The Lizard King

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For the former record label of The Killers, see Lizard King Records.

The Lizard King is a mythic figure created as an alter ego by Jim Morrison, lead singer of the popular psychedelic rock group The Doors.

Morrison was deeply interested in occultism, both modern and classical. He was a proponent of both Jungian and Nietzschean ideas, and was also fascinated by Native American mysticism. Performances by the Doors often used words, actions, images and patterns intended to provoke a subconscious reaction in the audience. On stage, Morrison would often imitate a shaman by screeching, making animal sounds, suddenly falling over, and then either getting up laughing or playing dead. He would then slowly awaken from this "death" and smile wryly.

Shamans identified strongly with one deity—often embodied in an actual animal, such as a bear or a crow—in many forms of Native American shamanism. Morrison was fascinated by the lizard, believing that it symbolized a powerful force in the subconscious mind, epitomizing fear and longing in the psyche. His conception of the Lizard King has been interpreted by some as a recognition of a profound and transcendent spiritual reality. Like Buddha-nature, the Lizard King allegory represents a transcendent experience dormant in all humans, an archetype of the subconscious mind, like the achievement of nirvana. The Lizard King agitates and disrupts, much like a Trickster Hero. Attributes often associated with the Trickster archetype include cleverness and raw instinct.

Like many of his lyrics, a parallel can be seen between this and popular blues artist John Lee Hooker whose song "crawling king snake" was an influence.

"I am the Lizard King, I can do anything." —Jim Morrison, "Not To Touch the Earth"

[edit] The Lizard King in Fiction

  • There is a character resembling Jim Morrison and the Lizard King in George R. R. Martin's short story collection Wild Cards. The collection is written by various authors, and set in a world where a genetically engineered virus has been released upon Earth, killing many but also transforming some characters, granting them superhuman powers. One of these characters, in the short story Transfigurations by Victor Milan, is referred to as "Tom Douglas" and "The Lizard King," but he obviously represents Jim Morrison:
His voice soared in a sudden shriek, and the lights and the band boomed suddenly about him like storm surf breaking against the rocks, and they were launched on an odyssey to the furthest reaches of the night.
At last he took on an aspect of the Lizard King. A black aura beat from him like furnace heat and washed across the audience. Its effect was elusive, illusive, like some strange new drug: some onlookers it lifted to pinnacles of ecstasy, others it crammed down deep into hard-packed despair...
Douglas' powers as a superhero/supervillain include super-strength, super-speed, and an ability to disorient people.
At the end of the story, the Lizard King fights alongside the "Radical" against a Captain America-like "Hardhat."
  • In a 1993 episode of The Simpsons entitled "Selma's Choice", Lisa Simpson is dared by her brother to drink the water of an amusement park ride at Duff Gardens. Completely intoxicated, Lisa begins hallucinating and shouts "I am the Lizard Queen!" when apprehended by police.
  • In the early 1990's, an anarchistic computer hacker nicknamed "The Lizard King" played havoc with computer systems from a suspected base in Gonic, New Hampshire, USA. The individual in question was never apprehended.
  • In Aztek: The Ultimate Man #4 by DC Comics is introduced Aztek's nemesis, the Lizard King, and in #5 he shouts "I'm the Lizard King! I can do anything!"
  • In the popular online computer role playing game World of Warcraft there is monster by the name of Lord Serpentis inside the instance dungeon Wailing Caverns. He proclaims "I am the Serpent King! I can do anything!"
  • In the controversial video game Postal², the Postal Dude says "I am the Lizard King!" when taking cat nip and going in slow motion.
  • In Episode 706 - "Laserblast" of Mystery Science Theater 3000, as the main character, Bobby, stands on top of a hill, Tom Servo shouts "I AM THE LIZARD KING!!!".
  • In the PSX game Brigandine, a Lizard Guard can be morphed into a Lizard King with the aid of a Gold Crown.
  • In the game Destroy All Humans! 2, if you command a female hippie in Bay City to follow you, she might say 'You are the Lizard King! You can make me do anything!'
  • In the television show Home Improvement, Wilson replaces "heavenly father" with "the lizard king" during Al Borland's mothers funeral.
  • Jim Morrison was portrayed on stage in a play by the poet and playwright Jay Jeff Jones. Titled The Lizard King, it was performed in London, New York and finally in Los Angeles in 1991, starring Stephen Nichols in the role of Jim. [1]
  • In the PS2 video game Shining Force EXA, Lizard King is a powerful variant of the lizardman enemy type.

[edit] Music References


[edit] References

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