reinl
- Winnetou 3. Teil (The Desperado Trail) (1965), dir.: Dr. Harald Reinl
- Winnetou und das Halbblut Apanatschi (Half-Breed) (1966), dir.: Harald Philipp
- Winnetou und Shatterhand im Tal der Toten (Winnetou and Shatterhand in the Valley of Death) (1968), dir.: Dr. Harald Reinl
In contrast to the stories in the movies Unter Geiern (1964) and Der Ölprinz (1965) Old Surehand (starred by Stewart Granger
Stewart Granger
Stewart Granger was an English-American film actor, mainly associated with heroic and romantic leading roles. He was a popular leading man from the 1940s to the early 1960s rising to fame through his appearances in the Gainsborough melodramas.-Early life:He was born James Lablache Stewart in Old...
) was the hero instead of Old Shatterhand. Old Surehand is another character created by Karl May. Karl May dedicated three volumes to him, who is like Old Shatterhand a renowned Western hero and best friends with the Native Americans. Unlike Old Shatterhand, Old Surehand is a half-blood Native himself, though raised in a white family.