Winnetou
|
|
Winnetou is the American-Indian hero of several novels written by Karl May (the best selling German writer of all time), in German language including the sequel Winnetou I to Winnetou III. According to Karl May's story, first-person-narrator Old Shatterhand encounters Winnetou and, after initial dramatic events, a true friendship among Old Shatterhand and the Apache Winnetou arises; on many occasions they give proof of great fighting skill but also of compassion for other human beings.
Winnetou became the fictional chief of the tribe of the Mescalero-Apaches after his father Intschu-tschuna (and his sister Nscho-tschi) was slain by the white bandit Santer. He rode a horse called Iltschi (that is "Wind") and had a famous rifle called "Silberbuechse" (a rifle that was decorated with silver nails). Old Shatterhand became the bloodbrother of Winnetou and rode the brother of Iltschi, called Hatatitla (that is "Lightning"). In the last book of the trilogy Winnetou himself was murdered by the bandit Santer.
Karl May's "Winnetou" novels symbolize, to some extent, a romantic desire for a simpler life in close contact with nature, and a belief in an innate "goodness" of mankind, albeit constantly threatened by ill-intentioned enemies. The sequel has become the origin of festivals (the "Karl-May-Festspiele" or "Karl-May-Spiele", first initiated in Bad Segeberg, Germany, and then expanded to further places like Lennestadt-Elspe) in honor of Karl May or, rather, of his Apache hero, Winnetou.
Original German Winnetou-books
- Winnetou I-III (1893)
- Karl May - Gesammelte Werke, Bd.7, "Winnetou I" - ISBN 3780200074
- Karl May - Gesammelte Werke, Bd.8, "Winnetou II" - ISBN 3780200082
- Karl May - Gesammelte Werke, Bd.9, "Winnetou III" - ISBN 3780200090
- Winnetous Erben (Winnetou IV) (1910)
- Karl May - Gesammelte Werke, Bd.33, "Winnetous Erben" - ISBN 3780200333
Winnetou is also featured prominently in the following novels: Old Surehand I/II, Weihnacht, Unter Geiern, Der Ölprinz, Olf Firehand
Karl May movies with the Winnetou-character
In all following movies Winnetou was played by French actor Pierre Brice. The music for all Winnetou-movies was composed by German composer Martin Boettcher, except "Winnetou und sein Freund Old Firehand", which was composed by German composer Peter Thomas.
- Der Schatz im Silbersee (1962) - Treasure of Silver Lake (1965) (USA)
- Winnetou 1. Teil (1963) - Apache Gold (1965) (USA)
- Old Shatterhand (1964) - Apaches Last Battle (1964) (UK)
- Winnetou 2. Teil (1964) - Last of the Renegades (1966) (UK) (USA)
- Unter Geiern (1964) - Frontier Hellcat (1966) (USA)
- Der Ölprinz (1965) - Rampage at Apache Wells (1965)
- Winnetou 3. Teil (1965) - Winnetou: The Desperado Trail (1965) (USA)
- Old Surehand 1. Teil (1965) - Flaming Frontier (1969) (USA)
- Winnetou und das Halbblut Apanatschi (1966) - Half-Breed (1973) (USA)
- Winnetou und sein Freund Old Firehand (1966) - Thunder at the Border (1966) (UK)
- Winnetou und Shatterhand im Tal der Toten (1968) - Winnetou and Shatterhand in the Valley of Death (1968) (USA)
All of the Winnetou-cinema-movies are available on VHS-tape (PAL) (some also dubbed in English under the above mentioned English titles). "Winnetou I - III", "Der Schatz im Silbersee", "Old Shatterhand" and "Winnetou und Shatterhand im Tal der Toten" are also available on DVD (region-code 2) - but all in German only. Within 2004/2005 the missing movies will also appear on DVD - DVD-extras until now are unknown.
TV-mini-series
Also in the following series' Winnetou was played by French actor Pierre Brice.
- Mein Freund Winnetou (1980) - My friend Winnetou - Winnetou le Mescalero, 7 episodes á 52 min.
- Winnetous Rückkehr (that is "The return of Winnetou") (1989), 2 parts, in all 171 min.de:Winnetou