Cheshire Cat

The Cheshire [ tʃɛʃə ] Cat ( Cheshire Cat, in German translations Edam Cat, Cheshire or Cheshire Cat ) is a character from the novel Alice in Wonderland (Alice 's Adventures in Wonderland ) by Lewis Carroll. For the first time she has drawn Sir John Tenniel, published in 1865 for the 1866 edition of the book.

Origin of the name

The original English name of the cat refers to the northern English county of Cheshire, where Carroll in 1832 came in Daresbury born and spent his childhood. The expression "to grin like a Cheshire cat" ( "Like a Cheshire Cat grin " ) is an old English phrase. In the German translations of the name is often rendered with Cheshire. The reason for this is the characteristic grin of the cat and probably in particular the fact that the cat may disappear while her grin remains visible.

The English phrase "grin like a Cheshire cat" means " big grin ". About the origin of this phrase, there are several assumptions. One possibility is that this the Chester cheese (English Cheshire cheese ) is due, which was previously formed in the shape of a cat. The cat " grin " because the counts of Cheshire had the privilege of not having to pay taxes to the crown.

Another version is that a bad sign painter was responsible for ensuring that at many signs of the old inns in Cheshire Lions were represented, who looked like grinning cats.

The unlikely alternative is with the reign of Richard III. connected: It should have been a forester named Caterling. This would eradicate poaching and was responsible for the execution of over a hundred poachers. He was the executions always " grinning from ear to ear" been there. His grin was proverbial, and his name was later shortened to " Catling " to " Cat".

Alice in Wonderland

The animal appeared in the sixth chapter, Pig and Pepper (Pig and Pepper ) to:

In German translations ( here by Antonie Zimmermann for the issue of 1869) it is the Cheshire Cat:

Further dissemination

The motif of the Cheshire Cat was taken up by many artists and used in countless variations, whether as a reinvented or redesigned as it was in recent illustrations of the book or as a cartoon character in the Disney production Alice in Wonderland from 1951. In the English adaptation of the substance in 1999 as a feature film under its original title Alice in Wonderland, the Cheshire Cat is represented by Whoopi Goldberg.

Even in texts of other authors appeared on the Cheshire Cat, such as the eponymous character in the novel series by Jasper Fforde, whose work is known for its wealth of literary allusions.

Modified Bloodthirsty comes the Cheshire Cat in the Play American McGee's Alice and Alice: Madness Returns before.

In archeology, the term Cheshire Cat by Paul Jacobsthal was introduced in relation to the first phase of Celtic art styles ( Early Celtic Art, 1944). There can be found on jewelery etc. motifs that seem to map "on second glance " goggle-eyed faces. This effect is compared Jacobsthal with the Cheshire Cat, during which it initially perceive only the smile, a moment later, however, the rest of the system.

In the book Our Cosmos by Carl Sagan the cat's grin occurs in a demonstration of a fictional planet with variable gravity. The grin is even visible when the gravitational forces of a black hole over.

The American pop - punk band blink-182 named her 1994 debut album, released also Cheshire Cat.

The British indie rock band Milburn called her second single from her debut album Well, Well, Well Cheshire Cat Smile.

After the Cheshire Cat, the asteroid ( 6042 ) CHESHIRE is also named.

In some images of the comic book series The Peanuts Snoopy disappears also up on his smile and in other pictures up on his nose.

A concept of theoretical physics, which is used in bag models and comes Holger Bech Nielsen, among other things, called by the Lewis Carroll Cat " Cheshire Cat Principle". The principle is that resulting from the assembly of different descriptions within and outside of a bag resulting theory with radius R of the exact value of the radius is independent (the radius so as Carroll's cat disappears from the theory ).

In The Cell as a Habitat of MH Richmond and DC Smith, the Cheshire Cat was used as a metaphor to make the nature of the mitochondria of course.

In the Japanese manga Pandora Hearts by Jun Mochizuki, who was also implemented as an anime series, there is also a character named Cheshire Cat.

In the American television series The Simpsons Milhouse mimics the Cheshire Cat (season six, episode 24).

In the science fiction novel "The Windup Girl" ( " Biokrieg " ) by Paolo Bacigalupi (2009) there is a resulting from an inadvertent cross with a genetically modified cat breed of aggressive wild cats, which are called Cheshire Cats.

In his short story " The Golden Afternoon " (included in the short story " Something ends, something begins " ) tells the story of Andrzej Sapkowski Polish author an alternate version of the events from "Alice in Wonderland". Here comes the Cheshire cat as a narrator. He has magical powers that can change and save the real Alice Liddell 's life from Wonderland in the world of men.

Trademarks

The Walt Disney Company has come up with the name " Cheshire Cat" Enter extensive trademark rights.