FAKIRS!

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In Tintin comics Tintin and his mates are always meeting Fakirs. These are Indians who do snake charming, rope tricks, hypnotic stuff etc. Who were the real Fakirs and what powers did they have? Do they still exist? Was their omnipresence in Tintin just mentalism on the part of Herge et al? Are they classic or dud?

― Tom (Groke), Saturday, 7 December 2002 01:28 (twenty-three years ago)

There's one in Barcelona. He takes ages to get ready and then swallows a string of razor blades and then pulls them out again and then lies on some broken glass. He's disgusting. I don't think he's real, but he's certainly classic. I think he might be a junkie.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Saturday, 7 December 2002 10:20 (twenty-three years ago)

i like the ones who throw a rope into the air, then climb the rope and disappear into the sky ... but i think that's from Looneytunes cartoons, not Tintin cartoons

― Tad (llamasfur), Saturday, 7 December 2002 10:31 (twenty-three years ago)

There were definately snake charmers in India when I lived there, but they were more like tourist traps than actual fakirs. I'm pretty sure the whole bed of nails thing (also in Tintin) is also true, I seem to remember seeing one, though pretty much anyone can lie on one if they do it carefully, since yr weight is distributed evenly over nails it doesn't really hurt apparently.

― Nick A. (Nick A.), Saturday, 7 December 2002 13:25 (twenty-three years ago)

er, wasnt there only one Fakir in the Tintin books - he cropped up in Cigar Of The Pharoahs (i think thats what it was called though sounds absurd) i think, that was it...or have I forgotten them all that much?

― stevem (blueski), Saturday, 7 December 2002 16:06 (twenty-three years ago)

Tom, check out the book Sadhus.

― Rockist Scientist, Saturday, 7 December 2002 17:11 (twenty-three years ago)

I want to write an enormous scholarly tome on the influence of Hindu holy men on twee Scottish indie-pop, just so I can call it Century of Fakirs

― caitlin (caitlin), Saturday, 7 December 2002 18:26 (twenty-three years ago)

PS: the throwing a rope into the air, climbing up it then disappearing is the classic Indian Rope Trick. It seems that noone who ever actually saw the traditional trick wrote down what they saw, so it's a bit vague what was actually involved or how it was done

― caitlin (caitlin), Saturday, 7 December 2002 18:29 (twenty-three years ago)

hm, I have to be careful I don't post this at FAKERS

http://www.imagemagician.org/images/digibeet/KuifjeSigarenFarao1.jpg

magic cord, do your trick!

― erik, Saturday, 7 December 2002 19:40 (twenty-three years ago)

that's from the Farao album, but he comes back in the intro of The Blue Lotus

now turn your head in your yogi pose:

http://users.chariot.net.au/~dkoks/BettyBronson/Pictures/1-45.jpg

no I'm not gonna translate!

― erik, Saturday, 7 December 2002 20:03 (twenty-three years ago)

hahahahahahahahaha!!!!

that's the spell of the fakirs for me! I'm doomed doomed HA HA HA! I'm getting mad mad!

http://www.imagemagician.org/images/digibeet/ResizexofxKuifjeBlauwLotusFakir1.jpg

― erik, Saturday, 7 December 2002 20:05 (twenty-three years ago)

http://www.imagemagician.org/images/digibeet/BlaueLotusFakir2.jpg

― erik, Saturday, 7 December 2002 20:14 (twenty-three years ago)

Used as I am to the English version of Tintin, seeing that dialogue just makes me smile happily. :-)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 8 December 2002 03:20 (twenty-three years ago)

Hey I can answer this do u want me to answer this

― Vic, Sunday, 8 December 2002 05:09 (twenty-three years ago)

http://www.imagemagician.org/images/digibeet/BlauweLotusFakir3.jpg

― erik, Sunday, 8 December 2002 06:50 (twenty-three years ago)

Knowing quite a lot of German, I can almost get the basic idea of languages similar..then again maybe not..wait..i think...well..kind of...

― B, Sunday, 8 December 2002 06:55 (twenty-three years ago)

B, you should be able to read the cartoon!...then again maybe not...wait...the tintin books always have a lightly old-fashioned language, very formal speaking....looking at the latest picture...er...well... with your permission, I will read your future

http://www.rediff.com/news/1999/jul/12sab1.jpg

btw, does anyone else have only red crosses as most pictures in this thread? only the latest ones show up!

― erik, Sunday, 8 December 2002 07:18 (twenty-three years ago)

not having as good of luck as I'd hoped..I'm a bit rusty...don't know anybody who speaks or understands, so I never have a chance to practice.....but...the first frame .....I can get pieces, i think, but nothing comprehensible...the second and third, obviously "Good, have a seat." "(formally) Thank you." "OUCH!!!!!" question mark question mark.

― B, Sunday, 8 December 2002 07:29 (twenty-three years ago)

yeah, the pic from cartoon form 7th december is a bit heavy to translate to english...the last frame tintin says: indeed extraordinary! and the maharadhja says...er...something like...isn't it

do the large pictures show up? they don't

http://www.imagemagician.org/images/digibeet/BlauweLotus4.jpg

pardon me, but I'm very sensitive

― erik, Sunday, 8 December 2002 07:57 (twenty-three years ago)

Real fakirs cannot be photographed.

― Rockist Scientist, Sunday, 8 December 2002 15:48 (twenty-three years ago)

Do they just come out as a little red 'X' in photos?

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Sunday, 8 December 2002 16:00 (twenty-three years ago)

only the moderators know them code names and tod browning perhaps

http://freaks.cinephiles.net/images/freaks_sword_swallower_bearded_lady.jpg

― erik, Sunday, 8 December 2002 16:07 (twenty-three years ago)

one year passes...

http://www.thewolfeclinic.com/images/family.jpg

― Dada, Monday, 5 April 2004 18:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Wow, I thought of Tintin before opening this thread. I can read mindz

― Lil' Fancy Pants (ex machina), Monday, 5 April 2004 18:14 (twenty-two years ago)

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