SkekZok
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In the film The Dark Crystal by Frank Oz and Jim Henson, skekZok is the court Ritual Master for the race of Skeksis. His urRu alter ego is urZah, the Ritual-Guardian. SkekZok was played by Jim Henson, with his voice provided by Jerry Nelson(US) and Norio Wakamoto(Japan).
[edit] Design
Production notes for the Ritual Master also refer to him as High Priest. They tell us that he is the tallest of the Skeksis, with a skull-like head and hypnotic eyes. These original notes call for a robe hung with ecclesiastical bric-a-brac such as reliquaries and Orthodox icons, as well as a staff that lights up via an obvious switch to resemble a gaudy, miniature religious grotto. His movement is to be based on the stylized gestures of Tai Chi. Other influences noted for the Ritual Master include:
- Astrology
- Magic tricks
- the Masons
- Rasputin
- the Russian films Boris Godunov and Ivan the Terrible
- Snobbery
- Tarot
- Witch doctors or shamans
[edit] Profile
In the book The World of The Dark Crystal, skekZok is said to have had the ear of the late Emperor skekSo, and to have held the keys to success at court. This status was gained through false apparitions and invented prophecies. Upon the death of Emperor skekSo, however, the Ritual Master finds that the other Skeksis practice their own divinations which they trust above his.
The web site habidabad.com also lists the Ritual Master as being the final arbiter of the Skeksis' ritual slave chorus, and notes that his "hypocritical piety" is best served when ceremony and cruelty are mixed. SkekZok enjoys traditional loyalty from the court intellectuals skekOk and skekShod. It is presumably his ritual dagger which causes the death of the Gelfling Kira.
