The Homunculus was a small flying creature which appeared in the 1973 mythological fantasy film The Golden Voyage of Sinbad. It was brought to life through the stop-motion talents of legendary visual effects artist Ray Harryhausen.
Description[]
A tiny humanoid only a few inches in height, the Homunculus had dark, pebbled skin, a long tail, and expansive wings. It was something of a timid creature, likely due to its diminutive stature.
The Golden Voyage of Sinbad[]
The Homunculus was created by the evil sorcerer Koura to be his eyes and ears in distant locations. It was first spotted by Sinbad and his men flying over their ship, where it had apparently just retrieved part of a magical amulet which would guide the way to the Fountain of Destiny in fabled Lemuria. The crew took a pot-shot at the little beast, causing it to drop its cargo.
Later, Sinbad captured the flying pest but, rather than let the men study it, it destroyed itself, the magic which animated its tiny form scattering to the winds.
Behind the Scenes[]
Homunculi (the plural of Homunculus) were first recorded in the alchemical folklore of the mid-16th century, although it appears likely that they were inspired by the folkloric traditions of earlier generations. In these writings, the term Homunculus referred to a tiny, fully formed human, rather than the demonic winged creature depicted in The Golden Voyage of Sinbad [1].
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ Homunculus at Wikipedia