Thra
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Thra is the name of the planet created by Jim Henson for his film, The Dark Crystal. It is a planet with three suns, so it does not contain the dualities of day and night, nor the summer and winter of planet Earth. The most important element on the planet is The Crystal of Truth, which was erected by the planet's ruling UrSkeks and which once bathed the planet Thra in a healthy light. It is housed in the magnificent Castle of the Crystal, the planet's central landmark.
[edit] History
It has been theorized that the planet Thra may be triangular in shape since the number three is so important to the cultures which inhabit it. This could also be just because of the planet's three suns, whose convergences are treated as great religious occurrences by the planet's occupants. Before the beginning of the film The Dark Crystal, the UrSkeks dared to expose themselves to a great conjunction of the three suns in an attempt to purify their perceived faults. Instead, the UrSkeks split their beings into two divergent races. The noble and kind urRu retained the gentle calm of the UrSkeks, while the vain and cruel Skeksis retained their charismatic drive to glory.
Shortly after the split into two races, one of the Skeksis split the great crystal during an argument, and it began to fade and darken. The book The World of the Dark Crystal tells us that, "The Suns shone as before, but dimmer; the trees grew as before, but twisted. Strange beasts moved in the woods." The passive urRu fled from the crystal's presence to a remote valley, while the Skeksis began to treat the split of the crystal as their greatest achievement. In these early days, the Skeksis spoke with voices like music and moved with enchantment. They excelled at bold experiments, dazzling wit, and especially flattery. The crystal itself took on a dark purple hue, which signified its inner corruption, therefore causing it to be known hereafter as The Dark Crystal.
[edit] Geography
To the southeast of the Castle of the Crystal (although of course this directional is possibly irrelevant in a world shaped differently than ours), lies the valley where fled the urRu. It is formally known as the Valley of Stones. The Valley of Stones is a twisting valley with frequent mist, the perfect place for the urRu to meditate in concealment from the Skeksis. The rock walls of the valley hold many caves and natural springs provide fresh water.
To the northeast of the Castle are the ruins of Gelfling buildings. Gelflings were the third dominant race of Thra at one point, though by the time of the film they are nearly extinct. Unlike the urSkeks, Gelflings were divided into two genders and they were more interested in shaping materials and singing than in philosophy or morals. The Gelfling ruins resemble the ideals often associated with elves in legends, incorporating graceful stonework and tiled floors in earth colors. The Gelflings were renowned craftspeople in their day, and it was actually the Gelflings which provided the Castle of the Crystal with much of its now decaying glory. Remaining plaster frescoes at the Gelfling ruins show that they may have been matrilineal, since an enthroned woman resembling a queen is the central figure. Other figures in the fresco appear to be a vizier, courtiers, farmers, carpenters, smiths, dancers, and musicians. It appears that the fresco was not carved, but instead melted or evaporated through a type of intense heat.
Quite near to the Gelfling ruins is a hill frequented by long-legged creatures known as Landstriders, as well as the village of the Podlings. The industrious Podlings have built a bustling collection of houses formed from the pods of some gigantic seeds. These are raised around a central clearing, and are neatly carved with windows, doors and chimneys. Pod culture is based upon a beauty of utility similar to the aesthetic of the Shakers. The Pod People, with their neat, organic village, may also be compared to the Hobbits of Tolkien's Middle-earth.
Also in the near vicinity is a swamp which is the setting of an important scene in the film, and which is a masterpiece of the imaginations of Brian Froud, Jim Henson, and the many sculptors which worked on it. In this swamp, trees walk through the muck, mushrooms fly on gorgeous wings, and cacti swallow butterflies using long tongues. Holes open and snap shut, flowers actively hide from bees, and animals bask in a charged, crackling static which permeates the swamp shortly after sunrise. Some of the same people who worked on the swamp for The Dark Crystal later worked on the swamp planet Dagobah for The Empire Strikes Back.
Near the far northeast of the planet Thra is the Dome of Aughra. Aughra is a wise woman of the planet Thra, and is of a singular race unto herself. The dome is perched high on a cliff and is composed of a brittle material which allows Aughra to view the heavens and gives the building a pustule-like appearance from the outside. It is from the book The World of the Dark Crystal, purportedly based on the records of Aughra, that much of this information comes.
