Old Shatterhand

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Old Shatterhand is a fictional character in sixteen western novels by German writer Karl May (1842-1912). He is the German friend and blood brother of Winnetou the fictional chief of the Mescalero-tribe of the Apache. He is the main character in the Eurowestern by the same name from 1964, starring Lex Barker.

Old Shatterhand is the alter ego of Karl May and May himself tried to establish that he experienced all the adventures in person. Most of the stories are written from a first person perspective and Winnetou often calls Old Shatterhand my brother Scharli (Scharli being a mispronounced form of Charlie and ultimately meaning Karl in German). The character of Old Shatterhand is also identical to Kara Ben Nemsi, who travels the Orient.

At the time of writing Karl May considered the prefix Old to names of several of his characters as being typically American and standing for the great experience of the hero. In the stories, Old Shatterhand got the name by his friend Sam Hawkens, who also originates from Germany (but already is an oldtimer in the American west), as he was able to knock out his adversary with a single stroke.

Old Shatterhand owns two famous rifles, the Bärentöter (Bear Killer) and the Henrystutzen (Henry Carbine), both made by a fictional gunsmith called Henry in St. Louis. The Henrystutzen was able to fire 25 shots without reloading, probably a hyperbolic reference to the Henry rifle. Old Shatterhand rode a horse called Hatatitla (Lightning), which he got from Winnetou, who rode the brother-horse called Iltschi (meaning Wind).

The tales may have been an influence on the creation of the Lone Ranger media franchise.